By Jessica Higginbotham
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   According to the Florida Highway Patrol, on October 12, at approximately 3:10 p.m., a Chevrolet Impala, driven by Lovensky Agenor, flipped after a blowout.
   The car had been traveling eastbound on I-10 on the left inside lane.  The right real tire of the car, driven by Agenor, 21, separated and ruptured, causing the car to rotate sharply in a counter-clockwise direction. 
   The Impala traveled onto the center grass median and the driver lost control.  The car rotated several more times onto the shoulder, and then overturned onto the roof. 
   Agenor was able to remove himself from the vehicle and suffered no injuries.  Trooper Berry Crews investigated the crash, with Madison County Fire Rescue, EMS, Sheriff’s Department and Greenville Fire Department assisting on scene.
-- A total of $4500 damage was done to the 2002 Impala.  Agenor is from Miami.

By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the state agency that administers the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program, under the Division of Recreation and Parks.  No need to remember all the big department names; suffice to remember that almost three million dollars of parks and recreation facilities have come into the community in the past ten years from this source.  Oh yes, with no, absolutely no, payback or matching required.
   Jim Parish, Parish and Associates, is the grant consultant for Madison County and the Towns of Lee and Greenville.  “For some small communities, these grants are the only source for developing parks and recreation facilities,” Parish explained.  The application process is detailed and the expertise that Parish brings is vital.  “Jim Parish has been such incredible help.  He has been an incredible resource for all of us,” says Cheryl Archambault, Lee Town Manager.
   Rita Ventry, Community Assistance Consultant, Division of Recreation and Parks, describes the FRDAP grant process, “When requesting funding, the application is reviewed and scored.  Scoring is on a point system along various categories.  The Capital Improvement Plan, population density and public involvement in the process, are a few category examples.  Points are then totaled, and if sufficient, funds are awarded.”
   At the end of the day however, the thing about these grants that is the most impressive is the fact that requests up to 200 thousand dollars have no matching or payback requirement.  “These limits do vary from community to community.  Madison County falls under the REDI provisions,” Ventry noted.  “REDI stands for Rural Economic Development Initiative.  It’s a project that started back with Governor Bush, and while it doesn’t add points to scoring an application, it does increase the funding range available before matching is required,” she added.
---Of course, the use must fit the grant criterion, and all the “Ts” must be crossed, but when it’s done, projects like the Hayes Park in Greenville, The softball fields and sports lighting in Lee, and the Madison County Recreation Complex are the results.  There are a half dozen other projects in the area; all told, almost three million dollars of permanent parks and recreation infrastructure.
-- Each incident of capital improvement, whatever the category, means income, jobs, improved community, better quality of life, individually or in combination.  From the planning and construction professionals on the front end, to the children and adults playing on the fields and playgrounds when completed, FRDAP grants are pots of gold for Madison County.

By Sharon Shadrick
Madison County Sheriff’s Office
Edited by Jessica Higginbotham,
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   On Saturday October 13, 2007 at 10:10 p.m. Madison County Sheriff's Office responded to JoAnn Bridges Academy after a call came from staff members that they needed assistance controlling a client who was combative and unruly.
   When Deputy Kevin Anderson and Sgt. David Harper arrived they spoke with staff members who advised that a 16-year-old black female client had been involved in a verbal altercation with staff.  The incident turned into a physical altercation with staff when the client grabbed a pair of scissors and a dresser drawer and began to swing at staff members, telling them she would cut them.
   While staff members were trying to calm the client down, she began to swing the dresser drawer again.  At this point, the staff tried to restrain the client and she fell to the floor, hitting her head on the dresser drawer causing a small cut to her head.
   E.M.S. and Law Enforcement were called and the client was transported to the Madison County Memorial Hospital Emergency Room where she was treated and released.  At that time, the client was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice facility in Tallahassee.
   After further investigation, it was found that the client was upset because she did not want to participate in a routine search two days prior the Saturday night incident.
-- According to Chief Staff, the client will not return to JoAnn Bridges in the future.

By Jessica Higginbotham
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   According to the Florida Highway Patrol, on October 14, at approximately 6 p.m., a Madison County Sheriff’s Department patrol vehicle, driven by Kevin Odom, was involved in a crash. 
   The vehicle was traveling west on U.S. Highway 90, responding in “emergency mode” to a call for service.  Odom attempted to turn his vehicle left onto SE Brown Terrace, and turned too wide. 
   Odom steered the vehicle past the entrance to SE Brown Terrance and struck a utility pole guide wire located on the south shoulder of U.S. Highway 90.  The vehicle came to a final rest on the south shoulder of U.S. Highway 90.
-- An estimated $4000 worth of damage was done to the 2006 Ford Crown Victoria.  No charges were filed against Odom.

By Jessica Higginbotham
Greene Publishing, Inc.
   Last week, Thomas Gunter was hired on as a police officer at the Madison Police Department. 
   Gunter, age 23, is originally from Taylor County.  He still resides there, but will be moving to Madison with his wife, Chastity, in the near future.  His parents are Tom and Carol Gunter, and he has four brothers, Daryll, Scott, Jonathan, and Ryan.
   “I wanted to serve the community, and this is my way of helping out,” Gunter said of his job.  He chose Madison because he liked the community and the people, and because he went to North Florida Community College for training.
   “I’ve always wanted to do this,” Gunter said.  “I’ve always respected law enforcement.”