Oct 10, 2019
By Camila Cernawsky Nakandakari
Man Slaughter
Michael Drejka was sentenced this morning to 20 years in prison. Drejka was convicted of killing an unarmed black man during a dispute over a handicapped parking spot in a Clearwater convenience store last year.
Circuit Court Judge Joseph Bulone handed down the sentence Thursday morning. “I’m not really sure that I’ve heard any remorse,” Bulone said.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office initially said Drejka was protected by Florida’s “stand your ground” law. The case sparked nationwide debate over the law. Drejka was found guilty of manslaughter in August after killing Markeis McGlockton.
Mobile Home Shooting
Police are searching for suspects in a double homicide that happened Thursday morning. Two people were killed and two others were injured at the Carousel Mobile Home Park, which is located at the corner of Falkenburg Road and Hillsborough Avenue.
Deputies found a man dead in a common area of the park and another man dead inside one of the mobile homes. Two other victims were shot. They were taken to the hospital and are in stable condition.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477) or detectives at 813-247-8200.
Storage Unit
A Seminole Heights neighborhood wants to stop a storage facility from being built on East Hillsborough Avenue.
Safeguard Self Storage Properties are planning to demolish two existing buildings to make room for the new facility located north of Giddens Park.
Residents expressed concern about extra traffic, the building’s exterior, proximity to other storage facilities, and industrial development in the area.
The city of Tampa would have to rezone to allow the developer to build the new two-building, three-story, self-storage facility.
Debate will continue to take place on Thursday night at 6 p.m. during Tampa City Council’s public hearing on the rezoning request.
Garden Festival
The USF Botanical Garden is hosting its annual fall plant festival on Saturday from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m to 2 p.m.
Over 40 vendors will display and sell plants throughout the event. On Sunday, garden beekeepers will be giving tours of the Apiary and hosting a honey tasting with over 100 honeys from all over the world.
The botanical garden is located on USF’s Tampa campus and house ongoing research in botany. General admission is $5 for non-USF Botanical Garden members and children over 12.
Rays Watch Party
There is only one more game until the American League Championship and the Tampa Bay Rays is hosting three watch party for fans Thursday night.
In Tampa, the party is taking place at Sparkman Wharf. The party will include an appearance from the Rays mascot, Raymond, and giveaways by the Rays Street Team.
In St. Petersburg, fans can go to the Park and Rec located on Fourth Street or Straub Park to watch the game.
The Rays are playing their final game against the Houston Astros in this five game series. The winner of Thursday night’s game will move on to play the New York Yankees on Saturday.
Anchor: LeeAnn Bohannon
Producer: Paige Brooks
Director: Maribeth Nguyen
Technical Director: Rachel Boyd
Graphics: Cheyenne Pagan
Audio: Marquetta Wilson
Prompter: Paige Brooks
Floor Manager: Lizbeth Gutierrez
Camera Operator: Garnet Sommers
Reporter: Garnet Somers, Lizbeth Gutierrez
Graduate Assistant: Emmanuel Maduneme
Faculty Advisor: Catherine Gugerty, Jeanette Abrahamsen.
