The County Record

BY KELLI PEACOCK DUNN
News Editor

Liberty County Sheriff Donnie Conyers has provided more details on last Wednesday night's death of Blountstown Middle School coach, Tranum McLemore.

"She had to leave to save her life," Sheriff Conyers says of Winter McLemore, Tranum's wife. Sheriff Conyers went on to say McLemore had become violent with Winter during an argument, to the point he was choking her.

As she left the house, Sheriff Conyers says Winter reported hearing two gunshots. A neighbor confirmed hearing the shots and seeing Winter running from the house. The neighbor reported hearing multiple shots after Winter drove away.

Sheriff Conyers says Winter's clothing was tested for gun powder residue and she is not a suspect. "She didn’t kill him," he tells The County Record. "I’m convinced it was self-inflicted and there was nobody else involved."

More details will be reported in this week's print edition of The County Record, on news stands Wednesday morning.

Agnes Inez Peacock Diamond, 92, passed away peacefully on April 7, 2012.

Known to everyone as Nannie, she was a beloved wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, who we will greatly miss. Agnes was born and raised in Altha, FL and Blountstown, FL before moving to Pensacola in 1938. She was a member of East Brent Baptist Church and the Faith and Love Sunday School class.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Luther Thomas Diamond; father, William J. Peacock, Sr.; mother, Martha Jane Alexander Peacock; stepmother, Anna Massey Peacock; and brothers, J. Walter Peacock, Ernest Peacock, James Peacock, and Burl Peacock.

Agnes is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl and Sherman Randolph, of Columbia, Tennessee; daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Van Weeks, of Pensacola; son, Douglas Peacock, of Blountstown; grandsons, Jeremy Roselle and his wife, Kelli, Brad Weeks and his wife, Donna, and Ben Weeks and his girlfriend, Sarah Blake, all of Pensacola; granddaughters, Kelli Peacock Dunn and her husband, Jason, of Blountstown, and Kim Jackson and her husband, Jay, of Sneads; great-grandchildren, Luke Roselle, Ryanne Gilliland, Camden Weeks, Scott Dunn, Kelly Dunn, Jake Jackson and Jordan Jackson; brother, William J. Peacock, Jr.; sisters, Lois M. Stewart, Edna Earl Kimbro and her husband, Enzor, all of Pensacola, Alice Ward of Port St. Joe, Dannie Bracewell and her husband, Joe, of Blountstown, and Mildred Hudson and her husband, Ray, of Gulf Breeze; a special friend, Mary O’Bannon; along with many other relatives and friends.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 10, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home South, 100 Beverly Parkway with Rev. Dr. Dale Patterson officiating. Interment will follow at Pine Level Baptist Church Cemetery in Jay, FL. Serving as pallbearers are Harry Kinsley, Greg McCreless, Lawson Baxley, Kirk Weeks, Scott Weeks, and Arthur Worley, Jr.

The family would like to offer a special thanks to the staff of the Haven of Our Lady of Peace and especially Heritage Court for their loving care of Nannie during the past 16 months and to Covenant Hospice. Memorial contributions may be made to the Haven of Our Lady of Peace.

Faith Chapel Funeral Home South in Pensacola is in charge of the arrangements. Please express condolences online at fcfhs.com.

Get your pitching arm warmed up and come dunk-a-deputy tonight (Friday, April 6) at the Moonlight Market in downtown Blountstown! The festivities are from 5 to 8 p.m. with 70 vendors along North Pear Street from the redlight to the M & B Train, as well as on the greenspace next to Centennial Bank.

The dunking booth will be located on North Pear Street in front of the Blountstown Police Department and El Jalisco. First in the booth will be Calhoun County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Eddie Dalton scheduled for the 5 p.m. slot.

Come out for a night of free train rides, delicious food, all sorts of arts & crafts and music by DJ Britt Kent. The Easter bunny, Mr. Pig from the Piggly Wiggly, and Hot Spot the Fire Dog will be on hand to visit with the little ones. The Preble-Rish Art Gallery will be open, along with downtown restaurants, Main Street Station and El Jalisco.

North Pear Street will be closed, but parking is available behind Centennial Bank, Diamond Corner, El Jalisco, Magnolia Square, Preble-Rish, behind the gazebo park and Bank of America, as well as the downtown spaces.

Moonlight Market is sponsored by Blountstown Main Street.

Barbara Jean Parsons of Georgetown, SC, and previously from Blountstown, FL, went to be with her Lord on March 30, 2012.

Barbara loved the Lord, her family and friends. She enjoyed gardening, fishing, spending time with her family and friends and loved going to church.

B.J. was pre-deceased by her son, Ricky.

She is survived by three children, Kristen, John, and Pete; two brothers, Don and Kenneth; seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

No services are planned at this time. The family respectfully requests donations be made in honor of Barbara J. Parsons to OASIS Adult Care, 2317 Prince Street, Georgetown, SC 29440.

BY KELLI PEACOCK DUNN
News Editor

A report released Friday morning on the death of Blountstown Middle School Coach Tranum McLemore leaves many questions that may not be answered for several weeks.

According to the Liberty County Sheriff's Office (LCSO), McLemore sustained gunshot "wounds" but the agency would not confirm how many or the location of the wounds until the autopsy report has been completed. The report from LCSO Sheriff Donnie Conyers reads as follows:

"At approximately 9:15 p.m. on April 4, 2012, Mrs. Winter McLemore of Bristol, Florida, came to the Sheriff's Office to report an incident of domestic violence. Personnel at the dispatch office reported that Mrs. McLemore showed signs of having been in a struggle. Deputies were dispatched to the home located at 14222 NW Hoecake Road in Bristol.

"After arriving at the residence, deputies entered the home and discovered Mr. Tranum McLemore dead on the floor of the bedroom. Laying under the left leg of Mr. McLemore was a Ruger 9MM semi-automatic pistol.

"Sheriff Conyers requested Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to assist in the investigation with their crime scene processing unit. The crime scene investigator arrived at the home at approximately 11:00 p.m. Initial findings of the investigation suggested that Mr. McLemore had shot himself after Mrs. McLemore had fled the home. A final report may take up to 8 weeks to complete.

"After the investigation at the home was completed, the body was transported to the Medical Examiner's Office in Tallahassee, Florida, where an autopsy was performed. Preliminary conclusions of the autopsy indicate that the wounds to the body of the deceased were consistent with self-inflicted wounds. A final report will take 6-8 weeks to complete."

Sheriff Conyers concluded the report by stating, "Domestic violence is a terrible thing to be inflicted upon a family. For that reason, my office has been very aggressive in dealing with domestic violence cases and we will continue to be aggressive in such cases. My heart goes out to the families involved in this case and to their three children."

Lucille Margaret Stewart of Altha, Florida, passed away in Blountstown, Florida, Wednesday, April 4, 2012, at the age of 88.

She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Florida State University and a Master’s Degree from the University of Florida and taught Home Economics and Chemistry in South Sumter High School in Bushnell, Florida, for many years. She was a member of Magnolia Baptist Church near Altha.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Virgil Stewart; her parents, Thomas and Eula (Johnson) Jordan; and a son, Delwin Stewart.

Survivors include a son, Kenneth Stewart, and his wife, Elaine, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida; a daughter, Cheryl Stephens, and her husband, John, of Tampa, Florida; six grandchildren, Lora Stewart, Jennifer Stewart, Chad Stewart, Ashley Stewart, Amy Elizabeth Stephens, and Sarah Catherine Stephens; two great-grandchildren, Lane Stephens and Colby Rinberger; and a brother, J. D. Jordan and his wife, Pam, of Youngstown, Florida.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. CDT, Friday, April 6, in the Chapel of Adams Funeral Home with Reverend John Kuenierz and Reverend Clint Clemons officiating. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. CDT, Thursday, April 5, at the funeral home.

Adams Funeral Home in Blountstown is in charge of the arrangements (phone 850-674-5449). Online condolences may be made at adamsfh.com.

Moonlight Market originally set to be held this evening has been rescheduled for tomorrow night (Friday, Apr. 6), from 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown Blountstown. Due to the unpredictable weather conditions and vendors from out of town not wishing to drive in the event of rain, Blountstown Main Street decided it is best to hold the festivities on Friday night when weather is expected to be beautiful. Please come join the celebration which will include over 70 vendors with arts, crafts, food and merchandise; visits with the Easter Bunny, Hot Spot the Fire Dog, and Mr. Pig from the Piggly Wiggly; music from DJ Britt Kent; dancers and strolling performers; train rides; a dunking booth with some local deputies & officers; and so much more!!

Ray Howell, owner of Calhoun-Liberty Abstract, has filed his letter of intent to run for Calhoun County Clerk of Court. Incumbent Ruth Attaway announced Tuesday she will not be seeking re-election. Howell will go up against Attaway's daughter, Renee Attaway Crawford, along with Danny Ray Wise. All are running as democrats with the primary set for Aug. 14.

Ron Mears, a former agriculture teacher at Blountstown High School, has filed his letter of intent to run for Calhoun County Superintendent of Schools. He is running as a democrat. Mears will face incumbent Tommy McClellan in the primary election Aug. 14. The winner of the democratic primary will go up against Logan Barbee, Julie Leonard Smith and Ralph Yoder, all running with no party affiliation, in the general election Nov. 6.

Danny Ray Wise, currently the county commissioner for district 1, has filed his letter of intent to run for Calhoun County Clerk of Court. He is running as a democrat.

Blountstown Middle School coach Tranum McLemore was found dead in his Hoecake Road home in Bristol Wednesday night.

According to the Liberty County Sheriff's Office, McLemore's wife, Winter, came to their office around 9 p.m. regarding a domestic disturbance. Deputies returned with her to their home and found McLemore deceased. The couple's three children were reportedly found safe inside the residence.

Authorities will not offer a specific cause of death until the investigation has been completed. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement Mobile Crime Lab arrived on scene around 11 p.m. and left early this morning. When a full report has been released, The County Record will post the updated information.

McLemore was well-loved by students and faculty at Blountstown Middle School. He recently coached the BMS baseball team in an undefeated regular season. The boys came in runners-up at the championship. McLemore has been described by parents as an outstanding coach and teacher who truly cared about the kids.

The Calhoun County School Board created a fund four years ago and a portion of that money has enabled the Blountstown High School band to purchase a new drum set. [Full Story »]