The Wakulla Event is held to increase awareness of domestic violence ews See Page 15A nOur 117th Year, 40th Issue Published Weekly, Read Daily Three Sections Thursday, October 18, 2012 Serving Wakullak ll County For More Thanh A Century 75 Cents County frustrated with FEMA By WILLIAM SNOWDEN [email protected] FEMA appears to grant more County commissioners and county staff expressed deep time for challenge to maps frustration with FEMA this week By JENNIFER JENSEN days on top of that. over fl ood maps and the agency’s [email protected] The concerns with the new failure to cover expenses the maps were the base fl ood eleva- county incurred with Tropical County offi cials have asked tion for the City of St. Marks be- Storm Debby. FEMA for more time to challenge ing raised 10 feet and the fl ood “It is incredibly hard getting the accuracy of the agency’s new zone going well upriver. Most of money back from FEMA,” County fl ood maps. the changes are in the coastal Administrator David Edwards told It appears, for now, the tick- area and along the rivers, but commissioners at their meeting ing clock for an appeal has also shows expanded fl ooding on Monday, Oct. 15. stopped ticking. areas in places such as Wakulla Edwards went so far as to warn County offi cials have warned Gardens. of the agency: “It’s very obvious FEMA MAP/NWFWMD.STATE.FL.US WEBSITE the new maps would cause “I believe it went too far,” we cannot rely on FEMA at all.” the knuckleheads.” were different – with more ex- signifi cant fi nancial impact to Edwards said. Edwards was frustrated by Commissioners directed Stew- trapolation in St. Marks. residents and businesses in the There is some concern that FEMA’s apparent unwillingness art to attend the meeting set for There was very little change county. the process FEMA was supposed to cover some $500,000 in Debby- Wednesday with FEMA offi cials in Panacea’s fl ood map, Merritt After the new maps were un- to follow was not done. FEMA related expenses. He said every along with County Attorney said, while St. Marks changes were veiled last month, the Wakulla has been developing the maps time he met with FEMA and a Heather Encinosa. signifi cant. County Commission sent a letter for the last 6 years, and Edwards response about what the county There was a report on a meet- During citizens to be heard, res- to FEMA asking for more time said FEMA staff met with the needed to do to get payment, he ing with FEMA and county staff ident Pierce Withers of Ochlock- to appeal the maps. county three or four years ago would get it done – and FEMA and offi cials with the cities of St. onee Bay complained that he had The maps have already been and then nothing until this would change the rules the next Marks and Sopchoppy. just been notifi ed that his fl ood put on the federal register, but September. day, he said. County Commissioner Randy insurance had gone up to $5,000 County Administrator David Edwards said the county has “There’s no ifs, ands and buts Merritt, who is an engineer, a year. Edwards was told by represen- made a records request for the about it – we’re going to wind noted at that meeting some ap- Withers asked the board to at tatives from Northwest Florida case fi le dealing with the fl ood up with about a half-million dol- parent irregularities in the fl ood least consider what would the Water Management District that maps. lars they aren’t going to fund,” zone – especially as mapped in ramifications be if the county they have been told by FEMA to County Commissioner Mike Edwards said. St. Marks. withdrew from the fl ood insur- hold up. NFWMD is required to Stewart said, “We want them to He advised the board to begin He noted that while most of ance program. advertise the new maps twice prove to us that they did those building up reserves in order to the city is in the fl ood zone, the County Commissioner Jerry in a local paper. Once that is steps,” Stewart said. have “some ability to fund storm City of Tallahassee’s Purdom Pow- Moore, while agreeing to direct done, the 90-day clock starts, The maps are online at North- events.” er Plant is somehow excluded. the county attorney to look at it, Edwards said. west Florida Water Management County Commissioner Mike Comparing how Panacea and said he was concerned that lend- The county has 90 days to ap- District’s website, www.nwf- Stewart was adamant in his re- St. Marks were mapped by FEMA, ers would pull out of the county. peal the maps for an error and wmd.state.fl .us, and click on the sponse: “I think we should fi ght Merritt said the methodologies they were seeking an extra 90 fl ood information portal. OBITUARIES DolphinsDolphins frolicfrolic inin ShellShell PointPoint Martha Griffin INDEX Public Notices ................................................................. Page 3A The Opinion Page ........................................................... Page 4A Church............................................................................. Page 6A Obituaries ....................................................................... Page 7A Community ..................................................................... Page 8A School ............................................................................. Page 9A Outdoors ...................................................................... Page 10A Water Ways ...................................................................Page 11A Arts & Entertainment ....................................................Page 12A Sheriff’s Report................................................................Page 14A Sports ..............................................................................Page 1B Week in Wakulla ..............................................................Page 2B In the Huddle ...................................................................Page 7B Weekly Roundup ..............................................................Page 8B Thinking Outside the Book ..............................................Page 7B Classifi eds ......................................................................Page 12B Legal Notices .................................................................Page 12B PHOTO BY SUE DAMON/SPECIAL TO THE NEWS Comics ...........................................................................Page 15B Students build Eco-Bots for 4-H Youth Science Day By JENNIFER JENSEN Eco-Bot was completed the [email protected] students used it to perform a simulated environmental The 4-H National Youth clean-up project and then Science Day was held on measured the effectiveness Oct. 10 and students at of their Eco-Bot. schools in Wakulla County “It’s been great,” said joined with other schools 4-H Extension Agent Sherri from around the country to Kraeft. “The kids are super become scientists for the excited.” day and participate in this Kraeft led the demonstra- year’s experiment. tion in the Wakulla County Students created an Eco- schools and to Margaret Bot out of a toothbrush, Callaghan’s fourth-grade battery and tape. Once the class at Riversink Elemen- tary School. “It gets the kids excited about 4-H and science,” Kraeft said. The students broke into groups of three or four and took the head off their toothbrush and then at- tached a battery to the top of it, turning it into an Eco-Bot. Once they were com- pleted, they were ready for the experiment. The students learned about the Deepwater Horizon oil PHOTO BY JENNIFER JENSEN spill and were given a sheet Riversink Elementary students build Eco-Bots out of toothbrushes and batteries. with bird seed on it that simulated the oil. They were we talked about how it re- that all across America kids Shane Smith said, “You can Science Day is part of 4-H’s then asked to create a bar- lates to our county,” Kraeft are doing the exact same make small robots that can One Million New Scientists, rier to keep the Eco-Bot in said. thing,” she said. do big things.” One Million New Ideas cam- the designated area to clean Callaghan has been in- Fourth-grader Madison Callaghan said the stu- paign, which is intended to up the spill. The Eco-Bots volved in the science day Hooker said she learned ex- dents will continue to do engage 1 million additional had 30 seconds to clean up for the last several years periments can be done with experiments with the Eco- young people in science, as much as possible. and said the students really anything. “I learned that it Bot and coordinate it with engineering and technology “This year is pertinent enjoy it. was fun too,” she said. math. programming by 2013. because of the oil spill and “And it’s neat to think Another fourth-grader The 4-H National Youth Page 2A – THE WAKULLA NEWS, October 18, 2012 www.thewakullanews.com Questions about outside groups in local campaigns By JENNIFER JENSEN ads against Kessler fund- said. recorded message that in- [email protected] ed by an outside group Floridians for Account- dicated it was being made from Coconut Creek called ability has not received on behalf of the Wakulla Things are heating up Floridians for Account- a financial contribu- Democratic Party that in two local races this ability. tion since October 2010. encourages voters to get election, the sheriff’s race Stewart said he has However, Floridians for absentee ballots. There and county commission no personal connection Accountability has pur- has been some skepti- district 3. Residents are to the group and he did chased ads since then and cism expressed about the receiving calls and mailers not know about the ads there is belief by some, call since Wakulla is pro- targeting specifi c candi- prior to them coming out. such as Van Meter, that nounced incorrectly in the dates rather than endors- He said he knows of the mailers are planned in the recording as “Wa-koola.” ing or supporting one. group and has informed next couple weeks. Democratic Chair Ra- From a “push poll” to them that he did not want chel Pienta has said the ads and mailers, voters to be a part of it and not ‘WA-KOOLA’ CALLS local committee had noth- are getting information to include his photo.