News Archive

Mariah Hamilton has been battling AVMED to get the insurance company to cover the cost of her craniosacral therapy.  Craniosacral therapy involves gentle manipulation of the body, and has allowed Mariah to avoid the life-threatening and extremely painful surgery that the Advocate reported that she was facing earlier this year.  AVMED has been refusing to cover the cost of the therapy, demanding that Mariah get the $250,000 surgery instead.  Her family, quite sensibly, prefers the gentler, cheaper, more effective treatment for their 13 year old daughter who has already had 13 surgeries in her short life.

Today,  the Hamiltons had a mediation meeting with AVMED at the Dixie County Library.  The Hamiltons, who have had extreme difficulty getting AVMED to return calls, were accompanied by a news crew from TV20, who have been covering the Hamilton’s fight for coverage.  The Hamiltons explained that the news crew was there at their request, and that they had nothing to hide.  Apparently, AVMED does, because according to Mrs. Hamilton, they immediately closed, and then, cancelled the meeting while demanding that the media be removed.

The TV20 reporter is fighting to cover what she feels is a very important story about the insurance industry; please call the executive producer at TV20 and let him know that this is a story of interest to you.  You can reach TV20 at 352-377-2020.

The Advocate will be closed for the Fourth of July on Friday.  We’ll be back, slaving away on Monday morning.  All deadlines will be the same.

See you at the fireworks!

Kathy

by Kathy McKinney

Friday is Independence Day.  While you’re out at the Stephenson’s barn, watching the fireworks or eating baby back ribs, and maybe downing a cold one or two, I hope you’ll spare a few minutes to contemplate the day…and to think about freedom.

Tayannah Engle is no ordinary eight year old.  While other kids her age are saving up their allowances for new XBOX games and songs for their IPODs, Taya is spending her days raising money for St. Jude.

On Tuesday, July 1, 2008 the Dixie County Advocate received information that the FDLE was in nearby Fanning removing equipment from the ULC Recreation Center.

Apearantly the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Department had been conducting an investigation on the ULC regarding their pay-outs in Wal-Mart gift cards in Jauary of last year. According to the GCSO this is in violation if laws regarding the operation of gaming equipment in the State of Florida. During the course of their investigation the GCSO discovered evidence of a  state-wide operation with facilities operating on other counties.

The FDLE was notified and the investigation continued, on a state level. On July 1st the FDLE, in conjunction with local authorities sprang on multiple gaming locations believed to be operating in violation of the law. The ULC Recreation Center was one of them.

At this time law enforcement has not released how many locations were involved in the conspiracy. At this time no arrests have been made.

Advocate Exclusive!!  Apparently, there is currently a raid of the ULC Game Room in Fanning Springs going on at this moment, as a part of a state-wide gambling crackdown.   The Advocate will provide updates as they are available.