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April 18, 2013 Edition

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“free”-HOW??From the businesses advertising in this issue.Thank each one as you go to their storeYes it’s true. The rising demand for this newspaper our delivering needs we could not meet each week. If you live a bit further out we will get it to you.We need advertising help too, just give us a call today!The Emerald Star News is published bi-weeklyWe are locally owned and operated in Freeport, FloidaLook online: theemeraldstarnews.bolgspot.comMail invoices and other information to:P.O. Box 1133Freeport, Florida 32439
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Volume: 5 Issue: 8 April 18, 2013 bi-weekly Edition merald Star News E The The BEST LIL’ NEWSPAPER in Walton county - from Freeport, Florida A style of it’s own a community Based Newspaper Free offered ‘free’ …….from our business Advertisers inside this week Made possible by your local advertising businesses in this edition. Real Estate listings inside: Inside this edition: Walton Commissioners Fill TDC Director Temporarily The Walton County Commissioners feel their TDC knows what they are doing. Commissioner Sara Comander suggested letting someone who knows leadership work to manage the TDC …….Page 3 Resident Victim of Identity Theft Her name and picture was on the arrest report, but she was a victim of identity theft. WZEP AM 1460 receives a copy of the jail arrest report….……….Page 5 Healthmark Regional Medical Center Join Healthmark Regional Medical Center (HRMC) for the 3 rd Annual Marvel of Flight Fly-In and Expo on Saturday, April 27, at ...…..Page 7
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Page 1: April 18, 2013 Edition

Volume: 5 Issue: 8 April 18, 2013 bi-weekly Edition

merald Star News E The

The BEST LIL’ NEWSPAPER in Walton county - from Freeport, Florida

A style of it’s own — a community Based Newspaper

Free

offered ‘free’ …….from our business Advertisers inside this week

Made possible by your local

advertising businesses in this edition.

Real Estate listings inside:

Inside this edition:

Walton Commissioners Fill

TDC Director Temporarily

The Walton County Commissioners feel

their TDC knows what they are doing.

Commissioner Sara Comander suggested

letting someone who knows leadership

work to manage the TDC …….Page 3

Resident Victim of Identity Theft

Her name and picture was on the arrest

report, but she was a victim of identity

theft. WZEP AM 1460 receives a copy of

the jail arrest report….……….Page 5

Healthmark Regional

Medical Center Join Healthmark Regional Medical Center (HRMC) for the 3rd Annual Marvel of Flight Fly-In and Expo on

Saturday, April 27, at ...…..Page 7

Page 2: April 18, 2013 Edition

Hello everybody. In this world of small business here in

Walton county, I want to share a small story from a major

conglomerate such as Taco Bell. To give you an idea of how

one small change can add so much to so many people and continue to

give.

CEO of Taco Bell, Greg Creed, 54, has overseen the fast food chain in one of its most

explosive periods of growth ever. Since he became CEO in early 2011, the company

introduced the wildly popular Doritos Locos Tacos in 2012, debuted a Cool Ranch

version last month, and now sells about one million Doritos Locos Tacos every day.

Next from Taco Bell’s test kitchens is the spicy Doritos Flamas taco, based on Frito

Lay’s chili-lime flavored Doritos, which is Creed’s personal “favorite.” He expects to

launch this newest menu item in the second half of this year.

“It’s an amazing product. It’s spicy but it has a lime aftertaste,” Creed said. “You bite

into it…You feel this real spiciness, and then the Frito Lay people are so magical with

their seasoning, you get this lovely lime spiciness that sort of cools your mouth.”

Creed explained how one taco, the Doritos Locos Taco, helped create 15,000 jobs for

the Yum! Brands subsidiary. Taco Bell says it has 150,000 team members in its res-

taurants nationwide.

“It’s very possible because two things happened. One is we grew the business,” he

said, adding that Taco Bell’s sales grew by 8 percent last year.

Second, it helps if you add two or three employees to each of Taco Bell’s 6,000 loca-

tions.

“And that’s great, it makes us feel really good,” he said. “It’s great we sold lots of

tacos and it’s great for our shareholders, but if you can get 15,000 people off the un-

employment line and give them jobs -- that to me is giving back to society. That is

having a social conscience in doing the right thing. That’s really important to me.“

Another way the company is trying to do the right thing is with a plan to have 20 per-

cent of combo meals meet the government’s nutritional guidelines for calories and fat

by 2020.

“There’s no simple solutions for very complex problems. And there’s no doubt obe-

sity is an issue, so I’m not denying it,” Creed said. “And that’s why we are trying to

add more and more items, we’re doing more work, in the twelve months there will

more new products coming out that will have even lower calorie count, lower sodium,

lower fat.”

Creed said there was no “silver bullet” to the issue of obesity.

“So I think what we have to do is our part of the story. We’ve got to continue to make

our food better in the sense of less sodium and calories,” he said. “We’ve got to offer

choice and we’ve got to encourage people to try these products. And hopefully they’ll

eat better. But ultimately it comes back I think to individual choice, but we’ve got to

give you the choices to choose from.”

Which goes to show you that at what no matter the level you are in your business.

To think of offering your customers variety can help your business last for many

years to come. It doesn’t always have to be a new invention but aligning what you

have already in place may be the ticket. Unless you are willing to try something new,

take a chance only then you may know what is in store for you.

Walton county has a lot of growing still to do and you can tell by the amount of

spring breakers this year that more of our nation’s get a ways will involve Walton

county. It is such a beautiful place where we are. The widening of Hwy. 331 should

help quite a bit once it is completed, until then drive safely there are many roads that

come out along Hwy.331 so sudden turns and people coming out that happens often.

Drive safely!

Editorial Views expressed in The EMERALD STAR NEWS do not necessarily reflect those of the

publisher. The staff of The EMERALD STAR NEWS pride ourselves in our efforts to ensure

accuracy of the publication contents. However, there is no guarantee of the accuracy of all the

Information nor the absence of errors and omissions (especially when sent through a third party); therefore, no responsibility can or will be assumed. 2500 copies printed bi-weekly.

Publisher/Editor

Frank Wolfe Jr.

(850) 585-0262 Check us out on FACEBOOK!

E-mail info. to: [email protected]

**Main Office/Sales - 850-585-0262

Web Designer – Lee Cox

Contributing Editor - Dr. Summers

Page 2 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Thursday, April 18, 2013

Look online: theemeraldstarnews.bolgspot.com

Mail invoices and other information to:

P.O. Box 1133 Freeport, Florida 32439

Quote of

the week :

The Wolfe’s Den

“free”-HOW??

From the businesses advertising in this issue.

Thank each one as you go to their store Yes it’s true. The rising demand for this newspaper our delivering needs we

could not meet each week. If you live a bit further out we will get it to you.

We need advertising help too, just give us a call today!

The Emerald Star News is published bi-weekly

We are locally owned and operated in Freeport

.Our greatest happi-

ness does not de-

pend on the condi-

tion of life in which

chance has placed

us, but is always

the result of a good

conscience, good

health, occupation,

and freedom in all

just pursuits.

Thomas Jefferson

Hey Businessman!!

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Call to reserve your spot today!

850-585-0262

Advertising?

Give us a shot……...we have specials going on now!

2 for 1 specials Call to find out how 850-585-0262

Page 3: April 18, 2013 Edition

Page 3 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Thursday, April 18, 2013

Business Ads as low as $20,

call today to find out how!

Walton Commissioners Approve Land

Use

As reported by WZEP AM1460 The Walton Commissioners approved a request by Dr.

O’Donnell for general commercial use of a residential piece

of property instead of light industrial. This is actually a

downgrade from what the staff said could be asked for. The

property is conservation residential. The requested category

does not meet the location criteria since it is not on 331 or

98.

Commissioner Cindy Meadows said this is a land use

amendment where there are previous projects approved that

did not meet the land use and this property is next door. She

said this mistake makes the property not as usable as residen-

tial. Meadows said the applicant has made an effort to work

with staff and the neighbors and will leave additional buffers.

Three residents spoke and said they are already affected by

the current light industrial and thought the 10 acres O’Don-

nell would stay residental when they bought their homes.

They asked for a 2 acre buffer.

Dr. O’Donnell said they are trying to work with their

neighbors and want to expand a hydroponic farm as one use.

He has a hydroponic farm garden in seaside. The need is for

a building to store equipment. O’Donnell said they were ad-

vised to change the property to light industrial since that is

what they are surrounded by. He said he offered to leave the

one acre for buffer on the side that is near a residence.

O’Donnell said the existing industrial park was there when

he bought his house. O’Donnell asked the residents to see the

perspective of the bigger picture and noted his property starts

on his side of the line, though he has offered an acre buffer.

O’Donnell said he would not be willing to go with the two

acres of buffer and the single acre already is being offered

and puts the facility further away.

Meadows said the two acres is a very good compromise.

O’Donnell said he does not think it is fair to give up 20% of

the property for one resident who only abuts a small part of

the property. It was suggested the property be changed to

agriculture. A resident said O’Donnell not asking for agricul-

tural shows there is something planned other than a farm.

After a motion by Meadows to deny failed due to a lack of a

second, the board tried a change with a two acre buffer and

then to go through large scale amendment process but this

also failed. O’Donnell asked for the commissioners to either

vote to support the change with the 10% donation to keep

residential or deny. Attorney Davis said the project does not

comply with the code and they will need a text amendment

either way.

Commissioner Sara Comander proposed an acre and a half.

O’Donnell agreed. The commissioners, except for Meadows,

agreed. Now they will have to see if the text amendment

passes.

Walton Commissioners Fill TDC Director

Temporarily

The Walton County Commissioners feel their TDC knows

what they are doing. Commissioner Sara Comander suggested

letting someone who knows leadership work to manage the

TDC until a new director can be found. She suggested Correc-

tions Director Stan Sunday. Sunday has worked for the sher-

iff’s office in an administrator position as well as running the

jail. Commissioner Bill Chapman pointed out they are not ask-

ing Sunday to make changes, rather simply manage the em-

ployees for a month or two as they do their job. Sunday said he

has a lot of competent staff that can take care of the day to day

operations of the jail, but feels he can split time between the

two jobs. Commissioners agreed to have Sunday fill in.

There are 9 final candidates for the TDC Director position.

Commissioners are to interview all 9 and a decision should

come soon. This is why they feel Sunday should only be

needed for TDC leadership for a short time.

As we reported yesterday, the commissioners agreed to a top

salary range of $130,000. Dawn Moliterno was paid slightly

more than this and the previous TDC Directors were paid in

this range. When they created the new County Administrator

position, the Walton commissioners decided to place the TDC

Director, the County Administrator and the County Attorney

directly under them. A study was done to look at the TDC sal-

ary and comparisons were made with other TDC positions,

even a look at Orlando. This helped the commissioners deter-

mine the range. TDC Director Kris Titus was also given a raise

of $20,000 one time and this brought her up into the over

$100,000 range. Commissioners felt at that time the high pay

was needed to obtain and keep a quality TDC Director.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Commissioners also agreed to make

the TDC Director a regular employee falling under all the

Board policies and procedures and disciplinary action instead

of a contracted employee. This means the simply decision of

three commissioners can’t necessarily remove the employee.

Commissioner Meadows said this means less subjectiveness in

retaining the employee. Commissioner Comander said she did

not want a contract, but after an explanation of the difference,

she now supports a contract. The vote was 3-2 with Comander

and Chapman the nay votes.

Commissioner Imfeld said the published range helps let the

applicants know what to expect. In a discussion about the sal-

ary range, Comander said she is not comfortable with

$134,000. She said she is comfortable with the middle range of

around $109,000 at the top. A very Highly qualified candidate

would expect to get near the top of the salary range. The com-

missioners were told they would explain the salary would be

determined from the candidates experience and qualifications.

Meadows said the range top should be $135,000 to let the can-

didates know there is a large range. She said they do not neces-

sarily need to offer that or will pay that much. She said a range

too low and the County will lose applicants. She said they

should leave it open and a higher qualified applicant could

come and decide, after seeing the area, they would take a little

less.

Commissioners also advised there could be a problem when

looking for a County Administrator if the TDC Director makes

more. The current top of the range for the Administrator is

$140,000.

Hero To Get Home

As reported by WZEP AM1460 Building Homes for Heroes is proud to

announce a homecoming celebration to

welcome Army Staff Sergeant Aaron Hale

to his new home at 73 Pelican Bay Drive in

Santa Rosa Beach, Florida on Saturday,

April 6th at 10:30 am. Joining in the cele-

bration will be high ranking military per-

sonnel, members of the construction team,

local dignitaries, community members,

corporate sponsors, civic organizations,

friends and family, etc.

In December of 2011, Staff Sergeant Hale,

an EOD technician, was severely injured in

Afghanistan when an improvised explosive

device (IED) detonated. Every bone in

SSG Hale’s face was broken, he suffered

severe burns, and was left completely

blind. He served a tour in Iraq and two

tours in Afghanistan. SSG Hale’s unit

completed 1,100 counter-IED missions,

destroying more than 20,000 pounds of

enemy explosives. SSG Hale, a Purple

Heart recipient, estimates he disabled as

many as 50 explosive devices during his

last tour in Afghanistan.

SSG Hale, his wife, Kelly, and their four

children, Sheldon, Bailey, McKenzie, and

Cameron will be moving into a beautiful,

newly renovated, mortgage-free home pro-

vided by Chase Bank. The home has been

extensively modified by award-winning

general contracting company Randy Wise

Homes, Inc. specifically to meet SSG

Hale's needs. Randy Wise Homes, the most

recent builder to join the Building Homes

for Heroes construction team, was recently

selected for inclusion in the Southern Liv-

ing magazine's exclusive Custom Builder

Program.

In addition to the home, Building Homes

for Heroes will provide SSG Hale and his

family with mentoring and other support

over the next two years to ensure that they

are successful homeowners and establish a

solid foundation for the future. Funding for

the mentorship is provided by Chase and

other generous donors.

ABOUT BUILDING HOMES FOR HE-

ROES: Building Homes for Heroes, Inc.

recognizes the tremendous sacrifices of the

men and women of the United States

Armed Forces by supporting the needs of

severely wounded or disabled soldiers and

their families. It is a national organization

committed to supporting these brave men

and women, with a goal to build homes for

families in dire need.

For more information on this celebration,

please call 516 684-9220 or visit the or-

ganization's website at

www.buildinghomesforheroes.org

Page 4: April 18, 2013 Edition

Thursday, April 18, 2013 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc.

Call for AJ’s -’tip of the week’

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Inspect your water heater for

signs of leaking fittings and

corrosion or rust.

Health Post George Roll P.A.-C

Seagrove Medical Clinic

Call # 850-231-6200

Walk-ins and Appt.s

Send health questions or

comments to: P.O.Box 1133

Freeport, Florida 32439

850-835-2028

998 Bay Dr. Santa Rosa-Beach, Fl.32459

850-231-1473

Page 4

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Walton Cleaned Private

Beaches

Walton Sheriff Mike Adkin-son is trying to put out the message to spring breakers to come and enjoy Walton County and the beaches, but treat our home like it is your home. After recent arrests, the sheriff’s office reported trash left by the spring break guests. With trash on the beach, Walton County hired a firm to help with the addi-tional work and clean up the beach access area. Some of the surrounding private prop-erty was also cleaned. This was paid for by the TDC after approval from the County Administrator.

Commissioner Sara Coman-der said she turned the mat-ter over to County Adminis-trator Halfhill to handle. Co-mander was aware of the situation, but did not author-ize anything other than agreeing the Administrator should handle the matter. According to County Attorney Mark Davis, Halfhill did ask him about the use of the con-tract service to clean the beaches and Davis agreed that it could be used for pri-vate property near the public access. A resident ques-tioned the use of public funds for cleaning private property and noted some of the pri-vate property owners paid for the service. Davis’ thought is the excess trash generated on private property was due to the overflow of the public accesses. He feels this is al-lowable. However, Davis also said he was unaware that the money to pay for the contract would come from the TDC account. Davis said the commissioners should pull from their account and pay back the TDC.

Adding to the list of "really annoying

things," new research is pointing the

finger at a technology that can turn pub-

lic spaces into private misery for many:

cellphones.

The study suggests that cellphone calls,

and the half-conversations listeners are

forced to overhear, are a much more

distracting form of background noise

than an in-person exchange between two

people.

"I find cell phones annoying, frankly,

and there's lots of research suggesting

that many people agree -- so I wanted to

study this

"was that there does seem to be some-

thing unique about a one-sided cell con-

versation that makes it more distracting

for people to overhear than a two-way

conversation."

in 2012 wireless device users worldwide

devoted more than 2.3 trillion minutes

to cellphone calls, texting, listening to

music and Web surfing. Many of the

calls are being placed in public spaces

such as restaurants, elevators or on pub-

lic transport.

Last year, a study conducted by re-

searchers at Cornell University asked

college students to try to ignore sound

recordings while trying to complete a

task. Their conclusion: Recordings of

one-sided cell phone conversations were

actually more distracting, irritating and

taxing to the brain than two-sided in-

person conversations.While all the par-

ticipants fared comparably well on the

tasks, one-sided cellphone conversations

were deemed to be "significantly" more

distracting than two-sided conversa-

tions. Attention seemed to stray more to

the one-sided calls, since people who

had overheard a one-sided cellphone

conversation were more able to recall

what had been said versus those who

had overheard a two-party exchange.

According to the researchers, people

appear to be less able to tune out cell-

phone conversations compared to two-

person exchanges. This supports notions

that overheard cellphone jabber might

negatively affect a person's ability to

concentrate and focus, they said.

Page 5: April 18, 2013 Edition

WC TDC and Administrator Positions

As reported by WZEP AM1460 The TDC Director review committee presented 9 candi-

dates for the position. There were 10, but one dropped

out. Commissioner Sara Comander said she feels they

should interview all 9 candidates. Commissioner Cindy

Meadows suggested the position be like any other de-

partment director. Commissioner Imfeld agreed. Coman-

der said there are three employees that work directly for

the Board and she now agrees they should work under a

contract. Comander said she expects a higher level of

commitment of these. Meadows said she expects all em-

ployees to their job and do it well. She told Comander

an employee under contract is under more subjection

and it becomes political. Imfeld also suggested balanc-

ing the effort to bring in more tourists with the infra-

structure needs of tourists and residents. Imfeld then

cited the pay range with a high of $134,000. Comander

said she is not comfortable with that. Meadows said the

range should stay and they should hire based on qualifi-

cations and experience. She suggested leaving it open

and decide based on the candidates. Commissioner Bill

Chapman said his experience in law enforcement is that

everyone does the job or goes home. The Board voted to

make the TDC Director a regular employee, not an em-

ployee under contract. The position is still under the

Board. Chapman said they should not start at the top pay

right from the start, they need to start then see what they

can do. Commissioners agreed to a range topping at

$130,000.

There is an investigation into the recent resignation of

the former county administrator Halfhill. Apparently

there were allegations against him. Halfhill resigned

after only a month, citing family needs and decisions the

county will have to make. County Attorney

Mark Davis said he has engaged someone out-

side the county to conduct the investigation.

Davis also said there has been an investigation

into a report of documents removed. He said

that has been closed, but they are looking at

readdressing it. The TDC director signed a con-

tract based on permission of the county admin-

istrator to have private beach cleaned after a

busy weekend. The public access was so

crowded, it spilled over onto private prop-

erty. Davis agreed that the money should not

have been paid by the TDC and should be

reimbursed by the county. Davis indicated

the money could be spent due to the trash

being caused by the public access.

Page 5

The FREEPORT POST

Thursday, April 18, 2013 The Emerald Star News, Inc.

Freeport Fire Chief

Wednesday night the Freeport City Council interviewed three applicants and ranked them for the fire chief posi-tion. Chad Harrell, currently with the Bay County Sher-iff’s Office was selected. He will begin work with Freeport

on May 1.

Sheriffs Talk About Operation Dry Spring

The Florida Sheriff’s Task Force, in conjunction with the Florida

Sheriff’s Association, has concluded a five week operation aimed at

protecting youth in Florida. Operation Dry Spring focused on pre-

venting underage youth from purchasing and using alcohol, tobacco

and various forms of synthetic and illegal drugs. The program re-

sulted in 5,016 arrests across 37 counties.

The Sheriffs and deputies met at Seascape to announce the success

of the effort. Seascape was one of a number of partners all along the

coast that worked with the effort. In Escambia county they had no

businesses selling to undercover underage officers. Florida Attor-

ney General Pam Bondi was also mentioned as a help in the effort.

Walton County was a top county in the effort. Walton Sheriff Mike

Adkinson said they addressed the change and growth as well as

potential growth in spring break. He talked about protecting the

students, using social media to get the word out and a possible sher-

iff’s work program.

Resident Victim of Identity

Theft

Her name and picture was on the arrest

report, but she was a victim of identity

theft. WZEP AM 1460 receives a copy

of the jail arrest report. This is a list of

people booked into jail. It is not a list of

guilt and someone may be arrested, but

the charges later dropped. The list and

story are accurate as far as the fact the

person is on it, though the district attor-

ney or courts could later determine the

charges are dropped. The arrest report is

only a report of the names on the jail

booking.

An example of someone who was listed

and even a booking picture shown is

Clatie Baldwin. She was on the booking

list and was still on the list as of Thurs-

day afternoon, but the state says she is a

victim of identity theft and there is no

prosecution. The senior citizen has re-

ceived a court document from the state

attorney’s office saying she is a victim of

identity theft and the charge is not to be

prosecuted.

While the document dated April 11 de-

clares she is innocent, Ms. Baldwin still

suffers from the crime committed against

her. The identity theft has become a

crime that keeps making her a victim.

Man Killed After Being Hit By Tractor

A 2005 John Deere Front Loader Model L22, driven

by 25-year-old Iran C. Covarrubias of Freeport, was

initially traveling east on a paved portion access/

egress driveway of the Top Sail Apartments located

within a defined construction area at 93 Dune Lake

Circle, Santa Rosa Beach. The construction area

was clearly defined and closed to public access. The

loader turned left, north, onto a north/south paved

portion of the access/egress driveway for the apart-

ment complex.

A 54-year-old Georgia pedestrian, a Hispanic male,

was walking north on the west sidewalk of the

north/south driveway of the apartment complex.

The man exited the sidewalk and entered the north/

south driveway portion of the apartment complex

and entered the path of the loader. The front left tire

of

loader collided with the pedestrian. He fell to the

ground and the front left tire rolled on top of him.

The pedestrian was pronounced deceased on scene

at 7:00 a.m. by Walton County EMS. Alcohol is

being tested and charges are pending the investiga-

tion.

HRMC promotes National Distracted Driving Awareness Month April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. At

Healthmark Regional Medical Center in DeFuniak Springs, we be-

lieve that cell phones can pose a significant danger to motorists.

“We all have a role to play in changing the social acceptance of

this behavior. We owe it to those whose lives have been lost to take

a stand,” said Gerald Beard, Healthmark chief operating officer.

“Speak up when someone calls you while driving or uses a phone

while driving with you in the car. Tell them it’s not safe and ask

that they pull over or put the phone down.”

Page 6: April 18, 2013 Edition

Thursday, April 18, 2013 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Page 6

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Check out past editions complete with

our advertising customers Ads.

Bluewater Bay Robbery

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has

charged two men in connection with an at-

tempt to rob a man sitting in a car parked at a

Niceville area restaurant.

The 28-year-old victim, an employee of the

restaurant, says he was sitting in the Sonic

Drive-In parking lot at State Road 20 around

four p.m. Thursday, April 10th when a man

walked up and put a gun in his stomach. He

says the man, later identified as 31-year-old

Otis Chan Miller Jr. of Fort Walton Beach,

told him to put his hands on the steering

wheel. The employee instead grabbed the

gun. He says after a brief struggle, he pushed

Miller back, who then pointed the gun at him

and pulled the trigger. The gun misfired. The

victim ran away as Miller got into a blue

Toyota Camry and headed south on Bluewa-

ter Bay Boulevard with another man.

School Resource Officers from area schools

and other deputies quickly set up a perimeter

and a deputy spotted the suspect car at the

intersection of Bay Drive and Highway 20.

Whitner and the driver, 25-year-old Stephen

Whitner of Valparaiso, were detained and

later arrested on a charge of armed robbery.

The gun was not recovered.

BCC Room Upgrades

As reported by WZEP AM1460 Rick Wilson provided a technology report.

He told Commissioners they went to each

office and took a look at the equipment in

place. Part of the recommendations are to

bring all county services on the same page

and look at costs.

Wilson said the county is where it needs to

be as far as technology, but there are some

areas that could be improved. A simple fix is

half the employees do not have speakers for

online training. Using more network printers

instead of 40 different types of smaller print-

ers at various workstations was a recommen-

dation.

Wilson also presented the bid to upgrade the

sound systems at the two courthouse board-

rooms. The commissioners agreed to spend

$20,000 out of the contingency fund to pro-

vide more audio. Based on a question by

commissioner Chapman, Wilson will bring

back information about switching to video

displays instead of projector screens in the

Commissioner’s Board Rooms.

RAMON

By M. Vreeland

Meet Ramon, a charming Chihuahua mix who is small in stature but bigger than life when it comes to personality. Quite the conversationalist, whenever you walk past his kennel he insists that you stop for a few minutes just to have a little chat and exchange pleasantries. Never at a loss for things to discuss, Ramon responds to your comments in his own squeaky manner, letting you know that he is excited about going for a walk, looking forward to joining his pals for play time or simply re-questing that you hold and cuddle him. He is also our small dog expert for keeping everyone in order as he’s romping with his canine companions at Alaqua Animal Refuge. To sum it up, Ramon is an absolute sweetheart of a dog waiting with great enthusiasm for his special someone, and hoping that he’ll be going to his forever home very soon.

"Northwest Florida's Premier

Animal Sanctuary and Adoption

Center"

Alaqua Animal Refuge is a non-

profit, no-kill shelter, located at

914 Whitfield Road, Free-

port. We welcome you to visit

all the adoptable animals at our

beautiful ten acre sanctuary any

Tuesday through Sunday from

12:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. For

more information you can call

us at 850-880-6399 or check out

our website at

www.alaquaanimalrefulge.org.

Walton Sheriff Asks Meadows

About Comments

As reported by WZEP AM1460 Lost in the past to most of us, a hei-

nous crime on a young lady named

Autumn in Walton County was a driv-

ing force of Walton Sheriff Michael

Adkinson Jr.’s career choice. Adkin-

son addressed the Walton Commis-

sioners about recent comments made

by Commissioner Cindy Meadows

after the arrest of former Walton Com-

missioner Lane Rees on child porn

charges.

Adkinson said the matter was busi-

ness, but is now personal. He told the

commissioners that he realized coming

to Walton County, regardless of his

background, people would judge him.

He said he vowed to not allow the

office to be steered by political consid-

erations. Adkinson said he believes the

single most important thing for people

in law enforcement is taking care of

those who can’t take care of them-

selves. He said he believes in what he

does and in the men and women who

work for him. The sheriff says he sup-

ports them. Adkinson also said he be-

lieves every citizen has a right to com-

ment, but when an elected official

makes a comment of impropriety, that

needs to be addressed.

Meadows said her comments were not

directed to him or the sheriff’s office.

She then apologized and said she

hopes Adkinson accepts it. He did and

then asked her to look at the Chil-

dren’s Advocacy Center and what

opportunities they can bring. She ac-

knowledged the request but did not

make a commitment.

DFS Election

The City of DeFuniak Springs has a

new Mayor and a new Council mem-

ber. Mac Carpenter won over council

member Wayne Graham and Bob

Campbell won over former council

member Mac Work and Jon Kinsey.

Campbell won with 361 votes over

Work’s 335 vote and Kinsey’s 77

votes. Mac Carpenter won the councel

seat 5 with 395 votes over Graham’s

366 votes.

The referendum to have the mayor’s

power changed from one that votes in

the case of a tie to one that does not

vote failed. This was to allow the

mayor to speak with council members

out of the sunshine. Since he possibly

could vote, though it almost never

happens, the mayor is prohibited from

speaking to other council members

outside of a meeting. The vote was

306 to 456.

</body>

Wow... I'm getting old.

It's a disturbing thought, one that usually

hits after an unexpected physical chal-

lenge. Maybe you've been unable to

maintain your usual workout levels, or

recovery is taking a lot longer than it

used to. Perhaps fixes to the house are

just a bit more difficult, or you find

yourself feeling tired more often.

What's most startling about this realiza-

tion is that you don't normally "feel old"

but, nevertheless, you know you're not

the man you used to be.

And the issue? It could be a decrease in

your testosterone.

Most people don't realize that testoster-

one is a vital hormone for maintaining

overall good health. An article from the

Lance Armstrong Foundation's

Livestrong.com site, noted that when

testosterone levels start to decline, men

experience a gradual reduction in muscle

density, size and strength. Testosterone

stimulates the use of stored body fat for

energy and keeps you looking lean, but

when your levels decrease fatigue can

set in from the breakdown of muscle

tissue and poor energy production. The

article adds, "You also see an increased

incidence of cardiovascular disease, dia-

betes, osteoporosis and other age-related

illness that occur as testosterone levels

slowly decline with age. Lower testoster-

one levels are associated with increased

obesity, diabetes, fatigue, lower cogni-

tive abilities, depression and heart dis-

ease."

LEADERSHIP WALTON TO HOST

RIBBION CUTTING AT ADA FISH-

ING DECK BUILT AT TOPSAIL HILL

PRESERVE STATE PARK

Santa Rosa Beach, FL… Leadership

Walton Class of 2013, a program of the

Walton Area Chamber Foundation, will be

holding a ribbon cutting for the media and

all contributors on Thursday, April 18th at

3:00pm at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

to dedicate the groups ADA fishing deck.

History of the project:

The class was approached by a staff mem-

ber at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park

when they were in the brainstorming phase

determining what could be done to im-

prove Walton County. This staff member

emphasized the need for an ADA fishing

deck and exercise stations on the parks 5K

trail. It was explained that full state fund-

ing is not a possibility due to recent cuts.

The group completed the building of the

Page 7: April 18, 2013 Edition

‘Happenings’ in DeFuniak Springs

Thursday, April 18, 2013 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Page 7

Walton Puts Interim

Administrator In

As reported by WZEP AM1460

What to do about the county administrator, long

term and short term. Walton Commissioner Ken-

neth Pridgen noted the budget cycle is coming up

and there are road and infrastructure projects

coming up. He suggested keeping current Assis-

tant County Administrator Gerry Demers as the

interim county administrator until November.

It was suggested using the services of the Florida

Association of Counties to vet down candidates

like a headhunter firm would. Commissioner Bill

Chapman agreed with the upcoming needs and in

keeping Demers to have continuity. Commis-

sioner Sara Comander said one of her options is

to use a headhunter firm, and that includes using

the FAC. She said they have been using Demers

and asked that he reconsider applying for the po-

sition.

Chapman said, they have previously told Demers

to just keep the county’s head above water, but

feels they should remove the restrictions of status

quo and let Demers make more decisions. Demers

said he recently discussed the FAC process. There

is a fee, but it is about half of a regular service.

They interview for the needs, then recruit for the

position.

Commissioners agreed to Demers carrying on the

duties with full administrator powers and to use

FAC with an expected return date in July, after

the budget meetings. That does not mean a hire

date, rather a timeframe for the search.

Healthmark Regional Medical

Center Join Healthmark Regional Medical Center (HRMC) for the 3rd Annual Marvel of Flight Fly-In and Expo on Saturday, April 27, at the DeFu-niak Springs Airport. You will marvel at the classic airplanes and warbirds, skydiving, World War II equipment, a NASA exhibit and more. There will be food, entertainment and lots of local vendors. Healthmark, a major sponsor of the event, will be hosting children’s activities with our Kids Zone, which includes “bouncy houses” inside the hangars. There will be t-shirts, balloons and more. For adults, there will be free blood pres-sure screenings from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and two raffle drawings for great prizes at the Health-mark booth. Our wheelchair-accessible Healthmark Cour-tesy Van will also be used to shuttle Marvel of Flight guests from the parking area west of the airport to the event staging area. The Courtesy Van is a free service available to local residents who are visiting doctors at the Medical Arts building on the Healthmark campus. Make plans now to attend the 3rd Annual Marvel of Flight Fly-in and Expo on Saturday, April 27, at the DeFuniak Springs Airport on US Hwy 90 W. The gates open at 8 a.m. and Open-ing Ceremonies start at 9 a.m. For more infor-mation, call 892-8500.

DFS Accident After Driver Flees

As reported by WZEP AM1460 Just before 6am Sunday morning an officer from DeFuniak

Springs Police observed a vehicle failing to maintain a

single lane of travel, as they were both traveling north on

State Road 83 (North 9th Street). The FHP reports the car

was a 1999 Toyota Camry, driven by 30-year-old Jesse

Ricks of DeFuniak Springs.

At this point the officer activates the in car camera and

waits on a safe location to perform a traffic stop.

As they approached the Tom Thumb Store located on the

corner of State Road 83 and Walton Road the officer acti-

vates the emergency lights. The vehicle traveled to the left

as if to make a left turn onto Walton Road, however failed

to do so and continued north on State Road 83.

The vehicle traveled a short distance past the Tom Thumb

Store before yielding and pulling to the shoulder of the

roadway. The officer exited the patrol unit to make contact

with the driver. The vehicle accelerated fleeing northbound

on State Road 83.

The officer pursued a short distance and notified the

Walton County Sheriff’s Office of the direction of travel.

Due to observing the vehicle pass another motorist on a

hill in a no passing zone, and the inclement weather, the

officer disengaged from the pursuit.

After disengaging from the pursuit the officer continued to

travel north until losing sight of the vehicle. As the officer

topped a hill in search of a safe place to turn around the

fleeing vehicle was observed once again by the officer

from a distance appearing to make a left turn onto Juniper

Lake Road.

The officer traveled to this location to find that the vehicle

failed to negotiate the turn crashing into the woods. The

officer immediately called for assistance. The DeFuniak

Springs Fire Department, Argyle Fire Department, Walton

County Fire Department and Walton County Fire and Res-

cue arrived quickly and were able to extricate the driver

from the vehicle.

The undisclosed driver was transported to Sacred Heart

Hospital in Pensacola and is listed in critical condition.

The Florida Highway Patrol was called to investigate the

crash. Charges on the driver are pending further investiga-

tion by the DeFuniak Springs Police. The FHP says the

wreck was alcohol related and the driver was not wearing a

seat belt.

Please be advised that the Local Restore Committee will

hold an Organizational Meeting on Thursday, April 25,

2013 at 5:00 PM. This meeting will be held at the Bayou

Arts Center located at 105 Hogtown Bayou in Santa Rosa

Beach, FL 32459. If you have any questions, please con-

tact Administration at (850) 892-8155.

Page 8: April 18, 2013 Edition

Page 8 The EMERALD STAR NEWS, Inc. Thursday, April 18, 2013

Ph: 850-835-4153 www.freeportwaterfront.com

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Page 9: April 18, 2013 Edition

Thursday, April 18, 2013 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc . Page 9

The 14 day Overview

Aquarius

1/20 – 2/18

Pisces

2/19 – 3/20

Aries

3/21 – 4/19

Taurus

4/20 – 5/20

Gemini

5/21 – 6/21

Cancer

6/22 – 7/22

Leo

7/23 – 8/22

Virgo

8/23 – 9/22

Libra

9/23 – 10/22

Scorpio

10/23 –11/21

Sagittarius

11/22 – 12/2

Capricorn

12/22 – 1/19

Help…..Spread the word about this

newspaper to everyone you know!

Advertising specials going on NOW!!

Please thank those advertisers in this issue,

because of them we can continue to promote

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Letter to the :

If you're less than thrilled on Monday, the ennui shouldn't last long -- by Tuesday and Wednesday, your

energy's sizzling hot. All things romance-related have a fire under them now, so get some sweet stuff cook-

ing! The end of the workweek looks rather emotional. Will you be the master of your ups and downs -- per-

haps by exercising, meditating or simply sorting through stuff in your head

You may want to keep stuff to yourself a bit on Tuesday and Wednesday, when all things are in flux. Go

with the proverbial flow -- you're great at it. Be sure to keep those options open. At the end of the work-

week, love's the focus -- who are you seeing and how do they look right about now?

your orbit is definitely gaining speed, and your quick thinking and wit make for some real opportunities. In

what areas will you direct your efforts? Around the end of the workweek, home and your comfort zone are

important. Make sure you're renewing yourself amid life's bustle. As for the weekend, create a great date or

find a fabulous party

when your willpower (plus a little extra charm) can get you nearly anywhere (or anyone!). By Tuesday and

Wednesday, the cosmic energy's more at odds with your nature, and you could find yourself doing some-

thing out of character -- making a sudden snap decision or just wasting time. But you find your pace again

and then some at the end of the workweek

Monday's about being consistent -- show 'em you do indeed have the ability to follow up and follow

through. Tuesday and Wednesday are much more free-form and creative; your social side's out to play, and

people are loving you and your many-splendored ways. Is that love in the air? With you around, signs point

to yes!

The odder the idea, the more you should consider it on Monday. By Tuesday and Wednesday, communica-

tion is in the stars for you, but that doesn't mean it's automatically smooth. Take care to make yourself un-

derstood, especially with family or a significant other. Then, at the end of the workweek, all your signature

traits are highlighted --

Yes, you're good at what you do, but make an effort to recognize others on Monday, too -- it's all about bal-

ance. By Tuesday and Wednesday, though, things tend to balance themselves, and you're pretty much a

treasure to those around you, whether in work, play or love. Hint: Ask them for their input on a certain deci-

sion -- they'll love it,

Be proactive and make a minor but positive change. By Tuesday and Wednesday, work or communication

issues surface -- could it be that your usual attention to detail is slipping? Reread, double-check and check

in, whether it's with your boss, a friend or a certain someone. You're warm and wonderful at the end of the

workweek as the give-and-take of life nurtures you,

Good manners count on Monday, and you might have to do more than your fair share in this regard. Take

the high road -- you look good up there. On Tuesday or Wednesday, a one-on-one looks extremely produc-

tive. Will it be a brainstorming session, a negotiation, a heart-to-heart? Bring a new idea to whatever kind of

meeting you set up. At the end of the workweek,

you can get a better read on all sorts of situations; all you need to do is look closely, particularly before you

leap (and particularly if money and other people are involved). A lesson from the past can help, too. An un-

usual experience creates a real bond at the end of the workweek, building work relationships or intensifying

romantic ones.

Buckle down and deal on Monday; the stars reward steady stuff like finishing a project, calling your family

and exercising. And never fear -- things get more interesting by Tuesday and Wednesday, even alarmingly

so. Life looks busy now, and the potential for change is tremendous. If you want to move from talk into ac-

tion, now's the time!

Monday's about both work and play, so create a balance in your (probably very busy) day. By Tuesday and

Wednesday, the stars put the emphasis on the 'give' part of give and take. Count your lucky stars, and show

the universe your thanks for what you've got. You might donate your time or hard-earned cash, and show

your love to your loved ones (and, heck, even to strangers!)

My Pet is Sneezing and Snorting.

What's Going On?

Sneezing and snorting seem like obvious

enough actions to define, yet it's not always

easy to tell the difference between the two in

pets. Indeed, these two symptoms can some-

times look so similar so that many people use

the terms interchangeably.

Sneezing is generally defined as a sudden,

involuntary outflow of air from the lungs

through the nose and mouth. It's usually

caused in response to some irritant of the

upper airway, most often to the delicate mu-

cous membranes that line the nasal passages

.Snorting, by contrast, looks like and is de-

fined almost identically as a sneeze. The dif-

ference is that a sneeze is involuntary, while

a snort is a voluntary effort on the part of the

snorter.

Dogs and cats sneeze and snort for all sorts

of reasons related to the workings of the up-

per respiratory tract. Though many of them

are normal and benign responses to simple

irritation, some can signal infections, upper

airway obstructions and allergic disease,

among other conditions of the upper respira-

tory tract.

Sneezing: 1. Infectious diseases. Both cats

and dogs can suffer infectious diseases that

manifest - at least in part - as sneezing. In

fact, most any infectious disease that affects

the upper respiratory system can cause an

animal to sneeze. In dogs, anything from

kennel cough to distemper virus can cause

sneezing. In cats, viral upper respiratory in-

fections (such as feline herpesvirus) are the

most common culprits.

2. Upper airway obstructions. Anything

from cancers to polyps to foreign bodies to

excess tissue in the upper airways (most

commonly the result of brachycephalic syn-

drome seen in short-headed breeds) can

cause irritation of the nasal passages and,

therefore, sneezing.

3. Allergies (or other diseases of the im-

mune system). Though allergic rhinitis is

nowhere near as common in pets as humans,

it does occur. Dogs and cats both are suscep-

tible to allergies that affect the nasal passages

as well as to nasal inflammation for a variety

of other immune system-related processes.

4. Inhaled irritants. Dust, perfumes, carpet

powders, pollen and other common inhaled

irritants can cause sneezing in dogs and cats.

Page 10: April 18, 2013 Edition

Page 10 The EMERALD STAR NEWS, Inc. Thursday, April 18, 2013

Dental School To Come To DFS

As reported by WZEP AM1460 We can release the details of that proposal coming to the former Microspine building in DeFu-

niak Springs. The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) has announced plans

to bring much needed dental healthcare to the Florida Panhandle community of DeFuniak

Springs, where the college has purchased a medical arts building that will become home to a

LECOM School of Dental Medicine patient clinic.

Like many parts of Florida, the company believes DeFuniak Springs lies in a region lacking

sufficient oral health care physicians. The state ranks third in the nation, behind California and

Texas, in its number of communities designated as Dental Health Physician Shortage Areas.

With one-out-of five residents lacking insurance, the burden falls on Florida emergency rooms

where treating preventable dental conditions costs more than $88 million. DeFuniak Springs

proximity to I-10 will enable the clinic to treat patients from both rural Florida and parts of

Alabama.

Doctor and Lawyer Durell Peaden, Jr., M.D., J.D., a member of the LECOM Board of Trus-

tees, says there is an overwhelming need for physicians and dentists in more than 30 counties

near this location. He says the presence of a dental clinic in DeFuniak Springs will improve the

health status of the community by providing comprehensive care and general dentistry for all

age groups. Dr. Peaden served as the area’s State Senator for 10 years.

When it opens in 2015, the clinic off Coy Burgess Loop will have 30 dental treatment rooms to

serve patients who face challenges in obtaining necessary dental care. Students, under the di-

rect supervision of licensed dental faculty, are expected to see 150 patients per day. The dental

clinic will have a direct economic impact on the local area. It would effectively provide 24

new jobs, including one full-time dentist and 12 part-time dental faculty members.

Former City of DeFuniak Springs Councilman Mac Work said the dental patient clinic will be

a “godsend to health care in the area.” He says this will have a huge economic impact for the

city. Work says there’s a large population of people in this area and surrounding counties who

are in need of the services that LECOM is going to provide.

Beginning in the fall of 2015, the first 50 LECOM dental students will move to this commu-

nity and begin a 48-week primary care clinical rotation. They will provide total comprehensive

dental care to qualified patients. Students will work in two shifts at the patient clinic – 7 a.m.-1

p.m. and 1-7 p.m. Each year, a new class of dental students will move to the area to complete

their final year of clinical training. Patients on a fixed income or with Florida medical assis-

tance may qualify for services. Fees at the LECOM School of Dental Medicine clinic are ap-

proximately 60 percent less than the customary rates of local area providers.

The LECOM School of Dental Medicine opened in July 2012 to an inaugural class of 100 stu-

dents. First-year dental students are already providing patient care at the school’s clinic at

Lakewood Ranch near Bradenton.

WC BCC Meeting Review

A long Walton Commissioner meeting covered many topics from the re-cently vacated County Administrator position, to the search for a TDC Di-rector to road paving, fire tax and trams. The commissioners met at 4pm Tuesday for a meeting that ended around 10pm.

The Walton Commissioners picked the top ranked firms for the County Roads 3280 and 183 projects, approved purchasing roll off garbage contain-ers, engineering services agreements and to allow Public Works to construct additional parking at Bay Elementary as it improves the pick-up and drop-off lanes. The commissioners will advertise for pharmacy services for the jail and agreed to a proclamation recognising National Library Week and the work the librarians do. Rick Wilson provided a technology report. The com-missioners agreed to spend $20,000 out of the contingency fund to provide more audio.

Commissioners agreed to have Gerry Demers carry on the duties with full administrator powers and to use FAC to search for a new administrator. Commissioner Sara Comander suggested letting someone who knows lead-ership work to manage the TDC until a new director can be found. Commis-sioners agreed to have Corrections Director Stan Sunday fill in. Former TDC Director Dawn Moliterno completed her last job function Tuesday morning. The South Walton Turtle Watch was selected for the same rate and scope to monitor the aquatic visitors.

Government Services Group is completing the fire services rate review. The fire chiefs will meet to find out the recommendations. The commissioners will hold a meeting on April 29th at 4:00pm in the courthouse in DeFuniak Springs for the fire study presentation. They could set the rate for the fire districts in north Walton.

Under the county attorney's time the commissioners approved; renewing the agreement with DFS for the garbage sales tax, agreement with law firms, scheduled an executive session for a settlement agreement, found out they can charge an admission fee for Morrison Springs and look at using a vendor to help manage the park and sell diving supplies and agreed to release a lien. They will hold a workshop Wednesday, May 1st at the DFS courthouse to discuss Morrison Springs. The commissioners will hold a meeting on the 19th at 1:30pm to discuss the BP claim. To help Seaside School, the com-missioners created an exception for the placement of a school near alcohol sales. This is to be able to use donated property by having the same right as churches have in the same situation. Resident David Kramer said the dis-tance from alcohol sales laws are no longer needed due to new laws that cover things like drunk driving, laws he said were not in place when the dis-tance laws were established. He asked to further reduce or even remove

Spend Earth Day with the Biophilia Nature Experts!

Saturday, April 20th 10:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.

This family centered event will feature bluegrass music with Franko

and the Fiends, festival food, great raffle prizes, environmental

demos and exhibits, animal ambassadors, arts and crafts, hikes, a

children's garden, traditional Muscogee Indian dancing, Marine touch

tanks, face painting, unveiling of the new "W.O.W"-World of Won-

der, and so much more. The Earth Day Festival starts at 10:00 a.m.

and goes until 3:00 p.m.

Tickets are just $2 and children under six get in free.

Food, raffle tickets, and merchandise will be available for purchase.

Visit our Website or Facebook page for more info.

www.eowilsoncenter.org

Page 11: April 18, 2013 Edition

Talking Turkey

Spring has officially sprung in Florida and it

means spring gobbler season is in full swing.

FWC Division of Law Enforcement Community

Relations Coordinator Katie Purcell, herself an

avid hunter and fisherman talks about the story

of the wild turkey in Holmes County as a prime

example of the tangible impact FWC officers

have made on conservation efforts and the rela-

tionship they have with stakeholders.

In 1997, Officer Larry Morris, an FWC officer in

Holmes County who has served since 1990, noticed a disturbing lack of wild turkeys

in the county. Through his consistent communication with landowners and other

members of the community, he learned that others shared his concern and were in-

terested in doing something about it. Through biological surveys, FWC biologist

Larry Perrin led a team that confirmed there were no wild turkeys anywhere in

Holmes County.

In 1998, the FWC closed Holmes County to turkey hunting. For the next two years,

FWC biologists and officers, including Officer Larry Morris, worked with stake-

holders and partner organizations like the National Wild Turkey Federation to trap

121 wild turkeys from other parts of the Panhandle and relocate them to Holmes

County. The population boomed, as everyone had hoped.

In addition to enforcement efforts after the turkeys were released, FWC officers con-

tinued their outreach, passing along important information from FWC biologists.

They spoke to landowners, hunters, farmers and others about the need to protect the

restocked birds and encouraged them to improve the turkeys’ habitat through pre-

scribed burning, timber thinning and planting crops that benefit turkeys. They re-

ceived an overwhelming amount of support from the public – people were taking

ownership in the fight to conserve the area’s natural resources.

Today, the restoration of turkeys in Holmes County is considered a huge success.

There is a 16-day spring hunting season, including quota hunts on state lands. Recent

efforts have included annual population surveys, public meetings, one of which was

held in Bonifay this past February, and continued communication by FWC officers

with members of their communities.

While the FWC’s other divisions handle the research and management of fish and

wildlife populations, officers in the Division of Law Enforcement are often involved

in conservation projects like this one. As they interact with thousands of members of

the public each year and spend countless hours patrolling all of Florida’s diverse

environments, they are at times the first to learn about conservation issues.

You can help with FWC conservation efforts too. Attend a regularly scheduled Com-

mission meeting, introduce a child to the outdoors or talk to your local FWC officers

like Officer Larry Morris. They can serve you better if they know of conservation

concerns, suspected violations or other issues in your area. Their passion for the out-

doors inspired them to become FWC officers, and they’re here to work with you to

protect our valuable natural resources.

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This is our new web site:

Theemeraldstarnews.blogspot.com

New e-mail address:

[email protected]

NEW WEB SITE!!

Theemeraldstarnews.blogspot.com

Our new E-mail contact:

[email protected]

Community wide Youth gathering at:

Freeport Presbytery Church located on

Hwy. 20 near Frank’s Cash and Carry.

Every first Sunday of the month at 5:00

for games, fun and PIZZA!

For Sale

Here's a little secret for all you pro-

crastinators on Tax Day: The Internal

Revenue Service doesn't like to talk

about it, but as long as you don't owe

any additional taxes, there is no pen-

alty for filing a few days late.

The late filing penalty is usually 5

percent of the unpaid taxes for each

month a return is late. That can add up

quickly if you owe additional taxes.

But what if the unpaid taxes are zero?

Five percent of zero is ... zero!

However, if you wait more than three

years to file, you forfeit your refund.

So maybe it's better to file by Mon-

day, after all. Besides, if you're get-

ting a refund, why wait?

Page 12: April 18, 2013 Edition

Page 12 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Thursday, April 18, 2013

Ph: 850-835-4153 www.freeportwaterfront.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND PHOTOS - TEXT PROPERTY ID# TO 85377

WATERVIEW COVE - ID# T739502 4BR/2.5BA w/lots of curb appeal. Master BR on ground floor. Side load garage. Separate 30’x30’ shop/carport. $249,900

SWEET DEAL! - ID# T902669 3BR/1.5BA, 1,150 sq. ft. brick home near Four Mile Creek. Split floorplan. Two out-buildings. Adjoining lot available. $106,900

MOVE IN READY! - ID# T606002 3BR/2BA, 1,216 SF on 1+ acre in DFS area. Oversized kitchen. Carport, fenced backyard, above ground pool w/deck. $74,900

POTENTIAL-TAKE A LOOK! ID#T908217 Older 3BR/1BA Florida cottage w/wood floors. Residential/investment/commercial. Needs TLC, can be a gem! CW&S. $63,500

MALLET BAYOU - ID# T88494 REDUCED 3BR/2BA, 1,514 SF split BR plan. His/hers closets. Dock w/pwr & water, fenced yard. Sold As-Is. $224,500

MULTIPLE LOTS AVAILABLE! Magnolia Baye S/D in Black Creek! 0.31 ac wooded lot w/minimal restrictions. CW available. Close to boat launch. $24,900

CUSTOM DFS LAKEFRONT ID# T863921 3BR/2BA w/dock on Lake Opal. Split BR plan. S/S appliances. Tile floors. MBR overlooks lake & covered porch. $189,900

Waterfront 4BR/3.5BA w/almost 2,400SF on 1.3 ac. Home has a warm feeling with tongue & groove wood flooring, crown moulding, twenty-foot ceiling in foyer, nine-foot ceilings throughout, & many extras! Covered boatlift w/power, water & lights in place on dock. Inviting screened porch overlooks Bayou. ID# T88497 $395,000

LaGrange Bayou

ACREAGE - HOME - SHOP ID# T88495 1.79 acres with brick 3BR/2BA, 1800 SF on corner lot.

BONUS 30’ x 60’ metal workshop!! Short Sale, As-Is. ONLY $169,500

ACREAGE SHORT SALE!

ESTATE SALE - ID# T756581 Exclusive Bay Harbour! City W&S, under-ground utilities. Corner lot adjoining nature preserve. Greatly reduced price! $22,500


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