75¢ Friday/ Saturday March 26-27, 2021 www.perrynewspapers.com Lakey lawsuit settled for $55,000 The Taylor County Lakey filed suit against coronavirus (COVID-19) fees, they would have been Commission has settled the board in late 2019, outbreak. astronomical. Also, you a lawsuit filedalleging by the county The commission held a need to remember, your former Taylor County violated his employmentspecial meeting Tuesday, deductible is $5,000.” Administrator Ted Lakeycontract and due process March 23, during which Under the agreement, over his 2018 firingby notfor providing himCounty Attorney Conrad Lakey will receive $55,000 $55,000. with a hearing prior to his Bishop outlined the and no attorneys’ fees, The county will only termination, as well as three settlement agreement. according to Bishop. have to pay $5,000 otherof claims. “Taylor County was “That’s all he’s going to that amount to cover theA mediation hearing was sued on five or sixget differentin the way of monetary,” deductible on its liability held earlier this month in counts in the complaint he said. “The insurance insurance policy. the case between the county, filed by Mr. Lakey,” Bishopcompany is going to pay it. Citing job performance Lakey and the insurance said. “This settled all of I questioned that, and they issues and a lack ofcarrier, which approved them, and it is a completeassured us that they would community involvement, the settlement. County release of all those claims. pay that. the county commission Attorney Conrad Bishop One of the things most folks “[Lakey] was also suing voted 4-0 to terminateand Commissioner Michael need to remember is, if he to get his job back,” Bishop Lakey’s contract at a NewmanNov. represented was successful in some of said. “He will not knowingly Former County Administrator Ted Lakey shakes 14, 2018, special meeting,the county during the them, he may have been apply or knowingly agree to former Commissioner Malcolm Page’s hand as he less than two years after he mediation hearing, whichentitled to attorneys’ fees. ➟ Please see page 3 leaves his final county meeting. was hired on Jan. 30, 2017. was held virtually due And,to theif he got attorneys’ What Courts happens back in session after you City has state-of- Taylor County held its first jury trial in more than a year this week, the-art $13 million although the proceedings had a slightly different look than before the coronavirus flush? sewer plant (COVID-19) outbreak began. The City of Perry’s new “The new plant was set a toilet or pulls the The misdemeanor state-of-the-art wastewater up from the start to be a drain plug of a sink, the driving under the treatment plant is now up nutrient removal facility,” wastewater is pushed influence (DUI) case, Wastewater Superintendent through underground pipes which stemmed from and running, replacing the original 70-year-old Stephen Caruso said, before being received at the a traffic stop last June, plant with a larger, explainingmore that the previous primary treatment station, ended soon after the where rotary screenings state rested its case advanced and efficientplant was unable to remove facility. nutrients such as nitrogen remove all of the plastic when the judge accepted Construction of the new and phosphorus. from the waste. a plea change submitted $13-million treatment plant According to Caruso, “That process removes by the defendant after he was completed in early the facility’s new nutrient- reached an agreement mostly inorganics,” Caruso with the state attorney’s 2020, approximately tworemoval process not said, adding with a laugh, years after construction only meets, but exceeds, “You would be surprised office. began adjacent to the Florida Department of what people flush down Some 90 prospective original treatment plant Environmental Protection their toilets – children and jurors received located at the end of Goff summons earlier this (DEP) and federal their toys.” Street off US 98. Environmental Protection The rotary screenings month from Clerk of The new plant boasts Agency’s (EPA) permit consists of a 24-foot tall Court Gary Knowles, instructing them to newer technology, criteria, putting out effluent headworks, as well as a grit Caruso uses an 18-foot transparent tube including aeration and water that is “crystal clear removal system, that filters arrive at the Taylorreferred to as a “sludge judge” to monitor the out masses – such as trash County Courthouse on oxidation processes thatand clean.” amount of solid waste settling on the bottom of remove harmful chemicalsFrom the time a city the morning of Friday, ➟ Please see page 2 a clarifier basin. from the waste. utility customer flushes March 19, and remain parked in their cars until called. Ultimately, 25 Siegmeister law license suspended individuals were brought to the third- The Florida Bar has U.S. Attorney’s Office a petition filed by“is suspendedThe from the floor courtroom for suspended former Third regarding her claim to their jury selection, where Florida Bar seeking to practicehold of law effective 30 they were positioned Judicial Circuit State 70-acre farm in Live Oak, Siegmeister in contempt for days from the date of this Attorney Jeff Siegmeister’s failing to respond to to an order so that the respondent throughout the jury box which the government is and other public seating license to practice law for seeking to seize as part of a official Bar inquiry. can close out his practice areas to maintain social an indefinite period, even asfraud case brought against In the order, the court ➟ Please see page 2 he continues to be held in Siegmeister. states that Siegemister distancing. Everyone custody in Arizona awaiting The same parcel of land was also required to his transfer to Florida to is also connected with the wear masks. County Judge Bill face multiple federal felony felony case brought against charges. Siegmeister by the U.S. COVID vaccine Blue thanked the jurors for their service, noting At the same time, his District Court. that this was the first former wife, Jamie Dykes, Last Friday, the Florida jury trial held in either remains in talks with the Supreme Court upheld age drops again Jeff Siegmeister county or circuit court in Taylor County since Taylor County residents age 40 and over are eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine through the local before the COVID-19 health department beginning Monday, March 29, with outbreak. Want a street light? vaccinations opening up to all residents age 18 or older Soon after the the following Monday, April 5. proceedings began, three The Perry City Council Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the age extension of the 25 prospective city’s March 23 meeting,City Finance Director has asked staff to developprompting a discussion that Penny Staffney, filling inon March 25, making the vaccine widely available jurors were dismissed to adults of all ages nearly one month earlier than due to established an official street light policyled to the council asking for City Manager Taylor previously expected. exemptions. following a request from staff to bring back a draft Brown, who missed the property owners on Shady policy on how and when On March 22, DeSantis made vaccines available For the rest, the meeting due to illness, defense attorney and Oaks Lane. the city will have streetstated that the city is to those 50 and older, dropping the age requirements state attorney conducted Councilman Ward lights installed along roads spending more than down from 60 due to a “relatively modest” demand. Ketring brought the located within the city He anticipated coronavirus vaccines being available ➟ ➟ Please see page 3 Please see page 3 request to the councillimits. at the ➟ Please see page 3 Index One section 132nd Year, No. 13 Weather Religion .................. A-4 Looking Back ......... A-8 Friday 79˚ Saturday 83˚ Sunday 81˚ Sports ................... A-5 Entertainment ....... A-9 67˚ 65˚ 65˚ Community ........... A-7 Classifieds .......... A-10 A-2 Perry News-Herald March 26-27, 2021 100% of the plant’s final effluent is re-used FLUSH rotors with small fingers to throw the water into the Continued from page 1 air, forcing oxygen into the and sand – from the waste. water. After traveling through “When we do this, we the rotary screenings, the are aerating the zone, and wastewater is pumped to it creates an atmosphere for the aeration and oxidation the bugs to break down the “ditch,” which features 18- ammonia in the waste to foot high walls and “bugs” – nitrogen,” Caruso said. lots and lots of microscopic In the oxidation zone of bugs. this process, the nitrogen is broken down into nitrite (NO2) and nitrate (NO3). “The bugs see that ‘O’ as oxygen, and they strip it off before it is released into the atmosphere, so our effluent water is free of nitrites and nitrates. The bugs continue the process of breaking down the chemicals and the organics from the waste as the water moves through the facility. After the water filters through the aeration and oxidation process, it is sent to one of three of the The final effluent (shown above) is 100 percent re-used, with the clean wastewater being facility’s clarifiers, which pumped to spray fields, where it is sprayed on grass fields, or sent to the Georgia-Pacific mill to Shown is a tumbler act as settling basins. in the rotary screening As the mixed liquids be used in the mill’s cooling towers. process that filters and suspended solids sit in “We will turn the mixers pumped to spray fields,is trucked to the facility using the City of Perry’s out masses -- such as the clarifier, any remaining off, allow it to settle, and where it is sprayed on from septic tanks or RV portion of revenues from trash and sand -- from masses settle to the bottom.