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  • VIDEO: New Jersey man dances at town hall meeting to protest property tax hike

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    Mhm Mr. Tilly, I started your time. Um, How was everyone’s weekend?

    VIDEO: New Jersey man dances at town hall meeting to protest property tax hike

    Updated: 6:01 AM PDT Sep 6, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Americans are famous for our creative dissents against taxes — just take the Boston Tea Party. Last week, a New Jersey man carried on the tradition at a town meeting by dancing to express his response to a property tax hike.In a video livestreamed on Cranford TV-35, Will Thilly, a candidate for the Cranford township committee, gets out of his seat and dances his way up to the podium. An official tells him, “I started your time,” and Thilly holds up his finger as he continues dancing.He pauses to grab a bottle of water and pieces of paper before asking the audience about their weekends. “Did you know I could do the backspin? Anybody?” he says. “Wanna see me do the backspin? No? I’m gonna do the backspin.”After proceeding to do so and unsuccessfully motioning for the audience to applaud, Thilly jumps into his remarks.”Well, why did our taxes go up so much? We were told the referendum was going to bring it up for an average household about $400,” he says. “And mine went up, like, 900 bucks. I think we were told, like, that was from the schools or something? But the school referendum said it would only go up, like I said, 400 bucks on an average assessed home.””So I wanted to know why it went up, if it did much more than that,” he goes on. “And what extra expenses were incurred by the schools that weren’t told to the public when we voted on that referendum?”Thilly then moonwalks back to his seat.”Thank you, Mr. Thilly,” Cranford Mayor Terrence Curran then says, according to NBC. “I like the interpretative dance.”Cranford is a town of less than 25,000 people as of the 2020 census, located 18 miles southwest of Manhattan. Thilly’s campaign website says he is running to “tell you the truth, to fight for what you need, and to defend our Town and schools,” explaining that he opposes “$150 million in 30-year tax exemptions to billionaire developers” for a development in his town.

    Americans are famous for our creative dissents against taxes — just take the Boston Tea Party. Last week, a New Jersey man carried on the tradition at a town meeting by dancing to express his response to a property tax hike.

    In a video livestreamed on Cranford TV-35, Will Thilly, a candidate for the Cranford township committee, gets out of his seat and dances his way up to the podium. An official tells him, “I started your time,” and Thilly holds up his finger as he continues dancing.

    He pauses to grab a bottle of water and pieces of paper before asking the audience about their weekends.

    “Did you know I could do the backspin? Anybody?” he says. “Wanna see me do the backspin? No? I’m gonna do the backspin.”

    After proceeding to do so and unsuccessfully motioning for the audience to applaud, Thilly jumps into his remarks.

    “Well, why did our taxes go up so much? We were told the referendum was going to bring it up for an average household about $400,” he says. “And mine went up, like, 900 bucks. I think we were told, like, that was from the schools or something? But the school referendum said it would only go up, like I said, 400 bucks on an average assessed home.”

    “So I wanted to know why it went up, if it did much more than that,” he goes on. “And what extra expenses were incurred by the schools that weren’t told to the public when we voted on that referendum?”

    Thilly then moonwalks back to his seat.

    “Thank you, Mr. Thilly,” Cranford Mayor Terrence Curran then says, according to NBC. “I like the interpretative dance.”

    Cranford is a town of less than 25,000 people as of the 2020 census, located 18 miles southwest of Manhattan. Thilly’s campaign website says he is running to “tell you the truth, to fight for what you need, and to defend our Town and schools,” explaining that he opposes “$150 million in 30-year tax exemptions to billionaire developers” for a development in his town.

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  • Statue of iconic Reds sportscaster to be unveiled

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    OHIO — For more than four decades he was known as The Voice of the Reds, and he brought passion, energy and storytelling to the airwaves unlike any other.

    Marty Brennaman has become an icon in Cincinnati, and this weekend a bronze statue will be unveiled at Great American Ballpark to honor his legacy. 

    What You Need To Know

    • A statue honoring Marty Brennaman is being unveiled at Great American Ballpark this weekend

    • Spectrum News 1 spoke with Brennaman about his love for the game

    • The statue unveiling and dedication is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday, with on-field ceremonies scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

    Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel have issued a proclamation declaring Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 as “Marty Brennaman Day” in Ohio.

    Spectrum News 1 had the opportunity to speak with Brennaman about his love for the game and what it means to him to secure a lasting place in Cincinnati’s history.

    For Marty Brennaman, every night brought unique challenges and served as a chance to see something new. 

    “This is the hardest sport of all to do because nothing happens until the pitcher throws the ball and you can’t sit there for 25 seconds and not say anything,” Brennaman said.

    It’s an art form he mastered, but believe it or not, in the beginning the Virginia native never aspired to be a big league baseball broadcaster.

    Despite working Spring training games, nothing was like April 4, 1974.  

    “Nothing down there in Florida prepared me for working game 1 with 55,000 people at Riverfront stadium. I was awed by the crowd,” he said.

    The feeling stuck, and over the years he’s witnessed history from the broadcast booth. 

    “I was blessed to have so many great events, and I was at the microphone,” Brennaman said. “Pete Rose’s record breaking hit, Tom Browning’s perfect game, back in ’79 the only new hitter that Tom Seaver ever pitched in his big league career, and he’s one of the great pitchers of all time.”

    “His ability to tell the story, to describe the action on the field, is unparalleled. What he’s been able to do for Reds fans for 46 years, bringing the game to your living rooms, to your automobiles, your backyards, and just wherever you were you could feel part of the game. That’s what made him so special, and I think why people revere him so much,” said Reds Hall of Fame Executive Director Rick Walls. 

    “I’m as equally stunned today as I was when Rick Walls told me back in March that the next one was going to be yours and we were going to dedicate it and unveil it on September the 6th of this year,” Brennaman said. “I’m still having a hard time coming to grips with it.”

    Over the decades, he’s watched baseball change and the city that become home. 

    “Once they determine that you’re one of them, they will go to bat for you, and they will love you, and they will do whatever they can for you, but you, in turn, need to show how you feel,” Brennaman said.

    “In the community, he has been a great ambassador for this team, and for the club and raised money for so many worthy charities, whether it’s the Reds Hall of Fame or the Reds Community fund, he’s always been there,” Walls said. 

    It’s not just about the 46 years behind the mic.  

    “I can’t imagine living anywhere where I could have been happier than Cincinnati Ohio. I love this city with a passion and the people here. There’s nobody that’s had a better career with a greater outcome that I had in all the years I did Reds baseball in this city,” he said.

    In his retirement at age 83, Brennaman enjoys spending time with his wife and seeing broadway shows and traveling. 

    The statue unveiling and dedication is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday, prior to the Reds vs. Mets game at Great American Ball Park.

    On-field ceremonies are scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

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    Alese Underwood

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  • Dr. Phillips senior earns international JROTC accolade

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    ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orlando student set herself apart from the pack, earning top honors and a global distinction of a top cadet in the world.

    What You Need To Know

    • Student Mayra Feliciano is in charge of more than 300 cadets at Dr. Phillips High School

    • She found focus and discipline in the school’s JROTC program, bolstering her dream of one day flying fighter planes

    • JROTC Senior Instructor Lt. Col. Rick Proctor nominated Feliciano for the accolade

    • The senior beat out 95,000 cadets across the world to be recognized as Cadet of the Year

    “I found a lot more about myself, things I could do, the things I struggle on and what I’m good at,” said Mayra Feliciano, who is now a senior at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando. “You don’t have to go to the military after it, but it teaches a lot of discipline and a lot of other things: time management, skills for the real world.”

    Feliciano stumbled upon the JROTC program while attending a high school choice fair, curious about a “kid in a flight suit.”

    But she spent the past three years intensely focused on the program, while sprinkling in other activities — from after-school clubs to leadership development.

    She’s now a cadet colonel of the Air Force JROTC program, in charge of about 300 cadets at the school, and serves as point person for training her fellow cadets.

    JROTC senior instructor Lt. Col. Rick Proctor steadily watched Feliciano grow in her knowledge and self assurance. He decided to nominate her for the Cadet of the Year award.

    “It makes me come to tears thinking about it because I’m so happy for her and what she’s accomplished,” he said. “And that’s what this program is about. This is about Mayra Feliciano being herself. I could just see the dedication and the focus in her, and it helps knowing somebody’s like that, anybody’s like that.”

    As if edging out the competition of 95,000 cadets from the United States to Japan was not enough, Feliciano spent the summer on a $30,000 scholarship at a local flight academy, earning her private pilot’s certificate at the age of 17.

    “It was pretty cool to say I was flying over the summer, while other kids were playing video games,” she said, breaking out in a grin.

    The high schooler said she’s relishing her last year at Dr. Phillips High, but she’s focused more on the future than the present. She’s dreaming of attending a school like Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, flying fighter jets in the military and helping her single mother get on better financial footing.

    “I want to help them have an easy life. I don’t want them to work until old age,” Feliciano said of her mother and grandmother. “I’m going to be 18, out in the real world, paying taxes in a year or two. I gotta find a way to sustain myself and help my family out. We have a connection. It makes it easier because we are there for each other.”

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    Julie Gargotta

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  • Third grade teacher loves ‘light bulb goes off’ moment from students

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    PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – This week’s Bay News 9 A+ Teacher is from Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg.   

    Khana Rebman was nominated by a colleague who says she goes above and beyond for her third-grade students, making each of them feel seen and special.

    What You Need To Know

    • Khana Rebman, a third-grade teacher at St. Pete’s Shorecrest Prep, is this week’s A+ Teacher 

    • Rebman was nominated by a colleague who says she goes above and beyond for her students

    • Would you like to nominate an A+ Teacher? Click here

    Rebman says she likes using activities to get to know each of her students.

    She loves seeing them rally around each other, working together. Rebman said seeing the little light bulbs go off is one of her favorite parts of being an educator.

    “I recognize that learning can only happen when a kid feels seen and feels like they belong,” Rebman said. “And as someone who truly cares about establishing those relationships, once that is done, then I know that any teaching can blossom.” 

    The seemingly innate ability to connect with students runs in the family, too. Ms. Rebman says her grandmother is a retired educator, and she grew up knowing she wanted to follow in her footsteps.

    “She would take me to tutoring sessions at the local community center, or church tutoring, and while she’s there, I’m there helping, and it was the kids who really let me know that I may have had a calling for this,” she said.

    Now, Ms. Rebman is able to follow her true calling each and every day, inspiring students at Shorecrest to do, and be, their very best.

    If you would like to nominate a teacher who is making a difference, you can find the A+ Teacher nomination form on our website.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Program at Bay Pines VA Hospital provides veterans with legal help

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    BAY PINES, Fla. — The Medical-Legal Partnership at Bay Pines VA Hospital provides veterans with civil legal assistance and, in some cases, legal representation for themselves or their family.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Medical-Legal Partnership at Bay Pines VA Hospital was established in 2017 to better meet the needs of veterans

    • Program officials say the service is free for income-eligible veterans
    • They say there are four attorneys and two paralegals who work at the Bay Pines VA Hospital office

    • For more information on the Medical-Legal Partnership, visit the program’s website


    According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the program operates at 31 VA hospitals across the country and helps with many different types of legal services.

    Navy veteran Carl Leegrand said he first sought help in 2021, after having issues with his apartment complex.

    “I was being charged some things that actually shouldn’t have been charged, because they said I had broke the lease,” he said.

    He was unsure what to do until he learned about the resource while attending a mental health class.

    He has since used this resource two additional times for issues with his HOA and installing a safety door at his home.

    “You could go to an outside lawyer or whatever, but it’s not a guarantee that you got to come up with the money and all this other stuff,” he said. “So the problem to me, and the help they gave me, I’m very appreciative of that and the way they responded to me.”

    Pye Young, the managing attorney at Bay Pines Legal Services’ St. Pete office, helped Leegrand with his first case.

    She said they offer help in many kinds of legal matters — including family law assistance, credit card issues, veterans benefits, and more.

    “The purpose of this partnership is to work together to provide this service that has been identified as a greatest need of veterans, and to also meet them where they are on site here at the VA,” she said.

    The Medical-Legal Partnership was established at Bay Pines in 2017 to better meet the needs of veterans.

    The consultation is free, and thanks to grants, the service is free for income-eligible veterans.

    The office is open every Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bay Pines VA Hospital. The program also operates at Bay Pines VA Lakeside Clinic, Bradenton VA Clinic, Sarasota VA Clinic, and Daystar Life Services in St. Petersburg. Days and hours of operation vary by location.

    For more information on the Medical-Legal Partnership, visit the program’s website.

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    Matt Lackritz

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  • Crowley Museum and Nature Center receives donation from the Women’s Fund

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    MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A Bay area nature center was just awarded a donation from the Women’s Fund of the Florida Farm Bureau.

    What You Need To Know

    • Crowley Museum and Nature Center was recently awarded a donation from the Women’s Fund of the Florida Farm Bureau

    • The Women’s Fund donates to organizations that focus on the community and the health and well-being of Florida residents, particularly programs that impact women and children

    • The donation will be used to expand their educational program with the garden

    The Women’s Fund donates to organizations that help the community, but also focus on supporting women and children.

    Dixie Resnick is the CEO of the Crowley Museum and Nature Center. She has a background in wildlife biology and conservation and has always worked in nature.

    “This is a loofa sponge,” she said.

    Resnick is in the syntropic agroforestry garden, which is home to dozens of plant species used as a learning resource for kids.

    “There are no pesticides needed when you let things rot back into the earth. You don’t need artificial fertilizer,” she explained.

    She also has a passion for teaching. This month, the museum and nature center received a $2,000 donation from the Women’s Fund created by the Florida Farm Bureau. The donation will be used to expand their educational program with the garden.

    “The money will be used for improvements in the garden, including the barrier that keeps both agricultural and wild animals out, increasing plant diversity, tools, and irrigation if it’s needed,” Resnick said. “We’ll also be able to buy new gates, new latches, all of that stuff. As a general rule, we try to reproduce our own plants, but increasing the diversity here is also important. So it will be used to buy new stock.”

    The garden was added to the museum’s teaching program in 2024. However, this is the first full season it will be used as a learning tool after it sustained damage from last year’s hurricanes.

    Noah Bryant is the garden land manager. (Spectrum News/Julia Hazel)

    “We want every child to experience every part of our learning program,” she said.

    “I am most excited to reach the public, especially students, with the possibility that they, too, can grow and know where their own food comes from.”

    The center hosts hundreds of field trips each year — and they hope that number grows.

    “They touch everything, they smell everything, they get their hands in the dirt, they feed the animals. And the purpose of that is so they feel a connectedness. It fosters a deep desire to experience those things more. And when we do that, we have a place to pass the torch when we’re done with it,” she said.

    Dixie’s garden is growing — and more plants mean more educational opportunities for local students.

    The Crowley Museum and Nature Center says it will begin using the donation money after hurricane season. They are also actively applying for grants to support more of their educational programs. You can donate to the center to help the cause.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • Lakeland barbershop helps young man facing homelessness

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    LAKELAND, Fla. — One Lakeland barbershop is transforming more than just hairstyles — it’s helping change lives in the community through its scholarship fund.

    What You Need To Know

    • After serving time in jail and experiencing homelessness, Deron Gregg turned his life around with the help of Barber Skate Shop

    • Barber Skate Shop owner Jairus Rutherford provides scholarships to Polk County residents looking to pursue education and career paths

    • Thanks to the scholarship, 33-year-old Deron Gregg graduated from barber school and built a clientele in less than a year


    Around the streets of Bela Vista is where Deron Gregg spent many years of his life, but the path forward hasn’t always been a straight line.

    “In 2021, I got in trouble, which led to seven months in Polk County Jail. I used to pray like, ‘Lord I just want to be a functioning Christian outside of jail.’ And I ended up taking probation — all my family turned their back on me,” Gregg said.

    With nowhere to go, the 33-year-old turned to faith-based nonprofit Lighthouse Ministries for shelter. He said the first few nights were some of the hardest.

    “I grew up here, so I’m like, ‘I don’t need to go to no shelter.’ So I cried like my first day and to be honest, man, that was the best decision I’ve ever made,” he said.

    But Gregg said it wasn’t until he stepped foot into Barber Skate Shop for a haircut last September that his life truly changed. Along with operating five barbershops, owner Jairus Rutherford gives back to underserved communities in Polk County.

    His scholarship fund, named after his late mother, Autherine B. Rutherford, helps people pursuing college or trade school. Rutherford said once Gregg sat in his chair, he knew he would be the perfect candidate.

    “He would do more with it because he needed it more and not just with the scholarship but something like a mentorship as well. And then he wanted to do the same thing that I do,” Rutherford said.

    In less than a year, Gregg graduated from barber school and is now building his clientele at Barber Skate Shop. His goal is to one day open his own business, something he didn’t think was possible without the support of fellow barbers.

    “I never seen nothing like it,” he said. “We’re almost like a family. Very team-oriented. They’ll toss me walk-ins, they give me tips. This is like the perfect fit for me.”

    Ultimately, it gave him more than just an opportunity — it gave him a community.

    If you would like to learn more about how to apply for the Autherine B. Rutherford Scholarship Fund, visit Barber Skate Shop’s website.

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    Alexis Jones

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  • Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee expanding to serve need

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    MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee is expanding to serve the increased need in the community.

    Recently, the nonprofit received a $2 million donation toward the expansion efforts, which will include a new food bank and new technology.

    What You Need To Know

    • Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee is expanding to serve the increased need in the community



    • The nonprofit received a $2 million donation toward the expansion efforts



    • Construction on the new warehouse is expected to finish in November



    • Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee still needs to raise more than a million dollars to complete the expansion project. It welcomes donations if you want to help



    Keeping up with demand is something Maribeth Phillips is working toward.

    “We are so excited to have this additional space,” she said.

    Phillips is the president of Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee. She is overseeing the expansion as the nonprofit is building an additional food bank warehouse.

    “It’s about a 5,000-square-foot addition. This could not come at a better time,” she said. “And really, what we’re doing is positioning us for the future. We are the only food bank based here in Manatee County. And so we have 100 pantries and agencies that rely on us.”

    The organization recently received a $2 million donation that is going toward the expansion project. In addition to the warehouse, it will be adding new technology.

    “We’re looking at software options to be less labor intensive, as far as inventory and what we have on hand in terms of entry as well,” she said.

    Phillips says that each year, the demand keeps climbing. Since 2021, Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee has seen a 40 percent increase in the need for food in the community.

    “So we bridge that gap between getting food on their table and being able to really survive. So we say that our programs are life-changing, but they’re also life-saving,” she said.

    The new building will also help in emergency situations.

    “During the hurricanes last year, we had to rent trailers to accommodate the amount of supplies that we received to get out to the community, so we just did not have enough room here,” Phillips said. “And so this project will ensure that we’re going to have enough room.”

    She said this expansion comes at a critical time. Her organization helps thousands of people each week, and that number is growing.

    “I’m very excited that we will be able to see those needs,” she said.

    Construction on the new warehouse is expected to finish in November. Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee still needs to raise more than a million dollars to complete the expansion project. The nonprofit welcomes donations if you want to help.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • With new boutique, Pasco County nonprofit helps kids in need of clothes

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    PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — From school supplies to prom attire, the nonprofit Marjorie’s Hope has long been a resource for Pasco County students in need. 

    It recently marked the grand opening of a new boutique.

    Danisha Harris was among the shoppers there on the first day.

    What You Need To Know

    • Majorie’s Hope was founded by Debi Shackowsky and named in memory of her sister, who was killed by a drunk driver in 1996

    • It recently opened a new boutique, where kids can pick out clothes and supplies

    • The nonprofit was damaged by Hurricane Helene but turned an old classroom at Wendell Krinn Technical High School into the chic boutique it is now


    “Whatever can last within two-to-three years because I have to pass it down,” Harris said of her clothing choices.

    She has six kids, ages 1 to 12, all in need of new clothes.

    “I was actually trying to figure out how to get stuff for my kids at that moment. I was going to try to make ends meet, and then Ms. Sarah inboxed me and let me know about it, and I was, basically, hopeful,” Harris said.

    Pasco Schools Head Start connected her with Marjorie’s Hope.

    “It’s amazing,” said Majorie’s Hope founder Debi Shackowsky. “It’s a place where every kid should want to come and shop free of charge.”

    Majorie’s Hope founder Debi Shackowsky says families are referred by partner organizations. (Spectrum News/Sarah Blazonis)

    Shackowsky said families are referred by partner organizations.

    Kids can pick out five pairs of pants, shorts, shirts, socks, underwear and a pair of shoes.

    “Ninety-five percent of everything today is new,” Shackowsky said.

    She named Marjorie’s Hope in memory of her sister.

    “She started out giving backpacks to kids, and then she was always helping kids in trailer parks that most people wouldn’t do anything with, including clothing them,” she said.

    Marjorie was killed by a drunk driver in 1996, but her mission lives on through Debi’s work.

    Debi Shackowsky said Majorie's Hope was named in honor of her sister, who was killed by a drunk driver in 1996. (Spectrum News/Sarah Blazonis)

    Debi Shackowsky said Majorie’s Hope was named in honor of her sister, who was killed by a drunk driver in 1996. (Spectrum News/Sarah Blazonis)

    Last year, the nonprofit was dealt a major blow when its storage facilities were damaged during Hurricane Helene.

    “We went three feet underwater, like everybody else out there. Never had a history of flooding,” Shackowsky said. “We lost count, or stopped counting, at $179,000 that we lost in inventory.”

    She said the new boutique wouldn’t have been possible without Leadership Pasco.

    “I call them ‘mountain movers,’” she said.

    The group chose Majorie’s Hope from among multiple projects proposed by local nonprofits.

    They raised $42,000 and turned an old classroom at Wendell Krinn Technical High School into the chic boutique it is now.

    “Debi raises a lot of money and gives back so much to the kids, and I think that’s the main focus of all this, is that they’re making an impact everyday on the kids in Pasco County,” said Garrett Early, Leadership Pasco Class of 2025 president.

    At the ribbon cutting, Shackowsky told the crowd she wasn’t involved in decorating the space, and one detail in particular stood out to her.

    “That was the last photo of my sister and I and my other sister. She was killed six weeks later,” she said. “To pick that picture out of all the pictures, it just, it hit my soul.”

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    Sarah Blazonis

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  • Lakewood Ranch 8-year-old starts his own business

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    LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. — How did your elementary school student spend their summer? Going to the beach? Summer camps? Vacation?

    One Lakewood Ranch 8-year-old spent his summer preparing to launch a business.

    What You Need To Know

    • Dominic Faramarzifar is an 8-year-old who started his own business a few weeks ago

    • He is learning what it’s like to own and operate a business with the help of his dad

    • Dominic’s also helping his community: some proceeds will be donated to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office

    Creativity goes beyond the classroom.

    “These are like all the designs we have. These are for youth — youth, grown people now — and then we have this one, the whole page,” Dominic Faramarzifar said.

    Eight-year-old Dominic Faramarzifar is learning in real time what it’s like to own and operate a business, with the help of his dad.

    Dominic first had visions of owning a business a year ago.

    “It’s fun. I feel like a businessman,” he said.

    Two weeks ago, he and his family launched “Dom’s Surf Shop.”

    “Because I see Mom and Dad having businesses, and I’m just like, ‘I want to have a business.’ Then, (my dad) saved the ‘Dom’s Surf Shop.com,” he said.

    Dominic sells most of the products through dropshipping, where third-party suppliers fulfill the website’s orders. But some products are sold from their home.

    They have made several local sales already.

    “After the first few days of sales, when he had a bunch of sales, he thought all the money was his. But then we had to educate this young man over here on, there’s a cost associated with producing the product,” Dominic’s father, Ramin Faramarzifar, said.

    Aside from owning and operating the business, he also helps with the design process.

    He’s heading into third grade this year and is already thinking of backpacks tailored to his age group.

    Dominic’s also helping his community. Some of the proceeds will be donated to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

    “Because they help us,” he said.

    And when he gets older, Dominic hopes to transfer what he’s learned as a kid into a bigger business.

    “So I really want to sell a flying car. I want to have the first flying car. So I want to learn from Dom’s Surf Shop,” he said. “And I really wish I can meet Elon Musk because he owns SpaceX.”

    You might think it’s unrealistic to think you can meet the world’s richest man, but for this 8-year-old entrepreneur, maybe the sky really is the limit.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • New women and children’s center in Winter Haven

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    WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Talbot House Ministries in Polk County celebrated the opening of its first-ever women and children center located in Winter Haven.

    What You Need To Know

    • Talbot House Ministries celebrated the opening of a new center in Winter Haven

    • This center will focus on helping women and children

    • It has rooms for mothers and infants, women with special needs children, and more

    Polk County officials and residents attended the ceremony and got to take a tour inside the center. Its center in Lakeland houses men and women, but this center will focus on women and children.

    It has rooms for mothers and infants, women with special needs children and more. It will help provide those women with housing connections, medical services, mental health counseling, parenting skills and much more.

    Maria Cruz, the executive director, said they want to create a safe and empowering environment, and its system will work a bit differently from the Lakeland facility.

    “Once a bed is empty, because we place an individual or whatever the circumstance may be, then that bed is going to be open for the next person to be assessed and screened and made sure that they are going to be a good fit for the program,” Cruz said.

    The center can house up to 62 women and children, with 20 overflow emergency beds. They estimate mid-August is when women and children will start moving into the center.

    Every person who will live at the center will also have to go through an extensive background check.

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    Lizbeth Gutierrez

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  • Cortez business aims to help its community with storytelling T-shirts

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    CORTEZ, Fla. — Step by step, Megan Brandon is creating something new.

    She and her family started Cortez Clothing Company in May. Each shirt shows a design relating to the Cortez community.

    What You Need To Know

    • Cortez Clothing Company was started by Megan Brandon and her family in May

    • The company sells T-shirts featuring designs related to the Cortez community

    • Profits are split between local families, charities, and events to give back

    • Shirts can be purchased on their website and at the Ace Hardware in Cortez

    “This was the Albion Inn, and it was on the waterfront in Cortez,” she said while showing off one of the shirts. “It was a boarding house. Fishermen would stay … we have a cool story about it on our website.”

    But this clothing company is more than just a business — it’s a way to give back.

    “We wanted to start it just to help our community. Basically, we spent the hurricanes here with everybody, and we felt like they needed help,” Brandon said.

    It’s aid that will come from selling T-shirts that tell a personal story of Cortez residents.

    “We would like to partner with actual Cortezians and people that grew up here. And their families are from here,” she said.

    Brandon said her company is partnering with local residents and businesses. A unique design is created — then from there, it’s all about promoting their story to sell the shirts.

    “We donate our percentage, our third of the shirt. And then your family or whoever the partner is gets a third, and then we pick a Cortez-based charity or event that would get the third third,” she said.

    They have already teamed up with one local charter captain, and next month they will start selling the shirt.

    “I’d like it to help, you know, the Maritime Museum and the fish preserve and, you know, all the stuff around here that helps preserve Cortez,” Brandon said.

    Brandon is showing her love for her community — by helping her fellow neighbors.

    You can buy Cortez Clothing Company T-shirts from their website and the Ace Hardware in Cortez.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • Manatee nonprofit raises money to help Texas flood victims

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    MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — There are several ways to help victims in Texas, including by going through local nonprofits who are passing along aid.

    A Manatee County resident is on a mission to provide support to families and first responders in the flood-affected communities.

    What You Need To Know

    • There are several ways to help victims in Texas, including by going through local nonprofits who are passing along aid

    • A Manatee County resident is on a mission to provide support to families and first responders in Texas

    • More Information:  The Blessing Bags Project 
    • How to help victims of Texas floods

    Betsy Plante, who created The Blessing Bags Project, says each day is a blessing. For her, the biggest blessing is helping others.

    “God put that passion in my heart to really look out for other people, that nobody else wants to care for, so that’s how it all got started,” she said.

    She co-started her nonprofit 15 years ago.

    “We provide basic critical needs to the homeless and less fortunate. We do a lot of other things. I help women and men in recovery, people getting out of prison,” she said.

    And she’s supported the community over the years, including raising more than $150,000 after last year’s hurricanes.

    Recently, she’s continued helping by serving food. But her support goes beyond Manatee County. Earlier this week, Plante started a fundraiser to help Texas flood victims.

    “I was heartbroken. I think I was numb,” she said.

    It’s linked to her Facebook and her nonprofit’s website, where people can click on the donate button. She says the money goes directly to Mercy Chefs, a faith-based nonprofit.

    “They use that money to provide supplies and food,” she said. “And the thing with Mercy Chefs is they’re going to feed the people. They’re going to feed the families and everything, but they take care of first responders.”

    She says collecting money is a faster way of helping than collecting supplies.

    So far, she’s raised more than $5,000.

    “And we are going to keep on going,” she said.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • P.A.C.K. Camp returns for 28th year in Pasco County

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    PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — For the 28th year, P.A.C.K. Camp is back in Pasco County.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Pasco Association for Challenged Kids takes in kids with disabilities that other camps can’t take

    • Founders Paula and Barry Cohen started the camp in 1997 for their son

    • Due to rising costs, P.A.C.K. is accepting donations


    P.A.C.K. stands for the Pasco Association for Challenged Kids. It’s an annual summer camp that takes in kids with disabilities that other camps can’t take.

    Paula and Barry Cohen started the camp originally for their son Gregory, who is autistic, in 1997.

    “The reason we need to keep going is we take the kids who aren’t potty trained. Who aren’t verbal, who can be aggressive, who can run away. So the camp is really for those kids because they really can’t go anywhere else and be safe,” Paula said.

    The camp is now held for three weeks at Pepin Academies in New Port Richey. More than 40 campers enrolled this year.

    Campers take part in a variety of activities that help them have a fun summer, like any other kid at camp.

    P.A.C.K. receives state funding, but due to the rising costs for supplies and activities, they rely on donations to keep costs down for families and to make their budget.

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    Tim Wronka

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  • Horace West leads Haines City youth football programs for decades

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    HAINES CITY, Fla. — Youth league football is a big deal in the Polk County community of Haines City.

    There is one name that is synonymous with that. It is Horace West. The former mayor of Haines City has dedicated decades to making sure young athletes get a chance to play the sport they love.

    West is now affiliated with the Haines City Vipers, a youth football program he started. West got his start in local youth football by starting the Haines City Rattlers in 1991.

    Over the years, he has started about 20 other football programs in other local communities. He also started a youth football conference with dozens of teams.

    These days, West is more of an advisor rather than a coach.

    “I’m old enough to be everybody’s dad or grandfather, so I just give them advice,” said West.

    West has helped to mentor several players who ended up playing in the NFL. That includes Los Angeles Chargers’ safety Derwin James. For West, the goal of football is bigger than just athletics.

    “Because we are trying to teach young boys how to be young men. So that’s the key,” he said.

    West’s coaches put their players through tough practices and hope for success in games. But respect is more important.

    “The coaches talk to them like drill sergeants, but they understand they can’t use profanity, touch them in any harsh way or anything like that,” West said.

    West said he wants to make sure that the football program has longevity. So, he is always looking for new community members to get involved.

    “My philosophy is that you have to recreate yourself. You have to reinvent yourself every so many years,” he said. “Because if you don’t, the program dies with the people who ran it.”

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    Rick Elmhorst

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  • Message in bottle from Hawaii found on Bradenton Beach

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    BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. — A tiny bottle with a message inside traveled from Hawaii in ocean currents before being washed ashore in Bradenton Beach on Sunday and found by a girl visiting from Michigan.

    What You Need To Know

    • Payton Hollenbeck said she tossed the bottle into the ocean 8 years ago in Oahu

    • Josie Law, 11, found the bottle on Sunday in the water off Cortez Beach on Anna Maria Island

    • The message inside the bottle had a phone number, which the family texted and got a response 

    • The family plans to release their own message in a bottle before returning to Michigan


    “It was in this tiny little glass bottle with cute little origami birds,” said Paris Hoisington, 31. “She was so surprised. Came running right towards me on the beach.”

    Hoisington said it’s every kid’s dream to find a message in a bottle at the beach. Her daughter, Josie Law, 11, said at first she thought it was a piece of trash floating in the water.

    “Then I saw the note inside,” she said. “I was like, let me grab this. This is cool.”

    The note inside the tiny bottle reads: ‘Hello people who found this, you will be happy that you found this. Why? Cause you will know me with this number.’

    Hoisington said she texted the phone number and got a response.

    “’My brother and I made that when I was younger,’” she said the text read. “’We actually live in Hawaii.’ And I said, ‘You’re kidding.’”

    Payton Hollenbeck, 21, said she and her younger brother Elias, tossed that message in a bottle into the ocean at Kaena Point in Oahu 8 years ago. It travelled more than 4,600 miles before reaching the Florida shoreline.

    “To think of how many bodies of water it went through,” said Hoisington. “It’s truly amazing what little tiny objects can go places in the world and connect to people from each other side of the world.” 

    The Michigan mom said the family had already planned to release 3 bottles before returning home and hope to get a response someday.

    “We left our phone number on one,” Hoisington said. “We can’t wait to see what happens.”

    Hollenbeck said she’s familiar with that cycle because the only reason she threw a message in a bottle into the ocean is because she had previously found one as a kid.

     

     

     

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    Josh Rojas

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  • Eight years later, an answer to that message in a bottle

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    BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. –  When Paris Hoisington and her family found a message in a small bottle on the beach last month, it seemed the story had ended with the bottle’s 4,600-mile, eight-year journey.

    But now, the Hoisingtons have heard back from the message sender.

    What You Need To Know

    • Payton Hollenbeck said she tossed the bottle into the ocean 8 years ago in Oahu
    • Josie Law, 11, found the bottle in May off Cortez Beach on Anna Maria Island
    • The message inside the bottle had a phone number, which the family texted and got a response 
    • The family plans to release their own message in a bottle before returning to Michigan 
    • CLICK ON THE VIDEO LINK ABOVE TO WATCH THE FULL STORY

    Peyton Hollenbeck of Hawaii said her younger brother wrote the message but they put down her phone number, hoping to hear back one day from someone oceans away.

    Hollenbeck, now 21, said she and her younger brother Elias, tossed that bottle into the ocean at Kaena Point in Oahu eight years ago.

    “I just remember doing it because I had been walking on the beach at my favorite surf spot and I had seen a message in a bottle,” she said in a new interview. “There was no phone number but my brother and I were like, ‘Oh we should just go make one ourselves for fun.’ “

    Paris Hoisington, 31, and her daughter Josie Law, 11, point to the area on Cortez Beach in Manatee County where the girl found a message in a bottle on Sunday (Spectrum News/Josh Rojas).

    The note inside the tiny bottle reads ‘Hello people who found this, you will be happy that you found this. Why? Cause you will know me with this number.’

    Hoisington said she texted the phone number and got a response.

    “’My brother and I made that when I was younger,’” she said the text read. “’We actually live in Hawaii.’ And I said, ‘You’re kidding.’” 

    Hollenbeck said she’s familiar with that cycle because the only reason she threw a message in a bottle into the ocean is because she had previously found one as a kid.

     

     

     

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Sean Sweat runs Lake Hollingsworth with flags to honor veterans

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    LAKELAND, Fla. — A Lakeland man is a beloved familiar sight around Lake Hollingsworth. Sean Sweat stands out for a patriotic reason.

    What You Need To Know

    • Sean Sweat is a firefighter and Army veteran

    • He has been running around Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland with a flag for 15 years to honor veterans

    • Sweat starting running with the flag to honor his old platoon leader who was killed by an IED in Afghanistan

    • Would you like to nominate an Everyday Hero? Click here.


    For the past 15 years, Sweat has been running around the lake with a big American flag. Sometimes he also runs with the flags for the various branches of the military. He does it to honor veterans.

    Sweat said he starting his flag runs around Lake Hollingsworth to honor his old platoon leader, Capt. Josh Byers, who was killed by an (improvised explosive device) IED in Afghanistan.

    “The freedoms we have in this country, people take for granted. They don’t realize the price that is paid,” he said.

    Sweat will be making his way around Lake Hollingsworth on Memorial Day. But he will have to walk instead of run because he is recovering from hip replacement surgery.

    He is determined to keep up his tradition despite the temporary physical setback.

    “It goes back to my time in the service. Especially with my old platoon sergeant,” he said. “He would always tell us, ‘You know, if you can still feel pain, you can still move. Which means you can still finish the mission.’”

    Sweat says he mostly gets very positive responses to the flags as he runs.

    “I’ve had some people hanging out of the windows screaming. Some of the college students and I actually have some of the locals. I’ve had people hang out of their cars waving at me,” he said.

    Sometimes folks walking around the lake strike up a conversation with Sweat. That’s what Shanti Waite did. She is especially enthusiastic about honoring veterans because she has three female cousins serving in the military.

    “Anytime I see anyone willing to serve the country, show that dedication and patriotism and acknowledge. It is always something that I honor and respect,” she said.

    Sweat has also developed friendships with people who admire what he does. That includes retired Navy Cmdr. Charles Waldron, who would salute Sweat from his house across the street from the lake as Sweat ran by.

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    Rick Elmhorst

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  • Healing Fields offers a different approach to veteran mental health

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    PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Adjusting to life outside of the military is not always easy for those who have served our country. 

    That’s why Marine Corps Veteran Devin Brown started Healing Fields.

    What You Need To Know

    • Healing Fields is a free six-week program where veterans can heal through working with agriculture. 

    • The program was created to help veterans readjust to civilian life and find purpose.

    • The program meets on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 


    “Getting that camaraderie back, which a lot of us had lost, and we didn’t realize that that was one of the number one things we needed to help us heal and transition back into civilian life,” he said. 

    It’s a free six-week program where veterans can heal through working with agriculture. 

    For veterans like Rick Konyha, it’s a time to relax and heal.

    Active in Healing Fields for around a year, Konyha said the program not only gets him out of the house but keeps him active.

    “It kind of brings back the camaraderie. It also brings back the teamwork, feeling useful,” he said.

    Created to help veterans readjust to civilian life and find purpose, Healing Fields takes a different approach to mental health. 

    It has been years since Konyha was in the military, but he said there are aspects of that part of his life that stick with him. 

    In the program, he can talk to others who have gone through similar experiences. 

    “This has been a very helpful experience and one that I’ve been missing since I got out,” Konyha said. 

    The group meets on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 

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    Matt Lackritz

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  • Beloved Clearwater restaurant reopens following closure from hurricanes

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — As an adult, it can be tough to visit places that remind you of your childhood that take you back to a party after a little league game, or where you go to eat during spring break.

    What You Need To Know

    • Capogna’s Dugout has reopened after months of being closed following hurricane’s Helene and Milton

    • The restaurant was a staple for over 50 years, but the storms knocked out power to the business and cost them thousands of dollars in spoiled food and damaged machinery

    • Following months of closure, the Capogna’s is now partnered with a person who has taken over the business and has hired back many of the original staff


    That’s what Al Capogna takes pride in when people visit Capogna’s Dugout.

    “You start eating pizza and spaghetti here when you’re 6 or 7 years old, and we’ve been open 50 years, so that means we’ve had them for 43 years, you know, and then they start bringing their kids in. And we’ve got third generation that’s coming in,” he said.

    Al’s family opened the dugout in 1973 after his father fell in love with the area while they were vacationing in Florida from Michigan.

    Over the years, it has grown, but this core restaurant has been here through the ups and downs of life — serving slices and other eats people crave.

    While it’s no secret running a restaurant is difficult, things were tough sledding in the aftermath of the pandemic.

    But the biggest blow was this past fall with Helene and Milton.

    “Lost everything,” Capogna said. “Everything. Cheese, milk, tons of cheese, chicken wings, everything.”

    They didn’t have power for days. Usually they’d run a generator, but Capogna says everything on the roof was destroyed from the storm.

    They lost thousands of dollars in equipment and food.

    “We just sat and looked, and we all agreed. Every one of us, we just can’t do this anymore,” Capogna said.

    As a result, in October, they posted this message to Facebook letting people know Capogna’s would be closing permanently, saying they took a hit they couldn’t recover from.

    “I thought it was it,” Capogna said. “I go, ‘Our dynasty is gone.’”

    But in the time they were closed, they kept receiving offers for help, but Capogna says nothing would have kept the business going long term until they met their partner, Sean Stoffel.

    He took over the restaurant and didn’t change a thing, letting folks know that Capogna’s 2.0 was now in business with Al serving as an advisor.

    “When this came up, you’re still a little kind of going, ‘Wow, is this going to be OK?’ Then you start thinking about it. And boy, is it worked out good. I mean, look, it’s all the same,” Capogna said.

    Al’s brother is still here to make the sauce and dough and many of the former staff have come back.

    Al is grateful his family dynasty can continue, especially for all those families that have shared so many childhood memories in these booths.

    Capogna is now working elsewhere but still lends a helping hand whenever needed, as do other members of his family who are so excited the dugout is back in business.

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    Nick Popham

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