Flooding Still an Issue County: Get LOCAL a List of Roads with Debris to Water-Related Issues Right-Of-Way 12A by Jan
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Jackson County’s newspaper since 1923 $1.00 SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 2019 Vol. 96 No. 4 Cemetery MUST Search on for help with storm-struck graves BY DEBORAH BUCKHALTER was down. It was impossible to READS dbuckhalter@jcfloridan.com drive on into to the cemetery itself, because of those toppled M Jerold and Annette Per- pines. The drive-through en- kins have lovingly tended trance is completely blocked the graves of Jerold’s parents by one big tree, and many oth- and grandparents for years in ers are downed in the burial Dykes Cemetery. It’s located fi eld itself. off State Road 73 South, near But Jerold was determined to Holly Grove Baptist Church. get to his parents. The 72-year- They drove to the cemetery old had to walk through the soon after Hurricane Mi- wreckage to get a better look. chael to see whether it had He found trees over their suffered damage. graves, and many others. The MARK SKINNER/FLORIDAN What they found was a tangle cemetery is the resting place Trees that were brought down by Hurricane Michael have turned parts of up uprooted pines — almost Dykes Cemetery into an obstacle course for people wishing to visit their every tree in the burial fi eld See CEMETERY, Page 12A loved ones’ graves. SPORTS Cottondale tops rival HURRICANE MICHAEL Graceville in high school girls basketball 1B Flooding still an issue County: Get LOCAL A list of roads with debris to water-related issues right-of-way 12A by Jan. 20 Special to the Floridan Jackson County Commission- ers on Friday sent the following press release, which contains a suggested date for getting storm debris to the right-of-way, and other critical information related to Hurricane Michael and its af- termath: MARK SKINNER/FLORIDAN Debris pick-up continues Highway 162 has been closed between Greenwood and Highway 231 because of water over the road. throughout Jackson County in NATION Traffic is being detoured to Dudley and Holyneck Roads. the aftermath of Hurricane Mi- chael. The Florida Department Workers get $0 pay of Transportation took over the Roads, land still saturated with water from Michael fi nancial responsibility for de- stubs as shutdown BY DEBORAH BUCKHALTER On one hand, local officials cleared. And more than tree bris removal shortly after the dbuckhalter@jcfloridan.com are encouraging people to limbs sit in the way of ac- storm, upon instruction from drags on get their debris to the right- complishing their tasks as the State. By mid-December, Hurricane Michael lasted of-way as soon as possible, quickly as Cain and the frus- FDOT oversaw the removal of only a few hours on Oct. 10, so it can be hauled away by trated public would like. The approximately 706,000 cubic 7A 2018, but three months later, contractors with fi nancial crew has almost 800 miles of yards of debris from the state its devastation continues to help from the Federal Emer- dirt roads to deal with at any highway system roads in Jackson be felt in significant ways. gency Management Agen- given time. County. A second round of debris INSIDE TODAY’S FLORIDAN As Jan. 10, rolled around cy. Very soon now, FEMA’s Normally, rain-displaced removal has begun and FDOT CLASSIFIEDS 4B this Thursday, several roads involvement will end and dirt that makes is way from anticipates completing this by HEALTH 9A or sections of them are un- the debris not on the right- those roadbeds into ditches mid-February. They are asking STATE 6A derwater as the result of of-way in time will not get during heavy rains can be that Jackson County residents at- LOCAL 3A heavy rains in the days and moved under that federal as- scooped out and incorpo- tempt to place remaining debris weeks following the storm, sistance push. But because, rated back into the roadbed. for pick up at the right-of-way by OBITUARIES 11A and there’s more rain in the in most cases, the right-of- But the rain won’t stop. Much January 20. OPINION 4A forecast for the weekend. way is such a narrow strip, of that dirt is just too muddy Jackson County representa- SPORTS 1B There are eight or 10 roads sometimes there’s little re- to move and use right now, tives have contacted State rep- that typically fl ood in heavy course but to put that debris and more keeps slipping in resentatives and submitted a rain events, but many more so close to the ditches that every time it rains hard. request for an extension of the OBITUARIES than usual are underwater some of it falls in. And some And with the storm debris agreement with FDOT, based this time around. people simply load it in there making drainage even more upon the negative fi nancial im- Storm debris in ditches on purpose because they see difficult as it blocks the nat- pact that resuming the fi nan- RONNIE B. FINCH isn’t helping matters, either. no alternative. ural fl ow and circumvents cial responsibility for debris GARY C. JONES Some of that debris dropped County Road and Bridge man-made drainage strate- removal would have on Jackson in directly during the storm. Superintendent Jayson Cain gies, it’s a real dilemma the County. PAGE 11A Some of it was pushed there and his team of heavy equip- crews and for the motorists An extension would provide by property owners try- ment operators, laborers and who must face those com- additional time for debris re- ing to get their land clear of drivers, which is short about promised roads and fi lled moval that would not need to be TODAY’S WEATHER downed trees and limbs big 20 crew members right now, ditches. funded by the County. County and small. The situation is a have their work cut out for officials are discussion options bit of a catch-22. them in getting the ditches See FLOODING, Page 11A for continued debris removal High: 66 after the agreement with FDOT Low: 58 expires, should an extension not be granted. Private Property Debris Re- moval should come into play PM Showers very soon. PPDR is intended to Details, 2A allow the debris removal com- panies to reach the debris on FOLLOW US the private property side of the right-of-way. It is not intended to allow debris removal com- panies to remove debris from all areas of an individual’s pri- vate property. Once started, representatives from the debris www.facebook. @JCFloridanNews companies and/or the moni- com/JCFLoridan toring organization will contact homeowners if paperwork is This Newspaper Is Printed On needed. Recycled Newsprint Many people in our com- munity are still dealing with DEBORAH BUCKHALTER/FLORIDAN A big dog keeps vigil over this fl ooded property on Birchwood Road near Grand Ridge/Cypress. See DEBRIS, Page 12A 2A N SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 2019 WAKE-UP CALL JACKSON COUNTY FLORIDAN N www.jcfloridan.com 5-DAY WEATHER OUTLOOK Enterprise 6262/55/55 Dothan ALABAMA 63/56 GEORGIA Donalsonville 66/566/577 Crestview Marianna 67/54 66/58 Tallahassee Pensacola FLORIDA 67/5/577 67/5/544 Panama City RIVER READINGS 66/60 Chipola (Marianna) — Observed: 15.38’ — Flood Stage: 18’ Chipola (Altha) — Observed: 19.93’— Flood Stage: 22’ Apalachicola (Woodruff Dam) — Observed: 60.71’ — Flood Stage: 66’ Apalachicola (Blountstown) — Observed: 20.49’ — Flood Stage: 17’ Choctawhatchee (Caryville) — Observed: 11.36’ — Flood Stage: 14’ NWS observed readings are latest available prior to press time. THE SUN & THE MOON MOON PHASES SATURDTURDAY SUNDAY MONMONDDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY ! ! ! ! Last First New Full ! Sunrise..................6:39 a.m. 66 64 57 56 59 Sunset...................4:59 p.m. ! 58 ! 46 ! 42 ! 39 ! 41 Moonrise ...............11:44 a.m. Moonset ................11:56 p.m. Jan. 29 Jan.14 Feb. 4 Jan. 21 PM Showers Partly Cloudy Cloudy Partly Cloudy Mostly Sunny From the Archives: 1973 EDITED BY ANGIE COOK acook@jcfl oridan.com Publisher — Valeria Roberts vroberts@jcfloridan.com A look back at local history as chroni- cled in the Jackson County Floridan. CONTACT US Telephone: 850-526-3614 Malone mayor likes to keep FAX: 850-482-4478 town clean Email: editorial@jcfloridan.com Someone once said,“If you want a job Street Address: well done, do it yourself,” and that is 4403 Constitution Lane just what the mayor of Malone, Robert Marianna, FL 32448 J. Watford, better known as“Bobby,” is doing. Office Hours: At a city council meeting soon after Weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the newly elected mayor had taken offi ce, numerous complaints of sloppy The Jackson County Floridan (USPS garbage pickup were discussed. 271-840) is published each Wednes- Being the youngest mayor Malone day and Saturday. Jackson County has ever had, and attempting to ease subscribers should receive their doubts about his abilities, the mayor just rolled up his sleeves, put on a mailed edition each Wednesday pair of gloves and met the problem and Saturday. If you did not receive head-on. your newspaper, contact customer Watford told the councilmen that since service at 850-526-3614. Peri- he had enough time off on Wednesday odical postage paid at Marianna, FL. and Thursday afternoons from his job Postmaster please send change of as assistant cashier at the Farmers Bank of Malone, he would collect the address to 4403 Constitution Lane, garbage himself until suffi cient help Marianna, FL 32448. could be hired. That was several months ago, and he’s SUBSCRIPTION RATES still on the job. Mail Delivery: 3 months, $20; — JACKSON COUNTY FLORIDAN, MONDAY, JAN.