24 JULY 2015
WZEP AM 1460
WZEP AM 1460 First News Now
Friday, July 24, 2015
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ARMY AVIATION CENTER
FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
Today is the 205th day of the year. There are 160 days left in the year.
On this day in 1998, the director Steven Spielberg’s World War II epic, Saving Private Ryan, is released in theaters across the United States. The film, which starred Tom Hanks and Matt Damon, was praised for its authentic portrayal of war and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. It took home five Oscars, for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Film Editing and Best Sound Effects Editing.
Birthdays On This Day:
1897 – Amelia Earhart, Aviation Pioneer
1951 - Lynda Carter, Miss USA (1973)/actress (Wonder Woman)
Need to know what events are going on? Try the WZEP AM 1460 Community calendar.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S6a6CXueaQr_TB5Nekoy0imjziz3bNneDO1JdEXSm5w/edit?usp=sharing
News Segment 1
FLAG FLAP CONTINUES
By: T.H. Merritt
Recent efforts to remove the Confederate Flag have
ignited a firestorm among flag supporters and those who oppose it. As Walton County Commissioners prepare to
consider whether to remove the flag from the Confederate War Memorial in
Defuniak Springs, local residents are taking action.
Santa
Rosa Beach
attorney Daniel Uhlfelder is petitioning the Commission to remove the flag and
presented 1,300 signatures at last week’s meeting.
Meanwhile, 27-year old Walton
County native Justin Hammond has
organized a Southern Pride Ride this Saturday beginning at 9 AM at the Paxton Community Center
and ending at Miramar
Beach. 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 the onslaught of opposition against something he sees as an attempt to
destroy southern heritage and culture.
Hammond
says about 75 people have already signed up for the event on a facebook page he
started called Southern Pride Ride Walton County. He got the idea for the event
after seeing over 2,000 people show up for a similar event in Ocala earlier this month.
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.
CITY BLIGHT
ACTION
By: T.H. Merritt
Big changes are coming to Defuniak Springs. Planning Director Kelly Schultz says action
is being taken on several areas of blight along Hwy. 331.
Code Enforcement Officer Dusty Beck says he has
been busy and is taking action now:
SOUNDBITE AVAILALBLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
Beck says other projects are underway and
residents can expect to see progress over the next few months.
POLICE
OFFICERS FACE HEARING
By: T.H. Merritt
Two Defuniak Springs police officers, who were
fired last month for racial harassment, face a hearing today 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 fellow officer Chuwan
Boros, who is of Asian descent. Kaiser and Boblitt were veteran officers.
Kaiser is a five-year veteran of the force while Boblitt is a 16 year veteran.
Due to a possible procedural error in the
grievance process, both officers were rehired and placed on immediate
administrative leave by City Marshal Mark Weeks.
Chief Weeks said, “It is of great concern to
me that a veteran law enforcement officer would engage in any type of
harassment of anyone.”
The hearing today at 2:00 PM will determine
whether the two officers will be re-hired or if their termination is
upheld. The City Manager has the final
say. WZEP First News Now will bring you
her decision.
News Segment 2
FUEL SPILL
DOWNTOWN
By: T.H. Merritt
Cars were slipping and sliding for a short time
Thursday morning at the intersection of Hwy. 90 and 331 South. WZEP First News Now was on scene. Fire Chief Charles Burney tells us what
happened. SOUNDBITE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE. DFS Police diverted traffic for a
short while as firemen dealt with the spill. Traffic was flowing smoothly again
by 9 AM.
FIBER OPTIC
CABLE CUT
By: T.H. Merritt
The Walton County South Walton Annex experienced
an outage of both their phone and internet service late Thursday morning. Residents with official business at the Annex
were unable to send email to or call county offices.
Walton County Public Information Officer Louis
Svelah, says officials were notified by Century Link that a fiber optic cable
had been cut on Hwy. 331 South. Service was restored by 6 PM.
DIG IT
By: T.H. Merritt
Department
of Transportation workers have unearthed a tombstone in Walton County
and there are more questions than answers.
During
the recent construction of Hwy 331 South, workers discovered several other
anomalies in the area and brought in ground penetrating radar to help identify
possible grave sites or human remains.
FDOT Spokesman Ian Satter says they are looking for any sort of changes
or disturbances in the soil.
Initial
reports show two shapes 3 to 7 feet long and 3 to 7 feet deep. Satter says officials are taking careful
steps with the work.
A
tombstone found bears the name of a woman who died in 1966. Officials are
following several leads and are working with the Medical Examiner during
excavation. If human remains are found,
the Medical Examiner will take over the investigation.
News Segment 3
TEENAGER
FACING WEAPONS CHARGES
A 17-year old Fort Walton Beach resident faces multiple weapons
charges after a Shalimar resident says he came to his apartment yesterday and
threatened him with a military style rifle loaded with nearly 100 rounds of
ammunition.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has charged Kionte Jamal McGrew, of 433 Woodrow Street,
with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed firearm,
improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm,
and attempting to destroy or tamper with evidence when confronted by law
enforcement.
The victim says McGrew came to his apartment on 8th Avenue to confront him about a
dispute and threatened him through the door. He and other witnesses say McGrew
challenged him to fight and said he was going to kill him. When the victim
would not answer the door, he and witnesses say McGrew retrieved a Rock River
M4 military style rifle loaded with two drum style magazines holding
approximately fifty roads each from the rear of a Jeep SUV at which time the
rifle was covered with a towel in an attempt to conceal it.
McGrew is accused of then going back to the
victim’s apartment to confront him, uncovering the rifle. Deputies responding
to the call Wednesday morning spotted McGrew throwing the rifle into a Shalimar
dumpster.
The investigation is ongoing.
FATALITY IDNTIFIED
A man killed Wednesday morning in a motorcycle
accident on the on-ramp at State Road 85 to State Road 123 has been identified. State Troopers say 25 year-old Anthony Lee
Coleman II of Ft.
Walton Beach was
a U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group.
Coleman lost control of his motorcycle, overturned
and struck a guardrail. He was
pronounced dead at Ft.
Walton Beach
Medical Center. The young Soldier was married with 2
children.
News Segment 4
Repairs
scheduled for County Highway
280-A
Walton County Public Works crews are scheduled to
conduct repair work to a box culvert on County Highway 280-A. The box culvert is
located between South
2nd Street and the Interstate.
The repair work is scheduled to take place on
Monday July 27th and Tuesday July 28th.
The road will remain open during repairs; however,
lane restrictions should be expected. The public is encouraged to use caution
when traveling in this area.
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
Michael
Alan Johnson, age 35, passed away on Sunday, July 19, 2015. Funeral Services
will be held on Friday,
July 24, 2015, in the chapel at Davis-Watkins Funeral Home. A time of
visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.
Arrangements and services are under the direction of Davis-Watkins Funeral Home.
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