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reAder AppreciAtiOn this WeeK OnlY EDITIOn Bus Routes Class Enrollments SCHOOL Open House Schedules BACK-TO- and so much more!!! 50¢ August 13, 2009 thursday ThE BakER COUNty PREss 80th Year, Vol. 16 • Winner of 9 state awards for journalism excellence in 2008 Woman dies in flipping pickup Mud bog permit A Glen St. Mary woman be- came the county’s ninth traffic fatality of 2009 when the pickup may end in court truck she was driving the morn- ing of August 8 overturned on CR 127 north of Cuyler. Hearing August 25 Tamara E. Marich, 43, was JOel AddingtOn cause the vacant tract is zoned dead at the scene after she was for agricultural use, which ex- partially thrown from the 2006 NEWs editOr [email protected] cludes mud bogs whether com- GMC pickup. Two passengers, mercial or not, said Planning Autumn Retcho, 10, and Mary The conflict that began about Director Ed Preston. Merkle, 7, both also of Glen, re- two months ago over a pro- Mr. McCullough immedi- ceived minor injuries. None of posed mud bogging site in the ately appealed the LPA’s deci- the occupants had on seat belts, south county may not end with sion to the Baker County Com- according to FHP Trooper D.L. a ruling from the Baker County mission, but said this week he’s Myers. Commission expected later this also considering alternate mud Ms. Marich was southbound month. bogging locations. on 127 when she swerved to Both Troy McCullough, who “I’ve been looking at some avoid animals in the road. The applied for a one-year permit to other areas,” Mr. McCullough truck veered onto the west operate the recreational venue said the morning of August 11, shoulder of the two-lane stretch in a rural residential area of declining to specify those loca- then veered across both lanes Mud Lake tions. If no and onto the east shoulder. Road, and alternate It then rotated clockwise and neighbor- sites prove ing resi- flipped over, landing on the feasible, dents have driver’s side facing west. he said the expressed The two young passengers appeal will a will- likely move are related to a friend of Ms. ingness forward. Marich, who resided in the Cuy- to seek “I have ler area with them. redress a piece The accident occurred about Photo by Jim McGauley equipment from overturned construction truck driven by woman killed in crash litteredCR 127 north of cuyer. in court of prop- 10:13. should erty and commis- I should sioners be able to not rule in Photo by Jim McGauley do what I their fa- green ribbons along Mud lake signify opposition want with County eyes more budget tightening to mug bogging in the neighborhood. vor. it,” said edented measures,” said Mike Griffis, chair- services. How- Mr. Mc- man of the Baker County Commission, dur- The fund is expected to run a $2.7 million ever, county officials say they’ve Cullough. Shortfall still ing a budget workshop the evening of August deficit in the coming fiscal year, which will only been in contact with coun- The hearing has been re- 10. be covered through the general fund and ul- sel representing the residents. scheduled twice and is now set About $400,000 had been shaved from timately the county’s roughly $8 million in Mr. McCullough’s plans to for August 25 at 6:00 pm in $1 million-plus the more than $33 million budget after the reserves. operate the mud bogging pit the school board chambers on JOel AddingtOn board’s decision last week to abandon plans The county’s cost for housing local in- on the eastern side of 76 acres South Boulevard next to the for building a new administration building mates at the new sheriff’s complex has dou- south of Mud Lake Road just pre-K and kindergarten center. NEWs editOr [email protected] and eliminating about $70,000 for patrol bled since the facility opened. west of Ira Starling Road were It could be cancelled if Mr. Mc- vehicles needed for new deputies whose County Manager Joe Cone said he’s talked denied by the Land Planning Cullough withdraws his appeal Desperate for savings to help to balance grant-funded salaries never materialized. with Judge Joey Williams about expanding Agency (LPA) June 25 when a before then, though he said he its 2009-10 budget, county officials have be- That still left the budget shortfall at more the use of house arrest and associated elec- standing room only crowd of hasn’t decided whether to do gun discussing controversial measures like than $1 million. tronic monitoring as a cheaper alternative to mostly Mud Lake Road resi- so. employee furloughs, expanding the use of Much of the problem has been the coun- incarceration. dents voiced their opposition, Since late June, however; house arrest to keep prisoners out of jail and ty’s law enforcement fund, which pays for Commissioner Michael Crews said he’d citing traffic, noise and general Mud Lake Road residents have reducing insurance benefits for retirees. the sheriff’s department, the housing of lo- nuisance concerns. “Unprecedented times call for unprec- cal inmates, dispatch and medical examiner see page 3» He needed the permit be- see page 2» Country Federal 8th grade center nears completion KelleY LannigAn Grade Center has been under ity should be ready for visitors Denny Wells last Monday morn- FeAtures construction the last three during an open house on Au- ing for a brief walk-through of bandit gets 34 years [email protected] months. gust 20. the facility. According to middle school Mr. Davis joined School Su- The hum of power saws filled The second of two men Because funds in the credit Baker County Middle principal David Davis, progress perintendent Sherrie Raulerson the air and workers were busy who robbed the Glen St. Mary union are federally insured, the School’s new two-story Eighth is right on target and the facil- and Director of Maintenance at a variety of jobs, from plumb- branch of Country Federal defendants were under federal ing to electrical to operating Credit Union in April, 2005 was jurisdiction and they will serve heavy equipment outside as sentenced in Jacksonville fed- out their sentences in federal they cleared construction debris eral court August 6 to 34 years prisons. from the grounds. and two months in prison. The morning of April 12, Mr. Inside the spacious halls, Jabari Markeith Hird, 29, Hird and Mr. Silvera initially men applied paint to the walls of Orlando had pleaded guilty intended to rob the nearby Mer- of the stairwells that flank each to conspiring to commit armed cantile Bank branch on US 90, end of the building. bank robbery and brandishing and instead targeted Country The three walked into one of a firearm on March 23 of this Federal when they feared they the new classrooms, a bright, year. would be identified by an in- airy space where the walls are His co-defendant Rasheed dividual who briefly spoke to now ready for the computerized Silvera, 31, also of Orlando, was them. White and Smart boards. Each earlier sentenced to 92 months They took more than classroom is approximately 900 after pleading to armed rob- $147,000 after forcing a terri- square feet in size, an increase bery. fied employee to open the vault of 250 square feet from most of after entering Country Federal the previously used rooms. with shirts tied over their faces. “Staff will be putting in some Mr. Hird was waving a firearm crunch time right up to the last when they ordered tellers to do minute before they move in,” as they were told “if they ever said Ms. Raulerson. “But I can Professor wanted to see their children tell you, after going through again.” this same thing with the Pre-K Mr. Hird jumped a counter Center several years ago, every researches and ran down one of the tellers one of those minutes is worth who broke for a rear door. He Photo by Kelley Lannigan the effort.” Baker county school superintendent sherrie raulerson inspects exterior work at the new Middle school eighth grade history of see page 2» center with denny Wells, director of Facilities and middle school principald avid davis. see page 2» Babytowne bakercountypress.com COVERING BAKER COUNTY SINCE 1929 Online POll results The county’s most professional and extensive source for news, classified, display and real estate listings community Should county employees work 58% Yes 904.259.2400 •• 904.259.6502 Fax fewer days to reduce personnel www.bakercountypress.com – see page 10 costs in next year’s budget? 42% No Visit our website and vote each week in our online poll. [email protected] Page 2 The Baker County Press Thursday, August 13, 2009 8th grade center will open on time Do you have any old photos of Baker County people or buildings? «From page 1 new addition is soon completed. vard,” said Mr. Wells. is a way to actually show them we We would like to see them. 259-2400 The classroom floors are cov- Another feature of the new are serious about them.” Mr. Davis agrees. ered in vinyl composite tile, an facility is an adjoining group “Putting good teachers in good industry standard resistant to of new portables, which will be classrooms — nothing is a better wear, tear and staining. The tile state of the art, just like the new morale booster than that,” he was chosen over carpet that can classrooms. They will serve as the said.