Local

OCALA, Fla.- Last week, three vehicles were involved in a hit-and-run crash with serious bodily injury in Marion County. In the early morning of Saturday, November 18, 2023, a Ford Mustang and a Chevrolet Corvette were traveling west on State Road 200, operating their vehicles at a high rate of speed, making multiple lane changes, and driving recklessly for the purpose of racing.

In the area of Southwest 80th Street, the Corvette struck a Toyota Prius that was also traveling west. The Corvette then traveled off the roadway before hitting a utility pole and a tree; the Prius remained in the median.

The driver of the Ford Mustang briefly parked, concealing his car in a local business parking lot. At the same time, he checked the injury status of the driver of the Corvette, who had been ejected, before fleeing the scene. The driver of the Corvette, a 38-year-old male from Ocala, was seriously injured.

At the time of the crash, Florida Highway Patrol (F.H.P.) investigators released images of the Ford Mustang driver to the public in hopes of identifying him. The male driver appeared to be a heavy-set white male with tattooed arms, wearing a baseball hat and a beard. The Mustang was also described as a silver-in-color 2020-2023 model with tinted windows. Anyone with information was asked to contact F.H.P. or their local Crimestoppers to provide tips.

Through investigative efforts and help from the public who volunteered tips following the crash, the suspect driver of the Mustang was identified as white male Jacob Steven Michael Carmack, 23, of Ocala.

Carmack was arrested on Tuesday, November 27, 2023, and booked into Marion County Jail on the following charges:

• Reckless Driving which resulted in serious bodily injury to another- 1 count (Felony) F.S.S. 316.192.3a2
• Crash Involving Death or Personal Injuries for the failure to remain on scene of a crash which resulted in the serious bodily injury to another- 1 count (Felony) F.S.S. 316.027.2b
• Racing on Highways-1 count (Misdemeanor) F.S.S. 316.191.2a

This investigation remains active and ongoing. To learn more about the dangers of street racing and how you can report information on upcoming events or identify participants, visit Street Racing/Takeovers, Stunt Driving - Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (flhsmv.gov).

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Air Liquide Advanced Materials, Inc., is facing a six-figure Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalty following a workplace explosion according to industrial safety and training organization, Safety.BLR.

OSHA announced on Nov. 16 that, “Air Liquide Advanced Materials, Inc., of High Springs, a global manufacturer of industrial gas, faces $201,573 in penalties following a May 2023 explosion that severely injured several employees.” According to their report OSHA found that, “The employer could have prevented the accident by following required operating procedures in the manufacturing process.”

After the explosion, OSHA investigators conducted an inspection at the manufacturing site where “diborane — a toxic, colorless, and pyrophoric gas — is produced, distilled, mixed, and transferred.”

“Inspectors determined that the explosion occurred as a 25-year-old product technician used a heat gun to transfer gas from an aluminum source cylinder to a steel cylinder. The technician was flown to a trauma center and treated for brain injuries, third-degree burns, and a leg amputation. Four other workers suffered various injuries and were treated at the hospital.”

According to Safety.BLR, OSHA cited Air Liquide for “willfully exposing workers to fire and explosion hazards by requiring them to use equipment intrinsically unsafe in the presence of flammable chemicals and vapors.”

OSHA also cited the employer for 12 serious violations for the following failures:

“Not containing safe upper and lower limits for temperatures, pressures and flows, and thermal and chemical stability data on the process safety information documents;

Failing to conduct a process hazard analysis to adequately address hazards related to impure or contaminated materials produced in mixing and reaction processes;

Not retaining and addressing hazard analysis recommendations promptly and tracking resolutions;

Failing to address requirements for the operating limits specified for cylinder temperatures in written operating procedures;

Not removing equipment in hazardous locations with ignitable or combustible properties of specific dust, fibers, gases, or vapors present; and

Not properly classifying buildings as process safety management sites and documenting that equipment complied with recognized good engineering practices.”

In an agency statement, OSHA’s Jacksonville area office director Scott Tisdale said, “By putting production ahead of safety, Air Liquide Advanced Materials altered a young worker’s life permanently. Our investigation found the company worked to increase productivity at its High Springs facility but failed to employ safety measures required for the production of a toxic chemical, diborane.”

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA ‒ Alachua Boy Scout Troop 88 and the Alachua Lions Club broke ground on a new scout hut Nov. 10, 2023 at the site of the existing scout hut, located on N orthwest142^nd Terrace across from the Alachua Post Office. Chartered in 1912, and one of the oldest Boy Scout troops in the United States, Troop 88 has a long history in Alachua and with the Alachua Lions Club.

After the Alachua Lions Club was chartered in 1931, it began sponsoring Troop 88. According to Alachua Lions Club records, the first scout hut in Alachua was built in the 1930s with the assistance of the Alachua Lions Club but was burned down in 1983 as result of arson.

Continuing its dedication to Boy Scout Troop 88, Alachua Lions Club members, headed by Lion Gil Whitman, spearheaded the construction of a new scout hut to replace the one that burned down. Funds were raised by the Lions and many “man-hours” were donated to construct the new building, Lions Club records state.

In February 1984, the concrete slab for the current scout hut was poured and the building began to take shape. The building was enlarged from the original size, giving the troop a chance to grow and include more scouts into the scouting program. Upon the completion of the building, Boy Scout Troop 88 decided to dedicate the new scout hut in memory of Lion Gilbert Whitman who was killed in a car accident on Feb. 14, 1984 after spending the day pouring the concrete for the hut.

In 2017, Alachua Lions Club member Gib Coerper began heading up an effort to raise money for a major expansion and renovation of the scout hut. The expansion comes with a price tag of about $185,000. All of the construction and design costs and efforts have been donated either in cash or in-kind.

The project will be a complete renovation of the existing building, plus a major expansion increasing the scout hut by two-thirds. The existing restroom will be renovated, and an additional wheelchair accessible restroom will be constructed. The expansion also includes an entirely new HVAC system and a covered front porch.

Coerper said he expects construction on the project to move at a fast face, with completion as early as mid-December. While the scout hut undergoes the renovations, scouts will utilize the Alachua Lions Club building next door.

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

HIGH SPRINGS – High Springs City Manager Ashley Stathatos sent City Commissioners a brief letter of resignation on Nov. 16.  In the letter she said, “I appreciate my time in the City of High Springs.  I would like to submit my resignation.  If it suffices with the City Commission, my last day will be February 29^th.  My contract stipulates I need to give the City Commission sixty days notice.  I am willing to stay if the Commission needs me an extra month in order to get a new City Manager.  Thank you, Ashley.”

Stathatos, who joined the City in 2020, said, “I think I did a really good job for the City since I have been here.  I have had a wonderful staff and we have accomplished quite a lot in the past three years.”

About some of the accomplishments, Stathatos said, “I am really very proud of the Bridlewood development.  This will be a high-level development in which I have been able to negotiate sites that are to be allocated to a school, a police and a fire station, parks within five minutes walking distance from every home, pedestrian trails and much more.”

Stathatos went on to say, “Since I have been here we have updated our Comprehensive Plan, completed construction of a third well, which we needed for redundancy, and adopted impact fees to help pay for parks, roads and general government services.  A new wastewater treatment plant is under construction for which we have received more than $10 million in funding from Suwannee River Water Management District and the Department of Environmental Protection. 

“We annexed property into the City and approved a solar power array through Duke Energy.  This is a passive use of the property that will bring a significant amount of revenue into High Springs.”

Stathatos also said, “I have enjoyed my time in High Springs.  It has been a privilege to serve this community and I wish the best for the City.”

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

Photo by MICHAEL P. MAUER special to Alachua County Today / Alachua County Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2811 Quartermaster Avery Owen, left, and Commander Chester Lundy display the flag that was rescued and returned to the Gainesville post after being thrown away in a dumpster 350 miles away.

GAINESVILLE ‒ More than 350 miles away outside of Atlanta, a United States flag carefully folded into a display case was casually thrown into the trash. Rescued by a patriotic citizen, it was placed in the hands of Michael T. Brown, adjutant of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5255 in Lawrenceville, Ga.

As Brown removed the back from the display case to properly prepare the flag for disposal, a newspaper clipping dated July 2, 1989 fell out. The topic of the article was flag desecration, and a court ruling that upheld flag burning as an expression of speech. It featured remarks from Past Alachua County VFW Post 2811 Commander Adrian K. Stitt.

“To be free, you’ve got to have patriotism, and patriotism is part of who I am as a person,” Stitt was quoted in the article. “I will not speak against our government yet – until they give me something to speak out against.”

Stitt, a veteran of World War II and Korea, served as commander of the Alachua County post 34 years ago. A few years later following his term, he moved to be closer to family near Atlanta.

And there he stayed until he passed. Part of his legacy were the words read by the VFW Post 5255 adjutant.

Motivated by the newspaper article and a sense of duty, adjutant Brown – a veteran of the Vietnam War – delivered the flag to the Gainesville VFW. Instructions with the national emblem and case read that the flag should be displayed proudly with honor.

Alachua County Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2811 Quartermaster Avery Owen received the display case earlier this month. A retired master sergeant with the 3rd Bn, 20th Special Forces Group of the Florida Army National Guard, Avery said he felt honored by the adjutant’s request.

“Those of us who’ve served overseas have seen firsthand what countries are like where people have few rights and freedoms,” he said. “It helps make you understand that the U.S. flag truly represents protection of liberties, and deserves to be respected and honored.”

With dozens of combat veterans in its ranks, the Alachua County post is dedicated to honoring the U.S. flag. On Nov. 4, for example, members of the post and its auxiliary spent part of the day decorating the graves of former servicemembers with American flags for Veterans Day.

Also, carefully displayed on the walls of the post’s main meeting hall are scores of U.S. flags in wooden presentation cases. Each is marked with a small brass plaque inscribed with the name of the servicemember it honors.

Avery said he understands that some of the freedoms he’s fought for include the right of fellow citizens to desecrate the flag as a form of protest. He is quick to add, however, that it is also his privilege and that of many others to honor the flag at all times.

“We could argue what is right or what is wrong,” said Avery “But in the end, respecting our country and its founding principles and our fellow citizens is paramount.”

Etiquette taught to those in the military and service organizations is based on the premise that the American flag should be respected as a symbol of freedom. According to the VFW, proper protocol should be followed in the disposal of a flag. This process includes reverently burning the flag, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and burying the ashes. Alachua County Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2811 accepts donations of old and worn flags, and regularly retires them according to these guidelines.

“It’s never right to just throw the United States flag into a dumpster,” said current VFW Post 2811 Commander Chester Lundy. “That’s like throwing away all your rights and privileges as a citizen of this country.”

Lundy, a retired Marine master sergeant and Desert Storm veteran, said that he’s glad the flag arrived under his watch.

“It gave myself and a few others a chance to reflect about how many different opinions there are, and how good it is to be in a country where differences are allowed,” the commander said.

Those interested in VFW Post 2811 and its activities can call 352-376-7660

*   *     *

Michael P. Mauer is a life member of VFW Post 2811. He served as an Army photojournalist during Operation Desert Storm, and was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal by Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf for his actions during the war. This year, Mauer won the Grand Award for top feature article in the VFW National Publications Contest.

#     #     #

Email mikemauer@

hotmail.com

HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Two new members have joined the High Springs City Commission after their successful bids during the Nov. 7 City Commission race. At the Nov. 16, High Springs City Commission meeting, City Clerk Angela Stone administered the oath of office to newly-elected Commissioners Andrew Miller and Steven Tapanes. Once seated, the commission elected Katherine Weitz as mayor and Commissioner Tristan Grunder as vice-mayor.

Prior to the swearing in, the Commission held an organizational meeting for the outgoing Commission to finalize any unfinished business. The only item on their agenda received unanimous approval, which was a professional services agreement with Redspeed, Florida, LLC for a Traffic Safety Camera Program in the school zone.

Following approval, High Springs Police Chief Antoine Sheppard recommended that the city attorney develop an ordinance for a future hearing. Outgoing Mayor Gloria James adjourned the meeting following a motion to do so by outdoing Commissioner Ross Ambrose.

With the new Commission seated, City Board members were selected. Miller was elected as the Chair of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and Tapanes was elected vice chair.

Rate Increases

Finance Director Diane Wilson reviewed proposed Fiscal Year 2024 rates for water, sewer and solid waste and listed reasons for the increases. Wilson said that Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) should bring in additional revenue because those older meters will be replacing many inaccurate or dead meters that have been undercharging customers in the past. The exact amount of revenue increase was “uncertain,” said Wilson. She stressed that if the City doesn’t raise rates at all, there is a danger the City won’t have enough money to operate for the year.

Installation of the meters came later than anticipated as City Manager Ashley Stathatos said, “The meters had been delayed due to supply side problems. We anticipated receiving them much earlier than this.” Stathatos also said an increase wasn’t implemented sooner due to expected increased revenues from a development that was delayed.

During discussion, questions about a $350,000 solid waste contract expense led Commissioners to request that City Attorney Scott Walker and City Manager Ashley Stathatos go back to the drawing board with solid waste provider Waste Pro.

Commissioner Byran Williams and Vice-Mayor Grunder both recalled that Waste Pro said they were going to maintain the same rates as previous waste hauler, GFL, through the end of GFL’s contract period. Instead, said Weitz, Waste Pro had increased their rates, which means that the City has been charged more than the Commission originally agreed to pay.

The City had previously passed an ordinance to automatically increase rates on water, sewer and solid waste yearly by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) amount to keep up with inflation. However, Commissioners asked that the automatic increase be discussed at the next meeting after they received Stathatos’ report on the solid waste contract.

After some discussion, Miller made a motion to table the item until the Dec. 14 meeting. Tapanes seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

Other City Business

In other City business, Duke Energy was denied approval for plans to have five electric vehicle charging stations located at Railroad Avenue and Main Street. The Commission referenced limited parking in downtown High Springs. Had the site plan been approved, it would have meant that Duke would restrict those parking areas for a period of 10 years.

Items Tabled or Postponed

Reports on Fiscal Year 2022 City and CRA audits were rescheduled to the Nov. 28 meeting after Commissioners were informed that the City’s auditors, James Moore and Co., were unable to attend the meeting.

Appointment to the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Board (MTPO) will also need to be voted on prior to their next MTPO meeting on Dec. 8.

Commissioners unanimously approved a traffic enforcement contract between the High Springs Police Department (HSPD) and Cinnamon Hills Estate Homeowners Association, a gated community. Sheppard said his officers would not be stationed at Cinnamon Hills or provide additional patrolling of the subdivision, but would be allowed to enter if service was requested.

The City has received a $1,040,000 Florida Legislature appropriated grant for the Priest Theater, which will pay to purchase the building, stabilize the structure and repair the roof. Stathatos reports that the City would not be required to provide a match and that the City can sell the building later, if they wished to do so. This item will be placed on a future agenda. Commissioners requested to see the appraisal of the building, updated structural assessment and operational costs.

Other Business

Bradley Riddle was appointed to the Plan Board. Arthur R. Testa, Jr. was appointed to the Planning and Zoning Board. Jeffrey Dobbertien and James Amato were appointed to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

The city attorney announced an Ethics Training session at his office on Dec. 6, which is required yearly for commissioners.

Stathatos reported that the City has received a $3 million springs grant from the Water Management District. She said this was the number five approved project in the state.

She also announced that High Springs Fire Department (HSFD) Captain Kevin Pearson was at the meeting and Newberry’s Chief Vogel was acting as Interim Chief for the City.

#     #     #

Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com