Rollyson to receive Strong Leader award
The Plant City Family YMCA has chosen Rhett Rollyson as the 2019 recipient of the annual Strong Leader Award, per a May 31 announcement from the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA.
Rollyson is a past Plant City Family YMCA Advisory Board member, having served on the board from 2007 to 2015, and was its chair in 2011. He is a board member for the Florida Strawberry Festival, South Florida Baptist Hospital Foundation and Plant City Little League, the chairman for the Plant City High School Raider Champions Foundation and the incoming chairman of the PCHS Booster Club. He is also a volunteer assistant coach for the University of South Florida men’s tennis team and is a longtime USTA Pro Circuit tournament director.
The award will be given to Rollyson at the Aug. 22 Strong Leader Award Dinner at the Trinkle Center at Hillsborough Community College in Plant City. Tickets to the dinner cost $75 per person and table sponsorships are available for $1,000. For event information, contact Paul Conley at 813-757-6677 or paul.conley@tampaymca.org.
Chronister issues summer safety PSA
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister issued a public service announcement to parents to help prevent and reduce summer crime by talking to their children.
“It’s unfortunate, but crime goes up during the summer,” Chronister said. “Right now is the time to talk to your kids about what you expect in terms of behavior during the break.”
The PSA included advice to teach children about property value, making smart decisions with friends and how being an accessory to a crime can affect them, and he also encouraged parents to consider setting curfews and keeping track of their kids’ whereabouts at all times.
The PSA is watchable online at youtube.com/watch?v=pUfmI5ZwOw8&feature=youtu.be.
’100 deadliest days’ begin
For teenage drivers, the “100 deadliest days” of the year have officially begun.
According to the AAA, nearly 3,500 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers over the last five years during the 100-day period, which covers the stretch from Memorial Day through Labor Day. That’s about seven deaths per day. In fact, crashes involving teen drivers are 17 percent more likely to happen per day during the 100-day period than any other time of the year. That’s why the AAA is trying to warn teens and parents to do what they can to eliminate risk factors like speeding, distracted driving and impaired driving.
The AAA encourages parents to do the following:
- Talk with teens early and often about abstaining from dangerous behavior behind the wheel, such as speeding, impairment and distracted driving.
- Teach by example and minimize risky behavior when driving.
- Make a parent-teen driving agreement which sets family rules for teen drivers.
“Parents can do so much in setting teens up to be a safe driver, yet it’s the teens themselves who are ultimately responsible for practicing safe driving habits,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said. “AAA urges all drivers to store their phones out of reach, mind the speed limit, and stay away from impairing substances like alcohol and marijuana. This can help prevent many crashes from ever occurring.”
Visit teendrivingAAA.com for more information.
Greg Dee to speak at Hope Lutheran
When hurricanes are coming through, Floridians turn to meteorologists on TV and social media for the info they need. Now, Hope Lutheran Church is bringing one to the people of Plant City ahead of time.
WFTS meteorologist Greg Dee is coming to Hope on June 12 to lead a special hurricane preparation discussion starting at 12:30 p.m. Dee will educate the audience about the best measures for hurricane prep and will answer any questions members may have.
“With hurricane season upon us once again and memories of Irma fresh in our minds, this is a good time for us to stop, think, look and listen to what we need to know as we move further into the season,” Parish Nurse Joyce Van Matre said. “Greg Dee brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and is watched by many every morning on ABC News, and he will share with us what we need to know and what we need to do now before a storm is upon us.”
For more information, call Hope at 813-752-4622.