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The Mayhaw Community Associations (MCA) will be hosting an event for all women and girls at the W.T. Neal Civic Center in Blountstown on Friday night, Oct. 28, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The event is titled, Social Etiquette, and will consist of the men preparing a dinner for the women and girls, valet parking, a guest speaker, short skit, and etc.

"This event is one of many to come for the females to show appreciation for them and for the young ladies to know what it is like to be treated like a lady and not as a piece of property," says Ken Speights, one of the organizers. "Also, there will be info passed out on being tobacco free."

For more information, call Ken Speights at 557-7413 or Scott Monlyn at 447-0943.

Four Blountstown women are behind bars and eight children have been removed from a home after a meth lab raid in the Pine Island subdivision Wednesday night.

Samantha Michelle White, 41, Maria R. Thurman, 34, Violet Virginia Manning, 37, and Amy Michelle Johnston, 30, have each been charged with manufacture of methamphetamine, possession of meth and child abuse.

According to the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office, several members of the Calhoun-Liberty Drug Task Force served a search warrant just before 11 p.m. on a residence at 19054 NE Elm Street where White, Johnston and Thurman all reside. After knocking and announcing, "Sheriff's Office, search warrant!" several times, Sgt. Jared Nichols had to force the south door open as no one inside would respond.

Once inside the home, various components of a "shake and bake" meth lab were found in plain view with meth in the process of being manufactured in a back bedroom. A hot plate was turned off to reduce the risk of explosion and potential fire hazard as chemicals were being heated.

Investigators learned Manning had an outstanding felony warrant and was immediately apprehended. She surrendered an estimated half gram of meth as she was taken into custody.

The search of the home revealed a reaction vessel with meth residue, stripped lithium batteries and a variety of chemicals used to manufacture meth. Several pieces of tin foil with burnt meth residue, as well as meth that had not yet been smoked, were also recovered.

Thurman, White and Johnston allegedly admitted that Thurman's six children and White's two children had been present while meth was being manufactured. During interviews, each of the women reportedly confessed to her own role in the meth preparation or "cook" process occurring in the home.

A Florida Department of Children and Families investigator was contacted and consented to the children being turned over to family and friends of the parents.

The search team included Lt. Mark Mallory, Sgt. Todd Wheetley, Sgt. Jared Nichols, Deputies Scotty Norris, Gary McGhee and Jail Deputy Christian Smith.

A Blountstown man has been arrested for allegedly stealing and pawning a relative’s gun.
Jerrod Waldron, 23, was taken into custody last Wednesday on charges of larceny and theft of a firearm.
According to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Waldron is accused of stealing a Franchi 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun from a family member in early September. An investigator with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office contacted Inv. Michael Bryant Sept. 30 after learning Waldron had pawned the firearm at a Marianna pawn shop. Authorities were alerted to the transaction due to the fact Waldron is on state probation. Inv. Bryant tracked down the gun’s owner and learned Waldron had not been given permission to take or pawn the gun.
Waldron remains in custody at the Calhoun County Jail with bond set at $10,000. He is also facing violation of probation charges.

Two Altha men are behind bars after a meth lab bust last Wednesday.

John Alvin Miller, 42, and Donnie Jason Yon, 33, have been charged with manufacture of meth, possession of meth and possession of drug paraphernalia. Miller was also charged with possession of listed chemicals and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

According to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, investigators conducted surveillance on Miller’s residence on NE Miller Lane in Altha. It was learned he had just made a pseudoephedrine purchase at a Marianna pharmacy and was suspected of being involved with meth. A search warrant was served on the residence at 8 p.m. with Cpl. Eddie Dalton, Sgt. Jared Nichols, Lt. Mark Mallory, Capt. Michael Bryant, Dep. Jody Hoagland, BPD Lt. Timothy Partridge, and Gulf Co. Investigator Greg Skipper participating in the search.

A loaded Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun was found in the living room. A metal container with meth residue, eye dropper bottle with suspected acid, and a glass pipe were also recovered. Three plastic containers with meth residue were found in Yon’s pants pocket. Two meth pipes with meth residue were located on Miller. Digital scales, two funnels with pseudoephedrine residue, several broken meth pipes, a 9 mm Beretta handgun, a Marlin 17 rifle and a Rossi .22 caliber rifle were also found in the home.

A reaction vessel with the components commonly used in “shake and bake” meth labs, was found in the trunk of Yon’s vehicle. The vessel contained an estimated eight ounces of meth oil. Two more reaction vessels with the same amount of meth oil were recovered from a clothes basket in the back seat of a Dodge truck parked near Miller’s home. During surveillance, authorities had observed Miller going back and forth to the Dodge.
A trash can at the end of the driveway of the home was searched, revealing numerous items used to manufacture meth.

Miller is being held in the Calhoun County Jail on a $31,000 bond and Yon remains in custody on a $16,000 bond.

A Blountstown woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing her ex-boyfriend’s truck and refusing to return it.
Fontella Renee Dawson, 41, has been charged with grand theft auto.
According to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, a Bradenton man who has a second home in Blountstown went to the Sheriff’s Office Sept. 3 to report Dawson had stolen his vehicle. The man told Dep. Gary McGee that he and Dawson had an on-again/off-again relationship when he is in town. He said he allowed Dawson to drive his truck the last time he was home since her car was broke down, but stated she knew she was not to drive it anymore when he left to return to Bradenton. The man further alleged Dawson had been moving items into his Blountstown home over the past three weeks while he was away. He said he wanted her removed from his property.
Two weeks later, the man contacted Dep. McGee again to advise Dawson had failed to return the truck. The man said he spoke with Dawson by phone and told her he had loaded her personal items into her vehicle that was broken down on his property, had a tow truck haul them away, then gave her the tow company address so she could go collect them. The man said Dawson became enraged and stated he would never get his truck back.
A warrant was issued for Dawson’s arrest and she was taken into custody Oct. 12. She was given a conditional release the following day.

A Panama City man has been arrested on a warrant for allegedly stealing parts from a local auto supply store.
Edward Tubbs, 54, has been charged with grand theft in the case.
According to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, the case originated back in June when a tip came into the Blountstown Police Department. A citizen noticed someone loading items into the bed of a pickup outside H & S Truck and Auto Parts on SR 20 West while the business was closed and became suspicious.
A BPD officer initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle as it came through town and, while approaching to speak with the driver, noticed eight semi brake drums and five car batteries in the bed of the truck. The business owner was contacted and arrived at the scene, estimating the value of the parts at $344. Tubbs stated he was given permission from his cousin to collect the items. Tubbs was released with the understanding he would contact the business owner within two days to determine who had given him permission to take the items. However, he never contacted the business owner as agreed.
Inv. Michael Bryant called Tubbs two weeks later and requested a phone number of the cousin he claimed authorized him to take the items from H & S Auto Parts. Tubbs said he would find the number and call Inv. Bryant back, but never did. Subsequently, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
He was booked into the Calhoun County Jail Oct. 11 and remained in custody at press time on $5000 bond.

A Clarksville man was arrested Friday morning after a meth lab was found at his home.
Charlie Fredrick McClendon, 30, has been charged with manufacture and possession of meth.
According to the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, members of the Calhoun-Liberty Drug Task Force went to McClendon’s home around 11 a.m. Friday for a “knock and talk” after receiving a tip that meth was being manufactured at the home.
McClendon was advised of the reason for the visit and consented to a search of the home. MSM, a cutting agent used for processing meth in powder form, was found in the laundry room. Tin foil folded in a manner commonly used to smoke meth was located in a bedroom. A meth lab and ingredients for manufacturing meth were discovered outside the residence. Items were recovered from a trash can and a nearby oven.
McClendon denied making meth, but said he allowed two people to manufacture the drug at his home the previous night. He did admit to using meth.
After being placed under arrest, a piece of tin foil with burnt meth residue was found in McClendon’s pocket.
Task force members participating in the search were Lt. Mark Mallory and Dep. Jody Hoagland of the CCSO, Lt. Tim Partridge of the BPD, and Sgt. Todd Wheetley of the LCSO.