News Archive

Tuesday afternoon, a Dixie County Grand Jury issued an unsealed indictment for John William Kalisz in the shooting death of Captain Chad Allan Reed on January 14th.  Kalisz was charged with First Degree Murder While Armed, a Capital Felony.  The indictment reads that Kalisz “unlawfully and from a premeditated design and intent to effect the death of Chad Reed, or any human being, did kill the said Chad Reed, by shooting him with a firearm, thereby inflicting in and upon the said Chad Reed, mortal wounds and injuries, of and from which said mortal wounds and injuries Chad Reed died, and during the commission of said murder, John William Kalisz used a firearm, to-wit: a pistol, contrary to Florida Statutes 782.04(1)(a) and 775.087.”

(Here’s wishing him a “fair trial and a FINE hanging.”–Ed)

Tragically, Officer Chad Reed has reportedly passed away at the hospital.

Please keep his family and coworkers in your prayers.

At least one suspect in the shooting of four people in Brooksville, in which two elderly women were killed and a pregnant juvenile was wounded, has been apprehended in Cross City at the Foodland intersection.  There was a shootout after the suspects were chased from Fanning Springs. Apparently the suspect was wounded in the face and his on his way to Shands.  The story is breaking and exact details are difficult to confirm.

According to witnesses on the scene, DCSO Officer Chad Reed was seriously hurt –witnesses on the scene are reporting that he was shot in the face–while apprehending the suspect and is on his way to the hospital.  Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

According to the Hernando County Sheriff’s office, the suspect’s name is John Kalisz and at least two of the women shot were his own family members.

Good lord.

Former County Commissioners Alton Land and “Big John” Driggers were sentenced today to three years and one month (why the extra month?) and three years of probation today in Gainesville.

In Monday night’s meeting, the Cross City City Council decided to keep Johnny Greene on the City payroll until his appeals are exhausted. Mr. Greene was convicted last week of taking bribes and then lying to investigators about it.

From Scott Garner, with the Emergency Management Office:

The National Weather Service has some concern about a storm system approaching from the west. While there is some uncertainly in the forecast, they have a “Slight Risk” for severe storms in the forecast for Thursday.

Below is an excerpt from the 3:26 AM Area Forecast Discussion produced by the National Weather Service - Tallahassee Forecast Office, which explains the current thinking of their meteorologists.

VERY CHALLENGING FORECAST THIS CYCLE AS THE MODELS ARE INDICATING A VERY STRONG STORM SYSTEM HEADING OUR WAY BY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
THIS SYSTEM LOOKS TO PRESENT A MULTIFACETED HAZARDOUS WEATHER THAT WILL INCLUDE NOT ONLY SEVERE POTENTIAL…BUT HEAVY RAIN…COASTAL FLOODING AND MARINE HAZARDS. FOR A SYSTEM THAT IS BETWEEN 48 AND 60 HOURS AWAY…THERE IS STILL SOME SUBTLE DETAILS TO WORK OUT…BUT WHAT IS REMARKABLE IS THAT THE MODELS ARE DOING A REASONABLY GOOD JOB WITH THE SYNOPTIC DETAILS AND DELIVERING SOME RUN TO RUN CONSISTENCY.

You can monitor forecasts from the National Weather Service on their website: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/tae/

Sheriff’s Office Investigates
Bank Robbery in Old Town

Old Town, Florida- On Monday, June 29, 2009 at approximately 3:54 pm, the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office, Communications Center received a call from Drummond Community Bank located at 25873 SE Highway 19 in Old Town in reference to a Bank Robbery.

Deputies immediately responded to the area and arrived on the scene of the robbery at 4:00 pm.  At this time the investigation into the robbery is continuing.  The suspect is described as white male, approximately six feet tall, weighing 165 to 185 pounds with blonde hair.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Crime Scene Unit responded to the scene and processed the scene for evidence.  The Dixie County Sheriff’s Office is being assisted in the investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Gainesville Police Department, the Cross City Correctional, K-9 Unit and the Cross City Police Department.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking that anyone with information concerning this case to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 352/498-1220 or 352/498-1462.  Additional details will follow as they become available.

North Florida - On the morning of June 4, 2009, the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office received an alarm for a residential burglary in the First District Area of Dixie County.  When the first officers arrived on the scene, they met with family of the victim’s who lived near by.  This family member was able to provide a tag number for a suspicious vehicle that was scene in the area prior to law enforcements arrival.  A perimeter was established in the neighborhood and the K-9 Team from Cross City Correctional was summoned to the scene.  When the K-9 Team arrived, they were able to establish a scent leading away from the house and into a nearby wooded area.  The K-9 Team was then able to track the fleeing suspect through the area where it was determined that the suspect was picked up by a waiting vehicle.  Based on evidence found in the area, it was determined that this vehicle would be the same vehicle that the family member found in the area when she first arrived.  Sheriff’s Deputies were then dispatched to certain areas where they were continuing to search for the suspect vehicle.

At approximately 11:00AM, deputies saw the suspect vehicle traveling southbound on U.S. 19 in Old Town and were able to perform an investigatory stop on the vehicle at that time.  During this stop, deputies were able to establish grounds to believe that two of the suspects were involved in the burglary in the First District and at least one burglary in Lafayette County.  Arrested on the scene were Cody Eugene Pridgeon of Old Town and Michael Christopher Hackle of Cross City.  Both subjects were transported to the Dixie County Jail where they were charged with burglary and Grand Theft.

Additional investigation throughout the day and into the morning of June 5th, led to the execution of two residential searches on June 5, 2009.  Allen Lynn Thompson of Old Town was arrested for Dealing in Stolen Property, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Possession of a Controlled Substance.  Later on the afternoon of June 5th, Dwayne D. Mertz of Old Town was arrested for two counts of Dealing in Stolen Property and Resisting an Officer without Violence.

Based on the investigation thus far, it appears as though, there will be additional counts of burglary, theft and other charges from several different counties in North Florida and within the Third Judicial Circuit of Florida.  This investigation is continuing with additional charges and arrests expected.

The initial investigation appears to reveal that the individuals are involved in an elaborate scheme to burglaries residential homes throughout North Florida and once inside of the homes steal jewelry, money, guns and other items of value.  The individuals would then sell or trade the items.  Initial estimates are that the group could be involved in is between fifty and one hundred burglaries.

The following agencies are assisting with the investigation.  The Dixie, Lafayette, Levy, Taylor, Suwannee and Madison County Sheriff’s Offices, the State Attorney’s Office for the Third Judicial Circuit and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Pridgeon, Hackle and Thompson remain in the custody of the Dixie County Sheriff under a bond of $150,000.  Mertz whose bond was set at $50,000 has since posted bond and has been released from custody.

According to an incident report released by the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office, Dixie County High School senior, Rodney Scott, Jr., 19 and his father, Rodney Scott, Sr., 50, were named as suspects in an aggravated battery that was reported early Saturday morning.

Witnesses at the scene reported that Rodney Scott and his father showed up univinted to a party being held at the home of Miriah Riels.  The two were asked to leave but then “started cussing and hollering at her (Miriah) and everyone else at her home, then left.” The two then left, but returned half an hour later with more people who were not identified and were asked to leave again.  Miss Riels stated that the father “started cussing at her,” at which point party guest Chase Barber requested that he not speak to the young lady that way, and then was hit in the head with a “pipe with a ratchet stuck in the end of it.”  Barber was reportedly knocked to the ground, and then he was kicked in the face.

Barber stated at the time of the incident that it was Rodney Scott, Jr. who had hit him with the pipe, but later said that he could “not put a positive ID” on the attacker, and some witnesses stated that it had been the elder Scott who had dealt the blow. The report states that since most of the witnesses had been drinking,  and many refused to give written statements, that the case was closed and no charges filed “due to the fact that no one can place a positive ID on the aggressor at this time.”

The report stated that Rodney Scott, Jr. and Sr. “could not be reached for interview.” Rodney Scott has a football scholarship from Old Miss University and will be attending next fall

A tornado is being reported in Old Town that has apparently taken the roof off of a house near the First District EMS station.

Power to the area has not been affected, but there is apparently some road blockage.