On August 26, 2010, former Cross City Commissioner Marcellus Dawson,  74, will report to federal prison to begin serving a 27-month sentence for solicitation and receipt of bribes and conspiracy to commit that offense, announced United States Attorney Pamela C. Marsh, Northern
District of Florida.

Dawson was convicted of those offenses following a five-day jury trial in federal district court in Gainesville
earlier this year.   Dawson came to the attention of the FBI when former Dixie County commissioners John
Driggers and Alton Land, now serving federal prison sentences, told an undercover FBI agent posing as a
land developer that Dawson was the person to “handle” things in Cross City.  Dawson, the former police
chief of Cross City, was videotaped accepting bribes from the undercover agent between October and
December 2007.  While accepting the money, Dawson agreed to do anything to help the developer including
working to ensure city water would be made available for any new development, re-zoning property as
necessary, and convincing other city officials to support the developer’s plans.

Chief United States District Court Judge Stephan P. Mickle announced the sentence yesterday at the
conclusion of Dawson’s sentencing hearing in Gainesville.  In addition to the prison sentence, Dawson will
have to serve 24 months of supervised release following his release from custody.  Dawson was beginning
his fifth term as a city commissioner when he was arrested

At approximately 2:30am on July 1, 2010, the Sheriff’s Office received information about the manufacturing of methamphetamine at a residence in Old Town.  Acting upon this information, Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the location and approached the residence.  Upon arrival, they told the suspect, James D. Bryant, 39 years of age, of Old Town, the reason for their presence. 

Once confronted with the information the deputies revealed, Bryant took the deputies to the rear of the home where he produced the methamphetamine and admitted to the ownership of the drugs and drug paraphernalia used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine.  Along with the paraphernalia, deputies seized approximately 2400 grams of methamphetamine from the home.

Bryant was then arrested for Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Manufacturing of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. 

On Saturday July 3, 2010, while on routine patrol, a Sheriff’s Deputy clocked a 1993 Ford pick-up traveling 84mph north of Cross City.  During the subsequent traffic stop, the deputy noticed that the driver, Robert Steele Jr., 61 years of age, appeared to be exhibiting signs of someone who was under the influence of methamphetamine.  The driver who was then questioned about his activity and the presence of narcotics consented to a consensual search of the vehicle.  A search of the vehicle revealed 20 grams of methamphetamine and $479.00 in cash.

Steele, who is from Brooksville, was then arrested and transported to the Dixie County Jail where he was booked on the charges of Possession of Methamphetamine.

Yvonne Eugenia Hughes-Holt  changed her plea to guilty on May 13 in Federal Court in front of Judge Mickle.

According to the Statement of Facts filed with the court, Hughes-Holt, who operated American Cable TV, Inc., “illegally received, distributed, and sold DirecTV’s and Dish Network’s copyrighted, proprietary satellite signals. It was part of the scheme that (Holt) would and did establish accounts with satellite television providers DirecTV and Dish Network under her name and address. She also established separate accounts with DirecTV and&#8200ish Network under her sister, father, and other relatives’ names and addresses without their permission or knowledge.” She then re-transmitted the signals by combining the signals into one integrated cable signal and sold the signals.

The statement also says that she paid the subscription fees with her perosnal American Express card, and then established sub-accounts under the names of her relatives without their permission to establish the multiple satellite accounts, and paid the American Express bills with money drawn from ACTV business accounts. Holt also failed to pay $167,000 in sales tax to the Florida Department of Revenue on the sales.

Holt pled guilty to Fraud by wire, radio or television, and faces a maximum of 20 years imprisonment, a three year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and a $100 special asessment. She also pled guilty to “Unauthorized Communication: Satellite Piracy”, on which she faces a maximum term of two years, a year of supervised release, a $50,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. Holt agreed to make restitution to all victims and to pay the Department of Revenue the $167,000 in back taxes.

As a result of her guilty plea, “the United States Attorney, Northern District of Florida, will not file any criminal charges against Thomas Holt, her husband, arising out of the same transactions or occurrences to which” Holt pled guilty.  She agreed to forfeit “all forfeitable assets” to the government. Her home will not be subject to forefeiture as long as a home equity line of credit is obtained against the home to pay for restitution in the case.

Sentencing is set for September 7, 2010 at 1:30 pm in the U.S. Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief Judge Stephan P. Mickle.

A 25 year old, Old Town mother was arrested at 9:30PM Wednesday night after neighbors called to report a four year old child who had been locked out of the home since approximately 2:45PM that afternoon. According to Sheriff’s reports, when the neighbor children went inside for the evening, they told their parents that the four year neighbor had been locked outside since the school bus dropped her off at approximately 2:45PM. They then went outside and could hear the child screaming for her mother and kicking the door wanting inside the home. Unable to go onto the property due to vicious dogs, they went to the fence and called the child to the fence where they could lift the child over the fence. Once they had retrieved the child, they carried her to their house where they gave her some food and drink while calling 911.

Once deputies arrived and spoke with the callers, they spoke with the child and then went to the child’s home. They too were unable to gain entry to the property due to the dogs and the Sheriff’s Animal Control Officer was called to the scene to secure the animals. At that point deputies entered the home to check on the welfare of the child’s mother and found her asleep in a back bedroom with drug paraphernalia on the nightstand near her bed. After making several attempts to awaken the mother, the deputy was finally able to get her up where he was able to question her about the events of the afternoon. The child was taken into custody by deputies and transported to the Sheriff’s Office to await arrival of Children and Families Investigators.

After deputies completed their investigation at the scene, the mother was arrested and taken into custody for: 1 count Child Neglect, 1 count Possession of Less than 20 grams of Marijuana, 1 count Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and 1 count Child Abuse. The mother is still currently in custody under a $31,000 bond.

Children and Families took custody of the child and placed the child in shelter until the investigation concerning her mother is completed.

Defendant: Danielle Lee Perrow, 25 years of age, Old Town, Florida

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Flashback to August: Alan Boyd, our elected representative, stood right here in Cross City to a packed building full of mad citizens, and said of Obama's planned takeover of the health care industry, “I promise you that that bill will never come off the House floor.” Today he announced that he's changed his mind, and he'll be voting for Nancy Pelosi's bill on Sunday. I'm reposting that entire August story as a reminder of promises betrayed...hold him accountable, Dixie.--Ed

The American flag was too tall. Too large for the room’s ceiling, it slumped forlorn in the corner where Representative Alan Boyd’s Assistant Travis Hart placed it after giving up on the effort of making it stand tall at the Women’s Club Cross City where Alan Boyd held a Town Hall meeting on health care on Monday morning. The Stars & Stripes was obscured by the TV camera crews, the reporters, the politician and his entourage, but the citizens of Dixie verbally took up the Colors, each one speaking in favor of liberty and freedom and against the proposed government takeover of the health care industry.

In the standing-room only crowd that spilled outside, not a single voice was heard in favor of House Bill 3200, “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.”

Not one.

Read more »

Tuesday afternoon, a Dixie County Grand Jury issued an unsealed indictment for John William Kalisz in the shooting death of Captain Chad Allan Reed onJanuary 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)

My name is Denise Williams (former Sergeant with the DCSO). I am a friend of Chad Reed's and I traveled down from Atlanta, GA to attend his funeral services. As you know at the funeral Pastor Brown advised that Chad wanted to have a Well built to help poor impoverished people receive clean water.

I had a conference call with the organization that builds the wells in India and Guatemala(World help & Your Cause). I spent the entire day working to get Chad's website up and running. I am happy to say today they are able to take donations to get the "Chad Reed Well" built. You can make a donation by going to www.yourcause.com/ChadReed. All donations will go directly to the organization on Chad's behalf. Our goal is to raise $15,000 in Chad's honor to build a Deep Bore Well that will provide clean water to 1,000 people for the next 20 years.

I was hoping to run a ad in the Dixie County Advocate to inform all the residents of Dixie County about our fund-raising goals. Also, I would like to plan a Walk-a-thon and Fish Fry in Cross City to raise money. Unfortunately, I now live in Atlanta so ground work in Cross City will be pretty challenging. I would like to ask for any volunteers that would like to help email me at: info@gimonline.org. I will be traveling back and forth between Cross City and Atlanta until this Well is built.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Denise Williams-Butler

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.
COMMENT:
AUTHOR: jack bowen
URL: http://
EMAIL: pigpen1491@hotmail.com
IP: 141.153.6.82
DATE: 01/21/2010 11:04:39 PM
Well, they were convictedand did get a little jail time. Not enough for the money they took over the years, but I hope they take their land and other personal property. I left a comment when they were arrested and got some flack for it . The did get a fair trial and were convicted. Enough said for now Jack
-----

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/

On
Tuesday, 24 November 2009 the Lafayette State Bank in Mayo, Florida was
robbed by Jacob P. Launius of Murphysboro, Illinois. Launius entered
the bank at approximately 11:24 am and approached a bank teller,
placing a handwritten note on her counter. The teller read the note
that stated that Launius had a gun and was robbing the bank. The note
also stated that the teller was to place the money in a bag and further
demanded that she give him the keys to her vehicle as well as write
down the make, model, and location of her vehicle. The final statement
on the note demanded that she tell no one or he would shoot somebody.
After receiving $8,274.00 in cash and the keys to the bank teller's car
Launius exited the building, entered the bank teller's car, and fled
the scene. Lafayette County deputies quickly responded to the call and
immediately began a county-wide search. Also at this time a BOLO (Be On
Lookout) was issued for surrounding counties. Approximately 45 minutes
later Dixie County Sheriff's deputies located the suspect vehicle and
followed it into Taylor County. At this time Taylor County Sheriff's
deputies attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle. A
pursuit ensued and ended a short time later when the suspect vehicle
crashed and Launius attempted to flee on foot. Oficers quickly
apprehended Launius, who was still in possession of the money. Launius
is currently in custody in Taylor County. The following Law Enforcement
Agencies were instrumental in assisting the Lafayette County Sheriff's
Office with the apprehension of this felon:

Taylor County Sheriff's Office

Dixie County Sheriff's Office

Perry Police Department

Cross City Police Department

Florida Highway Patrol

Florida Department of Law Enforcement

The DCSO is currently involved in a high speed chase in Jena and
Steinhatchee involving a car that is suspected in a Lafayette County
Bank robbery earlier today.

The car was pursued from Steinhatchee Falls into Steinhatchee by
Officer "DK" Danny King, where he was joined by other officers. The
chase continued around Steinhatchee and the car was eventually wrecked.
The officers are chasing the suspect on foot.

The bravery of our men and women in uniform, and their resolve, remain the world's most powerful weapon against terrorism.

–Mark Warner

The Dixie County School Board decided to go over the two
applications it's received for School Board Attorney next Tuesday, the
22nd, at 9:00 AM at the School Board meeting room in Old Town. The two
applicants are current serving attorney Leenette McMillan and Jennifer
Ellison, daughter of Jerry & Susan Jones.

The meeting is open to the public. Please attend.

We're expecting a tropical storm in the next 24 hours or so. You may want to batten down the hatches….

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.