THE EMERALD STAR NEWS - July 25, 2013 Edition

Volume: 5 Issue: 15 July 25, 2013 bi-weekly Edition

merald Star News E The

The BEST LIL’ NEWSPAPER in Walton county - from Freeport, Florida

A style of it’s own — a community Based Newspaper

Free

offered ‘free’ …….from our business Advertisers inside this week

Made possible by your local

advertising businesses in this edition.

Real Estate listings inside:

Inside this Edition:

Walton Sets Fire Services

Agreement Unincorporated Walton

Fire Fees to go up and land will be added.

Tuesday morning Commissioners re-

opened the Fire Services Fee Agreement

hearing with closed …..……...Page 3

Freeport Celebrates it’s 50th The Town Planters will

be hosting a reception in honor of the City

of Freeport’s 50th Birthday. The reception

will be held at Freeport City Hall on Wed,

July 31, at 5:00 pm…………..Page 4

Walton To Get First MH

Park Tennant Walton will get a little love as Love’s

Travel Stop & Country Store is coming to

Walton County. Special Projects Coordi-

nator Larry Jones made the announcement

at Tuesday’s commissioner meeting. The

Travel Center will be the first tenant in

the Mossy Head Industrial Park. Loves,

based in Oklahoma, has …...Page 10

The past couple of weeks has produced some record amounts of rain in a few of places in Walton county. But along with those

storms are also some beautiful rainbows. This photo was taken by local Freeport resident Corey Anderson while crossing the

Choctawhatchee bridge with his cell phone. You too can produce our next edition’s cover shot. Let’s see what you got!

We insist the photos be from within Walton county, that’s it! Send in anytime to: [email protected].

Enjoy your stay in Walton county, be safe, take the time to know the beach warning flag system. Thanks for reading!

Hello once again. Have you had enough rain yet? I sure

have. The coolness of the rain is nice but the flooding and

amounts of the water is something I’ve not seen like before.

I noticed in the news about several new businesses coming to DeFuniak

Springs and we are happy for them. Bringing jobs and reputal companies to our

county is very much needed. As a resident of Freeport, I ask myself where are

those big business deals we heard about a few years back? Whatever happened to

them building our Publix along Hwy. 331, near Hwy. 20? Is it still on the table or

did something fall through? If so, then what was it that made the deal disappear?

There are several other rumours I have heard of but I’ll keep most of those out of

print until it is once confirmed.

Perhaps with the new blood coming into our city administration we will see

how quickly there will be changes made. The need to bring Freeport as a main-

stay is around the corner but creative minds need to gather and decide where

these attractions will be placed around our city. How can we delegate and easy

access for those tourist to stop, relax, grab a bite to eat, maybe stay the night?

You ask, but where? They do to. Plenty of times I’m about in my car and am

asked where is the nearest place for this, nearest place for that? It stinks to not

just say down the road on the left or right. But I explain to keep on going across

the bridge and you will find most anything you need there once you reach San

Destin and so on.

Am I the only person who forsees what is around the corner for our town? If

you have a vision and it is for the good of the area you must follow it and stay

persistent upon it for years in a row. Economically we are losing out on the flux

that could be brought here just by not having several eateries, shopping strips and

can someone step up as a great mechanic around here?

It will take our representatives to have an inner desire to see of what was then,

was then. The time is now to lead and sell to franchisers and entrepreneurs of all

types of goods. Who has the ability to offer something rare and unique from

here? Like what? I have done research about Freeport history and it is hard to

describe what I know is available to those vacationers. Such as fishing, camping,

hiking…..but again where is the lodging? I know many folks who have come and

spent a plenty of penny down across the bay on things that I know we have avail-

able here in Freeport. It just seems strange that this wasn’t looked at strategically

a long time ago.

This newspaper has had its struggles in the past, but I ensure to you as a cus-

tomer that you are getting what you paid for. And a good deal at that. I have seen

a recent interest about our newspaper from those in south Walton and we Thank

you for reading our lil’ newspaper. I work quite hard for our many followers to

give them the important news within our county and maybe enough room for a

twist or two.

I am always open to offer employment to anyone interested in this sales field. It

will definitely get you familiar with all that our county has and will have to offer.

Those businesses who have been here awhile feel no need to advertise? Strange

how I get calls at the office about where a local place for this or that is. Of course

my advertisers get the first pick to go to.

Did you know that our newspaper has been available online too? We have most

Ads in color on the web, it helps. With the amount of followers we have online I

am surprised how fast our newspapers disappear each delivery.

Many people find our website before they come to our area, it comes up on

searches too. That one family that looked at our newspaper online could have

been your customer but you didn’t let them know you were even here at all. Does

the fact that your inexpensive Ad is seen by thousands online bother you? Prior

to moving here people look us up online and view what Palmetto Properties has

to offer. They are the mainstay for this newspapers existence and we appreciate

them a lot. I here we have sold quite a few places for them too. What a bonus to

be online is for them. I’ll do what I can for you as best I can. Like me or not, the

newspaper is going to help get Freeport noticed more than most of you would

realize.

Remember folks, I’d like to add more pages but we need the support of our

local businesses. We have been around almost 5 yrs. now with no intentions of

going nowhere but big once again. With the reader’s help we can achieve this to

help put Freeport in the forefront of places to know about. The movers and

shaker’s? where are you? Where is your Ad? I have the flexibility that those lar-

ger papers don’t have or can they even offer to you. Just call and find out the

facts! I am here to service your advertising needs. If your in Walton county, your

in our area. We go to places most newspapers aren’t at…..and I’m always finding

more. Come join the team, give me a call @ 585-0262 today.

Thanks again for reading and spread the word of where you saw it! Frank

Editorial Views 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 ensure

accuracy of the publication contents. However, 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. 2500 copies printed bi-weekly.

Publisher/Editor

Frank Wolfe Jr.

(850) 585-0262 Check us out on FACEBOOK!

E-mail info. to: [email protected]

**Main Office/Sales - 850-585-0262

Web Designer – Lee Cox

Contributing Editor - Dr. Summers

Page 2 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Thursday, July 25, 2013

Look online: theemeraldstarnews.bolgspot.com

Mail invoices and other information to:

P.O. Box 1133 Freeport, Florida 32439

Quote of

the week :

The Wolfe’s Den

“free”-HOW??

From the businesses advertising in this issue.

Thank each one as you go to their store Yes it’s true. The rising demand for this newspaper our delivering needs we

could not meet each week. If you live a bit further out we will get it to you.

We need advertising help too, just give us a call today!

The Emerald Star News is published bi-weekly

We are locally owned and operated in Freeport

Just do what must

be done. This may

not be happiness,

but it is greatness

The happiness of

your life depends

upon the quality of

your thoughts:

therefore, guard

accordingly, and

take care that you

entertain no notions

unsuitable to virtue

and reasonable na-

ture.

Looking to Advertise?

Give us a shot……...we have specials going on now!

2 for 1 specials Call to find out how 850-585-0262

Get 2 months of advertising for only $100..thats a total

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Call me now for details…...850-585-0262

Page 3 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Thursday, July 25, 2013

WC BCC Meeting As reported by WZEP AM1460

At Tuesday morning's Walton Commissioner meeting, Special Pro-jects coordinator Larry Jones presented the U.S. 331 Corridor Design and Development Standards. This was only a presentation so no ac-tion was taken. An easement for CHELCO at the Mossy Head Indus-trial Park was approved. Commissioners agreed to move infrastruc-ture money from the Landfill fund for the Mossy Head Industrial Park. Commissioners approved insurance with Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Commissioners Chapman said he has had problems finding care under the HMO plan. The new agreement will not have an HMO.

County Attorney Toni Craig has been out on medical leave since De-cember. Saying it was with sadness, the commissioners agreed to ter-minate the employment agreement to allow them to move forward. Commissioner Comander said Craig was very good at her job. Com-missioners approved a contract with Neighbors, Giblin & Nickerson to provide representation as Walton Land Attorney. A hostile work-place complaint was made by Tom Baker and the attorney presented a report recommending policies. Commissioners agreed. Baker also recommended the Walton and DeFuniak Springs Housing become one entity. Commissioners agreed to see what it would take to get this done.

Commissioners agreed to renew the Certificate of Need for Air Meth-ods for the AIrHeart service. Commissioner Meadows recognised Public Works for their work during the recent flooding. She asked if there is a way to get emergency permits in hand to be able to do work when needed. Staff said they are working to get emergency permits. The county has one pump, but it is so big it can not be quickly used. Commissioner Chapman said he knows the men and women at Public Works did their jobs, working on days off and on the 4th of July. Im-feld noted the emergency responders.

Walton Sets Fire Services Agreement As reported by WZEP AM1460 Unincorporated Walton Fire Fees to go up and land will be added. Tuesday morning Commissioners

reopened the Fire Services Fee Agreement hearing with closed comment time. Commissioner Imfeld

suggested they use the $75 for the residential rate and .07 an acre for land. Commercial, Industrial,

Warehouse and Institutional will remain at the reported rates.

Chief Brian Coley confirmed the local firefighters do indeed show up and often extinguish brush

fires. Commissioner Comander said it is obvious to her that they need to assess the fire department

and find if they need as many stations. She said they might need to go back to volunteers since they

will have to cut costs. Comander said the $75 will not be enough. The current budget is over $4 mil-

lion with much being paid by ad valorem property taxes from residents in the whole county, even if

they are in another fire district.

Commissioner Kenneth Pridgen said it will be hard to provide a service with quick response in the

rural areas simply due to the large amount of land Walton has. He said, when a home is 10 minutes

out in the country, the time it takes to make the 911 call, respond and start fighting the fire will often

mean a house fire will already be well underway. Comander said it is not just the house on fire, but

the neighbor’s house too. Chief Coley said there is also the need for Advanced Life Support and

while he agrees there needs to be cuts, he would caution cutting to the point the ALS is diminished.

Commissioner Chapman said they need to look at how to shift stations to provide better response.

Commissioner Meadows said she thinks the $75 is reasonable, though it only pays about 20% of the

cost. The attorney said the .07 an acre is a legally defendable charge since that is what they pay the

state for the Florida Forest Service. Answering a question from the audience, the attorney said all

land in the unincorporated part of Walton County, including conservation land, will be charged

the .07.

Chapman said the issue has been going on for years and was not addressed and they need to hold it in

bay now. He also talked about people on fixed incomes and feels the rate is high. Meadows said there

is people on fixed incomes all over and that is why she is in favor of paying $50 more. Chapman said

he has a concern that the other districts outside of the unincorporated part of the county will not raise

their rates and the county will still have to help them.

Commissioner Imfeld noted they discussed stopping the stipend, the financial support to those dis-

tricts. He said they are trying to do what the previous boards set up, to make adjustments for costs.

He also noted EMS are a separate cost and will need to be looked at. Commissioners agreed 3-2 with

Pridgen and Chapman the nay votes. This sets the fee, but it could be raised to $150 later.

Later, Commissioner Imfeld asked to direct staff to work with Freeport and see if the county can es-

tablish a station east and west of Freeport. He also said, if this affects the Freeport Firefighters, then

they should be given first opportunity to be hired by the county for these stations. Freeport currently

covers inside and outside their city limits. The plan is to have them reduce to just inside the limits as

funding from the county is reduced. Commissioner Pridgen said they need to have a comprehensive

look at the whole county and include this in the review. Comander said they should still move for-

ward with their joint Freeport Council and Commissioner meeting. She said they need a station in

Bruce. Meadows agrees the issue need to be addressed before they have the final budget meeting. She

said this has been discussed for years. The information needs to be in before the first budget hearing

in September.

Woman Throws Baby At Officer

A Pensacola woman faces child abuse and other charges after she threw a three month old infant

towards an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy who was trying to stop her for suspected shoplifting.

Luckily the baby, who was still in her infant carrier, was not injured.

It took place Monday evening around 7 p.m. in a parking lot at the Santa Rosa Mall in Mary

Esther. Investigators say 23-year old Ashley Taylor Wright of 1216 Wilson Avenue went into a

fitting room at Dillards with clothing items. She came out without the merchandise and the items

were not in the fitting room. She had hidden the two pairs of Miss Me Jeans and a pink Hurley

shirt, valued at $261.00, in a baby stroller.

As a deputy approached near her car in the parking lot, she began yelling at her husband to leave.

Two small children were also in the car. When the deputy tried to get Wright out of the vehicle, she

put the baby carrier in front of her saying “You will have to shoot through the baby to get me.”

Wright ran from the vehicle, then threw the 14 pound infant, still in the carrier, towards the deputy.

Wright fell and began fighting the deputy as he tried to take her into custody. She was transported

to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center for treatment of a laceration to her head. She has been

charged with petty theft, child abuse without great bodily harm, and resisting an officer without

violence.

Please be advised that the Walton County Administrator Applica-

tion Screening Committee: Vincent Long, Leon County Adminis-

trator; Hunter Walker, Santa Rosa County Administrator, Ed

Smith, Bay County Administrator; and Chris Holley, Florida Asso-

ciation of Counties Executive Director; will meet on July 24, 2013

and July 31, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. in the Walton County Administra-

tion Building located at 76 North 6th Street, DeFuniak Springs, FL.

Thursday, July 25, 2013 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc.

Call for AJ’s -’tip of the week’

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Inspect your water heater for

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Health Post George Roll P.A.-C

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Call # 850-231-6200

Walk-ins and Appt.s

Send health questions or

comments to: P.O.Box 1133

Freeport, Florida 32439

850-835-2028

998 Bay Dr. Santa Rosa-Beach, Fl.32459

850-231-1473

Page 4

Local RESTORE Act Committee – Subcommittee Wednesday, July 31

The Walton County Local Restore Act Committee will hold a subcommittee meet-

ing on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 10:00 AM at the Bayou Arts Center located at

105 Hogtown Bayou, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459. The purpose of this meeting is

to discuss the RESTORE Act project application. Two or more County Commis-

sioners may attend. These meetings are open to the public.

Economic Development Update

As reported by WZEP AM1460 City Council member Mac Work says

the planned Taco Bell is back on track

with the new store design and an ex-

pected opening in October. The new

restaurant will go on a wooded lot just

south of Army Aviation Center FCU at

Oaklawn Square. Work also says Hib-

betts Sports plans to open a store next to

the Tractor Supply. The sports chain had

looked at the location and has now

agreed to come to DeFuniak Springs. A

Rent-A-Center is planned for the former

video store in the complex on south 331.

Walton County plans to make an impor-

tant announcement concerning economic

development. Many hope it is an an-

nouncement for the Mossy Head Indus-

trial Park, possibly a truck stop recently

talked about. A travel plaza type truck

stop would likely have the fuel station, a

store, restaurant and more. It would also

mean more gas tax for the county.

Freeport Celebrates

it’s 50th

The Town Planters will be hosting a reception in honor of the City of Freeport’s 50th Birthday. The reception will be held at Freeport City Hall on Wednesday, July 31, at 5:00 pm

Walton County Public Works is nearing

completion of a preliminary alignment

in association with an effort to pave

Walton Bridge Road. This project has

been designated to receive construction

funding from FDOT through the Small

County Outreach Program. Funding for

this project will become available next

summer and we anticipate construction

to begin in the fall of 2014. The success

of this project will be contingent on the

ability to acquire the right of way neces-

sary for construction.

Walton County Public Works has

scheduled a public meeting at the

Eucheeanna Community Center on

Tuesday, July 30 from 5:00 PM until

7:00 PM. Staff will be available to an-

swer any questions or to address any

concerns you may have pertaining to

this upcoming project. If you have any

questions or need further information

please do not hesitate to give our office

Shelter House From their newsletter, this summer has been one of the busiest times ever in Shelter

House's history. With the end of their fiscal year on June 30, they look back on the

impact Shelter House, with your help and support, has had in our community over

the last year. In just 12 months, they touched the lives of 6,021 women, children

and men in Okaloosa and Walton counties.

They says advocates have been hard at work counseling victims, offering referrals,

going to court and spreading the word about the services available through Shelter

House so that anyone touched by domestic violence knows where to turn. Shelter

House says the numbers tell a story of your generosity, love and passion for a vio-

lence free community.

For the second summer, Shelter House and Children in Crisis are working together

to offer a camp experience to children who have witnessed or experienced violence.

Camp Change is a fun, interactive day camp for ages 5 through 15. This weeklong

day camp will offer learning experiences in an entertaining format. Campers will

learn about healthy relationships, setting goals, self-care, economic empowerment,

safety planning, violence prevention and more. The week will close with a gradua-

tion ceremony where the kids can share what they learned at camp.

Camp Change is open to the children of Shelter House participants and those living

at Children in Crisis.

You can support Camp for Change and make a difference in the lives of children in

our community by donating the following items: pencil boxes, gloves, measuring

cups and spoons, food coloring, hand wipes, bandages, gauze, neosporin, clear dish

soap, resealable plastic bags, poster board, glitter, markers, construction paper, rolls

of butcher paper, individually wrapped snacks, juice boxes, paper plates, napkins,

cups, Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, paper towels and small envelopes.

Donations can be dropped off at the Shelter House administration office located at

102 Buck Drive in Fort Walton Beach between 8am and 5pm, Monday through

Friday. Volunteers are also needed to assist with the camp. For more information,

please call 850-243-1201.

If one of your concerns about getting

older is that you'll have that so-called

''old people's smell" that is the butt of

jokes and bad birthday greeting cards,

here's some new, reassuring research.

Older people "do have a characteristic

odor, but it's not a negative odor,"

The negative association with old peo-

ple's body odor seems to come from our

negative association with old age,

In his new research, middle-aged men

actually were evaluated as most stinky of

three adult age groups. Middle-aged

women smelled best.

The majority could categorize old body

odor as old," Lundstrom tells WebMD.

They were not as good at picking out the

odor of younger people, he says.

"There is something with the body odor

that is helping to associate age," he says.

Experts know that body odor changes

with age.

However, the evaluators did not rate the

old people's odor as unpleasant.

They did find the odor of middle-aged

men particularly unpleasant. "The worst-

smellers are middle-aged men," Lund-

strom says. "The ones who smelled the

most beautiful are middle-aged women."

From best to worst-smelling, here is how

the people stacked up:

Middle-aged women

Old men

Young women

Old women

Young men

Middle-aged men -- who lagged way

behind other categories,

But it also says the older person's smell

was less intense and less unpleasant

[than some other ages]," she says.

The odor associated with some older

people, Mohler says, could have more to

do with hygiene or diet habits or illness

than physiology.

"We all know how sweet babies smell

when they are clean," she says. And, she

adds, we know how badly they can smell

before a bath or a diaper change.

"Body odor changes [with age]," she

says. "But body odor does not have to be

bad as we age."

How to Age Fragrantly

For people getting older and fearing ''old

person's smell."

"As long as one showers when one

should shower and you air out your

abode [where body odors can accumu-

late], you are good to go."

Page 5

The FREEPORT POST

Thursday, July 25, 2013 The Emerald Star News, Inc.

Volunteer Firefighters Get Equipment Donated As reported by WZEP AM1460 While there is an ongoing argument on how the various fire departments in Walton County should get funding, very few have suggested not having fire departments. Many do believe our area needs fire and emergency services and they need to stay at the same level of ser-vice. No matter what level of funding a department has, usually more is needed in the way of equipment and training.

At one time there was little to no fire coverage. Local residents got together and started city and community fire departments. As several stated at the meetings, Walton had 13 volunteer fire departments. Some became a mix of volunteer and paid firefighters. Most of these were originally funded through donations of equipment, volunteer time, barbecues and bake sales and other funds that usually kept them just operating.

As mentioned at a recent Fire Services Fee public hearing, the Walton Commissioners gave each district $10,000 to help. The residents south of the bay wanted better protection as more expensive homes were built. They choose to form an independent taxing district. They were not the first, as districts like United, Argyle, Liberty, Darlington/Gaskin, Glendale, Tri-Village, Red Bay and others had also decided to allow some type of taxation, usually through a fee collection or MSBU. Freeport and DeFuniak Springs brought their fire depart-ments under as city departments and thus they were under the city’s ad valorem property taxes.

At first the firefighters were simply your neighbors who said they would come if your house caught fire. Some departments would get a trained professional. That person could be paid. When South Walton Fire was created, they were started as a paid professional department. The two cities also also had paid professionals. Eventually the state began requiring at least a basic training for all firefighters, even volunteers. This changed the look of local depart-ments to everyone being a professional with training. The need for first responders brought an additional level of medical training. Now all firefighters have some level of professional training. Firefighters in South Walton, Walton Fire-Rescue and the city departments are level 2 or greater with EMT or Paramedic training. Some volunteers also choose to get the additional training.

While the funding struggles continue and the Walton Commissioners could make a decision next week on how to budget and if a higher fire service fee should be imposed on the unin-corporated county residents, the need for firefighting does not stop. A national company has helped a local group of professional volunteers with a metal saw.

The Argyle Volunteer Fire Department says thanks to Home Depot in Destin for donating a Milwaukee Metal-Cutting Skill Saw. The saw comes with an 8 in carbide tip blade and car-rying case. The saw was requested by the Argyle Volunteer Fire Department for use in the extraction of patients from vehicles in the event of a crash, where the patient would need to be removed from the vehicle if trapped.

Argyle Fire Chief Jonathan Day says members of the Argyle Volunteer Fire Department attended a class taught nationwide. The class taught firefighters how to think outside the box and use tools the standard fire departments are not using and safety issues with hybrid vehi-cles that are new to the fire service. Day says that as times change so does the manufacturer's designs to vehicles which help to protect the driver and passengers. He says these make it more difficult to remove patients from a vehicle if they get trapped. Day says that as manu-facturer's build motor vehicles more durable for side impact and frontal impact, the fire ser-vice has to strive to be up to date with the changes and think of more ways of getting a pa-tient out of a vehicle.

The Argyle Volunteer Fire Department currently has three sets of extraction equipment (Jaws of Life). Day says the jaws of life has changed over the years; the cutting force, mate-rial they are made from and, spreading force have all changed due to the manufacturer's change in metals and pressure that has to be applied to be able to cut or spread metals to gain the space needed to remove patients. He says the older Jaws of Life could not cut the new vehicles of today. Again a big thank you to Home Depot for the $279.99 donation!

And on a related note, just before 4pm Friday afternoon, E-911 dispatch toned out three fire districts and EMS for a structure fire on west Highway 2, about a mile west of 83. Multiple engines and units were dispatched to the home fire. Knowing it is a rural area with no fire hydrant, Liberty’s Volunteer Fire Department’s tanker was also called by the chief before anyone arrived at the fire. The caller said he was on-scene with smoke and flames visible. The fire started after a lightning strike. This is the normal protocol for a structure fire. The district the fire is in and two surrounding districts are dispatched. EMS is called in case needed. Additional tanker or specialty trucks like a brush fire truck or South Walton’s ladder truck are also called if needed. If the local fire command sees a need, the Florida Forest Ser-vice, Fire Marshal, law enforcement, additional trucks and manpower are also called.

Top Officials Ask For a Different Education Plan

Florida Senate President Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) and Florida House

Speaker Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel) released a letter to Florida

Education Commissioner Tony Bennett recommending that Florida immedi-

ately withdraw from implementing the student assessments proposed by the

national academic consortium, Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for

College and Careers (PARCC) in favor of a Florida Plan for valid, reliable

and timely testing of student performance, including assessments for the

Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

President Gaetz and Speaker Weatherford wrote that, “Florida’s strong edu-

cation policies have made us a model for the nation and have resulted in ex-

traordinary gains in student achievement.” They said too many questions

remain unanswered with PARCC regarding implementation, administration,

technology readiness, timeliness and utility of results, security infrastructure,

data collection and undetermined cost. We cannot jeopardize fifteen years of

education accountability reform by relying on PARCC to define a funda-

mental component of our accountability system. The two say our schools,

teachers, and families have worked too hard for too long for our system to

collapse under the weight of an assessment system that is not yet developed,

designed nor tested."

The Speaker and President noted Florida is at a decision point regarding the

direction our state will choose in implementing assessments proposed

PARCC. They outlined a number of questions and concerns about national

standards and assessments and their impact on students, teachers, schools

and our state’s competitiveness.

The complete PARCC assessments will consume approximately twenty

days of testing for elementary, middle and high school students. An addi-

tional, yet undetermined, time will be needed for students to demonstrate the

required knowledge and skills.

PARCC does not have a plan for the timely return of assessment data dur-

ing the academic year the tests are administered.

PARCC assessments are to be performed on computers. No district in the

state has every one of their schools at the minimum 2:1 student to device

ratio called for in the PARCC administration plan. Testing some students on

computer and some by pencil, presents the prospect of further delays in get-

ting results as well as problems evaluating accuracy and validity.

To date, the cost of the full implementation of PARCC assessment materi-

als is indeterminate as are the costs for the technology and professional de-

velopment infrastructure necessary to effectively administer a valid assess-

ment program.

PARCC reports final test security policies will not be released for another

calendar year, which raises concerns regarding the security of student data

and consequences for the misuse of that data.

“Florida must do what it has always done in the field of assessments, which

is to lead,” continued the President and Speaker. “We are committed to

building on our strengths and current infrastructure by crafting our own Flor-

ida Plan of assessments for the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.”

Obituary for Fanny Monioudis

Fanny Monioudis, 89,

resident of The Manor

at Blue Water Bay and

Santa Rosa Beach, FL,

passed away Sunday,

July 7th, 2013 at Twin

Cities Hospital, Nice-

ville, Florida. Fanny

was born in Reading,

Pennsylvania to Frank and Maria

Manolakelli.

Mrs. Monioudis lived in Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania and Lakewood New Jersey

before moving to Santa Rosa Beach, Flor-

ida 11 years ago. She worked for many

years at Temple University Hospital in

Philadelphia.

Mrs. Monioudis was preceded in death by

her parents, her husband Fanorios Moni-

oudis, brothers James and Stanley

Manolakelli and sisters Helen Cameron

and Esther Kiminas.

Mrs. Monioudis is survived by her daugh-

ter Irene (Bob) Soper, many nieces, neph-

ews, grandchildren and great grandchil-

dren.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made

to the Alzheimer’s Association,

www.alz.org.

Funeral arrangements are being conducted

by Clary-Glenn Freeport Chapel Funeral

Home.

Obituary for Wilma Louise

Gandy Gainey

Heaven’s gates

opened wide at

7:00 AM on Sun-

day, July 14, to

welcome Wilma

L. Gandy Gainey

to her heavenly

home. She was at

Healthmark Re-

gional Hospital surrounded by her

children. She was born in Jackson

County, Florida on September 17,

1919. Her husband, Millard E. Gainey,

predeceased her on September 30,

1973. She was a wonderful caregiver

from a very early age when her mother

passed away leaving eight children

and she was the oldest at 12 years old.

She became the caregiver for her sib-

lings, as well as numerous others she

came in contact with. She will be re-

membered for her kindness to others,

and her sweet spirit. She was Baptist

by faith and a charter member of

Southwide Baptist Church.

She is survived by three daughters

and one son, Agnes Smith (Roger),

Tallahassee, FL. Marie Hinson

(Charles), Frances Thomas (Clayton),

and Raymond Gainey, all of DeFuniak

Springs, FL.

She is also survived by eight grand-

children, Clark Smith (Penny), Donna

Randolph, Debbie Reardon (Keith),

Chuck Hinson, Amy Ripley (Scott),

Craig Thomas (Debbie) Todd (Sara

Jane) and Laura Gainey. She had six-

teen great grandchildren; Gage and

Olivia Smith, Drew Touchton, Krista

Wilbon, Stephanie and Kaelin Ripley,

Derek Smith, Conner Randolph, Tay-

lor Lloyd, Josh, Jacob, and Brooke

Reardon, Matthew and Mason Gainey.

She also had four great great grand-

children. Numerous nieces and neph-

ews also survive.

She is survived by two sisters, Hilda

Schwartz, DeFuniak Springs, and

Bobbie Chastain, Ozark, AL, and one

brother, W.C. Gandy of Chipley, FL,

and sisters-in-law, Merle Gandy, and

Kathleen Gandy.

She is preceded by her father, Will

Gandy, her mother Agnes Douglas

Gandy, as well as her sisters, Margaret

Griner, Lillian Brannon, Willie Ray

( Billie) Walker, Marion Moore, and

four brothers, Douglas, Clifford

(Buddy), Leon, and Roger Gandy.

Reverend Joel Glenn officiating and

Eulogy by Chuck Hinson.

Burial will follow at the Pleasant

Ridge Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Clark Smith,

Chuck Hinson, Craig Thomas, Todd

Gainey, Derek Smith and Drew

Touchton.

Thursday, July 25, 2013 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Page 6

SUMMER SPECIALS

By M. Vreeland

Right now at Alaqua Animal Refuge there two

special offers available to all you feline fanci-

ers. Any cat over the age of six months will

have the adoption fee waived for approved ap-

plicants, and there are so many wonderful cats

from which to choose. If you’re a fan of Tabby

cats, Lola and Dollar wear their subtle gray

stripes with pride while Ambro prefers a more

festive wardrobe of orange and white. No par-

ticular color preference? Arabella and Kelly

sport a chic combination of both coat styles.

Perhaps you lean more toward Torties. No

problem. Jolene and Cozy are two gorgeous

girls who are as quiet and affectionate as they

are beautiful. A brother and sister team, Theo

and Louise are a pair of sedate gray bobtails

who enjoy relaxing in the sun. For black cat

aficionados Alaqua has three outstanding can-

didates. Catsup and Shiva are petite short hairs

who are exceptionally loving and ready for

forever homes. A graceful black long hair with

hints of brown and a mere touch of white on

her chest, Carnation is sure to capture the heart

of a discerning special someone. And speaking

of long hairs, Alli and Beethoven have plenty

to offer. Beethoven has a handsome coat of

slate gray, while Alli’s is a soft gray with gentle

highlights of tan here and there. Avery is a styl-

ish Tuxedo cat, Mozart a breathtaking Siamese,

and Schubert, an energetic short hair with gray

fur, a white bib and striking gold eyes. And for

an extra special someone we have cats like

Lucy and Redford who have some extra special

needs. Both are two of the sweetest cats at the

refuge, and both need to remain indoor cats.

Lucy has limited vision and Redford came to us

having been previously declawed. All these

deserving cats are hoping to be adopted while

this super duper offer is going on. They also

remind all kitten lovers to take advantage of the

opportunity to adopt one kitten and take a sec-

ond one home for half the usual adoption fee.

Fall is almost here. Don’t let these summer

specials slip away.

"Northwest Florida's Premier Animal Sanctuary

and Adoption Center"

Alaqua Animal Refuge is a non-profit, no-kill

shelter, located at 914 Whitfield Road, Free-

port. We welcome you to visit all the adoptable

animals at our beautiful ten acre sanctuary any

Tuesday through Sunday from 12:00 P.M. to

5:00 P.M. For more information you can call

us at 850-880-6399 or check out our website at

www.alaquaanimalrefuge.org.

Coastal Library Teens Book

Collection for Hospital

Walton County “Coastal Library Teen Team” with leadership by Shirles Johnson sponsored a children’s book drive during the summer for Sacred Heart Hospital visitors and patients. Over 50 children’s books were do-nated for the drive by the Coastal Li-brary community along with a gener-ous amount of monetary donations. The Teen Team expresses many thanks for all who participated in bringing books into children’s hands. All the donations from the community will be delivered to Sacred Heart of the Emerald Coast Hospital, Miramar Beach for children and families to enjoy this week. From left to right in the caption, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Alli-son McDowell, Shirles Johnson (team leader), Christopher Bijov, Cheyenne Chambless, Austin McPherson. Allie Williams and Cherokee (Dawn) Chambless were absent. Teen Team, Coastal Library, 437 Greenway Trail, Santa Rosa

Beach, FL 32459.

Kitten Found Under Hood As reported by WZEP AM1460

That engine is making a funny

noise. When you walk into the bay

area of National Tire Brokers, you

see the men working on mechanic

equipment, smell the rubber and

grease and feel the hot humid cli-

mate of the mechanic shop. But for

all the daily dirty work of changing

tires and repairing engines, these

men have also adopted a stray cat,

Pita the bob tailed tabby kitten.

NTB owner Jeff Cummings said a

truck came in that had just arrived

from the beach area. As they began

to work, the men heard the small cry

of a kitten. They started locating

where the cries came from and

found the fist sized hairball under

the hood. They had to take out the

battery and light fixture to rescue

the little girl. Cummings said she

was wet with sweat and overheated,

but alive.

The kitten was given a place in

Jeff’s office. Now she has begun to

take over the office, shop and more.

He says they put in a litter box but

she scatters it all over the office.

Cummings said he and the men will

sweep up the litter and shake out the

rug, only to have the kitten scratch it

out within minutes of the box’s re-

turn He also says she is eating well

and seems healthy.

A cat in an office could be a prob-

lem and Cummings says she can be

bothersome as she sprawls out on

his desk. It does not seem he can get

as much done as she takes over his

work area. The men have all taken

up caring for the kitten. While she is

still a little cautious, once you let

her know who you are with a quick

sniff of your hand, she will give you

the privilege of petting her.

When asked if we should try and

find the kitten a home, Cummins

said, “No, I guess she can stay

around and become a shop cat.”

When you hear him talk and see the

kitten, you will quickly realize the

little furball just about has all the

dirty, tough guy greasy mechanics

trained just the way she wants. And

the name Pita, well that sands for

“Pain In The A**”. Despite the

name, Pita does not seem to be a

pain, and it is the men’s hearts she is

connected to.

Obituary for Danny Raymond

Wilson,

Mr. Danny Ray-

mond Wilson age

58, passed away

Tuesday, July 9,

2013. He was

born August 8,

1954 in Boone,

North Carolina to Raymond D.

Wilson and Mary A. Callaway

Wilson.

Mr. Wilson was Baptist by faith and

lived in Freeport since 1985. After

spending four years in the U.S. Air

Force in early 1970’s, he worked

construction in Northwest, Florida,

primarily with M&G and Tindle

Enterprises. Danny spent many en-

joyable hours fishing, hunting and

spending time with friends in this

area he had come to call home. He

had a great love and respect for the

outdoors.

Mr. Wilson was preceded in death

by his parents Raymond and Mary

Wilson of Boone, North Carolina.

Mr. Wilson is survived by his wife

Janice Lynn, daughter Misty Shaw

and husband Pat both of Freeport,

Florida, sister Ruth Cook and hus-

band Robert of Boone, North Caro-

lina, two brothers Dean Wilson and

wife Barbara of Hollywood, Mary-

land, Dallas Wilson and wife Judy

of Virginia Beach, Florida, and

nephew Jake Cook of Montana.

Floral arrangements are being ac-

cepted.

The family would like to thank the

doctors and staff of Emerald Coast

Cancer Center and Covenant Hos-

pice for their care and consideration

during this very difficult time.

You may go online to view obituar-

ies, offer condolences and sign guest

book at www.clary-glenn.com.

‘Happenings’ in DeFuniak Springs

Thursday, July 25, 2013 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Page 7

Business Ads as low as $20,

call today to find out how!

850-585-0262 I’m just a local man looking for ways to help you. Call 850-585-0262

Governor Stone

As reported by WZEP AM1460 On Saturday July 27th the Friends of

the Governor Stone will begin a

major restoration of the National

Historic Landmark Vessel the Gov-

ernor Stone. You might remember

previous reports as the historic ship

was anchored in Walton County.

The Governor Stone is a National

Historic Landmark Vessel and the

last sailing coasting schooner in the

Gulf

The restoration plan calls for sur-

veying, repairing and stabilizing the

original, 136 year old keel of the

vessel to assure its structural integ-

rity. Deterioration in hull planking,

rub-rails, gunwales, deck planking,

cargo hatches, cabin and steering

structures will be repaired. If funds

allow, the Governor Stone will get

new rigging and sails that restore the

appearance of the 1877 Schooner.

The restoration has been made pos-

sible by ongoing fundraising efforts

by members of The Friends of the

Governor Stone and by significant

contributions from The Bay County

Boatyard, Eastern Shipbuilding,

Kurt Voss of Historic Boats and

Ships and by the St. Andrews Wa-

terfront Partnership. This support

enabled the award of a Florida

Small Matching Historic Preserva-

tion Grant.

This project has been financed in

part with the historic preservation

grant assistance provided by the

Bureau of Historic Preservation,

Division of Historical Resources ,

Obituary for David White

Mr. David Randell White age 58, of DeFu-

niak Springs, Florida passed away July 12,

2013. He was born December 8, 1954 in

Panama City, Florida. Mr. White had been a

lifelong resident of DeFuniak Springs.

Mr. White was a graduate of Walton High

School. After working for local and govern-

ment construction entities in Fort Walton

Beach Florida, he became an independent

contractor and owner of Consolidated Build-

ers SOWAL, LLC. David’s strong faith was

the cornerstone of his life. He was an avid

outdoorsman who enjoyed everything from

fly fishing to team roping. He was known

for storytelling and his love of music.

Mr. White was preceded in death by his fa-

ther, John White, junior and one sister

Katrina White Pickles. Mr. White is sur-

vived by his wife Julia Scofield White; one

daughter Kelly White Harvell and husband

Clay, of DeFuniak Springs; three sons Josh

White and wife Heidi of San Antonio, TX,

Todd Bierbaum and wife Amanda of DeFu-

niak Springs, Andrew White and fiancé Mi-

chelle Rivera of Atlanta, GA. He is also sur-

vived by his mother, Gladys Foreman White,

brothers Wayne White and wife Elaine of

DeFuniak Springs, Roger and wife Dianne of

Ponce de Leon, sisters Cathy Marion and

husband Ray of Thomson, GA, Barbara Gib-

son and husband Pete of Tupelo, MS, two

granddaughters Collins Sconiers and Ryleigh

White; and two grandsons Tucker White and

Cainlee Harvell.

Burial will follow in Magnolia Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Johnny Roehm, Cliff In-

gram, Danny Cox, Pete Gibson, John Willis,

Eugene Lawrence and Ray Marion.

Floral arrangements are being accepted or

donations can be made to Gideons Interna-

tional PO BOX 925 DeFuniak Springs, FL

32435.

You may go online to view obituaries, offer

condolences and sign guest book at

www.clary-glenn.com.

Clary-Glenn Funeral Home in charge of the

arrangements.

Former Consignment

Store Owner Arrested

As reported by WZEP AM1460

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office arrested

56-year-old Michael Durward Hayes, on July

10th. Hayes formerly owned and operated

Scavenger’s Consignment Store located at

4552 US Hwy 98, Santa Rosa Beach.

The investigation began in November 2011

when victims contacted the Sheriff’s Office

after noticing fraudulent purchases on their

credit cards. Hayes is charged with 5 counts

of fraudulent use of a credit card, 5 counts of

identity theft and 5 counts of grand theft.

Multiple complaints were also filed after

Hayes closed Scavenger’s without notice and

did not render payment nor return items cur-

rently on consignment to the rightful owners.

In addition Hayes is being charged with 1

count of scheme to defraud and an additional

count of grand theft. Hayes was booked at

the Walton County Jail.

Man Arrested After Going To

Wrong House Sunday night deputies responded to 25 Eagle

Bay Court when a call came in from a woman

stating her husband was choked by an unknown

person who had the wrong address. Around

11:10 pm, the victim heard banging on the front

door and when he opened it, he was confronted

by David Lord (DOB 10/16/1970). Lord burst

into the victim’s residence and started choking

him. A scuffle ensued and the victim was able

to get free. At that point, Lord repeatedly said

to the victim “you are the wrong man” and then

left the residence.

The victim was able to provide a description of

Lord and the vehicle he left in. Deputies made

contact with Lord at the 6700 block of County

Road 30A. Lord was detained and at that time

told deputies that he saw his girlfriend earlier in

the evening with a man she was cheating on

him with and went to her house to work things

out. He admitted he went to the wrong house,

Page 8 The EMERALD STAR NEWS, Inc. Thursday, July 25, 2013

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Thursday, July 25, 2013 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc . Page 9

The 14 day Overview

Aquarius

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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 this

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Letter to the :

Walton Beach Nourishment Moves Ahead

The Walton County Hurricane and Storm

Damage Reduction Project (Beach Nourish-

ment Project) reached another milestone

Tuesday, July 16 with the signing of the pro-

ject’s Feasibility Study Report by General

Thomas Bostick, Chief of Engineers for the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The chief’s

favorable report marks the culmination of the

Corps of Engineer’s development and review

process for the project, and the study will

now be submitted to Congress and the Ad-

ministration. The next step for the project is

Congressional approval for construction au-

thorization.

“This has been a long time coming and I am

very proud of our team that includes Walton

County, Visit South Walton (TDC), the

Corps of Engineers, and our consultants Mar-

lowe & Company, Taylor Engineering and

Seahaven Consulting,” said Brad Pickel of

Seahaven Consulting.

The proposed federal project totals 18.8

miles and includes the following areas: the

westernmost five miles of Walton County,

Dune Allen to Blue Mountain Beach, Gulf

Trace to western Grayton Beach, WaterColor

to Deer Lake State Park and Camp Creek

Lake to the Bay County line. During the next

18 months, the Corps of Engineers and

Walton County will be conducting the Pre-

liminary Engineering and Design Phase of

the project, which will be the final phase be-

fore construction. More information will be

provided in a workshop later this fall.

Pickel will provide a larger update at the

TDC Advisory Council meeting August, 13

at 9:00 a.m. and the Board of County Com-

missioners meeting at 4:00 p.m. Both meet-

ings will be held at the South Walton Court-

house Annex.

Editor,

I am writing this on behalf of us who live

along the new Hwy. 331 expansion. We are

being flooded out of our yards and streets.

Isn’t the county going to step up and main-

tain what we had? Many of our yards are

retaining water much longer than it has in

over 20 yrs living here. Shouldn’t the county

upkeep its drainage to assist us from our trees

getting root rot and the water must have run

off for the mosquito problems have wors-

ened.

Seems like everything is being addressed in

south Walton with resolutions being swift to

answer those problems.

The citizens of Freeport need to be taken

care of like those in south Walton do. Hope-

fully one of those in charge will see this and

respond asap to our needs as well.

The straight and narrow is very comfortable to you on Monday. Stay the course. Your friends are bouncing

around like rubber balls, but you're conserving energy. Then, on Tuesday morning, you explode out of the

gate. Flowers turn to grow in your direction. And Wednesday is like that, too -- you're simply beaming. People

treat you like a movie star. Unfortunately, your bank account doesn't reflect movie-star income.

Someone you work with has the answer on Monday. You just have to know how to ask for it. (Try asking

sweetly.) On Tuesday and Wednesday, your dreams are on your mind so much that you have a hard time deci-

phering between what has really happened and what your subconscious manufactured during the night.

You don't need to take the stairs three steps at a time on Monday -- you're not in that much of a rush. Yes,

you're on a quest to get ahead and make a name for yourself, but try to stay grounded as well. Tuesday and

Wednesday are solid-gold days, full of accomplishment and congratulatory pats on the back. The excitement

leaves you exhausted. Thursday and Friday you don't have any energy left, so find a comfortable couch under

an interesting ceiling and let your mind wander.

When someone launches into a mini lecture on Monday, you turn the tables on them and provide your own

philosophical version of how things are. Your articulateness impresses them. Tuesday and Wednesday lack

any such interactions -- a squabble at work or school swallows both days. Thursday and Friday, it dawns on

you that certain goals of yours aren't impossible anymore.

There's someone for whom you once said you'd walk to the ends of the Earth, and they say something rude on

Monday -- bossy or insensitive or just rude. This calls your friendship into question. Maybe this person isn't

the partner you thought they were. On Tuesday, you have no answers, but you're not upset. It's more like

you're curious. You're open to changes of heart. A new point of view finds its way into your brain.

Too bad it's starting to feel like summer, because all you feel like doing on Monday is hibernating. Oh, to be a

bear! That'd be fun. You wouldn't have to worry about money, first of all, which is all you think about on

Tuesday and Wednesday. Much to your surprise -- and delight -- the week changes gears on Thursday, and

you have all the time in the world to roam through the woods and wade through streams looking for fish.

The way to counteract any sense that you may be arrogant -- a perception floating around on Monday -- is to

do something selfless. Consider how satisfying it would be to do someone else a favor and ask nothing in re-

turn. Tuesday and Wednesday, apply your fairly developed understanding of the human ego to put out a fire,

because two of your prouder friends are in a spat.

If you've been looking for love, it's going to show up wrapped in packing material on your front porch on

Monday, or it'll show up at your work, or at the coffee shop you stop into on a break. It'll show up and it'll be

exciting. If you're not single, expect a bouquet of roses instead. Tuesday and Wednesday, buoyed by recent

good tides, you itch to make a change.

The world is rocking like a boat on Monday, and you're having a hard time getting your sea legs. What's going

on? Is it you? (Answer: Yes!) The disorientation is anomalous. By Tuesday, you're back to form. On Wednes-

day, creativity and connection are prominent themes -- you're the life of any party. You're working through too

much on Thursday to be much for chitchat.

You have the determination of a warrior on Monday. Initiating new plans, maintaining the lines of communi-

cation -- these come into play at the start of the week. And these qualities extend into all areas of your life.

You're just as directed and focused in the home realm on Tuesday and Wednesday, but your efforts around the

house are somewhat less successful. For now. You win some, you lose some.

You need to muster everything you've got to focus on Monday. If you have to work, you'll while away the

hours doodling on Post-It notes. If you have to water the lawn, you'll probably draw shapes in the sky with the

stream of water. Art is on your mind. Tuesday and Wednesday, you relate to others like you haven't in a while,

and you might shake hands with a future best friend. Thursday and Friday are weirdly gloomy, considering it's

the middle of summer and all.

You cross so many things off your to-do list on Monday that your pen may run out of ink. In fact, awards

committees may invent new prizes to celebrate your accomplishments. Now that you're on the cover of maga-

zines, what are you going to do with the rest of your life? Beware of people who might try to attach them-

selves to your coattails midweek. (Especially watch out for people whose grand schemes involve your money.)

Page 10 The EMERALD STAR NEWS, Inc. Thursday, July 25, 2013

The Walton County Local Restore Act Committee will hold a subcommit-

tee meeting on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 10:00 AM at the Bayou Arts

Center located at 105 Hogtown Bayou, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the RESTORE Act project

application.

Two or more Walton County Commissioners may attend. These meetings

are open to the public.

Walton To Get First MH Park Tennant As reported by WZEP AM1460 Walton will get a little love as Love’s Travel Stop & Country Store is coming to Walton

County. Special Projects Coordinator Larry Jones made the announcement at Tuesday’s com-

missioner meeting. The Travel Center will be the first tenant in the Mossy Head Industrial

Park. Loves, based in Oklahoma, has been in business since 1964. Jones said they have a con-

tract for an executed agreement. The proposal will land about 80 jobs in the industrial park,

about half will be full time. With both gas and diesel, they will generate several million in

sales and property taxes each year that will go directly to the county. Loves will also have two

major national brand restaurants, and a tire shop.

Jones said they believe this tenant will spur other sales in the Mossy Head Industrial Park. The

business will go at the intersection of 285 between I-10 and 90 on the west side with the auto

gas area facing Highway 285. Love’s has agreed to purchase a 15 acre parcel for $500,000 and

will pay the costs to upgrade the roads, construct and operate the facility. Walton County has

agreed to clear the site, construct the master storm water system and to build the interior road

to Love’s specifications.

The anticipated opening of the new Love’s location is July of 2014. The County plans to exe-

cute the contract and provide a 120-day due diligence with the expectation of closing the prop-

erty in November or December of this year. Pending the closing, there will be a bid for con-

struction released with construction beginning sometime in January of 2014.

Jones told the commissioners Loves is very family oriented and has very nice facilities. Bill

Gleason, with Loves out of Oklahoma City, said he has been very impressed in what the

county has done to make the site available.

Commissioner Kenneth Pridgen calls the announcement, “Great news for Walton County and

its citizens.” He believes this will jumpstart the entrance of further businesses to the complex.

Commissioner Bill Chapman says the addition of the Love’s Corporation to the Mossy Head

Industrial Park will give a good economic boost to the local economy. He hopes it will be a

catalyst to draw additional businesses to the park and be a good first step towards the diversifi-

cation of our local economy. Commissioner Bill Imfeld made a motion to approve the contract,

thanking Mossy Head Water Works and Preble-Rish. Imfeld, whose district this is in called it,

“An exciting day for all of Walton County.”

Commissioner Sara Comander thanked the former County Commissioners and staff who had

vision to begin and work on the Mossy Head Industrial Park. She said the County has been

working towards this for a long time and their efforts have been fruitful. Comander added that

this would not have been possible without former Commissioner Larry Jones and his vision of

what the park could be. Commander also says this is a first strong step towards the diversifica-

tion of the County’s economy.”

Walton County District 5 Commissioner Cindy Meadows was quick to point out that local

residents played a role in introducing Walton County to Love’s. “I have to give credit where

credit is due,” said Meadows. “Thank you, Mr. Bill Fletcher and Mr. Art Miller for bringing

Love’s Truck Stop to the attention of the EDA and Walton County.”

The contract was approved 5-0.

Part of the information in this story is from a Walton County News Release, including the fol-

lowing:

About Love’s Incorporated:

Founded in 1964 in Watonga, Oklahoma

The Corporation is Privately held by the Love family

Brands:

Love’s Country Stores (Convenience Stores)

Love’s Travel Stops (Interstate Highway Travel Centers)

Gemini Motor Transport (Petroleum Fuel Hauler)

Love’s Truck Tire Care (Tire Care and Roadside Assistance)

Annual revenues of more than $17 billion

Employees Approximately 10,000 people at more than 290 locations in 39 States

Awards

2009 – Finalist for the Beacon Award presented by the Journal Record business publi-

cation for its “Making a Difference from the Heart” corporate philanthropy campaign.

2011 – Love's ranked No. 7 on the Forbes' list of America's Largest Private Compa-

nies, making the biggest move on the list of 212 companies, jumping 11 spots from 2010’s

ranking of No. 18.

The Walton Commissioners agreed to change the $25 fire MSBU to $75 and charge .07 an

acre for the unincorporated parts of the county.

Annual Walton County Government Auction

Walton County will be hosting their Annual Government Auction on Fri-

day, July 26th beginning at 9:00am at the Walton County Fairgrounds

located in DeFuniak Springs.

The auction is being conducted by Midway Machinery and Auction Com-

pany, LLC and will include such items as cars, trucks, heavy trucks, load-

ers, graders, computer equipment, office and other miscellaneous items.

A preview of the items to be auctioned will be held from 9:00am –

4:00pm on Thursday, July 25th.

All items will be sold “As is, Where is,” and without warranty. Payments

must be made in full on the day of the auction by cash, cashier’s check or

credit card. Credit card purchase will be assessed an additional 3%

fee. There will also be a 5% buyer’s premium added to the final bid price

on each item sold. All items must be removed from the auction lot by

5:00pm, Friday August 2nd. Removal hours will be from 9:00am to

5:00pm Monday through Friday.

Midway Machinery and Auction can be contacted at 850-576-5500.

I want to declare to all of you reading this that The Emerald Star News

wants to promote the city of Freeport. I am asking if you know people

who would like to help be a part of a larger movement, have them contact

Frank as soon as they can. There are several opportunities to the right peo-

ple and with our new local government in place the time is now.

Please send in any comments or complaints or whatever to us. This news-

paper is the people’s voice first!! Don’t delay…..call today 585-0262

WALTON COUNTY - The Florida Department of Health in Walton County con-

ducts regularly scheduled saltwater beach water quality monitoring at seven sites

through the Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program. Samples are collected from

March through the end of October. The water samples are analyzed for enteric bacte-

ria (enterococci) that normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals,

which may cause human disease, infections, or rashes. The presence of enteric bacte-

ria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets

and wildlife, and human sewage. The purpose of the Healthy Beaches Monitoring

Program is to determine whether Florida has significant coastal beach water quality

problems and whether future beach monitoring efforts are necessary.

The Health Advisory for the Grayton Beach Access has been lifted. If you should have any questions, please contact the FDOH in Walton County at (850) 892-8021, or visit the Department of Health’s Beach Water Quality website www.doh.state.fl.us and click on “Floridians and Visitors” under “Food, Water, Air,

Land,” then choose “Beach Water Quality.”

FOR RENT

Place your rental here for only

$10

The Emerald Star News

office # is: 850-585-0262

Located in Freeport Florida

SERVICES

Need a sign? Any size, style, design

Vinyl lettering, car wraps, banners,

business cards, etc.

Design/layout services available.

Call for FREE estimate. 654-0860

Mention The Emerald star news

Handyman-25yrs. Exp.

All phases of home repair./remodel

Free estimates. Excellent work for a

great price. For more information

Call: ESN @ 850.585.0262

Pressure washing –driveway,

fences, mobile homes...you name it

850-419-1556

The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Page 11 Thursday, July 25, 2013

Classifieds

Only $10 per issue

Help Wanted: Would you like to meet new people?

Would you like to help this newspaper?

Easy work-local work-you make your own

hours…… no exp. Necessary call 585-0262

Place your Ad here!!!

Space as low as $20

Check us out……...

Do you have a business?

You need to advertise with us!

Call today: 850-585-0262

Theemeraldstarnews.blogspot.com

This is our new web site:

Theemeraldstarnews.blogspot.com

New e-mail address:

[email protected]

NEW WEB SITE!!

Theemeraldstarnews.blogspot.com

Our new E-mail contact:

[email protected]

Community wide Youth gathering at:

Freeport Presbytery Church located on

Hwy. 20 near Frank’s Cash and Carry.

Every first Sunday of the month at 5:00

for games, fun and PIZZA!

For Sale

Local man helping local busi-

nesses…..contact 850-585-0262

The Walton County Economic Devel-

opment Alliance (WCEDA) will hold

its monthly board meeting on Thurs-

day, August 1, 2013 at 12:00 PM in

the Walton County Administration

Conference room located at 76 North

6th Street, DeFuniak Springs, FL.

Please be advised that two or more Walton

County Commissioners will meet with Gary

Williams, Florida Rural Water; Mary Gavin,

USDA Rural Development; and Brian

Moody, Florida Department of Environ-

mental Protections on July 25, 2013 at 9:00

AM. This meeting will held in the Admini-

stration Conference Room located at 76

North 6th Street, DeFuniak Springs, FL.

The purpose of this meeting is to discuss

Funding Options for Walton County Water

Projects.

Advertising special of 2

months for only $100

Get your advertisement printed

10,000 times , you change your

Ad as wish during special.

The 2014 NFL draft class is shaping up to be one of the best in re-cent memory, but a draft class is only as good as its quarterbacks.

In the 2013 class, we saw just one quarterback (EJ Manuel) drafted in the first round. The lack of top-end talent at the position led many to label the 2013 class weak—a statement that was true about one position, not the entire class. Whether it's the media, fans or even NFL teams, we're all looking at each draft and—fairly or not—rating its potential impact by the talent at quarterback alone.

That's good news for the 2014 class, which features an eye-popping 25 quarterbacks with NFL-level talent. Not all 25 QBs are seniors, as we could see an influx of underclassmen ready to take the league by storm.

Who are the quarterbacks worth watching during the college football season? Here's a preseason preview of the best of the best.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1705663-previewing-the-top-25-quarterbacks-for-the-2014-nfl-draft

Walton County Recreation Fall Soccer registration is now open with teams in De-Funiak Springs, Paxton, Freeport, and South Walton. Children ages 5-12 are eligi-ble to participate. The cost is $50 per child in Freeport, Paxton, and DeFuniak Springs and $60 per child in South Walton (due to post-season play.) For more infor-mation, go to www.waltonrec.com.

Custom Glass Etching Call 585-0262 for more details

Page 12 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Thursday, July 25, 2013

Ph: 850-835-4153 www.freeportwaterfront.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND PHOTOS - TEXT PROPERTY ID# TO 85377

RARE FIND ON BAY GROVE Wooded .77 ac lot with 103’ on the Bay and a

sandy beach. City W&S available. Deed restrictions prohibit mobile homes. $269,500

NEW PRICE! - ID# T902669 3BR/1.5BA, 1,150 sq. ft. brick home near Four Mile Creek. Split floorplan. Two out-buildings. Half acre lot. ONLY $99,500

THE FLORIDA

GOOD LIFE

Waterfront 3BR/2.5BA, 1,836 SF cottage on LaGrange Bayou. 1st floor Master BR. Open kitchen w/ granite countertops.

Double garage. Dock on LaGrange Bayou with bench seat for dolphin watching. ID# T305914 NOW $349,000

ESTATE SALE - ID# T756581 Exclusive Bay Harbour! City W&S, under-ground utilities. Corner lot adjoining nature preserve. Greatly reduced price! $22,500

COMMERCIAL LAND 3 acres on west side of growing Hwy 331 S. Over 350 feet of hwy frontage. CW available w/sewer nearby. Call for details. $375,000

MALLET BAYOU - ID# T88494 REDUCED 3BR/2BA, 1,514 SF split BR plan. His/hers closets. Dock w/pwr & water, fenced yard. Sold As-Is. $224,250

Waterfront 4BR/3.5BA w/almost 2,400SF on 1.3 ac. Home has a warm feeling with tongue & groove wood flooring, crown moulding, twenty-foot ceiling in foyer, nine-foot ceilings throughout, & many extras! Covered boatlift w/power, water & lights in place on dock. Inviting screened porch overlooks Bayou. ID# T88497 $395,000

LaGrange Bayou

HWY 90 ACREAGE - ID# T483643 Near Okaloosa-Santa Rosa line. Owner fin. avail w/ 10% down & flexible terms. Over 4 acres w/public water avail. $65,000

MALLET BAYOU - ID# T1513091 Elegant 3BR/2BA, 1,751 sq. ft. brick home w/FP, screened porch, split BR plan & dbl garage. Dock w/covered boatlift. $395,900

2.5 ACRES OFF HWY 20 Efficiency style cabin in the woods! 504 sq. ft. w/covered back deck. Convenient loca-tion with privacy. ID# T1523719 $57,500