Crime Stoppers will pay a cash reward of up to $1,000 for the crime of aggravated battery that occurred on Tuesday, March 2, around 11 p.m. on SW Lee Avenue, just south of SW Bentley Street in Madison.

An unknown black male attacked two elderly male subjects while they were walking in the area knocking them to the ground, kicking them in the face and head, causing serious injury and loss of teeth.

Anyone with information about the identity or location of the suspect(s) is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Madison County, Inc. at 973-2762.

Crime Stoppers does not want your name, just your information.

Citizens should not attempt to apprehend any wanted person(s) identified in this crime or any crime being committed, they may be armed and dangerous.

A teenager missing from Orlando was reported to Greene Publishing, Inc. by her mother, De'Carla W. Tennell.

Tennell became concerned after she was told by the Great Oaks Village (a foster home) in Orlando that her 15-year-old daughter, De'Quisha Quantella Lewis was missing.

Lewis was last seen at the Great Oaks Village on Sunday evening, March 7.

Tennell said that her daughter had expressed interest in coming to see her and believes she may be headed this way.

Anyone with any information on Lewis is urged to call the Madison County Sheriff's Office at (850) 973-4001.

Firefighters from Madison Fire and Rescue, and the Pinetta and Cherry Lake volunteer fire departments, responded to a fire at the home of John and Donna Risoli on Tuesday, March 4.

According to a report from Madison Fire and Rescue, the department was dispatched to the fire at approximately 10:35 a.m. When they arrived at the scene, the home was fully engulfed in flames.

The cause of the fire was deemed to be electrical failure after water caused a short-circuit arc.

The home was a total loss.

An account has been set up for donations to the Risoli family at Madison County Community Bank.

The Madison County Branch of the NAACP is partnering with North Florida Community College to sponsor a Singing Gospel Explosion Fundraiser for Haiti citizens who were devastated by an earthquake.

They are asking all Madison County choirs, groups, praise teams, leaders (Ministers, politicians, presidents, businesses and etc.), and the entire community to share their free will offering to help the Haitians to have a smoother recovery.

They are asking all musicians to be present and give of their free service to play for choirs who don't have a musician, and those who have a musician. This is a time one can give of one's free service to those in need.

For more information, contact Minister Octavious Tookes at 850-673-9116 – Mrs. Carrie Mae Gavins, 850-973-8115 or Ms Lorraine J. Brown, 850-973-4857. Everyone is invited to go and enjoy a night of good gospel and free service.

A Madison city commission election will be held Tuesday, March 9.

Seats to be filled include District 1 and District 4.

In the race for District 1, incumbent Sumpter James is being challenged by Rayne Cooks. An earlier candidate, James Brown, has been disqualified from seeking election because he does not live in District 1.

Jim Stanley is seeking re-election in District 4. Marcus Hawkins is challenging him.

Early voting in the election will continue through Saturday, March 6.

Regular voting will begin at 7 a.m. Tuesday and end at 7 p.m. that night.

Mary Murphy White and her daughter Olivia and their team will participate in a run to raise money for and awareness for multiple sclerosis. The MS Mud Run will be held March 20 in Jacksonville.

"My cousin Cathy died in November from MS," Mary said. "She was diagnosed at age 40 and died roughly 10 years later."

According to the web site for the event, www.mudrunjax.com, "MS Mud Run is a 10K (approximately 6 miles)

race with boot camp style obstacles that have been surrounded by or consist entirely of mud. People cheer as teams of contestants slip, slide, and slosh their way to victory. It is a unique experience whether running or watching! There is a registration fee of $40 (until February 1st, 2010) and a minimum fundraising pledge of $100 per person in order to participate."

"(Cathy's) illness slowed her down," Mary recalls, "and, regretfully, I drew away from her. I last saw her at Haven Hospice in Gainesville and she said, "Get down here and hug my neck." At her funeral, most of the people who spoke knew her the last two years of her life as a gal in a wheelchair. The cousin I remember was beautiful in motion, never still, never needy, always creative and classy."

Mary admits that "like a lot of folks, I don't understand MS; it seems sneaky and cruel. I am a medical provider. I can define the disease process, but I can't make sense of why my cousin had it."

Mary went on to add, "I am doing this Mud Run to honor Cathy, raise some funds, and maybe some awareness about compassion."

To make a pledge to support MS in the name of Mary or Olivia White and their team, go to www.mudrunjax.com and click on "Donate/ePledge." From there, you will be prompted to search for a participant, enter Mary White or Olivia White and click on the Mud Run Jacksonville link to make a donation.

The Madison County School Board has set dates for free preschool screenings, which will be available for children ages three to four years, six months that reside in the county.

Ramona Guess, ESE coordinator for the school district noted, "We gratefully request parents mark their calendars so they have sufficient time to plan for this important part of preparing their children to enter school. The children deserve every resource available to them and this screening process will help identify issues that will support future success."

Each child will be screened in four primary areas, including:

Functional Hearing and Vision

Speech/Language Development

Motor Development

Concepts

The screenings will take approximately two hours to complete and results will be shared with parents exclusively. Prizes and goody bags will be provided to the children, as all efforts are being made to ensure a pleasant experience for both child and parent.

The following schedule is set by location:

Madison - Madison County Central School Cafeteria

Date: Tuesday, March 9

Time: 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Madison - Madison County Central School Cafeteria

Date: Wednesday, March 10

Time: 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Lee - Lee Elementary School

Date: Tuesday, March 16

Time: 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Pinetta - Pinetta Elementary School

Date: Wednesday, March 17

Time: 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Greenville - Greenville Elementary School

Date: Thursday, March 18

Time: 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Madison - Madison County Central School Cafeteria

Date: Tuesday, April 27

Time: 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Screening results for each child will be individually shared with parents. Parents should plan approximately two hours time to complete the screening.

For more information, please call Leigh McNutt at the Madison County School Board at (850) 973-5192, or Jo Ann Laseter with FDLRS/Gateway, at (800) 227-0059.

The monthly meetings of the Madison Woman's Club are regularly filled with interesting presentations and tons of fun, not to mention ongoing club projects and programs. Christmas at the Mansion, arts and crafts contests, charitable donations, and scholarships are among the many activities and fundraisers sponsored by the club. In the end, however, it's all about the camaraderie of ladies who have laughed, cried, hugged and loved one another – for decades in some cases.

With the recent election of officers serving two-year terms, the club devoted their Feb. 11 meeting to reacquainting new and existing members with their committees and programs. The following were among them:

Hacienda's Girls Ranch – Jean McWilliams commented on the success of the facility located in Brevard County. Helping girls ages 10-17 who have been placed in foster care, the Woman's Club will continue its cash and other donations supporting this worthwhile cause.

Take Stock in Children – B.J. Curtis, mentor coordinator for the Madison County scholarship program, which is sponsored by the Madison County Foundation for Excellence in Education, reinforced the club's commitment to support education in Madison County. She praised Ashley Lamb as a recent graduate who is advancing as the recipient of the scholarship.

Conservation and Tree Memorials – Princess Akerman summarized details of the exceptional program brought to life by late member, Willie Clare Copeland. Since its launch in the 1980's, over 150 trees have been planted, with a special memorial constructed in Four Freedoms Park to honor its champion.

Brown Bag Ministry – So named for the big brown grocery bag used to deliver food to the needy, Florida Smith outlined the importance of the program to numerous Madison County residents. Affiliated with the United Methodist Cooperative Ministries, food is available to qualified residents, often making the difference between going hungry or not, especially at month's end.

Public Affairs – Wanda Dickinson told members the upcoming program includes a review of the function of the Madison Fire Department.

Clubhouse – Jean Brandies stated the clubhouse remains a good source of revenue. She further noted it is available for rental at $250, with $50 being returned as a clean-up deposit. All agreed it is a beautiful facility capable of serving weddings and other community and family events.

Ways and Means – Ethel Barefoot discussed a successful concession effort, among other fundraising options. She added that pie and baked good sales have potential as well.

Heifer International – Betty Williams continues to promote the great cause that provides key resources to impoverished areas worldwide. The Madison Woman's Club is a dedicated partner in this national club project.

Additional activities at the meeting included very special musical guests. Jennifer Copeland's Second Grade Class from Madison Academy played the hand bells, accompanying several popular hymns. Thanking them for their wonderful performance, Club President Jackie Johnson also praised Kay Browning for the dazzling Valentine's Day decorations and Devine Events for catering such a tasty lunch. It was also noted that the club had participated in a statewide program, placing a commemorative brick at the state headquarters in Lakeland.

Investigators with FDLE, the Madison County Sheriff's Office, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement executed a search warrant at Strickland's home, located at 1216 Southeast Bisbee Loop Thursday, after receiving information that child pornography had been downloaded through the Internet at the residence.

During the search, a forensic review of computers located at the home revealed hundreds of images of child pornography.

Strickland was arrested and booked into the Madison County Jail. Additional charges are pending a complete forensic examination of all computers located in Strickland's home.

FDLE is an active member of the three Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces in Florida. There are 59 federally-funded task forces nationwide created solely to investigate Internet crimes against children that include the online sexual exploitation of children and child pornography.

Please visit the FDLE Computer Crime Center Web site to review tips for keeping your children safe online at: www.fdle.state.fl.us/FC33.

Russell Williams, a freelance photographer from Lee, had a picture featured in last week's edition of Sports Illustrated.

The photo was taken during the Daytona 500 when the track was closed for repairs to it. The picture is of a crew of NASCAR officials looking at a hole in the track.

Sports Illustrated picked up the photo from the Associated Press, as did a number of other magazines and newspapers.

Williams has been freelancing since he was 13 years old. He has had numerous photos published in this publication as well as major daily newspapers and magazines.

Currently employed full-time in the electronics department at Wal-Mart of Live Oak, Williams is thankful that his employees allow him time off to cover events such as the Daytona 500, the Suwannee River Jam, parades and sporting events.

Williams said he would also like to thank local law officers, including Madison County Sheriff Ben Stewart, Suwannee County Sheriff Tony Cameron and the Florida Highway Patrol, for being cooperative with him at accident scenes.

Williams' biggest thanks go to the Lord and to his family (including his wife and four daughters). He said he is thankful that his wife and daughters are so supportive of him being involved in freelancing.

"Two of my daughters are also freelance photographers," he said.

The Madison County Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will hold its annual banquet on Saturday, March 5, at 5 p.m. at the Madison County Central School cafeteria.

The purpose of the National Wild Turkey Federation and its JAKES program is to introduce youth to the outdoors.

"We show them that there are other things beside computers and video games," said Wally Davis, NWTF Chapter president.

Youth, ages 1-17, are eligible for the JAKES program.

In addition to the National Wild Turkey Federation and JAKES, the chapter also holds Women in Outdoors Events each year as well as Wheeling Sportsmen Events.

Admission to the banquet is $25 for those 17 and under and $50 for adults. Admission includes a year's membership in the JAKES chapter for the youth and a year's membership in the National Wild Turkey Federation for adults. It also includes the seafood buffet at the banquet and a subscription to the respective magazines for the different age groups.

There will be a silent auction, a live auction and a raffle.

"All money raised stays in Florida. We also do profit sharing with the Fish and Wildlife Commission and with the Division of Forestry to provide handicap access for hunters," Davis added.

Tickets are available at Farmers Supply, located at 233 SW Range Street in Madison.

Firefighters from Madison Fire and Rescue, and the Pinetta and Cherry Lake volunteer fire departments, responded to a fire at the home of John and Donna Risoli on Tuesday, March 4.

According to a report from Madison Fire and Rescue, the department was dispatched to the fire at approximately 10:35 a.m. When they arrived at the scene, the home was fully engulfed in flames.

The cause of the fire was deemed to be electrical failure after water caused a short-circuit arc.

The home was a total loss.

An account has been set up for donations to the Risoli family at Madison County Community Bank.

"The United Methodist Cooperative Ministries is made up of eight churches and five pastors devoted to supporting our community, providing services and activities like the 55-Plus Club and the Thrift Store," explained Ruth Herndon.

"I'm filling in today for Linda Gaston, who is out for surgery. We all know her tireless dedication, and ask everyone to keep her in prayer," she added.

Opening up by expressing concern for her friend and club leader, who is expected to return soon no worse for the wear, Herndon captured the camaraderie that is the cornerstone of the 55-Plus Club. Providing timely information regarding services affecting seniors is another. So, on Feb. 10, when several of the club's members took the microphone to describe a variety of enjoyable and beneficial activities conveniently available to seniors throughout Madison County, listeners got a double dose of fun.

Kirk Pittman spoke first, opening with a few whimsical stories that really brought down the house. Then practically speaking, he invited everyone to join him the third Tuesday of each month at noon at Grace Presbyterian on SR 53 for a community lunch. Nell Ring followed him, also discussing a Grace Presbyterian program – a fitness class especially designed to accommodate all ages and levels of fitness.

"Let's do some neck exercises," Ring announced. She then walked the group through a variety of neck stretches and routines that loosened laughs while it loosened bones. She also emphasized that all of the class activities are very low impact and useful even if full mobility isn't initially possible. The class meets Monday and Thursday from 4-5 p.m.

Sylvia Catron closed the presentations with an update about, and invitation to join, Keenagers. Playfully reminding all that the title was "Keenagers" and not "Teenagers," she detailed the outreach program sponsored by First Methodist Church of Madison. "We've taken trips around the region and the country. The events and outing are usually quarterly, but sometimes more often depending on participation. It's all very fun though. Our Christmas and Valentine's dinners are always a big hit, among others."

Additional business included an update of recent facility improvements by trustee Sonny Rollins, as well as a request for volunteers to assist at the Thrift Store, which is open Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. A big "thank you" also went out to Program Coordinator Betty Williams for continuing to introduce fun and timely topics, and to First UMC for providing such a tasty lunch.

Jefferson County resident, 10-year-old Jenny Jackson, took two first place wins and two second place wins to be named first place all-around winner. It was in her first meet of the season during the Gym Force Classic gymnastics meet. The meet was hosted at Tully Gym in Tallahassee, Jan. 16.

Jackson took first-place wins in two categories. Routines performed on the floor, scored her highest total with 9.125 out of a possible 10. Her routine on the balancing beam also earned a first place win.

She also took second-place finishes in both her performance on the parallel bars and in the vault. The four places elevated her to be named first place all-round.

Jackson is the daughter of Danny and Lisa Jackson of Monticello. Danny is the owner of Jackson's Drug Store in Greenville. Jenny, a student at Aucilla Christian Academy, has been competing in gymnastics since about the age of five and is a member of the Taylor Gymnastics team.