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NO FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED IN PASSING OF BELOVED BARTENDER

2/21/2020

ABOVE: Eastwood (left) with co-workers at Wolf Branch Brewing in Eustis. (Photo courtesy of Wolf Branch Brewing)

Sadness fell over the Eustis community when Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office announced the death of Matt Eastwood, 34, a beloved Eustis bartender, who went missing after a music festival in Boca Raton.

Eastwood, a humorous barman at the tight-knit and family-owned Wolf Branch Brewing, was last seen on February 16 at approximately 10:30 p.m. walking away from the Sunset Cove Amphitheater following the Forbidden Kingdom Music Festival, according to PBSO.

On February 19, Eastwood’s body was found floating in a suburban lake in close proximity to the amphitheatre and then transported to the medical examiner’s office to determine the cause of death. Foul play is not suspected, according to Palm Beach Sheriff's Office (PBSO). The law enforcement agency did not elaborate.

Wolf Branch Brewing’s Facebook post yesterday addressed the immeasurable loss of someone they held dear. “Thank you everyone who has reached out and stopped by the taproom. There are no words. We are devastated and utterly heartbroken to lose a member of our family. Matt is a huge part of the Wolf Branch family and has been from the very beginning. The taproom will forever feel different without his presence which was truly one of a kind. Everyone that met him knew how funny and kind he was, but he was truly selfless and would do anything for someone in need. He will be greatly missed by so many. So here’s a beer for you bud, rest easy.”

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Discover the area's online entertainment calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

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COMMUNITY RATTLED AFTER TAVARES HIGH STUDENT ALLEGEDLY KILLS PET DUCK

2/20/2020

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(Mount Dora Buzz file photo)

The alleged incident is equal parts disturbing and sad. Last night Tavares Police Department received a report from a homeowner that a juvenile was captured on their home’s surveillance camera walking onto their property and taking one of their domesticated ducks. The male suspect then appeared to strangle or snap the neck of the pet. The camera recorded the teen suspect leaving the property with the animal. The incident happened during daylight hours.

The home is located across from Tavares High School near the bus loop, so many students are very familiar with the tame ducks that walk near campus. A school official later found the dead animal in the bushes after the student reportedly admitted where he disposed of it, said Sargent Sarah Coursey, Tavares Police Department’s Public Information Officer.

The duck’s owners informed law enforcement officers that they wish to prosecute the teen, who is reported to be a freshman at the school, according to Coursey.

Tavares Police Department is working closely with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) to continue the investigation. LCSO Student Resource Officer is expected to question students again tomorrow, said the sergeant.

"We want to make sure he's punished for the crime and gets the help that he needs," said Coursey.

Rumors of the incident swirled across social media with parents and students expressing concern and outrage.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Discover the area's online entertainment calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

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GROVELAND FOUR'S MONUMENT UNVEILING SET FOR FEBRUARY 21

2/20/2020

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A monument dedicated to the Groveland Four will be unveiled at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 21 on the lawn of the Lake County Historic Courthouse.

The monument honors the four men known as the Groveland Four -- Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd and Ernest Thomas -- who, in 1949, were wrongfully accused of rape in Groveland, Florida. In January 2019, the men were posthumously pardoned by the Florida Clemency Board, which called their convictions and treatment a “miscarriage of justice.”

In 2012 Gilbert King penned a non-fiction book titled "Devil in the Grove" that chronicled attorney Thurgood Marshall's defense of the four young black men. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book highlighted the racial injustice in Lake County and put the case in the national spotlight along with another book, “The Groveland Four: The Sad Saga of a Legal Lynching,” by Gary Corsair.

The public is invited to join Groveland Four family members, community leaders and elected officials for the ceremony. The granite memorial will feature a bronze plaque imprinted with a written account of the men’s ordeal, which was prepared with the help of their families. King and Corsair along with Governor Ron DeSantis and State Representative Geraldine Thompson will be in attendance to share remarks at the event.

Public parking will be available in the parking garage at the intersection of Sinclair Avenue and Maud Street in Tavares.

Beginning at 6 p.m. on Feb. 20, West Main Street will be closed from Sinclair Avenue to Texas Avenue and will reopen following the event. During the closure, southbound pickup will be available for LakeXpress transit patrons at stop LX11161, located at West Main Street and North Rockingham Avenue in lieu of stop LX11157, located at West Main Street and Texas Avenue.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Discover the area's online entertainment calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

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NO FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED IN PASSING OF BELOVED BARTENDER

COMMUNITY RATTLED AFTER TAVARES HIGH STUDENT ALLEGEDLY KILLS PET DUCK

GROVELAND FOUR'S MONUMENT UNVEILING SET FOR FEBRUARY 21

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