TAMPA, Fla. — Wade Boggs Field, the baseball stadium at Plant High School, has the footsteps of legends on it.
What You Need To Know
The Plant baseball program has sent multiple players to the MLB
Jac Caglionone just got his number retired, meeting the current group of Panthers players
Nick Townley hopes to be the next guy in line
Townley is the ace of the staff, a senior pitcher who has impressive command on the mound
“We’ve always had some pretty good players and there’s kind of a long line of tradition to that,” Plant baseball head coach Dennis Braun said.
The program boasts an impressive list of alums on the outfield wall, which has numbers retired from left field all the way down to right field.
“We’re one of the few schools that has a Hall of Famer in Wade Boggs and we might have a future couple more if they keep doing the things they’re doing,” Braun said.
Braun is referring to 5-time MLB All-Star Pete Alonso and 4-time All-Star Kyle Tucker, both former Panthers who are two of the best hitters in baseball.
The latest pro to get his number retired is Jac Caglianone, a 2021 Plant alum who was a two-way star for the Florida Gators and is already in the bigs with the Kansas City Royals. The current team was able to meet Cagnianone at the ceremony earlier this month, seeing a guy who sat in the same dugout they do move on to accomplish what he has accomplished.
“Yeah, I think that’s what the motivation is, I think everyone wants to be them not all of them are going to be 6 foot 5 250 pounds and that’s a big part of getting to the level that they get to but I think that motivation is a big deal for them and I think it’s what makes the program grow,” Braun said.
“It was really nice to see. Obviously, he’s one of the greats of high school baseball, and it was really nice to be able to see the impact he’s made here,” Plant senior pitcher Nick Townley said.
Townley hopes to one day be the next guy in line.
“Yeah it really does help my focus. It just helps me stay concentrated on my main goal here which is competing as a team and winning and focusing on getting better,” Townley said.
Townley is the ace of the staff, a senior right-hander who doesn’t light up the radar gun with a ton of velocity but makes up for it with an impressive command on the mound.
“Throughout the fall and early spring I’ve just been working on my pitch location and delivery, getting better at sequencing and finding out where hitters are weak against me so I can get them out in the best way,” Townley said.
He got some preseason recognition from 813 Preps, a Hillsborough County high school baseball publication, ranking him as the 23rd best player in the area.
“I thought it was pretty cool but the rankings don’t mean anything until we start playing games so I try not to focus on it much, yeah it for sure adds some pressure but I gotta go into games knowing that I still have a job to throw good pitches and compete with the hitters so that just helps me stay focused,” Townley said.
“Being ranked means you’ve done something you’ve earned that and every year you’ve gotta earn it. Baseball is a tough game so I think it’s important for him to come back down a little bit and not get too caught up in that throw strikes rely on his defense and if he does those things I think he will have another great year,” Braun said.
Of course, Townley dreams of making it to “The Show.” Every baseball player does. No program around here has sent more players to the pros than Plant lately, so he’s in a great spot to try and get that dream started here.
“Even though you may not make it, you may not be them let’s do everything we can so if that day comes that we don’t you can hang your cleats up and say I did everything I could to be the best player I could and that’s what we’re trying to do every day,” Braun said.
For now, Townley is focused on this season and getting his team to state.
SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio — Summit Metro Parks is embracing history this year as its 1928 Model AA truck hits the road again.
What You Need To Know
The park’s truck faced a variety of mechanical problems, leading to it being undrivable and in need of professional work
Summit Metro Parks said its Model AA was purchased in 2001 by Friends of the Metro Parks and gifted
Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland stepped up to help repair the truck
The park’s truck faced a variety of mechanical problems, leading to it be undrivable and in need of professional work. Through a grant from the Summit Metro Parks Foundation and working with Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum volunteers, the piece of history is ready to hit the road once more.
Summit Metro Parks said its Model AA was gifted in 2001 and purchased by Friends of the Metro Parks. It has been featured in parades and on display at events such as the annual Touch-a-Truck.
“The truck symbolizes the more than 100-year history of the park district and is used in community parades and historical events county-wide,” the park said in a news release. “Even with good upkeep, the vintage vehicle needed some more involved repairs. However, finding a 100-year-old mechanic who had a shop full of specific parts was a no-go.”
Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland stepped in, starting the work almost immediately while other shops had quoted a three-year wait. Summit Metro Parks said it offered to donate its time and labor, so long as the parts were prepaid.
“After a full inspection, the incredibly knowledgeable museum volunteers got to work,” Summit Metro Parks said in a release. “There was a lot to be done, and they collaborated with other vintage car experts on the finer details.”
Work completed included:
Building a replacement engine
Rebuilding the transmission
Rebuilding carburetor
Replaced radiator
Swapped out the generator for alternator
Steering box, steering column and steering wheel were all replaced and rebuilt
Braking system was fixed
New muffler installed
The seat bottom received padding and replacement springs
Various parts were cleaned and repainted
Tires and inner tubes were replaced
New lights with an original-looking LED bulb assembles
The horn was rebuilt and installed
“The 1928 Model AA is now back in action,” Summit Metro Parks said in a release. “Watch for it in local parades or at car shows and community events.”
The truck will also be on display at the park’s annual Touch-a-Truck in August.
A glove containing DNA found about two miles from the house of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother appears to match those worn by a masked person outside her front door in Tucson the night she vanished, the FBI said Sunday.
What You Need To Know
The FBI says a glove containing DNA was found about two miles from Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home and appears to match those worn by a masked person outside her front door the night she vanished
The glove, found in a field near the side of the road, was sent off for DNA testing
The discovery was revealed days after investigators had released surveillance videos of the masked person outside Guthrie’s front door in Tucson
Guthrie is the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie and was last seen at her home on Jan. 31
The glove, discovered in a field beside a road, was sent for DNA testing. The FBI said in a statement that it received preliminary results Saturday and was awaiting official confirmation. The development comes as law enforcement gathers more potential evidence as the search for Guthrie’s mother heads into its third week. Authorities had previously said they had not identified a suspect.
On Sunday night, Savannah Guthrie posted an Instagram video in which she issued an appeal to whoever abducted her mother or anyone who knows where she is being kept. “It is never too late to do the right thing,” Guthrie said. “And we are here. And we believe in the essential goodness of every human being, that it’s never too late.”
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen at her Arizona home on Jan. 31 and was reported missing the following day. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch. Purported ransom notes were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.
The discovery was revealed days after investigators had released surveillance videos of the masked person outside Guthrie’s front door. A porch camera recorded video of a person with a backpack who was wearing a ski mask, long pants, jacket and gloves.
On Thursday, the FBI called the person a suspect. It described him as a man about 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a medium build. The agency said he was carrying a 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack.
Late Friday night, law enforcement agents sealed off a road about two miles from Guthrie’s home as part of their investigation. A series of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock.
The investigators also tagged and towed a Range Rover SUV from a nearby restaurant parking lot late Friday. The sheriff’s department later said the activity was part of the Guthrie investigation but no arrests were made.
On Tuesday, sheriff deputies detained a person for questioning during a traffic stop south of Tucson. Authorities didn’t say what led them to stop the man but confirmed he was released. The same day, deputies and FBI agents conducted a court-authorized search in Rio Rico, about an hour’s drive south of the city.
In this image provided by NBCUniversal, Savannah Guthrie, right, her mom Nancy speak, Wednesday, April 17, 2019, in New York. (Nathan Congleton/NBCUniversal via AP)
Authorities have expressed concern about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs vital daily medicine. She is said to have a pacemaker and have dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.
Earlier in the investigation, authorities had said they had collected DNA from Nancy Guthrie’s property which doesn’t belong to Guthrie or those in close contact with her. Investigators were working to identify who it belongs to.
The FBI also has said approximately 16 gloves were found in various spots near the house, most of which were searchers’ gloves that had been discarded.
POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County Fire Rescue crews responded to more than 30 brush fires throughout Polk County on Sunday.
The largest fire burned more than 400 acres near State Road 60 in the River Ranch area. An unknown number of camps were burned, but no homes or structures at or around the Westgate River Ranch area were affected as of 9 p.m. Sunday. State Road 60 was reopened around 9 p.m. Sunday.
What You Need To Know
Polk County Fire Rescue crews responded to more than 30 brush fires throughout Polk County
The largest fire burned more than 400 acres near State Road 60 in the River Ranch area
Polk County Fire Rescue Chief Shawn Smith said no evacuations were being ordered in the River Ranch area
Polk County Fire Rescue Chief Shawn Smith said no evacuations were being ordered in the River Ranch area, but also added that brush fires can be unpredictable and high winds can be a factor.
In response, Smith said people need to take the burn ban seriously.
He pointed to the extreme drought conditions, lack of any significant rainfall, recent high winds and number of people not adhering to the burn ban as reasons for the recent uptick in brush fires.
“It seems that brush fires have been a constant issue throughout the day today. I just want to remind everybody that there are serious drought conditions in Polk County,” Smith said. “These illegal recreational fires need to cease.”
PCFR crews also battled a two-alarm brush fire off Osceola Polk Line Road in the Davenport area Sunday afternoon. Roughly 68 acres were burned in that fire as well as four non-dwelling structures.
Fire departments from Davenport, Haines City, Dundee and Orange County helped battle the fire.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Lawmakers are in the second half of the legislative session in Tallahassee, and among the mountain of legislation being considered, a number of bills addressing artificial intelligence and property taxes are still moving through committees.
Lawmakers also discussing House Joint Resolution 209, which is taking aim at property tax reductions with a full House vote expected in the coming weeks
The artificial intelligence bill is seeking regulation of new data centers — which require a huge draw of electricity and water — across the state
The bill would disallow incentives and make providers pay full price for electricity. Those data centers would also be subject to strict water restrictions.
The resolution would provide an increase of homestead exemption to $200,000 for homeowners that carry comprehensive multi-peril insurance coverage.
Other bills also moving through committees include mandatory mediation for disputes between homeowners and insurance companies and a bill that would prohibit insurers from dropping homeowners based solely on roof condition.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — After detecting a liquid hydrogen leak during its first wet dress rehearsal of the Artemis II moon rocket, NASA will attempt a second test of the launch vehicle that will take humans back to the moon.
What You Need To Know
The U.S. space agency is eyeing Thursday for a second wet dress rehearsal
If all goes well, March 6 might be the earliest chance for Artemis II launch
The first wet dress rehearsal found leaks; NASA replaced seals
RELATED coverage:
The U.S. space agency is eyeing Thursday for a second wet dress rehearsal, as it will put more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic fuel into the Space Launch System rocket during a test of that and the Orion capsule. It will also simulate a launch countdown, the ability to recycle the countdown clock and drain the tanks to practice for possible scrubs.
“Launch controllers will arrive to their consoles in the Launch Control Center at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:40 p.m. EST on Feb. 17 to begin the nearly 50-hour countdown. The simulated launch time is 8:30 p.m., Feb. 19, with a four-hour window for the test. While the Artemis II crew is not participating in the test, a team of personnel will go to the launch pad to practice Orion closeout operations, including closing the spacecraft’s hatches,” NASA explained on Monday.
NASA provided a bit more detail on the test.
During the rehearsal, the team will execute a detailed countdown sequence. Operators will conduct two runs of the last ten minutes of the countdown, known as terminal count. They will pause at T-1 minute and 30 seconds for up to three minutes, then resume until T-33 seconds before launch and pause again. After that, they will recycle the clock back to T-10 minutes and conduct a second terminal countdown to just inside of T-30 seconds before ending the sequence. This process simulates real-world conditions, including scenarios where a launch might be scrubbed due to technical or weather issues.
“Over the weekend, teams replaced a filter in ground support equipment that was suspected of reducing the flow of liquid hydrogen during a Feb. 12 partial fueling test. The test provided enough data to allow engineers to plan toward a second wet dress rehearsal this week. Engineers have reconnected the line with the new filter and are reestablishing proper environmental conditions,” NASA stated in a blog post.
Because the leak and other issues were discovered during the first wet dress rehearsal, NASA had to push the launch of the Artemis II to early March. It was supposed to launch early February.
Officials stated that if all goes well, NASA will be eyeing March 6 as the earliest chance to launch the historical mission.
But officials stressed that it all depends on how the second test goes and its findings.
Once the Artemis II stacked rocket is ready for launch, it will send NASA’s Cmdr. Gregory Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut mission specialist Jeremy Hansen to the moon in a flyby mission.
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Cincinnati Reds signed veteran first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to a minor league contract with an invite to major league camp in spring training, the team announced Saturday.
The 30-year-old Lowe split time between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox last season. He struggled with the Nationals but played well for the Red Sox down the stretch, batting .280 with two homers and 16 RBIs over 100 at-bats.
According to MLB.com, if Lowe makes the club out of camp, he would earn $1.75 million this season with a chance to reach $2 million with performance bonuses.
Lowe won a World Series with the Texas Rangers in 2023 and hit a career-high 27 homers in 2022.
He has a .264 average and 107 homers over a seven-year career with the Rangers, Nationals, Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Malik Thomas and Sam Lewis each scored 13 points and No. 15 Virginia beat Ohio State 70-66 on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena in the Nashville Hoops Showdown.
What You Need To Know
The Cavaliers (22-3) extended their winning streak to six.
Bruce Thornton scored 28 points for Ohio State (16-9).
He also had an assist, the 500th of his career.
The Cavaliers (22-3) extended their winning streak to six.
Bruce Thornton scored 28 points for Ohio State (16-9). He also had an assist, the 500th of his career.
Amare Bynum had 15 points and six rebounds for the Buckeyes in their latest nonconference game in nearly 40 years.
It was tied at 37 at the half, with Virginia erasing an early Ohio State lead
Ohio State opened up a six-point lead with under 10 minutes remaining, but the Cavaliers had a 6-0 run to tie it.
With just over a minute remaining, Lewis forced a turnover and then went the length of the floor for a layup to give Virginia a 65-61 lead. He then hit a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to put the game out of reach.
Prior to the game, Ohio State said John Mobley Jr. will be sidelined indefinitely due to a hand injury sustained Wednesday night against Southern California. Mobley started the Buckeyes’ first 24 games, averaging 15.1 points.
The Cavaliers are 10-2 away from home, including 3-1 in neutral-site games.
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Wes Enis led South Florida with 27 points and CJ Brown hit the winning free throws with eight seconds remaining in the overtime as the Bulls knocked off Florida Atlantic 83-81 on Sunday, the Owls’ sixth consecutive loss.
FAU’s Devin Williams hit a 3-pointer that made it 81-all with 33 seconds left, but Brown’s free throws capped the scoring. Kanaan Carlyle missed a potential winning 3-point shot from beyond NBA range.
Enis shot 10 of 17 from the field, including 5 for 9 from 3-point range, and went 2 for 3 from the free-throw line for the Bulls (18-8, 10-3 American Athletic Conference). Brown finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals while shooting 5 of 13 from the field and 6 for 6 from the foul line. Joseph Pinion had 16 points and went 6 of 15 from the field (4 for 8 from 3-point range).
Devin Vanterpool finished with 26 points for the Owls (14-12, 6-7). Florida Atlantic also got 15 points, seven rebounds, two steals and five blocks from Williams. Carlyle also scored 15 points.
Vanterpool made a layup with nine seconds left in regulation that made it 72-all and forced OT.
Josh Omojafo scored the final seven points for South Florida to finish off the two-point victory.
Editor’s Note: This article discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — There is a loneliness epidemic, according to the U.S. Surgeon General, and one group that’s been particularly affected is young men.
What You Need To Know
The suicide rate is four times higher for men than for women
Students at John Carroll University meet monthly to build more intimate relationships and ward off loneliness
Young men are less likely to open up to family members because they don’t want to be a burden
“From a very young age, boys are taught that certain feelings, they can’t express,” said Matt Wooters, therapist and a professor at John Carroll University.
He said that’s enforced on social media and with their peers.
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of, to feel any spectrum of emotion,” Wooters said.
He started a group called Brother’s Keeper. It’s a safe space where young college men can share about more than just football scores. They meet monthly.
“There’s a lot of talk about toxic masculinity in the modern discourse. And it’s interesting that there’s also a lot of talk about male loneliness and isolation,” Wooters said. “I think those two things are connected.”
Men are more likely than women to feel socially isolated and not meaningfully part of any community, according to the AIBM, and their suicide rate is four times higher than women.
“I think it really stems back to the phones and social media, even when we seem like we’re super connected with others, there’s a sense of loneliness, and that connection that it’s not really genuine,” said junior Casey LaForce.
LaForce attends the monthly meetings. He plays lacrosse and considers himself close to his teammates, but he said the talks just aren’t the same.
“You just see each other and you ask ‘Oh, how’s your day going? Oh, it’s good.’ And it doesn’t go much deeper than that,” he said.
He said that the conversations in the group are much deeper.
Wooters said he intentionally chooses athletes.
“Even the most connected, successful, popular students on campus, especially male students, don’t have spaces to be authentic,” Wooters said.
He said men don’t share with family because they don’t want to be a burden.
“One single adult in their life that isn’t a family member, that they can call when they’re not doing well or when they’re doing well, changes everything,” Wooters said.
TAMPA, Fla. — A line of thunderstorms will move through our area between 5 p.m. and midnight tonight.
Winds will be gusty out ahead of this line, and brief gusts of 40 mph or greater are possible as the line comes through.
Strong wind gusts are the primary concern, but a brief, isolated tornado cannot be ruled out in some of these thunderstorms.
Showers and storms exit the area after midnight, giving way to a breezy, cooler, and drier Monday.
BE WEATHER AWARE
Watch Spectrum Bay News 9 LIVE anytime on our website and our app for the latest updates. Scroll down for the latest important weather information and the latest watches and warnings for the Tampa Bay area.
We encourage everyone to download the Spectrum news app and enable weather alerts to be notified when severe weather is in your area. Be sure to check in with Klystron 9 throughout the day.
Click/tap on the warning areas on the Klystron 9 map for more information on watches/warnings. Turn on the Klystron 9 layer to track storms. More watches/warnings information below the map.
On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, Southern California Catholics, and Christians of multitude denominations, will wait in line to get a smudge of ashes on their foreheads, and be reminded that they are sinners, yes, who can redeem themselves if they, as Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez said in a recent homily, become “people who heal, make peace, and bear witness to his love.”
But for the millions of faithful in the archdiocese and at parishes and houses of worship from Orange County to Riverside all the way to Gomez’s downtown L.A. cathedral, the first day of Lent finds many in crisis: those undocumented in fear of or already in detention; those working to support them and their families; and Catholics who continue to support the Trump administration’s policies on immigration, abortion and same-sex marriage.
Still some Christians will enter this liturgical season grappling with deeply-held beliefs they say run counter to the government’s massive effort under the Trump administration to deport millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
While that effort, federal officials say, has resulted in mass arrests of the most violent of criminal undocumented immigrants, it has also resulted in fear and anger over the actions of a federal dragnet that immigrants, their advocates and many religious leaders say has tipped too far into violence and cruelty.
Lent arrives as federal agents continue their actions, and many in local Southern California cities push back.
Gomez exhorted Catholics to “help America recover her soul,” during his homily at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Feb. 4, during a Holy Hour of Prayer for Peace in response to the shooting death by immigration agents of nurse Alex Pretti in Minnesota.
Archbishop Jose Gomez calls for a holy hour of Peace to renew the nation, emphasizing prayer as a vital step to healing a world wounded by division and violence on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Isaac Cuevas, director of immigration and public affairs for the archdiocese, heard Goméz call for upholding the rights and dignity of everyone in the United States and not “based on the color of our skin, or the language we speak, or for not having the proper documents.” He also voiced his support for the Dignity Act (HR 4333) in limbo in Congress.
When the Trump administration ramped up its immigration enforcement in Los Angeles last June, Cuevas said there was no question what the church’s response would be.
“We understood clearly that our role was to accompany, to inform, and to support. That has taken shape through ‘Know Your Rights/Risk’ efforts, connecting families with trusted legal support, organizing prayer opportunities, and preparing clergy and parish leaders to respond pastorally if situations arise.”
“The Church’s engagement in public life really begins with our mission, not politics,” Cuevas said. “Our role is to uphold the dignity of every human person and to accompany those who are vulnerable. At times that includes speaking into public policy, especially when laws or enforcement practices impact families, human dignity, or the common good.”
Unlike its Episcopal kin, whose social justice arm, Sacred Resistance, has been in the forefront of anti-ICE vigils and protests, Catholic leaders’ primary work remains pastoral, Cuevas said.
“We walk with people, provide resources, and help form consciences rooted in Catholic social teaching,” he said.
In these days where many in the community feel vulnerable that teaching goes beyond dogma into concrete action, such as standing with neighbors who are afraid, and responding with faith, not fear, Cuevas added.
In his Lenten message this year, Bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino Alberto Rojas, invited people to pray “with your strength and sincerity” for people who are suffering.
He said the treatment of immigrants happening now is a “violation of human dignity.”
“While we as a Church do not condone unlawful entry into the country, the brutal way authorities are enforcing the law is unacceptable and does not recognize immigrants as human beings, much less as the children of God that they are.”
A season of fear
Fresh off marching with students who walked out of school recently in protest of the raids, Father Francisco Gómez, pastor of Our Lady of Soledad Parish in Coachella, is expecting a busy Ash Wednesday this year. But it’s the immigration raids themselves that have caused so much fear and anxiety among his parishioners that he thinks it’s likely his parish will not see numbers like last year — 10,000 strong who came to be marked with ash on their foreheads.
“It’s precisely because of the fear,” he says, as he reflects on the beginning of Lenten season in which many are anxious about immigration actions that have roiled communities.
Instead, his church has created little packets so people can observe Lent at home. There’s a little guide with prayers and readings, and a tiny bag with ashes inside.
Gómez has faith they’ll get to those people who are too afraid to physically go to church in person to receive the ash. Perhaps someone’s neighbor will deliver a packet. A family, a friend. Those packets will get to people who need them, he said.
Ash Wednesday packets that Our Lady of Soledad in Coachella has prepared for parishioners who cannot make the Ash Wednesday Mass in person. (Courtesy, The Rev. Francisco Gómez)
Gómez enters the season highly attuned to the symbols of Lent, precisely because of the immigration raids that have stirred his community and the nation. He’s also thinking about the impact on a democracy, one where he never thought he’d see such violence amid mass immigration operations.
“The primary symbol of Lent is the desert,” Gómez said, noting the nexus between the ancient tradition of 40 years in the wilderness to get to the promised land and the 40 days Jesus is said to have spent in the desert. “The journey of those 40 years is a journey of being in a place of slavery to being in a place of freedom.”
His message is that those being persecuted can also see themselves in a Christ who suffered, from a public who condemned him to his journey to crucifixion.
“Yet, there is a resurrection. There will be a resurrection,” he said.
Over the past year, Gómez said has seen the struggle play out in his community. And as a season of fasting, abstinence, prayer and almsgiving descends, he’s sensitive to the impacts.
“The cracks that I see are people hovering on the edge of despair,” he said, reflecting on the stress of potential arrest or deportation. “People who are considering suicide. Domestic violence. Students not going to school. Those are the cracks that I see.
“On the other side, I see solidarity. Neighbors who get groceries, helping others, creating spaces where people can talk out their fears.”
Prayer is ‘not passive’
Pasadena’s Clergy Community Coalition, made up of 200 church and community leaders, have regularly shown up at rallies and protests organized by No Kings, Indivisible and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON).
Sacred Resistance, the social justice arm of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, is supporting 60 families impacted by the ICE raids, and members accompany people to immigration proceedings, show up in court and detention centers, and organize public, peaceful actions to confront dehumanizing immigration policies, said Rev. Canon Jaime Edwards-Acton.
It’s a fight for the long haul, he added.
“We are a people of faith and conscience, standing together against injustice. Rooted in our call to resist evil and protect the vulnerable, we support immigrants, refugees, and marginalized communities through advocacy, accompaniment, and action.”
Diocese of San Bernardino Bishop Alberto Rojas places ashes on the forehead of a church member Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, during a Mass in the chapel at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Cemetery in Colton. For Christians, Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent that leads to Easter. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
For Catholics, Cuevas said there are both simple and meaningful ways to respond, especially during Lent, with its three pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
“Prayer is central, but it is not passive,” he said. “We are encouraging people to stay informed, support reputable organizations providing legal and humanitarian assistance, accompany families when appropriate, and advocate in ways that are grounded in charity and truth. Even small acts of solidarity, like helping a family access resources or simply showing up with compassion, can make a real difference.”
Cuevas said his work brings him face to face with Catholics impacted by immigration enforcement who are looking to the church as a place of refuge and trust.
“There is deep gratitude for the church’s presence, but also an honest desire for continued accompaniment and clarity,” he said. “People want to know they are not alone, and that their church will continue to walk with them in both word and action.”
Catholic groups that have long championed migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers include CLINIC, or Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., and Catholic Charities of Los Angeles. LA Voice, a multi-faith group that organizes people “to reflect the dignity of all people,” and it often works with the archdiocese, as well as more than 500 congregations in 18 counties and 28 cities.
A church’s role in American life
Gómez, of Coachella, said he’s been pleased to see the Catholic Church’s stance on the immigration actions sweeping the region and the nation. But he noted that there is much work to do.
That includes continuing to reach out across divides in a polarized nation.
“The church is not against immigration enforcement but it will always be against violence,” he said.
The shooting deaths by federal agents of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis may have prompted a “real sense of questioning” that it’s gone too far, he said.
But even as church leaders urge compassion, this year’s Lenten season coincides with a political and cultural battle over immigration policy playing out from the Capitol to Southern California.
White House Press Secretary Katherine Leavitt, herself a practicing Roman Catholic, said during an October press briefing, that “I would reject there is inhumane treatment of illegal immigrants in the United States under this administration,” adding that the Biden administration’s more lax border security policy was a form of inhumane treatment of immigrants.
President Donald Trump himself has often spoken fondly of Catholics. A majority of American Catholics — nearly 60% — supported him for the office.
But on Friday, more than 40 Catholic Democrats in Congress released a statement listing ideals from Catholic social teaching they say informs their considerations of immigration policy.
“First, we affirm that people have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families,” the statement reads. “Sacred Scripture consistently reminds us of our obligation toward the vulnerable and displaced. Jesus himself identifies with the migrant when he says, ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’”
The statement came after House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Trump’s mass deportation agenda early this month. Citing Bible verses about a nation’s borders, critics called out Johnson, a Baptist, for espousing a dangerous Christian nationalism.
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, signed the statement with other California Democrats, including Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Robert Garcia of Long Beach, Sam Liccardo of San Jose, Gil Cisneros of Covina and Nanette Barragan of San Pedro.
“As a Catholic, I follow Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 25:35,” Lieu said, referring to the Bible verse that begins, “For I was hungry, and you gave me food.”
“I believe in Christ’s teachings of advancing the common good by protecting the most vulnerable and individuals in need,” Lieu continued. “The Trump Administration has failed in these endeavors for those seeking refuge by exhibiting indifference and cruelty. We must continue to embrace ideals of justice, mercy, and human dignity while tackling the challenges of immigration.”
That congressional rebuke of Johnson comes after similar calls from U.S. religious leaders.
Protesters march as they pray and sing from a Catholic church to Montebello City Park, as a sign of solidarity with immigrant families impacted by ICE enforcement in Montebello on Aug. 7, 2025. (Connor Terry, Contributing Photographer)
On Jan. 28, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and considered a conservative leader, called for the Trump administration to be “generous in welcoming immigrants,” and encouraged other leaders to pray “for reconciliation where there is division, for justice where there are violations of fundamental rights, and for consolation for all who feel overwhelmed by fear or loss.”
Three Catholic cardinals protested Trump’sforeign policy on Jan. 19.
More than 150 Episcopal bishops on Jan. 31 called for the suspension of ICE and Border Patrol operations in Minnesota and anywhere in the country militarized enforcement is in place. Addressing the American people, the leaders encouraged people to use their community power, financial power, political power and knowledge to show up for each other and their neighbors.
Irreconcilable differences?
Sociologist Richard Wood, president of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at USC, said both the Biden and current Trump administrations have included substantial numbers of Catholics in cabinet-level leadership positions, with the Biden administration encompassing slightly more.
“Nonetheless, both administrations experienced tensions with the Catholic Church — Biden especially around issues of gender and sexuality, abortion, and American support for the brutal Israeli assault on Gaza in response to the brutal Hamas assault of Oct. 7, 2023; Trump especially around immigrant rights, threats to Greenland, and attacks on democratic institutions,” Wood said.
Among the Catholics in the second Trump administration: Vice President J.D. Vance, Leavitt and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
But having the first American Pope lead the world’s Catholics takes away an oft-used excuse that a Pope “just doesn’t understand America,” supporters said, and lends his criticism of the Trump presidency more weight. Pope Leo XIV was born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers brushed away the Pope’s criticism of Trump and pointed to the president’s support among Catholics, saying in a Politico, that “in just 10 short months, the president has delivered unprecedented victories for Catholic Americans.”
Pope Leo XIV holds his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Pope Leo has not backed down, saying two months ago, at an address at the Vatican, that “ever more inhuman measures are being adopted —even celebrated politically — that treat these ‘undesirables’ as if they were garbage and not human beings.”
What the effect this divide between the White House and the Vatican can be seen in recent polling data that show large declines in support of Trump administration policies on immigration among both Catholics and Evangelical Christians, Wood said.
But both political parties have elements in them with real issues with religion and secularism, he added.
“The Democratic Party, because significant sectors of the party see religion as a problem and embrace a narrowly secular worldview that sees no value in religion, almost a kind of ‘secular fundamentalism,” he said. “And the Republican Party, because significant sectors affirm a worldview that falls well outside of traditional religious respect for the common good, the human dignity of all, and a reasonable level of civility in public life and diplomacy.”
Meanwhile, Gómez, the Coachella priest, who belongs to a congregation of missionaries in the Catholic Church who work with the poor in the U.S. and Latin America, readies for Ash Wednesday.
As he prepares, he is reflecting on a mission that relentlessly serves the poor and the persecuted – which in this moment means meeting a moment to serve immigrants.
“We have pledged our lives to those who stand on those margins. And those on the edge of death,” he said.
MILAN — For a while now, Jordan Stolz’s talent and dominance as a speedskater, and his much-anticipated potential for Olympic success, prompted many to repeatedly mention his name — prematurely, no doubt — alongside that of Eric Heiden. Now they really do belong in the same sentence, at least in one regard.
What You Need To Know
Jordan Stolz has won his second speedskating gold medal of the Milan Cortina Olympics by finishing first in the 500 meters in an Olympic-record time. Saturday’s race was the American’s second of the Winter Games
The 21-year-old from Wisconsin was coming off a victory in Wednesday’s 1,000, the first of his four individual events in Milan
He came to these Games as someone considered a contender for gold in all four
The men’s record for most speedskating titles at one Olympics is the five for Eric Heiden at Lake Placid in 1980
Stolz established himself as a two-time Olympic gold medalist, halfway to his goal of four at the Milan Cortina Games, by winning the 500 meters on Saturday to follow up his victory in the 1,000. Those twin triumphs allowed Stolz, a 21-year-old from Wisconsin, to join Heiden as the only men to complete the 500-1,000 double in speedskating at one Olympics.
Heiden, of course, did it as part of his record sweep of all five individual events at the 1980 Lake Placid Games for the U.S., taking everything from the 500 to the 10,000, and all in Olympic-record time.
Stolz finished the 500 in an Olympic-record time of 33.77 seconds, after also setting a Games mark in his win in the 1,000 on Wednesday. Both times, the silver went to Jenning do Boo of the Netherlands, who clocked 33.88 in the shortest speedskating event. Both times, they raced head-to-head in the same heat.
Stolz was leading Wednesday as they came out of the final curve, then they were even entering the last stretch. But Stolz, who overcame a deficit in the 1,000, turned on the speed and leaned across the line first again in the 500. De Boo slipped and fell into the wall afterward, while Stolz skated past and shook his right fist overhead.
Canada’s Laurent Dubreuil got the bronze in 34.26.
The last American to win Olympic gold in the men’s 500 was Casey FitzRandolph in 2002.
The soft-spoken Stolz acknowledges that, yes, his aims are high, and, sure, he is flattered by the comparisons to Heiden. But Stolz, who isn’t entered in the 5,000 or 10,000 in Milan, also knows he isn’t trying to recreate the same sort of unprecedented and all-encompassing performance turned in by Heiden.
Still, Stolz does have a real shot at the four medals, maybe even four golds, he is seeking at his second Winter Games.
At Beijing in 2022, just 17 years old, Stolz finished 13th in the 1,000 and 14th in the 500. In the time since, though, he has established himself as the best in the world at his sport, including two world titles each at the 500, the 1,000 and the 1,500. And right now, Stolz is so far living up to the outsized expectations and accompanying pressure that follow his every stride on the ice at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, a temporary facility created for this event.
Two races, two golds, two Olympic records.
Now there are two more to go for the six-time world champion: the 1,500 meters on Thursday, and the mass start on Feb. 21.
The last man with three gold medals in speedskating at one Winter Games was Norway’s Johann Olav Koss, who won the 1,500, the 5,000 and the 10,000 at the 1994 Lillehammer Games
Stolz took to the ice to warm up Saturday about 2 1/2 hours before his race. He paused at one point to plop himself down for a seat on the low boards along the ice, retying his black-and-green skates and smiling while chatting with his coach, Bob Corby.
PORT CLINTON, Ohio — Before the sun rises on a February morning, a group of dedicated ice fishers journeys out onto Lake Erie.
What You Need To Know
Ice fishing season on Lake Erie lasts anywhere from a couple of weeks to two months
This year, ice fishers have been taking advantage after arctic temperatures froze a majority of the lake
The area near Port Clinton is known for its great walleye supply, and the islands and shallow waters help keep the ice from breaking up
Once Lake Erie freezes, locals who live on the islands near Port Clinton are entirely reliant on air travel
“You got to be a little bit crazy, you got to be a little bit obsessed, because it’s not for the faint of heart,” said John Fickert, one of those ice fishers.
As the sun starts to poke out over the horizon, Fickert makes camp.
“We’re many miles offshore, really desolate, really peaceful,” he said.
On Lake Erie, the ice fishing season lasts anywhere from two weeks to two months. During that time, Fickert goes every chance he gets.
“Probably as soon as I could walk, I was out here fishing with my dad,” Fickert said, lighting up when he recalls old memories. “Those were the good ol’ days when I’d get out of school, and he’d haul me out here.”
Ice fisher John Fickert set’s up his gear as the sun rises on Lake Erie. (Spectrum News 1/Corey O’Leary)
Using a fish finder, he puts two rods in and can see when fish are near.
“These are fish swimming across; do you see them?” he asks, pointing to two slender blobs on the screen of the fish finder.
However, after seeing a few fish, none of them wanted to bite.
“He’s there, but he just won’t quite do it,” Fickert said.
Often, it’s a waiting game, and you don’t always get lucky.
“It’s just kind of unpredictable,” Fickert explains, adding that there was one day this year when he caught nothing.
He fishes around the Port Clinton area, near Put-in-Bay and Kelley’s Island. The ice on Lake Erie drastically transforms that area both visually and economically.
No one knows that better than Dustin Schaffer, owner of Island Air Taxi in Port Clinton.
“In the winter, it’s like a light switch when the boats quit,” Schaffer said. “In the winter, it’s the only way.”
Once the ferries stop running because of the ice, all travel to and from this island have to be done by air.
“We have a lot of ice fishermen. There’s islanders, I fly teachers, there’s school kids that I transport back and forth,” Shaffer explained.
In February, fishermen’s huts dot the lake, with the area known as one of the best places to catch walleye.
Ice fishing huts dot Lake Erie. (Spectrum News 1/Corey O’Leary)
On the ground, Fickert finds a new place to set up after a couple of hours with no bites. This year, he didn’t get to come out with his father.
“He passed away last year,” Fickert said.
Fickert said he spread some of his father’s ashes across the frozen lake. Now, he uses his father’s snowmobile and gear.
Ice fishing is an activity he’ll always associate with his father, even when he’s not catching anything.
John Fickert and his father. (Spectrum News 1/Corey O’Leary)
“Not a good sign… very negative mood,” Fickert said after a fish came near his lure but quickly swam away.
After a day where there were no bites, and right before he was planning to head back to shore, a fish finally bit.
“We’ve been waiting all day for her,” Fickert said, laughing.
But ask any ice fisher, it’s not all about the fish.
“The draw to it is just the rareness of it,” Fickert said. “It’s more like a treat when you get to do it.”
TUCSON, Ariz. — Law enforcement investigating the disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie ‘s mother sealed off a road near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Arizona late Friday night.
What You Need To Know
Law enforcement investigating the disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie’s mother have blocked off a road near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Arizona
A parade of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock Friday night
The roadblock is about 2 miles from the house
The agencies also tagged and towed a Range Rover from a nearby Culver’s restaurant parking lot
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department says the activity is part of the Guthrie investigation but declined to detail specifics
A parade of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock that was set up about 2 miles from the house.
The two agencies also tagged and towed a Range Rover SUV from a Culver’s restaurant parking lot. The restaurant is just over 2 miles from Nancy Guthrie’s home. This activity took place at the same time the sheriff’s office closed a road just north of the Guthrie home.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the activity was part of the Guthrie case. But it said the FBI requested that it not release further information. No new details were available early Saturday.
Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on Feb. 1. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch of her Tucson-area home. Purported ransom notes were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.
Authorities have expressed concerns Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.
Investigators have studied surveillance video, sorted through thousands of tips and submitted DNA and other evidence for laboratory analysis.
The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1, the day Guthrie was reported missing. The sheriff’s department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.
On Tuesday, authorities released footage showing an armed, masked person at Guthrie’s doorstep on the night she was abducted. The videos — less than a combined minute in length — gave investigators and the public their first glimpse of who was outside Guthrie’s home in the foothills outside Tucson.
Experts say the video could contain a mountain of clues.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military on Saturday reported a series of strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria in retaliation for the December ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and one American civilian interpreter.
What You Need To Know
The U.S. military is reporting a series of strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria
The strikes were carried out in retaliation of the December ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and one American civilian interpreter
U.S. Central Command says American aircraft conducted 10 strikes against more than 30 IS targets between Feb. 3 and Thursday
The strikes were on weapons storage facilities and other infrastructure
U.S. Central Command said in a statement that American aircraft had conducted 10 strikes against more than 30 IS targets between Feb. 3 and Thursday, hitting weapons storage facilities and other infrastructure.
At least 50 members of IS have been killed or captured, while more than 100 IS targets have been struck since the United States began its strikes after the Dec. 13 ambush, according to Central Command. That attack killed Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, and Ayad Mansoor Sakat, the civilian interpreter.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Defense Ministry said Thursday that government forces took control of a base in the east of the country that was run for years by U.S. troops as part of the fight against IS. The Al-Tanf base played a major role after IS declared a caliphate in large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014.
The U.S. military on Friday completed the transfer of thousands of IS detainees from Syria to Iraq, where they are expected to stand trial. The prisoners were sent to Iraq at the request of Baghdad, in a move welcomed by the U.S.-led coalition that had for years fought against IS.
EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — East Cleveland is the first-ever town to be placed under a receivership, meaning that after years of fiscal emergency, a court appointed third party is going to be taking over their finances in order to find a viable long-term solution.
What You Need To Know
The city of East Cleveland is being placed under a receivership
After years of fiscal emergency, a court-appointed third party is going to be taking over their finances
The town’s new mayor said this is a way for them to move forward
East Cleveland has long been in debt.
“Part of the problem is that we have a lot of debt that hasn’t been quantified yet,” new Mayor Sandra Morgan said.
Morgan said the receivership was in the works before her term, but it is something she supports.
“I believe it’s a lifeline for us,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to right the ship, frankly.”
At a recent town hall, residents heard from the mayor and the court-appointed receiver, George Shoup.
“I’m dismissed as a receiver once we determine that the areas of financial distress has been resolved and that a viable plan going forward is in place,” Shoup said.
Morgan said the current estimate of the city’s debt lies around $50 to $65 million, largely as part of large settlements ordered where the police department was found guilty of abuse.
“There’s just an erosion of the infrastructure because no one bothered to invest,” Morgan said.
The city has consistently lost population since the 1950s. It was once at roughly 40,000 residents but is now around 14,000. Morgan said, if they want long-term financial stability, they’ll have to reverse that trend.
“We’re planning for building housing, really all sorts of housing,” she said.
She said new developments, like more housing as part of the Circle East project, shows there’s a push for growth.
“There’s a lot of reasons to come to East Cleveland,” she said.
When asked about what she’d say to an East Cleveland resident who is skeptical about the receivership, she said, “the alternative is real grim.”
“We don’t really have any alternative, and this is a way for us to move forward,” she said.
MARION, Ohio — A man has died, and a child was seriously injured after being hit by a train at the Kenton Avenue crossing in Marion, according to Marion police.
What You Need To Know
A man and a child were hit by a train in Marion, Ohio
The 33-year-old man was killed, and the child sustained serious injuries, Marion police said
The investigation is ongoing
In a press release from the police department, it states that authorities received a call at around 8:41 p.m. on Feb. 13 from the railroad company, CSX, saying that two people had been hit by a train.
Dalton McMillen, 33, was killed, and a 12-year-old child was seriously injured. After the 12-year-old was removed from underneath the train, the child was taken to Marion General Hospital and later to Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
The most recent data from the National Safety Council shows that, in 2024, there were 954 railroad deaths. That’s a slight decline from 2023’s 967. Of the deaths in 2024, 27% took place at crossings.
“The investigation is on-going and there are no additional details to release at this time,” the news release from police reads.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It was a Night to Shine at the St. Petersburg Coliseum Friday night. The Tim Tebow Foundation held its annual prom for people with special needs there for the third year.
What You Need To Know
The Tim Tebow Foundation held its annual Night to Shine on February 13 in St. Petersburg
It’s a prom-type event for people with special needs who are ages 14 and up
The coordinator said guests live with conditions ranging from learning disabilities to ambulatory impairments
Guests told Spectrum News they enjoy the event because they can let loose without feeling self-conscious
“Epic,” said Kimberly Nash, coordinator of the Pinellas County event, when asked to describe the night in one word. “It’s amazing, it’s beautiful, it’s fantastic. There’s not one word that can actually describe tonight.”
Nash said registration filled to capacity within an hour-and-a-half of opening, and this year’s waitlist was longer than the actual guest list.
Invitees arrived in limos and were greeted by a red carpet lined with volunteer “paparazzi.”
“This is my third year doing it, and I love it,” said volunteer Kim Heffner.
“You get to cheer them on, blow bubbles, give them high-fives,” said six-year-old Liv, another volunteer.
At one point, volunteers took part in an impromptu sing-along when one guest started singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by one of his favorite artists, John Denver.
“Seeing what they have to go through day by day, I mean, it’s just amazing to see everyone show up for them,” said Heffner.
Guests attending Night to Shine. (Spectrum News/Sarah Blazonis)
Connor Deeb and Ashunti Teasley Dorsey said they wouldn’t have missed this year’s event for the world. It was the second time attending for both of them.
“Honestly, I love it here,” said Deeb, 22. “It’s a great place to meet people, have some great music, dance.”
“We get to be ourselves without having to worry about judging and things like that,” said Dorsey, 25.
Dorsey told Spectrum News she has autism and chronic tic disorder. She said that means she makes movements that she can’t control.
“I remember waking up one day, and I thought I was just having chills until it started progressing worse and worse until I found out it’s tics,” she said. “Even though I struggle, I continue to move on and live my life like no other.”
Dorsey said tics aren’t something she has to be self-conscious of at Night to Shine, and that’s the point.
“It’s a night that we invite those with special needs, and we remind them that it is not their disability that defines them, it is Christ,” said Nash.
Nash said the 265 guests live with a range of conditions, from learning disabilities to ambulatory impairments. This night is about giving them and their plus-ones a chance to feel like royalty.
“Whether you leave here as an honored guest with a crown on your head and a smile on your face and probably some feet that hurt from all the dancing, or a parent who has seen your child celebrated and loved tonight, I think that everybody just leaves here with joy,” said Nash.
A Night to Shine is a worldwide event held in more than 700 locations. Nash said this is the third year Central Christian Church hosted the Pinellas event.
Nash said they hope to hold next year’s dance at the newly repaired Tropicana Field. If that works out, she said that they can expand to inviting 750 guests.
HAINES CITY, Fla. — Haines City leaders are looking to revitalize the Oakland community as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is asking for public input on bringing back this once-bustling business district.
What You Need To Know
Community Redevelopment Agency is set to host a meeting on Thursday to discuss plans for the former walk-in bar in the Oakland community
The meeting is taking place on Feb. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at Haines City Hall
The walk-in bar, located at 1711 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, is part of the first step to revitalizing the Oakland community
The Community Redevelopment Agency is starting the process with the former walk-in bar along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
No job is too small for Kenneth Gosha.
“I like making the neighborhood look good,” he said.
Gosha works in the community, helping keep his neighbors’ lawns in top shape. He grew up in the Oakland community and says it’s his way of giving back.
It’s a place that he says has seen its fair share of change.
“Some of the spaces around here, where there were empty lots, they’re building houses there, they’re putting sidewalks, they’re doing a lot of great things around here,” he says.
But he also remembers what it was a place where business was alive and booming.
Today, he says, it’s much different, and one of the reasons Gosha says he will have his voice heard at the upcoming Haines City Community Redevelopment Agency meeting.
The topic is to discuss plans for the former walk-in bar located in the heart of the Oakland community.
“The lower level of this old walk-in bar, we want to put retail back here, and the upper level we want to do apartments or condos,” says Haines City Mayor and board member of the Community Redevelopment Agency Morris West.
He says this building means a lot to the community. Back in the day, the building was a walk-in bar and housed a barber shop that many residents frequented.
“We want to start with this building, but the city commission and the CRA board members want to revitalize this whole district, bring it back to what it once was,” West comments.
West says the goal is to bring back the business district, but local leaders need community input to make it happen.
Gosha believes it’s the first step to breathing life back into a growing community.
“It’ll just help make the community beautiful and better,” he says.
It is a place he wants to continue to call his home and welcome new faces too.
Haines City CRA will be discussing plans for the building at their meeting in City Hall on Thursday, Feb 5, at 5:30 p.m.
Residents are encouraged to attend and share their thoughts on the property.
