Historical Society annual banquet is set

Editor, The Sun:

Dear WCHS Members and Friends,

On behalf of the Wakulla County Historical Society, I would like to invite you to attend our Annual Dinner Meeting on Tuesday, October 15 at the Shrine Club, 4141 Crawfordville Hwy., Crawfordville, FL. Our featured speaker will be Allen Gerrell with a presentation on the Wakulla Coastal Salt Works. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:00.
The meal catered by Sonny’s BBQ will include chicken, pulled pork, baked beans, potato salad, macaroni & cheese, garlic bread and tea as well as homemade dessert.
The cost is $20 and we are requesting prepayment. Checks should be made payable to WCHS. Payments can be mailed to the Historical Society at 24 High Drive, Crawfordville, FL 32327, or come by the Museum Thursday-Saturday. Please RSVP to Arlene Vause by Sunday, October 6. For more information call 850-926-1110 or email ArleneVause@wakullahistory.org.
Included on our agenda will be the election of officers and Board of Directors for the 2024-2025 year. Following are the nominees: Officers: President – Andrea Carter, Vice President – Brent Thurmond, Treasurer – Debbie Jay, Secretary – Arlene Vause. Board of Directors: Cathy Frank, Cal Jamison, Gayla Kittendorf, Mary Ann Laird, Ryan Laird, Tanya Lynn, Rita Sparkman, Terri Gerrell, Elena Myhre, Jeff Yarbrough, Katie Lilly and Alaine Solburg. Associate Directors: Diane Curlee, Randy Lewis, Mark Perrin, Karen Taylor and Susan Payne Turner.
I want to say a special thank you to all of our members, contributors and volunteers. Through your support and efforts, we are making great progress in preserving Wakulla County’s rich heritage.
With warmest regards,

Brent Thurmond
President

Why was Ralph Thomas not questioned?

Editor, The Sun:

Hello Mr. Snowden,

I hope this finds you well. Before I address the subject issue of this communication I would like to extend a sincere THANK YOU for taking the leap of faith to start the Wakulla Sun! I remembered you were the Editor of the Wakulla News and had no idea of the story behind your move until reading it on your website. I am grateful that the community stood behind you and encouraged your endeavor. We are a better community for it!
The subject I would like to address is the Letter from Editor sent to the Sun by Stephen Harper in Crawfordville with an Editor’s Note.
I believe what that person asked was a bit of jumping the gun. Your Editor’s note addresses that Ralph Thomas wasn’t charged with a crime with a cautious argument as to why. I agree with both statements but allow me to provide a different view on a different yet, similar letter (question) to the Editor:
Why wasn’t Ralph Thomas questioned? Why was he not part of the investigation? If not for the Web Elect document that was acquired by him and provided to Kemp, none of this would have even occurred. Once the investigator obtained phone records, he named Ralph Thomas as one of the primary persons of interest (page 34 of the report). On page 35 the report states a “flurry of activity between Commissioner Kemp, Ms. Whaley, Deputy Newsome, and Commissioner Thomas.” Kemp knew he was unable to use the information provided by the Sheriff’s deputy so, what did the conversation between Thomas and Kemp look like? Ms. Kemp (Mike Kemp’s ex -wife) was brought in for questioning for one phone call. WCSO interviewed Ms. Kemp for one phone call but forgot Ralph Thomas who was named as a primary person of interest? He was the originator of the document (tool) that was used to commit the crime but he wasn’t even questioned? What if there was a conspiracy to commit this crime? Will We the People ever know? What do you think the investigator would have found if he did interview Thomas and why didn’t he?

I just recently subscribed to the Sun for home delivery and am certainly not disappointed. Thank you for your selfless service to our community.

Ravyn J. Fears
Crawfordville

More questions than answers

Editor, The Sun:

A cloud is now hovering over our beloved Wakulla. Several lives and families have been devastated. Folks from outside Wakulla just shake their heads with disparaging comments in disbelief that yet again the abuse of power has reared its ugly head here in Crawfordville. The damage done is horrendous.
But why, what is the root cause of the arrests and felony charges revolving around two sitting Commissioners, a Sheriff’s Deputy, and a Facebook page administrator? With the exception of the Deputy, they were out of their mind angry that a citizen dared post his opposing opinions and criticism of them on Facebook. They were looking for revenge, plain and simple. How dare a Wakulla Citizen not shut up and fall in line with the powers to be. The cloud gets even darker when it appears one of the commissioners deeply involved and named as one of the “four main principals involved in this incident” was not charged, interviewed or had his phone records subpoenaed, even though the other three were interviewed and subpoenaed. That’s very curious don’t you think?
Yet again the cloud gets even darker. Even though FDLE has the Office of Executive Investigations, which is normally called in to assist with any investigations involving elected officials, they we not called in. Why would that be?
To help lift this dark black cloud, I’d encourage concerned Citizens to call the Governors Office Citizen Services at (850) 488-7146 and the States Attorney at (850) 606-6000 to respectfully request FDLE become involved.!

Name withheld

Editor’s Note: While we rarely withhold the name on a Letter, because of the history of the person, they believe they could be subject to reprisal.
Crawfordville