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By Judy Ludlow
CALHOUN COUNTY EXTENSION DIRECTOR

One of the many rewarding things the Calhoun County Extension Service does is coordinate the selection of the Outstanding Farm Family of the Year. Calhoun County is blessed with a rich farming history, and we have been presenting this award for 56 years. [Full Story »] 

Blountstown Main Street is gearing up for a long awaited murder mystery dinner theatre, “Trouble Brewing,” set for Thursday and Friday, October 6 and 7. The production will be held at The Lakehouse, a new restaurant set to open in the old J & N building on Hwy. 20 West in Blountstown. A silent auction will begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7. A cash bar will be available.
“Trouble Brewing” will feature tales about moonshining in Calhoun and surrounding areas. The play is written by Elam Stoltzfus and Doug Harrell.
Tickets are $25 each and available in the drive-thru window or inside at Centennial Bank and The Diamond Corner. ADVANCE TICKETS REQUIRED. Remember...bring a date. You’ll need the alibi.

A Blountstown man was arrested Saturday for allegedly holding his ex-girlfriend captive against her will.
Charles Benjamin Barbee, Jr., 38, has been charged with domestic battery and false imprisonment.
According to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Barbee’s ex-girlfriend contacted authorities around 2 p.m. Saturday and alleged Barbee attempted to rape her. The woman told Dep. John Scheetz she had dated Barbee for over a year, but recently ended the relationship. She said she called Barbee earlier that day and arranged to stop by the home they shared to retrieve some of her belongings. When the woman and her 10-year-old child went to the home, she said Barbee began to cry and begged her to stay. She told him it was over, then said he hugged her and told her he would miss her. Meanwhile, her child went outside to play and the woman said she finished rounding up her items. As she prepared to leave, she said she walked through Barbee’s bedroom to exit through a rear door. She told Dep. Scheetz, Barbee came into the bedroom, shoved her into a dresser, then locked the rear door, as well as the door to the bedroom, and told her she wasn’t leaving.
The woman alleged Barbee told her he was going to rape her, threw her on the bed, held down her arms, bit her face, then attempted to kiss her. The woman said he stated a specific sexual act he planned to do to her and made reference to sending her back to a new boyfriend “like that.” She alleged he whispered in her ear that he was “...going to put Satan” in her, then remarked, “But it’s okay, don’t cry.” The woman said Barbee suddenly seemed to “snap back” to the realization of what he was doing and began to cry. He eventually released her and told her to get out of his house. She took her child, fled, then called authorities. She stated Barbee never exposed his genitals during the incident.
Dep. Scheetz photographed the woman’s arms and noted redness on her wrists.
Barbee was interviewed and admitted he touched the woman’s hands, hugged and kissed her, and told her they were going to have sex, but said he was just kidding. He denied harming her in any way and said he never held her down on the bed and didn’t shove her against a dresser.
Due to the redness on her wrists, probable cause was found in the case, resulting in Barbee’s arrest. He was released from the Calhoun County Jail Sunday after posting a $10,000 bond.

A Blountstown man is behind bars accused of raping a young woman.
Cardonial Belafonte Thomas, Jr., 26, was taken into custody Thursday and charged with sexual battery.
According to an affidavit filed by the Blountstown Police Department, an 18-year-old female contacted law enforcement Tuesday to report the alleged incident. The young woman told Lt. Timothy Partridge that she was at Sutton Creek Apartments on Monday hanging out with Thomas at an apartment as she has on many occasions due to a family connection. She said she fell asleep while watching television and awoke to find Thomas on top of her engaging in intercourse. She reported she told Thomas to stop, but he wouldn’t. She said she eventually pushed him off her and phoned her boyfriend, then asked Thomas to take her home while she kept her boyfriend on the line. When she arrived home, the young woman said she went into her bedroom, locked herself in a closet and cried.
The alleged victim said she sent Thomas a text message telling him she was going to tell her mother what happened. Thomas reportedly went back to the girl’s house, took her mother to the store and told her the girl was upset because she had gotten into an argument with her boyfriend. Thomas then allegedly went to the girl’s closet door repeatedly asking her not to say anything to her mom and also sent text messages to her phone. The girl eventually came out of her bedroom and found Thomas standing at the front door with her mother. She then told her mom what had happened. The girl’s mom told Thomas to leave her home as he denied the girl’s accusations.
Lt. Partridge retrieved the text messages sent to the girl that stated, “...if you tell I swear I will kill myself. I can’t live with that shame...please forgive me...I’m going back to Tallahassee tomorrow please, please...I will go back to prison...I will lose by kids...I am sorry. Don’t tell your mom please.”
Possible DNA evidence was collected at the apartment where the alleged incident occurred.
Thomas came to the police department later that day, was read his rights and requested an attorney.
He is being held without bond at the Calhoun County Jail.

Calhoun County Chamber’s first Swamp & Stomp Mud Run is Saturday, Sept. 24th at the Altha Recreation Park. More than 100 people have registered with over half traveling more than 50 miles to participate. Spectators are invited to come enjoy the mud run show! [Full Story »] 

A Bristol man is behind bars after allegedly causing over $3000 in damages during a trailer park burglary.
Billy Gaskin, 25, has been charged with dealing in stolen property, burglary of a dwelling, and theft.
According to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. J.W. Shiver responded to Duggar’s Trailer Park Sept. 8 where the property owner advised someone had gone under three mobile homes and stolen all the electrical copper wiring beneath them. A witness reported seeing two white males a few days earlier, one who ran away when spotted and the other, later identified as Gaskin, who was underneath a mobile home at the time. The witness further reported smelling burning plastic at the time.
The investigation led to a recycling company where Gaskin recently sold copper. Gaskin reportedly confessed to authorities that he stole the copper. It was learned he was also wanted in Calhoun County on an outstanding warrant.
Gaskin was booked into the Liberty County Jail Thursday and remained in custody at press time.

A routine traffic stop late Sunday afternoon ended in the arrest of a Blountstown man on meth charges.
Jessie Lee Turner, 22, has been charged with possession of meth, drug paraphernalia and less than 20 grams of cannabis. He was also cited for speeding, failure to wear a seatbelt, and unlawful tint on his windows.
According to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Dep. Bobby Sims pulled Turner’s vehicle over in Altha for speeding and Sgt. Jared Nichols provided backup. Prior to the stop, a tip was received that Turner had purchased pseudoephedrine, a cold medicine used to manufacture meth, at a Marianna pharmacy. Turner was already on the radar of area law enforcement after allegedly purchasing large quantities of pseudoephedrine over the past few months.
Sgt. Nichols requested permission to search the vehicle and Turner refused. Upon being questioned by Sgt. Nichols about his most recent pseudoephedrine purchase, Turner reportedly became nervous and agitated, stating he did not want a police K9 walking around his vehicle and requesting an attorney be called to the scene on his behalf. Sgt. Nichols advised Turner he was free to call any attorney of his choosing.
Cpl. Eddie Dalton and his K9 Gina arrived and the dog sniffed the exterior of the vehicle. When K9 Gina gave a positive alert for narcotics, the vehicle was searched while Turner and his two passengers stood by. A propane torch and Coleman fuel, commonly used to cook meth, were discovered, along with a package of pseudoephedrine. A glass pipe with meth residue was found and Turner claimed ownership. A plastic bag of marijuana, a small piece of marijuana bud, a hollowed out pen with meth residue, and several cut straws were also recovered.
Turner was booked into the Calhoun County Jail and remained in custody at press time.