Commission also proposes keeping solid waste fees unchanged
By WILLIAM SNOWDEN Editor
At a budget workshop prior to the start of last week’s county commission meeting, commissioners discussed proposals to lower the property tax rate to 7.7 mills or 7.5 mills and keeping the solid waste and fire fees flat.
Panacea businessman Ronald Fred Crum was in court on Tuesday, July 14, for a hearing in his lawsuit against Wakulla County over a disputed easement on some bayfront property he owns. Crum owns acreage on Dickerson Bay off Clark Drive that he wants to develop as a boating and fishing resort. It’s where Division Street dead ends.
All of the racers at Saturday’s derby at the livestock pavilion.
Story By LINDA ANN McDONALD Photos By GERALD BROWN
Wakulla STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math), held its first Maker Derby on Saturday, July 18 at the livestock pavilion at the extension office.
Richard ‘Bear’ McCombs was named the Wakulla County employee of the quarter at the county commission meeting on Monday, July 13. McCombs, at left in the photo with Animal Control Director Walter Class, is an Animal Control Officer. McCombs said at the meeting he enjoys his work and considers it a privilege to work for the county assisting citizens. (Photo by William Snowden)
The Wakulla Sun will host a candidate forum for the two Republican candidates for the District 4 county commission seat – incumbent Quincee Messersmith and challenger Carrie Hughes – on July 28 at the public library beginning at 6 p.m. Do you have questions you want to ask the candidates? Submit them to editor@thewakullasun.com. Can’t be there in person? The Sun will livestream the forum on Facebook and archive it on our YouTube page. The primary election day is Aug. 18. We had also intended to invite Congressional candidates, but learned there’s a competing event in Lynn Haven at the same time that many candidates had committed to. We have reserved the library meeting room for the next Tuesday, Aug. 4, beginning at 6 p.m. for Congressional candidates to appear and introduce themselves to voters. We have received commitments from several of the Congressional candidates to appear. There are eight Republican candidates and four Democrats. The winners of the party primaries will face off in the November general election.
Chris Brown of Friends of Wakulla Springs asks questions of scientists Ming Ye of FSU, Patricia Spellman of USF, Joel Trexler of FSU, Harley Means, state geologist, and Chris Werner, geologist who heads the Woodville Karst Plain Project.
By WILLIAM SNOWDEN Editor
State Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, credits the controversy a couple of years ago over a gas station that planned to locate over a recently mapped underground cave with water that flowed to Wakulla Springs as a catalyst.
Diesel instructor Eric Kasheta is facing first degree felony charges for malicious punishment for hitting students with a bungee cord
Diesel instructor Eric Kasheta is facing first degree felony charges for malicious punishment for hitting students with a bungee cord
By WILLIAM SNOWDEN Editor
A former Wakulla High School diesel mechanic instructor is facing four first-degree felony charges for allegedly whipping students in his class with a bungee cord. Eric Kasheta, who was fired as an instructor in March 2025 after the allegations came to light, was initially charged with four counts of misdemeanor battery, punishable by up to a year in jail. The state attorney’s office dropped those charges and refiled in August as felonies, each of which is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
Greetings, residents of Wakulla County. I am Judge Lee Marsh, and I am running for re-election as one of your circuit judges for the Second Judicial Circuit. As a retired United States Navy Officer, I have dedicated my life to public service and to my community. I was born and raised just up the road in Tallahassee and graduated as Leon High School’s valedictorian. It was there that I met my wife of over 30 years, Karin. After graduating with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Karin and I married and started our Navy adventure where I served on submarines. The Navy then sent me to law school where I got my law degree and became a career Navy judge advocate.
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