Welcome to the 11th annual Florida State Bluegrass Festival Forest Capital State Park • April 4-6, 2013 50¢ Friday/ Saturday Perry News-Herald April 5-6, 2013 Serving the Tree Capital of the South Since 1889 News Forum Drug trafficker sentenced to housePerry News-Herald arrest, probation Come out for a Sentencing has begun for Taylor County suspects tied to Canine Walk About one of the largest drug trafficking cases in recent history. this Saturday Troy Gunter and his wife, Jamie, were both sentenced last month. Both entered guilty pleas to federal charges of Relay For Life supporters conspiracy to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana invite you to join them this and distribution of marijuana. Saturday for the first “Canines Jamie Gunter received a two-year prison sentence to be for Cancer Walk About” at followed by four years of supervised release and a $600 fine. J&M Feed Store, starting at Troy Gunter was sentenced to six months’ home detention 11 a.m. (with electronic monitoring), three years’ probation and a Prizes will be awarded in a $200 fine. variety of categories (biggest ➟ dog, smallest dog, looks most Please see page 5 like owner, etc.). Registration forms are available at the offices of Dr. Miles Owens, Perry Animal Hospital, J&M Feed Store and Yarbrough Hearing for Tires. The event will include a costume pet parade and much more. Concessions (hot dogs, drinks and baked fired trooper goods) will also be available. Taylor to speak Tuesday slated May 2 Veteran James Taylor will An evidentiary hearing on an appeal filed by former share experiences from his Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Trooper Charles Swindle military tour of Iraq during the will be held before the state Public Employee Relations Tuesday, April 9, meeting of Committee (PERC) May 2 in Tallahassee. VFW Post #9225. Swindle filed an appeal last week regarding his firing that The meeting will begin stemmed from a November 2012 traffic stop of state Rep. at 7 p.m. and all interested Charles McBurney (R-Jacksonville). persons are invited to attend. According to reports, Swindle pulled over McBurney on Interstate 10 in Madison County. He said McBurney Relay Committee 2013 Law Enforcement Torch Run was driving 87 mph--which McBurney denied--but did not Grey skies did not dampen the spirits of runners taking part in this year’s Special Olympics Law meets Monday write him a speeding ticket. Enforcement Torch Run Thursday morning. (Top photo)Taylor Correctional Institution’s K-9 Squad Swindle gave McBurney a $10 citation for failing to have Sgt. Christopher Brunson, left, and Eric Sadler led the way followed closely by (bottom photo, l to r) Taylor County’s Relay For proof of insurance, though McBurney told investigators he Life is just six weeks away Leandra Borklund, Crystal McMullen and Marti Lee, all of the Clerk of Court’s office. For more on the and organizers are ramping ➟ Please see page 5 run, please see page A-3. Commemorative Torch Run t-shirts remain available for $10 each. up their efforts to ensure this year’s event will be a resounding success. Committee members will meet Monday, April 8, at 5:30 11 appointed to RESTORE committee p.m., at Evangel Christian Fellowship. The Taylor County Petroleum (BP) for the Tourism Development Steinhatchee. According to Assistant “This is our very last Commission appointed 11 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Council, economic The county received County Administrator gathering before the track local residents to sit on the In Febuary, the development, education, 16 applicants for the 11 Dustin Hinkel, since one meeting and we are in crunch newly formed RESTORE commission established ecological/environmental, positions, although none of of the categories had no time mode, so I hope to see Act Committee to advise the the framework for the commercial fishing,the applicants applied for applicants and several had you all there,” Event Chair county on how to spend up committee, which would commercial crabbing, the commercial shrimping as many as six, the board Tanya O’Neal said. to $12 million in potential consist of representatives commercial shrimping, position. Interested people decided to instead rank all Clean Water Act penalties from the following areas: the Aucilla/Econfina area, were allowed to apply in ➟ Please see page 14 Prayer group levied against British chamber of commerce, the Beaches area and multiple categories. gathers April 8 Taylor County Prayer Initiative will meet Monday, April 8, from 12-1:30 p.m. at County pursues Main Street Café. Members of the public are welcome; please bring your own lunch due to grant for Capital continuing renovations at the restaurant. For additional information, please call (850) 223-1995. Hall upgrades Correction: The Taylor County Commission in considering a grant application to help fund improvements to Forest Capital Taylor County High Hall, home of the Taylor County Extension Office and 4-H School Junior Caleb program, as well as numerous other events throughout the Sullivan, 16, died Sept. year. 11, 2012, after being hit The commission held the first of two public hearings by a private vehicle while Monday evening to discuss applying for the Florida attempting to cross U.S. Department of State Cultural Facilities Grant Program’s Highway 27. 2014-15 funding cycle. He was not killed after Grants Coordinator Melody Cox told the board during being struck by a school the hearing that bathroom repairs, flooring repairs and bus as was incorrectly staging improvements were the top priorities identified by Perrystated in Wednesday’s Taco News-Heraldthe committee established to look into improvements at Times. Forest Capital Hall. Perry Newspapers, Inc., Several members of the committee were present for the regrets the error. Dinner with the governor Taylor County Development Authority Director Scott Frederick and North Florida Medical Centers, hearing to show support for the grant application. Inc., Director of Public Awareness and Community Outreach Deidra McRory Newman attended the Cox said both the bathrooms and flooring were safety Florida Community Leaders Dinner on March 18 hosted by Florida Governor Rick Scott and First concerns, while the staging work would assist the county in Lady Ann Scott. Three dozen community leaders from across the state of Florida attended the four- being more competitive for the grant since it is for cultural course dinner. Frederick and Newman both serve in leadership roles, not only in Taylor County, but in facilities. a number of organizations throughout the state of Florida. ➟ Please see page 14 Index Weather Looking Back ......... A-2 Entertainment ........ A-8 Friday 71˚ Saturday 79˚ Sunday 78˚ Perry News-Herald Living ..................... A-4 TV listings .............. A-9 59˚ 47˚ 53˚ One section 124th Year, No. 14 Religion .................. A-6 Classifieds ........... A-12 www.perrynewspapers.com Sports .................... A-7 20% A-2 Perry News-Herald Looking Back April 5-6, 2013 Remember when... Walk it off, Bobby By ANTHONY L. WHITE [email protected] How does that old saying go? Some folks cause joy and happiness wherever they go; while others cause joy and happiness when they go. And then there are those rare few who do both. You’re happy to see them coming, but after an hour or two with them, you’re just as glad to see them leave. When I was growing up, my friend Bobby was one of those rare few. We were always glad to see Bobby coming because he had an uncanny knack for finding humor in the most dire circumstances. Bobby lived around the corner from my house with his parents, the Rev. P.H. and Cousin Fannie Lou. Even though she wasn’t related to us, nearly all of the kids in the neighborhood called his mother Cousin Fannie Lou, The problem with Bobby, if you can call it a problem, began at home. You see, as the only child in the house, the Rev. P.H. and Cousin Fannie Lou let Bobby have his way. Don’t get me wrong, Bobby wasn’t a problem child by any means. He was always well-behaved. He respected Family tree branches out grown-ups and got along with all the kids Shake a family tree and you never know who you might find you’re related to…such was the case of the Walters family, which in the neighborhood. And, he was always expanded its annual reunion to include relatives from the Morgan and Wilson branches. Other surnames associated with the families good for a laugh or two. So, everyone in the include: Bell, Blanton, Bryan, Carlton, Connell, Counce, Devane, Dixon, English, Farnell, Fulford, Gamble, Grantham, Green, Grubbs, neighborhood was always glad to see him Gunter, Hall, Hancock, Harvill, Highsmith, Hodges, Johnson, Kelley, Kely, Knowles, Legget, Lundy, Mathis, Maxson, May, McDonald, McGuire, Mobley, Murphy, Musselwhite, Newton, Richards, Rowell, Sessions, Sheffield, Slaughter, Varnadoe and Williams. Shown here come. are photos from various lineages: (top) Macon Wilson is the gentleman pictured on the left; (bottom, left) young Frncies Marion is shown “Here comes Bobby,” we would yell excitedly with this great uncle Frank Morgan and Lillie Blanton Morgan; and (bottom, right) Cliff Walters (inset) with his family. whenever we saw the six-foot 11-year-old marching up the road. The gladsome expressions on our faces THE PERRY NEWS-HERALD March 30, 1978 told him that we were glad to see him, so he responded with uncontrollable laughter even though no one had said anything funny. of Perry. SHE’S A PILOT! That’s how it was with Bobby. He could find Sally Walker, wife of Jim something to laugh about during the best TAYLORMAID Walker, completed flight and worst of times.