In the know

By Times Staff Writer
Published January 19, 2008

LAND O'LAKES

Winery opens for festival, market today

Florida Estates Winery, 25241 State Road 52, 4 miles west of Interstate 75 near Land O'Lakes, will host a Wine Festival and Market from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today. The event will include food, homemade arts and crafts, jewelry, light and classic rock by Angelo Cooke and an opportunity to sample the winery's offerings. Call (813) 996-2113.

COUNTYWIDE 

Ex-sheriff cleared as crime suspect

Jim Gillum, the one-time Pasco sheriff who was arrested last spring, is no longer under suspicion of a crime. Prosecutors this week dropped misdemeanor charges against the former sheriff that he wrote a bad check in 2006 for $1,200 to his landlord. Gillum, who now lives in Deltona, was sheriff of Pasco County from 1984 to 1992. He and his family were served with landlord suits at least five times since 2000, and were actually evicted at least twice since 2003. In a memo in his court file, Assistant State Attorney Mary Handsel wrote that further prosecution of the bad check charge "is not warranted." Gillum, 64, will also get his driver's license back.

NEW PORT RICHEY

MLK Jr. program moves to church

The African American Club of West Pasco and Union Missionary Baptist Church will cohost the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. program from noon to 1 p.m. Monday. This has been relocated from Sims Park in New Port Richey to the church at 6235 Pine Hill Road in Port Richey. Call Vivian Lockett-Prescott at (813) 996-2199.

[Last modified January 18, 2008, 21:49:41]