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Santa Rosa’s Press Pensacola Paracon coming Gazette Aug. 17 and 18 Tweet us @srpressgazette and like us on facebook.com SEE B3 Saturday, July 27, 2013 Find breaking news at www.srpressgazette.com 75 cents Animal cruelty couple could face prison By LYNNE HOUGH or distributing an animal with a day on a warrant issued after an complaints about Kirkham Kat- cause of positive feline leukemia 623-3616 contagious or infectious disease. undercover investigation revealed tery Rescue Inc. for years but had tests. More cats were put down [email protected] Parker said though a plea sick animals were being adopted been unable to gain access inside, in the days to follow. About 66 cats agreement might be available out from Kirkham Kattery Res- according to a sheriff’s report. remain at the shelter under quar- A married couple charged ear- to the Kirkhams, his office will cue Inc., according to sheriff’s Once sheriff’s investigators antine now. lier this month with animal cruelty be seeking prison time for these reports. completed a controlled adoption The community recently an- might be facing prison time, Assis- charges. Though the structure was a of cats from the rescue, there was swered the call for assistance from tant State Attorney James Parker The Kirkhams were arrested house in a residential neighbor- enough evidence to obtain a war- Santa Rosa Animal Services when said. He said officials in his office on July 1, each charged with hood off of Avalon Boulevard, it was rant and examine the remaining they announced they needed cat are pursuing additional charges health-safety of animals cause registered as a non-profit shelter. animals, according to reports. The chow and non-clumping cat litter. on Ella and Allen Kirkham, each cruel death, pain and suffering - As a non-profit, sheriff’s officials cats adopted by undercover sher- It will still be a while before offi- facing 31 counts of animal cruelty. third degree felony; health-safety say it had a certain amount of pro- iff’s deputies were ill with a litany cials at animal services know if the They have an arraignment date on nuisance injurious to health - sec- tection - more so than a business of diseases. cats are healthy enough for adop- these charges of Aug. 8 at 9 a.m. ond degree misdemeanor; and that would be regulated by law. Animal services employees, tion, according to County Spokes- Inside those 31 counts are 20 health-safety sell dispose let roam The case came to fruition when along with a volunteer veterinar- person Joy Tsubooka. Some felony counts of cruelty to animals, diseases animals - second degree Santa Rosa Animal Services re- ian, were with the seized cats until deadly diseases can lie dormant 10 misdemeanor counts of cruelty misdemeanor. ported to the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s after midnight that first evening. with no symptoms while exposing to animals and one count of selling 225 cats were seized that same Office, they had been receiving Eighty-six were euthanized be- healthy animals to the illnesses. Chumuckla building END OF AN ERA test results in By JASON JANDURA week. 623-2120 PSI Branch Manager [email protected] Keith Wasdin explained the results to the school board. School will proceed as The company consults for usual at Chumuckla Ele- Santa Rosa, Escambia and mentary School this year af- Okaloosa County school ter an independent company districts. checked the air quality and “When we are asked to gave it a clean bill of health do an investigation like this, to the almost 100-year-old we look at what the history building. of the site has been,” Was- Concerns regarding the din said. “Fortunately, the health and safety of Chu- school’s been there since muckla Elementary School 1921 or 1922. So that negated were raised last month in a lot of the things that we a letter sent to the school needed to test for; for in- board, prompting the dis- stance, if it was adjacent to trict to hire the independent an industrial site, or if it had contractor to perform qual- been a commercial site.” ity testing of the school. As far as history of the “I’m happy to say the site, it had been primarily results came back resound- agricultural and surrounded ingly positive for the school by a wooded area, so testing district,” Assistant Superin- for some industrial com- tendent Joey Harrell said. pounds was unnecessary, “That’s good for the safety according to Wasdin. and security of our students, “I see no concerns to im- as well as our teachers mediate health to students that teach in that building or faculty in the building,” everyday.” Wasdin said. “Like I said, The school board con- we’ve been through all the tracted with the state-cer- school in the district from JAY COPE | U.S. Navy tified inspection company Escambia to Okaloosa. For 1st Lt. Dave Zitelli, USAF, sits inside the T-6B “Texan II” where he flew his final event for primary Professional Services In- a building the age of that training with Training Squadron THREE last week. The flight served as the end of Air Force student dustries Inc. (PSI), who re- one, it’s in really, really good pilot training at Training Air Wing FIVE - after 18 years and 1,700 students who completed the vealed the results of a more condition.” program. than 100-page report at a school board meeting this See RESULTS A3 County officials want tax hike to pay for employee raises By JASON JANDURA cess,” Commissioner Jim Melvin it to our residents. Nobody wants critical.” the area—-because of step raises. 623-2120 said. “Watching it, it might not look a loss of services. Less officers. Hall is requesting $32,877,449 Hall said the sheriff’s office is [email protected] so tough. You have a tendency to Less potholes fixed.” this year, up from last year’s bud- doing a lot more with less. He said remember the number represent get of $29,865,795. there was a decrease in the crime Santa Rosa County Constitu- a lot of faces, people’s children and SHERIFF The sheriff said he is losing rate, down 14 percent from last tional Officers stood in support those in college.” Sheriff Wendell Hall made his some of his personnel, with years year —- a change from previous of raising taxes to fund raises for The Board of County Commis- case for a higher annual budget of training and experience, to oth- increases of 16 percent in 2011 and their departmental employees sioners would be able to fund the to the Board of County Commis- er, better paying jobs. He told the 7 percent in 2010. The number of during a budget proposal work- budget increases by raising prop- sioners, asking for a $1,000 dollar commission that turnover is get- officers per 1,000 citizens has been shop Tuesday morning. erty taxes from the current mill- annual increase for sworn law ting worse, losing nine officers so decreasing as well. The total budget is estimated age rate of 6.0953 to 6.2793. The enforcement officers. They have far this year, higher than previous “Santa Rosa County is growing, at $99,481,496, an increase of increase would cost property own- not seen a step increase since Oct. years. He says Santa Rosa County and other counties are actually $521,763 from last year’s budget ers an additional $18 per $100,000 2009. has always remained competi- losing people,” Hall said. “They of $98,959,733, according to County in property value. “It’s become a priority,” Hall tive, attracting the top talent at a are not happy with the crime rates Administrator Hunter Walker. “We owe it to our employees,” said. We have to do something starting salary on a lower tier—- “This is a very difficult pro- Chairman Bob Cole said. “We owe this year. We find other things compared to other departments in See TAX HIKE A3 Jim Fletcher TABLE OF CONTENTS Publisher Obituaries ........................................ A2 Lifestyle ........................................... B1 623-2120 Opinion ........................................... A6 Diversions ........................................ B4 [email protected] Sports.............................................A10 Classifieds ........................................ B5 Volume 105 Issue 60 NOT RECOGNIZING THE DIFFERENCE COULD BE FATAL. Indigestion can be a heart attack in disguise. 6002 Berryhill Road, Milton, FL 32570 850-626-7762 | SRMCFL.com 10650461 A2 | Santa Rosa’s Press Gazette Local Saturday, July 27, 2013 Community leaders celebrate 70 years of NAS Whiting By JASON JANDURA said Capt. Kenneth Whiting He said he was honored to said the base holds a rich 623-2120 was a pioneer, who hedged have orders to serve for history, and the base shares [email protected] all bets early in his career, three years as commanding a great partnership with the grasping the opportunity to officer. surrounding area. The area The 70th anniversary of train as a Naval aviator. He Coughlin said NAS Whit- has been supportive of the NAS Whiting Field was cel- saw that as the future of the ing Field serves a “national base, whereas other com- ebrated this week during a Navy. strategic importance,” with munities have more of an monthly, community update Whiting, while stationed a mission to train helicop- adversarial role with mili- meeting with area leaders, in Manilla in the Philip- ter and fixed-wing aircraft tary establishments. politicians and command- pines, tested the ability of pilots. Since 1943, the mili- “Some communities ing officers from the mili- a submarine, according to tary installation has trained have been known to com- tary base. Coughlin. In about 20 feet more than 40,000 aviators.