News Briefs

+ Three killed in auto accident
Two adults and a child were killed Sunday in a three-vehicle accident near the intersection of State Road 70 and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.

Merritt Hilton Duryea, 54, Laurence Worley, 63, and Ranson Worley, 11, all died in the accident. Two others, 13-year-old Rockwell Worley and 7-year-old Mcryder Worley, sustained serious injuries and were taken to All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.

Lakewood Ranch’s Diana Rogers, 39, and the 8-year-old boy in her car were not injured.

A Florida Highway Patrol report states Duryea’s 2004 Ford pickup was heading west in the left eastbound lane of State Road 70 East and Laurence Worley’s 2008 Ford Expedition was traveling east in the left eastbound lane of State Road 70 East. The 2010 SUV, driven by Rogers, was traveling east in the right eastbound lane of State Road 70 in the area of Worley’s vehicle.

The report states another vehicle driving in front of Worley took evasive action and swerved to the right to avoid colliding with Duryea’s truck. The front of Duryea’s truck struck the front of Worley’s vehicle, and Rogers swerved off the road onto the south shoulder to avoid the crash.

+ Clerk announces delayed release of sheriff’s audit
Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller R.B. “Chips” Shore has announced an audit of the Sheriff’s Office will be completed by Saturday, June 30.

The report was slated to be released May 30.

Auditors began a review of the Sheriff’s Office in April, after Shore received a letter containing allegations of embezzlement of the Inmate Commissary Fund, as well as theft of evidence, misuse of county funds and other issues against the agency.

“I apologize to everyone who has been waiting for this report to be issued,” Shore said. “We have not completed our report because we are waiting on legal opinions to interpret the Florida statutes on how Inmate Commissary Funds can be used.”

“However, we are at the point where I can state that the evidence does not exist to support the allegations regarding the embezzlement of money from the Inmate Commissary Fund,” he said.

Shore thanked members of the public for their patience in the matter and said it was imperative to take the extra time to properly complete the audit.

Meetings & Agendas
• Lakewood Ranch Community Development Districts 1, 2, 4, 5 and the Inter-District Authority Board Meetings — 8 a.m. June 14, at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch.
• Manatee County Planning Commission — 9 a.m. June 14, at 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
• Manatee County Board of County Commissioners Budget Meeting: 6 p.m. June 14, at 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
• Manatee County School Board Budget Hearing — 5:45 p.m. June 18, at 215 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.
• Manatee County Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting — 9 a.m. June 19, at 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton.