Liberty County
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Three computers & over $1,000 missing 50¢ Former Jail THE CALHOUN-LIBERTY } includes tax Administrator charged with OURNAL J Wednesday CLJNews.com APRIL 17, 2013 Located in Bristol, FL grand Vol. 33, No. 16 theft by Teresa Eubanks, Journal Editor Liberty County Jail Administrator Jenny Young is charged with grand theft after over $1,000 in jail funds and three computers could not be accounted for when she left her job on Jan. JENNY YOUNG 1, 2013. Young, 50, of Hosford, served as Jail Administrator for three and a half years. She resigned when the new sheriff and staff took office. Training drill In January, the company that provided supplies for the jail’s canteen reported they had not been paid in seven months and the bill had reached $2,042.44. held for LCSO Young’s duties included running the canteen program by ordering supplies, keeping records and paying the bills. The computer with software provided by Smith’s Ten members of the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Automated Commissary Services to keep accounts took part in a four-hour tactical law enforcement for the jail canteen was missing, along with two other training session late Monday afternoon, participating computers belonging to the sheriff’s office. in different scenarios requiring them to make quick An unopened package of laser checks was the only decisions and take decisive action. The program, thing relating to the commissary accounts found in coordinated by Management Experts out of Talla- her office after she left, according to the arrest report. hassee with assistance from the Suwannee County MISSING COMPUTERS SWAT team, was especially valuable for some of the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Deputy newer deputies, according to Sgt. Jody Hoagland. Darrell Johnson, who is a pastor at the church Young “We’ve got some officers fresh out of the academy,” he said. “This was good for our young was attending in Blountstown, called investigators guys.” He said the experience of being fired upon - even with blanks - helps them prepare for when he saw her bring a computer to the church on what they may face on the job one day. Participants are shown during one exercise in the park- Jan. 13. Sgt. Jody Hoagland went to the church and ing lot of the Mormon Church, across the street from Liberty County High School. ABOVE: confiscated the computer. Deputy John Tadlock, with gun drawn, and Hoagland respond to a simulated felony traffic stop The next day, Young left a message for Lt. Mark involving a possible bank robber. LEFT: Tadlock and Hoagland take the “suspect” into custody. Mallory stating that former LCSO Major Dussia Shuler Law enforcement agencies across the county were especially aware of their role in protecting the public after the tragic events earlier Monday when two bombs went off at the finish line of See Ex-Jail Administrator charged on page 16 the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring many more. DANIEL WILLIAMS PHOTOS Beer stolen in ‘smash & grab’ at Crow’s Corner Monday by Teresa Eubanks, Journal Editor business located at SR 20 and SR through the broken glass and went Only 15 seconds elapsed while The Liberty County Sheriff's 267 in Hosford had just been bur- straight to the store's beer cooler. the two were in the store. Office is asking for information glarized. One grabbed what appeared to be The pair were wearing baggy on the identity of two people who A review of the surveillance a 12 pack of Bud Light beer; the clothing and hoodies, according broke into the Crow's Corner con- video showed one suspect ap- other took two 18-packs of Natural to Lt. Mark Mallory. They are be- venience store late Monday night, proach the south door and then step Light beer. lieved to be white males. shattering the front glass door and back. A minute later, a skateboard One of the suspects grabbed the No footprints were found stealing three boxes of beer. was thrown through the glass door. skateboard before they slipped out around the store but some water The sheriff's office was alerted The suspect was joined by through the broken door and left on the concrete suggested that a sometime after 11 p.m. that the a second person. Both jumped the scene. See Smash & Grab on page 2 Sellers of synthetic drugs to face fines in Liberty County by Teresa Eubanks, The sheriff said Mojo Journal Editor is widely used in the It’s not illegal, but area, even though at if you get caught doing least three local people it in Liberty County, it have been hospitalized will cost you up to $500 after using it. and could send you to Ordinance No: 13- jail for 60 days. 02 bans selling, giving An ordinance passed away, advertising or April 4 by the Liberty displaying synthetic County Commission cannabinoid herbal will fine anyone caught incense and contraband selling synthetic drugs, bath salts that mimic commonly known as illegal drugs. The “bath salts” and “herbal incense.” products are marketed under many Reports of bad reactions to the use names, including Spice, Fake Pot, K2, of such products haven’t deterred Yucatan Fire, Cloud Nine, Super Coke, many from using the chemical-laced Vanilla Sky and Bliss. They often compounds designed to replicate the have a label warning “not for human effects of illegal drugs. While not as easy consumption.” to find in local stores it once was, “We The ordinance cites the synthetic know of a couple of people in the county drugs’ numerous side effects, which Leonard Shiver, who later took the crown at Saturday night’s Wom- selling on a regular basis,” said Sheriff are said to include hallucinations, anless Beauty Pageant in Hosford, singles out an audience member Nick Finch. “They’re going out of the kidney and liver failure, hypertension, during the competition. See more on page 9. DAKODA BERG PHOTO county and bringing it here.” tachycardia and paranoia. Local LCHS filmmaker’s latest work ALTHA SOFT to be shown on PBS Sunday HIGH BALL Page 10 PROM Page Page 12 18 Sheriff's Log............2 Arrest Reports............2 Outdoor news and events.....................10 & 11 Community Calendar and Events......................5 Obituaries .....15 The Job Market & Legals...19 Weddings.............6 Lots of birthdays............7 Find a bargain in the Classifieds...............20, 21 Page 2 THE CALHOUN-LIBERTY JOURNAL APRIL 17, 2013 FL Guardian ad Litem ARREST REPORTS compiled by Journal Editor Teresa Eubanks Program earns Davis Productivity Award The Florida's statewide Guardian ad Litem Program has been honored for the second year in a row with the prestigious Prudential Davis Productivity Award. The Prudential Davis Productivity Awards Program recognizes state employees and public agency leaders whose work “significantly and measurably increases productivity” and “saves money for Florida taxpayers and businesses.” The Davis Awards program, a major government improvement initiative, is co-sponsored by Florida JAMES R. JOHNSON DARIN D. SUMMERLIN AUSTIN L. SCOTT TERESA S. BAILEY TaxWatch, the Florida Council of 100, the State of Florida and Prudential. The Guardian ad Litem Program is being recog- Four charged after ‘take down’ team nized for maximizing its resources by expanding the volunteer model, increasing efficiency by more goes after felon believed to be armed than 80% and ensuring children in foster care get A man the Calhoun County rants. this case, according to the sher- more of that one-on-one attention by a volunteer Sheriff’s Office calls a “known When officers entered the iff’s office. child advocate. meth cook” was taken into custo- building, they walked into a Alan Abramowitz, Executive Director of the dy last week after he was served hazy room filled with the strong Those charged included: Florida Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office, said his with an arrest warrant for failure chemical odor associated with •James Russell Johnson, fail- staff and volunteers got a Prudential-Davis Award last to appear on felony drug charges. methamphetamine manufactur- ure to appear, possession of a year and again this year. The agency, a public-private Calhoun County Sheriff ing. firearm by a convicted felon, partnership, provides volunteers who are appointed Glenn Kimbrel, along with Lt. They found Johnson in bed manufacture of meth, possession by the courts as advocates for abused and neglected Emory Godwin, Lt. Jared Nich- and discovered that he was laying of listed chemicals, possession children - a practice that has proven to result in better ols, Lt. Todd Wheetley and on top of two loaded handguns, a of drug paraphernalia. outcomes for those youngsters. Deputies Scotty Norris and Zach .45 High Point semi-automatic •Scott Austin, grand theft over “That means less time in foster care. It also means Whitfield went to a fish camp a and a .38 Special revolver. $5,000, conspiracy to commit adoption quicker,” Abramowitz said. “We were able Calvin Martin Road, where a As they took Scott into cus- grant theft, manufacture of meth, to calculate the costs savings for the state and it’s confidential informant told them tody, two meth pipes were found possession of listed chemicals, over $18 million a year for each these volunteers are James R. Johnson, 30, of Altha, in his pants pocket. possession of drug parapherna- spending doing this work.” had been staying. The camp’s owner said Darin lia. For additional information on our work, please During surveillance of the Summerlin was the only person •Teresa Bailey, possession of visit www.guardianadlitem.org camp, deputies recognized an- who was supposed to be at the listed chemicals, manufacture of If you reside in the counties of Calhoun, Jackson, other man at the site known as camp.