Page 11 - Florida Sentinel 8-9-16 Online Edition

State News
August Is Child Safety
TALLAHASSEE —- The month of August is cele- brated as “Child Safety Awareness Month.”
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) is reminding motorists to focus on child safety in vehicles as well as on and around Florida roads.
DHSMV is partnering with several state organiza- tions to recognize August 2016 as Child Safety Aware- ness Month.
Throughout the month of August, the department will be educating the public re- garding all aspects of child safety on Florida roads, in- cluding: occupant protection and proper seat restraints, not leaving children in hot cars and safety in and
around school zones and school buses.
Preliminarily in 2015, there were 66,091 crashes in Florida involving children under the age of 18, resulting in 25,992 injuries and 149 fatalities, a 25 percent in- crease in fatalities from 2013.
DHSMV offers additional safety tips for parents and all motorists to keep kids safe in and around vehicles:
Children under age four must be in a car seat. Chil- dren ages four and five must be in a car seat or booster seat. Drivers will be charged if any passenger under 18 is not properly buckled in.
Visit a local Florida High- way Patrol station to ask a car-seat certified trooper to help install your seat.
In passenger vehicles, children under the age of 13 should be secured in the rear seat; airbags can injure or kill young children in the front seat. Never place a rear-facing car seat in front of an airbag.
Be alert and watch for children especially near schools, bus stops, school buses and in school parking lots. Always watch for and obey signals from school crossing guards.
Children on bicycles can be unpredictable and can make sudden changes in di- rection. Be especially careful when children are present in school zones and residential areas.
Be alert while backing up and designate safe play areas away from vehicles.
Awareness Month
TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2016
James Lunsford Law: 11a-2p - Ask a Lawyer (Topics may include how to obtain a green card or Visa, becoming a natural- ized citizen and resolutions
Port Tampa: 11a-12p - The ABC’s of Anxiety and Stress Management for Adults
Temple Terrace: 12:15p-1p - Zumba Dance Fitness Class Bloomingdale: 2p-3p - Mouse and Keyboard
New Tampa: 3p-4p - Windows 7 Introduction
Ruskin: 4p-5:30p - DIY Crafting: Wood Photo Transfer.
Limit 12, register at 813-273-3652
C. Blythe Andrews Jr.: Compute Tutor Seffner-Mango: 6p-7p - Managing Media
Brandon: 6:30p-8p - Brandon Area Genealogical and His-
torical Society
Town N Country: 6:30p-7:30p - Job Hunting Essentials North Tampa: 6:45p-7:45p - Microsoft Word- Document
Formatting after 6:30p
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016
New Tampa: 10a-2p Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle:
FL Licensing on Wheels
Seminole Heights: 10:30a-11:30a - Your Google Account
more than gmail
Brandon: 10:30a-11:30a - Microsoft Excel: Organizing
Data
Bloomingdale: 11a-12p - Mouse and Keyboard
Ruskin: 5:30p-6:30p - Walk In Tech Help
Temple Terrace: 6p-7p - Pinterest Party (everything pro-
vided, limit 12, no registration required)
Jan Kaminis Platt: 6:30p-8:30p - Directed Autobiography
and Memoir Writing Introduction Workshop Brandon: 6:30p-7:30p Breastfeeding 101
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2016
Brandon: 10:30a-11:30a - Online Military Records
West Tampa: 11a-12p - Job Counseling (drop- ins wel- come, no registration required)
North Tampa: 1p-3p - Crazy Crafting Crew Bloomingdale: 1p-2 - Online Genealogy
Ruskin: 3p-4p - eBooks for Tablets and Smartphones
NEWS
Local
Ex-Boyfriend Charged With Murder Of Off-Duty Fireman
A 31-year-old man is fac- ing several charges in con- nection with the shooting death of an off-duty fireman. The shooting took place last Wednesday.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call shortly after 6 p.m. The caller stated that a person had been shot on Alderman Road. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found Clifford Owen Cofer, II, 27, slumped over in the passen- ger seat of a black Nissan Rogue that was parked in front of the home.
Police said during their investigation, they learned that Cofer was a resident of Winter Haven and a Lieu- tenant with the Sumter County Fire Department. Cofer died at the scene.
Officials learned that Cofer had accompanied Ms. Kayla Stayner, 27, of Lake- land, to the home of Caleb J. McKinney, and Cofer, along with Ms. Stayner’s 5- year-old child remained in the vehicle.
Police said McKinney and Ms. Stayner has an in-
fant child who was inside the home. McKinney had been distraught over their breakup that took place 4 months ear- lier. He had been Baker acted on July 2nd, after threatening to harm himself.
Ms. Stayner had made arrangements to bring medi- cine for the infant and in- formed McKinney that her son and Cofer, her new boyfriend, would be with her.
Ms. Stayner told police McKinney loaded his gun and put it in his pocket. He then called his friend to the residence, but McKinney didn’t tell the friend that he was armed, and the gun was not visible, police said.
As Ms. Stayner ap- proached the vehicle, McK- inney reportedly came out of the home and walked to the car. He then fired several rounds at Cofer. Ms. Stayner’s 5-year-old was sitting directly behind Cofer when the shooting started, police said.
After shooting Cofer, po- lice said McKinney also pointed the gun at Ms. Stayner after she began screaming that her child was also in the car.
McKinney then went back into the home and bar- ricaded himself inside. His friend and Ms. Stayner re- moved the child, who was not injured, from the car and contacted police.
When police arrived, Deputy Brian Bates suc- cessfully talked McKinney into a peaceful surrender to police.
McKinney was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-de- gree murder, aggravated as- sault with a firearm, domestic violence, and shooting into an occupied conveyance.
CALEB McKINNEY ... Facing first- degree murder
CLIFFORD OWEN COFER, II
... Died at the scene
MS. KAYLA STAYNER
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 11