Florida Sentinel Bulletin

                On Tuesday at 9 a. m., Hillsborough County Jail inmate, Robert L. Bridges, III, 24, was in custody and sitting inside Judge Martha Cook’s courtroom waiting for his case to be called on unrelated felony charges. Bridges was secured with leg shackles as well as handcuffed in front with an attached waist chain.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant, Tracey Wallace, along with a pair of bailiffs, were in the courtroom in full uniform providing security when Bridges reportedly lunged forward with both hands, and grabbed Wallace’s firearm.

BRIAN McGHEE
… being held without bond on 1st-degree murder charge

BIANCA McGAUGHEY
…Stabbed to death outside her apartment

BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor

As funeral plans are being made for Ms. Bianca McGaughey, Brian McGhee, the man accused of her murder, is being held without bond. Last Friday, a judge ordered that he be held without bond.
Last Wednesday night, Hillsborough County deputies responded to an apartment complex in reference to a stabbing in progress Wednesday night. The alleged suspect fled before police arrived.
Police said at around 8:30 p.m., deputies went to 8451 Del Lago Circle, where they discovered Ms. McGaughey, 25, lying on the sidewalk. She had been stabbed several times in her torso and neck. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue responded and pronounced Ms. McGaughey dead.
Several witnesses told police McGhee drove up and get out of his car. Ms. McGaughey was reportedly walking toward him when he began stabbing her, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office said.

WINTER HAVEN – A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Dorale Desean Sermons, who reported violated a pretrial released from an arrest in May for two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Sermons was on pretrial release following his May 10, 2013 arrest for pointing a gun at the head of a woman, and pulling the trigger in the parking lot of Bar Red in Winter Haven.
Police are asking for help in locating Sermons, and anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 1-800-226-8477.

ST. PETERSBURG – On Friday, a 21-year-old man was arrested after authorities found two dogs and six puppies emaciated and with internal parasites in a makeshift kennel.
Anthony Stanislas has been charged with animal cruelty and eight counts of misdemeanor animal neglect.
After a neighbor complained to Animal Services, police found a pit bull and other dogs caged in abusive conditions in the back of Stanislas’ house, police said.

Man’s Body Found In Yard Of Home

ST. PETERSBURG – On Sunday morning, St. Petersburg Police officers responded to a body found in the yard of a residence in the 1800 block of Beach Drive, across from Lassing Park.
The body, identified as Naykee Bostic, 31, had suffered several gunshot wounds. Police said a motive for the shooting is unknown, and they have not identified any suspects.
According to authorities, family members of Bostic said between 4 and 5 a. m., some pulled up to his home, blew the horn, and Bostic went outside to talk.

ROSA CAMBRIDGE
TBBNA President

The Tampa Bay Black Nurses Association would like to invite everyone to share in the celebration of their rich history of service to the community.
Their Family Health Day Kickoff will be held at Williams Park, 4362 East Osborne, on August 10th from 11 a. m. until 4 p. m.
The TBBNA will celebrate their 25th anniversary at the Open Café, 3332 North 34th Street, on August 17th at 6 p. m.
The mission of the TBBNA is to provide a forum for collective action by Black Nurses to investigate, define, and advocate for the health care needs of African Americans, and to implement strategies that insure access to healthcare equal to or above healthcare standards of the larger society.

BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor

When Allen Hicks, Sr., was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail on May 12, 2012, he wasn’t listed under his name, but as a “John Doe.” At the time he was booked into jail, he was unable to walk or sign his name.
Hicks, 51, was not given a medical screening when he was arrested and lay in a cell for nearly 36 hours before being taken to Tampa General Hospital. It was later determined that he had suffered a stroke. Hicks slipped into a coma after being admitted to Tampa General Hospital. On August 7th, Hicks died from an ischemic stroke.
Earlier this month, the family received a $1 million settlement as a result of a lawsuit filed against the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Armor Correctional health Services, Inc.

IESHA WASHINGTON
7/17/1993 — 7/29/2011

CRAIG A. THOMPSON
3/5/1989 — 7/29/2011

BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor

Two years ago today, July 30th, two young adults lost their lives to violence. They were killed when gunmen opened fire outside the establishment. Ms. Iesha Washington, and Craig A. Thompson, Jr., were among the hundreds of teenagers and young adults who attended the party.
When deputies arrived at the International Chemical Workers Union, Local 439, 5127 Highway 41, South, there were four to five hundred people at the scene. They located Ms. Washington as they began searching for victims. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

BY GWEN HAYES

Sentinel Editor

After a year of training, Bishop-Elect Michelle B. Patty will be elevated to Bishop. The ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held on Saturday, at the Hilton Hotel Downtown (formerly The Hyatt). The induction is at 11 a. m., followed by the consecration service at 12 noon.

A 5 p. m. banquet (paid event) will conclude the activities for the day.

“I don’t have the words to adequately express how I feel. You know the church is the bride of Christ and I feel just like the bride now,” she said of the elevation. “I have the jitters, there are expectations; I’m happy, elated,” are words she used to describe herself as the bride of Christ.

Being elevated to Bishop, she will become the first female to hold the office under the Legacy Fellowship of Churches and Ministries, Bishop Michael Lewis, Presiding Prelate. “I’m so happy to see more women accepting their calling

Bishop-Elect Patty openly answered her call to the ministry in 2004. It was the late Harold Jones (former funeral home director, Morning Glory Funeral Home), who told her that she could run, but she could not hide from God.

“I’ve always known that God had a calling on my life. But always being a part of traditional churches, there was always that stigma about women in the ministry, women in the pulpit,” she said. “When Mr. Jones told me that, I knew he was correct. I then enrolled in Blessed Hope Bible College under the late Bishop Elliott Johnson. He, too, was a blessing in my life.

“It’s been a tedious journey, but God has truly been good and shined on my life. He has prepared me for the journey. I went from the bench of do nothing, and had to learn to be a servant. I started being an usher,” she explained. “I’ve had some deacons and ministers to tell me I could not come into their pulpits, but nothing can stop the work of the Lord. God is no respect of person.”

As a Bishop in the Legacy Fellowship of Churches and Ministries, Bishop-Elect Patty will serve as an administrative assistant to Bishop Lewis, do some traveling on behalf of the ministry, get involved in community affairs for the ministry.

Bishop-Elect Patty and her son, Corey Felton started Krunk For Christ some years ago. After the Convocation, they plan to get that activity operating in full force. The event for youths and teens to showcase their talents, “is needed now more than ever. Our young people are just killing and hurting each other.”

A businesswoman with a personal referral service, Bishop-Elect Patty says it is a vision from God, and it’s the catalyst that keeps her ministry going. She is the wife of Jesse Patty and they are parents to 3 adult children and 6 grandchildren.