Tuesday, July 14, 2015
WZEP AM 1460
WZEP AM 1460 First News
Tuesday, July, 14, 2015
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Thriftway Supermarket
Hwy. 90 in DFS
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News Segment 1
Yeti Cooler Sting Ends In Two Juvenile Arrests
More than a dozen deputies are to thank for performing a flawless buy/sting operation leading to the recovery of two YETI coolers in Walton County over the weekend. The top-of-the-line coolers are a hot item for thieves looking for an opportunity to take advantage of unsuspecting victims.
While working three burglaries and thefts of three YETI coolers Saturday evening on Eastern Lake Road one of the victims told deputies they found a post on Craigslist advertising two Yeti coolers identical to the ones stolen.
Deputy Nick Embry checked the posting and agreed the items listed were the victim’s coolers. WCSO Sergeant Cory Webster was notified and obtained permission to conduct a buy/sting in Inlet Beach.
Deputy Don Fernandez changed into street clothes and drove an unmarked vehicle to the “buy” with Sergeant Webster hiding in the back seat. Two suspects, later identified as David Slater Sills and Zachary Allen Ard were identified by deputies as the sellers. The deal went down with Sills running from the scene when he spotted Deputy Embry’s marked unit coming towards him. He was captured on the beach 20 minutes later by Beach Patrol Deputy Jason Day. Both suspects were booked into the Walton County Jail and then remanded to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice and taken to Crestview for intake.
Both suspects are being charged with felony burglary and dealing in stolen property. Sills is being charged with resisting an officer without violence, which is also a felony. In a post Miranda interview, Ard admitted to the crimes and implicated Sills as well. Sills did not give a statement.
The third YETI cooler was recovered the following morning at the suspect’s home.
This operation is a great example of how committed our deputies are to taking thieves off the streets and serving our community.
News Segment 2
Conservationist M.S. Davis Passes
The man who brought us the E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center, M.C. Davis, passed away Saturday. Davis has been a part of Walton County after recognising the biodiversity of the area and bringing his money and connections to create not only an area for conservation, but a way to educate future generations.
According to the Northwest Florida Daily News, the 70-year-old Davis was diagnosed with lung cancer last fall. He leaves behind his wife, Stella, three daughters and five grandchildren.
When planning what is now the E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center, WZEP News rode with Davis around the property. He talked about his upbringing and love for the country. He said he went off and was successful, but started thinking about the land and how much he loved it and decided he wanted to help not only preserve it, but help others gain a love of the land, the local biology.
He started purchasing land that would work in conjunction with a greenway corridor to allow animal migration between Eglin and other state lands as well as preserve flight corridors for the base’s mission. Davis once said at a meeting, he had bought what he could and was looking for ways to buy more. Eventually more land was indeed put into a conservation easement. Davis also gave back, giving land for road widening and other public needs.
Wanting to instill a love of the land, Davis came up with the idea of the Biophilia Center. Bio for biology and philia for the word love. His vision came together with the E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center east of Freeport. This offers school children a chance to see the biodiverse area near the Choctawhatchee River, one of our nation's biodiverse hotspots.
Davis’ investment company also continued to make deals, recently offering the land of the new planned South Walton Sports Complex and a new Walton School.
While riding with Davis touring Nokuse Plantation, he said, “I am just a country boy who wants to ensure people can still walk down a dirt road and appreciate the land around them.” With his work, M. C. Davis has already made a difference.
News Segment 3
DFS Council Meeting 7-13-15
Use of a city facility has a stipulation of no sales without Council approval. A group wants to rent the Community Center for a vendor sales event. They are paying the full rental price. Council agreed to allow them to have vendors selling merchandise. Council also approved an August 15th Christmas event to sell products at the Community Center. And an inch makes a difference and a land issue came back to have the Council’s permission to change the deed from four inches to five inches.
Ed Armbruster came before the Council again, asking for a way to get sewer to his retail and rental building on Highway 90. The building is currently serviced by a lift station. Armbrewster is asking to remove the lift station in favor of a forced main. Public Works Director Tilman Mears said the only way to make this happen is to spend millions of dollars for sewer on Highway 90. The city has been looking at grants, but Mayor Campbell said other needs have taken precedence. Armbruster said he had a septic system, but the city came and told him he would have to put in a lift station for his ABC Complex. There is sewer further west, but the way the pipes go, there is not the right kind of main to not use a lift station. Armbruster’s lift station is shared with what was the Golden Bowl Restaurant. He explained how the cost to maintain the station servicing his business and residential property is high.
Councilman Mac Carpenter talked about signs being put up near intersections, causing distractions. He proposed that any off-premise signs be listed as a temporary sign and give a date to allow any decisions by the new sign committee. Councilman Ennis asked why have a committee if the Council is enacting ordinances. Carpenter said he is trying to prevent damage that can not be reversed. Ron Kelley said he sees a need for some off-premise signs to allow for businesses that are not on Highways 90 or 331.
Public Works Director Tilman Mears said a water line south of I-10 needs replacing. He explained that simply repairing the line would cause possible continued problems since the leaking line is in the swamps. The cost is around $400,000. The City has around $200,000 in the impact fees. The new line would be upgraded to a 10 inch, increasing capacity. The contractor is already in the area and the line is in the FDOT 331 build project. Council approved the engineer fees to start moving forward with the construction. Mears also said there a a few tie-ins that the FDOT has to do anyway and this gives a small savings of $7,800.
News Segment 4
Missing Swimmer’s Body Recovered
The search for a missing swimmer near Crab Island in Destin Monday ended when a boat from Florida Fish and Wildlife discovered his body in eight feet of water near the area where he was last seen. Divers from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office recovered the body of the 24-year-old male around 5:08 p.m. north of the Marler Bridge. A boater reported hearing a distressed swimmer yelling for help on the east side of Crab Island around 2:30 P.M. He threw the man a flotation device and then riders on a wave runner arrived to pull him to safety. However another individual spotted in the water went under and did not resurface. The OCSO, Coast Guard, Florida Fish & Wildlife, and Okaloosa Island Fire Department assisted in the search effort for the missing swimmer. His identity is being withheld, pending notification of next of kin.
Thrift Store Helping Animals Burglarized
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a break-in at the Junkyard Dog, a fundraising thrift store that uses its proceeds to support the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) shelter.
Deputies were called to 179 N.E. Eglin Parkway around 11:30 Sunday night after a store representative investigating the source of a power outage found the front door shattered. The glass had been broken out and the cash register containing funds was missing. It also appeared someone had tampered with the power meter. Damage to the door is estimated at $500.
Anyone with information on the crime is asked to contact the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office at 850-651-7400 or Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 850-863-TIPS, emeraldcoastcrimestoppers.com, or by texting “TIP214 plus your message” to CRIMES (274637).
Obituaries - Listen in the morning, just after noon and the 4pm hour
Mrs. Elizabeth Meigs Neel, age 99, a lifelong resident of the DeFuniak Springs area passed away peacefully at the family residence on Circle Drive. the place she had called home for well over a half a century, Friday morning, July 9. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made in Elizabeth Neel’s memory to the Back-To-School Supplies Fund of First United Methodist Church, Post Office Box 9, DeFuniak Springs, Florida 32435-0009. The family will receive friends and relatives Wednesday, July 15, 2015 from 1:30 until 2:00 P.M. in Burton Chapel of First United Methodist Church, 88 Circle Drive, DeFuniak Springs, with the funeral beginning at 2:00 P.M. in Burton Chapel. Jerry Evans has the arrangements. Friends and family many go online to view obituaries, offer condolences and sign the guest register at http://www.jerryevansfuneralhome.com.
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