By WILLIAM SNOWDEN
Editor

Republican Carrie Hughes won the race for the district 4 county commission seat over Democrat Beverly Keister and no-party candidate Patricia Dyszer.

“I appreciate the voters of the county and I look forward to representing all the citizens,” Hughes said on election night. She said that, while campaigning, she began to felt pretty confident.
Keister offered congratulations to Hughes. Keister was at the elections office as returns came in.
Hughes won nearly 70% of 15,000 votes cast in the race. Keister took 28%, and Dyszer eked out just over 1%.
The tax referendum for Wakulla Schools was approved by voters 55% to 44%. That proposal would see a 1 mill increase in property taxes levied by the school district to go towards teacher raises, free lunches for students, and arts and athletic programs.
The turnout for the general election was just over 58.5%, less than the 60% predicted by Supervisor of Elections Joe Morgan.
He was obviously disappointed with the number of voters, noting that turnout is going down.
“It’s really disappointing that it’s that low,” Morgan said.
“Ultimately, we have a job to do – to make it accessible to all voters eligible to vote,” he said. “They have to show up if they want their voices to be heard.”
Two of the three state constitutional amendments were approved by Wakulla voters. (The amendments must be approved by 60% of all state voters.)
Amendment 1 dealing with the state rainy day fund was rejected with about 40% voting yes and 59% voting no.
But Amendment 2, dealing with exemptiing taxes on tangible personal property for farms, was approved by 66% of Wakulla voters.
As was Amendment 3, the provision to increase homestead exemption on non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, was also approved by 66% of Wakulla voters.
Two seats on the St. Marks City Commission were also up: for seat 3, Crystal McGrath won 52% of the vote over Corey Ingram.For seat 4, Billy Bishop won with 68% of the vote over Jeremy Alday.
That election was only open to residents of St. Marks.

About a dozen protesters turned out on Wednesday, Oct. 28, expressing concern about Panacea resident Marion Allen who has been under a guardianship, and unable to have regular visits with his wife, Lucy, and friends and even his pastor, for the past several months.

Marion, 96, is under a court-ordered guardianship and living in a memory care facility away from the home he shared with Lucy. Decisions about where he lives, his healthcare, his finances, and whom he may see and communicate with are now controlled by others. (Photo by Willliam Snowden )

By WILLIAM SNOWDEN
Editor

The Wakulla War Eagles closed out the regular season with dominating performance against the Leon Lions for Homecoming – a 46-7 stomping of the Lions.
“Our guys didn’t take them lightly and prepared the right way all week,” said Head Coach Derek Allen Jr. “They showed that Friday night.”
Players of the Week were Bryce Manning as MVP. He had 8 carries for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Offensive Player of the Week was quarterback Ashton Brooks, who was 9 for 11 passing for 138 yards and 2 touchdowns.

For Defensive Player of the Week, Coach Allen named the whole defensive line.
And Special Teams Player of the Week was kicker Colby Carranza.
The playoff picture is still not clear: Godby is ranked No. 1 in the district and Baker No. 2 – both teams that Wakulla defeated to take the district crown – while the War Eagles are ranked No. 4.
Coach Allen said the War Eagles could get a home game when the playoffs start next week, Nov. 13, but it’s not a given.
If there is a home game, Allen anticipated it could be Bishop Kenny from Jacksonville.
Games are still being played this week, and the playoff matchups will be announced this coming Friday.
For Coach Allen, he finishes his first regular season as head coach of the War Eagles with an 8-2 record and a district championship.
“I’m proud of our guys,” he said. While he said he believed the team could have gone undefeated, the two losses were to really tough opponents.
Meanwhile, Feleipe and Jordan Franks announced on X last week that they had made a $5,000 donation to War Eagle football.
The Franks brothers played at Wakulla the last time the War Eagles went to the state championship game, back in 2015, though they fell too Bishop Moore. Both played college football: Jordan at UCF and Feleipe at University of Florida and then Arkansas. Both also played in the NFL, and Feleipe is still on the roster for the Carolina Panthers.
Wakulla Principal Michele Falk said the original plan was for Feleipe and Jordan to appear at the Godby game for a presentation – it was his bye week with the Panthers. The game was rescheduled due to Hurricane Isaias and the Franks brothers were unable to attend.
Coach Allen said the contribution came from the NFL after Feleipe was named Special Teams Player of the Week.
“It’s a generous donation,” Coach Allen said.

GAME RECAP

After initially exchanging some punts, the War Eagles put their first points on the board with 5:16 in the first quarter behind runs by Bryce Manning.
War Eagle defensive back Randy Moore ended a Leon threat with an interception at the 3.
In the second quarter, Demarkus Roberts broke loose with a 50-yard touchdown run. Extra point kick by Colby Carranza puts Wakulla up 14-0.
On their next possession, QB Ashton Brooks passed to receiver Demarkus Roberts to the Leon 23, then Manning carried to the 9, and then a strong run by Manning for the TD. Up 21-0.
Ryheem Moore gets a 65-yard pick 6 for the War Eagles. They go for 2, no good. Score 27-0.
Then came one of the strangest penalties: An unsportsmanlike penalty on the stadium announcer, Coach Peck, for telling Wakulla players not to commit unsportsmanlike penalties – just point at the scoreboard. The referee threw a flag because pointing at the scoreboard is considered taunting. A warning was given to the Wakulla coaches. (Later, in the 4th quarter, a second flag was thrown on Wakulla for unsportsmanlike conduct when the announcer again told players the score was 39-7, just point at the scoreboard. Long conference among officials, and Coach Allen came back to the sideline shaking his head that the officials were threatening to eject him from the game.)
On Leon’s next series, a fumble recovered by Wakulla. Next play is a touchdown pass from Brooks to Ryheem Moore. Two point conversion no good. It’s 33-0 at halftime.
To start the second half, Wakulla fumble recovered by Leon near the 20. A few plays later, Leon scores on a pass play. Extra point makes it 33-7.
Wakulla offense with a steady diet of runs by Nigel Cloud. First and goal from 7, then 2, then touchdown. Go for 2, no good. It’s 39-7.
Later, Leon is set up by a Wakulla fumble with first down at the War Eagle 35. Later, they had the ball with a 4th and 1 at the Wakulla 14. The War Eagle defense plays stout and stops them.
In the fourth quarter, Ryheem Moore is quarterback and he passes to fullback CJ Whitehead on a 3rd and 7 at the 14, and Whitehead bounces off tacklers and gets the yardage. Next play, a pop pass to Whitehead for a score. Extra point good. It’s 46-7 and the clock starts running.
Final: 46-7.

By WILLIAM SNOWDEN
Editor

Two incidents over the past several weeks at the Medart Rec Park during youth football games have led to confrontations between adults and a response by Wakulla County Sheriff’s Deputies.

Back on Saturday, Oct. 3, deputies responded after a player was injured on a tackle and there was a verbal altercation between parents and referees, according to an incident report. A parent was being unruly, but calmed down.
While deputies were on scene, another call was received about coaches from two teams screaming at each other. The coaches were separated, the game was canceled, and everybody began to leave the field – and then parents from the two teams began yelling at each other from across the field.
Several people were trespassed from the rec park as a result.
The sheriff’s office then began requiring law enforcement to be at 12U football games.
A couple of weeks later, on Thursday, Oct. 15, another call went out during the 9U football game between the Eagles and Dolphins: two kids got into a fight on the field, and parents and others reportedly were “out of control and arguing,” according to the incident report.
One parent, appearing angry and erratic, reportedly said she was going to the parking lot to “pop the trunk” – which some people interpreted as a threat to get a gun.
The parent was later interviewed by deputies, and the woman said people had apparently misheard what she said. What she said, she told deputies, was “Let me go get my son’s s— out of the trunk.”
The woman reportedly did not have a gun in her vehicle.
The woman was ordered trespassed from the park for one year.
Meanwhile, the next day, Friday, Oct. 16, Sheriff’s Office Chief of Staff Billy Jones posted a video to Facebook saying that there would be a “zero-tolerance policy for misbehavior” at the rec park.
“What happens here will no longer stay here,” Jones says in the video. “We will investigate and we will pursue it like any other crime.
“If this message offtends you in any way, you may be part of the problem. My suggestion would be to you is not to come.”
Later in the video, Jones urges citizens to “not forget about why we’re here in the first place: It’s for our children, to teach them, mold them and mentor them and create a safe environment for that to happen.”

The Value Adjustment Board met on Friday and rejected petitions for reconsideration of taxable values on two appeals.
One petition was a request for a home in Mashes Sands.

The second petition was for a hedge fund that bought 71 DR Horton homes for $14 million in a bulk sale that earned a $100,000 discount. The fund contended the homes should be taxed at the bulk sale price.
None of the petitioners showed up at the hearing, and the board could have rejected the appeals for that reason alone.
The property appraiser’s office was represented by James Burke, who told the board that the DR Horton homes were purchased as rental property by the fund, and contended the property appraiser’s office had 59 comparable sales.
“These are the exact same houses – they’re on the exact same street,” Burke said, noting the only distinction was the orientation of the garage.
The Value Adjustment Board voted unanimously to reject the petitions.
It was noted as well, in a presentation on a procedural matter, that the owner of the fund-bought homes didn’t match the name of the owner on the petition.
Clerk of Courts Greg James noted that, in submitting the petition, the petitioner went to great lengths to say the filing was “accepted,” whereas his office merely said it was “received.”

By WILLIAM SNOWDEN

Editor

John Meister, who played Santa Claus during the Christmas season at Esposito’s in Tallahassee and locally, was recently arrested for 16 counts of possession of child porn by the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office.

At the time of his first appearance on Oct. 8 before Wakulla County Judge Brian Miller, bond was set at $160,000.

Meister was unable to post that bond. His criminal defense attorney, Joshua Zelman, filed a motion to reduce bond. At a hearing last week on Tuesday, Oct. 13, Wakulla Circuit Judge Layne Smith agreed in a reduction to $1,000 per count, or $16,000.

Meister has since been released from the Wakulla County Jail.

According to the arrest report, the sheriff’s office received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Meister was potentially in possession of child porn.

In March, detectives from the sheriff’s office and Homeland Security visited Meister’s home for a knock-and-talk. Law enforcement ended up seizing electronic devices.

In April, a tablet was determined to have Child Sexual Abuse Material on it. A bench warrant was issued for his arrest.

Meister identified himself to law enforcement as an active member in the Shriners Club and a retired Senior Chief with the U.S. Navy.

By WILLIAM SNOWDEN Editor

Wakulla County commissioners took a step back from a battle that has gone on for years: providing public access to Lake Ellen, which is a private lake

Commissioners voted unanimously at their meeting on Monday, Oct. 5 to abandon the hand-launch boat ramp on Lake Ellen Drive that the county constructed several years ago.

Back in the early 1960s, when the Jones family developed Lake Ellen Estates, the roads in the subdivision were dedicated to the county. In the late 1960s, the state Game and Fish Department constructed a boat ramp on the lake, but it was put on private property.

Fast forward to 2017, Steve Fults bought property on the lake that included the state boat ramp – and Fults closed it to the public, constructing barricades. Fults, at the time, cited concerns about his personal liability for boaters since the ramp is on his land.

The county, using the theory that the road maintenance agreement gives the public a right to access the lake, then constructed a hand-launch boat ramp at the end of Lake Ellen Drive, which runs to the edge of the lake.

There was an ongoing legal battle between Fults and the county over the location of that county ramp, including a lawsuit contending the county has no right to construct a boat ramp on the private property.

At the meeting on Oct. 5, several of the neighborhood’s residents showed up in support of closing the boat ramp.

On the agenda was a proposal to buy out Fults property for $250,000 – based on an appraisal – and built a public boat ramp.

Jimmie Duggar, noting the potential financial impacts to the county if Amendment 3 passes in November, recommended maintaining the current status to close access to the lake by the public.

Resident Sara Robinson said she was speaking for several of her neighbors who were opposed to opening the boat ramp: “My biggest concern is safety,” she said. You can’t have more than two or three people out there on the lake at a time, she said, and she tells her children they have to wait for people to get off the lake.

She also asserted that the lake is private, not public. “Keep the lake private,” she said.

Robinson noted that four people have been killed on the lake since the 1960s – those deaths involved boating and water-skiing.

Commissioner Fred Nichols made a motion to close the boat ramp, and it was seconded by Commissioner Quincee Messersmith.

Commissioner Ralph Thomas commented that it wasn’t the right time to spend $250,000 to give the public access, but indicated his belief that the county has right-of-way for Lake Ellen Drive, and that public road gives the public a right to access the lake.

“We’re walking away from it now,” Thomas said, adding: “We’re just kicking the can down the road.”

In a conversation after the meeting, Thomas said the issue has dragged on for nine years that he’s been on the board and he anticipated it would just continue. He noted the original plat of the development showed a boat ramp at that location.

Thomas said residents of Lake Ellen Estates who are not on the lakefront should get together and file a lawsuit to get a judge to determine if they have rights to access the lake.

The county used the same theory of right-of-way on a public road to build a boat ramp on Blue Dolphin Drive in Oyster Bay, near Shell Point.

But that ramp was also constructed on private land and maintenance by the county was abandoned – it was on a canal that is privately owned and the county’s right-of-way did not extend to the water. That boat ramp has signage that it is private and warns that vehicles parked on the right-of-way will be towed.

Property owners on Lake Ellen own to the bottom of the lake and are taxed on it, which makes it private, the landowners contend. The land was part of the Forbes Purchase and predates Florida statehood.

A memo in the county commission’s agenda packet notes that the question of whether the lake is private or if the dedication of Lake Ellen Drive gives the public a right to access has not been determined by a court.

At the Oct. 5 meeting, Commissioner Josh Lawhon asked if that portion of Lake Ellen Drive could be abandoned? The only property owners on that part of the dirt road are Fults and Joe Avara, both of whom have opposed the boat ramp.

County Attorney Heather Encinosa said abandonment of the road by the county is “Up to the property owners.”

Several area residents have complained about drinking and drugs at the ramp.

A recent visit to the area by the Wakulla Sun showed a barricade across the ramp and numerous signs warning visitors to “Keep out” and “No trespassing.” There were also numerous security cameras covering the lake front and road.

Hundreds of people turned out on a rainy Tuesday morning for the opening of the new Wakulla County Public Library.
A ribbon-cutting was held, hosted by the Wakulla Chamber of Commerce, and Library Director Linda Oaks cut the ribbon to officially open the facility.

A new library has been in the works for years, with various plans and iterations discussed. The new library is actually smaller than the old library – but it feels bigger with its airy design and layout.
To mark the occasion, the Quilting Guild’s Hazel Walker presented Oaks and the library with a new quilt with a literary theme: “Once upon a time/in a faraway land/ there lived a…”
– William Snowden

By WILLIAM SNOWDEN Editor

At a budget workshop for the City of Sopchoppy at the end of August, there was “verbal exchange between (Public Works Director Seth) Green and (City Clerk Ashley) Schilling,” according to minutes of the meeting. “Schilling abruptly walked out of the meeting and returned after a period of time.”

A disciplinary report on Schilling written by City Attorney Dan Cox described the scene more vividly: “You reacted to discussions with an unprofessional explosion of anger, left the Council Chambers while budget discussions were ongoing and yelled an explicit vulgar epithet as you left the room. You later returned but repeated these actions a second time before then returning through the conculsion of the meeting.”
Cox, in that same report dated Sept. 8, also noted it was the first time in Schilling’s lengthy career with the city that she has exhibited such conduct.
Schilling sent an email to city council members apologizing for her actions, and claiming that “my role is being marginalized and disrespected by Public Works Director Seth Green. It is my belief that he does this because I am a woman. He does not treat any male employees this way.”
Cox wrote of Schilling’s apology that she was attempting to deflect blame for her actions onto Green.
Cox and Sopchoppy Mayor Leonard Tartt held a meeting with Schilling to discuss discipline, and in the line for Schilling’s signature is written: “Refused to sign.”
The disciplinary report is notable in that it is marked “CONFIDENTIAL FOR CITY COUNCIL EYES ONLY” – which would appear to be not in keeping with requirements of Florida Public Records Law.
The Wakulla Sun obtained the records through a Public Records Request that took two weeks to fulfill. An intial request for records was filed on Sept. 16, and a week later a subsequent email was sent to Cox again requesting the records and indicating the newspaper was prepared to take legal action to obtain them.
Cox hand-delivered the public records at a city meeting held on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
The tranche of records includes emails from several city council members to Cox reacting to events.
Council member Nathan Lewis wrote that he didn’t believe Green had brought any issues to him that has minimized Schilling, her role or its importance. Rather, he wrote, “It is not that her comments have been incorrect or unwanted, but that they often come off as confrontational.”
Council member Lara Edwards wrote that Schilling’s apology was insufficient and should be addressed by the entire council at their next meeting.
At that next council meeting, on Sept. 14, Edwards attempted to bring up the issue and was quickly shut down by Cox and the meeting was abruptly ajourned, according to Sun Correspondent Linda Ann McDonald.
A letter from Cox to Schilling dated Sept. 14 and hand-delivered to her, lays out the process for appealing disciplinary action.
On Sept. 21, Schilling responded with an email to city council members that she is formally appealing the disciplinary action and is being represented by Tallahassee attorney Tiffany Cruz.
In the email, Schilling writes that she takes responsibility for her actions at the Aug. 31 budget workshop. “My frustration stemmed from feeling overlooked and dismissed on matters tied to my role as City Clerk. Accepting responsibility for my reaction is not the same as agreeing that my underlying concerns were unfounded.”
Schilling also poses numerous questions in her email, including asking who initiated the disciplinary action and requested the disciplinary report be prepared? and if the city council collectively consulted or was involved in reaching the decision before the report was presented to her.
A city council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 29, Schilling’s husband, John, went to the speaker’s lectern to ask why the proposed discipline of the city clerk was not brought up, and questioning if it needed to be voted on by the full commission.
Cox didn’t answer directly, but repeated that the matter was being appealed.
Schilling’s mother, Martha Hodge Evans, a former Sopchoppy city council member who had to resign from the council when her daughter was promoted to city clerk because of potential conflict of interest, filmed the meeting on a cell phone and tripod.
A controversial issue at the meeting was a proposal by some city council members to outsource payroll and Human Resources.
Prior to the meeting, John Schilling posted on Facebook that the goal was to remove responsibilities of the city clerk as part of the goal of firing her.
Ashley Schilling and Public Works Director Seth Green declined to comment for this story.

By WILLIAM SNOWDEN Editor

The three candidates for the district 4 seat on the county commission appeared at a candidate forum on Thursday.

Republican Carrie Hughes, Democrat Beverly Keister and independent Patricia Dyszer were at the forum, held at the Chamber of Commerce offices in the old courthouse, hosted by The Wakulla Sun.

The three candidates were all in agreement that the county commission has allowed too much growth and lost touch with citizens.

Hughes has worked in growth management with the City of Tallahassee for years.

Keister is a certified public accountant who has worked at several firms, including in Atlanta.

Dyszer was a flight attendant for several years, who said she felt a calling from God to run for office and serve the county.

One question asked if the candidates believe Wakulla has been negatively impacted by overdevelopment and, if so, what they would do to slow down growth. Or if they believe overdevelopment

Dyszer said the overdevelopment is obvious in infrastructure needs and traffic issues. “So I would slow the development down right now until we get our problems corrected.”

Hughes said she also believed there are problems with overdevelopment and pointed to traffic on 319. She also pointed to a person appearing at a county commission meeting talking about the “potential for flooding another home with some of the stuff we’re doing” – apparently referring to former Commissioner Chuck Hess speaking during the Citizens to Be Heard about a home site on Emmett Whaley Road that has brought in loads of fill dirt to fill a low-lying area where water goes during heavy rain events. Hess warned the activity could cause flooding of neighboring homes.

Hughes said the problem isn’t growth, but growth without a better plan than what the county currently has in place.

Keister agreed that the county has been negatively impacted by growth. She said the county comp plan should be followed with the goal of keeping the county as beautiful as possible.

Asked about what represents responsible growth, Hughes said the comp plan needs to be followed, but “every time you turn around there’s another comp plan amendment and we’re moving the boundary of where the urban area is.”

Keister said the strength of the county was small business and she would focus her efforts at attracting businesses that would offer jobs.

Dyszer said she would work to preserve the way the county is now.

Asked who should pay for the cost of additional services from growth, Keister responded that developers should pay.

“Developers need tobe prepared to pay their fair share” for development, Keister said.

Dyszer said as developers are making profits, they should bear the costs of services.

“Right now, everything’s on the taxpayer,” Hughes said.

All three indicated support of imposing impact fees on development.

From Front Page

Dyszer said she would work to preserve the way the county is now.

Asked who should pay for the cost of additional services from growth, Keister responded that developers should pay.

“Developers need to be prepared to pay their fair share” for development, Keister said.

Dyszer said as developers are making profits, they should bear the costs of services.

“Right now, everything’s on the taxpayer,” Hughes said.

All three indicated support of imposing impact fees on development.