Niceville, Bluewater Bay and Valparaiso Since 1992 (850) 678-1080 Tthhee Bbaayy Bbeeaaccoonn 14 Pages, 2 Sections, 4 Inserts Wednesday, March 7, 2012 50¢ up N
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[email protected] The voice of Niceville, Bluewater Bay and Valparaiso since 1992 (850) 678-1080 TThhee BBaayy BBeeaaccoonn 14 Pages, 2 Sections, 4 Inserts Wednesday, March 7, 2012 50¢ UP N. Bay Fire bookkeeper arrested MING CO By Del Lessard $100,000, and fraud, uttering false During an annual audit of the Later that day, Miller confronted Beacon Staff Writer instruments, according to sheriff's North Bay Fire Control District, Banegas, who allegedly admitted tak- Thursday, 2:45 p.m. A North Bay Fire Department arrest reports. accountant Bill Nunnally, of the dis- ing the money without permission. bookkeeper who was fired last month Banegas, the district's former trict's outside auditing firm, Carr, Banegas allegedly told Miller that he Staff Sgt. Jimmy was arrested Feb. 28, for allegedly administrative assistant and book- Riggs and Ingram, alerted Fire Chief would write himself a check, take Macon of the Niceville stealing thousands in tax monies. keeper, was released on a $4,000 Joe Miller Jan. 11 that during his ini- Miller's signature stamp from Miller's Police Department will Ralph Banegas, 59, of 4493 W. bond and has an April 3 court date. tial examination of the district's office while the chief was out, stamp be the guest speaker in Parkwood Lane, Niceville, was The sheriff's arrest reports gave books he found that Banegas, the the check, and return the stamp. the teen space area of arrested by Okaloosa County sheriff's the following account (dates were chief's administrative assistant, wrote Banegas allegedly also admitted deputies on charges of grand theft, supplied to the Beacon by the fire several checks to himself totaling the Niceville Public Please see ARRESTED, page A-5 Library. All area teens, more than $20,0000, but less than district): Ralph Banegas $23,411, above his normal pay. ages 13-17, are invited to hear Macon speak about issues that affect teens. Wing F-35 Info: Youth Services Deputies begin physical trials Department, 279-4863, ext. 1514. in 1st flight Thursday, 3:30 p.m. The Valparaiso Community from Eglin Library will By Del Lessard offer a Beacon Staff Writer beginner Tuesday was a historic day for the 33rd Fighter Spanish Wing as Air Force Lt. Col. Eric Smith flew the language wing's first F-35 fighter to take off from Eglin Air class, that will meet Force Base. every Thursday after- The new warplane took to the air for about 20 noon. The class will be minutes Tuesday morning before being forced to return prematurely due to a reported fuel leak. taught by Ruth Trott, and A total of nine F-35s, the nation'snewest strike the cost is free, except the textbook, $12. Please see F-35, page A-4 Info: 729-5406. Friday, noon There will be a free lunch time lecture at the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida. Catherine Nolan from Beacon photo by Del Lessard Cultural An F-35A landing at Eglin Air Force Base Tuesday. The craft's maiden flight from the base Resource was cut short by a fuel leak. Management on Eglin Air Force Base will pres- ent "Hinterland of an Empire: A Remote West Niceville mulls Florida British Colonial Site." Info: 678-2615. redevelopment Friday 5-8 p.m. on west side Lewis School will hold its Falcon Festival at the By Del Lessard school, 281 Mississippi and Mike Griffith Ave., Beacon Staff Valparaiso. Could a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) help revive Niceville's westside business There will district? be food, The Niceville City Council has asked the city jump manager to conduct an assessment of the need for houses, Beacon photos by Del Lessard such an agency. games and a cake walk. Okaloosa County sheriff's deputy Ethan Milonas, 33, draws his "With the economy as it is, a CRA might be The public is invited. weapon as he approaches a window Thursday on an obstacle course the way to pump up business," City Manager at Northwest Florida State College, Niceville. He was among the first Lannie Corbin told the Beacon. Tax funds gener- Info: Andrea Hill, 642- of the county's 267 deputy sheriffs to complete the course under new 1721. ated within a CRA can go directly back into fitness standards established by Sheriff Larry Ashley. Inset, Milonas' improving infrastructure within the boundaries of son, Ethan, 5, gives his dad a high-five as he rested in a patrol car such an agency, he said. Calendar, B-2 after finishing the one-third-mile course in 4 minutes, 19 seconds. Story, Page A-3. Bill McCartney, a consultant to the city, recently proposed creation of a CRA in Niceville to help Please see MULLS, page A-5 County scrimps on repaving Sitter nabbed 5 miles of Niceville streets set for resurfacing this year as jewel thief By Del Lessard secondhand dealer, one By Del Lessard many streets, depending on the Beacon Staff Writer count; and false ownership Beacon Staff Writer degree of damage that needs to information on pawned A total of 5.1 miles of county be repaired, according to John A Niceville woman faces Hofstad, Okaloosa County's pub- charges in connection with items, one count. streets in unincorporated Sheriff's arrest reports Niceville will be resurfaced this lic works director. the theft of more than Responsible for maintaining $20,000 in jewelry from a gave the following account: year. On Dec. 6, Last month the Okaloosa 650 miles of paved roads, 200 home where she deputies responded County Commission approved a miles of unpaved roads, and 75 was employed as a to the home of a $500,000 street resurfacing pro- miles of hybrid "cold-mix roads," baby-sitter, Bluewater Bay gram for 2012. Under the annual Okaloosa County over the past according to woman who report- discretionary spending program, four years has budgeted enough reports from the each of the five commissioners money to resurface all paved Okaloosa County ed the theft of sev- can allot up to $100,000 to resur- roads with the traditional 1.5-inch Sheriff's Office. eral pieces of jew- face roads that need it in his dis- asphalt overlay at the rate of once Lauren Jean elry. Missing were trict. every 140 years, Hofstad said. Gagnor, 22, of nine rings, five Although the Twin Cities area 1509 Pinehurst bracelets, 15 neck- is split among three county com- Please see COUNTY, page A-3 Cove, Niceville, laces, seven pairs of was arrested by Lauren Jean earrings, two mission districts, the only resur- Gagnor facing funds for the area are sheriff's deputies watches and nine included in Commissioner James Feb. 23 on charges of: grand charms with a value of Nutmeg Avenue, Niceville, is $43,620. Campbell's District 5 list. one of the county-maintained theft, more than $20,000, Because the county has more streets set for resurfacing this but less than $100,000, one According to the victim, roads than resurfacing funds, for year. count; dealing in stolen Gagnor had stayed at the the past couple of years the coun- property, two counts; false ty has been using a variety of less Beacon photo by Del Lessard statement of ownership to a Please see THIEF, page A-8 expensive methods to resurface The voice of Niceville, Bluewater Bay and Valparaiso since 1992 Page A-2 Wednesday, March 7, 2012 Niceville man arrested as a cocaine dealer By Del Lessard man in the 700 block of North ran away on Rhonda Kay Beacon Staff Writer Beal Parkway, Fort Walton Court, Fort Walton Beach. A Niceville man was arrest- Beach. The Frazier was tracked down ed Friday on cocaine traffick- victim, who about 450 feet away. A scale ing, firearm and other charges, stated he with cocaine residue and a $20 according to reports from the was con- bill were found on the ground Okaloosa County Sheriff's vinced he nearby. He had $6,545 in his Office. was going pockets. Deshaun Roosevelt Frazier, to be shot, In the car, deputies found a 26, of 902 Trout Creek Cove, reported bag of cocaine. Another bag was charged with trafficking that Frazier of cocaine, and a pistol, were cocaine, more than 200 grams; drove away found beside a road over fleeing and eluding; posses- in a white which the Cadillac had been sion of a firearm by a convict- Cadillac. Deshaun R. pursued. ed felon; aggravated assault; At 11 Frazier The gun matched the driving while license suspend- p.m., a deputy spotted a white description of the gun given by ed; and possession of drug Cadillac and activated his the victim. paraphernalia, according to the lights and sirens after the Total weight of the cocaine reports. speeding vehicle entered and was 218 grams, almost half a Sheriff's arrest reports gave left an apartment complex on pound. the following account: James Lee Road. On Monday, Frazier was On March 2, at 10:35 p.m., The pursuit lasted for about being held at the Okaloosa during an argument, Frazier a mile and a half. Then the County Jail. An April 3 court allegedly pointed a gun at a driver stopped the Cadillac and date has been scheduled. Booths Still Available For more info contact 850.863.5107 www.biaow.org trust – 1. 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