MCCRAY’S SHS basketball team manager NIGHT, 1B suits up for very memorable night Suwannee Democrat 129th YEAR, NO. 31 | 2 SECTIONS, 26 PAGES Wednesday Edition — January 29, 2014 50 CENTS Serving Suwannee County since 1884, including Live Oak, Wellborn, Dowling Park, Branford, McAlpin and O’Brien Editor’sof a note:two-part This series is the onfirst NASCAR racing legend, NASCAR legend Johnny “Speedy”calls Thompson. Suwannee home Winter storm Leon brings possibility of snow flurries Johnny Thompson in car #2 at Jacksonville Speedway in 1950. By Bryant Thigpen possibility of adverse dri- [email protected] ving conditions such as ice Staff on roadways. Bridges and There are stories about the bravery and Winter storm Leon is elevated roadways are at a the iron-fisted constitutions of the early dri- making its way through the high risk for ice accumula- vers of NASCAR. It was a time of sand and south, bringing freezing tion on the surface. speed, when the annual spring assault on the temperatures with the pos- beach at Daytona brought drivers from all sibility of sleet and snow Rain over the United States to compete on two flurries today for our area, On Tuesday evening, the miles of beach and two miles of black top according to the National rain came in with sleet mix- Weather Center. The Flori- ing in. Today, there is a 70 SEE NASCAR, PAGE 15A da Highway Patrol urges motorists to prepare for the SEE WINTER, PAGE 13A Johnny Thompson (left) and Walt’s Live Oak Ford General Manager Jason Archer listen to the sounds of a 1952 Ford Flathead at Thomp- son’s barn near Live Oak. It is the kind of en- Former Live Oak gine Thompson ran on the Daytona Beach Course in the 50s. “What’s unique about the engine is that two middle man, wife killed cylinders share an exhaust in Georgia wreck port,” said Thompson. By Kevin Hall were riding in their The Moultrie Observer Chevrolet Trailblazer ‘Speedy’on the Thompsonat beach Daytona sands started MOULTRIE — Funeral north on Highway 133 services were yesterday Friday night, Worth Coun- for a former Live Oak ty Coroner Johnny John- man and his wife who son said, when a semi were killed Friday night in truck on Highway 112 ran a Worth County, Georgia the stop sign and collided accident, just north of with the SUV. Moultrie, where they had The semi driver has not been living. David and Kandy Bius SEE FORMER, PAGE 13A Edwards pleads guilty to child neglect Will spend 15 months in prison By Bryant Thigpen [email protected] Charlette Tanikia Edwards was sentenced to 15 months in a state prison followed by five years of pro- Edwards Nan Kokanutphong, left and Yu-ri Chiba point on a world map to their home countries of Thailand and Japan. bation for child neglect with great - Photo: Andrew McGee bodily harm, according to the Suwannee County Clerk of the Circuit Court’s Office. Foreign exchange students SEE EDWARDS, PAGE 13A COURT UPDATE: learn American culture Program diversifies who are here to complete a one teresting fact about Yu-ri is her student body year academic requirement, ac- mother is Chinese and father is 1 set for murder trial, cording to BHS social studies Japanese. She is fluent in both lan- By Andrew McGee teacher Dan Taylor. Nan Kokanut- guages and very familiar with both 1 to enter plea [email protected] phong is from Bangkok, Thailand cultures, and has formally studied By Bryant Thigpen of the Circuit Court’s Of- and Yu-ri Chiba is from Sendai Korean language and culture. Her [email protected] fice. Branford High School currently which is Northern Japan in her has two female students from Asia hometown of Ishinomaki. An in- SEE FOREIGN, PAGE 13A A trial has been sched- Marcus Cole uled for one murder sus- Marcus Cole, charged TODAY’S WEATHER: pect and the other is ex- with two counts of capital LOW HIGH pected to enter a plea next first degree murder, is 28°F 39°F month, according to the scheduled for trial March 2014 Chevy Z-71 24-28, if not continued. Rain Suwannee County Clerk For up to the minute weather C r e w C a b s Cole, 40, of 12803 go to www.nflaonline.com. 225th Rd., was hosting a party and cookout at his INDEX WES HANEY Arrests..............................2A home with 11 people in Branford News.................11A attendance. At approxi- Classifieds .......................5B Make Your Best Deal! Obituaries .......................5A mately 10 p.m. on Jan. 26, Sports ..............................1-2B JUST EAST OF DOWNTOWN • LIVE OAK, FL • 362-2976 Suwannee Living .............4A TV Guide .........................6-8B WWW.WESHANEYCHEVROLET.COM SEE COURT, PAGE 13A Viewpoint ........................6A 846048 FRIENDLY, NO HASSLE, BUYING EXPERIENCE www.suwanneedemocrat.com PAGE 2A I SUWANNEE DEMOCRAT/LIVE OAK WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2014 Arrest Record Suwannee Democrat the charges are dropped, the authorities. FDLE-Florida Depart- Transportation ATF-Department of Al- prints the entire arrest we will be happy to make The following abbrevia- ment of Law Enforcement OALE-Office of Agricul- cohol, Tobacco and record each week. If your note of this in the newspa- tions are used below: FHP-Florida Highway tural Law Enforcement Firearms name appears here and you per when judicial proof is SCSO-Suwannee County Patrol P & P-Probation and Pa- DOC-Department of are later found not guilty or presented to us by you or Sheriff’s Office FWC-Florida Wildlife role Corrections Out-of-county, $50 LOPD-Live Oak Police Commission USMS-US Marshals Ser- Jan 23, Lydia Marie Department DOT-Department of vice Estes, 31, 1389 NW Lake Jeffery Rd, Lake City, FL, HOW TO REACH US Poss Listed Chemicals, Suwannee North Florida Animal Producing Meth, Poss & Switchboard, 386-362-1734 Manuf Drug Equip, Fax, 386-364-5578 Rescue Health Center VOP/Poss Distribution of Email, [email protected] Democrat Listed Chemicals, 1st Mail, P. O. B ox 3 7 0 Medical — North Florida Animal 9980 Hwy 90 (at CR49) App—PD App Per WFW: Rescue Health Center is now Live Oak, FL 32060 Live Oak, FL 32064 SCSO- J. VanZile Office, 211 Howard Street East open for all of your pet’s medical needs. We are a full Jan 23, Donnie Mills, Jr., I Publisher, service, state-of-the-art medical 32, 1389 NW Lake Jeffery Myra Regan, ext. 122 Serving Suwannee County Since 1884 facility that offers spays and Rd, Lake City, FL. Poss neuters, medical treatments, Listed Chemicals Produc- vaccinations, flea and tick control and The Suwannee Democrat, published so much more. Contact us at 386-963-1354 ing Meth, Poss & Manuf CONTACT US WITH Wednesday and Friday. to schedule your appointment. Drug Equip, VOP Poss Periodicals postage paid at Distribution of Listed Live Oak, FL 32064. Business located YOUR COMMENTS at 211 Howard Street East, Live Oak, Grooming — North Florida Animal Rescue now Chemicals, Columbia Co If you have any questions or FL. Publication number 530180. offers full service grooming. Please contact us at Wrt, 1st App—PD App Per concerns, call us at 386-362-1734 386-963-1295 for more information. WFW: SCSO- J. Vanzile or visit our Website at “POSTMASTER: Jan 24, Robert Kenneth www.suwanneedemocrat.com Send address changes to Suwannee Adoption — Come to North Florida Animal Rescue Taylor, 44, 12684 SR 51, Democrat, PO Box 370, Live Oak, FL Wings 32064.” Annual subscription rate is to find your forever friend! We have many dogs and Live Oak, FL, Sentenced $35 in county, $50 out of county and cats ready for adoption. ¢ 15 Days (Wknds): SCSO- $50 out of state. Subscribe online at Please contact us at 386-963-1295 or see our 5 9 NEWSROOM www.suwanneedemocrat.com. website at www.northfloridaanimalresuce.org T. Lee for more information. Jan 24, Francis Nadine I Editor, Open 6am -7pm OFFICE HOURS 7 Days A Week Slack, 45, 21238 135th Dri- Jeff Waters, ext. 131 Open Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ve, O'Brien, FL, Poss Co- I Reporter, Pavilion — North Florida Animal Rescue’s pavilion Andrew McGee, ext. 132 is available for all of your special events. Weddings, caine, Poss Drug Parapher- I Reporter, Letters, comments and opinions on receptions, birthdays and more. Contact us at nalia, DWLSR/Knowingly, the Viewpoint & Opinions page are 386-963-1295 for more information. Bond Revoked-Felony Bryant Thigpen, ext. 133 not necessarily those of the I Reporter, management/ownership of the DWLS & Poss Drug Para- 847030 Joyce Marie Taylor, ext. 130 Suwannee Democrat. 846056 phernalia: LOPD- D. Slaughter Jan 24, Angela Nicole LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ADVERTISING Letters may be mailed, faxed or Collins, 37, 2986 256th St, emailed to our office. All letters are O'Brien, FL, Agg Battery I Advertising Manager, read. Not all letters are published. on Person 65 YOA or Old- Letters may be edited to fit available Monja Slater, ext. 105 er-Dom Viol, Agg Assault I Sr. Advertising Representative, space. The editor should not alter the writer’s point of view. Well written W/Deadly Weapon-Dom Bill Regan, ext. 160 letters require less editing. Keep it to Viol, Tampering or Harass- I Advertising Representative, the point, an ideal range is 150 to ing, False Imprisonment: Brenda Demarais, ext. 109 200 words. Please include your SCSO- C. Ferguson I Advertising Representative, name, address and day and evening Jennifer Hutchins, ext. 141 phone numbers for verification. Jan 24, James Durward Letters MUST be signed. Letters to Laughlin, 41, Alachua I Classified/Legal, the editor can be limited to one Louise Sheddan, ext.