WZEP AM 1460 First News

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

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Congratulations to the WZEP AM 1460 Good Neighbor, Fatina Richardson, nominated by Woodrow Williams. Submit your Good Neighbor.

The 18th annual WZEP Taste of Home Cooking School returns to Walton High February 28th, 2012. It’s a great opportunity to advertise your business! Call Art or Brandon at 892-5130 or email sales@wzep1460.com. Tickets go on sale NOW!

News Segment 0

Neighbors and Development Work On Problems

At the request of The Retreat, Commissioner Cecilia Jones coordinated a meeting with those who had contacted her in regards to their project. At the recent Commissioner’s meeting there was discussion about large dump trucks hauling sand and reportedly “tearing up the beach” as well as darker colored sand.

The meeting was held Monday morning at 10:00 am at Jones’ office. There was discussion about the project, including the concerns from The Retreat, as well as concerns from neighboring property owners. At the conclusion of the meeting, The Retreat has agreed to implement a conveyor system to transport the sand necessary to complete their project.

It was agreed that The Retreat could continue the removal of the sand at Grayton; according to their contractor, this will be done byTuesday at the latest. At that time, the regular construction traffic will primarily be through the Ed Waline beach access.

There still may be some traffic from the Grayton access point, but after Tuesday, the large dump trucks will not be on the beach.

Multiple Vehicle Accidents

An accident in Okaloosa contributed to two other accidents. The Florida Highway Patrol says, around 5:30am Monday morning on State Road 123 near Highway 85, a Humvee was going north and towing a trailer. The driver says the trailer began to sway and he braked hard. The vehicle veered left and rotated, then slid into a guardrail. There were no injuries.

About 10 minutes later a Hyundai and Honda were going south on State Road 123 when the Honda came to a stop for the traffic in front. The driver of the Hyundai failed to stop, applied brakes and swerved to the right in an attempt to miss the other car, but struck the right rear. There were only minor injuries.

At 6:55am four vehicles were traveling southbound and SR 123 when 2-door Honda, driven by a Crestview woman, slowed due to the traffic ahead from the previous crash that was blocking the southbound lane. A Chrysler approached and failed to stop and struck the rear of the car. A pickup slowed to avoid the crash, but a jeep following it failed to stop in time and struck the rear of the pickup. Again, there were no injuries in the four single occupant vehicles.

The FHP issued several citations for Careless Driving. 

News Segment 1

Voting

In Walton County, 2790 registered Republicans early voted or voted through an absentee ballot. With 20,725 registered Republicans in Walton County, this means about 13.5% of the Republicans turned out early. For Holmes County there were 358 early voters out of the 3534 registered Republicans.

Voting goes on Tuesday until 7pm at your local polling places. This is for registered Republicans only as they will be selecting the person they want to run against President Obama. More information on Walton elections at www.votewalton.com or www.holmeselections.com for Holmes County.

Gas Tax Funds

Kevin M. Henderson, Legislative Aide to Representative Brad Drake sent an email to WZEP AM 1460 answering a question about gas tax and FDOT funds in Walton. The inquiry concerned the amount of gas tax paid into the state transportation trust fund and how much had been spent by FDOT in Walton county over the last 10 years. 

Henderson says the Department of Revenue calculated the total amount paid into the transportation trust fund from 2001-2011 by Walton County was $102.9 million. This was determined using the total gallons for gasoline and diesel sold over that 10 year period. 

FDOT calculated that from July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2011 a total of $269.4 million was spent on transportation projects in Walton County. A review of the upcoming 5 year work program is showing around $212.7 million is programmed to be spent in Walton County-this figure does not include the Hwy 331 bridge expansion project.

The bridge project is not set and it is expected the Walton Commissioners will put a question about using an additional sales tax to pay for the county’s $75 million share to the voters. If the tax is not approved, then the commissioners could allow the state to build the bridge and put a toll on it. Otherwise the state has said they take the money elsewhere.

Pictures of the recent Chautauqua Assembly are on our website, www.wzep1460.com or go to the storage site at https://picasaweb.google.com/wzep1460/ChautauquaAssembly2012?authuser=0&feat=directlink

News Segment 2

DFS Considers Golf Carts

The DeFuniak Springs City Council met in special session to hire a water/sewer department employee needed for the job right away and to approve a committee to look into allowing golf carts and low speed vehicle on the roadways.

Currently golf carts are not allowed on city streets, county roads or state highways in most areas. While you might see golf carts in areas like southern Walton, they are not allowed on public roads or on bike and pedestrian trails. There are vehicles with enough horse power, lights and tags that can be run on streets. These are called low speed vehicles and meet the minimum requirements to operate on public roads. Golf carts must be operated on private roads only.

Cities have begun to look at ways to allow golf carts to operate on their streets. Panama City has begun looking into this. City officials see the need as one for older residents and others who no longer drive, for those wanting to save gas and drive greener and to help take some traffic off the main roads. Tourist areas and specialty developments such as retirement communities, often promote the use of golf carts.

A problem is, even if a city approves a golf cart to operate on a city street, how does it cross the state roads? With U.S. 331 and 90 dividing DeFuniak Springs, Mayor Harold Carpenter says they will have to take a proposal to the Florida Department of Transportation to put in limited crossing areas.

Carpenter says he envisions residents on the east side of 331 driving through lower traffic city streets to reach local shopping centers. He says a signalized crossing could have a special allowance for golf carts to cross from one shopping center to another, then the carts could cross Bob Sikes Road to other centers. For the west side the carts could take 19^th Street and Bob Sikes to the centers. Carpenter also says there would need to be a crossing near the courthouse and across Highway 90 on the west side.

The Mayor recognizes the situation is one where the city will have to work with the county and the state as well as the local public. He agrees the routs the carts would take would mean cars having to share the road with the carts and low speed vehicles. Carpenter says signage and education could help since the local population would be the ones who would most encounter the carts off the state highways.

Look for the committee to make a recommendation at a future meeting.

News Segment 3

Looking for the arrest report? http://jailpublic.co.walton.fl.us

This is the new jail search page. Use the drop down calendar to find dates.

Sports - Listen to WZEP for national and local sports. Email us your local sports stories and scores.

Boys High School Basketball

Tuesday, January 31

Walton at Freeport 6 and 7:15 pm

Paxton at Pensacola Christian 6 and 7:15 pm

The 2012 District 1-A Girls Basketball District Quarterfinals are Tuesday, January 31. Poplar Springs hosts Laurel Hill at 7 pm and Central hosts Bethlehem at 7 pm. The District Finals will be Saturday, February 4 at Paxton.

The DeFuniak Springs Little League along with the Walton Lady Braves team and coaches are putting on a softball clinic at the Little League Park on Thursday, February 2. The clinic is free and will run from 6-8 pm. Parents must sign a permission slip for their player to participate. The DFS Little League will accept late registrations at the press box during the clinic. For more information, call 892-7475.

Dixie Youth Baseball and Softball, ages 4-14 Skills Clinic/Final Registration will be held Saturday February 4 from 1-4 and Sunday February 5 from 2-4 at the Freeport Regional Sports Complex, Fields 1-3.  For more information, call Latilda at 835-2340.

Obituaries - Listen in the morning, just after noon and the 4pm hour

Mrs. Candus Gay Nash, age 46, of DeFuniak Springs, passed away Thursday January 26. Funeral services will be held 2:00 PM, Tuesday, January 31, at Clary-Glenn Freeport Chapel Funeral. Burial will follow in the Black Creek Cemetery. You may go online to view obituaries, offer condolences and sign guest book at www.clary-glenn.com. Clary-Glenn Freeport Chapel Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements.

NOTE TO OTHER MEDIA: If any of these are the basis or imputers for a story you write or develop, please credit WZEP AM 1460 professionally by indicating "as reported on WZEP AM 1460."

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