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WEEKEND Washington County News

Saturday, JUly 6, 2013

For the latest breaking news, visit CHIPLEYPAPER.COM

in BriEf Printing of newspaper delayed The Halifax Media press in Panama City is undergoing repairs after being damaged by lightning on June 29, causing the July 6 edition of the Washington County News Weekend to be printed a day later than usual. The newspaper was printed at another location and delivered to our readers as soon as possible. Late-breaking news is not included in print today but is available on our website, www. chipleypaper.com, and will appear in Wednesday’s paper.

w w w. c h i p l e y p a p e r. c o m

Faith Events a2

Planning Commissioners OK school project By RANDAL SEYLER

638-0212 | @WCN_HCT rseyler@chipleypaper.com chiPley — The Washington County Planning Commission approved the initial plans for the new Kate M. Smith Elementary School Tuesday night. That recommendation will move forward to the Board of County Commissioners for final approval on July 25.

“This is a very large project,� Dan Rutherford of CRA Architect told the commissioners. “The drawings don’t do it justice.� Rutherford said the school building is 600 feet long and he explained that bus traffic will be routed to Brickyard Road while parental traffic will access the new school from South Boulevard. County Planner Mike DeRuntz told the commissioners that the property on which the school is to be build lies in both the city limits of

Chipley and in the county. Commissioner Jim Ackerman asked if the construction would result in more water running off the property and across Brickyard Road. “No,� Rutherford said, “the state standards do not allow for any more run-off after a construction project than was there before.� “Have we considered that we are moving traffic off of city streets and onto two county roads? Will this be an increase in traffic?� asked Com-

missioner Roger Hagan. Rutherford explained that the bus entranceway will be designed to correspond with the existing entranceway at Roulhac Middle School. “Actually this should decrease the bus traffic on Brickyard that you already have there because of the schools,� Planning Commissioner Mike Park said. Park is the director of transporta-

FloodinG closes all coUnty Roads in WashinGton coUnty

city council meets tuesday Photos by Melissa Kabaci

Torrential rains caused extensive flooding in Vernon, beginning on Wednesday morning and continuing through the weekend. All the county roads in Washington County were closed by Thursday.

Choctawhatchee River ooding may crest on Monday " " !

By RANDAL SEYLER

638-0212 | @WCN_HCT rseyler@chipleypaper.com

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Phone: 850-638-0212 Web site: chipleypaper.com Fax: 850-638-4601

Patronis pulls out of race Halifax Media

chiPley — The Washington County School Board will meet at 5 p.m. on Monday, July 8, in the Board Room of the Administration Building in Chipley.

See school A2

By MATTHEW BEATON

school board meets Monday

chiPley — The Chipley City Council will be meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9, at City Hall in the Council

50¢

Volume 90, number 24

chiPley — Rain continues to fall, and all the roads in Washington County have been declared closed. In spite of incessant rain and flooding, there were no injuries reported to the Washington County Sheriff ’s Office as of Friday morning. The Red Cross Shelter opened on Wednesday in Vernon was moved to the Washington County Agricultural Center in Chipley on Thursday due to flooding making the Vernon High School campus, where the shelter was initially opened, inaccessible. The shelter was open on Friday and workers there advised residents to bring bedding. “We have 13-14 cots, but they need to bring pillows and bedding,� said volunteer Carol Dow. The shelter at the Ag Center is open for families that are impacted by the flooding. Food would be provided at the shelter, Dow said, so people did not

have to bring food items with them. Thursday evening only two people had signed up at the shelter. Dow said she did not know how many days the shelter would need to remain open. Families coming to the shelter should remember to bring identification, important medications, personal hygiene and comfort items, sleeping bags, blankets, pillows for sleeping, foods for special dietary restrictions, and small games, books, etc. for children. “We are urging everyone to pay attention to local media and announcements from local governments regarding road closures and water levels in low lying areas,� said Red Cross Director, Bob Pearce. “Avoid driving or walking through standing water. Report all incidents of flooding to law enforcement or your local Emergency Management offices. If you feel you are in immediate danger call 911. Your safety and the safety of your loved ones is your most important consideration,�

Pearce said. Due to the continuing rain event across the panhandle of Florida all the roads in Washington County have been impacted, according to officials. Due to extremely dangerous road conditions which continue to deteriorate, the Washington County Board of Commissioners, Constitutional officers and Judge Colby Peel announced that all county government offices, including the courthouse, would be closed on Friday. Rising water and continued rains have made the dirt roads unstable, according to county officials. Running waters have begun to erode the travel lanes. Due to waters crossing the roads many of the dirt roads have been cut in two. The paved roads have also been impacted. Several paved roads have water standing or running across them creating travel hazards. In a special briefing at the county Emergency Operations Center on

See FloodinG A3

PanaMa city — State Rep. Jimmy Patronis has announced he is withdrawing from the 2016 state Senate race. Patronis, R-Panama City, declared himself as a candidate in December but now says he wants to spend more time with his family. He isn’t ruling out future runs at public office, but for now he wants to focus on those he loves the most and finish out his final year in the Florida House of Representatives. “Trying to serve three different causes — my family, my business that pays the bills and the Legislature — was just more than I could really do well in,� Patronis said. “I knew, first and foremost, being a good dad and a good husband needs to be my priorities.� Patronis, 41, said eight years of commitment to public office is “enough at this time.� His son will turn 5 years old today and he said it’s things like that which put everything in perspective. “I don’t want to miss another day of [my kids’] development,� Patronis said. But the decision was made more than a month ago, in mid-to-late May, Patronis said. “I had made my mind up and just got more and more comfortable with the decision and got more and more content that I was making the right decision,� he said. Patronis said he changed his cellphone number in May and suddenly realized how much of his life was tied up in his public service. “Taking a little bit more control of my personal time has been more

See PatRonis A3

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