A shooting at a practice for a Congressional baseball game brought the gun control debate back to the forefront on the Gulf Coast; one member of the US House representing Sarasota County had only left the field minutes before the high-profile attack unfolded. 

According to investigators, gunman James Hodgkinson, a 66-year-old from Illinois, arrived at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park shortly after 7am and fired. Hodgkinson shot Rep. Steve Scalise, Republican Majority Whip, and engaged with police around 7:14am. Five people ultimately were transported to the hospital, including Hodgkinson and Scalise. Hodgkinson died at the hospital. Federal officials say he was equipped with a rifle and handgun, and the FBI continues to investigate, including his associates, whereabouts, social media and potential motivations.

Two Florida congressmen had recently left the baseball practice, being held in advance of an annual charity game between Congressional Republicans and Democrats. US Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Okeechobee and the representative for south Sarasota County, had been practicing with the Republican team on Wednesday morning, but left minutes before a shooter started firing at the field, staffers told SRQ. Rooney later told CNBC he had to take a child to school or he would have been at the field as events unfolded. US Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Port Orange, told media outlets including Fox News and NBC News that the gunman had approached him and another congressman outside the stadium to ask if Republicans or Democrats were practicing at the field.

Political leaders on the Gulf Coast who favor expansion of gun rights and those who would like restrictions saw ways the shooting would have been impacted by different regulation.

Christian Ziegler, state committeeman for the Republican Party of Sarasota County and a former aide for U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, said he believes part of the problem in D.C. is that Congressmen cannot carry concealed weapons themselves, even if they hold a permit in their states. In Washington, Ziegler says he was constantly aware of how open congressmen remain to threats. “I was always aware that there were a lot of threats to D.C.—against both individual elected officials and our government as a whole—and that it was impossible to have security protect every member of Congress,” he says. That makes it important for members of Congress to be able to defend themselves.

But Linda Moratti, a board member for the Venice Area Democratic Club, says the problem remains that it’s too easy to obtain a high-powered firearm. “I’d like to see increased background checks for people with mental illness, but don’t know if in this case that would have done it,” she says. “I’d also like to see a ban on assault-type rifles.” Democrats in February held a Brady Gun Control Rally advocating for restrictions.

Moratti doesn’t believe that Republicans will respond because the gun lobby holds too much influence in that caucus, including with Rooney, her own congressman. Ziegler, though, said instead of relatively leaping into debates about gun control, officials should consider how to make it easier for law-abiding citizens to carry and defend themselves from criminals. 

Editor’s Note: This is part 24 of an ongoing series documenting the flights of active-duty US Navy Pilot Ryan Rankin on his journey to fly 52 planes in 52 weeks through the year 2017.

Overseas, flying planes in the UK and Poland, Rankin preps a WWII-era de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane for his next flight, rigging cameras and getting his bearings, when an unexpected opportunity arrives in the form of a Bolkow Bo 125 helicopter swooping in for a landing. His host knows the owner, a man named Maciek, and tells Rankin to go ahead and catch a flight while he can. Maciek won’t wait or even turn the engine off, but if Rankin hurries he can make it. He grabs a GoPro, lashes it to a selfie stick and runs for the aircraft.

The first light twin-engine helicopter ever made, the Bo 125 enjoyed a production run from 1967–2001 as a multipurpose aircraft good for everything from medevac to military operations. Maciek purchased his from the German military, which used the helicopter as an anti-tank platform before decommissioning the lot. The helicopter was unflyable then, but Maciek has since restored the machine to its former glory. “He’s done a really incredible job,” says Rankin. “It looks like it could be put back into the military.”

Instead, the Bo 125 now enjoys a second life as one of the best aerobatic helicopters around. Stunt pilots for Red Bull favor them, and 2015 saw superspy James Bond give the Bo 125 a whirl in the opening sequence for Spectre.

After the challenge of the Robinson R22 two weeks past, one might expect trepidation at getting behind the controls of another helicopter, but Rankin just feels excitement. “Like anything,” he says, “you just have questions.” And, perhaps counterintuitively, the more complex and big a helicopter gets, on average the more stable the machine, meaning an easier time on the pilot. In other words, being designed for aerobatics, there’s less risk of a turn or maneuver knocking the bird out of the sky.

Flying for 30 minutes or so, Rankin tests the Bo 125 with some sharp banks and handling exercises before turning the controls back over to Maciek, who shows him what the Bo 125 can do, rolling the craft on its side and engaging in negative G maneuvers. “Which are things you don’t even want to try in a helicopter,” says Rankin. “It’s hard to believe a helicopter is doing that.”

For more about the flight in Rankin's own words and a video of the flight, follow the link below. 

Pictured: Ryan Rankin in front of the Bolkow Bo 125. Photo courtesy of Ryan Rankin.

Ryan Flies

Stepping into Pineapple Bay Trading Company allows for a moment of world travel. Lining the walls, old and new exotic jewelry, home accessories and clothing from India, Thailand, Bali and Napal evoke the feeling of walking through an Asian marketplace. Amongst the bright colors, textures and patterns a fishbowl like sculpture imported by Retreat Tours stands out. Like two puzzle pieces, the Bali hand blown glass bowl is crafted to perfectly fit in the grooves of an organic teak base. Due to unusual and artistic presentation the piece can be sculptural, serving as an interesting conversation piece at your next party or it can be functional, providing a stylish and one of a kind home for your fish. Regardless of how you use it, this bowl is a great way to bring a taste of handcrafted Bali into your home. Enjoy for $179.  

Photo by Shelby Schwartz.

Pineapple Bay Trading Company, 508 South Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, 941-518-8817.

Get in your boat and dock at The Crow’s Nest Marina Restaurant this summer. On Mondays, start the week out perfectly with a tender, juicy, herb-roasted USDA Choice Prime Rib cooked slow for $19 for the 10oz. and $25 for the 14oz. On Tuesdays, The Crow’s Nest opens up its Wine Spectator award-winning cellar list at 25% off normal prices. From a crisp Pinot Grigio to bold Cabernets, pick and choose from your favorites. Whatever you can’t finish, they’ll pack up for you to take home. Before you know it, summer will fly by and these amazing deals will be over, so head on over soon.  

The Crow's Nest, 1968 Tarpon Center Dr., Venice, 941-484-9551

The Crow's Nest Marina Restaurant

Halliday Financial has announced that Penny Di Giovanna has joined Halliday Financial's Sarasota office. Di Giovanna’s role with Halliday Financial will be to serve clients as a Financial Advisor and to help the company's business development efforts in the region. Since 1982, Halliday Financial has dedicated itself to energetically applying creative strategies to the diverse financial objectives of their clients. Halliday is an independent financial services firm with access to many investment types without the trappings and restraints of a massive bank, insurance company or wire house. 

Halliday Financial

Aviva: A Campus for Senior Life has announced three recent hires and staff promotions to their management and sales team. Marvin Lunsford has joined the Aviva team as director of building services. Lunsford has nearly a decade of experience leading building service departments within premier senior living communities and brings a wealth of knowledge regarding life safety and healthcare regulations in both assisted living and skilled nursing environments. Elaine Muhammad, admissions director at Benderson Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation at Aviva, joins the Aviva staff as a healthcare professional with over 25 years of experience in senior living, hospital and skilled nursing. Most recently, Muhammad has served as director of business development for Consulate Healthcare in Sarasota and Venice. Lastly, Jenelle Coles has been promoted to director of sales, marketing and communications. Prior to joining Aviva, Jenelle worked at Keiser University as a senior admissions counselor and recruitment specialist. 

Aviva: A Campus for Senior Life

Gates Construction has added Mark Card as Principal of the Gates Sarasota office. Card has over three decades of experience in the construction industry; much of it in Sarasota and the surrounding counties. Prior to joining Gates, Card owned and operated Storie Construction Group, a successful general contracting and construction management firm also headquartered in Sarasota. As Principal for Gates, Card and Storie Construction Group’s personnel and resources will become a part of Gates Construction. In his new role as Principal for Gates, Card oversees and supports all of its client relationships including pre-construction, construction and overall customer experience. Card graduated from Bowling Green State University and received B.S. Degrees in Construction Management and Architectural/Environmental Design Technology and is a permanent resident of Sarasota. His diverse range of projects through the years has included assisted living, retail, office buildings, government, education, healthcare, hospitality, commercial and multi-family. A state licensed general contractor, Card has been involved in the industry as both contractor and developer. 

Gates Construction