A crash involving two vehicles on U.S. 27 in Davenport Thursday afternoon, January 19, 2023 resulted in the death of one of the drivers.
Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, along with Polk County Fire Rescue, were dispatched at 2:28 p.m., to the crash scene at the intersection of U.S. 27 and Minute Maid Ramp Road #2.
Upon arrival of first responders, 54-year-old Patrick Corrao of Davenport was found unresponsive in his vehicle and transported to a local hospital where he later died. He was driving a gold 2005 Toyota Highlander.
The second driver, 29-year-old Cody Hurt of Winter Haven, was uninjured. He was driving a 2022 Peterbilt Box Truck.
Based on evidence and interviews at the scene, Traffic Homicide investigators determined that Mr. Hurt was traveling southbound in the outside (right) lane and approaching a traffic signal well below the speed limit. At the same time, Mr. Corrao was in the same lane behind the box truck also traveling below the speed limit.
Witnesses told detectives that Mr. Corrao’s vehicle drifted off the right side of the roadway, reentered the outside lane, and then drifted to the right again. He then failed to stop, and his Toyota struck the rear of the box truck.
There was very little damage to either vehicle. It is believed Mr. Corrao may have suffered a medical episode which possibly caused the crash. The investigation is on-going, but no criminal charges are anticipated.
What makes a perfect barbecue? Some people owe their success to their dry rub. Others, to the way they smoke the meat. For Eli Buford, owner of Uncle Bucky’s Southern BBQ, the success behind his award-winning barbecue is the love put into preparing and cooking it.
“I take pride in everything that I do,” Buford explained. “I cook the old school way versus the modern way. So, I take my time to season it, cook it with love, rub it with love, to make sure it is a good product every time you taste it.”
Buford won first place in the rib competition at the inaugural Brews, Blues, & BBQ, hosted in Downtown Bartow last Saturday. The competition was among five other food trucks and vendors parked outside Front Page Brewery, which assisted with the event alongside the main host, Main Street Bartow.
Buford has been barbecuing for two years. Originally, he started with a tent and a table alongside the road before upgrading to his current food truck. Often, he would be invited to park it in front of Front Page Brewery in Bartow. For that reason, he was invited to attend this inaugural event.
Blues, Brews, and BBQ was the first barbecue event Buford ever attended, as well as the very first barbecue award he had ever won. So being able to attend such a momentous event proved to be quite the honorary milestone for him.
“[Front Page Brewery] told me they love my barbecue and thought it would be a great opportunity for me,” he said. “It was a nice event…the community came out with great support, great atmosphere, the music is good, drinks are good, food is good, everything is good. And most of it is due to God for everything, and just the blessing he blessed us with. [It’s] another day to live, and another moment to share with family and friends is awesome.”
Hosted by Main Street Bartow, Blues, Brews, and BBQ is the inaugural hometown barbecue competition for Bartow. This year’s kickoff event showcased five barbecue teams that congregated along Summerlin Avenue and South Florida Avenue outside of Front Page Brewery.
Along with Uncle Bucky’s BBQ, the other teams included Bad Dob BBQ, Legacy Craft Barbecue, PJ’s Barbecue, and the Cultivated Pig. The event also showcased several dozen arts and craft vendors and hosted musical acts performed by local country, blues, and clogging groups.
Johnnie Levin, owner of Front Page Brewery appreciates when her business participates in community events like this. As for the inaugural event, she claimed: “We are amazed at how phenomenal it turned out, especially for a first-time event.”
Linda Holcomb, Executive Director of Main Street Bartow, wanted to start a hometown barbecue festival like the ones hosted in other cities in Polk County. Despite the cold weather
that morning, which she feared would keep attendees away, the overall turnout more than exceeded her expectations. She owes its success to the great barbecue prepared that day.
“It is pretty good,” she said. “For a first-time event, we had an awesome crowd out here, and the music has been wonderful. This is the first annual, so expect the second annual to be bigger and better.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man who believed in changing hearts and minds. Where he saw adversity, he saw the opportunity to overcome it; and as a reverend, he often prayed to God for spiritual guidance.
So, it only seemed fitting that Anthony Baker, Pastor of Faith Kingdom Church, spoke a prayer for repentance, asking God to help change the hearts and minds of the Haines City community moving forward into the following week commemorating MLK’s legacy.
He prayed that God would grant the power to open doors, opportunities, and career paths for people, that they have hope and optimism during these bleak times, and that they can tell their families, children, and community that there is hope.
“We go through tests and trials, not to make us bitter, but make us better,” he said. “Lord, repent us from a mind that says we can’t and to that, we can say we can.”
Baker was one of 12 local pastors who helped pray over the Haines City community during Praise in the Park, the opening event for the week of city events commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr.
Praise in the Park was hosted in Lake Eva Park in Downtown Haines City at 3 PM. The program included inspirational devotionals hosted by pastors from local churches, as well as musical performances by St. Mary’s Choir.
Each pastor appeared on stage at the podium to pray over different aspects of the city, from its government officials and leaders to its schools, families, and children. They prayed for repentance, forgiveness, wisdom, and love.
Pastor Jarvis Marshall of Spirit Life Ministries prayed that the community and city leaders have the wisdom to lead and represent the best interests of their constituents. He prayed for God to anoint every leader and grant them divine wisdom in their decision-making.
“[Lord, I pray] that they can come together as one vision to progress this community…that when they come together and reason, that they can walk together in power,” he said.
Pastor Webb of New Beulah Baptist requested that God grants forgiveness to those who ask, for he knows that many people in the community have not been the best person that they could be. As such, he asked that people have the power to improve themselves.
“We are thankful you look beyond our faults and see our needs, for we needed a savior,” he said. “We ask that you have a heart [and have us] continue to do what you have asked us to do…[and]
let us not be so quick to withhold forgiveness from others. Help us to show that same love and mercy to others.”
Praise in the Park was the opening event for “Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Unity Week,” a week of events honoring MLK Jr. hosted by the City of Haines City in conjunction with Haines City Northeast Revitalization Group. The other events range from painting projects to a scholarship breakfast and all conclude with the big parade and festival on Saturday.
Event Coordinator Peaches Brown commended the event for its significant turnout and for opening their week the way Rev. Martin Luther King would have opened it: by calling on the name of God and asking for his divine guidance.
“I thought it was a great success,” she said. “[I hope] that God answers these prays and that we will find ourselves in a better place, especially with prayers for our children, for healing, and our community. I hope that God answers these prayers…and we are going to see it. This is a good start…it has to start with God. We have to acknowledge God first.”
2023 Central Florida Comic Con Morphs Up For Power Ranger-Centric Year
by James Coulter
“Go, Go Power Rangers!” to Lakeland this weekend for a real “morphin time” at Central Florida Comic Con. This year’s event, hosted at the RP Funding Center, will include not one but three Power Rangers: Steve Cardenas, Nakia Burrise, and Jason Faunt.
These three actors will be one of the 22 guests in attendance to meet fans, take photos and autographs, and speak about their experiences performing their roles on the Power Rangerstelevision show.
Furthermore, this year’s Central Florida Comic Con will also be hosted in dedication to the memory of Jason David Frank, the original green and white ranger who tragically passed away last year. As its website states: “We want everyone to remember the love and support that JDF poured into the fan community.”
Power Rangers will be one of the many popular franchises represented at Lakeland’s annual two-day comic book convention. Fans, geeks, and nerds alike will be able to gather to celebrate their love of their favorite comic book, movie, television, and video game franchises with cosplay, vendors, and special guest stars.
Aside from three Power Rangers, this year’s attendees will also be able to meet Vincent Martella and David Errigo, Jr., the voice actors of Phineas and Ferb from the hit Disney Channel animated series, Phineas and Ferb.
On Saturday only, attendees will be able to meet and greet comic creators Amanda Conner (Harley Quinn, Supergirl) and Jimmy Palmiotti (Harley Quinn, Painkiller Jane).
Other special guests during the weekend include:
X-Pac (2x WWE Hall of Famer)
Sonny Strait (Voice actor for Dragon Ball, One Piece, & Fullmetal Alchemist)
David Matranga (Voice actor for My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Angel Beats, & Fairy Tail)
George Lowe (Voice actor Space Ghost, The Brak Show)
For the full guest list, visit: https://www.centralfloridacomiccon.com/guests
For nearly a decade, Central Florida Comic Con has been Lakeland’s premier comic convention. Ben Penrod, the promoter of CFCC, started the event utilizing his experience of attending and hosting other conventions in the past. He wanted to bring his own convention to Central Florida, and it has grown immensely ever since.
“This year’s CFCC is going to be our fifth event, and we wanted to make sure that it would be the biggest edition yet,” Penrod said. “We’ve expanded to two huge rooms of exhibitors, artists, and celebs, and we’ve also added more panels than ever before! The fans in Central Florida have really taken to this event and we’re just giving that energy back to the fans. They keep asking for more and we just keep growing the show!”
He owes its success to the event being hosted as a big town event in a small-town environment. Admission is also ensured to be affordable for everyone, especially families, which helps draw in a good crowd, he said.
“We are really lucky to have some amazing fans who have supported us every year, and told their friends and brought their friends in,” he said. “We work really hard to make sure our con is super fun and that we deliver above expectations.”
Central Florida Comic Con 2023 will be hosted on Sat., Jan. 21, and Sun., Jan. 22 from 10 AM to 4 PM at the RP Funding Center, located at 701 W Lime St. Lakeland, FL 33815. For more information, visit their website at: https://www.centralfloridacomiccon.com/
On Sunday, January 15, 2023, at approximately 8:55 p.m., officers responded to a traffic crash near Socrum Loop Road and Fernery Road in Lakeland. Preliminary evidence shows that just prior to the crash, a 1996 Ford Explorer was traveling southbound on Socrum Loop Road, approaching the area of Fernery Road, when three pedestrians, an adult female and two children, darted into the roadway directly in the path of the SUV. The driver applied the brakes and attempted to avoid the pedestrians but was unsuccessful and struck all three.
The Lakeland Police Department Patrol Unit, Polk County Fire Rescue, and the Lakeland Fire Department arrived on scene and began providing life-saving measures. Both children were transported to Tampa General Hospital via helicopter, and the adult was transported to Lakeland Regional Health for treatment. All appeared to have critical injuries at the time of transport. As of this morning, no additional updates have been received on their conditions. The driver of the Ford suffered no apparent injuries.
Members of the Traffic Homicide Unit responded to the scene and took over the investigation. The roadway was shut down for approximately three hours while the scene was processed for the ongoing investigation. Neither speed nor impairment appears to be a factor in this crash.
This remains an open investigation. If anyone has any additional information regarding the crash, please contact investigating Officer Tyler Anderson at [email protected].
Welcome, World Travelers! My Opinion About Virtual Queues Has Changed…Sort Of!
by James Coulter
It’s been more than a year since I wrote my original review trashing Disney’s virtual queues. When I wrote that piece, I only had two experiences with them and they were not positive.
My first time trying to use a virtual queue, boarding passes had already run out before I could open the app around the allotted time.
My second time using it had better luck, as the app claimed I was eligible for a boarding pass; but, either due to my phone or the park’s buggy internet connection, I spent over 20 minutes staring at my phone before realizing all hope had been lost.
Since then, I had utilized the virtual queue system two more times. Both proved more positive as I was able to ride the long-awaited Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind during bothpark visits. (And any time I’m able to ride an attraction based on my favorite Marvel film franchise is a good one!)
What most likely improved my chances both times with the virtual queue was my brand-new phone. Previously, I owned a six-year-old iPhone 6 that required being hooked up to a portable battery to keep it on life support.
Since then, my old phone has gone home to the big Apple Store in the sky, and I’ve replaced it with a brand spanking new iPhone 13 with longer battery life and a faster internet connection. So, it’s a no-brainer that obtaining a virtual queue boarding pass proved easier and faster, thus improving my chances overall.
I’ve also implemented a better strategy. Around 10-15 minutes before the 2 PM opening window, I find a table at the Connections Cafe, buy myself a drink, and take a seat. Around five minutes beforehand, I open the app and start refreshing the window until 2 PM when the “board” button appears and I press it to reserve my place in a boarding group.
Obviously, a newer, faster phone and an effort to sit down and wait until the virtual queue opens have exceedingly improved my chances of getting a boarding pass and experiencing the attraction in question. (Which, as of now, is the best attraction in Epcot because it’s based on the best Marvel movies!)
So, with all that said, has my opinion about virtual queues improved? To quote Pirate Captain from The Pirates! Band of Misfits: “Well yes, but actually no.”
Personally, I can say the virtual queue is “good” because it’s been a much better experience for me since the last few times I used it, and I owe those better experiences to having better technology and a strategy plan. But, objectively, I still stand by my previous opinions about the virtual queue system being bad…because it is!
I and many others have compared the virtual queue to a lottery system. While there is a slight chance you could “win big” and land a place in a boarding group to ride the hottest new ride, there’s also a greater chance that you won’t and you’ll end up losing bigger. That makes the whole system feel unfairly rigged.
Sure, it’s no big deal for me, an annual passholder who lives less than an hour away from Disney World and thus can visit the resort anytime I want and test my luck with the virtual queue system anytime I want; but for one-time guests who visit the parks less frequently, perhaps only once a year or even less than that, missing out on the latest attraction feels like a much greater loss.
Gee, if only there was a much different system for holding a place in line. Perhaps a reservation system where you can reserve a day and time to ride a ride at your convenience, maybe even days or weeks or even months in advance.
Oh, wait! That system already existed and it was called FastPass! Too bad Disney decided to scrap it and replace it with an inferior pay-to-play clone, Lightning Lane—because Disney wants more of your money! (No, I haven’t used that yet and I don’t plan to because I’m not rich!)
But give Fastpass some credit: at least when Fastpasses for a certain attraction ran out, a guest could still ride that attraction. Sure, they might have to wait in line an insanely long time to do so, but at least the option to ride it was still there. But unless you obtain your boarding pass as soon as the opening window for that attraction’s virtual queue opened, you’re not going to ride it.
Is there a hypothetical version of the virtual queue that could work better? Of course! But the current version has too many bugs and is a real crapshoot to use. If Disney insists on utilizing the virtual queue, it seriously needs to do better.
Multi-jurisdictional investigation in Polk and Osceola Counties involving an open house party in Polk and a fatal crash in Osceola
Sheriff Grady Judd gave preliminary information about a multi-jurisdictional investigation that began in the Sol Terra subdivision in Davenport in unincorporated Polk County, and ended in unincorporated Osceola County on Marigold Avenue, Kissimmee, during the early morning hours of Saturday, January 14, 2023.
To hear his comments, please visit our YouTube page (https://youtu.be/O9Hk3uPllTk).
The investigation began around 1:00 a.m. this morning when PCSO deputies responded to a call regarding several people possibly fighting outside a home on Broad Oak Drive in Sol Terra, Davenport.
When deputies arrived, they did not locate anyone fighting but found that a large party involving over 150 juveniles and adults throughout the street and neighboring yards, and approximately 75 people inside the rental home, was in full swing. They learned the party had been advertised via social media. An ambulance was summoned to transport a heavily intoxicated and impaired individual, at which time deputies attempted to disperse people and vehicles so that emergency vehicles could have a clear path of travel.
The Lieutenant on duty parked his agency-issued vehicle and got out to help disperse the crowd and secure the scene. The Lt. attempted to make contact with a black 2019 Range Rover. The occupants refused to roll down the heavily tinted windows. The Lt. went to the back of the SUV and shined his light on the tag, where he saw that it was an expired temporary tag. At that point, the driver of the SUV intentionally rammed the Lieutenant’s agency vehicle which was parked in front of him, and fled the area. The SUV pulled into a nearby 7-Eleven store on Ronald Reagan Parkway.
The Lt. reported via radio that he suspected the SUV was stolen (which was later confirmed) and a PCSO deputy spotted the SUV shortly thereafter. The deputy entered the parking lot of the convenience store and activated his emergency equipment, but the SUV fled the parking lot at a high rate of speed. The deputy followed but lost sight of the SUV as it headed down Marigold Avenue and into Osceola County. When the deputy arrived at the intersection of Marigold and Peabody Road, he observed that the SUV had crashed into a Honda Civic. The deputy apprehended one of the suspects who had been in the Range Rover, and deputies who arrived as backup apprehended two others. There is possibly a fourth suspect at large.
The FHP sent out a news release about the crash, please refer to that for more information.
Detectives and Troopers are still trying to determine who was driving the Range Rover, which has been confirmed stolen out of Martin County in September 2022. There is a firearm in plain sight within the SUV, but the vehicle has not yet been inventoried and searched.
The three suspects who fled from the stolen Range Rover are:
Jarquez Malique Page, DOB 11-09-1999, of Fayetville, North Carolina; his criminal history includes previous arrests in N.C. for larceny of firearm, possession of stolen firearm, breaking and entering motor vehicle, felony larceny, possession of stolen good, possession with intent to sell marijuana, manufacturing marijuana, maintaining vehicle for drug sales.
Angel Burgos Rosello, DOB 08-06-1991, of Fayetville, North Carolina; his criminal history includes previous arrests in N.C. for trafficking in MDMA and maintaining a vehicle for drug sales, and in Osceola County for possession of marijuana with intent to sell and VOP.
Alaric Shango McFarlane, DOB 01-16-2002, of Kissimmee, FL; his criminal history includes previous arrests in Osceola County for vehicle theft, battery, burglary, reckless driving, operating a vehicle without a valid license, and VOP.
All three of these suspects face multiple charges from the FHP and PCSO.
This is a multi-jurisdictional ongoing investigation: The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the traffic crash on Marigold Avenue. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office is also assisting. The PCSO is investigating the open house party and the crash caused by the suspect ramming the PCSO vehicle at that scene, and we have made three arrests so far:
Dovensky Delpe, DOB 11-20-2001, and Melissa Martin, DOB 09-07-2005, were arrested and charged with hosting an open house party. Delpe’s criminal history includes a 2021 arrest for battery. He’s being additionally charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Martin has a 2017 arrest for grand theft, which is a felony.
During the investigation, Mayra Tirado, DOB 09-30-2004, was arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer, which occurred on the scene of the house party. She has a 2019 arrest for battery on a LEO
Free Health Services – Polk County and the Department of Health in Polk are offering blood glucose and blood pressure screenings, sexually transmitted disease testing (limited), and eligibility screenings for the Polk HealthCare Plan – all from the mobile unit in your community. Polk HealthCare Plan in the Community – If you have no or low-income and no health coverage, come talk to the team to learn more and see if qualify for the plan. For the most up-to-date information and location details, times and cancelations visit https://www.polk-county.net/events #polkhealthcareplan #freehealthservices
Welcome, World Travelers! Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is Just Right!
by James Coulter
To be perfectly honest, 2022 was not the best year for Disney. I found most of their movies “meh” at best and “grossly mediocre” at worst. If anything, the best films I watched last year weren’t made by the Mouse House. I even reviewed two of them: RRR and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. In fact, most of last year’s best animated features were non-Disney films like DreamWork’s The Bad Guys and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio on Netflix. And that fact remains especially true with the film for this review: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
While I loved the first two Shrek movies, the third film was when the franchise lost my interest. I haven’t even seen the fourth Shrek movie or the Puss in Boots spin-off. So, originally, I wasn’t interested in seeing this movie at all. However, after watching the trailer and seeing overwhelmingly positive reviews, I decided to give this movie a watch. I can concur this movie is deserving of its high praise.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish follows the titular protagonist, a fearless feline who is more than willing to leap into danger, fight the fiercest foes, and pull off death-defying feats—and, being a cat with nine lives certainly helps! Unfortunately, after one too many near-death experiences, Puss has whittled down his nine lives to one. His only hope is a wishing star that will grant anyone’s wish. With friends old and new joining him, Puss sallies forth to reach this star, but he is quickly chased by other fairy tale characters wanting the star for themselves. Also pursuing him is Death itself, who wants to claim Puss’s last life. Will Puss be able to make it in time? Or is he truly down to his ninth and final life?
The most obvious positive are the visuals. Since Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, other animated movies have utilized this refreshingly stylized art style that seamlessly blends elements from 3D and 2D animation. The art style works exceptionally well for Puss in Boots, as the paintbrush aesthetic accentuatesthe fairy tale fantasy setting, making it feel like a storybook come to life.
This fact is best exemplified by the Dark Forest, the location of the wishing star. Puss and the others use a magical map to navigate this enchanted forest, which changes depending on whoever holds it. So, the setting often shifts from sunny meadows of colorful flowers to dark thorny wastelands filledwith grave perils.
The animation shines the most with the action sequences. Similar to Spider-Verse, Puss has some very dynamic fight scenes with high-octane action heightened by creative camera angles and ingenious frame-rates drops.
The story is simple enough. The main character wants to hunt down a grand prize, and other characters chase after him and fight him to get to it before he can. It’s a very madcap plot reminiscent of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World that leads to excellent chase sequences, fight scenes, and plenty of wacky shenanigans. Each character has their own motive for finding the wishing star, and during the journey, each of them has their backstories explored and their characters fleshed out.
One group of villains is Goldilocks and the Three Bear crime family, who have some excellent lines and moments of them bickering with one another in blooming cockney accents. No spoilers, but Goldilocks is revealed to have an interesting backstory that hints at what her wish (and inevitable resolution) will be—and anyone familiar with her fairy tale might be able to figure it out for themselves.
The other group of villains is Little Jack Horner (or rather, Big Jack Horner) and his baker’s dozen. He’s a crime boss with the desire to collect all things enchanted including the magic of the wishing star itself. He carries a mad assortment of magical fairy tale items from poisoned apples that can be tossed like grenades and even unicorn horns that explode their targets into confetti. He even has some very hilarious exchanges with this movie’s version of Jiminy Cricket, who, as his new conscience, tries (and fails) to reform the demented crime boss.
Perhaps the most intriguing villain is Death, a sickle-wielding,red-eyed wolf who serves as Puss’ main rival. This version of death personified is one of the few characters who managed to nearly defeat Puss, who boasts of having never been cut by a blade—and the one who, for the first time in his nine lives, terrifies Puss to near death (pun intended). As many other reviewers have mentioned, this is one of the best villains in an animated film by far, and every scene with him proves dark and foreboding.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is perhaps the darkest, most mature animated movie by DreamWorks. The film tackles many mature subjects like death, mortality, abandonment, anxiety, and found family. Also, as with other Shrek films, it has a very edgy bite with humor that leans close towards adult. While there is no profanity (unless you consider “crap” a bad word), there are many hilarious moments where curse words are cleverly censored.
Overall, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a refreshing return to form for the Shrek franchise, with plenty of light-hearted comedy balanced out by exciting action scenes and dark moments. If this movie is any indicator of its creative direction, then Shrek 5 may very well be worth the wait and watch when it is released.
Once considered extinct, the Florida panther population has since rebounded. One local journalist and author chronicled the effort to repopulate the species. His story involves everything from roadside zoos, radio collars, underpass cameras, and even the infamous Skunkman.
Craig Pitmann, former Tampa Bay Times journalist and columnist, served as a guest speaker at a lecture hosted at the Winter Haven Public Library on Tuesday evening as part of its “Our Florida: Lecture Series.”
Pitmann discussed his latest book, Cat Tale, the Wild Weird Battle to Save The Florida Panther, which—true to its title—accounts the half-century-long environmental struggle to save the Florida panthers.
The Florida panther has resided in Florida long before being discovered by Spanish explorers. Native Americans worshipped them as the “Cat of God”, and a figurine named the “Key Marco Cat” from the Calusa tribe was discovered by archeologists.
Spanish settlers referred to these creatures as lions and catamounts. Many stories were told about encounters with these wild animals. One story involved a pregnant settler woman stripping naked and tossing her clothes at a panther chasing her to her house.
“At least that’s the story to tell her husband about why she was naked when he returned home,” Pitmann said.
During the early 1900s, one of the first people to capture a wild panther was Charles Coy, whom Pitmann refers to as a “playboy scientist” and “the original Tony Stark.” He and his team traveled to Florida in a 90-foot sailboat and caught one in a tree.
Since then, the Florida Panther would be pursued by many hunters wanting to catch “the ultimate prey.” By 1958, the panthers had been hunted so extensively that state officials halted further panther hunts.
By the 1970s, their numbers in the wild had dwindled. These wild cats could only be seen in roadside attractions like Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs, which donated a few to Everglades National Park. In 1973, they were once of the first animals placed on the Endangered Species List. Some state officials even declared them extinct.
However, hope for the panther population was reignited when a Texas hunter, Roy McBride, found one female panther and signs there were more during a search. Biologist Chris Belden was also commissioned to find more wild panthers, and his search became known statewide.
Upon hearing these stories, Floridians became reinterested in their state’s panthers. In fact, the animal was voted by schoolchildren to become the official state animal even over the alligator.
Initially, Belden and his team attempted to track wild panthers using radio collars. However, some of the batteries ran dead. During an attempt to retrack these creatures, one panther was shot and killed through an overdose from a tranquilizer. The news created an uproar and a public backlash against panther science.
Further complicating matters was the discovery than many of these panthers had genetic defects including kinks in their tails, holes in their hearts, and reproductive problems. Their numbers were so low that the few remaining panthers were inbreeding. As such, the rush to captive-breed these animals were blocked by an animal activist lawsuit.
Meanwhile, the panther population was being further endangered due to rapid development destroying their natural habitats. The government was approving permits using junk science claiming the panther population was fine. One whistleblower exposed their dirty tactics, which helped bring a halt to these permits.
The only solution left was genetic augmentation. Other cougar species would be brought in to breed with the Florida panthers and repopulate. Roy McBride was commissioned to capture eight female mountain lions and bring them back to Florida. Pittman recalled an interview with McBride about his endeavors, and what he received was a hilarious anecdote.
“He had a story, and when he was done telling it, I was down on the floor laughing,” Pittman said. “All I will tell you is that it involves a blindfold and mule.”
Pitmann reveals more about the history of the Florida Panthers and the efforts to save them in his book. He mentions his book includes other interesting anecdotes, some involving the infamous Bigfoot-like cryptid Skunkman and even a man dressed up in a monkey suit photographed by an underpass camera.
A native Floridian born in Pensacola, Pitmann has 31 years of experience working as a journalist and columnist for the Tampa Bay Times. He currently runs the podcast “Welcome to Florida” and has written other non-fiction books about the state, including “The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Beautiful Orchid.”
During his question-and-answer segment, he assured attendees that panthers lived in Polk County, and that their favorite prey of choice were deer. As he said, “Panthers are to deer what I am to barbecue: they chomp every bit that they can.”
Pitmann was impressed by the number of people who attended his lecture that evening. He wants his readers to understand the hard work that occurred to help save the Florida panthers, and how the people responsible were not officials, but rather, working-class people.
“I am happy with how many people are interested in the subject, and if politicians understood how important environmental issues are to the general public, they would pay more attention,” he said.
Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther is available on Amazon and other websites. For more information, visit https://craigpittman.com/
For more information on the library lecture series, visit: https://www.mywinterhaven.com/library/ourflorida/
