Poster contest winners announced Page 8 Business news from the Chamber of Commerce Page 2 $1 Published Weekly, Read Daily Our 124th Year, 5th Issue One Section Serving Wakulla County For 123 Years Thursday, February 4, 2021 PROPOSED COUNTY ORDINANCE No swimming ‘on boat ramps’ Reaction to FWC prohibiting boating improvement monies to be spent on boat ramps where swimming is allowed By JOHN WILLOUGHBY boat ramp because FWC will not During the Jan. 19 county com- prohibits swimming on the actual Staff Writer allow state boating improvement mission meeting, Commissioner ramp/structure,” according to a grant funds to be used at a boat Ralph Thomas requested the the staff analysis, further noting that The county will consider an or- launching facility where swimming proposed ordinance be clarified FWC “concurs” that the proposed dinance to prohibit swimming on is allowed. from “at boat ramps” to “on boat ordinance meets requirements for county boat ramps at its meeting Currently, the county prohibits ramps.” funding eligibility. on Feb. 16. The exceptions would be swimming within 300 feet of all Commissioner Mike Kemp also John Lee, a resident at Lake for boat ramps limited to non-mo- public boat ramps except for the mentioned putting markers to dis- Ellen, expressed his opposition to torized, hand launching of vessels. Lake Ellen boat ramp, Wakulla tinguish the boat ramp from the swimming on or near boat ramps The move came about after Flor- River’s upper bridge boat ramp, surrounding swimming area, and to and noted there have been four ida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Wakulla River’s lower bridge boat help with clarity should an enforce- deaths at Lake Ellen over the years. Commission told the county it was ramp, Newport Park’s boat ramp ment issue arise. Lee said he supported the idea ineligible for grant funds for the re- and Shell Point’s non-motorized “This will not prohibit someone of a community swimming pool in pair of Wakulla River’s lower bridge hand launch boat ramp. from swimming near the ramp; only Turn to Page 7 NEW ELECTED OFFICIAL LAWSUIT Settlement in Spanish ballots i ght Wakulla was one of 32 counties in the state sued for lack of access to ballots and websites in Spanish By JIM SAUNDERS & DARA KAM News Service of Florida Ending a legal battle that started before the 2018 elections, a federal judge on Mon- day, Feb. 1, approved a settlement in which 31 counties agreed to take steps to provide Spanish-language ballots and other materials to voters. The settlement, approved by Chief U.S. Dis- trict Judge Mark Walker, calls for the counties WILLIAM SNOWDEN to provide Spanish-language ballots and vote- by-mail applications, translations of elections Lisa Craze is tax collector websites and access to Spanish-language hotlines for voter assistance. By WILLIAM SNOWDEN For her swearing-in, she had service and started cross-train- The case centered on allegations that elec- Editor Olah administer the oath at the ing.” tions officials in the counties had not complied Tax Collector’s office. Later this month, Craze with part of the federal Voting Rights Act re- lated to Spanish speakers who were educated When Lisa Craze took over as So there hasn’t been a tre- hopes to have the system set in Puerto Rico. Wakulla County Tax Collector mendous amount of change – up to allow payments by debit The counties are Alachua, Bay, Brevard, Cit- last month, she wasn’t exactly though two employees decided and credit cards. “We’re work- rus, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, unfamiliar with the office. to leave when Craze took the ing on installing the software,” Hernando, Highlands, Indian River, Jackson, She has worked the past helm. she said. Lake, Leon, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, 24-and-a-half years at the Tax “My main focus has been to On Jan. 25, Craze ordered Monroe, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Pasco, Put- Collector’s office, hired by Ilene improve customer service and that out-of-county residents will nam, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Santa Rosa, Sara- Keister as a motor vehicle clerk. cross-train employees so ev- be seen by appointment-only. sota, Sumter, Taylor, and Wakulla. Charlotte She worked eight years under erybody can do all the different She said it had gotten so bad County also was a defendant in the case but Lucinda Daniel, and another tasks, rather than wait for a with people coming from neigh- did not sign on to the settlement, according to 16 years under Cheryll Olah as specific clerk,” Craze said. boring counties that at times court documents. chief deputy. “We have improved customer Turn to Page 5 Turn to Page 5 CORONAVIRUS Library services during Covid Wakulla cases nearing 3,000 Increase of 144 coronavirus cases over the past week By JOHN WILLOUGHBY Staff Writer As the Covid death toll rises to 41 in Wakulla County, cases continue to rise as well as the cumulative number of cases nears 3,000. As of Tuesday, Feb. 2, a total of 2,983 cases have been reported in Wakulla since March 1, PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE NEWS Library staff Heather Bryan, Suzy Bennett, Roxann Dressel, Linda Oaks, Robyn an increase of 144 over the past week. There Drummond, Rebecca Sahar and Will Bartnick. have been a total of 127 hospitalizations in Wakulla, according to the state. Staf is pulling together to of er books and services to the county Covid deaths rose four from last week’s re- port of 38. By JOHN WILLOUGHBY on hold and others as much as we can for knowledge-seekers to Last Thursday, Jan. 28, one Medart El- Staff Writer perished, with still no everybody,” said Robyn enjoy all the library has ementary School student tested positive for remedy for safe partici- Drummond, director of to offer. Covid-19, which sent 13 MES students and Amid the Covid-19 pation. library services. This year has looked one staff member into quarantine, according outbreak nationwide The Wakulla County As the nation nears different for the library, to the Wakulla School Board Student Safety in early spring 2020, Public Library closed the one-year mark of with the cancellation Information Page. libraries were among down for three weeks, the pandemic’s nation- of their annual Mardi On Monday, one Wakulla High School stu- many business and or- before having a lim- wide spread, the public Gras fundraiser and dent and one Riversink Elementary School ganizations to shutter ited reopening with library is one of many library open house. student tested positive for Covid-19, which their buildings. curbside-only service places that continue to Drummond says not quarantined 14 RES students and one staff Programs dearly for more than three flourish after reopen- having their big pro- member. loved by those in the months. ing, offering up safe grams is “painful.” Point-of-distribution events will be held on community were put “We fought to be here and unique ways for Turn to Page 3 Turn to Page 7 Page 2 – THE WAKULLA NEWS, Thursday, February 4, 2021 www.thewakullanews.com Taking Care of Business Business News from PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE RIBBON CUTTINGS Forgotten Coast Animal Hospital Forgotten Coast Ani- mal Hospital, a new small animal veteri- nary hospital in Craw- fordville, Florida, cel- ebrated their grand opening with a rib- bon cutting hosted by the Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce on January 7, 2021. New Chamber President Josh Brown with Forgotten Coast Ani- Chris Russell. mal Hospital is owned by local veterinarians Dr. Julia Whited Ger- Looking forward rell and Dr. Cassandra Manuel, and will be open Monday through to 2021 Friday from 7:30am By JOSH BROWN to 5:00pm. They offer comprehensive vet- in-house and reference cy care during office forward to being active erinary care for dogs Congratulations to all of us who wished 2020 laboratory diagnos- hours. Dr. Whited and members of the Wakul- and cats including vac- away. It’s 2021 now, and looking ahead, the water tics, therapeutic laser Dr. Manuel are proud la County community is still murky and the current swift. cinations, preventa- therapy, routine and that Forgotten Coast and treating everyone As the incoming President of the Chamber of tive care, dentistry, emergency soft tissue Animal Hospital is lo- and their pets as val- Commerce I have been tasked, primarily, with plan- in-house digital ra- surgeries, as well as cally owned and oper- ued members of their ning for the year ahead. While not as big a surprise diography, extensive as my predecessor had when Covid struck in early urgent and emergen- ated, and they look family. 2020, it appears that at least for the first half of 2021 we will still be dealing with the unknown and the uncertainty the virus has wreaked upon anyone trying to plan for the months ahead. I have spent Laurie’s Eye Candy considerable time thinking and working with my Laurie’s Eye Candy: fellow board members to come up with a strategic and well formulated plan for 2021 and so far, we Laurie has been a Li- have revised plans at every meeting. censed Cosmetologist The last 12 months have been more than stress- for 40 years, Licensed ful and being a small business owner myself, I think Esthetician, Licensed I know how a lot of you feel. Businesses have been Tattoo Artist, Micro- impacted in different ways because of the pandemic blading Artist & Lash and some, like the real estate industry, have seem- Extension Artist for 7 ingly come through unscathed, while others, par- years, graduating from ticularly those in the food service, recreation, and Esthetic World Beauty entertainment industry have suffered and continue Institute in Chicago.