Lake County, Florida

Adios

In case you're wondering where I've been, I moved out of Lake County and now live in East Orlando.

Melinda Duckett is dead; Local6 says she committed suicide

In the latest twist to the Trenton Duckett abduction, the 21 year old mother Melinda Duckett has turned up dead.  Local6 says she committed suicide.  Just earlier today we had reported to Melinda Duckett refused to take a lie detector test.  What gives?  Was she just cracking under the pain of losing a child or is something else at play here?

Duckett's: Father Joshua passes lie detector test, mother Melinda refuses to take lie detector test, and toddler Trenton still missing - to be discussed on Nancy Grace

As an update to our story "Someone's hiding information about the missing Leesburg toddler" about the 2 year old missing toddler Trenton Duckett, the father Joshua Duckett has passed a lie detector test while the mother Melinda Duckett has refused to take the lie detector test.  However, a friend of Melinda Duckett who was with her at the house of the time of the supposed abduction did take a lie detector test that apparently shows that her friend didn't see the toddler Trenton Duckett at their house that night.

For the moment, Leesburg police are unsure of where Melinda Duckett is but say that declining to take a lie detector test doesn't mean she's guilty.  Also, investigators are looking more deeply into the Ducketts' rocky past including allegations that Joshua Duckett threatened to kill Melinda Duckett and Trenton Duckett and also that Melinda Duckett was forced to go through a psychological evaluation given allegations of neglect regarding her son Trenton Duckett.

The Trenton Duckett case will be presented on CNN tonight (Fri 9/8) on Nancy Grace's show at 8pm.  Of note, Trenton Duckett's father James Duckett is on death row for being found guilty of sexually abusing and killing an 11 year old girl in 1987.  Some feel that he is innocent given an apparent mis-steps regarding how his DNA was tested.

As a final note, people in this country are innocent until proven guilty.  While we would all like to jump to conclusions, let's do our best to leave this case up to the investigators and courts.  But by all means, if you have ANY information relevant to this case, please contact detectives Jim Dunagan or Richard Giles of the Leesburg department at 352-787-2121.

Someone's hiding information about the missing Leesburg toddler

A 2-year old toddler has gone missing in Leesburg and all finger seem to point to estranged husband Joshua Duckett, who last month allegedly threatened to kill the 21 year old mother Melinda Duckett and her 2 year old son Trenton Duckett.  It was so bad that she had to get a restraining order against Joshua Duckett.  An article on the Orlando Sentinel also reveals an interesting fact:

Joshua Duckett is the son of James Duckett, the former Mascotte police officer who is on death row for raping, strangling and drowning an 11-year-old girl in 1987.

Some question whether or not James Duckett really killed the 11 year old girl, but in any something smells fishy about Trenton Duckett especially due to the restraining order.  Here's more info from the Orlando Sentinel:

Police said they suspected several individuals with "pertinent" information haven't come forward, but they provided few other details Tuesday.

The likely conclusion is that Trenton Duckett is hiding something, but it could also be that someone is trying to set him up.  If anyone has any information, please call detectives Jim Dunagan or Richard Giles of the Leesburg department at 352-787-2121.

Anna Cowin throws up roadblocks to her own audit; angers Lake County School Board

Anna Cowin is at it again, this time doing all she can to make to try steal power away from a special committee appointed by the Lake County School Board.  This committee was formed to look into the Lake County School Board's finances through an audit and to increase efficiency.

(Who is Anna Cowin?  She is the embattled Lake County School Superintendent and we've covered her management blunders in the past.)

Specifically, even though she may not have the power to do so, she canceled a meeting of the special Lake County School Board task force that I mentioned above.  Per the Orlando Sentinel:

"The group was to discuss a host of issues concerning Lisa Myles, the auditor hired to do the job, including a budget, limited access to information, travel reimbursements and the hiring of a clerical support person."

Bob Foley of the audit committee says:

"The superintendent is deliberately throwing up impediments to the process.  By canceling the meeting, the superintendent effectively canceled the process."

Lake County School Board chairman Jimmy Conner says:

"Now, the superintendent is taking over, and three board members have let her.  The whole reason the School Board hired an independent auditor was to have independence from the superintendent."

Clermont: Man butts head through police cruise windshield

Could resist providing a link to this WFTV article Man Accused Of Smashing Head Through Cruiser Windshield.  During a scuffle with police outside of the Crown Restaurant and Lounge near US27 and US50, Russell Collins head butted the police cruise windshield and ended up smashing his head through it.   That's using your head!

OrlandoNouveau.com to cover Lake Nona, Vista Lakes, and more

OrlandoNouveau.com just launched as a blog covering the "new Orlando" (thus the name), with special emphasis on East Orange County, Lake Nona, and Vista Lakes.

A message for all smokers in Lake County: STOP LITTERING YOU IDIOTS!

Keep America Beautiful is a program designed to stop smokers from littering.  I can't believe how many people in Lake County smoke - and it's disgusting how many idiots throw out their cigarettes (still lit) onto US27.  I wish cops would prosecute you idiots.  By they way, your litter can cause brush fires, so STOP!!!!!!

Experience with an aggressive driver on US192 and US27

Just a quick note.  Tonight I spotted an idiot aggressive driver driving on US192 and US27.  He drives a low-riding pickup truck that is purple or violet.  He likes to take sharp corners, making his wheels screech, and aggressively changes lanes (of course, without using a turn signal).  The weird thing is that, once this driver hits the speed limit, he doesn't go any faster.  At this point, he goes slow in the high speed lane.  Oh yeah, I also saw him weaving in and out of cars on Black Lake Road by Disney's Animal Kingdom.  There are no passing lanes there and the yellow line is solid, so this person was breaking the law there, too.  If this person is a Disney Cast Member, he should be ashamed of himself.  What a rude idiot.

Finally, I witnessed this driver turning onto Hook Street in Clermont.  So if you live anywhere near Lakeshore Drive, please watch out and avoid this idiot.

Minneola council member Sue Cordova on planning for schools and jobs

The city of Minneola is currently soliciting resident opinion on planning for future growth.  Here are some relevant snippets (via Orlando Sentinel):

"We don't want to put residential next to residential next to residential when people have no place to grocery-shop, no place to work or go to school," Minneola City Council member Sue Cordova said...

Minneola granted preliminary approval for 689 homes at Reserve at Minneola and 963 homes at Founder's Ridge. The Lake County School Board has discussed building a elementary school on 19 donated acres next to Reserve.  John Lowndes Trust wants Minneola to annex about 152 acres proposed for dozens of new homes near Sullivan and Grassy Lake roads. City staff will review the new project Thursday at City Hall, 800 N. U.S. Highway 27.  That development is south of 115 acres off Sullivan Road that the school district bought from Lowndes to build middle and high schools. The future of the site is in legal limbo, though. 
The county refused to rezone the property for schools. School officials have asked a judge to overturn the decision...

The Minneola Planning and Zoning Board will meet Jan. 9 at City Hall to consider another development of 400 houses proposed by builder KB Home on 218 acres east of U.S. 27...

Lennar Homes could approach the city early this year to request annexation of a community proposed for 4,000 homes, 610,000 square feet of retail space, 850,000 square feet of office space and 1.4 million square feet of industrial buildings.  A large network of roads is proposed to connect the developments. The hub is a proposed interchange on Florida's Turnpike.