FRANCISCO LINDOR CLOSING IN ON MLB ROSTER, SPORTS B1 LEESBURG, FLORIDA Saturday, June 28, 2014 www.dailycommercial.com COMPETITION: Firefighters and police officers WEAPONS: US plans to join go head-to-head in physical challenge , A3 global ban on land mines, A5 Leesburg woman stripped of Miss Florida title TOM MCNIFF | EXECUTIVE EDITOR released to the media, the The family went on to call Cow- [email protected] Fechtel family said it learned en a lovely woman and wished The Miss Florida Pageant on that Elizabeth had to forfeit the her success. They also asked for Friday stripped Leesburg native crown during a visit from Miss privacy so they could “process Elizabeth Fechtel of the crown Florida Director Mary Sullivan this information in light of the she won six days earlier after it Thursday night. fact that in these last five days, was discovered that organizers “She told us that one of the Elizabeth has dropped out of had incorrectly tabulated the judges had changed his mind college, as required, and re-ar- contestants’ scores. while scoring first and second ranged her life to be Miss Florida Fechtel, a University of Flori- place the night of the pageant, instead of a UF college student, da student, was replaced by first and that in the last 15 seconds pursuing the title with vigor! We runner-up Victoria Cowen of of the time allotted to vote, that apologize for any plans you have Panama City. Cowen, not Fech- he drew lines to reverse his first made based on her being Miss tel, will go on to represent Flor- vote. He changed his vote from Florida, as we have done so also. ida in the Miss America Pageant Elizabeth, to the first runner-up, We appreciate you all sooooo in September. Victoria Cowen. Therefore, Eliz- much! This is a difficult letter to Fechtel could not be reached abeth is not the winner of the write today, but we know it will PHOTO COURTESY OF MISS FLORIDA PAGEANT for comment Friday. But in a pageant, but first runner-up,” all work out!” Leesburg native Elizabeth Fechtel, 20, is crowned Miss statement to friends and family the statement reads. SEE CROWN | A2 Florida at the state’s pageant on Sunday. CLERMONT FDOT review gives green light for new traffic signal LIVI STANFORD | Staff Writer the traffic signal for [email protected] years, the FDOT said A Florida Depart- the numbers did not ment of Transporta- warrant it at the time. tion review released Fri- In 2010, a flashing sig- day concluded there is nal was added to the in- a need for a traffic sig- tersection. nal at the intersection “We were concerned of U.S. Highway 27 and about safety,” said Rep. Margaux Drive/Saw- Larry Metz, R-Grove- grass Bay Boulevard land, who asked to have near Sawgrass Bay Ele- the intersection evalu- mentary School. ated for a signal while Since the school serving on the Lake opened in 2008, parents County School Board and officials asked that a at the time. “It will help PHOTOS BY BRETT LE BLANC / DAILY COMMERCIAL traffic signal be installed improve safety of the intersection and I am A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday to open the new urgent care facility at Leesburg Regional Medical Center in that intersection be- in Leesburg. cause of difficulties en- grateful they made the tering and exiting Saw- decision.” LEESBURG grass Bay Boulevard. Howard added he was Lake County School pleased the traffic sig- Board Member Tod nal will finally be put in. Howard said while “It should provide for Alternative care many had pushed for SEE SIGNAL | A2 Leesburg Regional Medical Center gets new $5M urgent care facility AUSTIN FULLER | Staff Writer the emergency room Iraq’s top cleric urges [email protected] for minor illnesses.” He added they are new $5 million committed to employ- urgent care center quick deal on new PM ee health and well- will open at Lees- A ness. He said CFHA is RYAN LUCAS and SAMEER N. YACOUB troops left Iraq, Wash- burg Regional Medical Associated Press self-insured, and over ington has found it- Center on Tuesday, ac- self being pulled back cording to hospital of- the long run, fixing BAGHDAD — Iraq’s solvable health prob- top Shiite cleric ratch- in by the stunning of- ficials. fensive spearheaded “It should reduce ER lems would lower pre- eted up the pressure miums and those sav- Friday on lawmakers to by the al-Qaida break- wait times and we’re away group, the Islamic very excited about ings would be passed agree on a prime min- to employees. Part of ister before the new- State of Iraq and the Le- that, of course, be- vant. The onslaught has President and CEO of the Central Florida Health Alliance that includes a new ly elected parliament cause nobody likes to triggered the worst cri- wait in (an) emergen- Don Henderson speaks during the ribbon-cutting ceremony track, Henderson said. meets next week, try- sis in Iraq since the U.S. cy room setting,” said on Friday. A 0.3-mile well- ing to avert months of ness track was recent- withdrawal and sapped Don Henderson, the Central Florida Health urgent care center, but wrangling in the face ly completed, accord- public — and interna- president and CEO of Alliance’s corporate secondly, we wanted of a Sunni insurgent ing to Kathy Houser, blitz over huge tracts in tional — confidence in Central Florida Health headquarters. to also make it an administrative director the country’s north and Shiite Prime Minister Alliance, which owns Henderson said there alternative to going of Marketing for CFHA. west. Nouri al-Maliki. LRMC. is an urgent care center to the emergency Henderson said the She said it is part of the The United States, Many of al-Maliki’s in Tavares, which will department,” 20,000-square-foot commitment to have meanwhile, started fly- former allies, and building, in addition to be relocated to the new Henderson said. “So team members stay ing armed drones over even key patron Iran, the general urgent care building because they as the community healthy. It will also be Baghdad to protect have begun exploring facility, will also house want it adjacent to the begins to learn (about) open to the commu- American civilians and alternatives to replace an employee health hospital. the facility and the nity. newly deployed U.S. him. But al-Maliki, clinic, a pre-procedure “One, it’s easy to capabilities then they Henderson added if military forces in the who has governed the testing center, an find, because if you will be free to self- someone could not im- capital. country since 2006, has occupational medicine can find the hospital select and come over mediately be seen by Less than three years proven to be a savvy and program and the you can find the here instead of using SEE URGENT | A2 after the last American SEE CLERIC | A2 INDEX DIVERSIONS E5 OBITUARIES A4 Vol. 138 LEGALS D1 SPORTS B1 TODAY’S WEATHER CLASSIFIED D1 No. 179 50¢ BUSINESS C5 VOICES A7 Detailed forecast 94˚/77˚ COMICS E4 5 sections CROSSWORDS D1 NATION A5 WORLD A6 on page A8. Party sunny with a t-storm A2 DAILY COMMERCIAL Saturday, June 28, 2014 Tea party official in Cochran photos case dies FLORIDA JEFF AMY and EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS “Everything we Rose Cochran at the and kind. He was one of the Associated Press see so far, this ap- nursing where she most polite and humble LOTTERY RIDGELAND, Miss. — A pears to be a sui- has lived since 2001. men I’ve ever met in pol- JUNE 27 tea party official charged cide,” Houston said. The photos were itics. He was a loving hus- Mayfield’s death later used in an an- band, father, a pillar of his CASH 3 ...............................................5-3-0 with conspiring to take Afternoon ..........................................7-2-5 photos of U.S. Sen. Thad came just days after ti-Cochran political community, and he will be MAYFIELD Cochran’s wife inside a tea party-backed video posted brief- missed. We are saddened PLAY 4 .............................................2-5-2-9 nursing home apparent- state Sen. Chris ly online during the by his loss, and we send Afternoon .......................................5-0-0-2 McDaniel was defeated Republican primary. our thoughts and prayers ly committed suicide Fri- JUNE 26 day, police said, days af- by Cochran in the Repub- An additional weight to his wife, his family and FANTASY 5 ........................... 9-11-15-28-30 ter Cochran won a nasty lican Senate runoff. May- for Mayfield: Under Mis- friends,” McDaniel said. Republican primary. field had been a board sissippi court rules he Janis Lane, president of The body of attorney member of the Central could have lost his law li- the board of the Central Mark Mayfield was found Mississippi Tea Party and cense if convicted and Mississippi Tea Party, said had raised money for Mc- sentenced. she had not seen Mayfield THE NEWSPAPER OF CHOICE FOR LAKE AND SUMTER COUNTIES SINCE 1875 Friday morning in the ga- The Daily Commercial (ISSN 0896-1042) is published daily for rage of his two-story, brick Daniel’s campaign. In a statement Friday, since he was charged, $90.74 per year (plus Florida sales tax) by Halifax Media Group at 212 East Main Street, Leesburg, Florida. Periodicals postage is home in a gated commu- Mayfield faced a con- McDaniel, who has de- but had been in contact paid at the USPO, Leesburg, FL. POSTMASTER: Send all address spiracy charge, a felo- nied any connection to the with him by phone and changes to The Daily Commercial, P.O.