’s Florid rby a St l I or il ie s SRWMD Gets W Check out the $1.8 mil for Flood Bronson Lady Eagles Mapping and WHS Alumni Day Illustration by Alexander Key game Night Drifts on the See page See page 6A Suwannee: Journey’s End See page 3A Levy Life 8B Your Locally-Owned Paper of Record since 1923 VOL. 88, NO. 29 THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 50 CENTS Operation One Eyed Jack Lifelong Lighter’d Wood Sting in Williston Nets Collection Goes Up in Drugs, Money, and Guns Flames on Christmas Eve – Reward Levy County Sheriff ’s Department and Crime Stoppers are looking for the perpetrators of an arson crime committed sometime late in the day on Christmas Eve 2011 at two locations: one approximately 2 miles south of Chiefl and and Darryl Sherod James Quinton Harris the second fi re 2 ½ miles south of Chiefl and off U.S. Hwy 19. By Kathy Hilliard Th e owner was out of town and Editor the crime was not discovered until late Christmas day. A Community leaders in Williston had enough with the goings on at a lifetime collection of precious home on NE 11th Street and complained to just the right people. Th e lighter’d wood went up in Tire track of suspects truck Levy County Sheriff ’s Offi ce, the Williston Police Department and the smoke when a person or persons Chiefl and Police Department joined forces and executed a search warrant at the home called the Gambling House used by 50-year-old Darryl Sherod James. Eight people were arrested in the sting which had Drug Task Force Agents making undercover drug buys in December of 2011. James sold marijuana and powdered cocaine to the agents. Th e Gambling House was a known hub of criminal activity including illegal gambling, selling and using drugs, selling alcohol and cigarettes without a license and renting out the back bedroom for prostitution activities. Reports state that as many as 40 to 50 people would be on the premises on any given night and in the past have become very combative towards Williston Police offi cers conducting traffi c stops, according to the Levy County Sheriff ’s offi ce. But Friday the 13th of this month was very unlucky for this group at the Gambling House as agents shut down the illegal activities after dark as the successful conclusion to Operation One Eyed Jack as it was dubbed by continued on page 5A Lighter’d wood pile foundation 4.5' h x 35' wide after torching. torched the two collection sites. Th e resulting fi re areas for full sun on a concrete foundation of broken did spread to the outlying areas but thankfully no concrete “rip-rap” for drainage and rot prevention. homes were damaged and there were no vehicular One foundation was approximately 4.5’ tall and 35’ accidents due to the smoke on Hwy 19; however, wide and the second approximately 4’ tall and 40’ approximately 15 acres of pine forest was burned. wide. Th ere were two separate collection piles, each Law enforcement has pictures of the tire tracks and being more than two tractor trailer loads of wood, is asking for help from the community to solve this mounded up on both foundations resembling an crime. Several tire tracks were left on salamander old fashion bee-hive or haystack. Th is takes time mounds, also known as “pocket gophers,” and were and eff ort. Each was located in two separate areas, Daniel Joiner Manuel Terrell Jr. made very evident by there being no tracks through more than walking distance apart on a private farm. the burnt grass Th e arsonists appeared to be very familiar with the but tracks did farm. It did not seem to matter to the arsonists show up on the that it took a lifetime to collect and save this wood soft sand mounds. as they burned it up in a few short hours. Years of Th ere are several accumulating fence rails, fence post, lighter’d cut suspects under snags, lighter’d knots and other pieces of high-grade investigation. A heart pine are now gone and the only things left are reward is being the foundations. Th is collection would have lasted off ered for the approximately 100 or more years and was kept for information posterity! Th is collection would have outlasted the leading to an owner! No amount of money could replace the time arrest. and eff ort lost here. Southern culture has always Each of the respected and held a person’s lighter’d pile as sacred! two collection If you have any knowledge of this crime please sites were contact Crime Stoppers at 1-877-349-8477 (TIPS). centered in open You do not have to give any personal information; Second location of lighter’d wood pile foundation 4’x 40’ wide continued on page 5A Florida Department of Corrections to Close Prisons, Work Camps As a result of declining prison Among those being closed, listed But with the savings to the and closing our older, less effi cient admissions and excess bed space, below, will be the Levy Forestry department also comes the facilities. We are committed to the Florida Department of Camp near Bronson which is end of 1,293 full-time jobs. placing as many aff ected staff as Corrections will be closing seven part of Marion County’s Lowell Th e International Brotherhood possible in vacant positions for prisons and four work/forestry Correctional Institution and the of Teamsters Local 2011 that which they are qualifi ed.” camps by July 1, 2012, as part of a Gainesville Correctional Institution represents the corrections employees Inmates will be relocated to statewide consolidation plan. No on NE 39 Avenue in Gainesville. is strongly opposed to the closings institutions with vacancies that inmates will be released early as a Around the state all 11 closures but Dept. of Corrections Secretary meet their custody, profi le, health, result of this decision, and there will save the Department of Ken Tucker said, education and risk assessment will remain adequate bed space Corrections almost $15 million for “Declining prison admissions needs. to accommodate projected prison the rest of the current fi scal year has led to a surplus of prison beds, To determine which prisons admissions, which have steadily and nearly $76 million for the next allowing us to pare down our and facilities would be aff ected, decreased since FY 2007-08. fi scal year. budget shortfall by consolidating continued on page 2A www.levyjournalonline.com 2A The Levy County Journal Your Locally-Owned Paper of Record since 1923 January 19, 2012 Levy County Levy County’s Most Wanted Sheriff ’s Offi ce Jail Report Barclay, Melissa L., 37, of Williston: OUT –OF-COUNTY WARRANT x 3. Byram Jr., Mark, 21, of Cross City: OUT-OF-COUNTY WARR ANT. Flacklam, Amber Lewis, John V McPherson, Powell, Jennifer E Rowe, Melissa Ann Skelly, Timothy A Colson, Shea Jacob, 21, of Gulf Hammock: BURGLARY OF A Williston Hanford M Bronson Old Town Trenton UNOCCUPIED DWELLING UNARMED; GRAND Chiefl and FTA BATTERY Bronson MARIJUANA FTA DWLSR LARCENY, THEFT AT LEAST $300 BUT LESS THAN $5K. FTA MAKE $65,000 BOND VOP DEAL PRODUCING KNOWINGLY DEAL IN Cottrell, William Jensen, 31, of Williston: BATTERY FALSE REPORT IN STOLEN $10,000 BOND $2,000 BOND STOLEN PROP WITH INTENTIONAL TOUCH OR STRIKE. $10,000 BOND PROPERTY $10,000 BOND Douglas, Amanda Jean, 32, of Morriston: VOP x 8. NO BOND Harris, Jermaine Levon, 34, of Williston: POSSESSION/ USE OF DRUG EQUIPMENT. OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE WITHOUT BODILY HARM OR DISABILITY; BURGLARY OF Harris, Quinton Lamar, 28, of Williston: POSSESSION A PRESCRIPTION; POSSESSION OF OCCUPIED CONVEYANCE UNARMED; ROBBERY OF MARIJUANA NOT MORE THAN 20 GRAMS; METHAMPHETAMINE WITH INTENT TO SELL/ WITH NO FIREARM OR WEAPON; GRAND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE WITHOUT MANUFACTURE/DELIVER. THEFT OF AT LEAST $300 BUT LESS THAN $5K. VIOLENCE. James, Darryl S., 50, of Williston: MFG SCHEDULE I Rose, John Uriah, 60, of Inglis: DRIVING WHILE Henderson, Amos McHenry, 34, of Chiefl and: FAILURE OR III OR IV HALLUCINOGEN x 2; POSSESSION/ LICENSE SUSPENDED, HABITUAL OFFENDER. TO APPEAR. MFG OF SCH I, III, IV HALLUCINOGEN WITHIN Sandstrom, Raymond, 33, of Interlachen: OUT-OF- Hill, Kelvin Shantel, 29, of Williston: POSSESSION OF 1000 FT OF SPECIFIED AREA x 2; POSSESSION OF COUNTY WARRANT. METHAMPHETAMINE WITH INTENT TO SELL/ METHAMPHETAMINE WITH INTENT TO SELL/ Sassany, Louis, 37, of Bell: PETIT THEFT 2ND DEGREE, MANUFACTURE/DELIVER; POSSESSION OF MANUFACTURE/DELIVER x 2; POSSESSION 1ST OFFENSE. NOT MORE THAN 20 GRAMS OF MARIJUANA; OF METHAMPHETAMINE WITHIN 1000 Shiver Jr., Raymond Shelton, 26, of Williston: GRAND POSSESSION OF COCAINE; POSSESSION AND/OR FEET OF SPECIFIED AREA x 2; ILLEGAL SALE THEFT OF AT LEAST $300 BUT LESS THAN USE OF DRUG EQUIPMENT; OUT-OF-COUNTY OF BEVERAGES; GAMBLING OR GAMES OF $5K; OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE WITHOUT WARR ANT. CHANCE. VIOLENCE. Holifi eld, Ernest Edward, 30, of Old Town: DEALING IN Joiner, Daniel Benard, 21, of Williston: POSSESSION OF Smith, Joseph Lee, 30, of Old Town: PETIT THEFT 2ND STOLEN PROPERTY. NOT MORE THAN 20 GRAMS OF MARIJUANA; DEGREE, 1ST OFFENSE; OBSTRUCTION OF Hooper, Nicole Diann, 21, of Chiefl and: AGGRAVATED POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE WITH JUSTICE WITHOUT VIOLENCE. ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON INTENT TO SELL/MANUFACTURE/DELIVER. Spivey, Cory Stephen, 24, of Spring Hill: DUI ALCOHOL WITHOUT INTENT TO KILL; BATTERY WITH Kirkland, Jeff ery Scott, 44, of Trenton; POSSESSION OR DRUGS. INTENTIONAL TOUCH OR STRIKE; GRAND 4 GRAMS TO UNDER 30 KILOGRAMS Terrell Jr., Manuel Lynn, 22, of Williston: POSSESSION OF THEFT OF AT LEAST $300 BUT LESS THAN OF MARIJUANA; USE OF A 2-WAY NOT MORE THAN 20 GRAMS OF MARIJUANA.