Football is back Page 17 Tennis at districts Page 17 ThE BakER COUNty PREss $1.00 90TH YEAR | VOLUME 2 APRIL 25, 2019 AT A GLANCE Tragedy strikes 3 families Teen THINGS TO DO APRIL 25 dies in Wildcat Softball 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm rollover The Wildcat softball team will host Baldwin High JOEL ADDINGTON School . Before the game, MANAGING EDITOR the Lady Cats will honor the [email protected] seniors on the team. A 15-year-old Glen St. Wildcat Baseball Mary girl was killed April 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm 18 when a truck she was The Wildcat baseball team riding in rolled over on will host Lake City High Bertha Mae Harris Road School. off Crews Road about 5 p.m. Broadway in Baker: Victim Jesslyn Barn- Footlight Cavalcade well was trapped under the 2003 Toyota Taco- 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm ma, a witness at the scene BCHS drama and Baker said. Driver Angel Horne, County Community Theatre 16, suffered minor injuries wrap up their 2018-19 sea- to her lower extremities. son with Broadway in Baker: “When I got up there Footlight Cavalcade, an I seen the young girl, the annual musical revue sched- 16-year-old, she was out Purchase this photo at www.bakercountypress.com Photos by Joel Addington uled for April 25, 27 and 28 Above is the overturned truck on Bertha Mae Harris Road that ejected Jesslyn Barnwell. At left is the at the BCHS auditorium. This See page 3 memorial in her honor at her desk at United Christian Academy in Macclenny. year’s show features songs from musicals that became films and films that became musicals. There are songs Ex-Cat shot in from Grease, Moulin Rouge, A toddler drowning JOEL ADDINGTON See page 2 MANAGING EDITOR Fort Lauderdale [email protected] SPORTS JOEL ADDINGTON A 2-year-old toddler from MANAGING EDITOR out of town drowned in the [email protected] unfenced retention pond in southwest Macclenny the A former BCHS football play- morning of April 23. er was shot and killed last week- Sheriff Scotty Rhoden end in Fort Lauderdale, accord- said the investigation into ing to WJXT/News4Jax. the drowning is not a crim- William Bloodsaw, 19, who inal one as yet, though it was graduated high school last year ongoing Tuesday afternoon and played football for the Wild- and involved the Florida De- cats, was reportedly celebrating with his family after enlisting in partment of Children and PHOTO BY JOEL ADDINGTON Families. The unfenced retention pond on West Minnesota Avenue where the Air Force. A statement released by Franklin Parker, 2, drowned April 23. WJXT reported that his the sheriff’s office on Face- mother, Linda Bloodsaw, said Planning chief resigns Misty Williams was re- a.m. when she said Franklin her son was seated in a car book about 4 p.m. con- portedly working with her woke up and she gave him a See page 6 firms the drowning victim when he was shot in the back daughter’s father, Timo- cell phone for videos and a on Saturday. William Bloodsaw Jr. was Franklin Parker, the thy L. Bouknight, overnight toy. Go vote ... son of Misty Williams, who A Fort Lauderdale Police Monday and Tuesday. Neighbors came bang- Department records clerk, dropped Franklin off with The sheriff’s office state- ing on the apartment door What’s the best his 18-year-old sister, Alexis however, said there we no shootings reported that day. The ment said further that Alex- after Franklin was spotted Broward County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request Williams, Monday night at a is Williams was caring for outside unsupervised be- part of spring friend’s apartment on West for an incident report submitted via its online records portal. Franklin at the apartment tween 9:40 a.m. and 10 a.m. The Fort Lauderdale police reported Bloodsaw’s death break? Minnesota Avenue near Tuesday morning and fell Lowder Street. was being investigated as a homicide but no arrests had been Family time 39% asleep sometime after 6:50 See page 3 made as of Monday, WJXT said. The beach 22% Doing nothing 22% Theme parks 6% ‘All I could do is start praying’ during Friday’s storm No homework 6% JOEL ADDINGTON ing to land. I just knew it was Center measured top wind MANAGING EDITOR going to land,” said Mr. Giv- speeds of nearly 25 mph and Everybody leaves 6% [email protected] ens of Thomas Sweat Road eight-tenths of an inch of cu- in Sanderson. mulative rainfall. bakercountypress.com Zachary Givens was at A tree landed on his mo- After hearing the tree home on the couch after a bile home the morning of break, Mr. Givens said all he morning doctor appoint- April 19 as a storm system could do was pray that wher- ment when he heard a tree moved through the region. ever it fell, he and his sister cracking. Greater than 60-mph would be alright. No plans “My sister’s in the back wind gusts and 1-3 inches “Next thing I know it hit and I’m like, ‘Oh, God.’ All of rainfall was forecast that and everything blacked out. I could do is start praying. I day, thought the Macclen- I jumped up and called 9-1- didn’t know where it was go- PHOTO BY BRIANNA BARTLETT ny weather station at the Ag for more A fallen tree rests on Zachary Givens mobile home last Friday. See page 2 EZBase removal Page 4 Page 2 The Baker County Press Thursday, April 25, 2019 ment will be held on April 26, THINGS TO DO 2019 at Quail Heights Coun- try Club (located at 161 SW Storm: trees down, power out From page 1 Quail Heights Terrace in Lake City). Registration will begin From page 1 Annie, Urban Cowboy, Always Patsy Cline, Saturday at 8 a.m. Early Registration is encouraged. 1,” he recalled. Night Fever, Legally Blonde, Mr. Givens, 28, wanted to go out- Les Miserables and many APRIL 27 side and check the home’s damage but more. For the first time in the 37 years of the BCHS drama BCHS Track Meet dispatchers told him to remain indoors program, they will be doing a since a power line could be down on the The Wildcat track team special showcase focusing on ground. will compete in the FHSAA the talent of their graduating Regional meet on April 27 at Deputy Lt. James Marker was the seniors. This year’s showcase first to arrive. He told Mr. Givens that Bishop Snyder High School, features seniors Loriann Bliss, time is still to be determined. fire-rescue personnel was coming but Kylie Carter, Blayne Fraser several calls for service in the county at and Jackson Helms. St. Marys River cleanup that time had slowed response times. 8:00 am - 10:00 am “I was just thankful they came out Broadway in Baker: Footlight Cavalcade has only three and helped me,” said Mr. Givens. “They Volunteer to clean-up of the shows — Thursday, April 25 did the best they could ... You have to St. Marys River on April 27 at and Saturday April 27 at 7:30 admire them. [Lt. Marker] was like, the Boy Scout Camp (Steel p.m., and April 28, a Sunday Bridge Road boat ramp) ‘Man, we got six things going on at one matinée, at 2 p.m. time.’ starting at 8 a.m. Sign-up here (http://stmarysriver- “It meant a lot for them to try and PHOTO BY JOEL ADDINGTON APRIL 26 help and aid as much aid as they could. This Chevy Trailblazer struck a tree falling across U.S. 90 near Cow Pen Road during Friday’s keeper.org/big-splash-clean- Council on Aging Yard up-2019) and select the box I have nothing but high regard for them storm. Four occupants from Live Oak were injured, according to FHP. labeled SR 121 cleanup site and the Baker County Sheriff’s Office.” Sale Oak addresses. Mr. Reed was not cited The daily call total for April 19 with captain Greg Sheppard He said an officer even came back to by FHP due to the inclement weather, reached 164 calls, compared to an aver- 7:30 am - 12:30 pm from the list. his house a few hours later to check on Trooper A. Brannon reported. age daily volume of 108 calls during the The Baker County Council on him. There were also multiple calls for previous week. Aging is hosting a two-day Shoals Park cleanup “That means a lot,” he said. downed power lines, fallen trees and The storm knocked out power to yard sale on Friday, April day But Mr. Givens wasn’t the only per- other vehicle accidents as high winds more than 2600 homes here, accord- 26 and Saturday, April 27 8:30 am - 12:00 pm son to summon first responders during and rain battered the area from west to ing to the outage maps from the three starting at 7:30 each morn- the storm. east about midday. utilities serving Baker County, Florida ing. Look for all kinds of The county’s Recreation Advi- An eastbound Chevrolet Trailblazer Between 11: 15 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Power & Light, Clay Electric and Okefe- bargains and merchandise sory Board (RAB) is hosting a on U.S. 90 near Cow Pen Road struck that day, some 30 calls were fielded by nokee Rural Electric. for sale during the event, park cleanup day at St.