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New owner sets tone for Innisbrook Resort

By Times Staff
Published July 17, 2007

PALM HARBOR - Less than 24 hours after taking over ownership of Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, Sheila Crump Johnson already had set change into motion.

By 11 a.m. Monday, the billionaire had met with Innisbrook's 500 employees and encouraged them to seek their career goals within her company.

Also during the morning, the first bit of dirt was shoveled for a $1.5-million enhancement to one of Innisbrook's four championship golf courses.

Johnson officially announced that her companies, including Salamander Innisbrook Securities LLC, were now the new owner of the resort.

Johnson, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, paid nearly $35-million for the resort, home to the PGA Tour PODS Championship.

Mother is declared unfit for murder trial

NEW PORT RICHEY - The woman accused of stabbing her 2-year-old son to death has been found mentally incompetent to stand trial.

Jessica Victoria Warren, 24, stabbed the boy and herself on June 14, authorities say, then told paramedics she was trying to slay demons - only her son Jeremiah got in the way.

She has been in Community Hospital ever since.

Instead, under Judge Thane B. Covert's order, she will stay in the hospital until a bed opens up in a secure state mental health hospital. Then Warren will be turned over to the Department of Children and Families for treatment.

The goal: restore Warren to competency. Then she can be returned to Pasco County to stand trial for second-degree murder.

City looks to bid out rec center operations

CLEARWATER - Clearwater officials have said they want to turn the city's six major recreation centers and swimming pools over to a third party to run in hopes of saving cash during tight budget times.

The only problem, city leaders acknowledged Monday, is no one may take them up on their offer.

During a workshop, Kevin Dunbar, the city's parks and recreation director, said he'd talked to some local nonprofit organizations about the city's proposal and only one was interested: the local branch of the Boys & Girls Club.

Even that group said it would need to consult with its national affiliate.

City leaders decided it wouldn't hurt to try. They authorized Dunbar to go ahead and put out a "request for proposal" to see if any group or vendor steps forward.

[Last modified July 17, 2007, 00:09:00]