VOL. 83, NO. 12 INSIDE ; Butterfly 4-H takes off Page 3 ADOPT AN ANIMAL Page 6 Bronson Homecoming Page 16 OBITUARIES = CONTENTS... fe Around Levy 2-3,6 Opinion 4 Law & Courts 5 Obituaries ; ZL Levy History 11 Tides 11 Sports 8-11 Classified 12 Legals 12-14 Picture Mania 16-17 What's Cooking? 18 Land Transactions 19 Marketplace __ 20-24 i LL9ce Ta STUASANIVYD ASOLSIH VAINO Ts AO AdVeE 92 LIDIG-€ HOS: ae eee & THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2006 1 SECTION: 22 PAGES . 50 cents per copy Bell stands alone on attorney, millage Commissioners stick with 7.9 mills despite taxpayers’ pleas BY CAROLYN RISNER ManaaInc EpiTor Levy County . Commis- sion Chairwoman Nancy Bell found herself standing alone ona limb Monday night when she asked the commissioners to trim the budget and cut the millage rate back to 7 mills. After an hour-long public hearing where more than a dozen people spoke against the proposed rate of 7.9 mills, Interim manager named BY CASSIE JOURNIGAN STAFF WRITER The man_ selected as Chiefland’s next interim city manger has served in that spot’ for other north central Florida rural cities. ~ When Commissioner Teresa Barron asked why he left a recent position in Live Oak, Matt Brock replied, “A. few cities remain in Florida that are not ready for a professional city manager. Live Oak is one of those.” Commissioners heard from two applicants for the interim city manager position and unanimously voted to hire Brock. Brock, who currently resides in Gainesville, has 15 years experience as a city manager and says his strength is in financial management. Scott Dye of Miami was the other applicant. Although commissioners agreed that Dye had a great attitude, they opted for Brock’s experience. Dyehad not previously served as a city manager, stating, “My first opportunity to serve as city manager would be this 29 one. Commissioners also heard a reading of an ordinance See Manager Page 18 Bell handed off the gavel to Vice Chairman Sammy Yearty. “T am not here for popular- ity,” Bell began as she told the 100 plus people gathered in the courtroom that when she lay her head on her pil- low at night she had to know she was doing what was best for Levy County. “T can’t consciously vote for this budget,” Bell said, adding she was particularly perturbed about the large in- crease from the legal depart- ment that calls for a part-time county attorney, additional staff and extra space. Bell’s motion to reduce the millage rate to 7 mills died quietly on the floor for a lack of a second. Bell then made a motion to abolish the county legal department but keep attorney Fired Up About Safety ~ Anne Brown on through the end of her March 2007 con- tract because a buy-out would be too expensive and there are several cases/jobs Brown is currently working on. Bell recommended putting an attorney on retainer and consulting with several attor- neys with various expertise to handle the county’s affairs. commissioners. “J figured this was what was going to happen,” Bell said. The chairwoman told the commissioners and_ the constituents in the audience that she had studied the bud- get and believed that many of the projects on tap for the next fiscal year could still be done with a better budget. That motion also met with dead silence from the other See Tax Page 22: Journal photo by Miriam Blitch FIREFIGHTER DAVID FLORANCE shows Tootie the Fire Safety Clown that he is just like her, except he wears special goves to protect him when he is at work. The two were on hand at Chiefland El- ementary to talk to students about fire safety. More pictures on page 17. Journal photo by Cassie Journigan re THE WALL OF Shame, framed by Chiefland Police Chief Robert Douglas, right, and Sheriff Johnny Smith, left, details the 19 suspects arrested in Friday night’s drug sweep. Bust nets 19 suspects BY CASSIE JOURNIGAN STAFF WRITER Buyer, beware. Sellers, for that matter, should beware as well, if they happen to be in the business of buying or selling - illegal drugs. The Chiefland Police Department, in cooperation with the Levy County Drug Task Force and Ocala/Marion 'County’s task force, rounded up 19 suspects in a raid last Friday. Operation Round Up was the culmination of months of investigations on area drug dealers. Suspects were arrested for sale, purchase, or possession of crack cocaine, cannabis or drug paraphernalia, sale of such items within 1,000 feet of a school and child endangerment. The arrests occurred at a mobile home on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Second Street. Police Chief Robért Douglas and Levy County Sheriff Johnny Smith dropped in on area residents after the drug busts Monday. An 80-year-old man, Herbert A. Dockery, lives in a small white house just across the street. Gloria Granger was with him during the sheriff’s and police chief's visit. She said those involved in the drug trafficking would park all over Dockery’s. property, ignoring “No Trespassing” signs. She said sometimes he had no choice but to turn out his lights and go into his bedroom. “If you pass by here and see that the front porch light isn’t on, you need to drop in and made sure he’s OK,” she told See Bust Page 22 REACH US EB Managing Editor Carolyn Risner Phone (352) 490-4462 Fax . (352) 490-4490 Chiefland (352) 486-5042 Bronson Email edlitor@levyjournal.com Address PO. Box 159 Bronson, Fl 32621-0159 PO. 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