but the page you were looking for could not be found If you followed a link on dvidshub.net to get here our web team has been notified about the problem BARTOW — As teams gathered on their respective side after shaking hands following the final out in the Class 6A Bartow coach Glenn Rutenbar kept pointing at Durant wanting his players to watch the scene unfolding in that Durant was celebrating a district title after hanging on for a 4-2 victory on Wednesday night The loss was the first for Bartow in a district championship game since 2010 when the Yellow Jackets lost to rival Lake Wales Bartow won 13 consecutive district titles since that loss I want you to watch them because they just beat you Softball: No-hitter by Lake Wales' Conroy leads all highlights from district semifinals How much watching an opponent celebrate a district title on their home field will be determined in how the Yellow Jackets respond the fielding has been better and the team’s hitting and pitching has been good overall it looks like what happened against Durant a lot of discipline issues and a lot of the ball in the air,” Rutenbar said Bartow will advance to the regional playoffs and still could hang on to its No 3-seed Lake Howell plays a weak Oviedo team (4-21) in its district championship game 4-seed Bloomingdale lost to Durant in the district semifinals Bartow won its first state title in 1997 after reaching the playoffs as a district runner-up to Lake Region beating Lake Region in the championship game but the Yellow Jackets have things to clean up before they can think of any more titles The mental mistakes started early when starter Brooklyn Tyson was called for multiple illegal pitches in the first two innings hit a batter and allowed two hits in 1 2/3 innings Lennix Ullrich’s two-run single in the second inning gave Durant a two-run lead Ryleigh Knowlton replaced Tyson and settled things down She allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and was solid overall one of the runs came in on another mental mistake Betty Oderio doubled home Jenna Helfrich to make it a 3-1 game in the fifth Then when catcher Lexi Hayford was walking the ball back to Knowlton Oderio raced home with no one covering the plate as timeout wasn’t called Bartow managed just one hit through six innings stole second and third and scored on a passed ball Bartow nearly pulled off a two-out rally in the seventh B Horsley singled with one out and advanced to second on a groundout She scored when Kynley Quartermain reached on a bloop pop fly that was dropped by second baseman Giana Lopez in shallow right field Emma Huffman reached on an error and Niamah Johnson singled to load the bases Knowlton then hit a hard grounder down the third-base line that was stabbed by third baseman Leanne Allen after three innings but rallied and was on the verge of victory after taking the lead in the sixth tied the score and the team battled for three more innings before Moore Haven prevailed with a 10-7 victory on Wednesday night in the Rural Camryn Prowant stole home with the go-ahead run and Moore Haven added two more runs in the top of the 10th inning Fort Meade scored three times to take a one-run lead N Jy’Kia Faulk and Nakaia Pinkston walked to lead off the inning and later scored on an error to tie the score Ryleigh Grace later singled home Makayla DeLeon with two outs to take a 6-5 lead DeLeon went 4 of 4 with two RBIs and three runs scored to lead the Miners Marleigh Carroll went 1-for-3 with two RBIs Two law enforcement officers are injured and a Fort Meade man is dead after a gunfight broke out outside Lowe's Home Improvement in Bartow on the afternoon of April 18 Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said the Bartow Police Department received a 911 call shortly before 4:30 p.m The incident started when Volz got into a verbal argument with his parents in their shared Fort Meade home Friday morning Volz threatened him and pointed a gun at the man's forehead Volz held his parents hostage in their Fort Meade home starting about 11:30 a.m Judd said he made threats to kill his parents speaking with references to how he was Jesus and God Volz is known to local law enforcement as "long-term drug addict," Judd said said he needed to go to his work shift at Lowe's Volz said he needed to run some errands as well and agreed to drive him to Bartow 'Go to Bartow and kill a lot of people anyway,' " Judd said.The first stop involved Volz purchasing drugs from a man in Bartow the father went inside and immediately told his co-workers what was happening and after a short period of time Volz came into the store looking for his father Bartow police officers and Polk deputies arrived at the scene including a drone operator to help locate Volz he saw Volz walking between Florida Department of Transportation offices and Lowe's instructed him to stop or threatened to stun him Volz ran around the corner of the building pulled a gun and opened fire on law enforcement officers was shot clean through the forearm of his gun hand Bartow Police Officer Mark Sills was shot in the chest but the bullet was stopped by his ballistics vest Law enforcement officers fired in return at Volz Both law enforcement officers were taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center for treatment of their injuries Both are in good condition and "good spirits," according to Judd Volz was taken to Bartow Regional Medical Center where life-saving measures were taken but he died of his injuries and the 10th Judicial Circuit Officer-Involved Deadly Incident Task Force will investigate what happened will be forwarded to State Attorney Brian Haas for a separate investigation and review Judd said there will be no further updated information on the shooting released over the Easter weekend The City Commission voted 4-1 Tuesday night to appoint Alis Drumgo as acting city manager though talk has circulated in the city of a medical episode Federal law prevents the sharing of anyone’s medical information without permission spent several years with the city of Lakeland He served as manager of the Community Redevelopment Agency before being promoted to the newly created position of assistant director of economic development Drumgo left Lakeland in 2022 for a job with Tampa’s city government He has recently held the role of partner with Capital City Consulting in its Tampa office The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting included a resolution for the appointment of a vice manager commissioners suggested that Drumgo would be serving as interim city manager If he accepts the role, Drumgo will become Fort Meade’s sixth leader in 19 months. City Manager Jan Bagnall resigned in August 2023 after 2½ sometimes tumultuous years He was followed by a series of interim city managers before the hiring of Dean last June Commissioner Petrina McCutchen nominated Drumgo saying she found his name in a review of previous applicants McCutchen touted Drumgo’s academic credentials He holds a master’s degree in city and regional planning and public policy from Rutgers University according to the website for Capital City Consulting He earned a bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University in New Jersey saying he had talked to Drumgo for about an hour Tuesday afternoon praised Drumgo for his military record as a U.S Mayor Samuel Berrien and Commissioner Jaret Williams also spoke favorably of Drumgo Commissioner James Watts nominated Veronica Hairston to the position and later cast the only vote against offering the job to Drumgo Commissioners did not discuss what Drumgo’s salary would be The city charter allows an interim city manager to serve no longer than five months Berrien talked about the need to be prepared to make a permanent hire before that period ends Central Polk Parkway East Lake Wales Commission isn't happy about proposed routes for new state toll road Schaill said that he had asked Drumgo whether he would want to become Fort Meade’s permanent city manager serves as assistant city manager in Lake Wales The couple live in Polk County and have six children according to a biography on the Capital City Consulting website has been running the city in Walker’s absence Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13 Headlined by Grammy Award-winning artist Chrisette Michele the event also features three-time Grammy-nominated gospel artist Anita Wilson and “The Voice” semifinalist Makenzie The festival, free and open to the public, is presented by Dorothy Jean’s Dream Initiative Inc., a nonprofit founded by Jaret Landon to honor his late mother’s dream for him to bring arts to the world The festival had been a one-day event in previous years but expanded to two days and longer hours to meet public demand This year’s event will have two performance stages Both days will feature vendors selling food and wares A limited number of vendor spaces are open and can be reserved by visiting fmcitycenterplaza.as.me For general information about the festival When Fort Meade leaders realized in January that an emergency repair was needed to keep the city’s electrical substation running, City Manager Edward Dean was unavailable City records show a requisition created on Jan 15 to pay Electrical Power Systems International of St for breaker replacement and substation transformer testing which Burke obtained and shared with The Ledger Burke shared a screenshot of an approval history for the purchase order showing credentials entered into the city’s financial system The image showed initial approval of a general ledger and vendor review on Jan followed by approval a week later from Senior Accountant Kelsey Kitka the credentials EDEAN were used to give the requestion final approval Fort Meade’s chief operations officer and human resources manager sent an email to city commissioners on Feb Hairston said she wanted to share “important information regarding an oversight related to the emergency work approved for stabilizing our city’s electrical infrastructure that unfolded yesterday.” Hairston wrote that all involved understood the urgent need for the repair and work began based on “a collective assessment” of that need when the Interim Director brought to my attention some new findings that would halt the ongoing work that we discovered a crucial step in the final approval and recording process had been overlooked: the contract for this work had not been presented to the Commission for ratification,” Hairston wrote Concerns about public criticismWhile noting that the oversight created concern Hairston focused on the potential for negative reaction from the public we realized we must prioritize responsibility and accountability in our leadership!” Hairston wrote it is our duty to address and correct them promptly Hairston said she would provide a staff report and the resolution to the City Commission we will take steps to understand how this occurred including potential disciplinary action or necessary training and retraining for staff,” Hairston wrote Hairston also produced a community statement The statement provided no details on what had happened writing only that “mistakes can occur” in any organization Hairston addressed what she called “bullying and negative criticism.” “I refuse to tolerate bullying or fearmongering in any form,” Hairston wrote and our response should be constructive when a city employee makes an error or fails to adhere to established policies.” The staff report described the process that led to the emergency repair work Several meetings occurred between Dean and individual commissioners “to discuss the urgency of these necessary repairs and their associated costs to the city.” Fort Meade also held a town hall meeting to inform residents about the need for the repairs and the risk of service interruptions if they did not occur The cost of the repairs was included in the city budget and Fort Meade collaborated with the Florida Municipal Power Agency to ensure that it could afford the repairs 'Chief Collaborator': Fort Meade's interim leader moving briskly to foster self-reliance among staff Electric Power Systems provided a proposal detailing their services for inspection City staff reviewed the proposal and deemed the work necessary “to meet regulatory compliance and operational guidelines.” “The authority to execute the agreement falls within the City Commission's authority and must be presented to the board prior to the commencement of work,” the report said We are dedicated to rectifying this and are committed to reinforcing our commitment to transparency and accountability in managing the city’s infrastructure.” Staff drafted a resolution to approve the contract with Electric Power Systems The City Commission voted 5-0 to adopt the resolution at its Feb did not respond to an email asking about the purchase order She previously held a similar position in Haines City Commissioner: Work couldn't waitDrumgo said Tuesday that he had not thoroughly investigated the communications that occurred before he accepted his position He said he is assessing how the city staff procures equipment and services “I won't speak to whatever the documentation was that may have been sent out but I will say that this entire team has been very diligent and receptive to my desire to change up the operating policies to make sure that there are no oversights while I'm going forward,” Drumgo said Fort Meade Mayor Samuel Berrien did not respond to a voicemail City Commissioner James Watts said he was uncertain about the details of the purchase order approval but stressed that Fort Meade faced an emergency that had to be addressed quickly He said the city’s electrical substation has been in bad condition for years and representatives from the Florida Municipal Power Association urged upgrades after a visit to the city Watts said he understood that the replacement of equipment could not be delayed or Fort Meade risked a widespread power failure He said discussions of the repair work began before Dean’s absence “We can't leave our public at risk of being in the dark,” Watts said who served as interim city manager for five months last year has filed a complaint against Hairston with the Florida Commission on Ethics for “misrepresenting material facts surrounding the unauthorized purchase order from January.” Burke has also filed ethics complaints against Dean a former commissioner and a CRA advisory board member In 2023, the City Commission reprimanded then-City Manager Jan Bagnall for approving the purchase of a $642,000 fire engine without its approval thinking he was signing a change order for an existing contract The Fort Meade City Commission has formally appointed Alis Drumgo as interim city manager Commissioners voted 4-1 during a special meeting Thursday night to approve a contract with Drumgo with Commissioner James Watts casting the only no vote The commission had voted 4-1 a week earlier to make an offer to Drumgo The actions come as City Manager Edward Walker Dean has been absent from city meetings for about a month Commissioners have not explained his absence though talk has circulated in the city of health issues and Mayor Samuel Berrien quickly shut off any discussion about Dean during Thursday night’s meeting A copy of the contract signed by Drumgo and city officials shows that his term starts Monday and runs through July 23 and may not be extended or renewed Drumgo will receive payments of $10,500 a month The agreement requires Drumgo to be on site at City Hall at least three days a week and to attend all City Commission meetings He is expected to provide oral and written reports to commissioners and to be available to meet to discuss the status of city activities The interim leader will also provide “strategic coaching to Fort Meade’s CRA Director to further the implementation of Fort Meade’s redevelopment plan,” the contract says Drumgo could not be reached for comment Friday Drumgo worked as deputy administrator for development and economic opportunity with the City of Tampa he has been a partner in the Tampa office of Capital City Consulting Before the vote, City Attorney Markeishia Smith addressed potential confusion about Drumgo’s status A resolution on the agenda for the previous meeting mentioned a vice manager but the motion made at the meeting called for appointing an interim city manager who would only be able to serve for up to five months under the city charter That time limit would not apply to an interim city manager Smith reported having “extensive conversations” with Drumgo and said that he seemed open to either position The contract allows either side to terminate it with 30 days' written notice Drumgo will still work for Capital City ConsultingWatts asked Smith if Fort Meade would be hiring Drumgo as an individual or entering an agreement with Capital City Consulting Smith said that the resolution adopted at the previous meeting specified appointing Drumgo individually Berrien said that Drumgo would not be leaving his position with Capital City Consulting to take on the role with Fort Meade Watts said the city has included language in previous contracts barring dual employment for managers 'Delay, deny, depose' Prosecutors drop charge against Lakeland woman accused of threatening insurance company rep Smith said she had consulted with the Florida League of Cities and been told that such an arrangement was allowed She said she could find no state statutes that prevented Fort Meade from offering a contract to someone who would also be employed elsewhere as long as the person does not hold two municipal offices Watts raised the prospect of a conflict of interest Smith said she did not foresee any conflicts between Drumgo’s role with the city and his work for Capital City Consulting Drumgo and company agreed to disclose it as soon as possible and attempt to resolve it to the satisfaction of the company and the city Fort Meade will provide Drumgo with a city cell phone an email address and a laptop with an air card He will have access to city communications to fulfill public record requests and ensure proper records retention under state law Drumgo addressed commissioners during Thursday’s meeting I hear a lot of the concerns about my time and my availability and so I just want you to know that I'm an extremely hard worker and my work ethic is While the contract only requires him to be at City Hall three days a week Drumgo said he plans to visit city work sites and get into the community to meet residents I'm excited to come through the door and really get to work effectively and try to support this team that's been through a lot over the last couple of years,” Drumgo said Watts explained that he had voted against the resolution over concerns about the wording and not because of any doubts about Drumgo Smith told commissioners that they had the option of hiring a permanent city manager if they chose to terminate Dean’s contract Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518 (This article was changed to remove incorrect information about Amy Wheeler) The status of Fort Meade’s leadership is uncertain The city issued a notice Tuesday for an emergency City Commission meeting for Friday with one agenda item The five-member commission would “consider the appointment of a Vice Manager (or interim city manager) to ensure continuity in city operations during this time,” a news release said The city clerk soon sent out another release None of the announcements have explained the need for emergency appointments Edward Dean started work in July as Fort Meade’s city manager Rumors have circulated recently about a health issue but no city officials would comment on Dean’s status Federal law forbids the disclosure of health information about any individual to an unauthorized third party Assistant City Manager Amy Wheeler declined to comment and directed a reporter to both Veronica Hairston, Fort Meade’s chief operations officer and human resources manager, and to Markeishia Smith we do not have any updates to share concerning the city manager or the selection of a vice manager,” Hairston said Wednesday in an email “We appreciate your understanding and assure you that we will communicate any relevant information to both residents and the media as soon as it is available.” Smith did not respond to a message left Wednesday with her office City commissioners called by The Ledger either did not reply or said they could not comment Dean hired Wheeler as assistant city manager last year The City Commission has a workshop scheduled for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m The only scheduled topic is electrical billing Still in its first months with a new city manager the Fort Meade City Commission continues to grapple with disputes involving past leaders Commissioners considered a proposed resolution at Tuesday night’s meeting calling for an investigation into former Interim City Manager Dustin Burke who held the role from February until July commissioners voted 3-2 on a motion to dismiss the resolution Mayor Petrina McCutchen and Commissioners Jaret Williams and Samuel Berrien — who made the motion — voted to reject the resolution Commissioners James Watts and James “Possum” Schaill opposed the motion The resolution proposed hiring an independent investigator to examine Burke’s alleged improprieties several concerns have emerged regarding potential misconduct including allegations of undermining city protocols These allegations have raised questions about the integrity of our municipal operations and the need for accountability.” said that “it is imperative that the City Commission take proactive measures in addressing these concerns.” The resolution called for the investigator to present their findings to the City Commission The text included the sentence, “I recommend the City Commission approve the attached resolution to initiate the investigation process.” City Manager Edward Dean Deputy City Clerk Melissa Cannon said by email Wednesday that the “I” in the agenda item should have said “staff.” Williams first motioned to hire Burke but did not receive a second In their discussion of the proposed resolution city commissioners avoided mention of specific allegations against Burke “We’ve all heard it,” and Williams responded McCutchen made clear that she did not favor opening an independent investigation She described the potential pursuit as “a waste of time” and said the commission should not seek “to take care of personal vendettas.” “We have bigger fish to fry,” McCutchen said We have a lot of things that warrant our attention immediately saying that any allegations of illegal activity by Burke could be forwarded to Florida’s secretary of state or another agency (The audio on the Zoom livestream of the meeting was frequently distorted making it difficult to understand the commissioners’ comments.) Berrien said his main concern was how to prevent the alleged misconduct from happening again He said he had learned information from residents during Burke’s time in the interim role that should have been shared with the City Commission Claiming that he has been the object of “mistruths” and “flat-out lies” as a commissioner “I’m not for a witch hunt.” But he also suggested that the commission has “a duty and an obligation to understand what happened.” Not believed: Charged with filing false report, Polk teen captured own evidence during rape Watts suggested that all of the commissioners knew the details of the allegations against Burke related to things that were done incorrectly “We need to know if there's something wrong Schaill spoke of staff members feeling as if they had to “walk on eggs” to avoid trouble from management Commissioners sought advice from Interim City Attorney Markeishia Smith who was attending her first meeting since her hiring Oct “So I do want the commission to know that we did a deeper dive it just seems like that there wasn’t anything there to particularly warrant necessarily going forward with an investigation,” Smith said Watts mentioned that Fort Meade is already facing two lawsuits from former employees whom Burke fired in April as assistant city manager filed a suit in June alleging that city officials retaliated against her for reporting alleged misconduct by commissioners She claimed that her firing violated Florida’s Public Whistleblower Act a code enforcement officer fired by Burke in June submitted a similar lawsuit in July in Circuit Court in Polk County Berrien initially made a motion to table the resolution before asking instead for the proposal to be dismissed Burke emailed a letter to the mayor and city commissioners in response to the agenda item three days before the meeting The staff report recommending the resolution “makes multiple defamatory claims” without any supporting evidence On second try Fort Meade approves amnesty program for property liens Burke demanded the immediate withdrawal of the agenda item and a written retraction of the allegations “Failure to do so may result in legal action to protect my professional reputation and constitutional rights,” Burke wrote Burke claims that the city has violated its own rules with the recent contracts Fort Meade signed a three-year contract for $120,000 with Retail Strategies The city also agreed to a one-year contract for $72,000 with the Griffin Group a firm with offices in Tallahassee and Lakeland The city’s charter requires four commission votes to waive competitive bidding for contracts of more than $25,000 but the Retail Strategies contract was approved with three votes City staff belatedly added the contract with the Griffin Group to the agenda for the Oct “again bypassing competitive bidding requirements and public scrutiny.” “Regarding the claims of contract approvals I want to assure you that all actions taken by the current administration adhere to the required legal protocols,” Hairston said by email “We recognize the importance of competitive bidding and are dedicated to maintaining compliance in our contract processes.” Burke has been battling with Fort Meade’s staff over requests for public records related to recent contracts offered to two companies for lobbying and consulting work He said that city staff is requiring him to pay about $3,100 to fulfill that and other requests The city’s staff provided the contracts to The Ledger at no charge Hairston said the “volume and nature” of Burke’s requests made it necessary to enforce its established guidelines on charging for records She said it would require extensive staff time to fulfill the requests Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518 The changes continue in Fort Meade Nine months after the City Commission ended its relationship with its longtime legal representative Fort Meade has parted ways with the replacement firm Mayor Petrina McCutchen said during a specially called commission meeting Monday night Commissioners voted 5-0 to hire Markeishia Smith of Haines City as interim city attorney but McCutchen said money was not the main cause of the rift that formed with the Fort Lauderdale firm McCutchen did not go into details in discussing the differences that apparently arose “I made concerted efforts with the current legal team to bridge a divide,” McCutchen said during the meeting I met with them by myself and tried to iron out the differences McCutchen and Dean emphasized that the law firm opted to end its contract and was not dismissed by city leaders so therefore it left us no choice but to go out and find someone that can come in on an interim basis because we do have pending business that has to be taken care of contracts that have to be reviewed,” McCutchen said “Day-to-day operation continues to go on regardless McCutchen led the move in January to end Fort Meade’s contract with GrayRobinson the statewide firm that had provided city attorneys for years McCutchen and commissioners complained about communication issues Weeks and Powell made a presentation at the January meeting following a motion from Commissioner Jaret Williams which specializes in government representation Commissioner James Watts cast the lone no vote The commission proposed paying Smith $225 an hour for her services holds a law degree from Florida A&M Law School She was admitted to The Florida Bar in 2016 and opened her own law firm in 2017 Smith attended and spoke at Monday’s meeting “Even though I have been in the private sector I consider myself a private attorney with the heart of a public servant,” Smith said “My goal with any organization that I'm involved in is to make positive contributions toward growth to give more than what I receive and to leave it better than when I came upon it.” Watts asked Smith if she had any experience with the annexation process “I have not previously addressed any annexation issue specifically while working as a municipal city attorney but I have been able to do so through a couple of my clients that I represent,” Smith answered Vice Mayor Samuel Berrien said Tuesday that he was grateful the firm offered to resign and did not delay the process of ending the association “It just was not working well,” Berrien said “There were many issues that were voiced to me from the city administration.” $5 million state grant Official says Fort Meade can no longer use money for broadband Berrien said he was not comfortable with the firm’s lawyers regularly participating in meetings virtually rather than attending He said he expects Smith to be more “accessible.” Dean did not respond to a voicemail left Tuesday Alis Drumgo says that he does not fixate on job titles Though he is officially interim city manager in Fort Meade ‘I'm your Chief Collaborator,’” Drumgo said “If you need someone to come into a meeting another set of eyes to touch something — I told my utility guy ‘If you need me to slap on a pair of boots and a hard hat and get out in the hole with you Drumgo eschewed his usual suit in favor of a black polo shirt as he planned to join a maintenance crew working at Peace River Park I think that that's just doing what's necessary and realizing that no one is coming to save Fort Meade,” Drumgo said Neither Drumgo nor other city officials will discuss Dean’s status aware of federal laws that restrict disclosure of health information without a person’s permission a partner in the Tampa office of Capital City Consulting agreed to a five-month contract that ends July 23 He is paid $10,500 a month as an independent contractor spent several years with the City of Lakeland reaching the role of assistant director of economic development He later served as deputy administrator for development and economic opportunity with the City of Tampa The contract compels Drumgo to be present at Fort Meade’s City Hall at least three days a week but he said he is not focused on the minimum requirements he said that he has been in office typically four or five days a week estimating that he is working about 70 hours a week Drumgo said he is 70% through his plan to meet individually with all city employees Drumgo became Fort Meade’s sixth leader in 19 months. City Manager Jan Bagnall resigned in August 2023 after 2½ years He was followed by a series of interim city managers before the hiring of Dean Drumgo did not give the appearance of a short-timer as he sat in his office on the second floor of the 1926 City Hall building he had written three directives for the city’s staff: “1 Be a good advisor so I won’t have to find one Drumgo first mentioned the budget and city finances Fort Meade must develop and approve its spending plan for the 2026 fiscal year by Sept Drumgo said he is analyzing the city’s fiscal controls “I want to be more engaged in our budgetary process this year to make sure that we are doing the right things when it comes to how we allocate and spend our funding,” he said A bill introduced in the current legislative session would phase out community redevelopment agencies Those entities assess local taxes and use the money to revitalize economically depressed areas Drumgo and Fort Meade Mayor Samuel Berrien spent a few days in Tallahassee last month meeting with Polk County legislators and lobbying for city-friendly policies Drumgo said he wants to be prepared to “backfill funding” with other sources if traditional state funding should decline Another point of emphasis is long-term planning “Fort Meade doesn't have a strategic plan,” Drumgo said “I think that in order for us as staff to have good direction and understanding of what the community wants and what the commission ultimately wants to see happen Drumgo cited a “glaring need” to update Fort Meade’s land-development code bringing it in alignment with the city’s comprehensive plan “I think those will help provide some level of certainty to developers who are interested in Fort Meade as the rest of the county continues to grow around us,” he said “We're starting to see a lot of activity that is starting to trickle into Fort Meade and so we want to make sure that we are able to maximize those development opportunities and make sure it aligns with our land use.” Drumgo said he recognizes that Fort Meade is a rural community and should not court development for its own sake but some of the storefronts are currently vacant While other parts of Polk County have experienced stunning population growth in recent years Fort Meade’s population has declined slightly to about 5,300 residents Drumgo described Fort Meade as a “unique canvas” available for new businesses “I see no reason why we can't be one of the best main streets in Polk County,” he said it's just time for Fort Meade to return to its prominence.” A tax for salaries? Polk School Board appears open to 2026 referendum on special tax to support schools Fort Meade operates its own utilities as a member of the Florida Municipal Power Agency The city has long struggled with sometimes faulty service while residents complain about high power bills the city had to spend $130,000 on emergency replacement of power equipment Drumgo said the city’s utility network is “a lot better than what it was.” Fort Meade lacks a permanent electrical director with keeping the city’s substation running well On Drumgo’s desk sat a blue folder containing a peer-review report from the FMPA there will be a need for additional repairs,” he said “That's something that we're talking to the commission about now and that's why I say that the strategic planning piece has to be laid out we'll have to make multimillion-dollar investments into the substation.” The City Commission recently adopted a measure allowing Fort Meade to increase its utilities reserve fund from $100,000 to $240,000 That will provide more margin to avoid hitting residents with power cost adjustments a way of shifting monthly utility rates to account for fluctuations in the cost of power generation Asked about urgent issues facing Fort Meade I really do — and not to alarm anyone or to keep the staff uneasy It’s really to say that my time is finite and our time is finite All of us should be operating with some level of importance to the things that are happening around us The quality of life of the residents here in the city is extremely important and I just don't know that approaching it with a general malaise is going to help anyone.” While concentrating on such practical matters as utility service Drumgo has also directed his attention toward communications with citizens and “creating a single point of entry” though his office Fort Meade has endured tumult in recent years as groups of residents have posted harsh statements about city commissioners and staff members on social media That has sometimes led to feuds between city officials and citizens The sometimes poisonous atmosphere seemed a factor in Barbara Arnold’s abrupt resignation from the City Commission in 2023 and Bagnall’s departure later that year He said he follows some of the social media discussion to keep abreast of residents' concerns or dissatisfactions Drumgo said he thinks some of the city’s problems have been self-imposed “I think that we have to consider that and think about how we might be able to do better if we've approached those in a way that negatively impacted those engagements and those relationships,” he said I have spent time rebuilding relationships meeting with some of the people who used to work here and meeting with some of the people who've been critical of the city and having open conversations about what happened City Commissioner James Watts was the only member to vote against offering a contract to Drumgo in February Watts said Monday that he is pleased with Drumgo’s performance so far though he added that he will be watching him Might Drumgo want to assume a permanent title with Fort Meade when his contract ends in July if the commission is content with the work if they think I'm doing a satisfactory job and if they see a change in the direction and where we were headed.” Polk County's latest Wawa store is opening Wednesday morning with special eventsLakeland LedgerThe grand opening for a Wawa store in Fort Meade will take place Wednesday at 8:30 a.m Limited-edition T-shirts will be available for the first 100 customers A charitable Hoagies for Heroes hoagie-building competition between local first responders is scheduled This work, Cadet Choir joins Fort Meade Sunday Service, by Shaun Herron, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. Scattered thunderstorms are expected Monday afternoon and evening. Some may become severe with large hail and high winds. TRACK RADARFort Meade made history by appointing its first female Garrison Commander | 7Salutesby John Rogers but it's now making history and breaking glass ceilings Colonel Yolanda Gore has been appointed the first female Garrison Commander in the base’s history And it's no small task because Fort Meade is one of the most important military bases in the world The change of command is a time-honored tradition with pomp and circumstance While Fort Meade has gone through this ceremony with 87 Garrison Commanders over the years the ceremony for the 88th Garrison Commander is a little different “I could not have made it without the sacrifice of many soldiers officers and civilians who committed their lives to a purpose greater than themselves,” said Col Gore enlisted when she was young and has had an illustrious career as the Strategic Initiative Chief for the Deputy Chief of Staff of Personnel for the Army Fort Meade is the Army’s second-largest post and is home to all five branches of the U.S not to mention the National Security Agency And what’s more fulfilling is to get the accolades from the women the women that come to me and say 'I’m so proud of you and thank you,”' said Col Gore hopes for the day when these appointments are seen as normal “I just want women to be looked at differently,” said Col “I think the stigma has held us back for many years and I’m hoping to take on this job and prove that women can be successful.” Gore hopes to inspire more than just women She encourages everyone to work hard to overcome setbacks and always improve themselves because you never know where that will take you This work, Grand Opening of Brigade Language Library and Media Room, by Steven Stover, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Dead bat tests positive for rabies, Polk County's sixth confirmed case of 2024Lakeland LedgerA dead bat found in a dog kennel in Fort Meade is Polk County's sixth confirmed case of rabies for 2024 the Sheriff's Office said the bat was found Dec 19 in a kennel with three Alaskan huskies in the area of Oak Avenue The dogs' owner didn't know if one of the dogs killed the bat The bat was taken to the state laboratory in Tampa and test results were received at Polk County Animal Control on Friday confirming the bat tested positive for rabies “Luckily this family's pets are vaccinated against this dangerous disease Please do not hesitate to contact us if you come into contact with sick or deceased wildlife,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said The Sheriff's Office said residents should not approach any animal that is acting unusual or suspicious If you think you or your pet has had exposure LAKELAND — Tampa Bay Tech talked trash on the field proclaiming that Bryant Stadium was their house and the players pushed through the line of Lakeland cheerleaders to taunt the Lakeland players as the Dreadnaughts ran onto the field The Titans then proceeded to run from one end zone across the field nearly to the other end zone had the first laugh — a 14-point lead in less than two minutes of action — and the last laugh on Calem Muldoon’s game-winning 35-yard field goal with three seconds to play that lifted the No 1 Dreadnaughts to a 24-21 victory over Tampa Bay Tech on Friday night in the Class 5A “We just did what we could do,” Lakeland linebacker Ziggy Riley said Lakeland’s 18-game winning streak remains intact and the Dreadnaughts will play Niceville in the 5A state semifinals at home next Friday Thomas Aquinas play in the other 5A state semifinal Lakeland maintained a two-score lead for most of the game but Tampa Bay Tech tied the score on Darryon Jones’ 7-yard run with 37 seconds to play whose 97-yard kickoff return gave Lakeland a 21-7 lead in the third quarter zigged and zagged his way up the field on the ensuing kickoff before being brought down at the Tampa Bay Tech 25 The Dreadnaughts gained 8 yards on the first play then downed the ball to set up Muldoon’s attempt “It was just like any other kick,” Muldoon said I hit it just the same as the three point-afters I hit tonight Clower’s kickoff returns was the only offense Lakeland could muster in the second half The Dreadnaughts gained 93 yards in the first half and held the Titans to 57 yards but managed just 24 yards and no first down in the second half The Dreadnaughts forced turnovers on Tampa Bay Tech’s first two offensive plays and later stopped a Tampa Bay Tech drive at the Lakeland 11 While Tampa Bay Tech finished with 227 yards of offense 53 game on a pass late in the fourth quarter that set up the game-tying touchdown Malik Morris again was a factor on both sides of the ball He returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the game then scored on a 7-yard run less than two minutes later to put Lakeland up 14-0 at 10:08 of the first quarter Morris also had at least one sack and nearly had another interception in the third quarter He recovered the fumble that set up Morris’ touchdown run and was consistently making plays and we came out and showed everyone what we worked hard for.” Lakeland had the chance to go up three scores in the first quarter after stopping Tampa Bay Tech on fourth down at the Titans’ 40 Lakeland moved to the 21 but was stopped on fourth-and-3 with an incomplete pass one of just four passes Lakeland attempted Tampa Bay Tech finally found its offense on its first drive of the second half Tampa Bay Tech drove 50 yards on seven plays and scored on Jones’ 20-yard run answered with his 97-yard return to again keep it a two-score lead The Dreadnaughts couldn’t gain a first down after stopping the Titans at the 11 but a good punt would have forced Tampa Bay Tech to run time off the clock Muldoon attempted to run for a first down and was stopped at the Lakeland 16 Jones scored his second touchdown to make it a one-score game forcing the Titans to go 88 yards with less than four minutes to play Jones’ 53-yard pass on second-and 20 from the 12 Fort Meade took a 13-point lead early in the third quarter than held on to defeat Fort Wildwood in overtime on the Rural B state semifinals at Frank S has now won three consecutive playoff games to improve to 5-7 and will play Dixie County at 1 p.m on Friday in the Florida Invitational Tournament Championship game at The Range at H.G Lakeland Christian fall to Clearwater Central CatholicClearwater Central Catholic led by 28 points after three quarters and went on to defeat Lakeland Christian Keo Jenkins scored the first two touchdowns on rushes of 6 yards and 5 yards respectively and Sean Cuono’s 6-yard run gave CCC 1 21-point halftime lead Nasir Hutchinson provided the knockout punch with a 7-yard run late in the third quarter Lakeland Christian (10-2) finally got on the scoreboard on Brody Brenneman’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Lane Hall in the fourth quarter Clearwater Central Catholic answered with an 8-yard run by Cueno Brenneman hooked up with DJ Howard for a 6-yard touchdown pass to finish the scoring Fort Meade took the Rural FIT Championship 21-13 over Dixie County on Fri Morse Stadium at The Villages Charter High School in Middleton – In the first of its kind in Florida history the new FHSAA Rural Florida Invitational Tournament (FIT) Championship lived up to the expectations of a competitive football game between No 5 Dixie County Bears (Cross City) at The Range at H.G Morse Stadium at The Villages Charter High School even though the game looked like it would get out of hand for good during the third quarter when the Miners took a 21-0 lead over the Bears before Dixie County made a push late in the third quarter to make it a game Fort Meade (6-7) came away with a 21-13 victory over Dixie County (7-7) to claim the first-ever FIT championship It was a defensive slugfest to define how the game started for both the Miners and the Bears as both teams tested the field out to see what one would give to the other and vice versa Pretty much it boiled down to Dixie County punting three times while Fort Meade lost a fumble and also turned the ball over on downs that set the tone of the game early on as it was 0-0 at the end of the first quarter The total passing yards for Fort Meade was a negative three yards compared to the Bears’ 21 yards both teams had just a combined 112 yards of total offense The Miners roared to life in the second quarter thanks to a six-play 62-yard drive that was led by a huge 38-yard carry by Omari Russell to put the Miners in plus territory at the Bears’ 20-yard line After a holding penalty that backed the Miners up two plays later saw Fort Meade score the first points of the game on a 30-yard touchdown reception by Nasier Berrien from Jaden McCutchen with 7:28 left before halftime With Dixie County unable to do much on their next drive Fort Meade took advantage of the Bears’ struggles once more with another 60-yard plus drive with McCutchen finding Cayden Clark from 12 yards out to make it 3:34 left before halftime Fort Meade getting the ball to start the second half the Miners took advantage and scored on their third consecutive drive of the game with Omari Russell capitalizing on a 15-yard run after starting the drive at their 47-yard after Clark returned the second-half opening kickoff for 18 yards Dixie County quickly responded on their first possession of the second half showing that head coach Ric Whittington was able to make the adjustments needed to be seen by his Bears That response was a quick one that only took 2:36 off the third-quarter clock led by a huge 54-yard burst from Mister Williams who had 135 yards rushing on 22 carries in the game scored from one-yard out to make it 21-7 Fort Meade with 5:02 left in the third quarter with too much time ticking away off the clock Dixie County found themselves in a hurry needing to get another touchdown to make it even closer midway through the fourth quarter That score came thanks to a huge pass play from Pleasant to Jahiem Taylor down the Dixie County sideline for 40 yards to get the Bears in Miner territory at the 15-yard line From there Taylor would scored from 2-yards out to cut the score to 21-13 after Javon Wilson’s point-after-try was blocked The comeback would fall short at the end of the day for the Bears it was Omari Russell who made an impact for the Miners on both offense and defense which tends to be the case in Rural classification football but it comes down more to the plays made by the athletes that can make or break a game Russell finished with 63 yards rushing on four carries and a touchdown making the biggest play of the game when it mattered the most That play of the game came with just less than 10 seconds left on the clock when Russell stepped in front of a Drew Pleasant pass as the Bears were looking for a late score to send the game into overtime potentially Instead a 48-yard return and and knell down sealed the game for the Miners FM – Nasier Berrien 30 pass from Jaden McCutchen (Lex Durate PAT good) FM – Cayden Clark 12 pass from McCutchen (Durate PAT good) FM – Omari Russell 15 run (Durate PAT good) DC – Mister Williams 1 run (Javan Wilson PAT good) DC – Jahiem Taylor 2 run (Wilson PAT blocked) Please enter your username or email address to reset your password LAKELAND — Sophomore Brayden Gathwright missed his two previous penalty kicks this season When Lakeland Christian needed him to convert on Thursday night With the penalty kick shootouts tied after Fort Meade missed its final attempt Gathwright converted to lift the Vikings over the Miners in a match that was 1-1 after regulation and overtime The victory gives Lakeland Christian (17-5) the district title in the District 9-2A boys soccer tournament Both LCS and Fort Meade (13-4-3) will advance to the playoffs which lost to Fort Meade in the semifinals 6 in the region and wouldn’t drop lower than No which also lost in the semifinals to a higher-seeded Berkeley Prep Girls Soccer: McKeel wins district title; Lakeland Christian, Santa Fe Catholic advance More: With football in his future, LCS's Villanueva looking for strong finish to soccer career Boys soccer: McKeel heats up after slow start to capture 3A-7 district title “This game could have easily been 5 to 5,” LCS coach Grandy Streets said I'm just glad we found the grit and we were able to get through it But I don't want to disrespect them (Miners) Neither Lakeland Christian nor Fort Meade could miss in the shootout Each Fort Mead goal was matched by LCS as Avery Cassell Landon Harrell and Adrian Villanueva scored I asked God for glory and strength in that moment 21 Fort Meade gave LCS all it could handle Avery Cassell’s second-half goal gave the Vikings a 1-0 lead The Vikings got key defensive play from center backs Charlie Hill and Harrell who stepped in brilliantly in place of injured co-captain Ethan Petcoff “The defense definitely stepped up,” Gathwright said But you're going to have challenges in the playoffs So we had Landon step up as a center back and it was beautiful.” Fort Meade offers not only exciting job prospects but also the chance to live in a region steeped in history and close to Washington the surrounding areas of Anne Arundel County and Howard County offer a range of housing options Whether you’re an IT professional, an intelligence expert, or a cybersecurity specialist, Fort Meade is where your career can thrive. Here are 10 cleared job opportunities in Fort Meade, MD With top-tier employers like Northrop Grumman Fort Meade continues to offer great career prospects for cleared professionals Whether you are starting your career or looking to take the next step Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here Fort Meade dominated the first half and into the early third quarter to go up 21-0 before Dixie County sprung to life with some big plays late and nearly pulled off a stirring comeback High School On SI gives you three takeaways from the Rural FIT final between the Miners and Bears Based on their number of opportunities in the first half the Miners probably should have built a much bigger lead They started their first three possessions in Dixie County territory and had nothing to show for it The very first offensive play from scrimmage for Fort Meade resulted in a lost fumble after it had gotten the ball at the Dixie County 44-yard line Then the next possession for the Miners began at the Dixie County 33 thanks to a 3-yard punt yet they could only gain three yards and ended up turning the ball over on downs went for minus-17 yards and gave Fort Meade the ball at the Dixie County 27 The Miners gained five yards and settled for a missed 39-yard field goal The final two drives of the first half for the Miners started in their own territory but this time they resulted in touchdowns a 30-yard pass from Jaden McCutchen to Nasier Berrien and a 12-yard scoring strike from McCutchen to Cayden Clark Fort Meade ran just five offensive plays in its own territory in the first half Fort Meade marched right down the field on the opening drive of the second half and made it 21-0 on a 15-yard run by Omari Russell limited to 11 yards of total offense in the second quarter needed a shot of adrenaline and got it on its first play of the ensuing possession Williams ran the ball five times on the drive for 69 yards the last yard on a touchdown to finally get the Bears on the board at 5:02 in the third quarter The senior ended his prep career with 23 carries for 141 yards and twice found the end zone He had a 2-yard run to make it 21-13 with 6:03 to play in the fourth quarter It’s not often a team gets to celebrate a state championship with a losing record They started off the season 1-5 and had just two regular-season victories then won four in a row as they advanced through the Rural FIT bracket a 33-14 triumph against Franklin County and a 20-19 edging of Wildwood The purpose of the FIT was to give a second chance to teams that didn’t reach the state playoffs and both teams in the final certainly made the most of it Dixie County was 4-6 in the regular season and seeded fifth in the tournament Follow High School On SI throughout the 2024 high school football season for Live Updates the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App CHRIS BERNHARDT © 2025 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER SUMTERVILLE ― It all came down to the single most important play of the season The Fort Meade Miners put up a 21-0 lead in the third quarter But Dixie County came roaring back thanks to a potent rushing attack from Mister Williams which set up the game changing play With Miner fans clinging to every play — berating officials coaching and player decisions and actions ― Fort Dixie quarterback Jahiem Taylor took a snap and evaded some rushers before making a final heave on the Fort Meade 30-yard line with under 15 seconds left but Fort Meade full safety Omari Russell plucked the ball out of the air clinching the 2024 FHSAA Rural Football Division B state title Friday afternoon at The Range at H.G players picked up a giant water jug and unloaded all the water on Fort Meade head football coach Maurice Russell it is the program’s first state title since 2004 but there’s more to come — a lot more to come The biggest play of the seasonFort Meade was up 21-0 after Omari Russell scampered in for an 11-yard touchdown with 7:38 left in the third But offensive drives stalled due to a lack of execution and penalties squandering opportunities to put up more points it all led to the biggest play of the season That’s the little things I’m telling you about," Russell said as he knew Dixie County would run a wheel route up the field The junior full safety went up and grabbed the rock before sprinting downfield which was to forestall trick plays such PA waggle and to force Dixie County to throw under pressure five tackles and four rushes for 63 yards and a touchdown who is the cousin of Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder connected with senior receiver Nasier Berrien for a 24-yard touchdown with 7:28 to go in the second He then hooked up with junior wide receiver Cayden Clark for a 6-yard touchdown with 2:20 to go in the second Russell then ran it in for an 11-yard touchdown with 7:38 to go in the third But it was McCutchen’s poise in the pocket and his ability to hit receivers on third down on critical drives that helped the offense early Senior running back Jeran Jones ran the ball well A part of the reason why Dixie County all-world running back Mister Williams got off to a late start is because Fort Meade senior running back Jeran Jones was running well between tackles early rushing for 48 yards on seven carries in the first half thanks to the blocking of sophomore guard Ty Montsdeoca sophomore tackle Tyrin Graham and senior guard Michael Gavaghan in the twins formation which has a player go in motion before Jones goes up the middle A huge turnaround: How Fort Meade overcame slow start en route to state football title Anthony Russell: Fort Meade football's Anthony Russell brings championship moxie to state title game FORT MEADE — Former National League MVP Andrew McCutchen created his athletic legacy during a high school career at Fort Meade that included epic moments which left spectators in awe: A monster home run over the flag pole at Winter Haven High School, scoring from second on a bunt and a grand slam in the regional final at Tampa Prep. Jayden McCutchen has never played baseball and has just started his athletic career, but he is off to a good start in creating his own legacy and certainly has done the family name proud in his first two high school varsity football games. The Fort Meade sophomore quarterback, a cousin of the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder, already has marked off a rare high school achievement of throwing for more than 400 yards last week ― 401, to be exact ― in a victory over George Jenkins. That followed up an eye-opening debut in which he threw for 290 yards against Hardee. Through two games, McCutchen has completed 33 of 59 passes (55.9 percent) for six touchdowns and just one interception. He’ll be looking to continue that success in Week 3, when at Lakeland Christian at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a battle between small-school powers. “It's been real fun,” McCutchen said. “It's been really exciting, especially my receivers, having them catch and run like that and giving me great yards.” McCutchen certainly has benefited from a talented group of wide receivers, led by Omari Russell, who is one of the top juniors in the county, and Nasir Berrien. However, McCutchen has done his job in making his reads, finding the open receiver and hanging in the pocket looking to make plays with his arm instead of his legs. “He’s got a pretty good arm — very good arm,” Fort Meade coach Maurice Russell said. “He's strong on the ball when he's throwing it, accuracy is good. So he's got a pretty good arm.” Russell said McCutchen is most accurate on his down the field passes, and they’re working on improving his shorter and mid-range passes. Mostly a running back through youth football, McCutchen only recently moved to quarterback. The starter on junior varsity last year at Hardee, McCutchen transferred to Fort Meade following the football season and played varsity basketball for the Miners. In 2023, he threw mostly short passes in a read-option offense. “It’s a completely different scheme from last year's, so I’m just till getting used to it,” McCutchen said. “But it’s getting better as we go.” Over the summer, he was out throwing every day with his receivers, and worked out regularly with former Lakeland quarterback Jarrod Haggins, who came down from Tallahassee where he lives to work with McCutchen. “Over the summer, I learned how to read the defenses better and improve my mechanics of throwing because last year, my mechanics, they were pretty bad,” McCutchen said. Russell has been bringing McCutchen and the Fort Meade offense along at a deliberate pace. When practice began, they worked on five passing plays and five running plays. When they got that down, more was added, and there still is part of the offense not yet installed. McCutchen, he said, has been a quick study and, although he’s just 15 and a sophomore, has established himself as a leader. “I told him that it doesn't matter if you're a senior, or you're a junior, if you're going to be a leader, you got to be a leader,” Russell said. “He stuck it in that role pretty well too.” McCutchen has done an excellent job of spreading the ball around. In the first week, Omari Russell led with eight catches for 212 yards, but four receivers caught passes in all. Last week, McCutchen completed passes to five receivers — Russell again led with five — and Russell, Berrien and Jermaine Mayo had more than 100 yards receiving. Despite the fast start, McCutchen is looking to get better. In addition to working on the short passing game, Russell is looking for McCutchen to create in the ground game on designed running plays. McCutchen’s favorite player is former USC quarterback Caleb Williams, and he hopes to play college football. But first, he wants to create his own legacy and his own name in football at Fort Meade. His famous cousin stopped playing football after his sophomore year, but this McCutchen still has big shoes to fill. The Miners have boasted some top quarterbacks county over the past quarter century, including Brian Reves, Jemalle Cornelius, Larry Freeman, Anthony Johnson and most recently Carson MontsDeOaca. McCutchen wants to join Johnson as the only Miners quarterbacks to win a state title. “It’ll be a really exciting journey to get there and possibly just lead my team all the way there,” he said. Morse Stadium with the Rural Invitational final between Dixie County (7-6) and Fort Meade (5-7) The Miners will take aim at winning their second state title in program history while the Bears attempt to win their first ever championship in school history Follow along at High School On SI for live updates throughout the afternoon between the two programs in Mid-Central Florida (Keep refreshing page for live updates from the game) Rural Invitational championship is slated to kickoff at 1:00 p.m DIxie County wins the coin toss and elects to receive as Fort Meade fumbles on its first play from scrimmage Dixie County with the ball back deep in their own territory Dixie County QB Drew Pleasant goes off with an injury on the final play of the drive and Bears end up punting away Fort Meade goes for it on 4th down from the Dixie County 29 and an incomplete pass turns it over on downs Drew Pleasant not out to start Dixie County's ensuing drive Dixie County punter kicks into the blockers in front of him and Fort Meade has the ball at the Dixie County 27 Fort Meade attempts a 39-yard field goal by Lex Duarte Once again Miners fail to take advantage of possession deep in Dixie County territory Jayden McCutchen hits Nasir Berrien in the end zone for a touchdown and the Miners strike first taking a 7-0 lead at 7:56 in the quarter Another big play on 3rd down for Fort Meade this time a 13-yard TD from McCutchen to Cayden Clark it's 14-0 Miners with 2:18 left in the half Fort Meade has gotten deep into Dixie County territory on every drive And Fort Meade takes a 14-0 lead into halftime with a touchdown catch and several other plays on both sides for Fort Meade goes down with a left leg injury on the opening possession of the half On 4th-and-inches from the Dixie County 15 Fort Meade's Omari Russell takes a direct snap runs right and finds his way to the end zone The Miners now with a commanding 21-0 advantage at 7:37 in the third Mister Williams jumpstarts the Dixie County offense with a long run and caps a fast drive with a 1-yard TD a much-needed score for the Bears to make it 21-7 Fort Meade with 4:57 left in the quarter Cayden Clark is back out on the field for Fort Meade Didn't play defense on the last Dixie County drive Another key playmaker goes down for Fort Meade Omari Russell is back out there for Fort Meade Jaheim Taylor with a 40-yard reception and Dixie County in the red zone again Taylor takes a direct snap and scores on a 2-yard run Dixie County gets the ball back on the Fort Meade 24 with 3:34 left Dixie County converts 4th-and-4 from the Fort Meade 30 with a 14-yard pass from Pleasant to Keydran Teague to keep drive alive Big personal foul call on Fort Meade for tripping it's down to the Dixie County 28 with under a minute left 4th-and-10 from the Dixie County 28 and Omari Russell picks off a long pass Fort Meade wins the Rural FIT championship over Dixie County -- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi ANDY VILLAMARZOAndy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007 writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings Image Details Fort George G. Meade – A Strong Partner for Climate Resiliency and WildlifeAug 30, 2024 Written By Image Kathryn Reshetiloff Protecting our nation improving resiliency and conserving wildlife may not seem like goals that work together Meade installation in Maryland and the Service’s Chesapeake Bay Field Office these goals are mutually supportive. being the second largest installation by population and hosting more than 120 partner agencies Its 5,200 acres currently include 1,200 acres of forest and 200 acres of stormwater detention facilities urbanization has converted many native forests and meadows to lawns which provide little benefit to native wildlife and can attract nuisance wildlife such as resident Canada geese and deer Forest fragments are often overgrown with vines which can degrade the forest and minimize use by pollinators but doing so can restore ecosystem functionality Conservation actions undertaken at military installations provide essential habitat steppingstones in urban areas while improving an installation’s climate resiliency. Image DetailsAssistant Regional Director for Ecological Services recently visited Fort Meade to see some of the ongoing collaborative projects Welcomed by the Garrison Commander of Fort Meade the two toured the installation’s conservation projects and future initiatives with some of the Chesapeake Bay Field Office biologists. They stopped at a recently completed section of the Severn Run Stream Restoration project which aims to reduce headcuts and restore a natural shape and meander to the streams Fort Meade is using a watershed approach to provide stability for the stream channels and reduce the amount of sediment which is aggregating in areas around road crossings This restoration improves resiliency by providing flood attenuation and reducing nutrient/sediment deposited while also restoring aquatic habitat. put forth by the Assistant Secretary of the Army Installation and Environment in partnership with the Service the meadow will help the installation meet its climate change resiliency goals The meadow will decrease the installation’s carbon footprint by reducing maintenance activities such as watering and mowing and increase carbon sequestration MacArthur Middle School benefits too as the on-site habitat will provide outdoor education and stewardship opportunities for students and the school Educators can use the meadow to teach students about the importance of native plants at-risk pollinators and their important roles Image DetailsBurba Lake Invasive plant removal activities along stretches of the shoreline will foster the establishment of native plants and provide more access to anglers The creation of approximately half an acre of meadow on an upland hilly area will provide recreational birdwatching opportunities as well as reduce mowing and maintenance in that area will provide aesthetics for visitors walking the trails around the lake. Image DetailsSharon Marino thanked Colonel Gore and her staff for continuing to stand as a great conservation partner by supporting and funding activities restoring natural floodplains Marino also acknowledged how Fort Meade’s conservation activities will support climate change resiliency by decreasing their carbon footprint through reduced watering and mowing increasing carbon sequestration by planting meadow grasses plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people LAKELAND — The Lake Region football team’s offense received a huge boost in January as quarterback Jaydon McCutchen has transferred from Fort Meade to Lake Region Lake Region coach Jermain King confirmed the moved on Wednesday “His name had popped up on the enrollment sheet last week King is a dean at Lake Region so he has access to new enrollment list “I just look at that in general too just to see like what kids we got coming in even if it's for discipline reasons or anything like that,” King said Moving on: Quarterback Chad Williams to play at Lake Wales after spending 1 season at Lakeland That name's familiar: Fort Meade sophomore QB creating his own legacy after first 2 games a sophomore who is the cousin of Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen will have two more years of high school and will be ready for fall practice He completed 168 of 299 passes for 2,522 with 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions and added 294 yards rushing in leading the Miners to the Rural B championship King said he talked to McCutchen’s father after Jayden was enrolled and said that Jayden was already zoned for Lake Region he wants a challenge from what his dad was saying,” King said McCutchen joins a team that went 1-9 and had just 10 seniors Jayden’s first outings in a Lake Region uniform could be in track this spring “I believe they're trying to get certified times with him from what his dad was telling me that he could get classified as an athlete for the next level McCutchen is the second high-profile quarterback to change schools this offseason Chad Williams transferred from Lakeland to Lake Wales Polk County also lost a top athlete as wide receiver Carl Jean-Bart has transferred from Davenport to Orlando Jones a national museum literally papered over history Responding to President Trump's order that terminated diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government, the National Cryptologic Museum taped sheets of paper over plaques that celebrate women and people of color who had served the National Security Agency which intercepts overseas conversations and breaks foreign government codes The honorees are described as "Trailblazers in U.S Cryptologic History," and the plaques hang in the museum's Hall of Honor saw an image online showing the plaques covered with brown paper "like one of those Warner Brothers' cartoons." He reposted the picture, as did retired Gen who had served as NSA director for six years under presidents of both parties The museum uncovered the plaques and said Sunday on X that it had made a mistake But Pfeiffer and dozens of NSA retirees weren't satisfied they went to the museum outside Washington who said he had worked for the agency for more than half a century told the public relations staff at the museum that he was appalled "As much as this administration eschews truth and honesty it is important that we not allow it to erase history," Johnson said Adams' late husband, Ralph, was executive director of the NSA. Ralph Adams was also Black Although his face wasn't among those obscured Helen Adams took the decision to cover up other NSA honorees personally In a phone interview, NSA Executive Director Sheila Thomas — the No 3 person in the agency — told NPR that papering over the exhibits was a mistake "There was absolutely never an intention to cover up parts of our history," said Thomas who was at the museum to greet the retirees and has worked at the NSA for just over four decades Thomas said NSA leadership had not provided enough guidance as staff tried to implement President Trump's order terminating diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal government She also said that it had been challenging to respond to the administration's flood of executive orders The former NSA workers are glad the museum uncovered the exhibits, but they're still unsettled that it happened in the first place. Pfeiffer, who runs the Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy and International Security at George Mason University suspects that someone told museum staff to cover up the plaques for fear of what would happen if they didn't one of the plaques contains the words diversity Pfeiffer says it's a sign of the climate of fear right now in the nation's capital as the Trump administration targets federal agencies such as USAID and the Department of Education "We have appointees to this administration who have said that they intend to traumatize the federal employee workforce," Pfeiffer said "We have seen people put on administrative leave with the threat that they're going to be fired." He says this episode holds lessons for those who want to protect the U.S "There may be small bites at the apple here that we can all take to push back against this attack on the federal workforce," Pfeiffer said Maybe you focus on what you're an expert in." she requested some grace as her agency works through rapid requests from the new administration And she encouraged people to come see the museum Become an NPR sponsor MD (WBFF) — Get ready for a free event happening tonight at Fort Meade The event is free and open to the public for a night to celebrate America’s Independence at Fort Meade’s McGlachlin Parade Field Past years have brought several thousand participants and this year the festivities are scheduled to include a live DJ multiple food vendors and the fireworks will kick off at approximately 9:30 p.m ALSO READ:Cam Spencer selected in NBA Draft; Will reunite with former Loyola teammate in Memphis This year’s event is open to the public beginning at 6 p.m Those without military identification must present a Real ID and must enter through the Mapes / 175 gate Visitors through this gate will be directed to a designated parking area Those with military ID and those traveling in the same vehicle with someone who has military ID can enter through the Mapes / 32 gate or through the Rockenbach / 175 entrance Everyone entering the base will be directed to parking depending on which gate they entered ALSO READ:Woman arrested for armed robbery in Oldtown Those who live on post are encouraged to walk to the festivities and should be aware all vehicle traffic will be routed off the installation at the conclusion of the event glass bottles and grills which are prohibited Anne Arundel County police are searching for a suspect involved in an armed robbery at a 7-Eleven gas station officers responded to an armed robbery at a 7-Eleven store located at 3393 Laurel Fort Meade Road Officials stated that the male suspect wore all dark clothing He then removed some merchandise behind the counter and fled the scene ALSO READ| 20-year-old arrested for assault and carjacking of ride-share driver in Western District Police searched the area and could not find the suspect Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the Regional Crimes Unit at 410-222-4730 or the Tip Line at 410-222-4700 PCSO: 58-year-old bicyclist dies after being struck on U.S 17 in nighttime crashLakeland LedgerA bicyclist died after being struck by a car Wednesday night south of Fort Meade Units from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Polk County Fire Rescue responded at 6:28 p.m The location is north of Bowling Green in southeast Polk County The driver of the vehicle that hit the cyclist PCSO’s traffic homicide detectives determined that the bicyclist was northbound on U.S Fort Meade is on the verge of having a city manager whose title does not include “interim” for the first time in nearly a year The City Commission voted 4-1 Thursday night to approve a contract offer to Edward Walker Dean, a former city manager of Haines City The board had voted by the same margin on June 11 to offer Dean the position Jaret Williams cast the lone dissenting vote Thursday as he had on the previous vote to hire Dean Deputy Mayor Samuel Berrien and Commissioners James Watts and James “Possum” Schaill voted in favor of the contract Commissioners agreed to offer Dean a three-year contract with a starting salary of $130,000 who attended Thursday’s meeting and addressed commissioners’ questions agreed to a start date of July 22 but demurred on a suggestion that he sign a contract on the spot Former City Manager Jan Bagnall resigned in August after 2½ years in the position. Three people have held the interim role since then, including the current interim city manager, Dustin Burke The city’s charter limits interim managers to five months of service 'Elated': Lake Wales captures $23 million federal grant to move road projects forward voted in December to offer the job to Pat Oman of Minnesota But commissioners rescinded that offer in January citing Oman’s failure to secure a place to live in Fort Meade emerged as one of two finalists among a batch of applicants commissioners also considered elevating Burke to permanent status Burke has served in the interim role since February Williams made a motion to hire Burke at the previous meeting calling him “very qualified.” Some residents in the audience held signs that read “Keep Burke.” Burke is scheduled to leave his position on July 21 Dean served from 2017 to 2020 as city manager of Greenville a town of fewer than 1,000 residents near Tallahassee Dean then worked as a senior strategist and economic development consultant with Edward Walker Dean & Associates he developed strategic plans for the City of Madison to increase general fund revenue Dean’s previous work history includes working as an aide to three elected officials He also cites experience as an administrator at Florida A&M University Fort Meade has a population of about 5,200 This work, USACE Baltimore District Commander Tours Military Construction Projects on Fort Meade [Image 5 of 5], by Jeremy Todd, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright In 2022, Fort Meade officials celebrated as Florida awarded the city a $5 million grant intended to expand broadband access for residents More than two years later, it is not clear how the city will use the money from the community development block grant. Interim City Manager Dustin Burke said private providers have built out internet service making it no longer feasible for the city to spend the funds as originally intended The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (now the Department of Commerce) announced the award in May 2022 Fort Meade was the only municipality to receive the maximum grant of $5 million Department of Housing and Urban Development which awarded funding to states for grant programs to help local governments “prepare for or respond to the health and economic impacts” of the COVID-19 pandemic said that Fort Meade would consider directing the money toward broadband-radio service The city anticipated spending $400,000 on a consultant and another $400,000 on an engineer The remainder could be used for the installation of broadband equipment which has changed in composition since 2022 voted 4-0 in May to adopt a resolution directing city staff to pursue a dual approach exploring broadband expansion while also considering other uses for the funds Mayor Petrina McCutchen said she was “perplexed” to learn that the Federal Communications Commission's maps showed Fort Meade having full broadband coverage as she was unable to get service at her home Acknowledging that he did not know how accurate the federal coverage maps are Burke said the city could challenge the information Considering other usesIn discussions before the vote Burke suggested such potential alternatives as covering residents’ utility payments making microloans or grants to businesses or creating a community center Fort Meade had about 16 months remaining on an 18-month extension warning that if the city did not develop alternative plans for the money it might run out of time if broadband expansion proved untenable Burke sent a series of memos to city commissioners starting in April providing details about the status of the grant he wrote that “the city now faces significant challenges in utilizing these funds for their original purpose” because of a combination of factors Burke cited a delay in grant administration during which the state granted Fort Meade an 18-month extension to spend the funds FCC maps showed that the city now has sufficient broadband coverage raising concerns about Fort Meade’s ability to spend the funds as originally intended The grant contains a clause barring duplication of benefits meaning that the city cannot use the money for services offered by another entity Fort Meade’s staff had access to the broadband maps for some time but the changed situation had not been effectively communicated to the City Commission “due to internal challenges and personnel transitions,” Burke wrote who was city manager when the grant was announced Code enforcement On second try, Fort Meade approves amnesty program for property liens Burke wrote that the city’s staff was exploring alternative uses for the money that would comply with state requirements “and maximize the benefit to (low- to moderate-income) families.” Staff members were communicating with the Department of Commerce and Fred Fox Enterprises as per the commission's earlier instructions the city has taken steps to prepare for the possibility of pursuing broadband installation,” Burke wrote Burke wrote that he would collaborate with Fox to produce a list of alternatives and present them to the City Commission “City staff remains fully dedicated to finding an effective solution that upholds the commitment to supporting the community while navigating this complex situation,” he wrote But Burke, appointed as interim city manager in February, is leaving soon. The City Commission voted 4-1 last month to offer the permanent position to Edward Dean Burke met May 22 with Fox and consultants from Pennoni an engineering firm serving as the city’s technical advisers on broadband and he summarized the discussions in another memo that included maps of broadband coverage from the FCC and Broadband Now The engineering consultants suggested challenging the updated FCC maps noting that the agency does not verify information reported by internet providers Fox said that “a clear path forward for the broadband project was not apparent,” Burke wrote Discussions of alternative uses for the grant money were limited Burke wrote that the broadband project “is no longer a viable option.” He cited a meeting with the Florida Department of Commerce and the Florida Broadband office writing that the agencies said that broadband would be a duplication of benefits Broadband can be delivered through cable lines and cable lines are installed throughout the city confirmed that the entire city is covered by broadband service Pennoni has suspended activities on the broadband project Berrien was Fort Meade’s mayor when the city applied for the grant Realizing he would miss the May 14 commission meeting he said he was told that the commission would table the resolution for a later date Burke accused Berrien of “interference” with the grant administration in a June 18 memo to human resources that The Ledger obtained After the commission vote at the May 14 meeting Berrien continued to push the engineering consultants and the grant administrator to pursue only broadband expansion Berrien suggested that a three-month delay was acceptable even though Fort Meade had already received an 18-month extension suggesting he had belatedly jabbed him because Berrien joined the vote to hire Dean as city manager though Burke had sought the permanent position He noted that the city’s human resources department has no authority over elected commissioners Berrien said the federal and state definitions of full internet coverage are vague and he thinks Fort Meade still qualifies to use the grant money for broadband access He questioned Burke’s summary of a meeting with the engineering firm which suggested the advisers agreed that broadband is no longer an option for using the funds Dean has been interim town manager for Greenville a town of less than 1,000 near Tallahassee He had served as town manager from 2017 to 2020 During Tuesday’s meeting, Commissioner James Watts raised the possibility of asking Dean to start sooner than July 22 Powell reminded commissioners that Dean had given that date as the earliest he could start in Fort Meade Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.