By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   If a child is going through a tough time physically and needs a role model to look up to, they do not need to look any farther than Dan Studstill. He’s been there. He’s done that. He survived. Today, he is a fireman and an iron man.
   Studstill, who is a firefighter with Madison Fire and Rescue, can truly be called an iron man because he completed the Ford Ironman 70.3 event at Fort Wildnerness at the Disney World Resort this past Sunday, May 18.
   Studstill can also truly be called an iron man because of the battle he engaged in as a youth. While he was in first grade, he was confined to a wheelchair after being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. He survived that and outgrew it and his competitive spirit spurred him onto competing in iron man contests.
   Studstill’s first iron man contest was the Olympic-distance iron man contest at Cherry Lake in 2007. This year’s event was more challenging as he had to begin by swimming 1.2 miles, bicycling for 56 miles and running for 13.1 miles for a total of 70.3 miles.
   “It was tough, but it was a lot of fun,” Studstill said. “There were over 2,600 competitors from all over the world, including 40 or so professional tri-athletes. It was a good experience to be able to talk to different people.”
   Studstill’s motive for entering the contest was to prove to himself that he could do it and finish. He took the same approach while practicing.
   “I didn’t train too hard. If I make it too technical, it takes the fun out of it,” he stated.
   Studstill’s training regimen did consist of swimming a few hundred yards along the grass line at Cherry Lake and bicycling 100 miles a week. He said that he didn’t do a lot of running while practicing.
   “I didn’t want to burn myself out or anything,” he said. “My main goal was to finish.”
   Studstill finished the iron man competition as he had his bout with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. He was only in a wheelchair a few months after the doctor’s diagnosis. He rode a bicycle back then to help with the arthritis. He could not walk, but he could ride.
Trips to Tallahassee and Gainesville to visit doctors ended when he stopped having problems with it in the fifth or sixth grade.
   When asked if there are any more iron man contests in the future for him, Studstill replied with his trademark grin and said, “I will probably do this one again next year.”
   Dan is the son of David and Cathy Studstill of Cherry Lake and the grandson of Pete and Mary Studstill of Madison. He has a brother, Scott Studstill, who lives in Tallahassee.

Man Arrested For Stabbing Incident

By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   A Madison man was arrested on Saturday, May 17, after he stabbed another Madison man. He was charged with felony aggravated battery .
   According to a Madison Police Department report, a witness reported that Rudolph Marshall, 55, had stabbed the victim at a residence on SW Georgetown Road in Madison.
   The victim was airlifted to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital with stab wounds in his left side and arm.
   The arrest was made when Marshall was picked up at a residence on Scruggs Street in Madison.

School District Pursuing Key Accreditation

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   According to the Coordinator of School Improvement, Accountability and Planning Shirley Joseph, Superintendent of Madison County Schools Lou Miller announced that the school district has become a candidate for AdvancED District Accreditation.
   AdvancED District Accreditation provides nationally recognized accreditation for the district and all of its schools.  To earn AdvancED District Accreditation, the district must: 1) meet the AdvancED accreditation standards; 2) implement a continuous process of improvement; and 3) host an external review team once every five years.
   AdvancED is the parent organization for the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), and the National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE).  NCA CASI and SACS CASI are accreditation divisions of AdvancED.  Dedicated to advancing excellence in education worldwide, AdvancED provides accreditation, research, and professional services to 23,000 public and private schools and 4,500 school districts worldwide.
   “District accreditation is a rigorous process that demonstrates to our students, parents, and community that we are focused on raising student achievement, providing safe and enriching learning environments, and maintaining efficient and effective operations staffed by highly qualified educators,” stated Miller. 
   Using the AdvancED Standards for Quality School Systems as a framework, the district will begin the process by conducting a thorough self-assessment of its strengths and opportunities for improvement.  The district will engage a broad cross section of representatives from across the districts, its schools, and the broader community in its self-assessment.
   Following its internal review, the district will host an AdvancED Quality Assurance Review team comprised of trained professionals from across the nation and state.  The review team will visit the district during the Fall 2009 to evaluate the district’s self-assessment, determine the degree to which the district meets the AdvancED accreditation standards, and make an accreditation recommendation.  
   “Madison County is a good district,” Miller added.  “We believe strongly that the AdvancED District Accreditation Process will make us even better.  Students win when the entire district commits to examining all of its processes and systems to determine what more we can be doing to benefit the students we serve.  This is the essence of the accreditation process.”
   Parents and interested community members can learn more about the District Accreditation Process at www.advanc-ed.org.  For more information, please contact Shirley Joseph at the district office at (850) 973-5022
   Staff writer Michael Curtis can be reached at michael@greenepublishing.com.

Greene Publishing, Inc. To Salute Our Fighting Forces

By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   Greene Publishing, Inc. would like to publish stories on those who are currently serving in the military for a special upcoming tribute to our fighting forces who protect our country.
   If you have information you would like to share on a loved one in the military or on yourself (if you are currently in the military), please send the information and any photos to:
                        Attention: Jacob Bembry
                        Greene Publishing, Inc.
                        P.O. Drawer 772
                        Madison, FL 32341
   Information and photos may also be emailed to jacob@greenepublishing.com or dropped off at the Madison County Carrier office on Highway 53 South in Madison.

Buyer Beware!

   If it’s too good to be true and involves your money or vital information upfront then JUST SAY NO!

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   Another in what seems to be an endless bombardment of scams has reached Madison again.  Like so many others, the target of the scam receives an urgent notification letter congratulating them on a big win.  In some cases these awards involve millions of dollars and often include a reference or two to British Royalty or some other foreign nobility to make it more stunning and impressive.  Regardless of the wording though, the result is always the same.
   In order to receive the winnings, one must typically provide vital personal information or private banking information, or even worse, a request for upfront fees in order to process the transaction.  This reporter once uncovered a scam where organizers had stolen the stationary of a recently deceased international banker in order to perpetrate the crime, so don’t be taken by documentation that is official in appearance either.
Moreover, don’t be taken by the promise of easy money from strangers.  In the end, luck can be an incredible ally, however, it seldom comes in the form of an out-of-state Lotto that one never knew about in the first place.
Staff writer Michael Curtis can be reached at michael@greenepublishing.com.