This Sunday! 75¢ Friday/ Saturday March 12-13, 2021 www.perrynewspapers.com Wrong-way driver arrested on Hwy. 19 Two Taylor County Hamilton was the first to was traveling 50-55 miles Sheriff’s Office (TCSO)arrive in the area and spotted per hour. deputies escaped a closethe whitecall Ford Expedition “Deputy Hamilton without injuries when they driving northbound in ➟ Please see page 2 went head-to-head with the southbound lanes, an intoxicated wrong-wayprompting the deputy to driver on U.S. Highwayactivate 19 his lights and sirens Sunday night. in an attempt to stop the Sgt. Jeff Ballard andvehicle. Deputy Lucas Hamilton However, the driver of were dispatched to thethe SUV – later identified area of the Taylor/Madison as Amacio Lopez Mendez, county line around 7:55 27 – passed by him without p.m. in reference to reports slowing or stopping, of a driver traveling in the Ballard reported. wrong lane. At this point, Mendez Amacio Lopez Mendez COVID cases, vaccine demand both dropping While the number of positive COVID-19 test results continues to drop in Power pole upgrades Taylor County, the number Crews working for Duke Energy have been busy installing new of people calling to make poles on an electrical transmission line adjacent to Hwy. 19 north of an appointment to receive Perry over the past week. The Duke Energy pole replacement project the vaccine through the is part of the company’s effort to upgrade its transmission facilities local health department is and replace wooden power poles with steel ones that last longer. also tapering off. “We have definitely seen a decrease in the number of people coming to us for the vaccine, but again that is New CEO intends to in the priority (ages 65 and older) group,” Department of Health-Taylor (DOH- Taylor) Operations make DMH ‘a winner’ Manager Martine Young told city council members Admitting that the “tough of making the local Hambyrural and Debra McGrew while providing a road” to regaining patient’s hospital “a winner” thatintroduced Schmidt to the COVID-19 update at the Operations Manager Martine Young (left) trust and financial stability allows residents access cityto council at its March 9 city’s March 9 meeting. introduced new DOH-Taylor Administrator Tonya “will not be a sprint, but a quality healthcare right heremeeting. Eligibility requirements Hobby before giving a COVID-19 update to the marathon,” new Doctors’ in Perry. Hamby reported that the have been expanded to city council Tuesday. Memorial Hospital (DMH) As the city’s 22-year U.S. Navy veteran include K-12 educators, CEO Chris Schmidt says representatives on the DMH holds bachelor’s and firefighters and sworn law types, including home the Moderna vaccine, he has every intention Board of Directors, Glenda master’s degrees in nursing enforcement officers over health caregivers, who are Young stated. from FSU and is working the age of 50, as well as all now eligible to call for ➟ Please see page 3 toward his doctoral from the healthcare workers of all an appointment to receive University of St. Augustine. “We are most impressed with his nursing background and the fact that he is not afraid to put on his scrubs and go back ➟ Please see page 2 CARES funds available Taylor County’s second Monday, March 8, forremaining funds the county round of individual and those who applied last year received in 2020 through small business assistanceduring the first round and the federal CARES Act programs for thosewere turned down. The passed by the U.S. Congress impacted by the coronavirussecond round has widerlast summer. (COVID-19) outbreak eligibility requirements for The county received a will open to all eligibleeach program. total of $3.7 million through applicants beginning The Taylor County the federal legislation, Monday, March 15. Commission allocatedand prior to the latest An early application$450,000 for each programprograms, the county had period opened this past out of the $2.4 millionapproximately in $2.4 million remaining. The new programs do not have an end date on Spring forward! the application period and are scheduled to run until the allocated funds are Are you dreading hour for eight months exhausted. This second losing that hour of sleep of the year, then back round of assistance is when the time changes in November for four expected to last until the this Sunday, March 14? months, then forward county begins receiving Every March we set again for eight months funds from the second our clocks forward one and then back for four federal stimulus bill passed months. by Congress in December, Those who remember as well as any assistance It’s show time! Florida lawmakers voting provided by a third stimulus Shane Flores, Connor and Declan Burchett, Matthew Ducksworth ➟ Please see page 3 bill passed by Congress this and Elijah Williams perform a synchronized swimming skit at Cast and Company’s March 6 production. See page A-7 for more photos. ➟ Please see page 11 Index One section 132nd Year, No. 11 Weather Steinhatchee .......... A-3 Looking Back ......... A-8 Friday 78˚ Saturday 79˚ Sunday 77˚ Sports ................... A-5 Entertainment ....... A-9 52˚ 52˚ 56˚ Community ........... A-7 Classifieds .......... A-10 A-2 Perry News-Herald March 12-13, 2021 Mendez is being held in county jail without bond WRONG-WAY DRIVER commands for the driver scene to conduct an accident the exercises, Mendez without bond at the Taylor violence, criminal mischief Continued from page 1 to stop his vehicle, put the investigation. He asked the was placed under arrest by County Jail on charges with property damage, vehicle in park and exit with driver to perform a series Swindle for driving under of fleeing/eluding a lawoperating a motor vehicle advised over the radio that his hands up. The driver of field sobriety exercises;the influence (DUI). enforcement officer,without a valid driver’s the vehicle was proceeding acknowledged that he heard upon the completion of Mendez is being held resisting an officer withoutlicense and DUI. southbound, but had my commands by looking slowed to around 30 mph. at me and nodding his head. Based upon the presence The driver then put the of other northbound trafficvehicle back into drive and Goals: ‘bolster care, re-establish approaching the vehicle and collided with the front of the fact the vehicle did not Sgt. Ballard’s patrol vehicle stop, I stopped my patrol at approximately five miles unit in the northbound lane per hour. trust, build community support’ of N. Hwy. 19 between “I approached the vehicle Fate Wilson Road and and continued to give NEW CEO introducing Schmidt. “We be here,” Schmidt began. “I but it fell into my lap in a Mutt Anderson Road in verbal commands to the Continued from page 1 are delighted to have him have been welcomed with very blessed way, and I am attempt to get the vehicle driver to exit the vehicle. with us.” open arms since November. very thankful for it.” to stop. I was concerned The driver did not comply to the emergency room if “This is truly an honor, This was something that I “I went to school just that if the vehicle got past with my commands to needed,” Hamby said in and I am very privileged to was not even looking for, up the road in Tallahassee, my position, it would likely exit the vehicle and was so I am very familiar with result in a head-on collision ultimately removed from DMH from the time I was with other traffic that was the vehicle by force, a nursing student at FSU, approaching our position,” placed onto the roadway because I took care of many Ballard said. face down and secured in patients from here in the Hamilton reported that restraints. During a search emergency department up by then he had moved over of the driver, a wallet was there,” Schmidt said. to the inside lane of the located which contained “As I walk the streets southbound lane and was a Guatemalan Consular of Perry, I run into many fraternity brothers and driving parallel next to Identification Card Mendez’s vehicle. identifying the driver to be past friends, so it feels like “This transpired for Amacio Lopez Mendez,” ‘old home week’ to me,” approximately one mile Hamilton reported. Schmidt added. while the driver slowed his Neither Mendez or “We have a lot of very speed to approximately 35 Ballard were injured in the solid strategic initiatives mph. As Sgt. Ballard came crash. During a search of that we will soon be putting forth, and I promise you to a stop with his emergency Mendez’s vehicle, officers equipment activated, the found (in plain sight) a will be seeing it in the driver slowed his vehicle to six-pack of Michelob Ultra paper and media,” Schmidt approximately one mph,” beer sitting in the front stated. “We know we have a Hamilton detailed in his passenger floor board with incident report. one bottle missing; an open road to climb. I am sure “I exited my patrol beer bottle was found in the you are very familiar with vehicle, drew my center console. Newly-hired DMH CEO Chris Schmidt (center) addressed the Perry City the status of rural health department-issued handgun Florida Highway Patrol Council this week, acknowledging the challenges facing the local hospital. hospitals nationwide. It is and began to give loud, (FHP) Trooper Charles Joining Schmidt at the meeting were DMH board members Glenda Hamby very unfortunate to hear clear, concise verbal Swindle responded to the (left) and Debra McGrew. that more than 140 have closed since 2008 -- either due to finances or merger or acquisition from larger health systems.” It will not be a sprint.