Top Stories

Here's a sneak peak at the headlines in tomorrow's edition of The County Record:

-School Board buys land with plans for new Altha School

-Three jailed in two meth cases

-Blountstown girl to appear on screen, currently filming in New York City

-Blountstown Ozone team at state tournament

All this and more in the July 20th issue of The County Record on newsstands bright and early Wednesday!!

Interviews are set for today (Friday, July 15) beginning at 1 p.m. for the top five candidates seeking the Blountstown City Manager position. The County Record will be sitting in on interviews and the public is welcome to attend. No questions and answers will be taken from the floor. Interviews are being held at the City's Angle Street Complex. Watch for an update later today.

James “Fiddler” Wilhoit Eubanks, a longtime Blountstown business owner and Bristol native, will be honored Saturday, July 16.

The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. EST at the Liberty County Road Department, just east of Bristol. [Full Story »] 

BY KELLI PEACOCK DUNN
News Editor

Do you know your neighbors? Is there a sexual offender or predator on your street?
A resource is available to help Florida residents be aware of any residents in their area who have been convicted of sex related crimes. The purpose is not to encourage anyone to engage in vigilante justice; these individuals have already been convicted and sentenced in a court of law. However, this resource has been provided to help you safeguard your children from someone who could possibly be tempted to re-offend.
Here is a step by step guide to checking out the sex offenders and predators in Calhoun and Liberty counties:
-Click this link to access the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s sexual offender and predator search page: http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/Search.jsp
-Select “Standard” under the “Offender search” section of the page
-Leaving the name and city blank, scroll down four spaces and select “Calhoun” for offender’s county of residence (or “Liberty” if you are checking offenders in Liberty County), then click “Search”
-As of today, there are five pages with 40 sexual offenders and two predators listed in Calhoun County and three pages with 24 offenders and three predators in Liberty County. Check the addresses to see who is in your area (or search by neighborhood from the main search page). Click “View flyer” under each offender to read specific charges and aliases, along with other details of the offender’s case.
Check out the July 13 print edition for some safety tips from FDLE to share with your children.

The former president of C&L Bank of Bristol, has been indicted
on federal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and making false entries into the books and
records of a federally-insured bank.
By an indictment filed yesterday afternoon, Jed Hiers, 50, of Bristol, was charged with one count of
conspiracy to defraud The Bank, also doing business as C&L Bank, in Bristol, Florida, and nine
counts of making false entries into the books and records of the bank. The indictment alleges that
between 1999 and 2004, Hiers, a bank officer, conspired with others to conceal the true financial
picture of the bank from bank examiners and the bank’s own management. Hiers is alleged to have
made loans and extensions of credit to borrowers who were unable to repay, and that he attempted,
through a variety of means, to conceal the borrowers’ actual indebtedness from bank examiners. The
allegations include charges that Hiers falsified borrowers’ financial statements, that he made loans
to third parties for the purpose of paying off the loans of other borrowers, and that he made false
statements in response to audit questions of a bank employee examining existing loans.
Hiers’ initial appearance on the charges is set for 4:00 today before United States Magistrate Judge
William C. Sherrill, Jr. in Tallahassee.
United States Attorney Pamela C. Marsh praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement whose joint investigation led to the charges in this
case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Rhew-Miller.
An indictment is merely a charging document. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and
until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Check out the July 6 edition on news stands bright and early Wednesday! Headlines include:

-Task Force nets meth arrests
-Former investigator filing lawsuit
-Straight talk with Congressman Steve Southerland
-Local schools celebrate "A" grades

All this and much more in the July 6 edition of The County Record.

Blountstown artist Jeff Vickery is creating another fabulous mural. [Full Story »] 

Governor Scott Signs Legislation to Begin Securing State and Local Government Pensions
Modernizes Florida Retirement System and protects Florida taxpayers

Keeping his promise to make sure Florida is no longer the only state in America that does not require government employees to contribute to their pensions, Governor Rick Scott has signed Senate Bill 2100, pension reform legislation that will save taxpayers and participating employers $2 billion next year. The reform ensures that retirees can continue to depend on the Florida Retirement System for decades to come.

Beginning July 1, 2011, state workers and other participants in the Florida Retirement System will contribute three percent of their salaries toward their pensions. The required contribution applies to all active members of the Florida Retirement System or one of the optional retirement programs sponsored by the state universities and colleges. The bill signed today achieves the following savings by employer groups:

School Boards $819.4 million
Counties $597.7 million
State $356.8 million
Others $108.8 million
Universities $ 66.2 million
Colleges $ 56.4 million
Total $2,005.3 million (over $2 billion)

Governor Scott was joined by representatives of the Florida League of Cities and Floridians for Sustainable Pensions, a diverse group of citizens, civic and business organizations concerned with Florida’s unsustainable government sector pension plans.

In addition to aligning pension contributions with those in other states, Governor Scott also signed Senate Bill 1128 that protects the retirement benefits for local governments by preventing surplus cash from being used for other purposes. Local governments must also disclose the present value of defined-benefit retirement plans and make the information available on the Florida Department of Management Services’ website.

“Without reform, Florida’s government pensions and retirement system put a heavy burden on our state’s taxpayers. As a result, dedicated public servants were forced to face the uncertainty of future retirement benefits,” said Governor Scott. “The steps we are taking this year move us closer to modernizing the system and ensuring it will be around decades down the road for future retirees. As we work to strengthen our retirement system even more, I look forward to working with the Legislature and all Floridians to make sure the retirement system is fair to both retirees and taxpayers.”

In March, Governor Scott launched the website FloridaHasARightToKnow.com that shed light on state pensions with annual benefits of $100,000 or more.

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