Published: December 29, 2008 01:41 pm      

2008: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

What can we say about 2008? The national themes are well-known, and center on the rise of Obama and the decline of the credit market. Locally, our stories were somewhat more diverse. They run the gamut from overturned elections (March 21) to major electoral upsets (Aug. 27); from the mystery of an old newspaper clipping (Feb. 22) to three separate and unrelated wins by Suwannee County residents in the lottery (April 30) - surely something of a statistical mystery, in our view. In any case, here they are, folks - the major local news stories of last year.

(Note: Dates refer to date of publication in the print edition of the Democrat.)



Cannon named Teacher of the Year

Jan. 30 - Carol Cannon, a fifth grade teacher at Suwannee Intermediate School, was named the 2007-08 District Teacher of the Year for Suwannee County. District personnel and SIS staff congratulated Cannon with the news on Jan. 28. Cannon and teachers of the year for each district school were honored at a banquet in March.



Amendment 1 fails here, passes statewide

Feb. 1 - Amendment 1, the property tax measure on the Jan. 29 presidential primary ballot, failed to pass in Suwannee County. Voters turned it down 52.7 percent to 47.2 percent. However, the measure passed statewide with 64.1 percent of the voters saying yes and 35.9 percent saying no. The proposal, a state constitutional amendment, needed 60 percent approval to pass.



The mystery of the box

Feb. 22 - A small box washed up on a Fort De Soto beach in Pinellas County. In it were bone fragments -- human remains -- a faded Polariod and an article from the Sept. 11, 2002 edition of the Suwannee Democrat. The St. Petersburg Times published the article on the event and the Democrat reprinted the story. To date, no one has come forward with knowledge of the box's contents.





Election results reversed

March 21 - The county commission voted 4-1 Tuesday night to overturn the results of a November 2006 referendum mandating countywide voting for commissioners. Jesse Caruthers dissented.

A 1985 federal court order mandating single-member districts remains in effect, Jacksonville attorney Michael Grogan told the board, and holding countywide elections could place board members in contempt of court.





City code officer arrested

April 18 - Live Oak Code Officer David Caban was arrested for passing worthless checks. Court records allege that Caban wrote checks totaling $267.73 to two local supermarkets in 2007. Caban was suspended from his job in January for violating city policy concerning personal use of a city vehicle and possession of alcohol on city property.





Locals hit it big in lottery - three times

April 30 - Suwannee County saw three big lottery winners this year. Kenneth Parsons, of Live Oak, claimed the $800,000 Mega Money jackpot prize from the Florida Lottery in April. The second biggest winner in Suwannee County, his payoff was $549,646. Michael D. Ramsey, of Live Oak, won $36,233.64 and was one of seven Fantasy 5 winners in July. Kenneth R. Charest, of Wellborn, won $63,719.64 in August as one of four Fantasy 5 players.



Boatright announces he won't seek 2nd term

May 7- Former School Superintendent Walter Boatright announced he will not seek re-election in November. Boatright served one term as superintendent. Boatright applied for the position of president for North Florida Community College in February but wasn't selected as a finalist for the post.



Zoning decision on ATV track reversed

May 16 - AmpXtreme Adrenaline Motorsports Park, a motocross track and campground 12 miles north of Live Oak in the Fort Union area, was shut down in May in anticipation of a decision by Circuit Judge David Fina to overturn the zoning board's 2006 grant of a special exception to the track's owners. Fina's decision was based on the county's failure to give proper notice of the hearing to adjoining landowners.

The owners of land on which the track sits are now seeking to reopen the racetrack. The decision is pending.



Former sheriff Buddy Phillips dies

June 11 - J.M. "Buddy" Phillips may always be best known as "Sheriff of Florida," for having held that post in seven counties. Phillips died June 10 after a battle with cancer. Phillips was elected sheriff of Suwannee County in 1968, at age 29. He joined the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in 1973 as a special agent/training specialist. One of his duties was to fill in when a sheriff had been removed for office for wrongdoing or for other reasons. During his tenure with FDLE, he was appointed interim sheriff in six counties - Columbia, Charlotte, Flagler, Glades, Lake and Pasco - giving him the state record in that regard.



Burn victim charged with fraud

July 4 - Former Suwannee County resident Linda Rosalie Smith, 56, suffered critical burns June 25 in an explosion in Maine. Smith and her boyfriend were vacationing in a cabin there. Smith, who now resides in Mims, was arrested in Suwannee County in September on charges of grand theft and fraud in Brevard County. Smith allegedly used her employer's checks to pay for more than $65,000 in personal debts. The explosion led authorities to Smith, for whom authorities had been searching.



Woman dies in crash; infant son follows

July 16 - Live Oak resident Nikki Sheree Ford, 25, died the morning of July 11 when her 2005 Ford left the roadway and struck a tree head-on, according to Florida Highway Patrol reports. A dispatcher for the Suwannee County Sheriff's Office, Ford had just completed a 12-hour shift when the crash occurred, according to dispatch supervisor Sheila Knight.

Ford's family would soon be mourning yet another loss. Ford's two-month-old son, who was not involved in the crash, died July 19 - the day of his mother's funeral - said family members and local authorities.



Diving accident claims teen

Aug. 20 - Christopher Diaz, a 17-year-old preparing to enter his senior year at Suwannee High School, died in a diving accident on the Suwannee River Aug. 17, according to a spokesperson for the Florida Sheriffs Boys Ranch, where he was a resident. Diaz had been swimming with a friend near Suwannee Springs off US 129 North before reporting to work at the Krystal restaurant, said Sheriff Tony Cameron. A 911 call to report a possible drowning was received at around 4:30 p.m. Friday.



Jarvis is new state attorney

Aug. 27 - In an upset, Robert "Skip" Jarvis claimed victory in the hotly-contested seven-county primary for Third Circuit State Attorney. Jarvis received 17,593 votes (43 percent) to Todd Hingson's 14,723 (36 percent). Alex Prins trailed with 9,098 (22 percent). Since there are no Republicans in the race, Jarvis claims the seat and will replace Jerry Blair, who is retiring after 30 years as state attorney.



Wrestling champ critically hurt

Sept. 12 - Barney Wainwright III, 20, was critically injured in a motorcycle accident in South Carolina Sept. 9. Wainwright, who has since returned to Live Oak, has made a remarkable recovery, though doctors advise he never wrestle again. Wainwright, a state champ for Suwannee High, attended college in South Carolina on a wrestling scholarship.



Volunteer fire chief suspended

Oct. 10 - The manager of a volunteer fire unit that has come under scrutiny for questionable spending practices has been suspended. The county commission on Tuesday suspended Tracy Dowdy, manager of volunteer unit 42 in O'Brien, from all firefighting activity and ordered Public Safety Director Charlie Conner to take possession of Station 42's firefighting vehicles. In addition, a freeze was put on Station 42's funds.

In November, the commission approved a probe of Station 42. Station 42's manager, Tracy Dowdy, will remain on suspension until the investigation is complete. The investigation is now said to be complete, but its findings have not been made public.



Scarborough, Cameron, Baker elected

Nov. 5 - Jerry Scarborough defeated David Laxton to become Suwannee County Superintendent of Schools in the Nov. 4 general election, while Barry Baker won the race for clerk of court and Tony Cameron retained his seat as sheriff. District 3 Commissioner Ivie Fowler edged challenger Andy Robinson by 46 votes while incumbent Randy Hatch lost to Wesley Wainwright in a rout, 2,003 (63.35 percent) to 1,159 (36.65).



Obama makes history

Nov. 12 - Through (admittedly unscientific) polling and on-the-street interviews, we came to the following conclusion: While local voters didn't opt for Obama in large numbers, they were, and are, willing to pull together as a country under his leadership. As we noted, time will tell.



Stabbing leaves 1 dead

Nov. 19 - A Live Oak woman was stabbed to death the morning of Nov. 15 in the parking lot of Illusions, a non-alcoholic nightclub in the Suwannee County Mall, say police. Two suspects are under arrest.

Elizabeth Jones, 31, of 11566 77th Trace suffered multiple stab wounds and died at Shands Live Oak, according to LOPD Det. Sgt. Ron Shaw.

Lace Laronda Jelks, 23, and Kelli Sue Coulter, 22, both of Live Oak, were taken into custody. Jelks has been charged with second-degree murder, Coulter as an accessory after the fact.



Wooley fired as county coordinator

Nov. 21 - Suwannee County Coordinator Johnny Wooley was fired Nov. 18 by a 3-2 vote of the county commission. The motion to terminate Wooley was made by newly elected District 5 commissioner Wesley Wainwright, who was sworn in earlier that day. Commissioners Jesse Caruthers and Ivie Fowler voted with Wainwright to fire Wooley. Commissioners Douglas Udell and Billy Maxwell voted no. The commission later voted to pay Wooley $25,000 as part of a severance deal following his Nov. 18 termination.



Pilgrim's Pride declares bankruptcy

Dec. 3 - Pilgrim's Pride, the nation's largest poultry producer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in federal court on Dec. 1. The move had been long expected on Wall Street. The high cost of feed, combined with an oversupply of poultry on the world market, cut sharply into company profits in recent months.

The company later announced that more than 500 jobs would be cut at its Suwannee County chicken processing plant.



Suwannee football coach, athletic director fired

Dec. 3 - Suwannee High head football coach Tommy Chambers and Athletic Director Randy Ethridge have been relieved of their duties, Chambers immediately, Ethridge at the end of the school year, Supt. of Schools Jerry Scarborough said Dec. 1. A search has begun for Chambers' replacement.



SMS dean dies of injuries

Dec. 31 - Tom Abercrombie died at Shands UF on Dec. 26 from injuries sustained in a Dec. 6 fall at his home. He was 50. Abercrombie had shown signs of improvement during nearly three weeks of hospitalization, but in recent days developed pneumonia and kidney failure.

"Coach A" was dean of students at Suwannee Middle School in Live Oak. He suffered severe head injuries when a ladder collapsed as he attempted to climb from the roof of his home.