By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   Harold Hand pled guilty Monday, October 15, to the February 2006 first-degree murder of Geraldine Konan, of Lee.
   Judge Leandra Johnson sentenced Hand to life in prison without parole on Tuesday, October 16.
   Recommending the sentence, State Attorney Craig Jacobsen described Hand's actions during the murder.
   "He shot Geraldine Konan in the back and, as she fell to her knees, he shot her three times in the face," Jacobsen said, "just so he could buy some cocaine. He is an evil person and he deserves to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I had intended to seek the death penalty for Hand, until someone changed my mind several hours ago. I wish that Hand lives a long life and he thinks about what he did every day of his life."
   According to a Madison County Sheriff's Department report, Deputy Josh Harris was dispatched to the home of Joe and Mary Thomas, regarding some stolen items, at approximately 12:13 p.m. Saturday, February 25.
   Lt. Tina DeMotsis and Sgt. Art Deno were called and arrived at the Thomas home. While they were speaking to owner of the residence at 1323 NE Juniper, a neighbor, Gabriel Garcia, who lived north of the Thomases, arrived and reported to the officers that he had been riding his four-wheeler on his property and located the body of a white female in some planted pines.
   DeMotsis was shown the location and secured the scene, beginning the investigation. The victim, Geraldine M. Konan, 46, of Lee, was found lying face down and had been shot once in the back by a small caliber weapon. It was discovered, after an autopsy on Monday that she had been shot three times in the face.
   The coroner determined that the murder had probably occurred Thursday, February 23.
   During the investigation, it was learned that a suspect in the death, Harold Hand, would be returning to the scene to see Mary Thomas.
   At approximately 8:30 p.m., a beige four-door, Chevrolet HHR LT sedan came nearing the homicide scene in a suspicious manner. The murder victim had leased the car.
---Members of the Madison County Sheriff's Department stopped the vehicle. The occupants were removed and taken to the Madison County Jail.
   The driver of the vehicle, Cynthia A. Taylor, of Madison, was arrested and charged with possession of crack cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
   The passenger in the front right, Gilbert "Chico" Jones, Jr., of Madison, was arrested and charged with possession of crack cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
   Harold Hand, the passenger in the right rear, was arrested on warrants from Columbia County for leaving the scene of an accident and as a suspect in the murder.
   After confessing to killing Konan, Hand was charged with murder in the first degree. He was also charged with possession of crack cocaine while armed, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of drug paraphernalia.
   A loaded Heritage Arms Rough Rider .22 LR single action revolver was located beneath the front passenger seat. A fixed blade knife was located on the left rear passenger floorboard.
   A suspected crack cocaine pipe and suspected crack cocaine were also located in the vehicle.

County Commission To Discuss Cost Recovery For EMS

By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   A discussion concerning cost recovery for Madison County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will be held at the commission's meeting, which will begin at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, October 16.
   Items on the agenda will include:
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approval of Emergency Management Subgrant Agreement.
2. Proclamation from the Suwannee River Economic Council Declaring October 30, 2007 as National Weatherization Day.
3. Grant-in-Aid Agreement for Courthouse Facilities for Madison County.
4. Appointment of Members Nominated to the North Florida Workforce Development Board.
5. Budget Amendment Request for Recreation Department (4).
6. Budget Amendment Request for BOCC / General Fund (2).
7. Budget Amendment Request for Administration (2).
8. Budget Amendment Request for SHIP Program.
9. Budget Amendment Request for State Court Facility Surcharge.
10. Budget Amendment Request for $2 Article V IT Fees.
11. Budget Amendment Request for Law Enforcement Education & Surcharge.
12. Budget Amendment Request for Special Law Enforcement Trust.
13. Budget Amendment Request for Fiscally Constrained County.
14. Budget Amendment Request for Solid Waste / EMS / Fire.
15. Budget Amendment Request for Fire / Recycling.
16. Budget Amendment Request for Library.
17. Budget Amendment Request for Solid Waste.
18. Budget Amendment Request for Extension Office.
19. Budget Amendment Request for EMS.

NEW BUSINESS
1. Presentation Regarding Waste in the County -- Mr. Elmer Spear.
2. Public Hearing for Enactment of CPA 07-5 (Small Scale Amendment for Ag 2 to Commercial).
3. Public Hearing for Enactment of CPA 07-6 (Small Scale Amendment for Residential to Commercial).
4. Public Hearing for Enactment of Ordinance 07-8 (Amend Landscape Buffer Requirements in Land Development Code).
5. Resolution 07-10-17, Memorandum of Agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for Financial Project ID 212536-1-43-01 (Bridge Replacement of Bridge over the Little Aucilla River).
6. Discussion Concerning Cost Recovery for EMS Billing.
7. Surplus Property List for Auction.
8. Request for 1-year Extension for Summerwood South Preliminary Plat. 
9. Approval of Temporary Use Permit for Ms. Amelia Mulkey.
10. Discussion on Loper Pond Plantation Public Purpose Site.
11. Discussion on November 21st Commission Meeting Date.
12. Discussion on "Class C" Meals.
13. Lease Agreement for County Air Strip.

The State Of The County: The Status Of Madison Families

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   It is this reporter’s privilege to introduce The Status Of Madison Families.  In a timely, four-part series, Publisher Emerald Kinsley, Associate Publisher Ted Ensminger, and Editor Jacob Bembry offer these articles as a foundation to review and renew our community.  The prevailing sentiment that has been echoed among officials, business owners and residents of Madison County again and again is “Growth without Pain.”  It is in this framework that this series is offered. 
   At the conclusion of the series, the “light at the end of the tunnel” will come into close view, but more importantly, along the way, readers and their neighbors will be interviewed and heard as new topics are systematically introduced.  And, of course, reader feedback is definitely wanted and welcome.  Simply email your ideas, articles, and opinions to michael@greenepublishing.com.
-- There is another theme that will also become more visible as the series develops.  Placed under the title, “Old School versus New School,” there will be an examination of what is and why it is.  Questions like “Who’s doing it?” will be combined with “Why and how are they doing it?”  The difficult questions will also be asked, “Could it be done better?” and “What does this do for our children?”
---A few ghosts may come out of the closet as well, but not simply for community amusement.  Instead, the brave in public service will be given the opportunity to educate and address the community.  Again, this is not for the sake of conversation and gossip.  The goal is to establish a foundation of communication on which solutions to these core concerns can be advanced.
---“Lead, follow or get out of the way,” might be the series’ slogan turned war cry, considering the State of Florida has designated Madison County as an area of “critical economic concern.”  Anyone who has ever had a loved one in critical condition understands that a critical status includes being closely and constantly monitored, which is exactly how the series will begin.  Moreover, The Status of Madison Families will closely examine the current “critical” state, concluding with a prognosis and proposed treatment for a total recovery.
---Facts and figures will be an important element for extracting the “real-world” side of what lies beneath The Status of Madison Families.  Accordingly, demographics and statistical comparisons will be introduced.  Mark Twain, in his “Chapters from my Autobiography,” made a notable quote he once heard all the more famous saying, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.” 
---So as details of the series are read, and perhaps debated, Twain’s sentiment may become personally relevant.  And although writers and readers alike are challenged to make it a practice to support their differences and minimize opinion, the fact that business and social statistics have historically been twisted to support selfish goals is undeniable.  In order to prevent, or at least minimize this from happening, statistics will be limited to those with the least likelihood of bias, like baseball statistics for instance, where batting average and home run numbers are simply counted.  However, also like baseball, determining whether the numbers are relatively “good” or “bad” will be prone to opinion.  Consequently, community statistics will be come from the most objective sources available and labeled as such.
---Developers, both from the current pool of Madison business and from those looking to join or enlarge the pond, and anyone else with an entrepreneurial spirit for that matter, are also strongly urged to participate.  “Growth without Pain” implies that the community has close ties that must never be ignored.  It also implies that the “needs of the many” and the “needs of the few” must be considered to achieve a true “win-win” outcome.  So, old and new, rich and poor, short-term and long-term, as well as all races, cultures and backgrounds will be included without exception if they fall into those elements that comprise the The Status of Madison Families.
---Considering the qualities that make and preserve the community, things like belief in the divine, preserving virtue and values, easy living, rolling pastures, and all the simple pleasures that make us what we are, must be dropped in priority to the bleeding man at our feet.  In other words, there is no longer a debate as to whether the critical condition exists.  And the ambulance service out of town is overrun and will not be considered an option for now.  Besides, who among us would stop to smell the roses or defend our proud heritage while children are falling at the door? 
---Madison County is the home of the Four Freedoms: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.  They are central to the commitment necessary to change the state of the county.  Are we our brother’s keeper?  The readers will decide, and in doing so, may just change The Status of Madison Families.

19-Year-Old Arrested After Chase

By Jessica Higginbotham
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   According to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Michael Fiffia was arrested on October 14.  The charges levied against Fiffia include possession of marijuana, less than 20 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of a concealed firearm, carrying a concealed weapon during the commission of a felony, child abuse and resisting arrest without violence. 
   Deputy Kevin Anderson was dispatched to a location on Turner Street in reference to an unknown black male waving around a firearm.  Contact was made with Michael Fiffia, age 19.  Fiffia was advised to place his hands on the hood of the patrol vehicle, but he would not comply. 
   Deputy Anderson removed his tazer from his side and advised him again to place his hands on the vehicle.  Fiffia began to walk around the passenger side of the vehicle, and still would not comply. 
   Fiffia then fled on foot east on Booker Avenue.  He entered the woods, and following a foot chase, was located by Sergeant Chris Cooks, an officer with the Madison Police Department.  Fiffia was in a wooded area behind Hall’s Tire and Muffler. 
   Fiffia kept saying, “What?” over and over, as Cooks ordered him to leave the woods.  Anderson came up behind Fiffia while he was focused on Cooks, and pulled him to the ground, placing him under arrest. 
   A search revealed a handgun magazine with four Wolf 9mm bullets, two baggies of a green leafy substance (which field tested positive for marijuana), rolling papers, and hundreds of small plastic baggies.
   Madison Police Department Ptl. David Jarvis and Sheriff’s Department Deputy Jason Whitfield had been searching for the firearm that Fiffia allegedly possessed.  A HI Point 9mm was located behind a sofa in an old trailer in the direct path that Fiffia fled.  The gun had a Wolf 9mm bullet in the chamber. 
---Fiffia was arrested on the above listed charges and transported to the county jail.

Madison City Commissioners Meeting
Madison Commissioners Consider Scholarship Plan

By Ginger Jarvis
   Utility customers in the City of Madison will have an opportunity to contribute toward college education if the city commissioners approve a plan under consideration. North Florida Community College president Morris Steen presented the plan at the October 9 meeting of the commissioners with Mayor Jim Catron presiding.
   Steen explained the "Round-Up" program as a way to build the scholarships at the college. The city's gas or water customers could choose to round their payments up to the next dollar with the extra money going into a scholarship fund. "We have unique hurdles to consider." said Steen "All the funds would go for scholarships."
   Steen reported that Tri-County Electric Company has already approved a similar program, with the scholarship money set aside for children of TCEC customers Steen said that the city could earmark their contributions for residents of Madison if they wish.
   Commissioner Sumter James commented, "It looks like that could be a problem," Steen assured him that strict rules of confidentiality would apply
   Commissioner Judy Townsend asked, "Could a customer add more than just the amount to the next dollar if he wants to?" Steen said that would be allowed.
   After some other discussion, Catron appointed City Manager Harold Emrich, City Clerk Lee Ann Hall, and City Attorney Clay Schnitker to prepare a plan for the contributions and present it at a future meeting.
   In other business, the commissioners narrowly approved a new wording for an impact-fee ordinance. A resident had requested that he not be required to pay the fee for a construction site that would have been affected by the ordinance. Emrich told the board. "My review is that the ordinance, as it stands now, is that the fees associated with the project are proper for payment." Responding to a question about the reason for the
exemption, Emrich said that the owner has been under "an assumption that was incorrect" even though he had been told of the fees when applying for his building permit.
   Hall told the commissioners, "We have had this ordinance a year and already amended it three times." Schnitker recommended an amendment rather than granting the owner a waiver as requested. Adding to the owner's confusion was the fact the city manager's position was in transition at the time and the man had to work with three different officials in that position.
   Catron said, "Every time we amend the ordinance, they (residents) say go in and build a case and they (commissioners) will give in."
   So the final vote to approve amending the ordinance, Catron, Myra Valentine, and Jim Stanley voted for it, Townsend and James voted against.

Madison City meeting
Madison To Get More Facelift Work

By Ginger Jarvis
---The City of Madison will get more parking and street improvements in the coming months, thanks to a Community Development Block Grant. Brian Hepburn of Jones Edmunds reported the bid results for the work to the city commissioners at their regular meeting on October 9.
---According to Hepburn and City Manager Harold Emrich, Dixie Paving, out of Tallahassee, presented the low base bid of $1,029,493.60 for a project to include bricking and paving crosswalks, adding parking spaces, and doing other street work on Horry Avenue, Shelby Avenue, Dade Street, and Rutledge Street. An additional $47,000 for landscaping brings the total to $1,076,493.60. The project will include only parts A and B
of the original plan; the sections omitted would have added $148,000 to the cost.
---Hepburn said, "The city does not have that at present."
Hepburn said that the work should begin in December with the completion target set for April 2008.
---The board approved awarding the project to Dixie Paving in a unanimous vote.
---In other business, Emrich reported that he is consulting with Tommy Greene and Charles Webb regarding the trimming of trees in the downtown area. "I will continue to consult them and other experts about doing it properly and at the proper time," he said.
---Commissioner Judy Townsend thanked the board for their proclamation of Thomas Lee Day. "That was very thoughtful of you," she commented. She also asked City Clerk Lee Ann Hall to look into the idea of direct deposit for paychecks of city employees.
---Mayor Jim Catron and Commissioners Myra Valentine, Sumter James, and Jim Stanley were present for the meeting.