The County Record

Award winning, local photographer, Phil Coale took these excellent photos. To purchase photos, contact Phil Coale at Tigersports1@live.com or call 850-379-8049. [Full Story »] 

Julie Leonard Smith, candidate for Calhoun County School Superintendent, has just dropped out of the race. More details in next week's print edition.

This is the second question in our interview series with Calhoun County Sheriff candidates.

QUESTION: Do you plan to operate the county jail? If not, what is your plan for the jail?

.......................................................................................................

RESPONSES (Candidates listed in reverse alphabetical order today)

ADAM TERRY: It is my belief it would not be cost effective for anybody other than the sheriff to run the jail.

TOMASI MATAUTIA: I would try to maintain and see what we have at the jail. I would like to get our jail to be more involved in housing our own inmates, including females, instead of spreading them out to some of the counties nearby. That would cut down on some of the costs to the Sheriff’s Office. Hopefully, I can try to get some certified female staff to help keep the female inmates in our jail.

GLENN KIMBREL: I do plan to operate the county jail. That is a secure facility. I think it would deem to be important for the chief law enforcement officer of the county to operate the jail for security reasons.

EARL HUNT: I am planning on operating the county jail just like it’s been run and planning on keeping all the employees.

KEN FUTCH: At this point, I see no reason not to maintain the jail under the current umbrella of the sheriff. To avoid any further burden on the taxpayers, it only seems reasonable that the sheriff continue to operate the jail. As your sheriff, it’s important that I maintain a strong working relationship with our other county officials to the extent I would research whether it’s feasible to bring back the female population, as well. Having been a previous jail administrator, I find myself separated from the other candidates, given my working knowledge of the jail.

JIMMY BAGGETT: If I’m elected sheriff, we’re still going to operate the county jail. When citizens of Calhoun County come to visit their loved ones at the Calhoun County Jail, they will be treated with dignity and respect.

PONEY ADAMS: My plan is to get a grant and build a new jail. Have the state prisoners to do the work, grant money to buy the materials and use the 2 to 3 acres behind the courthouse for the site.

Award winning, local photographer, Phil Coale took these excellent photos. To purchase photos, contact Phil Coale at Tigersports1@live.com or call 850-379-8049. [Full Story »] 

Award winning, local photographer, Phil Coale took these excellent photos. To purchase photos, contact Phil Coale at Tigersports1@live.com or call 850-379-8049. [Full Story »] 

Award winning, local photographer, Phil Coale took these excellent photos. To purchase photos, contact Phil Coale at Tigersports1@live.com or call 850-379-8049. [Full Story »] 

Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Tallahassee Regional Operations Center Cyber and High-Tech Crime Squad yesterday arrested Christopher Lee Roeters, 39, of Clarksville, Fla., for one count of possession of child pornography.

Roeters is a registered sex offender from Michigan and is on probation for failing to register as a sex offender in Florida. In September 2012, FDLE began investigating a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which indicated that Roeters uploaded an image file of child pornography to one of Google's servers.

Roeters was booked into the Calhoun County Jail.

Please visit the FDLE Computer Crime Center website to review tips for keeping your children safe online at: www.fdle.state.fl.us/FC3/

The County Record is pleased to begin the first round of questions and answers in our candidate interview series. Here's question number 1 in the Calhoun County Sheriff's race:

QUESTION: Describe one new program you plan to begin if elected sheriff?

.......................................................................................................

RESPONSES (Candidates listed in alphabetical order)

PONEY ADAMS: I want to relocate the Sheriff’s Office. I’m thinking in the courthouse where it would be accessible to handicapped people, as well as everybody else.

JIMMY BAGGETT: I’m going to implement a community policing unit which will allow direct connection between the citizens and local law enforcement officers. This let's us know about what specific issues and concerns are within our communities in Calhoun County. As the sheriff, I will implement and create a youth initiative such as the Explorer Program. This program will be designed to provide our youth with the skills to develop character, self esteem, promote responsibility, encourage high morals, sound judgement and teach them to always strive to be positive role models.

KEN FUTCH: In the past, the Sheriff’s Office has provided a school resource officer who divides his time amongst all of the county schools. Currently, it’s my understanding there is no specific curriculum associated with this position. Given the current environment we live in, I find it necessary that we educate our youth by providing them with materials to help them in their choices as it relates to our illegal drug problem. There are a tremendous amount of resources available through the National Sheriff’s Association, Florida Sheriff’s Association, as well as other non-profit organizations, to assist and provide materials and curriculum towards this effort.

EARL HUNT: We need to have something for the kids, I do know this. I don’t know what all is out there. But we need something for the kids.

GLENN KIMBREL: I want to start a citizens academy. It’s going to include the citizens of the county that may want to come down and see what functions their law enforcement agency performs. In doing so, they may be interested enough to take my class that would allow them to provide a support role in helping me run the Sheriff’s Office. As we know, there’s always limited funds in operating a public office. So I’m looking for volunteer work to help supplement our full-time employees. I intend to start a junior deputy program. What this allows us to do is mentor the young people. It helps us form a bridge between the Sheriff’s Office and the public, which is also covered in the aforementioned program about the citizens academy. My main goal is to gain public support and that will help me better serve the public.

TOMASI MATAUTIA: One thing I’m going to start with is a junior deputy program. I’m pretty involved with the Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency. During activities we’re involved with like Special Olympics, I’ve observed the sheriff’s departments in other counties involving kids with those activities. Another program I’m interested in is getting youth trained in some trade so they can do projects for the senior citizens. That would be something to get them involved and keep them occupied during hours after school.

ADAM TERRY: It is my belief that we need to do more to prevent our children from getting on all drugs, especially to include meth. I want to do a program and I will have to work with schools. I’m not wanting to put an extra task on the teachers, but I will need to present an age appropriate drug prevention program through the schools at least once each semester to students. In that program, I also intend to cover texting and driving, alcohol and tobacco.

CALHOUN COUNTY
Oct. 9: Joshua Michael Watts, racing on highway
Oct. 10: Traci Todd, VOP (Liberty); Cardrico Mosley, larceny; Bradley Terry, violation of community control; Scott Grzegorcyzk, disorderly conduct
Oct. 11: Michael Stone, stalking; Scott Grzegorcyzk, violation of conditional release; Billy Ivory, violation of conditional release; Buford Edward, battery; Vicki Locklear, no motor vehicle registration; Joseph Whitaker, DWLSR with knowledge
Oct. 12: Stephen Pickron, unlawful compensation for official behavior; Anthony Daiuto, failure to appear; Jason Newton, stalking [Full Story »] 

Patricia (Pat) W. McClellan, born October 19, 1945, passed away October 7, 2012, in St. Petersburg, Fla. [Full Story »] 

Legal Notice
REQUEST FOR LETTERS
OF INTEREST [Full Story »] 

Come join the fun at the 26th Annual Goat Day festival set for Saturday, Oct. 20, with a day jam-packed with activities and fun for the whole family! [Full Story »]