Cats pull out Dog Days of Baker late victory Saturday, April 14 • 11 am - 4 pm Page 14 at the Baker County Fairgrounds Animal Adoptions U Contests Live Music and much more! ThE BakER COUNty PREss $1.00 88TH YEAR | VOLUME 51 APRIL 12, 2018 AT A DECADE LATER: REFLECTIONS ON GLANCE BCDC THEN, NOW Mixed THINGS TO DO APRIL 12 reviews New River library coop meeting by jail 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. New River Solid Waste Facility founders The New River Public Library Cooperative Governing JOEL ADDINGTON Board Meeting will be at MANAGING EDITOR the New River Solid Waste [email protected] Facility. Ten years ago the non- BCHS Wildcat baseball profit Baker Correctional vs Bolles Development Corporation, 7 p.m. or BCDC, was in its infan- Baker County High School cy. 1 Wildcat Dr. It had just issued $45 Glen St. Mary Photos by Kimberlin Hall million in municipal bonds The BCHS Wildcat weightlifting team celebrates its 10th state championship in program history. to finance construction of The Cats return to District a 500-plus-bed county jail 3-5A play against Bolles. and sheriff’s office head- The rematch of the previous quarters. It spent $3 mil- two district championship games is scheduled for 7 lion of that sum to buy 90 p.m. The teams play again acres just north of Mac- April 13 at Bolles. Wildcats reign supreme! JON SHUMAKE neck, it was their first-ever APRIL 13 SPORTS EDITOR state championship,” coach “I’ve come to A Day of Hope [email protected] McDonald said. “It doesn’t Inc. presents Teen matter how many I’ve been a Why not? the conclusion Challenge part of or coached, it doesn’t After 10 consecutive sea- matter at that point. That’s my trust in 5 p.m. sons finishing as state cham- their state championship.” MORE ON PAGE 3 pion or runner-up, BCHS “... That one Friday was our sheriff Wildcat weightlifting head just as sweet as any other coach Scott McDonald asked and just as sweet for those was grossly SPORTS the lifters that simple ques- guys to get up there and en- tion: Why not make it 11 joy and be remembered and misplaced straight years? their names be engraved as The Cats answered the a state champion at Baker and it was question in dominant fash- County High School.” ion by successfully embark- Simon will also have his Dalton Simon, the program’s third lifter to win back-to-back titles, intentionally ing on the second decade of lifts the clean and jerk attempt. named etched in school his- the dynasty’s reign. tory for another reason. The abused.” Baker County captured the team to 34 points, easily 24 points in 2011 after scor- senior joined Lucious Lee out-muscling Labelle, Brad- ing 44 points. – Alex Robinson its 10th championship in and Reuben Jackson as the Former Baker County program history on April ford and Madison County, For coach McDonald, program’s only back-to-back commissioner 6 in Panama City Beach which all finished in a three- the program’s seventh state state champions when he in the most lopsided out- way tie for second with 13 championship since 2008 is finished atop the 169 class. come at the Class 1A meet points. just as sweet as the first. His school record clenny, about 20 acres in more than a half-decade. The 21-point gap between “Every kid that stood up 675-pound total was the best of which was reserved to Kennedy commits Marcus Dialo and Dalton first and second was the on that platform and held in the class by 55 pounds, build the jail complex. See page 14 Simon both won individual largest at the Class 1A meet that championship trophy, It was expected the fed- state championships to lead since Baker County won by got that medal around their See page 15 eral government, specifi- Go vote ... cally Immigration and Cus- toms Enforcement (ICE), How should the would fill up the facility with immigration detain- county spend its A ‘sassy’ lip sync ees based on statements bed taxes? from officials within that agency. % 68 New venues/ performance wins They stopped short of rec opportunities making such guarantees in JOEL ADDINGTON Second place went to Ka- writing, however. % MANAGING EDITOR mila Burks, who lip-synced Still, if all went well 12 New events [email protected] “Can’t Stop the Feeling” initially, ICE representa- by Justin Timberlake. Her tives reportedly told the 20% All of the above outh Baylee Thor- prize was a pair of wireless Tallahassee architect who ton gave a sassy lip headphones. designed the facility, Bill bakercountypress.com Ysync performance The third place finalist Rutherford, even more of Meghan Trainor’s “All was Samuel Rackley with beds could be needed down About That Bass” to win Justin Bieber’s “One Time,” the road, necessitating ex- over the crowd at the first which he directed to his wife pansion of the facility. “Lip Sync Battle” hosted by and coalition coordinator In fact, ICE official the Baker Prevention Coali- Taryn Rackley. Mike Rosas was on hand Possum tion the evening of April 6 at All three were selected when the first cement was Heritage Park and take the based on crowd applause poured for the project in top prize in the contest — a at the end of the fun-filled Purchase this photo at www.bakercountypress.com Photo by Joel Addington March, 2008. wireless speaker. Baylee Thornton lip syncs Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass.” in the See page 2 See page 3 Park FUEL INDUCTION SERVICE TRANSMISSION SERVICE Drain and refi ll preview Plus tax, if applicable. Not valid with other offers. the transmission/ $ 95 Coupon valid at vehicle $ 95 transaxle with check-in. See dealer for Page 9 offer details. Expires approved fl uid. 4/30/18. Adjust linkage if 139 Just C’mon! necessary.189 Install fi lter and gasket. Check transmission/ transaxle operation. 273 E. MACCLENNY AVE. Plus tax, if applicable. Not valid with other offers. Coupon valid at vehicle check-in. WWW.BURKINSCHEVY.COM CALL 259-6117 FOR APPOINTMENT See dealer for offer details. Expires 4/30/18. Page 2 The Baker County Press Thursday, April 12, 2018 Thursday, April 12, 2018 The Baker County Press Page 3 Lip sync: Drug-free fun From page 1 coalition executive director Lea Rho- event after the contestants took the stage den early this week. once again. “Our goal was to “We will definitely be doing this type of have at least five lip event again. We like to try and do events that syncers and we end- are unique and appealing to all age groups. ed up with nine par- This was fun!” said Ms. Rackley by email ear- ticipants. We nev- ly this week. er know how many Attended by more than 50 people, the lip people we will have sync contest was paired with children’s ac- at an event so our tivities — a bounce house, face painting and philosophy is even card tricks from Shane Kennedy of the Wom- if a handful of kids Second place winner en’s Center of Jacksonville — as well as con- come out, that is Kamila Burks. cessions. worth the effort It was the latest event from the coalition, because that many kids had something fun which works to combat substance abuse and safe to do,” she said. among local youths. The coalition sponsors The coalition is planning more movie in regular entertainment events for kids and the park events soon as well. teens to encourage them to have fun in a safe, Ms. Rhoden said the details — the par- drug and alcohol-free environment. ticular movies, dates and times —will be an- “We were very pleased with the turnout nounced on May 4 (hint, hint). Purchase these photos at www.bakercountypress.com Photos by Joel Addington and participation as a first-time event,” said Baylee Whitehead, 9, and Millie Thorton, 4, of Macclenny play on the inflatable bounce house. THINGS TO DO From page 1 Baker County High School BCDC: Ex-commissioner felt misled 1 Wildcat Dr., Glen St. Mary From page 1 same decision? No,” he said the BCDC board of directors Looking back though, Mr. said, pointing to the large A Day of Hope Inc. presents early this week. “I’d probably at that time but would lat- Crews said, he would have suite on the south side of the a Teen Challenge rally at But when the facility rather go with some kind of er step down. He said he’d liked to have a seen a better complex housing the sher- the high school, featuring opened its doors in the sum- renovation [of the old jail].” grown dissatisfied with the long-range plan for the fa- iff’s and sheriff’s secretary’s complimentary food mer of 2009, the project- Nonetheless, the project post because his input was cility or something in writ- offices, a lobby area and con- from the Ale House and ed influx of federal inmates as presented more than a ignored and he didn’t trust ing outlining how the county ference room. “It’s not what a drug-free message didn’t materialize, at least decade ago was hard to pass the information he was get- would benefit from the proj- taxpayers expect from their from Jacksonville’s Teen not for several years. Challenge Men’s Center. up. ting. For example, he said, ect. government.” The slow start caused The existing jail and commissioners were initial- “Everyone remembers His predecessor on the The food will be served at 5 BCDC to burn through its re- p.m., and the presentation, sheriff’s office was old, rap- ly told that the county could how it was supposed to hap- board, Julie Combs, now a serve cash to keep operating.