By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   Michael E. Sawyer recently joined the Madison County Department of Health as the Tobacco Prevention Specialist.  Author of hundreds of letters, pamphlets and books on the subject, Sawyer brings a passion to the position that is as rare as it is effective.
   By visiting his website at www.Iwillneverusetobacco.com, one need only scroll down slightly to see numerous examples of Sawyer’s dedication and advocates.  Unafraid to take on the big players in the boardroom, Sawyer is also extremely committed to making a difference on the streets, as well as in the classroom.
   Sawyer’s professional evolution has included the seminary and a term as Mayor of Midland City, Ala.  A humble man from humble beginnings, Sawyer combines a quiet charm with an intensity that is makes him a hit with old and young alike.
   “I lost my dad to a smoking related illness when I was 11, but I wouldn’t have anticipated that it would become my professional focus.  The more I learned though about the “loot” and “lunacy” the tobacco industry represents, the more I got involved.  700 published commentaries later, I’m so happy to be bringing the passion and education to Madison County.”
   Sawyer moved to Madison from Birmingham, Ala., where his wife is finishing the school year as an instructor and will be joining him when school is out.  The Sawyer’s have three grown sons.
   Staff writer Michael Curtis can be reached at michael@greenepublishing.com.

Greenville Little League To Hold Sign-Ups

By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   The Greenville Little League will hold sign-ups on Saturday, April 12, and Saturday, April 19, from 9 a.m. until 12 noon in the Dollar General parking lot in Greenville.
   The cost to participate is $10.
   Those registering will need to bring a birth certificate, as well as insurance verification.
   T-ball will be open to players 4, 5 and 6 years old. Rookie League will be open to players 7, 8 and 9 years old. Little League is open to players 10, 11 and 12 years old.
   For more information, call J.A. Lane at 948-5123 or Jeff Bailey at 948-2838.
   Opening day for Greenville’s Little League will be May 31.

Greenville Woman Killed In Traffic Crash

By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   A 64-year-old Greenville woman was killed in a traffic crash on SW 1st Federal Road on Sunday, March 23.
   According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, a 1989 Ford, driven by Colin M. Tompkins, 44, of Greenville, was driving too fast for the conditions on SW 1st Federal Road. The car crossed the east travel lane, striking some shrubbery. The car continued, striking a water-filled ditch.
   The car came to a final rest, facing west.
   Tomkins was not injured in the wreck. His passenger, Ellen Marie Morgan, also of Greenville, was transported to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital by Madison County EMS, where she was pronounced dead at 9:16 a.m.
   FHP Trooper William Ernst was the investigating officer. FHP Cpl. Patricia Shaw was the homicide investigator.
   Morgan was a homemaker and a member of the Reapers of the Harvest Church in Greenville, where she had held several positions over the years.
   Her survivors include a daughter, Joyce Tompkins (and husband, Colin) of Greenville; two sisters, Jack Walters of Perry and Ricky Smith of Houston, Texas; three sisters, Patsy Quintana and Jill Rivas, both of Dover, and Margie Partain of Zephyrhills; a grandson, Joseph Bailey, and a host of nieces and nephews.
   Funeral services were held for Morgan at Joe P. Burns Funeral Home Chapel in Perry on March 26, with Pastor Sammy Bass and Brother David Emmons officiating. Interment followed at the Fellowship Cemetery.

Local Plant Employee Arrested In Murder-For-Hire Plot

By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   An employee at the Nestle Waters bottling plant in Lee was arrested in Perry on March 26 in connection with a murder-for-hire plot.
   According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Dallas Vernon Plymel II, 34, of Perry, was apprehended after FDLE agents from the Tallahassee Regional Operations Center (TROC) obtained a warrant for his arrest. Taylor County Sheriff’s deputies, who were working with FDLE conducted a traffic stop and took Plymel into custody.
   Plymel was taken to the Taylor County Jail where he is being held on a one million dollar bond.
   The investigation into the plot was launched in early February when agents learned that Plymel wanted the man killed because of their mutual involvement with the same woman. FDLE reported that a confidential informant told agents that Plymel had offered to pay him $1,000 to murder the man. Plymel then allegedly gave the man a down payment and a photograph of the intended victim. Plymel also pointed out where the intended victim lived.
   The intended victim did not know about the plot until he was informed by the FDLE.
   Plymel was charged with solicitation to commit murder, which is a first degree felony. If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison.

MCDC Determined To Make Plans A Reality

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   As the executive leadership of the Madison County Development Council (MCDC), Cheryl Archambault and Alan Cherry are determined to take the findings of the recently concluded Vision 2020 process and turn them into action plans.  In collaboration with MCDC members, as well as residents and business owners throughout the county, the council, the council is undertaking the awesome task of advancing ideas into reality.
   When discussing community planning, one of the common buzzwords is “buy-in,” referring to the action of planners and stakeholders (people affected by the planning) taking ownership of the process, preferably with a good measure of participation and a full measure of responsibility.
   With the Vision 2020 handoff, the MCDC is moving it through the planning portal.  Archambault has championed the planning process that Cherry, along with County Planner Jeanne Bass and Administrator Sherilyn Pickles, delivered over the month-long visioning process.  And although it has been noted that additional outreach will be required, no group has led better by example, both in terms of participation and responsibility, than the MCDC leadership, this according to multiple resident and business participants.
   “I hope everyone involved, especially the Vision 2020 committee members, will take the planning items to the next level,” Ed Meggs noted to the council.  The entire council agreed.  Meggs, along with several others, has been a central participant in both the Vision 2010 and Vision 2020 process.
   During the April 1 meeting, two specific issues were given practical consideration.  The first was a review of the recent proposal for the Madison County Memorial Hospital (MCMH) to begin construction of its new hospital facility by renovating three buildings previously owned by Madison County Schools.  Review and clarification was provided to questions that had arisen regarding this initial building phase and its fit to be supported by county resources designated for a new hospital.
   “We can do this work for $160 per square foot versus the $300 per square foot that it would cost to build from the ground up,” Hospital Administrator David Abercrombie noted.  Abercrombie offered an outline that was accompanied by introductions to, and brief presentations from, key medical staff. 
   The discussion concluded with the council voting unanimously to issue a resolution that would be read the following morning before the Madison Board Of County Commissioners.  It declared strong support for the $550 thousand dollar proposal.  The council further acknowledged that the project fit the intent for county resources that have been accumulated for a new hospital.  It was also determined that it provided immediate assistance with critical physician recruiting that was essential to realize the full medical and economic benefits of the project.
   The second presentation didn’t receive the same consensus, although the presenter, Elmer Spear, was at no loss for either passion or documentation.  Spear is seeking to grow a delegation he stated now stands at 57 toward an August petition to make Madison a wet county.
   The MCDC agenda items will likely grow significantly over the next few months as planning is reviewed, solutions are proposed and the challenges of implementation are defined.  Additional announcements of business development are anticipated to go along with the opening of Love’s and Fast Track at the I-10 interchanges.
   “It’s an exciting time for our county.  There are great opportunities and the MCDC will assist wherever possible in support of the economic goals of all residents because we’re all neighbors.  It’s about our future.  It’s about our children.  There’s nothing more important,” Archambault noted.
   Staff writer Michael Curtis can be reached at michael@greenepublishing.com.

Woman Injured In Wreck

By Jacob Bembry
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   A woman was injured in a one-vehicle accident on Captain Buie Road at County Road 591 on Sunday, March 23.
   According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, Mary Thompson, 31, of Coolidge, Ga., was traveling west on Captain Buie Road. As Thompson approached the stop sign at County Road 591, the sun was setting, blinding Thompson momentarily.
   Thompson failed to see the stop sign until it was too late and she stepped heavily on the brakes of her 1999 Nissan.
   Thompson skidded through the intersection, coming to a stop on the east side of County Road 591 after striking a dirt embankment with the front of her car.
   Thompson suffered minor injuries in the accident. Her passenger, Michael Thompson, Jr., also of Coolidge, Ga., was not injured in the wreck.
   Madison County EMS, Cherry Lake Fire and Rescue and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.