HOMECOMING: SEE PHOTOS FROM MILTON HIGH’S CELEBRATION PAGE B1 Santa Rosa’s Press Who got married? Who filed for divorce? Find out Gazette on Page A5 Tweet us @srpressgazette and like us on facebook.com Wednesday, October 9, 2013 Find breaking news at www.srpressgazette.com 75 cents Deputies: Pace man pulls gun on neighbor By JASON JANDURA A Charlene Drive resident the vehicle. in a hole,” according to the confronted the man, telling 623-2120 told cops he was standing in The victim said he con- report. him to stay off his property [email protected] his garage with another per- fronted Punzone, who ac- The victim and the other or there would be repercus- son in the Chantilly neigh- cused him of burglarizing person present told deputies sions. Punzone also said he A Pace man pulled a gun borhood off U.S. 90 in Pace. cars in the neighborhood. they feared for their lives. returned later to apologize. on his neighbor and threat- He said a white Toyota Co- The 51-year-old New Yorker Punzone later told author- Deputies arrested and ened to shoot him after ac- rolla slowly drove down the pulled a silver and black ities some of the neighbors charged Punzone with two cusing him of breaking into street and stopped just past handgun from behind his had “pointed fingers” at the counts of aggravated assault CARL cars in the neighborhood, his house. Reports say Carl back and pointed it in the air, Charlene Drive regarding with a weapon without intent PUNZONE according to a sheriff’s office Punzone, 51, originally from saying, “I’m going to put a recent vehicle burglaries in to kill. He was issued a $15,000 report. Brooklyn, N.Y., stepped out of bullet in your head and you the area. Punzone said he bond and has been released. 2 accidents NJROTC performs COPS: leave 1 Wanted man dead roommate By LYNNE HOUGH 623-3616 [email protected] went out A Cantonment man was killed Sunday on Interstate 10 after a crash in which he was ejected from fighting his vehicle. Brandon Earl Dubose, 25, was going east on I10, according to the By JASON JANDURA Florida Highway Patrol, when for 623-2120 unknown reasons, his vehicle trav- [email protected] eled off the roadway, continuing in an easterly direction until it struck A Pace woman was attacked two pine trees. with a knife last week after she dis- Upon impact, troopers say the covered her roommate had active car, a 2010 Volkswagen, started ro- warrants for his arrest, according tating clockwise and overturned to a Santa Rosa several times, throwing Dubose out County Sheriff’s of the vehicle. He died at the scene. MARI KRUEGER | Special to the Press Gazette Office report. He was not wearing a seat belt at The Pace High School NJROTC performed at the Navy Ball on Saturday, Oct 5, Ronald Mc- the time of the crash and drug and with guest speaker Rear Adm. Donald P. Quinn, the Chief of Naval Education and Craney, 28, who alcohol tests are pending, troopers Training. goes by the alias say. “Tater Tot,” re- In an unrelated accident on cently moved into Monday, a Milton man driving an 18- RONALD a home in the wheeler was cited for careless driv- MCCRANEY 5400 block of Hol- ing after the cover on the trailer of ley Street. When his truck pulled down a power line Son charged with taking mom’s truck his new roommate found out Mc- and a power pole. Craney, 28, had warrants against The action caused the power By JASON JANDURA the 5700 block of Meadow keys were gone and two pre- him, she asked him to leave. pole to come in front of a 2014 Jeep 623-2120 Road in Milton, was work- scriptions were missing. According to a police report, Cherokee driven by Wilmer Hayes, [email protected] ing on his mother’s blue 1990 The mother received a while McCraney was gathering his 67, Pensacola. Hayes hit the pole Chevrolet truck in the yard. phone call from a woman belongings, he began arguing the with a power line across the Jeep. A man was arrested after His mother last saw him at who said Mendez and the woman, pushing her against a wall Troopers say Jeffrey L. Leon- allegedly stealing his moth- 3:30 a.m. truck were at her house. and placing a utility knife against ard, 43, Milton, was going south on er’s truck early one morn- According to reports, The truck was located in the her throat as he yelled at her. Palafox Street, south of Texar Drive ing last week, according to a when she woke up around 4200 block of Burbank Drive McCraney and his girlfriend left in the outside lane when the trailer Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s 6 a.m., she found that her in Bagdad. The woman said the residence, taking his belong- cover pulled the lines down. Office report. truck was gone. She checked ings. The victim’s cell phone and No one was hurt in the accident. Matthew Mendez, 29, of her purse and realized her See TRUCK A2 keys also were taken. Deputies began searching for McCraney. They found his belong- ings and victim’s phone and keys AUTUMN RUN at the end of the street. Deputies said McCraney was no- Organizers of the Riverwalk Run 5K where to be found in the local area. anticipated 700-plus participants They checked on another possible in a refreshing, late-afternoon 3.1- location in the 5700 block of Pebble mile run/walk through the town’s Drive in Milton and found Mc- historical and cultural districts, Craney sitting on the front porch. including the backdrop of the He was arrested and taken into Blackwater River, according to custody. Two knives were found in McCraney’s back pocket, match- Beaches to Woodlands officials. ing the description provided by the The fifth-annual event, because of victim, according to police. the moderate autumn temperatures, McCraney was charged with provides one of the most enjoyable two counts of larceny, felony viola- road race/walk experiences in the tion of probation, aggravated as- region. sault with a weapon and battery. He was booked to the Santa Rosa DANIEL THAMES | Special to the Press Gazette County Jail with no bond. Jim Fletcher TABLE OF CONTENTS Publisher Obituaries ........................................ A4 Lifestyle ........................................... B1 623-2120 Opinion ........................................... A8 Sports........................................... B2-3 [email protected] Diversions ......................................A10 Classifieds ........................................ B5 Volume 105 Issue 81 10650494 A2 | Santa Rosa’s Press Gazette Local Wednesday, October 9, 2013 PIZZA! PIZZA! Commissioners cast doubt on old proposal format By JASON JANDURA [email protected] “The favorites of some 623-2120 didn’t make it to the top. With time winding down on the cur- That’s no reason for a rent Navarre Pier operating contract, the Board of County Commissioners is do-over. It’s our job to get seeking to scrap the current propos- als on the table and redo the process it right, not necessarily with a clean slate, using a new set of be popular.” rules after a lawsuit was filed against the county. “We’re running out of time,” Com- Commissioner Jim Melvin missioner Lane Lynchard said. “The contract is up less than three months away. We’ve managed to make every- the pier during a hurricane, stating body unhappy with the way things were any liability issues would eventually done before.” fall to the taxpayers of the county. He Lynchard proposed the board devel- also said there have been recent com- op a specific, narrow request for pro- plaints of nudity and illegal activities at posal format with requirements that the pier. ultimately would be entered into a new “I’ve tried to ignore some of the contract. Any past problems would be drinking and carrying on,” Couey said. addressed with amendments to the “There’s a problem with illegal drugs contract. down there.” “I don’t know who would get the Commissioner Jim Melvin echoed contract if we put out another bid,” similar concerns regarding the deci- Lynchard said. “This is the first time sion to open the pier during a hurri- in 20 years that an applicant received cane, calling it a high dollar liability. He three votes and was not awarded the said he disagreed with decisions made contract.” during the past three years Pier Inc. Pasco Gibson and Yolanda Wells has been the operator. He referenced emerged as the top-ranked proposal the choice to shut down the pier for a in August over the current operating private wedding and a lack of coopera- company, Pier Inc. The board voted 3-2 tion with the company with its condo to reconsider the ranking system and association neighbors as some of his was set to vote on proceeding with the reasons for ranking Pier Inc. in last current operator, who was ranked in place out of five. the No. 2 spot. Gibson and Wells filed a “I firmly believe we have obligated lawsuit to stall the impending vote. ourselves to the low-ranked proposal,” Citizen watchdog Jerry Couey ques- Melvin said. “My decision is not based tioned the board on changing a long- on personality. It’s based on perfor- standing ranking system. He said Gib- mance. It’s just business.” son was congratulated on winning the Melvin urged the other commission- contract and entered negotiations with ers to explain their votes but did not county staff. Reversing the decision garner any response. JASON JAndurA | Press Gazette now raised concerns on the potential “I don’t know what the problem is,” Construction workers secure a sign in place for a new franchise moving into impact of future bids in the county.