Blog Posts

MOUNT DORA POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A DOUBLE SHOOTING

7/8/2020

Mount Dora Police are investigating a shooting incident that happened Tuesday evening within the city.

Around 9:44 p.m., July 7, 2020, Mount Dora Police responded to a 911 call about two people that had been shot in the area of Grant Avenue. Upon arrival, police discovered a 43-year-old female and 22-year-old male that had been shot. Both were taken to ORMC. The female was treated and released. The male remains in critical but stable condition at ORMC.

Police have identified the suspect and a warrant for an arrest has been issued. This is an open investigation and police are not releasing any further information at this time. This is considered and isolated incident however the motive behind the shooting remains under investigation.

Police are asking anyone with any information to call them at 352-735-7130.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. For local things to do, click here. For the area's entertainment calendar, click here.

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DAYTONA BIKE WEEK MAY BE TIED TO CASE OF CORONAVIRUS

3/12/2020

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)Mount Dora Buzz file photo)

Through an extensive, ongoing epidemiological investigation, the Florida Department of Health has identified a positive COVID-19 case that may be associated with Daytona Bike Week 2020. The 63-year-old man, a New York resident, is currently in isolation in St. Johns County and will remain there until medically cleared.

The popular event is currently underway until March 15 and draws an estimated 500,000 people from across the country.

The Department recommends all individuals experiencing symptoms who attended this event to immediately call their County Health Department or health care provider and self-isolate for 14 Days. Although the mortality rate is at least ten times that of the flu, most people recover from COVID-19 without needing special treatment. The elderly and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, respiratory issues, heart problems and diabetes are more likely to develop serious illness.

RELATED STORY: Lake County cancels events it sponsors in March

COVID-19 can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, including when an individual coughs or sneezes. These droplets may land on objects and surfaces. Other people may contract COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.

Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough and shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days following exposure.The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus. The Department recommends everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

Avoiding close contact with people who are sick;
Staying home when you are sick and avoiding contact with persons in poor health;
Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands;
Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then disposing of the tissue;
Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, after blowing your nose, and after coughing or sneezing;
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty; and
Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

A vaccine to prevent COVID-19 is not expected to be available for another 12 to 18 months.

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

2/21/2020

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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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THIRD STUDENT ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH GUN INCIDENT AT MOUNT DORA HIGH SCHOOL

1/23/2020

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Today Mount Dora Police made a third arrest of a student in connection with yesterday’s incident involving a handgun on the Mount Dora High School campus.

Timothy Newbold III, 18, was implicated in the incident through investigative interviews. Once detectives were able to confirm his involvement, the Mount Dora High School senior was taken into custody without incident after checking into school for his fourth period class at approximately 10:45 a.m.

Yesterday, Mount Dora Police School Resource Officer Nate Warford acted on a tip from students who believed they heard two other students, ages 16 and 17, in a bathroom with what they believed to be a gun being racked or clicked on an empty chamber. Alarmed, the students left the bathroom and advised school staff. Warford located the firearm in the waistband of one of the two juvenile suspects arrested yesterday. Those boys were seen leaving the bathroom at the time of the incident.

The 17-year-old and 18-year-old students played on the school's varsity football team.

During separate taped interviews yesterday, the juvenile suspects implicated each other. Later, the school’s video security system captured the pair, along with Newbold, discreetly passing the gun among themselves in the gym’s bleachers. Afterward, the juvenile suspects were seen entering the gym’s bathroom after one had concealed the gun in his pants. An unspent bullet matching the confiscated gun was later found in that student’s fanny pack. The other student had done an internet search on his phone for ammunition that also matched the gun.

This incident would not have resulted in a safe and quick conclusion without the courage of the student who reported it. Mount Dora Police is encouraging all students and faculty to report any suspicions involving weapons on school grounds immediately, so they may be dealt with in the same expeditious manner.

This is still an ongoing investigation and any further details in the investigation may be limited.

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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TWO MOUNT DORA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARRESTED FOR BRINGING GUN ON CAMPUS

1/22/2020

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At approximately 12:55 p.m. today, Officer Nate Warford, School Resource Officer of the Mount Dora Police Department, was notified that a student at Mount Dora High School was in possession of a firearm. As Officer Warford and the School Guardian, Bob Dennison, responded to the area, Officer Warford notified Mount Dora dispatch and requested additional patrol units and the school was placed on lockdown for everyone’s safety.

Approximately three minutes after being notified of the incident, the suspects were located and secured. A chrome .25 caliber ACP handgun (see photo below) was recovered without incident. Two male students, a 17-year old and a 16-year-old, were arrested.

The initial investigation indicates the students and staff at Mount Dora High School were not in any immediate danger.

The Mount Dora Police Department is proud of the strong working relationship they share with the Lake County School Safety and Security which assist in bringing incidents like this to a safe conclusion. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office also responded with their K-9 Unit to conduct a building search to ensure no other weapons were on campus.

Lake County School District asked parents to continue to encourage their kids “if they see something, say something.”

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.

ABOVE: Firearm confiscated today Mount Dora High School.

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MOTORCYCLE COLLISION CLAIMS A LIFE IN MOUNT DORA

12/9/2019

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At approximately 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 8, a Ford Explorer was facing eastbound on State Road 46 and attempting a left turn onto northbound U.S. 441 when it was struck by a westbound motorcycle heading straight on S.R. 46. The intersection is part of an ongoing construction project.

When Mount Dora police officers arrived at the scene, they discovered the motorcyclist, James Carroll Monroe, 58, was unresponsive and without a pulse, so they immediately began CPR until the Mount Dora Fire Department paramedics could take over. Monroe, an Ormond Beach resident, was transported to AdventHealth Waterman where lifesaving measures were attempted, but unsuccessful.

According to the police report, Monroe was not wearing a helmet.

Three witnesses at the scene told police the motorcycle’s headlight was not on, according to the police report. However, two of those eyewitnesses subsequently reached out to Mount Dora Buzz to state the headlight was on and that they hadn't been asked about the motorcycle's headlight previously.

The driver of the Explorer was a Mount Dora minor with a learner’s permit. That driver was also transported to the hospital with unknown injuries. As a result of the age, Mount Dora Buzz is not releasing the identity of the driver. The Explorer also had two passengers, ages 20 and 15. The accident remains under investigation.

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MOUNT DORA BUSINESS OWNER HELPS NAB DOWNTOWN VANDALS

12/3/2019

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ABOVE: Business owners Phil and Kate Barnard. (Mount Dora Buzz photo)

It’s an unexpected sight. Vandals aren’t too common in downtown Mount Dora, and spotting a pair tagging buildings with graffiti in broad daylight in the bustling historic district would be, well unusual to say the least.

That’s exactly what happened at approximately 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 30, when an alert Mount Dora business owner spotted vandals doing exactly that and quickly gave chase.

Phil Barnard, co-owner of Magical Meat Boutique, a British Pub, walked out of his business to discover a man and woman apparently vandalizing a wall on a private parking area along downtown’s Dora Drawdy Alley.

Barnard confronted the pair and pursued the male, but lost sight of the female suspect. Mount Dora Police arrived to arrest Josef Weiss, 20, of Eustis, for six counts of criminal mischief. After being read his Miranda rights, Weiss quickly told police he was merely the lookout for his girlfriend. Officers discovered large markers on Weiss that matched the colors of the tagging.

ABOVE: Arrested suspect Josef Weiss, 20 of Eustis.

Later, it was discovered the bold pair had allegedly tagged several downtown locations on that afternoon. In all, four businesses were affected by Saturday’s vandalism spree, including Magical Meat Boutique, Lake County Arms, Papilio and Barrel of Books and Games. All of the small business owners signed affidavits that expressed their intention to prosecute.

Weiss was transported to Lake County Jail. This article will be updated upon the arrest of the female involved.

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

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MOUNT DORA CARJACKER NABBED WITHIN 2 HOURS OF VICTIMIZING ELDERLY WOMAN

11/22/2019

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ABOVE: Mugshot of arrested suspect, De'Angelo McKnight

UPDATE 11/25/19: The suspect arrested is De'Angelo McKnight, 19, of Mount Dora. He was charged with carjacking, assault or battery on a person 65 years of age or older, petty theft, burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and criminal use of personal identification information.
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It was a hideous crime. At approximately 3 p;m this afternoon a 93-year old woman was returning to her car in the parking lot of the T.J. Maxx and Hobby Lobby Shopping Center on the southwest corner of U.S. 441 and Eudora Road in Mount Dora.

As she neared her car, she was approached by a male suspect who knocked her to the ground and took off with her purse, phone and Lincoln SUV. With the teamwork of Mount Dora Police, Eustis Police and Lake County Sheriff’s Office, a suspect would be in custody less than two hours later when the stolen vehicle was spotted and five occupants bailed from the SUV near State Road 44 in Eustis. A foot-chase ensued and law enforcement apprehended all of them.

The elderly victim had lacerations on her head and was transported to the hospital.

Mount Dora Assistant Police Chief Mike Fewless said MDPD would request the State Attorney’s Office seek the maximum penalty for the crimes.

This is the time of year when crime spikes and shoppers need to be extra vigilant of their surroundings.

Here are some safety tips to remember:

At night, park in well-lit areas.
Have your car keys in your hand before you leave the store or restaurant.
Walk to your car with other people.
Do not be distracted while leaving a store or entering your car.
Never leave purses or bags on or behind your car seat. Place them in locked trunk.
Do not fight someone over your purse. Your life is more important.
Lock your cars doors.

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.