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  • 7/31/2019 June 28,2012 Edition

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    Volume: 4 Issue: 13 June 28, 2012 bi-weekly Edition

    The BEST LIL NEWSPAPER in W alton county - from Freeport, Florida

    Made possible by your localadvertising businesses in this edition.

    Judge Green Returns OrderIn Email Contempt CaseJudge Green says Walton Commissioner ScottBrannon is not in contempt. Walton County

    Judge David Green returned an..Page 3

    DFS Meth Charges After DCFCalls About Children

    It was a meth mess when DCF showed up sothe cops were called. The investigation began

    when officers responded to.... Page 7

    Summit for Heroes event to takeplace in Walton County The WaltonCounty Sheriff's Office (WCSO) announcedtoday that Paxton will be the site of the 2012

    Summit for Heroes event. The... Page 9

    Beach Monitoring In WaltonCounty The Health Department says severalWalton County Beaches might be at a healthrisk after water sampling. Health Advisories

    have been issued for.... Page 10

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    Hello once again. The weeks fly by like a bird in the wind.As I was watching TV this past Monday the Arizona con-

    flict, ruling whatever you want to call it. The state of AZcannot catch a break. The federal gov't refuses to do it's job, and border

    states are inundated with all manner of illegal immigrants that are unaccounted for, whocompete for limited jobs and resources. It is a PROBLEM. And it's wrong for our gov't totreat it as if it's a problem for illegal immigrants and shouldn't be. That, in effect is trea-son. Our political leaders swear oaths to the protection of the sovereignty of this nation.And immigrants and citizens are required to respect it, and be loyal to it. Anyone whohasn't processed through or proven they are, don't deserve to be here. Let alone have

    jobs, or their college educations competed for by people who didn't respect the laws of entrance and residence. This is unfair to those who have. It's wrongful to make disincen-tives to break the law disappear. If the feds don't want states to do their jobs, then whyaren't the feds doing it? Does treason, or illegal mean anything any more?The justices struck down most of Arizonas immigration law , with the backing of Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., and prohibited mandatory life terms without parole for juvenileoffenders.Starting with the parole case: The ruling said that such mandatory sentencing schemesviolate the 8 th Amendment because they do not allow for consideration of an offendersage and the wealth of characteristics and circumstances attendant to it. Those, it said,include immaturity, impetuosity, and failure to appreciate risks and consequences, aswell as the juveniles family and home environment. It is unconstitutional to prohibit acourt from considering the individual circumstances of a case.This logic seems out of whack to me but it was a five-four decision. Justice SamuelAlito was so incensed that he read his dissent from the bench.The Arizona ruling was more muddied by adding, the justices struck down three provi-sions: That its a state crime to be in the country without proper authorization, a statecrime for an undocumented worker to apply for a job or to work in Arizona, and thatstate law enforcement officials can arrest a person who is in the United States legally, butwho the police believe may have committed a deportable offense without a warrant.In each of those cases, the majority said those powers rest with the federal government,not with Arizona lawmakers. But it refused to overturn the most controversial section of the Arizona law, which requires the police to check the immigration status of people theydetain before releasing them. The Supreme Court said a lower court had erred in block-ing this law, because there is no evidence yet that its enforcement would pre-empt federallaw.When I dig deep into these types of headlines it confuses me more than I thought. For if

    we didnt look into the space between the lines one would not know the extent of what is

    taking place all around us.Living where we do there are similar issues taking place daily in the court systems.

    How much more of not listening to the details within such laws are we going to allow toeffect us more than just living or being in Arizona. The incredible way the Grand Canyonappeared to me was quite and tranquil as I gazed into millions of years ago scenery. Tolive in peace as nature surrounds you. It sure sounded good to me.Have a great week!

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    EditorialViews expressed in The EMERALD STAR NEWS do not necessarily reflect those of the

    publisher. The staff of The EMERALD STAR NEWS pride ourselves in our efforts to ensureaccuracy of the publication contents. Howeve r, there is no guarantee of the accuracy of all the

    Information nor the absence of errors and omissions (especially when sent through a third party);therefore, no responsibility can or will be assumed. 3000 copies printed bi-weekly.

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    Page 2 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Thursday, June 28, 2012

    Look us up online : Emeraldstarnews.comMail invoices and other information to:

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    Allow the presidentto invade aneighboring nation,whenever he shalldeem it necessaryto repel an inva-sion, and you allowhim to do so when-

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    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/26/us/supreme-court-rejects-part-of-arizona-immigration-law.html?hphttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/26/us/supreme-court-rejects-part-of-arizona-immigration-law.html?hphttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/26/us/justices-bar-mandatory-life-sentences-for-juveniles.html?hphttp://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/18/five-four/http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/abrahamlin169194.htmlhttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/abrahamlin169194.htmlhttp://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/18/five-four/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/26/us/justices-bar-mandatory-life-sentences-for-juveniles.html?hphttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/26/us/supreme-court-rejects-part-of-arizona-immigration-law.html?hp
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    Page 3The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc.Thursday, June 28, 2012

    Senior Driving Guide Offered As reported by WZEP AM1460

    Florida has something new specifically designed for agingdrivers. The Florida Guide for Aging Drivers is a handy book available at no cost to senior drivers, compliments of the Flor-ida Safe Mobility for Life Coalition. The Coalition, a groupcomprised of professionals from 28 organizations, created theguide to give aging drivers a comprehensive resource with themost up-to-date information available.

    Currently, nearly 3 million drivers in Florida are over age65.Gail Holley, Florida Department of Transportations SafeMobility for Life Program and Research Manager says most

    people experience a steady decline in some of the skills neededto safely drive as we get older. She says these changes do notaffect all drivers at the same age or in the same way. Holleysays it is important for everyone to understand the impact thataging can have on their driving and learn the warning signs and

    resources that are available to them so they can make the tran-sition when driving may no longer be a safe option.Basically, the guide offers just about everything an aging

    driver needs to be more proactive about staying safe on theroad. This book compliments the websitewww.SafeandMobileSeniors.org and is just the right size for the cars glove box and available through the: Safe Mobility for Life Resource Center 636 West Call Street Tallahassee, FL32306 [email protected] does Florida need an aging driver guide? Actually, itmakes perfect sense when you consider that Florida leads thenation with 18 percent of its population age 65 and older. Infact, by the year 2030, over 27 percent will be over age 65,with half of those 75 or older. Mirroring this growth, an in-creasing proportion of drivers in Florida are getting older.

    The guide is designed to help aging drivers strike a balance between safety and the need for independence. The hope is thatusers of the guide will take the time to consider their drivingabilities, take steps to improve their driving skills, exploreother transportation options if needed, and start making a planfor retirement from driving if it becomes necessary in the fu-ture.

    Judge Green Returns Order In Email Contempt Case

    Judge Green says Walton Commissioner Scott Brannon is not in contempt. Walton County Judge DavidGreen returned an order in the contempt case filed by Suzanne Harris against Walton Commissioner ScottBrannon. Green says the court is unable to conclude that Commissioner Brannons act of sending the e -mails introduced into evidence constituted contempt. This applies to Brannon personally and the WaltonCommission.

    After a previous complaint by resident Suzanne Harris, Judge Green ordered the Walton Commissionersto use county services when sending emails in order to comply with state Sunshine Law record require-ments. After emails were sent from addresses other than the main county email address, Harris took thematter to the court with a claim that Brannon and two others violated the court order. This was a Motion toShow Cause why the violators should not be held in contempt. Harris contended Brannon violated the termsof the court order.

    Brannon and two others being charged, held they have not violated the proscriptions contained in the judgement and claimed Harris is barred by the doctrine of unclean hands from seeking a finding of con-tempt against them due to Harris participation in the same email correspondence she complained about.

    According to http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/unclean+hands, a legal doctrine which is a

    defense to a complaint, which states that a party who is asking for a judgment cannot have the help of thecourt if he/she has done anything unethical in relation to the subject of the lawsuit.Thus, if a defendant can show the plaintiff had "unclean hands," the plaintiff's complaint will be dismissedor the plaintiff will be denied judgment.

    The plaintiff presented eighteen documents and seventeen were accepted into evidence. The defendant presented twenty-two documents to support its defense of unclean hands. Of the documents entered by Har-ris, fifteen were sent by Commissioner Scott Brannon, one forwarded by Commissioner Cecilia Jones to thecounty attorney of a document already in her official email account and one by Brannons administrativeassistant to another county employee. Of the 15 emails sent from Brannons private email account, twelvewere either directly copied to the official email account of the assistant or another county official or were of documents already on the countys official email account or other public record.

    The three remaining emails were sent to Harris. One was a copy of a cell phone message from Lloyd Bluerequesting a meeting. The two remaining concerned a behind the scene effort between Brannon, Harris,County Attorney Clay Adkinson and Harris Attorney Matt Gaetz to prepare an ethics complaint againstWalton Commissioner Larry Jones. Judge Green says, while those two emails might constitute evidence of an attempt to avoid transparency in government, supposedly advocated by Harris, even though she partici-

    pated in them, they do not constitute transacting county business.Likewise, Judge Green says the emails presented by Brannon also do not constitute transaction of busi-

    ness. Judge Green says, considering the Final Judgement, the fact that all emails involving acts which might be deemed transacting county business were forwarded to official county email addresses, the nature of theemails and the definitions of contempt, he is unable to conclude Commissioner Brannons act of sending the particular emails introduced into evidence by Harris constituted contempt by

    Brannon or the Walton Commission.Judge Green ordered and adjudged that Harris motion for contempt by denied and the court reserves juris-

    diction over the issue of the costs and attorneys fees. The order was completed June 22nd.

    DFS Council Meeting As reported by WZEP AM1460

    Miss Chautauqua has a full court and all the young ladies were presented to the DeFuniak Springs CityCouncil. Florida Chautauqua Center President Christopher Mitchell presented the court and announcedformer First Lady Rosalynn Carter has accepted an invitation as the keynote speaker. A video of Chau-tauqua history and education was presented and Mitchell said there is a gold mine for the city.

    Jane Swift gave an update on the water and wastewater. Swift said they have been testing enzymes atthe treatment plant, but found it to be ineffective. They do have the new operating permit, complete withcontinuous monitoring. Well number 2 is still be worked on. Swift noted the contract work on the water lines has caused some calls for sediment problems. When notified, they flush the lines out. Flushing hy-drants also causes a problem as the fast flow of water breaks sediment from the lines.The city is producing about 1.5 million gallons of water a day.

    Councilmember Mac Work asked that all the organizations receiving money from the city provide a balance sheet and if they do not provide one, then they do not get funds. The motion passed 5-0. Work also noted, during the recent fire on Brahms, the fire hydrant was not yet in operation, not that it was bro-ken, but was a new hydrant being installed as part of the water system expansion. Council member KermitWright nominated Jeanine Cole as a Planning Board member as a replacement. The motion passed 5-0.

    City Marshal Mark Weeks asked to upgrade firearms for the auxiliary and reserves. The 20 older glocksin the storeroom would be exchanged for 13 new weapons. The Council agreed. The Council also ap- proved promoting two officers to the rank of sergeant. This to fill a vacancy so there are two supervisorswith boots on the ground. These are not new positions. Councilmember Mac Work questioned the posi-tions, even though they are not adding employees, but questioned the need to cut back during the upcom-ing budget process. The vote passed 3-2 with Work and Graham the nay votes. Cont on pg.8

    http://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/compose.php?send_to=safe-mobility-for-life%40fsu.eduhttp://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/unclean+handshttp://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/unclean+handshttp://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/compose.php?send_to=safe-mobility-for-life%40fsu.edu
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    Thursday, June 28, 2012 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc.

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    The Town Planters Society of Freeport is putting the finishing toucheson their latest project, the memorial gardenlocated at the clubs meeting hall, The BlountHouse on Kylea Laird Drive.

    For the past few months, club membersunder the direction of Russ Barley have been

    planning the garden which features thenames of club members that are no longer with us. The brickwork was the kind dona-tion of Stonescapes of Freeport and the gar-den features a beautiful fountain and benchas it's centerpiece.

    A dedication ceremony will be held onSaturday June 30 at 3:30 p.m. Everyone isinvited to attend.

    Therapies targeting this pathway can potentially prevent acute mental stress-ors from initiating plaque rupture. Lim-ited evidence suggests that appropriatelytimed administration of beta blockers,statins and aspirin might reduce the inci-dence of triggered myocardial infarc-tions. Stress management and transcen-dental meditation warrant further study.

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    Cardiovascular events are a major cause of morbidity and mortality inthe developed world.Cardiovascular events can be trig-gered by acute mental stress caused

    by events such as an earthquake, atelevised high drama soccer game,

    job strain or the death of a loved

    one.Acute mental stress increases sym-

    pathetic output, impairs endothelialfunction and creates a hypercoagu-lable state.

    These changes have the potential to rup-ture vulnerable plaque and precipitateintraluminal thrombosis, resulting inmyocardial infarction or sudden death.

    Please consult your physician if you feel

    stressed overwhelmingly. Stop by andsee us for your next check-up too.

    I want to Thank the Emerald Star Newsfor giving me this opportunity to havemy column. If you have any questionsyoud like me to write about? Send allinquires to The Emerald Star News.

    Its the last week of June, 2012 and wedodged the storm in the Gulf. We hadsome rain and a little wind, justenough to blow limbs and pine conesall over the yard. The will help keepme busy this weekend.

    The water line to the west is complete.People are connecting along the way.We ran a test last week to see if thePortland well would carry the Choc-taw area without the tank and it will.This is a good thing. If somethingwere to happen to the Choctaw well,that area can be serviced by this sys-tem.

    Construction should get underway onHighway 331 south from Highway 20to the bay. Anderson Columbia wasthe low bidder on this segment of highway. I hope they do a good joband keep it safe. This four lane isneeded now. Last Saturday afternoon,traffic was backed up through DeFu-niak, I think from Highway 90 south.

    The swimming pool is open and doingwell. The best thing we have done is

    turning its operation over to the firedepartment. They do a wonderful jobof running it and keeping it clean.Come and join them.

    The City is doing fine. We are cuttinggrass everywhere with some rain andlots of sunshine, it will grow fast!

    The baseball tournaments for DixieYouth are over. Everyone can take a

    break for a few months now. TheFreeport teams didnt get too far thisyear, but everyone enjoyed the gamesand the experience.

    The Freeport City Council meetingsare held the 2 nd Tuesday and 4 th Thurs-day of every month, at the FreeportCity Hall, beginning at 7:00 pm.Come participate in your local govern-ment.

    Mayor Marse

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    Page 5

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    MSNBC caught red-handed editing Romney rally speech toportray candidate as out of touch

    MSNBC was caught again using selective editing in a video of Mitt Romney seeminglyawestruck by the process of ordering a sandwich at a convenience store. During an after-noon broadcast of "Andrea Mitchell Reports," video of the GOP presidential candidateseemed to show a politician out of touch as he discussed ordering a hoagie at Wawa.Its amazing," Romney said, as the Pennsylvania crowd appeared to laugh. Then viewerssaw Romney say, "You have a touchtone keypad, and you touch that, touch this, go paythe cashier, theres your sandwich.

    What viewers didn't see or hear was nearly three minutes of Romney discussing the

    nightmare of paperwork faced by an optometrist he'd talked to who had tried unsuccess-fully to get the post office to change his address. Romney expressed mock amazement atWawa's efficiency to underscore how the private sector often runs circles around theclumsy bureaucracy.

    "We went to Wawas and it was instructive to me, because I saw the difference betweenthe private sector and the governmental sector. People who work in government are good

    people and I respect what they do, but you see, the challenge with government is that itdoesnt have competition, Romney said in a portion edited out of the segment. A laugh track spliced in from another part of the speech allowed the left-leaning newsnetwork to further mock Romney.

    Representatives for the Romney campaign declined to comment, but officials from the

    Romney camp had reached out to MSNBC, who promised they would correct the issue.At the opening of Tuesdays show, Mitchell tried to gloss over the misleading edits butfell short of admitting they had deliberately tried to mislead viewers.Theres been a lot of discussion about a conversation you and I had yesterday, Mitchellsaid to MSNBC contributor Chris Cillizza, We ran clips of Mitt Romney in Cornwall,Pa., talking about his trip to a Wawa.

    The RNC and the campaign both reached out to us saying that Romney had more tosay about that visit, about federal bureaucracy and innovation in the private sector, sheadded before playing the unedited clip from the rally.

    Officials for NBC Universal, which owns MSNBC, did not immediately return a re-quest for comment.

    This isn't the first time MSNBC has tried to manipulate the news and falsely influenceviewers. Last August, Ed Schultz of MSNBC played an edited clip in which then-

    presidential candidate Rick Perry described the national debt as a big black cloud thathangs over America to make it sound like a racial dig at President Obama. Schultz later apologized.

    And in March, NBC was also caught editing the audio of George Zimmerman's 911 callas he watched Trayvon Martin in the minutes before he fatally shot the Florida teen. On atape edited and played on the Today show, Zimmerman was heard calling Martinsuspicious and volunteering that he was black. But the full, unedited tape showed thatZimmerman only mentioned Martins race when asked by the dispatcher. The result madeit sound like Zimmerman was racially profiling Martin. The network fired three people

    after getting widespread criticism.

    NATIONAL HIV TESTING DAY IS JUNE 27, 2012-- Take the Test, Take Control! --- Walton County Health Department has partnered with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation

    of Pensacola to provide FREE HIV testing on June 27, 2012 at the Winn Dixie parking lotlocated at 130 Scenic Gulf Drive in Miramar Beach, Florida. Confidential and free HIVtesting, counseling and results will be available on a walk-in basis in the AIDS HealthcareFoundation mobile unit from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

    The Florida Department of Health and the Bureau of HIV / AIDS recognizes June 27th

    as National HIV Testing Day. More than 200,000 people in the U.S. are living with HIVand don't know it. On this day, people are urged to get tested for HIV and to encouragefamily and friends to do the same. One of the most important steps in preventing HIV isto get tested and know your status.For more information about National HIV Testing Day, including testing locations, visithttp://www.cdc.gov/Features/HIVtesting/ Health Department at (850) 892-8015.

    WCSO investigates attempted robbery, makesarrest

    The Walton County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) arrested Alan Fredrick Perkins,60, of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, for attempted robbery with a firearm.

    At approximately 4:35 p.m. on June 20, 2012, Perkins entered the Santa RosaPharmacy, located at 19 Town Center Loop in Walton County. Perkins told the

    pharmacy clerk that he had "nothing to lose". Perkins leaned across the counter toward the clerk in an aggressive manner and demanded that she provide himwith Oxycontin and Xanax. Perkins led the clerk to believe that he was armed by

    placing his hand into his pants pocket, and sliding a black object (later identifiedas a small caliber handgun) in and out of his pocket. The clerk yelled for a co-

    worker to activate the alarm, and Perkins fled the scene without obtaining anymedications. Perkins fled in beige colored SUV.

    WCSO deputies were dispatched and arrived within minutes. Investigatorsresponded to the scene as well and reviewed video surveillance of the incident.Based upon the vehicle description and video surveillance, Investigators wereable to identify Alan Frederick Perkins as the perpetrator.

    Investigators traveled to Perkins' residence, where they learned that Perkins hadinjured himself with a firearm. Perkins was transported to a Pensacola hospitalfor treatment of his injuries. A warrant was secured for the arrest of Alan Freder-ick Perkins, and he was released into the custody of law enforcement authoritiesin Escambia County. Perkins was transported to Walton County on June 25,

    2012 and booked into the Walton County Jail.

    http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HIVtesting/http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HIVtesting/
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    Thursday, June 28, 2012The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc.Page 6

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    Employment As reported by WZEP AM1460

    Floridas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.6 percent in May 2012,the lowest since December 2008 when it was 8.2 percent. There were 794,000 job-less Floridians out of a labor force of 9,262,000. The U.S. unemployment rate was8.2 percent in May.

    The number of jobs in the state was up 53,800 over the year. Nationally, the num- ber of jobs was up 1.4 percent over the year.

    In May 2012, Monroe County (4.9 percent) had the states lowest unemploymentrate, followed by Walton County (5.3 percent), Okaloosa County (5.9 percent),Franklin County (6.1 percent), and Lafayette County (6.5 percent). For our area,Holmes County had 6.9 percent, Washington County came in at 8.9 percent andJackson County is listed with 7.0 percent.

    The state says many of the counties with the lowest unemployment rates werethose with relatively high proportions of government employment. Walton TDCDirector Dawn Moliterno also reports the coastal tourist areas are seeing continued

    bed tax growth, indicating visitors coming to our area.

    A quick look and we see that the Walton School District has around 1150 em- ployees. The Walton County Commissioners have around 500. This does not in-clude the Constitutional Officers. The city of DeFuniak Springs has 110 employees.Walton Countys estimated population is around 55,000. A quick estimate showsthat around 2000 residents in Walton work for the government. Of course some of the government employees live outside of Walton and there are also State and Fed-eral employees to consider.

    According to http://www.politicalmommentary.com/2011/02/understanding-the-unemployment-numbers/,

    At least for the national numbers, at the beginning of each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (a division of the U.S. Department of Labor) releases its

    Employment Report for the previous month. This monthly Employment Report is based on information provided to the BLS by U.S. employers, and its purpose is togive us a current overall picture of the job market across the country. The entiremonthly report itself usually weighs in at about 40 to 50 pages. They say the firstthing you need to understand about the monthly unemployment rate as calculated

    by the BLS Employment Report is that it only takes into consideration those indi-viduals who are: (a) out of work; and (b) actively looking for work. If a person has-nt worked in the past 12 months and has just given up for the time being andstopped actively looking for a job, the BLS doesnt count that person as beingunemployed for the purpose of its monthly survey.

    And many who teach about the employment numbers will tell you that there are

    always some who are in transition as they are moving, retiring, simply looking for adifferent job, or are in some sort of other transition. This number is generally con-sidered to be about 5% or less. In the past, Walton has seen numbers less than 3%.At that time companies in the tourist industry were recruiting employees from outof the area and even out of the country, often providing a place to live as well as a

    job.

    MAYE

    By M. Vreeland

    One of our most refined and graciousladies, Maye is a long time resident of

    Alaqua Animal Refuge. She has seenlots of changes during the weeks andmonths shes been here, and she regalesthe newbies who arrive with tales of theold days. That was when all the catslived in much smaller condos than thespacious cabins they share today.

    A lovely gray and brown tabby withyellow-green eyes, Maye has watchedmany of her feline friends come and go,and is always happy to know theyreleaving for forever homes. Quiet, affec-tionate and looking for love, she waits

    patiently for the day when her very ownspecial someone will walk up to thescreened porch as she enjoys her after-noon nap to wake her with the wordsshes been longing to hear Hello, Miss Maye. Ive come to takeyou home. Visit her any Tuesdaythrough Sunday from 12:00 noon until5:00 P.M. Youll find her in the back Cat Cabin soaking up the sun anddreaming happily ever after dreams.

    "Northwest Florida's Premier AnimalSanctuary and Adoption Center"

    Alaqua Animal Refuge is a non-profit,no-kill shelter, located at 914 WhitfieldRoad, Freeport. We welcome you tovisit all the adoptable animals at our

    beautiful ten acre sanctuary any Tues-day through Sunday from 12:00 P.M. to5:00 P.M. For more information youcan call us at 850-880-6399 or check out our website at www.aarflorida.com.

    Dear Aunt Ruby: I love my job and the people I work with. However, my immedi-ate supervisor and I have very differentsocial and political views. He seems intenton getting me to come around to his way of thinking.These kinds of discussions make me un-comfortable. I don't want to tell him whatI'm really thinking. And more often thannot, I'm completely caught off guard and

    blindsided by his statements. How do Irespond without putting my job in jeopardyor making him angry? No Political Talk Dear No: It's perfectly OK to tell someonethat you are uncomfortable discussing poli-

    tics at work. If that doesn't help, your saf-est bet is to politely ignore him, noddingand busying yourself with work. Or plaster a big smile on your face and reply, "We'll

    just have to agree to disagree." Repeat asneeded. Of course, if he harangues you,you should mention it to human resources.

    Did you know?Microsoft's IPO was on March 13, 1986.The offering price was $21 per share. Let'ssay you bought one. Exactly 20 years later,that share would have been split in 288shares, and each of those shares was$27.10. That means a $21 investmentwould be worth $7,804.80. The share pricehas dropped somewhat since then, but that$21 would still fetch somewhere north of $6,000. Dear Aunt Ruby: We hit it off with aRealtor we met at an open house, and nowshe sends us daily multiple listings. Wehaven't been to any showings with her yet,

    but already we can tell she's not listeningto what we keep asking for. We want to gowith another agent from her same com-

    pany, but can we do that? I have a feelingthat within the same agency, they don'twant to step on each other's toes, so we'll

    be stuck with the same agent unless wedecide not to go with that agency at all. Answer: Take the problem to the managing

    broker in that office. He or she will knowhow to handle the situation.Don't be too hard on that first agent,though. You may be getting suggestionsout of your price range because one cannever tell what a seller will really accept.Or you may not see everything you want inthe listings that are being sent to you. Butremember even when money is no ob-

    ject, just about every house purchase is, inthe end, a compromise. It's possible your exact dream house doesn't exist. Agentshave a saying that "Buyers are liars." Thatsounds unpleasant, but it simply means that

    buyers might, for instance, fall in love witha fireplace and suddenly find they can getalong without an extra garage after all.They don't always know what they reallywant until they see it.

    http://www.politicalmommentary.com/2011/02/understanding-the-unemployment-numbers/http://www.politicalmommentary.com/2011/02/understanding-the-unemployment-numbers/http://www.politicalmommentary.com/2011/02/understanding-the-unemployment-numbers/http://www.politicalmommentary.com/2011/02/understanding-the-unemployment-numbers/
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    Happenings in DeFuniak SpringsThursday, June 28, 2012 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Page 7

    Brahms Structure Fire As reported by WZEP AM1460

    A new fire hydrant was at the corner, butthe fire happened before the final water line was hooked up. Around 5am Mondaya woman found her neighbors home was

    burning. Liberty Volunteer Fire Depart-ment firefighters arrived to find the doublewide home with smoke and flames show-ing.

    The fire, on West Brahms off Oakridge,north of DeFuniak Springs, sent smoke

    into the early morning sky, a column hang-ing low over the 331 Liberty area. Thehomes single male occupant was not athome. The neighbor said he often goes tovisit his dad in the morning. He has a petcat, but the animal was not found.

    The cause is unknown, but the owner reported problems with a circuit breaker.The States Fire Marshal was called toinvestigate. The Liberty Volunteers wereassisted by Argyle, DeFuniak Springs Fireand Walton County Fire-Rescue.

    Water became a problem and had to be brought in. The large transfer pool was setup and used to dump several thousand gal-lons of water into from tankers, some usinga nearby pool for a water source. An hour into the fight and firefighters were still

    battling the fire, working hard-to-reach places and hot spots.

    DeFuniak Springs, who serves the areawith water, has a current $6.7 million sys-tem upgrade, including a new elevated

    storage tank south of I-10, replacementwater lines in a number of older neighbor-hoods and additional lines in some of theoutlying areas. This is the third systemupgrade since the city has taken over sev-eral smaller systems. The current upgradeincludes more hydrants and larger lines for fire protection, including a new hydrant onthe corner of the property. The work is stillongoing and the new lines have not been

    pressurized. The new hydrant sits covered,almost ready, but the fire came before thewater is flowing.

    DFS Meth Charges After

    DCF Calls About Children As reported by WZEP AM1460It was a meth mess when DCF showed

    up so the cops were called. The investi-gation began when officers responded to81 Bishop Pond Road to assist the De-

    partment of Children and Families(DCF) in a complaint received by their office. The complaint was that adultswere producing Methamphetamineswith numerous children in the residence.

    Saturday the DeFuniak Springs Policearrested 31-year-old Chad R. Graham,33-year-old Ginger M, Wenger, 23-year -old Tasha A. Pettit and 23-year-oldJohn L. Graham on Three (3) Countsof Child Neglect. Police also chargedChad R. Graham for Unlawful Posses-sion of Listed Chemicals to Manufac-ture a Controlled Substance(Methamphetamine) and Possession of Methamphetamines.

    When officers arrived Chad R. Grahaminvited them in. Police felt the conditionof the residence was unfit for anyone to

    be living there. They also found six chil-dren from one to nine years old, all dirtyand wearing badly soiled clothing.

    Throughout the residence officers sawitems in plain view that were consistentwith Manufacturing Methamphetamine.Based on the officers training, experi-ence and investigation, they were ableto locate adequate evidence for the drug

    related charges.The children were released to the De-

    partment of Children and Families(DCF) and the 4 suspects were trans-

    ported to Walton County Department of Corrections.

    Walton Public Works

    Director Resigns

    Walton County Public Works Di-rector Starsky Harrell has turned inhis resignation to spend more timewith his family in Bonifay. CountyCommissioner Sara Comander con-firms that Harrell resigned and sayshis last day will be August 10th.

    According to Commander, Harrell,

    lost his grandfather and wants tomove to help his grandmother on their family land. Harrell has education asa teacher and would like to get intoteaching. He feels the family needsmakes now the time for a change.

    Comander says she is not sure whatthe BCC will do as far as an interimPublic Works Administrator. She saysit is important to look at the countysgoals for the public works departmentand hire someone who can take themto those goals. Comander says andexample would be that if the countywants to make road paving a priority,then they need someone whounderstands what it takes to get theroads paved.

    July blood drives in Walton County Destin Area.Monday 2 nd Big Lots, 34940 Emerald Coast Parkway, Destin 11 am to 3 pmMonday 2 nd Winn Dixie DeFuniak Springs 12 pm to 6pm Free Gift Card for all donorsTuesday 3 rd - Big Lots, 34940 Emerald Coast Parkway, Destin 11 am to 3 pmThursday 12 th Sacred Heart Hospital, Emerald Coast 9 am to 4 pmThursday 12 th Walton County Offices, at the DeFuniak Springs Fairgrounds 8 am to 12 pmThursday 12 th South Walton County Offices, at the Coastal Library 1.30 pm to 4 pmFriday 13 th - Wal-Mart - DeFuniak Springs 12 pm to 6pm Free Gift Card for all donors

    Walton Animal Shelter

    Hours ChangeWalton Animal Control Shelter Manager

    Lois Marlow says more and more peopleare finding out about the shelter and theyneed a full day Saturday.

    According to Marlow, in order to moreeffectively serve the public, the WaltonCounty Animal Shelter will be changing itshours effective July 2nd.

    The shelter will move from a half day to afull business day on Saturdays and willeliminate their half day hours on Wednes-days.

    Marlow says that as time goes by, moreand more people find out about the shelter.She says the have had a lot of people comingin on Saturdays and questioning why theyare closed half a day. She says she feels surethis will provide a better opportunity for theanimals to get adopted and find forever homes as more people can come in as fami-lies and decide on adopting an animal to-gether.

    The new hours for the shelter will be asfollows: 9am - 5pm - Monday, Tuesday,Thursday, Friday and SaturdayClosed - Wednesday and Sunday

    According to Marlow, "This will also pro-vide the shelter a mid-week day to do a deepclean versus just on Sunday which keeps theanimals healthier and happier."

    The Walton County Animal Shelter is lo-cated at 365 Triple G Road inDeFuniak Springs. A listing of availableanimals can be found athttp://www.co.walton.fl.us/index.aspx?nid=574.

    HEALTH ADVISORY

    "High Bacteria Count at MorrisonSprings"Walton County - Due to a high levelof bacteria found in routine monitor-ing of Morrison Springs, the WaltonCounty Health Department has issueda swimming advisory for the Morri-son Springs bathing place.The Health Department advisesagainst any water-related activities atthe above location due to the high

    bacteria levels. The Health Depart-ment will advise the public when wa-ter samples confirm that thereis no longer a threat to the public.

    http://www.co.walton.fl.us/index.aspx?nid=574http://www.co.walton.fl.us/index.aspx?nid=574http://www.co.walton.fl.us/index.aspx?nid=574http://www.co.walton.fl.us/index.aspx?nid=574
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    Page 8 The EMERALD STAR NEWS, Inc. Thursday, June 28, 2012

    Obituary for Ila H. Fannin Caswell

    Mrs. Ila Caswell, age 91, of Free- port, Florida passed away June 19,2012. She was born March 29,1921 in Walton County, Florida toJohn and Sarah Cooper Hare.

    Mrs. Caswell was a lifelong residentof Freeport, Florida. She was Meth-odist by faith and a member of theFirst United Methodist Church of Freeport. She worked as a Lunch-room Worker at the Freeport Ele-mentary School for many years be-fore retiring. She enjoyed readingand working puzzles. She was aloving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.Mrs. Caswell is preceded in death

    by her father and mother, her firsthusband, Robert Fannin; her secondhusband, Ray Caswell; two sons,Earl Fannin and David Fannin.Mrs. Caswell is survived by oneson, Toby Fannin and wife Ann of Haughton, Louisiana; two brothers,Willie Hare and Willard Hare, twosisters, Mae McCormick andJohnnie McCormick all of Freeport,Florida. She is also survived by 2

    grandchildren, Tim Fannin and Wil-liam Fannin and 1 great-grandson, Nick.Floral arrangements are being ac-cepted.You may go online to view obituar-ies, offer condolences and sign guest

    book at www.clary-glenn.com. Clary-Glenn Freeport Chapel Fu-neral Home is entrusted with thearrangements.

    Dr. David Goetsch to Present atWalton County SHRM Breakfast

    DeFuniak Springs, FL June 21,2012 Dr. David Goetsch, a Prin-ciple Partner inHuman Resource Solutions, Inc.will be presenting a seminar onStrategic Planningfor Human Resources at the Soci-ety for Human Resource Manage-ment meeting onThursday, July 12 at 8:00 am atthe Freeport Community Center.Businesses have a tendency to

    overlook a vital piece of their companys continued

    success, a HR Strategic Plan,stated Rebecca Pazik, President of the Walton CountyChapter. We hope that busi-nesses will join us to hear aboutthe importance of having a plan in place.

    The meeting is open to the publicand costs $35.00 for SHRM mem-

    bers and $45.00 for

    non-members (cost includesmeal). Please go tohttp://www.shrm-emeraldcoast.org< http://www.shrm-emeraldcoast.org/> toregister for the event. For more information,

    please [email protected]< mailto:r

    [email protected]> .

    NFSC Trustee Meeting As reported by WZEP AM1460

    The governing Board of Trustees of NorthwestFlorida State College has approved a balanced$33,341,509 annual operating budget that main-tains the colleges tuition rates among the lowestin the state, despite budget challenges.

    Following a lengthy discussion, Trustees votedto approve a 2.5 percent tuition increase (two andone-half percent) that will result in about $183in extra annual cost for a full- time Associatedegree student and an additional $279 per aca-demic year for a full- time bachelors degreestudent. The college administration had proposeda 5 percent increase in tuition. Trustees choseinstead to increase fees by a smaller amount andto reduce the colleges contingency budget for the difference.

    Starting July 1, college credit classes at NWFSC will cost $100.12 per credit hour for lower division Associate degree courses and$118.59 per credit hour for bachelors degreeupper division courses.

    The general operating budget for the colleges2012-13 fiscal year is $33,341,509, a slight in-crease of $93,185 over the colleges current fis-cal year. The total college budget in all funds,including construction, student financial aid, aux-iliary operations and other categories for 2012-13

    is $49,018,687 -- changed from $66,431,676 in2011-12.

    College president Dr. Ty Handy noted duringthe budget discussion that NWFSC had receivedabout $638,000 less in state funding than it nor-mally would have under Floridas traditionalfunding model since about $36 million was allo-cated to nine colleges from among the 28 viaspecial appropriations.

    In other matters, trustees approved an articula-tion agreement with the University of West Flor-

    ida that further strengthens the partnership be-tween the two colleges by providing an opportu-nity for students in the NWFSC Teacher Educa-tion baccalaureate degree program to be eligibleto receive credit for up to six credit hours as theyenter the Masters in Education program at UWF.

    NWFSC currently offers teacher education bachelors degree programs in Elementary Edu-cation, Middle Grades Science Education andMiddle Grades Math Education. Handy cited thecollaborative effort as an example for the state in

    joint partnerships and noted that the two institu-tions had recently received $200,000 in stategrants to develop a Hospitality program that willresult in an eventual bachelors degree in Hospitality being offered in the region.

    Teen Time at the Coastal LibrarySanta Rosa Beach, FL Teen Time meetingat the Walton County Coastal Library, July17, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. High school, middleschool, 12 and up are welcome to sign in atthe library to participate in and create funand engaging activities to do. For further information, please contact Shirles Johnsonat 850-267-2809, Coastal Branch Library,437 Greenway Trail, Santa Rosa Beach, FLwww.youseemore.com/walton< http://www.youseemore.com/walton> .

    Cont from page 3 The Council approved the budget meeting

    dates, approved working with the County for

    roadway line striping and agreed to rent of-fice space at the airport for the T-hanger sitework project coordinator. They also agreedto a joint participation agreement with theFDOT for security upgrades at the airportterminal using a door taken from the oldHealth Department Building. This will in-clude changes to the fencing so the airportterminal has a front door.

    Complaints have been made about poor internet service by Brighthouse. Council-member Work said they have received aletter outlining problems. Work said theinternet service in downtown DeFuniak Springs going out on a regular basis is a

    problem for businesses that depend on it for doing business. The Council questioned if they can cancel Brighthouses franchise touse city right-of-ways.

    http://www.clary-glenn.com/http://www.shrm-emeraldcoast.org/http://www.shrm-emeraldcoast.org/http://www.shrm-emeraldcoast.org/http://www.shrm-emeraldcoast.org/http://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/compose.php?send_to=rpazik%40jobsplus02.comhttp://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/[email protected]://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/[email protected]://www.youseemore.com/waltonhttp://www.youseemore.com/waltonhttp://www.youseemore.com/waltonhttp://www.youseemore.com/waltonhttp://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/[email protected]://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/[email protected]://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/compose.php?send_to=rpazik%40jobsplus02.comhttp://www.shrm-emeraldcoast.org/http://www.shrm-emeraldcoast.org/http://www.shrm-emeraldcoast.org/http://www.shrm-emeraldcoast.org/http://www.clary-glenn.com/
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    Thursday, June 28, 2012 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc . Page 9

    The 14 day Overview

    Aquarius

    1/20 2/18

    Pisces

    2/19 3/20

    Aries

    3/21 4/19

    Taurus

    4/20 5/20

    Gemini

    5/21 6/21

    Cancer

    6/22 7/22

    Leo

    7/23 8/22

    Virgo

    8/23 9/22

    Libra

    9/23 10/22

    Scorpio

    10/23 11/21

    Sagittarius

    11/22 12/2

    Capricorn

    12/22 1/19

    Help..Spread the word about thisnewspaper to everyone you know!

    Advertising specials going on NOW!!

    Please thank those advertisers in this issue,

    because of them we can continue to promote business in Walton county. Thank you

    Advertise with us!! Guaranteed the lowest price to fit any budget. Call today: 850.585.0262

    There may be some weird energy in your interactions at the beginning of the week. What's really going onhere? Being up front about your own motives is a good place to start. The bonds you have with thosearound you can become exponentially stronger. Offer your help and say yes to an offer someone makes youor an invitation you receive. Emotions may run high from Friday through the weekend, and your instinctmight be to hole up. But other people have fresh energy and even some good advice.If you can recognize when to go ahead and take action, you'll be sitting pretty indeed. Are you ready for some out-of-season spring cleaning around Wednesday and Thursday? Whether it's your workspace or your heart, there's stuff to toss out. Make room for the new! From Friday until Sunday afternoon, you might justwant to cozy up with a certain someone or enjoy the company of good friends. Keep those plans low-key.You're thinking about your overall style as the week begins, but something else requires a fine-toothedcomb. It may be a challenge to zero in on the details, but you'll be very happy you did. Getting stuff started(at work, at home, even in romance) is favored. Kick it off and watch it fly! Your usual oomph may bemissing in action. However, taking things slow isn't a bad idea right about now.Your sensuous side's in the forefront as the week begins, with the cosmos smiling on your romantic endeav-ors and boosting your attraction factor. Make hay while the proverbial sun shines! You may be wrapped upin work and it could involve some exciting stuff. Don't go overboard, though, because your health may be a

    bit delicate now. Passion's back in your personal stars from Friday until Sunday afternoon, but beware of possessiveness.

    Check in with family or friends at the beginning of the week, and make sure the lines of communication areclear and open. Relying on them to divine your feelings isn't going to cut it. Around Wednesday and Thurs-day, you're extra smart as well as super sexy. What you don't have: follow-through, especially at work. Sotake necessary steps to keep track of things.

    Interpersonal connections are crackling as your week begins, and the cosmic forces-that-be are smiling onany plans you make now. Put a little extra thought into it and you'll reap big rewards, both right away andlater. Around Wednesday and Thursday, however, the people factor demands additional attention. Spendsome time figuring out others' motivations.

    You're happy to let someone else have the limelight as you start your week. You've got more in-depth or long-term stuff on your mind, and you also have the concentration and analytical skills to deal with it. It'smore about sharing the spotlight (or is it candlelight? Things could get romantic now!)

    Those around you ain't seen nothin' -- until the beginning of this week, that is, when the ambient star power magnifies all things great about you. Whatever you want to do, get right to it. Around Wednesday andThursday, though, a choice must be made, and it's not so easy. Consult someone who 'gets' you -- your mentor, partner or maybe a trusted friend.

    It's all about the details as the week begins, and they might totally overwhelm you if you don't make an ex-tra effort to concentrate. Allow for some downtime, too. Life's more about love around Wednesday andThursday, or at least it should be. Where's your heart? Where do you want to be emotionally? Move towardit, and the stars will give you a nice push. From Friday through the weekend, you might be thinking about a

    purchase or about something you already own. Choose wisely.

    Lend a friend a hand, give a coworker a boost or recommit to your volunteer work or giving at the begin-ning of the week. The cosmic forces have their eye on you! Your sheer power of determination doesn'tmake a certain decision any easier around Wednesday and Thursday. In fact, pressuring yourself for an an-swer could create a problem. Have patience, because things look like they'll really clear up, as well as heatup, for you.

    Get that planner updated, make certain inquiries and do some very productive thinking as the week begins.Give those relationships (or potential ones) a little care and feeding now, too. Around Wednesday and Thurs-day, the connections aren't quite clear, and you'll be glad for the interpersonal foundations you've laid. Butnever fear: Your personal power's back on high from Friday until Sunday afternoon. You're great with ro-mance or social stuff now, do what you do best.

    You've got powerful mental energy, but you'll need to be solo to make the most of it. On the other hand, youlove being around people, and they're loving you around Wednesday and Thursday. Getting out of your usual circle could make it even more fun (and make new contacts a real possibility, too). From Fridaythrough the weekend, your imagination's incredibly active.

    Summit for Heroes event totake place in Walton County

    The Walton County Sheriff's Office (WCSO)announced today that Paxton will be the site of the 2012 Summit for Heroes event. The cere-mony, which will take place on June 30, 2012at 9 a.m. at Lakewood Park (Hwy 285, Paxton,FL), will honor those law enforcement officerswho have been killed in the line of duty.Teams across the country will climb the highest

    point in each state in memory of these heroes.The annual Summit for Heroes memorial climbdates back to 2006. In 2011, over 750 law en-forcement professionals, friends and familytook part nationwide. It was founded by Cap-tain Keith McPheeters of the Farmington Police

    Department in New Mexico. According toinformation on the Summit for Heroes website,"McPheeters reflected on the nature of his oc-cupation, the public's perception on a policeofficer's work, and the effect such a loss has onan officer's survivors. From these thoughts, theconcept of Summit for Heroes took form."If you would like more information on Summitfor Heroes you can visit their websitewww.copsontop.com< http://www.copsontop.com> or you can make contactwith Lt. Artie Rodriguez at 850-892-8186,[email protected]< mailto:[email protected]> .

    http://www.copsontop.com/http://www.copsontop.com/http://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/compose.php?send_to=arodriguez%40waltonso.orghttp://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/compose.php?send_to=arodriguez%40waltonso.orghttp://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/[email protected]://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/[email protected]://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/[email protected]://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/[email protected]://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/compose.php?send_to=arodriguez%40waltonso.orghttp://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/compose.php?send_to=arodriguez%40waltonso.orghttp://www.copsontop.com/http://www.copsontop.com/
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    Page 10 The EMERALD STAR NEWS, Inc. Thursday, June 28, 2012

    Support locally owned & operated business

    Summer advertising specials going on now!!!

    Advertising

    850-585-0262

    Part of 30-A Now NamedAfter Modica

    The State of Florida designatedthe heart of County Road 30-A asCharles Modica, Sr. Hospitality

    Way during a Seaside ceremonyJune 21. The honorary naming me-morializes longtime Seaside mer-chant Charles Modica, Sr., who diedin 2010. The road designation willencompass that portion of CountyRoad 30-A which lies between CR 283 and CR 395.

    Senator Don Gaetz and Represen-tative Matt Gaetz, who shepherdedthe designation through the FloridaLegislature, were joined by mem-

    bers of the Modica family immedi-ately to the south of the downtownSeaside block which includes theModica Market.

    Senator Gaetz, who served as Sea-sides first Town Chairman, de-scribes Modica as the unofficialmayor and goodwill ambassador of Seaside. He said that the develop-ment of 30-A as a center for family-owned small businesses was largely

    inspired by the Modica family, whofounded the market that bears their name in 1988.

    SCOTT v. HOLDER

    The debate is over about whether people are out there that are nonU.S. citizens who registered to vote. They have. Theres no debateabout whether theyve voted. They have. Theres no debate that theycan impact elections. They can.

    -- *Gov. Rick Scott*, R-Fla.Even as Attorney General Eric Holder was pleading with Senate Re-

    publicans for a compromise on a looming contempt of Congress voteover an alleged cover-up of a botched gunrunning sting, he was prepar-ing to open a new front in his battle with the GOP.

    Holder is already facing a growing chorus of calls for his resignationover a refusal to comply with subpoenas from House Republicans andis under increasing pressure for his handling of a torrent of nationalsecurity leaks. Holders agency moved Tuesday to block Florida froman ongoing effort to purge voter rolls of dead people and non-citizens.The federal lawsuit warns of voter disenfranchisement from Floridas

    effort to crosscheck a list of more than 2,600 potentially ineligible reg-istered voters produced by public safety officials against county regis-tration records.

    This is just the latest effort by Holder to stop Republican governorsand state lawmakers from cracking down on voter fraud, warning thatthe efforts in states like Texas and South Carolina to require voters toshow identification could wipe out significant gains of the civil rightsmovement against Jim Crow.

    But President Obama isnt going to win Texas or South Carolina.Holders interventions against those states and insistence that southernstates still need special restrictions and supervision by his agency 47

    years after the Voting Rights Act was passed, has a limited politicalcurrency. The value of these lawsuits and of Holders heated rhetoric ismostly related to re-energizing black and Hispanic voters, especiallyolder ones who have misgivings about Obamas social liberalism butcan still recall the era of segregation.

    But when the discussion moves to a swing state like Florida, thestakes go way up. No state is better known for close elections and voter shenanigans than the Sunshine State, having been host to the matter of Bush v. Gore. Consider this: the number of voters on the Florida list of

    potential ineligibles is about 5 times as many ballots as separatedGeorge W. Bush and Al Gore 12 years ago.

    Florida has tilted right since Obamas 2008 victory there, electingconservative Republican Rick Scott as governor and giving the GOPmajorities in both houses of the state legislature. And like most conser-vatives, the new GOP majority was interested in zapping voter fraud.Whatever the philosophical views behind the moves in Florida andelsewhere, theres a practical consideration for Republicans: Democ-rats are typically the ones who benefit from ineligible voters.

    In Wisconsin, where a voter ID law i s stuck in the courts, Republi-cans warn about out-of-state union members showing up and takingadvantage of the states permissive same -day registration rules. Instates like Virginia and Pennsylvania, the worry is over heavily De-mocratic inner-city precincts where ballot-box stuffing has beenalleged.

    In Florida, Republicans have long complained that Democrats get a boost from illicit ballots cast by illegal immigrants, especially in thestates large and growing Haitian community. Indeed, the Miami Her-ald found that 87 percent of those on the potential purge list were mi-norities. While Democrats say that this is evidence of Scotts discrimi-natory aims, it is certainly evidence that if all those folks went to the

    polls, Democrats would be better off.It might seem an inconvenient time to wade into a swing-s tate elec-

    tion battle on the side that would benefit his boss, but Holder is not oneto back down to the GOP.

    Its that tenacity that has made him a doyenne of the left and the most controversial member of Obamas cabinet. While the attorney general was publicly pleading for comity and com-

    promise with Republican Senators, his actions later that sent a verydifferent message: bring it on.

    Beach Monitoring InWalton CountyThe Health Department says severalWalton County Beaches might be ata health risk after water sampling.Health Advisories have been issued

    for Miramar Beach, Blue MountainBeach, Grayton Beach, EasternLake Beach and Inlet Beach Access

    based on the enterococci standardrecommended by the EPA. Thisshould be considered a potentialhealth risk to the bathing public.The Walton County Health Depart-ment has been conducting saltwater

    beach water quality monitoring atseven sites once every week sinceAugust 1, 2000, through the HealthyBeaches Monitoring Program. Thewater samples are analyzed for en-teric bacteria (enterococci) that nor-mally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals, which maycause human disease, infections, or rashes. The presence of enteric bac-teria is an indication of fecal pollu-tion, which may come from storm-water runoff, pets and wildlife, andhuman sewage. The purpose of the

    Healthy Beaches Monitoring Pro-gram is to determine whether Flor-ida has significant coastal beachwater quality problems and whether future beach monitoring efforts arenecessary.

    PrometheusThis movie is, visually, the most amazing film I haveever seen. I am not sure where they did the filmingfor the scenery in this movie, but WOW, beautiful.Prometheus, for those of you who dont know, is afilm about a group of scientist that go to a different

    planet in hopes of finding the beings that created hu-

    mans. This film is set in the 2090s and is beautifuland vile all at the same time. If you love alien mov-ies, you will like Prometheus, if the thought of teensy, tiny, micro alien lifeforms getting into your system and infecting you is not your cup of tea, thendont bother wasting your time on this film.I had the wonderful pleasure of getting to view Pro-metheus in IMAX 3D, and let me say (as I alwaysdo) it was amazing! The bass was so low in the audioof this film that when the space ship was taking off and landing it was shaking the theatre seats, kind of like a simulator. It was just awesome.This film is filled with lots of gore, blood, guts, be-headed giant aliens, some language, and will morethan likely give your child crazy nightmares. So, asalways, if you are thinking about letting your childwatch this film, screen it yourself first.If you have any comments of recommen-

    dations email me at: [email protected]

    See you all at the movies!!!

    mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]
  • 7/31/2019 June 28,2012 Edition

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    Yard Work extremely reasonable rates. Let mehelp clean up your area. Call ESN:

    850-585-0262 for details/times.

    The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Page 11Thursday, June 28, 2012

    HELP WANTED

    Exp/accurate representative needed

    to work, he/she must be above 18yrsold and must have a good qualities towork. Interested applicant should

    please contact : [email protected]

    Home Assistant or helper. Local, trust-worthy with referencesCall Bonnie 850-880-6419 or 253-221-3379

    Volunteers needed at the AlaquaAnimal refuge. Must be 18 +For more information call(850) 880-6399

    Advertising sales positionsexcellent opportunity-call now!!Positions available with little to no exp.With leads. Call 850.585.0262

    Got an item you want to sell?

    Classifieds

    Only $10 per issue

    Volunteers NeededIn Walton county,

    only 44% of the children in the court

    system have a volunteer Guardian AdLitem, Freeport has lots of cases thatneed volunteers. Please consider volunteering, it only takes a few hours amonth after you are trained, and makesa big difference in the life of a localchild.

    Visit www.beaguardian.org fill outthe application, save it and send it [email protected] you will be soglad you did!!

    901 suite#3 on Hwy. 20 next to l.C.s PizzA

    Got Roaches?Kill them all summer long withHarris One Year Roach Killer.

    Odorless & Non Staining.Guaranteed.

    Franks Cash & Carry (850)835-4221 or (850)231-0500

    For SaleHusky 5th wheel sliding hitch. $250.00

    9-10 straight back chairs and 2 arm chairsof oak. Need repair and finishing. All for $10.00LG Portable A/C. Used once. All partsand instruction bk. $60.00Brother Intellifax 775 - phone/copier $15.002000 Damon Motor Home. Sale for healthrsns - $15,000.00 (Neg)Brass/copper figurines $75.00Fleece lined P.J.s Size 18 -Never worn.$10.00 eachXL used clothing - 1.00 each.Call 850-865-3308 - all above by appoint-ment only

    2006 Arctic cat -4 wheeler, oneowner,245hrs,1180mi. Very good condi-tion, must sell $1950. Call Tim 205-266-0726

    TEA PARTY TO MEET

    The next meeting of the Walton County TeaParty Patriots will be held on Thursday, June28, 2012 at 6:00 PM in the Life EnrichmentSenior Center on College Avenue in DeFu-niak Springs.

    The special speaker will be Cindy Meadows,former Walton County Commissioner andcurrent candidate for the Commission.Meadows will discuss the issues which haveled her to run for public office at this time.

    The Walton County Tea Party Patriots iscomprised of ordinary citizens who believethat our participation in the governmental

    process can and does make a difference. Thegroup supports smaller government, less

    taxation, limited governmental spending andstrong enforcement of the principles of theU.S. Constitution.

    The meeting is free and open to the public.For additional information, please visit our website atwww.waltoncountypatriots.tcoinc.com. or contact Mary Brown at 850-520-4229.

    Grit & Gracethe Official Folklife Story of Walton County,FL presents...

    "Life at the Landings...& Beyond."Tickets on sale NOW!!

    Take a trip through the history of WaltonCounty, as this year's production tells about thenumerous landings and waterways throughoutWalton County, and how they played importantroles in the shaping and defining of those livesthat settled this area over a century ago. Writtenand directed by playwright/actor, Nancy Hasty,the script will come alive with numerous songs,choreography, actors, and sets, as the cast andcrew bring the stories of the history of WaltonCounty, to life on stage! Now in its 12th sea-son, the production calls the Wise Educationand Performing Arts Center, in DeFuniak Springs, FL, home. Productions dates are July20 and 21; 7 p.m., and July 22; 2 p.m. matinee.Limited seating!

    A WHOLE NEW SHOW SURE TO EN-

    TERTAIN THE ENTIRE FAMILY! For moreinformation, or ticket reservations, log on towww.gritandgrace.org, or call 850.270.7008

    The Freeport Dixie YouthAll Star 13-15 Softball Team is holding aFish Fry thisSaturday, June 30th, from 10:00 - UN-TIL, in order to raise money for their travel expenses to the State SoftballTournament in Carrabelle, Florida.

    The Fish Fry will be held on the corner of 331 Business and Hwy 20, beside theFreeport Caf. The plates are $8 each:fish, coleslaw, baked beans, bread andtea.

    http://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/compose.php?send_to=bendaton%40live.comhttp://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/compose.php?send_to=nina.stephens%40gal.fl.govhttp://[email protected]/http://[email protected]/http://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/compose.php?send_to=nina.stephens%40gal.fl.govhttp://gator1092.hostgator.com:2095/3rdparty/squirrelmail/src/compose.php?send_to=bendaton%40live.com
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    Page 12 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Thursday, June 28, 2012

    Ph: 850-835-4153 www.freeportwaterfront.comFOR MORE INFORMATION AND PHOTOS - TEXT PROPERTY ID# TO 85377

    THE FLORIDA GOOD LIFE - ID# T3059143BR/2.5BA, 1,836 SF cottage on LaGrangeBayou. 1st floor Master BR. Open kitchen w/granite countertops. Dbl garage. $369,500

    ALMOST AN ACRE ON MALLET BAYOU! - ID# T884943BR/2BA home with 1,514 sq. ft. Fenced back yard and outbuilding. Enjoy the viewfrom the screened back porch or fish from the dock equipped with power & water.

    WATERFRONT DEAL! $235,900

    CARIBBEAN FUN - ID# T3783192br/1.5ba, two-story bungalow directly onBlack Creek. Dock w/electric. Storage shed,dbl carport. Must see! $189,000

    MOVE IN READY! - ID# T6060023BR/2BA, 1,216 SF on 1+ acre in DFS area.Oversized kitchen. Carport, fenced backyard,above ground pool w/deck. $74,900

    HWY 90 ACREAGE - ID# T483643Near Okaloosa-Santa Rosa line. Owner fin. avail w/ 10% down & flexible terms.Over 4 acres w/public water avail.$75,000

    BAYFRONT LOT - ID# T88493Bay Harbour lot being offered at anunbelievably low price. Not a short sale!

    Owner Financing Available. $149,000

    EMERALD SHORES - ID# 88485Protected water with easy access to theIntracoastal & Choctawhatchee Bay. CW&Savailable. Tremendous potential!$159,000

    NEAR BLACK CREEK - ID# T6164393BR/1.5BA, 1,260 sq. ft. brick home on half acre. New roof, interior paint, appliances,tile, windows, blinds, etc. $125,000

    ACREAGE - HOME - SHOP - ID# T884951.79 acres with brick 3BR/2BA, 1,800 sq. ft. home on corner. Property is fenced.Large 30 x 60 metal workshop with roll up doors. Short Sale, Sold As-Is.

    NOW ONLY $175,000

    BACK ON THE MARKET - ID# T884974BR/3.5BA, 2,369 sq. ft. home on LaGrange Bayou w/over 1.3 acres. Custom kitchen,9 ceilings, and tongue & groove wood floors. Florida room w/Bayou views. Doublegarage. Studio/workshop. Dock w/covered boatlift. PRICE REDUCED TO $485,000

    UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY! - ID# T6206621.37 ac corner lot near Bridge. Brick

    3BR/1BA, 1,614 sq. ft. w/new metal roof,paint & kitchen. Fenced yard.$138,500

    NEW LISTING - DEFUNIAK SPRINGS3BR/2BA, 2,026 sq. ft. newly remodeled home. Kitchen has bar and eat-in area.Bonus computer/craft room. Open back deck for outdoor entertaining.

    WONT LAST LONG AT $124,900