25 JULY 2015
WZEP AM 1460
WZEP AM 1460 First News Now
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Brought to you by
DR. CHUCK STEVENSON, O.D.
Today is the 206th day of the year. There are 159 days left in the year.
On this day in 1897, Jack London leaves for the Klondike to join the gold rush, where he will write his first successful stories. While in the Klondike, London began submitting stories to magazines. In 1900, his first collection of stories, The Son of the Wolf, was published. Three years later, his story The Call of the Wild made him famous around the country.
ON THIS DAY IN:
1978 World’s First Test Tube Baby Born
1985 Rock Hudson announces he has AIDS
1943 Mussolini falls from power
Need to know what events are going on? Try the WZEP AM 1460 Community calendar.
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News Segment 1
WEST NILE VIRUS CONFIRMED IN WALTON COUNTY
First Case in Florida in 2015
By: T.H. Merritt
The Florida Department of Health in Walton County has issued a mosquito-borne illness advisory for Walton County. Holly Holt, DOH-Walton Administrator, says a human case of West Nile virus illness has been confirmed and there is a heightened concern that additional residents may become ill.
The first case of West Nile virus illness in Florida for 2015 is an adult female resident of Walton County. Though the victim was not identified, earlier press reports indicated there were two possible victims in the Sandestin area. Blood tests confirmed the diagnosis today.
State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. John Armstrong is encouraging Floridians and visitors to take steps to prevent mosquito bites that can lead to illness.
Walton County Health officers and state officials spent the morning in a conference call discussing strategy on how to combat the disease. Secretary Armstrong urges the public to stay safe by draining any standing water near or in your home, making sure that screens are intact, and keeping your skin covered with clothing and mosquito repellent.
South Walton Mosquito Control Director Ben Brewer isn’t
wasting time. Brewer says 3 “sentinel” chickens tested positive for the virus
two weeks ago. He began deploying additional personnel immediately.
The department continues to conduct statewide
surveillance for mosquito-borne illnesses, including West
Nile virus infections, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, St. Louis
encephalitis, Malaria and Dengue Fever. Residents are encouraged to report dead
birds to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Laura Brazell, Walton County Health Department Public Information Officer, says if another case confirmed, the next step will be to issue an ALERT, which will urge physicians to start looking for signs of the virus in patients presenting with symptoms.
WZEP is following developments closely and will keep you informed on FIRST NEWS NOW.
POLICE OFFICERS FACE HEARING
By: T.H. Merritt
Two Defuniak Springs police officers who were fired
last month for racial harassment, pleaded their case in a hearing Friday
afternoon before City Manager Sara Bowers.
DeFuniak Springs Police Sgt. Anthony Kaiser and
Patrolman Rick Boblitt were fired June 3rd after an internal affairs
investigation concluded they had engaged in the racial harassment of a fellow
officer of Asian descent.
A possible procedural error in the grievance process,
forced the city to rehire the officers until the hearing. However, both officers
were immediately placed on administrative leave by City Marshal Mark Weeks.
WZEP First News Now was in the chamber at City
Hall yesterday when City Manager Sara Bowers closed the meeting to the public. Both officers and their wives were present
along with their attorneys. Several
people waited outside.
Bowers said she would hear the evidence and
consider the matter over the weekend but did not expect to decide the officer’s
fate at the hearing.
WZEP will bring you her decision as soon as it is
released.
News Segment 2
FLAG SUPPORTERS
RIDE
By: T.H. Merritt
Confederate Flag supporters gather today to show
their support for a Southern Pride Ride from the Paxton
Community Center south to Miramar Beach.
27-year old Walton
County native Justin Hammond organized
the convoy after seeing over 2,000 people show up for a similar event in Ocala earlier this month. Hammond
says he has never been involved in any kind of political movement but he felt
like he had to do something in the wake of, what he sees are attempts to
destroy southern heritage and culture.
Through a facebook page he set up called Southern
Pride Ride Walton County, Hammond says over 75 people signed up for the event.
Recent efforts to remove the Confederate Flag have
been met with opposition as Walton County Commissioners consider whether to
remove the flag from the Confederate War Memorial in Defuniak Springs.
On Tuesday, residents noticed the Confederate Flag
missing from the War Memorial and flooded WZEP, commissioner’s offices and the
court house with calls wondering if the flag had been stolen or, if
commissioners had taken premature action.
As it turns out, the flag was temporarily lowered in honor of the
Marines and a Sailor killed by a gunman in Chattanooga, Tennessee
last week. It will be raised at the end of the period of mourning.
Commissioners delayed a vote last week to give
other county residents a chance to be heard on the issue. Walton County Commissioners take up the issue
next Tuesday, July 28th at 9 AM at their meeting at the Walton
County Courthouse. WZEP will have full
coverage.
FREEPORT MAN CRITICALLY INJURED IN DESTIN CRASH
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is
investigating a two car crash in Destin early Friday morning that critically injured
a Freeport man.
The rear-end collision took place around 3:15 a.m.
yesterday near 34884 Emerald Coast
Parkway. The 21-year old driver of a Honda Civic
had to be extricated from his car. He was taken to Fort Walton Beach Medical
Center.
The driver and three passengers in the other vehicle
were not hurt. The crash caused temporary closures to eastbound lanes of Highway
98.
News Segment 3
TROOPERS IDENTIFY
FATALITY
By: T.H. Merritt
The Florida Highway Patrol has identified the
victim killed in a Tuesday night crash on Hwy. 98 in Bay County. Troopers say 48-year old Kay Ellen Ferguson of
Panama City was
killed while trying to cross Hwy. 98 on a pedacycle. Ferguson was killed when her bike was struck
by a car and she was thrown from the bike landing in the west bound lane of
traffic.
GOING BATTY
The Walton County Defuniak Springs Branch Library
was closed Friday until an exclusion can be performed to remove a bat
population that has made their home in the library. The closure is being
conducted to ensure the health, safety and welfare of both employees who work
at the location and members of the public.
During the closure, the Bookmobile will be located
in front of the library to provide limited service including book return,
rental and reservations. Internet use will be available on a limited basis. The
Bookmobile will be open from 9 AM – 5 PM Monday through Saturday.
Florida’s
Administrative code dictates the process of exclusion cannot begin until after
August 14th as bats are considered protected Florida Wildlife.
The Coastal Branch Library in Santa Rosa Beach,
the Freeport Library and the Milton Memorial Library in Paxton remain open.
News Segment 4
SALES TAX HOLIDAY COMING UP
By: T.H. Merritt
It’s that time
again, as parents and students prepare to go back to school. August 7th through the 16th
is the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday.
During this period,
Florida law
directs that no sales tax or local option tax (also known as discretionary
sales surtax) will be collected on purchases of:
- Clothing, footwear and certain accessories selling for $100 or less per item.
- Certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item.
- Personal computers and certain computer related accessories on the first $750 of the sales price, when purchased for noncommercial home or personal use.
When a customer purchases an eligible item during the holiday period, then later exchanges the item for the same item (e.g., different size or color), no tax will be due even if the exchange is made after the holiday period.
Rain checks and Layaway items are also eligible. Gift cards are not taxable and items purchased during the period with a gift card qualify for the exemption.
Obituaries - Listen in the morning, just after noon and the 4pm hour
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