to our Top 8th-Grade Students! PALATKA- SEE PAGES DAILY 6 AND 7 - NEWS FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021 PUTNAM COUNTY’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER $1 Loyalty Questioned, IT Terrors Exposed Commissioners demand explanation for perceived slight BY NICK BLANK Palatka Daily News [email protected] Palatka commissioners made their outrage clear Thursday while grilling the city manager regarding him attending a breakfast with Gov. Ron DeSantis while commissioners weren’t even notified of the visit. In his closing comments during the Palatka City SARAH CAVACINI/Palatka Daily News Commission meeting, Mayor Corbett Higman, the vice president of strategic accounts at Inspired Terrill Hill said he felt a bit Technologies, talks about all of the issues with the city’s computer beyond mad and disrespected systems during a commission meeting Thursday. because of the slight. After he found out city com- missioners were not invited — but City Manager Don Holmes as well as Putnam County law City, expert: Contract enforcement, government and business leaders were — he began calling officials in the picture. The invitations came from needed to boost state Rep. Bobby Payne, “When I look at that picture, Payne. “I said, ‘There’s no face sioners, but while Holmes – R-Palatka, who told Hill he what I see is it looks like a there that represents the city who answers to the city com- didn’t have much time to bunch of guys who just left the except the city manager.’” mission – was there, no other invite people. Hill found out O.K. Corral who came togeth- Hill said Payne invited about the visit through social er to have a meeting,” Hill said, County Administrator Terry insufficient tech system media, he said. recalling his conversation with Suggs and county commis- See SLIGHT, Page 8A BY SARAH CAVACINI Palatka Daily News [email protected] ABOVE: During a city commission meeting Thursday evening, Palatka CRESCENT CITY – Commissioners unanimously approved seek- City Manager Don Holmes addresses his attendance at Gov. ing a contract for a four-month information technology plan after a company said some programs haven’t been updated for 14 years. Ron DeSantis’ visit to C P Deli Monday. Corbett Higman, the vice president of strategic accounts at Inspired Technologies, said Crescent City computers have no firewall protec- RIGHT: Palatka Mayor Terrill Hill tion from hackers, no anti-virus program and a Microsoft program says race played a factor in Palatka from 2007. But Higman said the municipalities his company works city commissioners not being invited with have never been hacked. to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ visit to C P “I’ll tell you straight up what I tell every single client. There’s no bul- Deli on Monday. let-proof solution,” Higman said. The potential plan would last through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. No contract was finalized during Thursday’s Crescent City Photos by NICK BLANK/ Palatka Daily News See TECH, Page 3A CDC eases restrictions on vaccinated people Cars line up in February so Palatka Daily News Putnam residents The Centers for Disease Control vaccinated two weeks after receiving can receive a and Prevention announced their final vaccine dose. dose of the A day before national mask man- Thursday people who are fully vac- According to the Florida dates loosened, the number of cinated can “resume activities with- Department of Health, 19,268 COVID vaccine. Putnam County coronavirus deaths out wearing a mask or physically Putnam County residents had been increased to 152. distancing.” But people must still vaccinated by Wednesday and File photo Since the beginning of the pan- follow state, local, federal or busi- 14,212 received all necessary vac- demic, the Florida Department of ness mask recommendations. cine dosages. Health reported, 6,572 virus cases These changes do not apply to have been reported in Putnam health care settings, according to the County as of Wednesday. CDC. People are considered fully See CDC, Page 3A Congratulations! ANITA SPEARS Beck Nissan Salesperson of the Month for April! I would like to say thank you to all my customers for making me April sales person of the month! This has been a trying year for me with my only sister Vanita Turley fi nding out she had stage 4 lung cancer January 9th and sadly losing her battle on March 31. Anyone who comes in and buys a new or pre-owned car from me I will donate $100.00 to Hospice in her memory. Stop by or give me a call and let me put a deal together for you NISSAN and your family. God bless and again thank you all! - Anita Spears Hwy 17 N., Palatka • 386-328-2775 2 sections INDEX Classified/Legals .............................. 4B Obituaries ......................................... 3A Comics .............................................. 5A Opinions ........................................... 4A Lottery............................................... 2B Sports ............................................... 1B VOL. 133 • NO. 95 | PALATKA, FLA. “If you don’t practice you don’t deserve to win.” — Andre Agassi is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. In singles, Agassi is an eight-time Grand Slam champion and a 1996 2A Olympic gold medalist, as well as a runner-up in QUICK HITS seven other Grand Slam tournaments FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021 PALATKA DAILY NEWS Today in History www.palatkadailynews.com 1825 St. Johns Ave., Palatka FL 32177 MAIL: P.O. Box 777, Palatka, FL 32178 Today is Friday, May 14, the 134th USPS 418-500 day of 2021. There are 231 days left in the year. Periodicals postage paid at Palatka, FL, Palatka Daily News, est. 1885, is TODAY IN PUTNAM published daily Tuesday through Saturday. In 1915, the Florida Colonization POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Co. of Palatka purchased 5,000 acres Palatka Daily News, P.O. Box 777, of land on the G.S.&F. Railway, Palatka FL 32178 extending from Carraway to MAIN NUMBER ..... 386-312-5200 Baywood. They planned to “lay out the town at Carraway, sell town lots Business hours are 8:30 a.m. to at reasonable prices, and with each 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. town lot, give a deed to a 10-acre tract nearby for crop development. Call about classified or display ads, questions about circulation or any In 1942, Putnam County called for other newspaper business. Call 24-hour aircraft spotters. Blood with news tips at any time. Just fol- donors were asked to report to the low the instructions after business Elks Club to donate to the Central hours or email: Submitted photo Florida Blood Bank. [email protected] The ladies of the American Legion Post 293 in Interlachen held its first flea market Saturday to raise money for its In 1945, the wife of Glenn [email protected] veterans and building fund. Seventeen vendors sold their wares during the event, including Jean Russell, left, and her Stephens of Palatka, who had been daughter, Heather Henry from Tampa, who came to help at the First Congregational Church of Interlachen’s booth. missing in action since December CIRCULATION Other highlights of the day was the bloodmobile and a car wash by the Boys Scouts of Interlachen. The ladies of the when German broke through Allied Please call 386-312-5200 to report Post also had a bake sale, a table selling their treasures, lunches in the kitchen and tickets for drawings for chances to lines, received word that he had been problems with the delivery of your win gift baskets at their Xmas in July bazaar July 10. County Commissioner Larry Harvey also cooked smoked pork freed and was in a Belgian hospital. butts for the fundraiser. paper. Circulation office hours are 8:30 In 1986, Palatka Woman’s Club a.m. - 5 p.m. If you leave a message, dedicated the fountain that once stood at the historic Putnam House please give your name, mailing address each night, about half the number that reporting a story about recent unruly at its new home on the courthouse and phone number. usually enter, Edwards said. The final behavior in South Beach when a group of lawn. Announcement round on July 24 will have about 24 final- people turned on them, Yates said during In 1998, the Putnam County For home delivery subscription, ists. an 11 p.m. news broadcast. School District reported that the including tax The bar also plans to stage its “Running “Just really shaken up. Been reporting results of three major tests required 13 weeks ................................ $24.62 PALATKA of the Bulls,” a spoof event featuring a for a very long time, don’t want to date by the state Board of Education 26 weeks ................................ $49.25 Post making plans for parade of Ernest Hemingway look-alikes, myself, but about 20 years, and I’ve never showed that test scores were up. 52 weeks ................................ $93.68 some riding fake bulls on wheels. The been attacked like this on a story,” Yates EZ-pay .................................... $84.00 Memorial Day parade event is planned for the early afternoon said. “The ironic part was, we were actu- TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN HISTORY Digital only .......................... $7/month American Legion Bert Hodge Post July 24. ally covering crime on South Beach.” On May 14, 1955, representatives 45 is making plans for the Memorial The look-alike contest is a cornerstone The Miami Beach City Commission from eight Communist bloc coun- Day parade and inviting all veterans to event of the annual Hemingway Days voted Wednesday to restrict early-morn- tries, including the Soviet Union, CIRCULATION MANAGER participate in memory and honor of Festival, staged around the author’s July 21 ing alcohol sales as a way to combat signed the Warsaw Pact in Poland. Stacy Grell .....................386-312-5243 fallen veterans.