Community Lifestyles Sports For the latest Lifestyles Editor activities, events Former Astros Peter Covino writes manager finally and classes see ... about how you can has time to putt save drive-in theaters around Page B-4 ... Page B-1 Page A-7 Serving Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Poinciana, Harmony, Narcoossee, BVL 117th year • Saturday edition • 50 centS auguSt 24, 2013 Police news County Law enforcement, citizens receive Osceola County’s Woman first stadium honors for shooting investigation saw its own share of shoots, roadblocks A Major League Base- kills ball franchise is tired of holding spring training at its Brevard County facil- ity and wants to move boyfriend west to Osceola County, A Christmas woman, where civic leaders devise who claimed she shot and a plan to pay for the con- killed her boyfriend in self- struction of a new baseball defense on Tuesday, was complex and just need arrested and charged with government approval to first-degree move forward. murder. Sound familiar? Wendy Hanks, 33, See page A-2 is accused of killing Darren Wil- liam Haver- ty, 40, of Editorial Hanks Holopaw. Deputies responded to Commissioners Haverty’s home early Tues- day morning after Hanks got the message claimed she and Haverty were in a physical and ver- There was one abso- bal fight. lute we knew going into Hanks explained that Monday’s meeting of the she shot Haverty in self- Board of Osceola Coun- defense as he battered her ty Commissioners, who News-Gazette Photo/Andrew Sullivan and then approached her voted on a proposal to City of Kissimmee Assistant City Manager Desiree Matthews, at left, was first in a procession of city officials lined up to shake with a knife. build a new spring train- hands with members of the Central Florida Metal Detectors Society and the Treasure Coast Archeological Society. However, Osceola ing baseball complex. County detectives discov- There was no possible By Tiffanie Reynolds police chief. stopped until we solved it,” Torres said. ered evidence at the crime way everyone attending Staff Writer “It was an amazing effort on the part The biggest challenge in the investi- scene, as well as in the would walk out happy. It was teamwork that stopped the of the law enforcement community to gation was the random pattern of the autopsy of Haverty that random shootings that terrorized Osceola work together in a collaborative effort, shooting incidents. In the beginning, conflicted with Hanks’ See page A-4 County and resulted in two homicides to share information and to take all their the bullets left in houses and apartments claim of self-defense. earlier this summer, and Kissimmee egos out of play and just make a dedi- across Kissimmee and St. Cloud were On Wednesday, Hanks Police Department Chief Lee Massie and cated commitment to solving this crime,” the only pieces of evidence that law was charged with first- the city’s commissioners congratulated Massie said. enforcement had. But, it was the death degree murder and taken that team Tuesday night at Kissimmee Nine Kissimmee police and seven of 17-year-old Kissimmee resident David to the Osceola County Jail. Osceola County Sheriff’s Office units Guerrero that marked the seriousness of City Hall. Father let accused Members of the Central Florida Metal were involved in the case. The collabora- the investigation. Detector Society, Treasure Coast Archeo- tion with civilians was unique, said Kis- Guerrero was shot and killed in the killer Schafer pick simmee Police Det. Georgie Torres, a early-morning hours of June 26 along Some fast-food work- logical Society, Kissimmee and St. Cloud out gun key detective in the case. It even altered North Central Avenue. ers across the country officers and others were honored for The father of the accused their part in the investigation, which led the strategy of the investigation. Breaking the area around the homi- gunman in a Kissimmee plan to strike Thursday, cide into grids, it took both the Central demanding $15 per hour to the arrest of Konrad Schafer, David “Between these three agencies (includ- homicide and other ran- Damus, Victoria Rios and Juan Muriel. ing St. Cloud PD), we have some of the Florida Metal Detector Society and Trea- dom shootings around minimum wage and the sure Coast Archeological Society 20 min- right to form a union. Do The investigation lasted 15 days, from best in the business. I truly believe that. Osceola County purchased . utes to find the casing of the bullet that you support their cause? the third week of June to the second And when you’re dedicated, you know, the gun for the teenager, week of July. It was the largest investi- good things happen. And we never See Honors, page A-2 Kissimmee police officials • Yes, I do. gation in Massie’s career as Kissimmee let go. We never let up, and we never have said. • No, I don’t. According to the arrest • I’m not sure. affidavit, Lothar Schafer, • I have no opinion. Pavilion who was arrested Monday and charged with culpable Making negligence and permitting Vote at fire closes a minor to unlawfully pos- www.around sess a firearm, took his son, osceola.com Makinson streets Konrad Schafer, to Mega Gun and Armory in Kis- Results from the simmee on June 24. The Aug. 17 Question of the Island safer elder Schafer purchased a week: hi-point .45 caliber rifle By Ken Jackson that Konrad picked out. Are you looking for- Staff Writer When interviewed by ward to the new school Makinson Island remains detectives July 8, Lothar year starting Monday? closed to visitors after a fire News-Gazette Photo/ Schafer said he stored the July 26 destroyed the wood- Andrew Sullivan firearm in an unlocked suit- • Yes, I am. – 87.2% floored pavilion in the public Osceola County Sher- case in his closet. The rifle • I have no opinion. area. was not in the suitcase dur- iff’s Office Training ing the interview, but it was – 8.5% The power is out. Osceola Division Sgt. Mark County fire officials requested later found hidden behind a • No, I’m not. – Nagy displays an 3.5% the Kissimmee Utility Author- washing machine. • I’m not sure. – ity open a feeder to cut power illegally-modified shot- Police allege Konrad 0.7% to the island that night because gun surrendered dur- Schafer, 15, used the gun of arcing power lines near the ing Thursday’s Gas to kill David Guerrero, 17, fire. for Guns event. The who was waiting at a bus Osceola County Public annual event allows an stop early on June 26. Land Manager Bob Mindick anonymous exchange Schafer teamed up with said the pavilion was destroyed of unwanted weapons 20-year-old David Damus, Index and the land must be cleared to the Sheriff’s Office in police say, to shoot the gun of debris before the public at houses in Kissimmee, St. exchange for fuel gift Cloud and in unincorpo- can use the native park again, cards. A total of 112 but the process has been hin- rated Osceola County. The weapons were collect- Page A4, Editorial dered by the remote location. pair face nearly a dozen The 132-acre Makinson Island ed during the 12-hour charges in those incidents. Page A7, Sports is the southernmost of three event. The Osceola County islands in the northern part of Sheriff’s Office already Page B4, Community Lake Tohopekaliga. has filed charges against Mindick said major damage Damus and the teenage Page B1, Lifestyles was confined to the pavilion. Schafer in the July 3 home Page A2, Local news “We had some native trees invasion, robbery and mur- damaged but we saved some der of 22-year-old Eric Page C1, Classified ,like a 150-year-old oak,” he Roopnarine, who detec- said. “We’re working to clean tives say was shot with the Page C3, Legals it up and make arrangements same rifle and then stabbed Page B7, Obituaries to death. See Pavilion, page A-3 See Police, page A-3 Page A2, NEWS-GAZETTE • Online All The Time • www.aroundosceola.com • Saturday, August 24, 2013 Osceola County’s first stadium deal saw its own share of roadblocks By Ken Jackson County Stadium. the team to broker a deal with other courts and a 5,000-seat pocket. and minor leaguers) together Staff Writer The Houston Astros worked Osceola County. softball stadium with three “As a board we decided, during the spring rather than A Major League Baseball out the deal to play in Osceola “The commissioners at that practice fields, but hotel indus- ‘Let’s go for it,’” he said. “It in separate locations. Osceo- franchise is tired of holding County, where they’ve come time enjoyed a build-up of tour- try members balked at the wasn’t going to break into la County Stadium also was spring training at its Brevard every February for almost 30 ist tax money,” he said. “This scope and price of the project. anybody’s budget or bankrupt the first Grapefruit League County facility and wants to years. Don Miers, the county’s was the first baseball stadium It was then that County anyone. Back then there was complex, according to Miers, move west to Osceola County, sports facilities manager, also to be built in Florida with tour- Commissioner Larry Whaley also not as much red tape. In to accept credit cards for where civic leaders devise a was involved in Osceola Coun- ist taxes, before that nobody joined forces with baseball fact, as I recall, we paid for it payment and utilize Ticket- plan to pay for the construc- ty Stadium’s mid-1980s con- knew if you could.