Archive for October 2012

Discussion Meet winner named at Florida Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

October 29, 2012 Farm Comments Off

Jeffery Hamrick Chosen Runner-Up

Kelvin Moreno of Miami-Dade County was named the 2012 Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet winner at Florida Farm Bureau’s 71st Annual Meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Jeffery Hamrick of Madison County, Nick Larsen of Western Palm Beach County and Kelly Mosley of Clay County were the runners-up for this prestigious award.
The Discussion Meet contest is designed to simulate a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each participant. This competition is evaluated on an exchange of ideas and information on a pre-determined topic. The judges are looking for the contestant that offers constructive criticism, cooperation and communication while analyzing agricultural problems and developing solutions.
Kelvin Moreno is the president of Florida Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Group. He runs his family business, Moreno Ranches, registered seedstock Limousin and Brahman cattle operations, in both Miami-Dade and Highlands counties. He also manages Moreno Firms, which specializes in cattle brokerage and consulting services.
By winning the Discussion Meet, Kelvin will receive a $500 cash award, an ATV four-wheeler courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Casualty and an expense-paid trip to the 2013 American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn., where he will represent Florida in the national YF&R competition.

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FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL OFFERS TIPS TO MAKE THIS HALLOWEEN SAFE

October 29, 2012 Around Madison, Education Comments Off

~ Giggling ghosts and winsome witches will be visiting ~

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – As we prepare for the excitement of Halloween, motorists should be particularly mindful that children will be out trick-or-treating Wednesday evening. We all need to do our part to make this a safe, memorable Halloween for everyone.

The Florida Highway Patrol offers these useful tips for drivers and parents:

DRIVERS
· Stay alert. Pedestrian and bicycle traffic will increase in many neighborhoods on Halloween.
· Keep an eye out for trick-or-treaters who may suddenly dart into traffic from between parked cars.
· Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.
· Be patient and slow down. Give children lots of time to cross the street. Their costumes may impair their ability to see and hear you and to get out of your way quickly.
· Remember that children will be excited and may forget to “stop, look and listen” before they cross the street.

PARENTS
· Talk to your child about looking both ways before crossing the street.
· Purchase or make costumes that are light colored and clearly visible to motorists.
· Decorate (and get the kids to help) or trim costumes, goody bags and other containers with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car’s headlights.
· Make sure costumes are short enough so they do not cause children to trip or fall.
· Children should wear well-fit, sturdy shoes.
· Masks should not impair a child’s hearing or field of vision. If necessary, enlarge ear and eyeholes or use makeup to create special effects.
· Tie hats and scarves securely to prevent them from slipping over your child’s eyes.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles provides highway safety and security through excellence in service, education and enforcement. The Department is leading the way to a safer Florida through the efficient and professional execution of its core mission: the issuance of driver licenses, vehicle tags and titles and operation of the Florida Highway Patrol. To learn more about DHSMV and the services offered, visit www.flhsmv.gov or follow us on Twitter @FDHSMV. You can find us on Facebook, too.

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Arrests Made In Lawn Mower Cases; Burglaries

October 29, 2012 Crime, Front Page Comments Off

Madison County Sheriff Ben Stewart reports that the Sheriff’s Office dedicated the Criminal Investigation Division, the Drug Task Force and the Patrol Division, as a highest priority, to focus on the overwhelming number of stolen lawn mowers and ATV type equipment. Sheriff Stewart proudly reports that through this dedication and effort the CID and DTF with the Sheriff’s Office has closed several cases involving these thefts. These cases were as a result of several months of investigation that resulted in identifying a large ring of participants involving local and out of county individuals. The investigation, thus far, has resulted in recovering approximately $50,000.00 worth of property, executed two (2) search warrants and obtaining arrest warrants for the following;
1. Eric Manfredo Cortez, W/M, DOB: 11/23/1992 of Madison Florida / Dealing in Stolen Property
2. Joseph Lee Fudge, B/M, DOB: 02/11/1982 of Lee Florida / Dealing in Stolen Property
3. Antwan Darrell Fudge, B/M, DOB: 08/14/1985 of Madison Florida / Grand Theft and Dealing in Stolen Property
4. Vincent Lanard Bryant, B/M, DOB: 05/30/1989 of Madison Florida / Burglary, Grand Theft and Dealing in Stolen Property
5. Alisa Jay Thompkins, B/F, DOB: 09/03/1971 of Deltona Florida / Dealing in Stolen Property
6. Marcus Shannon Brinson, B/M, DOB: 07/17/1976 of Madison Florida / Dealing in Stolen Property * AT LARGE AND WARRANT OUTSTANDING
7. Thaddeus Marquise Robinson, B/M, DOB: 07/09/1989 of Sanford Florida / Burglary, Grand Theft and Dealing Stolen Property * AT LARGE AND WARRANT OUTSTANDING
8. Anthony Maurice Thompkins, B/M, DOB: 06/10/1979 of Sanford Florida / Burglary, Grand Theft and Dealing Stolen Property * AT LARGE AND WARRANT OUTSTANDING

Sheriff Stewart further reports that simultaneously the Criminal Investigation Division, the Drug Task Force and the patrol Division, as a highest priority, focused on the numerous cases involving burglary of dwellings at or near the North East portion of the County. Sheriff Stewart again proudly reports that as a result of the dedication and effort of several months of investigation arrest warrants have been obtained on the following;
1. Tevin Alexander, B/M, DOB: 02/12/1994 of Valdosta Georgia / Burglary, Grand Theft and Criminal Mischief.
2. Anthony Dudley, B/M, DOB: 07/16/1995 of Valdosta Georgia / Burglary, Grand Theft and Criminal Mischief.

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Audio Interview with New FFA President

October 29, 2012 Farm, Front Page Comments Off

Audio interview with new National FFA President Clay Sapp

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Clay Sapp Named National FFA President

October 29, 2012 Front Page Comments Off

2012-13 National FFA Officer team announced at conclusion of 85th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012/National FFA Organization) – Six students from across the U.S. have been chosen by their peers to help lead and shape the National FFA Organization as national FFA officers in 2012-13.

Today at the conclusion of the 2012 National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, University of Florida at Gainesville student Clay Sapp was elected to serve as National FFA president.

“It will be my mission to activate change and growth in the National FFA Organization,” he said. “I plan to develop strong relationships, be a champion of FFA and agricultural education and seek new ways to strengthen student experiences within FFA.”

Joining Sapp on the 2012-13 National FFA Officer team are Kalie Hall of Georgia as national secretary, Joenelle Futrell of Kentucky as Eastern Region vice president, Lindsey Anderson of California as Western Region vice president, Brennan Costello of Nebraska as Central Region vice president and Wiley Bailey as Southern Region vice president.

For the next year, the group will travel more than 100,000 miles across the country to engage top leaders in business, government and education. The national officers will lead personal growth and leadership training seminars for FFA members. The team will help set policies that will guide the future of FFA and promote agricultural literacy.

“It takes a highly motivated person to become a successful national FFA officer,” said National FFA Organization CEO Dr. Dwight Armstrong. “It is an opportunity afforded to just a few of our members. As a national officer, the lives of these six individuals will be non-stop hard work with never-ending commitments where every moment counts.”

The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 557,318 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,498 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

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Lee Woman a Big Winner; Lands a $10,000 Vacation at fred’s Super Dollar

October 29, 2012 Around Madison, Front Page Comments Off
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MEMPHIS, Tennessee (October 26, 2012)– Synthia Aaron, a long-time resident of Lee, Florida, and a relative of baseball great Hank Aaron, hit a home run of her own this month by winning a $10,000 vacation from fred’s Super Dollar.
Aaron won the prize playing fred’s “Explore The Store” collect-and-win game currently taking place at participating fred’s Super Dollar stores. The vacation is one of more than $2 million worth of prizes, including a Ford F-150 Pickup, a Ford Mustang, $10,000 family vacations and even two cash prizes of $150,000 each.
“I was at home after work and was going through the game pieces with my grandson, A.J.,” Aaron recalled. “At first I couldn’t believe it, but I finally realized I had won. I told A.J. we had to get to Fred’s and show them. He’d never in his life seen me get dressed so fast.”
Aaron and 12-year-old A.J. quickly made the six-mile drive to the fred’s Super Dollar in nearby Madison, Florida, where the store manager checked her game board. Indeed, the $10,000 vacation was hers.
Store visitors can play the game through November 4, 2012, or until all game tickets have been distributed. Thousands of gift cards, free products and money-saving discount coupons also are available to shoppers as part of the game.
Aaron, 49, who works from 6 am to 3 pm at a 24-hour restaurant in Madison, decided to trade the vacation for cash.
“I’ve got three kids and 13 grandchildren and this money is a lifesaver,” said Aaron, whose mother’s side of the family is related to the Atlanta Braves’ Hall of Famer and home run king Hank Aaron. “With the holidays near, this couldn’t have come at a better time.”
On Friday (October 26) Aaron was presented her check at the fred’s Super Dollar at 935 East Highway 90 in Madison.
“We congratulate Synthia,” said Ursula Roman, marketing director for fred’s Super Dollar. “We’re very pleased that our customers are having so much fun playing the ‘Explore the Store” game. All those smiles really are a reward for us. It underscores our motto, ‘A smile on every customer’s face.’”
Shoppers can pick up an “Explore the Store Collect & Win” game board at a participating fred’s Super Dollar. They can then attach the various game markers found inside their game tickets to the appropriate prize grids on the board. When a prize grid is complete with the matching game markers, the customer wins the prize pictured on that particular prize grid. All the game marker spaces in a particular prize grid on the board must be matched and completed in order to win the prize represented in that prize grid.
“It’s easy. The more you visit a participating fred’s Super Dollar, the more game tickets you can collect,” said Roman, who pointed out that shoppers also receive either a
25-cent discount coupon or a free product coupon inside each game ticket.
The Official Rules and Odds Chart are posted at every participating fred’s Super Dollar store and also available at fred’s website, www.fredsinc.com.
fred’s Super Dollar is a convenient shopping destination during the upcoming holiday season, with a wide variety of products, including home décor, cleaning supplies, pet supplies, party supplies, and grocery items. fred’s Super Dollar is famous for its everyday low prices; with more than 2,200 items for just $1.
fred’s Super Dollar offers a variety of products that their customers need most, and is proud to offer these products at the lowest prices, every day.

About fred’s
fred’s Super Dollar operates more than 700 discount general merchandise stores, including 21 franchised fred’s stores in 15 states in the Southeastern United States. For more store and company information, visit fred’s website at www.fredsinc.com. fred’s also operates 339 pharmacies with cost-saving offers on prescriptions. For a list of pharmacies in your area, visit www.fredsmeds.com .

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