During the past month or so, I unashamedly admit that I stayed glued to the television, watching the George Zimmerman trial unfold. In doing so, I had the ability to record the trial and play back only what happened in the courtroom. I found the trial to be tragic, sometimes outrageous and extremely fascinating. The […]
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SHOW ME THE MAUNEY: McBride puts PCHS in national spotlight
Last week, Montel McBride was playing the “NCAA 14” video game on Playstation 3, in Oregon. It was a full week before the game was released to the public (Tuesday). “It was a ball,” he says. But playing a new video game wasn’t the only thing McBride was doing in Beaverton, Ore., the home of […]
Continue ReadingLETTER TO THE EDITOR: Education needs restructuring
Dear Editor: How is it, that with all the tax dollars allotted to educating our youth in America, we only rate in the middle of the world’s standings? The United States spends more money on education than any other country in the world, yet we still get these less-than-expected results. The answer is waste, fraud, […]
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: Time flies when you’re having fun
It’s hard to believe that it has already been a full year for the Plant City Observer. It seems like just yesterday that I was meeting all the coaches at local schools and scoping out the sports scene here. The great thing about this job is it allows me to go out and meet some […]
Continue ReadingOBSERVED: In the studio with Plant City’s NRG
Rain pelts the roof above the Brandon-based Polysound Recording Studios, and an occasional thunderclap reminds everyone we are lucky to be indoors. Inside, studio owner Wes Price is at command central, furiously working on what seems like hundreds of vocal tracks. Six members of Plant City’s youth pop singing group, NRG, have been slugging it […]
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: AAU karate kids show dedication
One of the great things about this job is that it allows me to be exposed to sports outside of my comfort zone — sports that I otherwise probably would never learn about. Last week, I was able to attend the last training session for six karate students at the Chris Welbon Karate Club, 602 […]
Continue ReadingLESSONS FROM THE FIELD: Are you prepared for these storms?
As my family and I begin to settle into the normal flow of being back home, we now have to make sure that we are prepared for the Florida stormy season. The unexpected rain showers may only last a few minutes, but, if you are caught out in them, you would think you were standing […]
Continue ReadingObserved: Observer + Times = a better publication
As representatives from the Plant City Observer and the Tampa Bay Times sat in the same room for the first time last week, Ernest Hooper, the Times’ East Hillsborough bureau chief, joked that the rollout of our new joint venture, the Plant City Times & Observer, should be a wedding. That got me thinking. Maybe […]
Continue ReadingMY VIEW: Dennis Ross: Remove Eric Holder from office
I urge President Barack Obama to remove Eric Holder from his position as Attorney General. The Department of Justice has forced journalists to hand over its records and has allowed broad seizure of phone records of all Verizon customers. And we’re now reading reports of the Department of Justice allowing the National Security Agency to […]
Continue ReadingSHOW ME THE MAUNEY: Athletes prove anything is possible
If there is one lesson that should be taken away from recent stories in the sports section of the Plant City Observer, it’s that great things are possible with hard work and dedication. In the past few weeks, we have brought you stories of overcoming great odds and local athletes achieving great things. This underlying […]
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