Hernando in running for contest’s wild card
Seeking to score a recreational grant from CocaCola, the Hernando Parks and Recreation Department is asking park users to cast as many votes as possible for Conger Park.
The city is in the running for a $15,000 “wild card” prize for recreational use.
“We’ve moved up to 26th nationally, with 1,129 votes as of Tuesday morning,” Dolly Brechin, parks program coordinator, said of the online contest that began two weeks ago. “We’re really pleased with all the support from the people; they’re really stepping it up.”
Placing anywhere from 25th to fourth place by the end of voting July 15 would make Hernando eligible for the wild card prize in Coke’s “Take It To the Park” contest.
The contest seeks to promote restoration, rebuilding and enhancement of favorite local parks. The top vote-getter gets $100,000; second place fetches $ 50,000; third place $25,000 and there’s the “wild card” drawing for $15,000, according to the Coke website, parks.livepositively. com.
Conger Park, off U. S. 51 along West Oak Grove south of the downtown courthouse square, is a longtime area favorite with its play sets and pavilion, tennis courts and track/trail. There are plans to construct an amphitheater into a hillside.
None of the four children in the accident early Tuesday that killed a 6-month-old girl was properly restrained in the car, police said Wednesday.
Two cars were involved in the 6:45 a.m. crash at Winchester and Swinnea near the airport. A 2005 Pontiac swerved into oncoming traffic, striking a 1989 Ford pickup.
Seven people were in the Pontiac: four children and one adult in the backseat and two adults up front. Six-month- old Jamayia Smallie was killed while a 4-year-old girl remains in critical condition. A boy and girl, both 2, have been upgraded to non-critical condition. The adult driver is in non- critical condition while the two adult passengers are critical. The pickup driver is in non-critical condition.
Police said the infant was in a car seat, but wasn’t strapped. One of the other children in the back was holding the car seat. Of the six people in the car, the only one wearing a seatbelt, police said, was the adult passenger.
No charges have been filed and the exact cause of the crash has not been determined, police said.
Jody Callahan Somerville in the Medical Center area. The man is believed to be a resident of the complex, but police have not determined exactly what happened.
Jody Callahan Madeleine Taylor, executive director of the branch.
Lisa Elaine Babb