FDLE Special Agent Mike Kennedy appeared with Dixie County Sheriff Dewey Hatcher, and FDLE Special Agent in Charge Don Ladner to announce that the remains of a man found near the Dixie/Taylor County line on Foley Timber property back in 1974 have been identified as 24 year old James Norris. The investigation appears to be centering around certain marijuana dealers and importers, "who may or may not be from Dixie County, but who may still have ties to the area," that were prevalent in Dixie County during that time period.

Norris was a San Francisco resident who travelled to Dixie County from San Francisco after flying into the Miami airport on a red-eye flight in order to purchase marijuana, apparently with the intent of taking it back to California for resale.  He left his dog with his mother and was never seen again. Norris' last contact with his family was via postcard, which was postmarked from Inglis on October 4. His remains were found on April 16, in 1976 by a heavy equipment operator who was working in north Dixie County near US 19.

The body was sent for an autopsy at that time and an anthropological examination in Tallahassee. It was determined that he had been dead approximately 2 years. In 2009, FDLE's cold case team reopened the case and sent a DNA sample to the University of North Texas. In the meantime, desperate family members, including Norris' mother, had submitted DNA material to the NAMUS (National Missing and Unidentified Person System) database, and a match was made.

Special Agent Kennedy, husband to Dixie County native Lauren (Jo Lynn) Downing,  said that "The family is what solved this case," with their determination not to give up and the DNA evidence that allowed Norris to be identified. Norris' sister Rosemary Norris Southward said, "You can get answers," even on cold cases, and that she was very impressed with the dedication of FDLE and the DCSO in solving the identity of her brother's remains.

Agent Ladner made it clear that FDLE isn't interested in chasing old drug runners. "The statute of limitations is up on selling marijuana, and somebody knows or saw something," and "The question now is why this happened and who did it," and asked that anyone with information on the case, or Norris' activities while he was in Dixie County should call the Sheriff's office or Special Agent Mike Kennedy at 850-410-7450. The photo in the left upper corner of the poster was the last photo of Norris taken. When he came through Dixie County he would have had short hair and a mustache.

The Norris family is planning a funeral to take place back in California. His two sisters, Rosemary and Kathie, plan to fly home with his body Thursday. His sister Rosemary said, "My brother was a teacher, he taught English as a second language, a dreamer, an artist, and loved to wrench on VW bugs. He was a very loved, a beloved person."

On March 28^th the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from a parent who learned that her daughter had been the victim of a sexual assault. It was learned that several days prior, the teenage victim was away from home one night without the parent’s knowledge when she met an adult male acquaintance. At the time she accompanied him over to another residence in Cross City where there was another adult couple. While at this residence, the victim was allowed to consume alcohol to the point that she said she felt the effects of her drinking. On into the evening one of the adults began to make sexual advances toward her. According to investigators, neither of the other two adults attempted to intervene at this point and based on the investigation, it appears as though they too became participants in these activities.

On April 5^th, Sheriff’s investigators arrested the three adults involved in the incident occurring on March 28. Arrested were: Adrian R. Miller 32 years of age, William R. Miller III 31 years of age and Gary L. Rosson 28 years of age all of whom are Cross City residents. All three defendants were each charged with one count of Lewd Battery on a Child Under 16 years of age and one count of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. The Millers who are husband and wife along with Rosson received their first appearance hearing this morning and were each ordered held under a $300,000.00 bond.

If you would like to send a card or letter of support to Robert John Blumenberg, a Dixie County Marine who is undergoing another surgery today after being wounded in Afghanistan, you can mail them to National Naval Medical Center, attn: Robert John Blumenberg, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889.

WILTON DAVID “KORDE” OSTEEN of Old Town passed away Friday, March 25, 2011 as a result of a traffic accident. He was 21.

Korde was a lifetime resident of Dixie County graduating from Dixie County High School in 2008. He worked for Suwannee American Cement in Branford as a maintenance mechanic. As a member of the Shired Island hunting club, he enjoyed hunting, fishing and riding in the woods. He adored playing with his niece McKayla. Korde attended New Prospect Baptist Church.

He is survived by his parents, Chris and Amy Osteen of Old Town and Cheryl Howell of Trenton, FL; paternal grandmother, Deloras Osteen of Cross City and maternal grandparents, Cecile and Ed Stemple of Cross City; brothers, Kyle Lamb of Old Town; sisters, Kristen (Clint) Hope Jackson of Cross City, Bailee Osteen of Old Town; and niece, McKayla Jackson.

He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Buddy Howell and David Osteen.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 11:00 AM at the Rick Gooding Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Ed Ivey and Rev. Doug Cobb officiating. Interment will follow at New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery. A visitation will be held at the funeral home Monday evening, March 28, between the hours of 6 and 8 PM.

Arrangements have been placed under the direction of the Rick Gooding Funeral Home, Cross City, Florida, 352-498-5400.

WILTON DAVID “KORDE” OSTEEN of Old Town passed away Friday, March 25, 2011 as a result of a traffic accident. He was 21.

Korde was a lifetime resident of Dixie County graduating from Dixie County High School in 2008. He worked for Suwannee American Cement in Branford as a maintenance mechanic. As a member of the Shired Island hunting club, he enjoyed hunting, fishing and riding in the woods. He adored playing with his niece McKayla. Korde attended New Prospect Baptist Church.

He is survived by his parents, Chris and Amy Osteen of Old Town and Cheryl Howell of Trenton, FL; paternal grandmother, Deloras Osteen of Cross City and maternal grandparents, Cecile and Ed Stemple of Cross City; brothers, Kyle Lamb of Old Town; sisters, Kristen (Clint) Hope Jackson of Cross City, Bailee Osteen of Old Town; and niece, McKayla Jackson.

He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Buddy Howell and David Osteen.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 11:00 AM at the Rick Gooding Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Ed Ivey and Rev. Doug Cobb officiating. Interment will follow at New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery. A visitation will be held at the funeral home Monday evening, March 28, between the hours of 6 and 8 PM.

Arrangements have been placed under the direction of the Rick Gooding Funeral Home, Cross City, Florida, 352-498-5400.

MISS LAURIE MAURINE WHEELER of Jacksonville, FL passed away Friday, March 18, 2011.  She was 41.

Laurie, daughter of the late Wandle and Susan Wheeler, lived her first 18 years in Cross City.  She graduated from Chiefland High School in 1987 and then moved to Jacksonville where she resided until her death.

She is survived by her brothers, Trey Wheeler of Jacksonville, FL and Phillip Wheeler of Trenton, FL; Uncle, Steve Wheeler of Buckingham, VA; Aunt, Elizabeth Quincy of Trenton and Uncle, Richard Chancey of Salem, AL.

A graveside service will be held Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 11:00 AM at Cross City Cemetery with Rev. Ed Ivey officiating.  A visitation will be held at the funeral home at 10:00 AM the morning of the service.

Arrangements have been placed under the direction of Rick Gooding Funeral Home, Cross City, Florida, 352-498-5400.

Although names have not yet been released, the Dixie County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that they are investigating an abandoned car behind the Cross City NAPA store that apparently belongs to a 19-year old employee of the nursing home who was murdered last night around midnight. The girl's body was found somewhere between Taylor and Dixie County.

The suspect is a married man from Newberry, but whose family lives in Dixie County. He is being held in the Taylor County jail. Updates will be posted as they are made available by law enforcement in Dixie and Taylor Counties.

An indictment made available today against Richard Leon Yearwood on charges of Aggravated Assault on a Law enforcemet officer made it clear that the DCSO deputies involved in shooting Yearwood during his assault were "reasonable given the immediate threat to one of the deputies."

John William Kalisz plead guilty today in a Dixie County Courtroom in front of Judge Roy Bean. He accepted a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole, and will be transported back to Hernando County for further prosecution.

Shortly before 9:00pm on Tuesday night, what is believed to be a white female entered the Trading Post Store on NE 349 Hwy wearing a mask, gloves loose fitting sweat style shirt.

Upon entering the store, the subject what appears to be a semi-auto handgun and demands the clerk to give her the cash. The suspect was described as female, approximately 5’4” to 5’5” with a thin to medium build. After the clerk handed the cash to the subject, she fled the store and is believed to have gotten into a Green Chevy Blazer or a SUV style vehicle and fleeing the area. The vehicle left the area and traveled toward a rural subdivision that is in an area behind the store off of NE 349. This area was subsequently saturated with responding officers from the Dixie County Sheriff s Office and the Cross City Police; however, their search was unable to produce any suspect or suspect vehicle.

Investigators have been looking into several leads and suspect information throughout the day on Wednesday but at this time have not made an arrest in the robbery. It is asked that anyone with possible information call the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office Investigations at 352-498-1245.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) directed its staff on Wednesday to advertise new rule proposals requiring all hunters to tag harvested white-tailed deer and report the harvest to the FWC.

However, the commissioners directed staff to provide a menu of options regarding exempt hunters, showing how those hunters would report their harvest. Exempt hunters include individuals 65 and older and 16 and under.

Tagging and reporting game harvests is commonly done in many states, and FWC staff reviewed several other states’ harvest-reporting systems to see what might work well in Florida.

The FWC, along with its stakeholders, continues to craft a system where hunters would report their harvested deer, to better track where and how many deer are harvested in Florida.

FWC staff presented a draft proposal at five public meetings across the state and gathered input and feedback through an online poll.

The proposed harvest-reporting system would utilize a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week telephone and Internet system, and tags to attach to harvested deer.

Some of the information hunters would have to report includes their customer number, date of harvest, county, method of take, hunting with or without dogs, type of deer (antlered buck, button buck or doe) and number of antler points on bucks.  All compiled statewide harvest data would be available to the public online and updated daily, but would not include hunters’ personal information.

“We want to make this system as friendly as possible for Florida’s hunters,” said Cory Morea, FWC biologist and deer management program coordinator.  “We need the data to give Florida hunters what many of them have asked for – that is better management of the state’s deer herd, and at a more local level.  This will give us one of the tools to enable us to do that.”

The new rules could be approved for final adoption at the February 2011 Commission meeting and would become effective July 1, 2011, and apply to the 2011-12 hunting season.

For more detailed information on the proposed harvest-reporting system, go to MyFWC.com/Deer.

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The courtroom is mostly empty today, except for a few family members a TV20 news crew, and law enforcement as motions are presented to get ready for the upcoming trial of John Kalisz, who is facing numerous charges for the murder of Dixie County Officer Chad Reed.

Judge Roy Bean dismissed a motion to place a gag order on the media and all parties and witnesses, saying that it was "inappropriate to do this at this time." Major Scott Harden was called as the first witness as a part of a motion filed to attempt to surpress the suspect's statement on January 27th at Shands Hospital.  The defense is claiming that Miranda warnings were "inadequate" and that Kalisz was under the influence of hospital-administered "mind altering drugs," and that his statement should be thrown out. Special Agent for FDLE April Glover was also grilled on the specifics about the January 27th interview with the suspect.

The motions are expected to continue throughout the day and into another date to be determined.

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.

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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