BLOUNTSTOWN — Three people were hospitalized after a crash on State 71 near Big River Cypress Lumber Tuesday afternoon.

Angie McClellan, 32, and Gavin Phillips, 15, both of Panama City, were taken to Calhoun/Liberty Hospital while 15-year-old Austin Causey, of Blountstown, was taken to Tallahassee Memorial hospital after a collision at 1:40 p.m.

According to Florida Highway Patrol reports, Kevin C. Collins, 37, of Blountstown was exiting the driveway access of the Big River Cypress Lumber Yard onto State 71 in a 1996 convertible. McClellan and the two teenagers were headed north in a 2006 Mazda Tribute. Collins entered the path of McClellan, FHP said, causing her to collide with the left side of his vehicle.

Officers indicated that neither Causey nor Collins were wearing a seatbelt at the time.

McClellan and Phillips were left in serious condition. Causey sustained critical injuries in the crash. Collins was not injured.

No charges had been filed Tuesday, but FHP is investigating the incident further.

PANAMA CITY — A Panama City woman will face DUI manslaughter charges after allegedly driving onto a sidewalk and over a Louisiana teenager, according to court documents.

Bay County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for Lee Creary, 50, after receiving toxicology results indicating she had a blood alcohol level of .189 during a May 22 fatal crash on South Thomas Drive. Creary was arrested and initially charged with possessing a controlled substance but will now face charges of DUI manslaughter after a first appearance in Bay County court Tuesday.

Mark Garrard Robertson, 17, was returning to his room at the Boardwalk Beach Resort, 9450 South Thomas Drive, at about midnight when a vehicle traveling east drove up on the sidewalk and struck him, police said.

The vehicle, identified as a 1991 Chevrolet Suburban being driven by Creary, was traveling east on South Thomas Drive toward the intersection at Alvin’s Island Department Store before it veered onto the sidewalk on the south shoulder of the road, crashed into a light pole and struck a pedestrian.

Robertson, an Opelousas, La., resident, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:46 a.m.

A single .5 mg Xanax was found in the center console cupholder of Creary’s SUV, police reported.

The Blotter is a lighthearted look at some of the unusual things that happen on the police beat.

If you love something, let it go. And if it returns to its boyfriend who has just served a stint of jail time: for real, let it go.

A former inmate’s girlfriend was in bed one night when another person crawled in there with her. Realizing it was her neighbor and former lover, which she had taken while her boyfriend served his time, she yelled at him to leave immediately.

The boyfriend/ex-con had just gotten out of jail and, after all, had only stepped out to the store. But the neighbor couldn’t help but come by and check in on their relationship status.

When the former inmate got home, he was upset another man had been in his home. He heard it was the neighbor, went next door and repeatedly punched him in the face and chest before he could close the door. 

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Human remains discovered by police have made their way to labs for testing but who they once were and how they ended up in a dense swath of woodlands could remain a mystery.

A crew of workers found the skeletal remains of an unidentified person Tuesday while clearing a vacant lot just south of Back Beach Road (U.S. 98), between Gardenia Drive and Fernwood Street, at about 1:30 p.m. Investigators collected the bones and a few shreds of clothing from the densely wooded acre of land.

Dental and DNA evaluations began on the remnants Wednesday. However, announcing a positive identification could take several months even with the samples being compared against the finite list of Florida’s missing persons database, according to Bay County’s Medical Examiner’s Office.

“It depends on what stage in the case we are able to make a determination,” said Whit Majors, director of operations. “If we start doing DNA work and get a hit, then that would be great; but if we don’t get a hit, we have to explore other methods.”

Police discovered no evidence of foul play and little else on the scene that gave away who the person was or how they came to be in the woods along a heavily-trafficked highway. The climate, amount of undergrowth and decomposition made it difficult for officials to establish the cause of death, a timeline for how long the body had been there or even the gender, age or ethnicity of the person.

The remains were sent to Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers for an anthropological evaluation. If dental and DNA tests don’t yield identification results, the medical examiner would turn to those evaluations to narrow down the field of possible matches to missing persons.

Anthropological evaluations can determine height, gender, lineage, age, medical history and if the person experienced any post-mortem injuries. The process is part of an educational program that gives anthropology graduate students hands-on experience with determining the origins of human remains. Even then, a positive identification could elude scientists.

“Its hard to say who it is or who it isn’t at this point,” Majors said. “The anthropology, although it will come later, will narrow down the possibilities.” 

PANAMA CITY — Panama City police have made three arrests in connection to an investigation into the death of Tavish Greene, who was found dead in a car trunk less than a week ago, officials announced Wednesday.

Darryl Mack, 21, Tyricka Shavon Woullard, 20, and Dontavis Terrell Thomas, 22, have been arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, police said. Mack and Woullard are in Covington, Ga., awaiting extradition and Thomas has been booked into Bay County Jail.

None of the suspects was charged with murder, but police said they believe the three played a role in Greene’s death. Police are pursuing additional charges against them, according to PCPD spokesman officer Richard Thore.

VIDEO

Greene, 24, was one of several witnesses to a nightclub argument in June that ended in the slaying of 19-year-old Jshun Smith. He allegedly received death threats before being reported missing. Police discovered Greene’s body last Thursday in the trunk of his 2004 Chevy Malibu behind an abandoned home at 526 E. Eighth Court.

However, investigators are not linking his death to what he witnessed and have not brought charges of murder on the three suspects, Thore said.

“Right now, all the evidence does not indicate any of these occurrences happened due to the death he witnessed,” Thore said.

Police have not released the nature of Greene’s injuries and left several details unclear as to events that led to his death.

During the investigation, officers learned Greene was the victim of a robbery, according to a PCPD statement. A search warrant was executed on Woullard’s home at 3710 W. 21st St. Evidence obtained from the residence indicated that the robbery occurred there. Police later found that Woullard had vacated the residence the day after the robbery and fled to Georgia with Mack. Greene’s body was discovered in a trunk several days after the robbery, police said.

Greene was last seen alive July 20 at 2:30 a.m. leaving Big Daddy’s near the corner of 12th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Nearly two blocks away, he’d witnessed Smith, the passenger in his car, get shot in the head more than a month before.

Police arrived at about 3:20 a.m. at KJ’s Nightclub, 908 Martin Luther King Blvd., to find Smith, of Atlanta, in the roadway with a gunshot wound to the head, police reported.

Witnesses told police they saw Khiry Ross, 24, and Marcus Mathis, 25, both of Panama City, in an argument with Smith before both sides drew guns in the parking lot and began firing.

Smith was struck in the head and tumbled out of Greene’s car as the vehicle sped away, police reported.

Ross and Mathis were later arrested and charged in connection to Smith’s death. Both men are in jail.

Several community groups have bonded in the wake of months plagued by gun violence in Panama City. Greene witnessed the fourth of five gun-related homicides within a month.

Police would not specify what other charges the three suspects arrested Wednesday might face, saying they will be pursuing charges that would result in convictions consistent with the appropriate crimes.

“We are going to continue our investigation and are coordinating with the State Attorney’s Office to determine the appropriate forthcoming charges,” Thore said. “… Law enforcement is out there and we’re out there doing everything we can to keep the streets safe.” 

An earlier version of this story is posted below:

PANAMA CITY — Police have made three arrests in the death of 24-year-old Tavish Greene.

Greene was found dead in a trunk July 24 in the trunk of a white 2004 Chevy Malibu behind an abandoned home at 526 E. Eighth Court.

He was one of several witnesses to a nightclub argument in June that ended in the shooting death of 19-year-old Jshun Smith. Prosecutors said Greene was prepared to testify about driving the getaway car the night of Smith's death.

Check back soon for updates

PANAMA CITY — The three people arrested during an investigation into the death of Tavish Greene lured him to a residence to rob him days before police found his dead body in the trunk of a car, according to police reports.

Darryl Mack, 21; Dontavis Terrell Thomas, 22; and Tyricka Shavon Woullard, 20, have been arrested on conspiracy to commit burglary charges. None of the suspects has been charged with murder, but police said they suspect the three played a role in Greene’s death.

Police will be pursuing additional charges following the extradition of Mack and Woullard from Covington, Ga., into Bay County, where Thomas already has been booked into jail.

Police reports released Thursday indicate the three suspects lured Greene to Woullard’s residence at 3710 W. 21st St., where they planned to rob him the morning of July 19.

Thomas and Mack allegedly used phone calls and text messages to draw Greene into the trap through Woullard, his ex-girlfriend. The three hid inside, lying in wait to rob Greene of money and illegal narcotics. Woullard and Mack fled to Georgia the day after, police reported.

Police have not disclosed what they believe transpired between the alleged robbery and the discovery of Greene’s body the following Thursday.

The nature of Greene’s injuries also has not been released.

Greene, 24, was one of several witnesses to a nightclub argument in June that ended in the shooting death of 19-year-old Jshun Smith. He allegedly received death threats before being reported missing. Police discovered Greene’s body in the trunk of his 2004 Chevy Malibu behind an abandoned home at 526 E. Eighth Court.

However, investigators are not linking his death to what he witnessed.

Greene was last seen alive July 18 at 2:30 a.m. leaving Big Daddy’s near the corner of 12th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, witnesses reported. Nearly two blocks away, he’d seen Smith, the passenger in his car, get shot in the head more than a month before.

Police arrived at about 3:20 a.m. at KJ’s Nightclub, 908 Martin Luther King Blvd., to find Smith, of Atlanta, in the roadway with a gunshot wound to the head, police reported.

Witnesses told police they saw Khiry Ross, 24, and Marcus Mathis, 25, both of Panama City, in an argument with Smith before both sides drew guns in the parking lot and began firing. Smith was struck in the head and tumbled out of Greene’s car as the vehicle sped away, police reported.

Ross and Mathis were later arrested and charged in connection to Smith’s death. Ross remains in custody on murder charges.

Mathis, who has been charged with accessory to murder, was released on his own recognizance Thursday. 

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Police recovered the property and identification of a missing person along with the human remains discovered earlier this week, according to documents released Thursday.

Investigators recovered the skeletal remains from a wooded, vacant acre of land south of Back Beach Road (U.S. 98) between Gardenia Drive and Fernwood Street on Monday afternoon. A contracting crew came across the unidentified human remains, including a shoe with a bone protruding from the top, while clearing the dense undergrowth from the lot. Decomposition and exposure to the elements have made it difficult for officials to establish an identity or timeline of events, but other personal effects collected on the scene could reveal who the person was and how they ended up in the woods off a heavily-trafficked highway, police said.

Among the items Panama City Beach Police collected was a Veterans Affairs ID for Michael Allen Lane, a man missing in Panama City Beach since 2010, according to police reports.

While Bay County Medical Examiner officials expressed caution in concluding the ID card corresponded to the remains before DNA results are in, relatives of Lane were convinced the DNA samples would result in a match.

Stephen Lane said Thursday that despite not having a positive DNA identification, he was certain the remains belonged to his brother.

“I know that was my brother,” Stephen Lane said. “Nobody else would have that ID on them.”

Stephen Lane further explained that he hopes state law enforcement would pursue a homicide investigation once his brother’s identity is confirmed.

“What do you think your chances would be of getting the wallet off a 200-pound, Navy special ops, Iraq War veteran?” he said. “The reason my brother was lying where he was lying was because someone he trusted turned on him.”

Officers sifted topsoil and gathered ribs, vertebrae, long bones, the jaw and human skull late into the evening of the discovery. Prior to Thursday’s release of the agency’s case report, Beach police said they did not find any identifying items at the scene. However, PCBPD also found a bag containing clothing, personal photographs, a wallet, a Nokia cellphone and charger, according to police reports.

Michael Lane was reported as a missing and endangered person in December 2010. He was 48 years old at the time, according to the U.S. Department of Justice database. A dental record for Lane was not included in DOJ’s database, but the agency documented DNA samples.

He was last known to be at his Panama City Beach residence on or around June 20, 2010. He may have been en route to a rescue mission, but the Panama City Rescue Mission did not have any record of him. That was the last contact made with Michael Lane, DOJ reported.

Medical examiners will be comparing DNA and dental samples taken from the remains against missing persons records while other samples are analyzed by anthropologists of Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. A timeline has not been released for when, or if, officials have a positive identification. 

MISSING PERSONS DATABASE

PANAMA CITY BEACH -- A Panama City Beach police officer who was the subject of an armed stand-off has decided to retire.

Bay County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of an armed, distraught and intoxicated man in the Panama City Beach subdivision of Palm Grove on July 16. A two-hour impasse followed involving SWAT team members and numerous other law enforcement officers before Sgt. Jeff Heath, a 19-year veteran of the PCBPD, surrendered and was taken into protective custody. Police have confirmed that Heath, 43, will not return to the force following the incident.

Chief Drew Whitman said Heath’s official retirement date will be Sept. 8.

During the stand-off, Heath discharged a round through his home and into a neighboring residence. He faces one count of discharging a firearm into a dwelling.

Heath had previous issues as an officer, according to employee records.

In May 2012, Heath, then a lieutenant, was fired after an internal investigation concluded he was insubordinate and disobeyed orders not to speak about a former female Panama City Beach officer who had accused him of groping her in 2007.

However, the city’s civil service board ruled Heath could return to the department but demoted him from lieutenant to sergeant and ordered he be suspended for 30 days without pay. 

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Dental records verify the decomposed skeletal remains discovered earlier this week, concealed by years of overgrowth on a wooded lot, are that of Iraq combat veteran Michael Allen Lane, the Bay County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Friday.

Police located Lane’s Veterans Affairs ID and other personal effects along with his remains Tuesday in an undeveloped lot south of Back Beach Road (U.S. 98) between Gardenia Drive and Fernwood Street. Dental samples collected from the skeleton positively matched the military dental records of Lane, a man reported missing from his Panama City Beach home in June 2010, officials said Friday.

Although his family received closure in their four-year search for Lane, the news was not joyous.

“When someone’s family member disappears, it is horrible to never know what happened,” Stephen Lane said of the four years he didn’t know the whereabouts of his brother. “I wish I could go back and never know.”

Stephen Lane initially was contacted at his home in Arkansas after a crew of workers came across the human remains, including a shoe with a bone protruding from the top, while clearing the undergrowth from the wooded lot. Investigators recovered the skeletal remains and tatters of clothing from the undeveloped acre of land.

Decomposition and years of exposure to the elements initially made it difficult for officials to establish an identity or timeline of events, but other personal effects collected on the scene indicated the remains could be those of Michael Lane.

Michael Lane was officially reported as a missing and endangered person to the U.S. Department of Justice database in December 2010. He was 48 at the time he was reported missing by his girlfriend, Fani Biton, in June of that year. She claimed he left the residence earlier in the week, heading toward the Panama City Rescue Mission.

Lane never made it to the mission. That was the last contact anyone had with him, according to PCBPD.

Despite the confirmation, however, an official cause of death remains a mystery. The amount of decomposition could make it difficult for officials to determine how Lane ended up in the woods off the highway.

“Now we move onto the anthropology evaluation,” said Whit Majors, director of operations in the Medical Examiner’s Office. “Their findings could help us determine a cause of death, but that depends on if they see any injuries to the bones.”

Without bodily tissues to analyze for injuries or test for toxins, the medical examiner must rely on clues — if any — found by the anthropologists of Gulf Coast University, where the remains have been transported for evaluation. The anthropological evaluation can determine if Lane suffered any critical injuries to his bones before or after death. If their evaluation does not yield any evidence of injury, Lane’s official cause of death could go undetermined.

Once the evaluations conclude, family members plan to transport Michael Lane’s remains to their final resting place in Arkansas.

“At least we will finally be able to bring him home,” Stephen Lane said. 

PANAMA CITY — A binge of busting retailers who sold alcohol to minors netted the county about $6,000 after several suspects pleaded to the charges Friday.

More than 30 stores sold alcohol to underage customers during a July 16 sweep conducted by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. Volunteers consisting of 18- and 19-year-olds went into about 87 different convenience stores throughout the county. Some attempted to buy a single can of Four Lokos and some others tried to score a sixer of Bud Lite. The underage teens did not carry any identification while attempting to buy the booze. Of those, 32 stores didn’t ID the person.

“We were receiving complaints from parents whose kids advised them they could buy alcohol anywhere,” said Lt. Mitch Pitts, BCSO criminal investigator. “They were right.”

During their arraignments, 17 of the retailers have been adjudicated guilty so far of the misdemeanor charges and fined $350 — amounting to $5,950. Two of the retailers will undergo pretrial intervention and three have continued their cases Friday.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among American youth. Alcohol-related incidents account for more than 4,300 deaths a year.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms could pursue other fines or penalties against the owners of the businesses. 

Following are the names of those found guilty Friday:

Jason Aleshire

Younes Amrhari

Danielle Burns

Katherine Casper

Hashim Farhar

Elizabeth Garcia-Hernandez

Shanna Gilmore

Eric Harris

Cathy McMurphy

Ryan Pantaleo

Vipulkumar Patel

Andelia Robinson

Medapail Srinivasareddy

Leticia Ann Stones

Sheila Walsh

Bryan Waymire

Kathryn Woosley

PANAMA CITY -- The Panama City Police Department arrested 13 people Thursday for offenses ranging from active warrants to drug possession.

Periodically the department conducts Crime Analysis Strategic Enforcement, known as CASE, details. Police conducted a CASE detail that yielded five arrests for drug activity, five arrests for traffic offenses and three arrests of wanted persons.

The department determines, through the analysis of crime statistics, locations that have a high propensity for criminal activity. Once these locations are determined a CASE detail is planned and executed. During the planned CASE detail, officers, detectives and investigators focus on high crime areas to employ additional resources toward criminal activity.

The CASE detail was implemented in 2004. 

PORT ST. JOE -- 

Deputies responded to 1624 Grouper Ave. in Highland View at about 8:40 a.m., to a call regarding a subject driving a forklift that had become entangled in the power lines. Initial information provided by the caller revealed the subject had been “shocked” by electricity and unconscious.

Emergency personnel arrived to find Richard Dewayne Lancaster, 59, unresponsive inside a forklift. He was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf in Port St. Joe where he was later pronounced dead, GCSO reported.

GCSO deputies are continuing to investigate the accident. An autopsy will be conducted by the Medical Examiner’s Office of the 14th Judicial Circuit.

CHIPLEY -- Four people were injured in a car accident Friday in Chipley.

David Guthrie, of Bonfay, was traveling west on US 90 in Chipley when Amy Rudd, of Chipley, traveling south on Griffin Road, attempted to cross the intersection at US 90, officials said.

Guthrie’s vehicle, a 2008 Nissan Titan, hit Rudd’s 2013 Nissan Altima front to left side, causing her vehicle to rotate several times before coming to rest on the south shoulder facing northwest. The impact caused Guthrie’s vehicle to overturn several times in the  eastbound lanes before it ejected the driver onto the south shoulder. Guthrie’s vehicle came to rest on the south shoulder facing southeast, officials said.

Rudd received minor injuries and was taken to SouthEast Alabama Medical Center. Her passenger, Wesley Rudd, received more serious injuries and was taken to Sacred Heart Pensacola. Guthrie, in critical condition, was taken to Bay Medical Center in Panama City. His passenger, Christina Rodriguez-Plaza, received minor injuries and was not taken to a hospital.

PANAMA CITY — Police will hold their annual community outreach event Tuesday in Panama City.

The Panama City Police Department will host the “2014 National Night Out” Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Panama City Mall near the Sears parking area. This annual children’s event is designed to provide youth with information on crime and drug awareness and to generate support and participation in local law enforcement and first responder efforts.

“It’s an informative event to teach kids crime and safety awareness,” said officer Richard Thore, PCPD spokesman. “Plus our agency and the others will have displays and give residents a chance to meet first responders to promote community gelling.”

The event will host several displays from the PCPD and Panama City Beach Police Department, as well as other local agencies. Kids can also get a chance to check out some of the equipment used in law enforcement.

Citizens will be able to interact with first responders and receive crime prevention and personal safety information. There will be a live bicycle and motorcycle demonstration, bounce houses for the children and free hotdogs, drinks and other treats. Representatives from the Target Corporation will be in attendance and will raffle off a boy’s and girl’s bicycle during the event.

Questions on the event can be directed to officer Matthew Cole or Capt. Mark Aviles at (850) 872-3100.

PANAMA CITY BEACH -- A woman reported missing since Saturday night was located Sunday afternoon.

Kalene Elizabeth Conlan, 18, had been reported missing since 11:30 p.m. Saturday from the Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort at 17403 Front Beach Road. She was spotted by a beach vendor at about 3 p.m. Sunday in the water behind Landmark Holiday Beach Resort at 17501 Front Beach Road, police reported.

The vendor flagged down a beach and surf specialist who recovered Conlan. She was in good mental and physical condition, police said, and left on her own free will. Conlan did not appear to be harmed in any way.

BASCOM -- An adult and juvenile from Marianna have been arrested after allegedly stealing firearms from a home after the resident left for church, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded Sunday to a burglary on Wintergreen Road, where numerous firearms had been stolen. In the course of their investigation, deputies said they learned Joseph Alexander Redmon, 18, and Quashawn Perry, 16, had been at the home to borrow some gasoline, before the resident went to church. After the resident left, Redmon and Perry returned and broke into the home, taking several firearms, authorities said.

Redmon and Perry were apprehended a short time later in Marianna. How many firearms were missing from the home was unclear. Two firearms were initially recovered at the time of their arrests. Both Redmon and Perry were arrested and placed in the county jail. 

GRACEVILLE -- Authorities have arrested an alleged habitual DUI offender after finding him parked on a busy highway, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office reported Monday.

Stanley Dwayne Marchant, 55, appeared to be under the influence of an intoxicating substance Saturday when deputies found him parked in the westbound lane of State 2, obstructing traffic. Officers were responding to a report of a reckless driver traveling west on the highway, from Campbellton toward Graceville. The vehicle reportedly ran a motorist off of the roadway.

As deputies spoke with Marchant, he made several statements that he had ingested “Bourbon” and taken three prescription pain pills before being stopped. Marchant exited the vehicle but was unable to walk or stand without assistance due to his level of impairment, JCSO reported.

Officers found a partial bottle of “Kentucky Deluxe Whiskey” in the cars’ center console, a prescription bottle located under the driver’s seat that contained what police suspected was crack cocaine and two metal paraphernalia pipes with residue also located under the drivers seat. The vehicle was turned over to a towing company and Marchant was transported to Marianna Police Department where he provided two breath samples that were in excess of the legal limit.

Marchant’s Florida driver’s license was revoked due to being a “habitual traffic offender.” Marchant had three prior convictions for driving while license revoked/suspended and three prior convictions for DUI. Marchant was then transported to the Jackson County Correctional Facility to await first appearance. 

CHIPLEY — Residents are mourning a former Chipley High School student after dive teams found the 20-year-old drowned in a submerged vehicle early Sunday morning, authorities reported.

Leon County Sheriff’s Office divers found a 2001 Isuzu Rodeo submerged in the Ochlockonee River near Tallahassee Sunday morning with the body of 20-year-old Jordan Rae Nedeau inside. Authorities were allegedly later told one of Nedeau’s Tallahassee Community College classmates was intoxicated when he drove the SUV into the river with Nedeau inside, according to LCSO.

Jeffrey Rushing, 20, was arrested in connection to the Nedeau’s death.

Rushing was found passed out near a business Saturday at about 9 a.m. The deputy, unaware of the events of the previous night, made contact with Rushing and drove him to 2513 Golden Park Lane where he and Nedeau had been the night before, LCSO reported.

At 4:40 p.m. that day, Rushing appeared at LCSO with his mother and told deputies that he needed to provide them with additional information. Deputies then learned that Rushing and Nedeau had been with friends the previous evening at a local night club and then later at the Golden Park Lane residence. Rushing told deputies he became intoxicated at the Golden Park Lane residence and left driving his Isuzu Rodeo with Nedeau as a passenger, LCSO said.

Detectives determined that Rushing was driving in the area of Tower Road, where LCSO’s Tactical Dive Team began their search. At 1:20 a.m. Sunday, they found the SUV with Nedaeu inside. Rushing was arrested on charges of vehicular homicide and taken to the Leon County Jail, according to LCSO reports.

Nedeau’s initial autopsy indicated she died from drowning.

In an interview with local Tallahassee media outlets, Nedeau’s father said she graduated from Chipley High School with honors. Residents from the area reached out via social media Sunday and Monday to offer words of condolence.

Rushing was released on bond Monday. The investigation in ongoing. 

LAKELAND -- 

Scott wants to spend $500 million over a decade protecting the state’s natural springs, $500 million on alternative water supplies during the same time period and $150 million annually on conservation purchases. He also is pitching Everglades restoration efforts and — most surprisingly for environmentalists — a stronger regulatory approach with increased penalties for pollution violations.

“We’ll ensure that Florida’s treasures are protected for generations to come,” the Republican governor said Monday in a statement announcing his plan.

Critics mocked the proposal, seeing it as a cynical attempt to remake the image of a governor engaged in a close election contest after clashing repeatedly with environmental advocates during his first term. Scott signed a bill repealing Florida’s growth management regulations and abolished the state agency responsible for overseeing development, slashed spending at water management districts and rolled back springs protection legislation, among other controversial environmental decisions.

Paula Dockery, a former Republican state senator from Polk County who is known for her environmental protection efforts, said Scott simply is trying to deflect attention from his poor environmental record with the new proposal.

“It’s a little bit frustrating and a lot disingenuous on his part to try and portray himself in any way shape or form as being an advocate for the environment,” Dockery said.

But even some of the governor’s past critics say his “Let’s Keep Florida Beautiful” proposal represents a substantial commitment to environmental issues.

Audubon Florida Executive Director Eric Draper said Scott’s willingness to increase penalties for polluters in the new plan is significant for a governor seen as especially friendly toward industry and wary of government regulation, Draper said.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has taken a soft stance on permitting and regulatory issues under Scott, he said.

“I think that was a surprising part of the announcement because that reflects a shift in the way the governor has approached environmental policy,” Draper said.

Specific new penalties are not outlined in Scott’s plan, although the plan notes that oil companies can only be fined $10,000 a day.

Scott’s proposal also talks about tying the $500 million in funding for alternative water supplies to increased water conservation efforts, an incentive-based approach that would establish new regulations for water utilities.

But Dockery said Scott cemented his environmental legacy during an “abysmal” stretch of policymaking early in his term. That included repealing growth management rules that had stood for decades and pushing the state’s water management districts to reduce property taxes and make dramatic budget cuts.

Dockery also noted that Scott appointed a former shipping company executive to run the DEP, backed a plan to sell state conservation land and supported Everglades legislation that some environmental advocates say does not require polluters to pay enough for clean up.

Scott’s latest environmental policy proposal still does not address climate change or sea level rise, issues that could have major economic and environmental consequences in low-lying Florida.

Instead, the plan seems to mirror much of what environmental groups are pitching in a constitutional amendment that will be on the ballot this November that would require the state to allocate real estate transaction tax money for land conservation and other environmental protection. 

PANAMA CITY — The man accused of shooting a father during his newborn son’s homecoming celebration heard the charges against him Tuesday but those charges could change.

Charles Shisler, 62, was arraigned Tuesday on charges of manslaughter and felon in possession of a firearm for the shooting death of Steven Justin Ayers, 33.

Shisler could face further charges following a grand jury investigation.

Ayers and his wife had gathered family members to celebrate the homecoming of their 3-day-old baby born on Father’s Day. But the celebration at 2502 Michigan Court ended shortly after 6 p.m. when a stray bullet entered the home from more than 200 feet away, struck Ayers in the back of the head and killed him.

Shisler had picked up a loaded 9mm pistol in his residence, adjacent to the Ayers’ home, and the gun discharged, he told investigators. Shisler was in his backyard at 3708 W. 25th St. by the time Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived minutes after the shooting, according to arrest reports.

During their investigation into the shooting, BCSO also found a glass pipe and “shake and bake” kit in Shislers’ residence, which both tested positive for methamphetamine residue, authorities said. Officers filed additional charges of methamphetamine possession.