HCSO arrests man who shot gun in gas station restroom
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Bruce Alan Renner one day after security cameras caught him committing several crimes around town.
Renner, 27, was first filmed breaking into an unlocked pickup truck in a driveway on Richey Rosa Lane in Plant City around 8 a.m. Feb. 14. He stole a pistol and a pair of sunglasses, got back into the stolen GMC Sierra pickup truck he arrived in and fled south on Thonotosassa Road. Renner and the driver of the truck, a woman, went to the Marathon convenience store at 12901 Highway 92 East at 8:12 a.m., which is across the street from Independence Academy. Renner entered the restroom and fired one shot from a handgun, then fired off three more shots in the parking lot after leaving the restroom. The pair then left in the truck.
The next morning, Renner rear-ended a vehicle in Tampa at Fletcher Avenue and Telecom Drive and fled the scene of the accident. The truck eventually broke down and he continued to flee on foot, but HCSO aviation and K-9 units caught him hiding in a shed. He is facing charges of Grand Theft (Motor Vehicle), Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Injury, Driving with a Suspended License, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Discharge of a Firearm in Public (x4), Armed Burglary of a Conveyance, and Warrants for Grand Theft Third Degree, Dealing in Stolen Property and False Information on a Pawnbroker Form.
Crest student wins VoteHillsborough art contest
Craig Latimer, Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, recognized six schools and three students that excelled in VoteHillsborough’s voter registration and art contests during Tuesday afternoon’s school board meeting. One of those students was Alexa Weston of Strawberry Crest High School, who won the VoteHillsborough Art Contest and will have her artwork featured in the Supervisor of Elections’ marketing efforts.
Crest also placed third in a tie with Steinbrenner and Wharton high schools in the VoteHillsborough Voter Registration Contest, which was based on the percentage of each senior class that registered to vote.
Optimist oratorical contest winners
The Plant City Optimist Club hosted its annual Oratorical Contest on Feb. 17 and tasked four area students to “imagine a world without boundaries.”
More than 40 people came out to watch each student speak for four to five minutes at a time and Plant City High School student Taryn Storter won first place. Second-place finisher Shad Stevens, of Strawberry Crest High School, will advance with Storter to the Zone 6 Contest in Mulberry on March 30 as the two get ready to take on the top finishers from the Lakeland and Winter Haven Optimist Club contests.
Catherine Hamilton (Plant City High School) and Angelina Welsh (Durant High School) finished in third and fourth place, respectively.
“This activity is very important to help prepare our young people for their future by developing their public speaking skills,” Optimist Club President Dave Robbins said in a news release.
Volunteers needed for wetland project
The HCC Plant City Campus Wetland and Stormwater Enhancement Project is going strong, but it’s hitting a slight snag and Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and TREE, Inc. could use the public’s help.
Volunteers are needed at 9 a.m. March 7 to help clear invasive vines and other ground covers, then plant more than 60 native trees in the area. The recommended attire includes rubber boots and long pants, work gloves (which can be supplied by the project if needed) and closed-toe shoes. It’s also recommended to bring shovels and rakes and a reusable water bottle.
All ages are welcome to participate, but anyone younger than 18 must fill out an individual liability waiver and bring it on March 7 with a parent’s or guardian’s signature. Visit docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfyU7MfnvuOGICu7rKnuegJuQCV3C2VCxt2nt3S8WNz95rD6A/viewform to register online. Follow that link or call William Moriaty at 813-514-3941 for more information.
Feeding Tampa Bay looking for help
Feeding Tampa Bay’s Mobile Pantry Program brings healthy groceries to those in need around the 10-county region and it’s growing fast. That also means volunteers are needed to help FTB operate them in eastern Hillsborough and parts of Polk County.
Volunteers can help hungry people year-round through the mobile pantries. Feeding Tampa Bay and United Way work together to identify areas of need and FTB sends the pantries, which give away the groceries for free, to those people. Volunteers typically help host the grocery stores and also help shoppers find what they need.
All ages are able to volunteer, but children must be accompanied by a parent or an adult. Each pantry requires eight to 10 volunteers and FTB’s website allows anyone to sign up for specific dates and times to work. The service does count toward any high school graduation requirements for community service.
“We want to see a hunger-free Tampa Bay by 2025,” External Affairs Officer Shannon Oliveiro said. “What that means is there will be access in the 10 counties we serve where people will know where to find food.”
Visit feedingtampabay.org/ to sign up and learn more.
Durant ROTC visits DC
Last week, Durant High School’s Air Force JROTC visited Washington, D.C. and met with Congressman Ross Spano (FL-15).