Blog Posts

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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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.

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MOUNT DORA POLICE INVESTIGATE MISSING FUNDS FROM YOUTH BASEBALL PROGRAM

10/22/2019

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Mount Dora Police are investigating allegations that the Mount Dora Babe Ruth (MDBR) organization was the victim of grand theft --between $20,000 to $100,000 -- by one of the youth league’s own officers.

The investigation began on October 21 after the local baseball league’s vice president, Frank Remsen, met with police regarding allegations the all-volunteer group’s treasurer took funds from its bank account for personal use. According to the MDBR board, the missing funds were to benefit every child in the league.

“It was discovered over the last few days that our, now former, Mount Dora Babe Ruth Treasurer, Holly Jukuri, inappropriately and wrongfully misappropriated almost all of our league funds for personal use without the consent, approval or knowledge of any current MDBR Board Members,” alleged a message to parents and players from the MDBR board on October 21. Jukuri’s children participated in the league.

After being alerted to the problem, the board investigated the lack of cash deposits with its bank and ensured no additional funds could be jeopardized. The league often generates cash for bank deposits from the fields’ concession stand sales.

The board met in an emergency board meeting on October 20 in which Jukuri did not answer any questions on the advice of her lawyer, nor did she submit requested receipts. She voluntarily resigned and the board voted to remove her husband, Nick Jukuri, from the Board and as a coach due to an alleged conflict of interest and pending the outcome of the investigation, according to the board’s message and minutes from the meeting.

The board credited MDBR’s system of checks and balances with the uncovering of the alleged crime. Mount Dora Police Department could not release additional information due to the pending investigation.

“The season will continue on and games will be played. We will have umpires for games. Our coaches will still give their hearts and time to the children, practice after practice and game after game,” wrote the MDBR board.

Mount Dora Babe Ruth was founded in 1957 and solely relies on volunteers for coaching, field preparations, fundraising and other operations. In communities across the U.S. and Canada, close to a million young baseball and softball players participate under the Babe Ruth League umbrella every season. The program uses regulation competitive rules, teaches skills, mental and physical development, a respect for the rules of the game, and basic ideals of sportsmanship and fair play.

If anyone would like to make a donation to Mount Dora Babe Ruth, please contact the organization directly here.

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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MOUNT DORA POLICE MAKE QUICK ARRESTS FOR ARMED CARJACKING

9/19/2019

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It was brazen, in broad daylight, and resulted in a swift arrest.

On September 16 at approximately 2:30 in the afternoon, Mount Dora Police Officers responded to a report that an armed carjacking had occurred in the Loch Leven Publix parking lot located at U.S. Highway 441 and Donnelly Street.

The victim, John Miller, told police that he was in his car in the parking lot when another car, driven by a white female, pulled up behind his car. Two white males got out of the car and one got into the front passenger seat and pointed a gun at Miller’s head. Miller got out of the car and the suspect drove away. The second suspect got back into the other car and also fled the scene.

Police were alerted to the description of the victim’s car and told that it was headed north on U.S. Highway 441 with the other suspect’s vehicle following it.

While officers were still on the scene, another MDPD officer was driving south on the highway and noticed two cars that matched the descriptions turn into the nearby Target parking lot. Police officers detained the occupants of both vehicles and the victim was then taken to their location where he positively identified them. (scroll down for rest of article)

ABOVE: Alleged suspects, Michael Knapp (left) of St. Cloud and Michael Mulhern of Mount Dora.

Upon searching the victim’s vehicle, a handgun and other contraband were found. Police arrested MIchael Knapp, driver of the victim’s vehicle, on charges of carjacking. Knapp, a St. Cloud resident, was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The driver of the second car, Michael Mulhern of Mount Dora, was arrested for being an alleged principal in a carjacking. The female driver was not located or indentified.

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.