GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — A Florida woman is suspected of drowning a 2-week-old puppy in a Nebraska airport bathroom so she could board a plane.

Grand Island Police Sgt. Stan Steele says 56-year-old Cynthia V. Anderson of Edgewater, Florida, was denied access to a flight Friday at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport because the puppy was so young and not properly contained. Steele says she tried to conceal the Doberman in her carry-on bag.

He tells The Grand Island Independent Anderson then was seen entering a bathroom before another woman reported finding a dead Doberman puppy in the toilet.

Steele says the Central Nebraska Humane Society conducted an autopsy. It determined the animal's cause of death was drowning.

Anderson was arrested on animal abuse charges. She's being held in the Hall County Jail.

If you see Katniss Everdeen, tell her the Panama City Police Department has one of her arrows.

An officer responded to a home Monday after a man called to report an arrow stuck in the cover of his pool. He was eating lunch and noticed the arrow, which was reported as “child sized” and likely used for target practice. The officer’s scientific determination was the arrow was shot straight in the air and there was no indication it was aimed in that direction intentionally.

The owner of the house was going to let the arrow slide, but police reported his wife was insistent he should call. The officer took possession of the arrow and reported it would be destroyed.

No word on whether Miss Everdeen will attempt to retrieve the arrow before it meets its demise.

SPRINGFIELD — A Springfield man has been arrested on an attempted murder charge after allegedly attempting to decapitate a man with a Katana sword, according to court records released Tuesday.

Richard Andrew Wooster, 47, was arrested Sunday in connection with an aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and attempted murder incident, according to Springfield Police Department reports.

Springfield police were called at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday to 2908 Ormond Ave. Two residents at the address told police Wooster armed himself with a 40-inch Katana sword and came after them.

One of the residents said Wooster struck him on the right side of the neck with the sword, and the other said she was hit in the right arm and suffered an abrasion, police reported.

“During a post Miranda interview (Wooster) said he was going to kill them, making reference to the victims,” police reported.

Wooster appeared in court for first appearance Tuesday. A bond of $150,000 was set for the attempted murder charge and a $75,000 bond was set for the charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Police reports did not state a motive for the attack.

PANAMA CITY — The 2 ounces of marijuana at the center of a Panama City Beach drug deal turned deadly was abandoned at the parking lot where police found the gunned down body of 20-year-old Ryan Brooks, jurors heard Tuesday.

During the first full day in the trial of Randy Jackson, 23, many of the people around him before and during the shooting took to the stand against Jackson. He was among six people charged in connection with a July 10 robbery plot that ended with gunfire and Brooks face down on the pavement at the Club Apartments, 325 Richard Jackson Blvd.

Joshua Heath Smith, 23, and Alyssa Watford, 18, were two of those who testified Tuesday that a plot to rob Brooks of the marijuana led to the shooting. However, Jackson’s attorneys argued the fatal shots were in self-defense after the people he and Smith planned to ambush allegedly attempted to rob them at gunpoint.

--- JACKSON FOUND GUILTY»»

While being questioned by investigators following the shooting, Jackson said he was defending himself. He initially denied any involvement until a picture came to light placing him near the scene at the time. Video from the interrogation was played Tuesday for the jury.

“I really wasn’t trying to shoot (the) dude, but what am I supposed to do when he’s coming up on me with a gun drawn,” Jackson told investigators. “… If I wouldn’t of shot him, I wouldn’t be here talking to you.”

Prosecutors called to the stand Smith and Watford — both of whom have taken plea deals to testify truthfully as to their involvement — to illustrate that Smith and Jackson armed themselves hours earlier with intent to rob Brooks.

Watford, former girlfriend of Brooks, arranged the meeting and a car to facilitate the robbery. She owed her current boyfriend, Smith, about $200 at the time from a loan on her rent, Watford told jurors, and arranged the robbery to clear her debt.

Smith corroborated that the group planned the robbery beforehand, but the scheme was fluid in design and depended on several factors. Smith also testified he and Jackson brought about $590 to purchase the marijuana if those factors changed and they decided to buy rather than steal the marijuana.

However, Watford told jurors the two men had no money with which to conduct the transaction.

“He wanted the money so I set up a robbery to get him weed,” Watford said. “… This was always going to be a robbery.”

Jackson also briefly mentioned, during the interrogation, the two did not bring money to what he said was meant to be a “snatch and grab,” he said.

--- JACKSON FOUND GUILTY»»

Joseph Cannizzo, 26, also is charged in connection to the shooting. He is accused of attempting to rob Smith at gunpoint before the shooting.

Jackson faces charges of manslaughter, attempted robbery with a firearm and felony possession of a firearm.

If convicted, he could face life in prison. The trial continues Wednesday.

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Two men were arrested and charged in the Saturday robbery of Zaxby’s, the Panama City Beach Police Department reported.

Zachary Lee Berido, 22, of Panama City Beach, and Jonathan Reed Rice, 28, also of PCB, were employees of Zaxby’s at the time of the robbery, PCBPD reported. The investigation revealed both also are roommates and conspired to steal money with Rice as the perpetrator of the robbery, according to police..

Rice, with the assistance of Berido, staged the robbery while wearing dark clothing and a ski mask late Saturday before fleeing the scene, police said. Berido then called in a false robbery report to PCBPD.

Rice was charged with employee theft while wearing a mask and Berido was charged with employee theft and filing a false police report. Both were booked into the Bay County Jail and awaited their first appearance.

PANAMA CITY — Randy Jackson was found guilty as charged of manslaughter and robbery with a firearm on Wednesday.

Jacksonkilled 20-year-old Ryan Brooks in July 2014 during a drug deal turned deadly. Jackson claimed earlier this week that he killed Brooks in self-defense.

Jackson, 23, will be sentenced in February.

Check back later for more on this story.

PANAMA CITY — Joseph Gable Wood Sr. was convicted Wednesday of lewd or lascivious battery on a 13-year-old girl, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

Assistant State Attorney Megan Ford told jurors in her opening statement Wednesday that Wood's wife found him engaged in a sex act with a 13-year-old girl on Nov. 2, 2013. The girl told authorities that Wood, 66, of Fountain, had been molesting her for several years.

Wood was found guilty as charged of lewd or lascivious battery and lewd or lascivious conduct. He faces up to 30 years in prison when Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet sentenceshim Monday.

PANAMA CITY — Two were arrested and charged after allegedly filling fraudulent prescriptions, the Panama City Police Department reported.

Jason Lee Thompson and Kristi Thompson, both 40 and of Panama City, were arrested Wednesday after interviews with the PCPD. The investigation began when a local pharmacy became suspicious of a signature, the PCPD reported. Investigators gathered information from the pharmacy and a local doctor who employed Kristi Thompson, according to police.

They were transported to the Bay County Jail and face more than 110 charges of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. The investigation continues and PCPD said more charges are likely.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chances of a driver dying in a crash in a late-model car or light truck fell by more than a third over three years, and nine car models had zero deaths per million registered vehicles, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Improved vehicle designs and safety technology have a lot to do with the reduced risk, but a weak economy that led to reductions in driving may also have played a role, the institute said.

The study, which examined fatalities involving 2011 model year vehicles, looked at how many driver fatalities occurred in a particular model over the course of a year of operation, expressed as a rate per million registered vehicle years. It found there was an average of 28 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years through the 2012 calendar year, down from 48 deaths for 2008 models through 2009.

When the institute looked at the issue eight years ago, there were no models with driver death rates of zero.

David Zuby, the institute’s chief research officer, called it “a huge improvement,” even considering the effect of a weak economy. “We know from our vehicle ratings program that crash test performance has been getting steadily better. These latest death rates provide new confirmation that real-world outcomes are improving too.”

Among the improvements credited for declining death rates is the widespread adoption of electronic stability control, which has dramatically lessened the risk of rollover crashes. SUVs had some of the highest rates a decade ago due to their propensity to roll over.

The rollover death rate of 5 per million registered vehicle years for 2011 models is less than a quarter of what it was for 2004 models, and six of the nine vehicles with zero deaths were SUVs.

Side air bags and structural changes to vehicles are also helping. Automakers are engineering vehicles with stronger occupant compartments that hold up better in front, side and rollover crashes, allowing the seatbelts and air bags to do their jobs well, said Russ Rader, an institute spokesman.

Improved technologies were responsible for saving 7,700 driver lives in 2012 when compared to how cars were made in 1985, the institute said.

But the gap between safest and riskiest models remains wide. Three 2011 models had rates exceeding 100 deaths per million registered vehicle years. The riskiest models were mostly lower-priced small cars, while the safest models were all mid-sized or large vehicles.

The nine models with zero deaths were: Audi A4 four-wheel drive, a midsized luxury car; Honda Odyssey, a minivan; Kia Sorento two-wheel drive, a mid-sized SUV; the Lexus RX 350 four-wheel drive, a midsized luxury SUV; Mercedes-Benz GL-Class four-wheel drive, a large luxury SUV; Subaru Legacy four-wheel drive, a 4-door midsized car; Toyota Highlander hybrid, a four-wheel drive midsized SUV; Toyota Sequoia, a four-wheel drive large SUV, and Volvo XC90, a four-wheel drive luxury midsized SUV.

While most were luxury models, two — the Subaru Legacy and the Kia Sorrento — are moderately priced.

The vehicles with the highest death rates were the Kia Rio, a 4-door mini car, 149 deaths per million registered vehicles; Nissan Versa, a small 4-door sedan, 130 deaths, and Hyundai Accent, a 4-door mini car, 120 deaths.

The declining death rates come as safety advocates in the U.S. and elsewhere set their sights on a goal of eliminating motor vehicle deaths. Sweden’s parliament adopted a “Vision Zero” policy in 1997. New York City has since adopted a similar policy. The Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety offices, issued a plan “Toward Zero Deaths” in 2009.

The institute has published death rates by make and model periodically since 1989, at first for cars only and later for all passenger vehicles. The rates include only driver deaths because the presence of passengers is unknown.

Although the latest numbers reflect 2011 models, the study included data from earlier-model year vehicles as far back as 2008 if the vehicles weren’t substantially redesigned before 2011. Including older, equivalent vehicles increases the exposure and thus the accuracy of the results, the institute said. To be included, a vehicle must have had at least 100,000 registered vehicle years of exposure during 2009-12, or at least 20 deaths.

10 lowest death rates:

• Audi A4 4WD*, luxury mid-sized car, 0 deaths
• Honda Odyssey, large minivan, 0 deaths
• Kia Sorento 2WD, midsized SUV, 0 deaths
• Lexus RX 350 4WD, luxury midsized SUV, 0 deaths
• Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 4WD, large luxury SUV, 0 deaths
• Subaru Legacy 4WD, 4-door midsized car, 0 deaths
• Toyota Highlander hybrid 4WD, midsized SUV, 0 deaths
• Toyota Sequoia 4WD, large SUV, 0 deaths
• Volvo XC90 4WD, luxury midsized SUV, 0 deaths
• Honda Pilot 4WD, midsized SUV, 2 deaths

10 highest death rates:

• Kia Rio, 4-door mini car, 149 deaths
• Nissan Versa, small 4-door sedan, 130 deaths
• Hyundai Accent, 4-door mini car, 120 deaths
• Chevrolet Aveo, 4-door mini car, 99 deaths
• Hyundai Accent, 2-door mini car, 86 deaths
• Chevrolet Camaro coupe, large sports car, 80 deaths
• Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew, 4WD large pickup truck, 79 deaths
• Honda Civic, 2-door small car, 76 deaths
• Nissan Versa hatchback, small 4-door car, 71 deaths
• Ford Focus, small 4-door car small, 70 deaths

*4WD=4-wheel drive

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

PANAMA CITY — Police continued investigating a crash on U.S. 231 on Friday in which a vehicle struck a pedestrian.

The pedestrian, whose name was not released, was struck by a silver Toyota pickup truck at 7:39 p.m. on Friday while walking on the shoulder of the northbound lanes, the Panama City Police Department reported in a press release four hours after the crash. The pedestrian suffered serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital, PCPD reported.

The name of the driver also wasn’t released and no other details were available as of Saturday afternoon.

Orange crime scene markers lined tire tracks along the grass shoulder up to where the truck had stopped just south of Transmitter Road Friday night. The truck had front end damage and various items were scattered in the grass among the markers.

Anyone who was in the area or witnessed the crash is asked to contact case agent Officer John Pauga at (850) 872-3100.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chances of a driver dying in a crash in a late-model car or light truck fell by more than a third over three years, and nine car models had zero deaths per million registered vehicles, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Improved vehicle designs and safety technology have a lot to do with the reduced risk, but a weak economy that led to reductions in driving may also have played a role, the institute said.

The study, which examined fatalities involving 2011 model year vehicles, looked at how many driver fatalities occurred in a particular model over the course of a year of operation, expressed as a rate per million registered vehicle years. It found there was an average of 28 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years through the 2012 calendar year, down from 48 deaths for 2008 models through 2009.

When the institute looked at the issue eight years ago, there were no models with driver death rates of zero.

David Zuby, the institute’s chief research officer, called it “a huge improvement,” even considering the effect of a weak economy. “We know from our vehicle ratings program that crash test performance has been getting steadily better. These latest death rates provide new confirmation that real-world outcomes are improving too.”

Among the improvements credited for declining death rates is the widespread adoption of electronic stability control, which has dramatically lessened the risk of rollover crashes. SUVs had some of the highest rates a decade ago due to their propensity to roll over.

The rollover death rate of 5 per million registered vehicle years for 2011 models is less than a quarter of what it was for 2004 models, and six of the nine vehicles with zero deaths were SUVs.

Side air bags and structural changes to vehicles are also helping. Automakers are engineering vehicles with stronger occupant compartments that hold up better in front, side and rollover crashes, allowing the seatbelts and air bags to do their jobs well, said Russ Rader, an institute spokesman.

Improved technologies were responsible for saving 7,700 driver lives in 2012 when compared to how cars were made in 1985, the institute said.

But the gap between safest and riskiest models remains wide. Three 2011 models had rates exceeding 100 deaths per million registered vehicle years. The riskiest models were mostly lower-priced small cars, while the safest models were all mid-sized or large vehicles.

The nine models with zero deaths were: Audi A4 four-wheel drive, a midsized luxury car; Honda Odyssey, a minivan; Kia Sorento two-wheel drive, a mid-sized SUV; the Lexus RX 350 four-wheel drive, a midsized luxury SUV; Mercedes-Benz GL-Class four-wheel drive, a large luxury SUV; Subaru Legacy four-wheel drive, a 4-door midsized car; Toyota Highlander hybrid, a four-wheel drive midsized SUV; Toyota Sequoia, a four-wheel drive large SUV, and Volvo XC90, a four-wheel drive luxury midsized SUV.

While most were luxury models, two — the Subaru Legacy and the Kia Sorrento — are moderately priced.

The vehicles with the highest death rates were the Kia Rio, a 4-door mini car, 149 deaths per million registered vehicles; Nissan Versa, a small 4-door sedan, 130 deaths, and Hyundai Accent, a 4-door mini car, 120 deaths.

The declining death rates come as safety advocates in the U.S. and elsewhere set their sights on a goal of eliminating motor vehicle deaths. Sweden’s parliament adopted a “Vision Zero” policy in 1997. New York City has since adopted a similar policy. The Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety offices, issued a plan “Toward Zero Deaths” in 2009.

The institute has published death rates by make and model periodically since 1989, at first for cars only and later for all passenger vehicles. The rates include only driver deaths because the presence of passengers is unknown.

Although the latest numbers reflect 2011 models, the study included data from earlier-model year vehicles as far back as 2008 if the vehicles weren’t substantially redesigned before 2011. Including older, equivalent vehicles increases the exposure and thus the accuracy of the results, the institute said. To be included, a vehicle must have had at least 100,000 registered vehicle years of exposure during 2009-12, or at least 20 deaths.

10 lowest death rates:

• Audi A4 4WD, luxury mid-sized car, 0 deaths
• Honda Odyssey, large minivan, 0 deaths
• Kia Sorento 2WD, midsized SUV, 0 deaths
• Lexus RX 350 4WD, luxury midsized SUV, 0 deaths
• Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 4WD, large luxury SUV, 0 deaths
• Subaru Legacy 4WD, 4-door midsized car, 0 deaths
• Toyota Highlander hybrid 4WD, midsized SUV, 0 deaths
• Toyota Sequoia 4WD, large SUV, 0 deaths
• Volvo XC90 4WD, luxury midsized SUV, 0 deaths
• Honda Pilot 4WD, midsized SUV, 2 deaths

10 highest death rates:

• Kia Rio, 4-door mini car, 149 deaths
• Nissan Versa, small 4-door sedan, 130 deaths
• Hyundai Accent, 4-door mini car, 120 deaths
• Chevrolet Aveo, 4-door mini car, 99 deaths
• Hyundai Accent, 2-door mini car, 86 deaths
• Chevrolet Camaro coupe, large sports car, 80 deaths
• Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew, 4WD large pickup truck, 79 deaths
• Honda Civic, 2-door small car, 76 deaths
• Nissan Versa hatchback, small 4-door car, 71 deaths
• Ford Focus, small 4-door car small, 70 deaths

*4WD=4-wheel drive

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Deputies have arrested a man who allegedly possessed several computer images of child pornography, according to a Bay County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Billy Earl Thomas, 52, was charged with 15 counts of possession of images depicting the sexual performance of a child.

Investigators with BCSO and agents from the Department of Homeland Security served a search warrant Thursday morning at 2412B Dorothy Ave. on Panama City Beach after developing information that several images of child pornography had been uploaded to the Internet from a computer at that address.

Investigators were able to confirm the email address used to upload the images belonged to Thomas. During subsequent interviews with Thomas, he admitted to viewing images of the sexual performance of children as he believed the images contained “photographic value.”

Thomas was arrested and booked into the Bay County Jail.

PANAMA CITY — Jurors have decided the Bay County Sheriff’s Office violated a confidential informant’s constitutional rights by arresting him during his service.

After deliberating almost four hours Thursday, an all-female jury determined that Sheriff’s Deputy Doug Smith did not have probable cause to arrest Richard Mullinax in June 2011 and that Sheriff Frank McKeithen ratified the unconstitutional arrest.

However, Mullinax, who filed the civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Northern Florida, was not rewarded damages.

“We’re grateful to the jury we got a verdict on the constitutional violation,” said Marie Maddox, Mullinax’s attorney.

The jury also found McKeithen personally did not violate Mullinax’s rights.

“I am disappointed with some of the verdict, but I accept full responsibility and make no excuses,” McKeithen said after the verdict was announced.

During the trial, Mullinax argued that BCSO deprived him of his rights by arresting him without probable cause. However, BCSO argued that he was arrested because he was not a suitable confidential informant and violated the terms of his release.

Mullinax had been released on a 60-day medical furlough in June 2011 after a plea deal on drug charges was reached between state prosecutors and his public defender. As an unwritten part of the deal, Mullinax was required to be a confidential informant, the attorneys testified.

Prosecutor Megan Ford said the furlough actually was a cover-up for his service as a confidential informant.

“We were trying to hide the fact he was going to be an informant,” she told jurors. “We were concerned about announcing he would be working for the state in front of a courtroom of inmates.”

In exchange for his cooperation, Mullinax was to receive 18 months instead of three years in prison.

“It was like we were killing two birds with one stone,” defense attorney Robert Boyette said. “He’d work for the Sheriff’s Office and get medical treatment.”

However, Mullinax was back in custody two days later.

It was because McKeithen didn’t like the confidential informant agreement, if you asked Mullinax — or because Mullinax was no longer a viable informant, if you asked BCSO.

“They had no animosity against Mullinax,” said Lisa Truckenbrod, BCSO’s attorney. “It had to do with him not being a fit confidential informant.”

While several events that led to his arrest were contested in court, both sides agreed that Mullinax had not committed a crime before he was arrested the second time. He was trying to check himself into a local hospital for a nervous breakdown when Smith arrested him, although officers said they believed he could be a danger to himself or others.

“It was not Mullinax’s fault the confidential informant agreement did not work out, and a judge gave him the benefit of the doubt,” Maddox said.

A Circuit Court judge sided with revoking the medical furlough, and Mullinax was sentenced to serve the 18 months in prison. Although he received the sentence originally agreed upon in his plea, he continued to argue that BCSO overstepped its authority by arresting him without cause.

“To hold someone against their will is wrong,” Maddox said. “It’s illegal.”

However, jurors did not find that Mullinax’s arrest caused him any damage.

CHIPLEY — A Washington County teen “trying to do the right thing” died Thursday night after being struck by a hit-and-run driver.

The Chipley Police Department is asking the public to be on the lookout for the car involved in the incident that killed Thomas Richardson, 18, of Wausau.

Police Chief Kevin Crews said Richardson had been searching for an elderly woman’s lost dog when he found it dead on Iona Street. Richardson called police and was waiting for officers to arrive around 6 p.m. when he was hit by the unknown driver.

According to police reports, Chipley investigators believe a newer model, dark-colored car was traveling west on South Boulevard when the vehicle left the roadway on the north shoulder, hitting Richardson. After the impact, the vehicle continued west on South Boulevard and left the scene.

Richardson was taken by Washington County EMS to Northwest Florida Community Hospital, where he was later air-lifted to Bay Medical Sacred Heart. Richardson died at 11:08 p.m.

“We’re asking the public to be on the lookout for a dark-colored car that should have damage on the right front and also missing the passenger side view mirror,” Crews said.

The chief said Richardson was killed while performing an act of kindness.

“Since Wednesday, officers with the Chipley Police Department had been looking for a lost dog that belonged to an elderly lady that lived in the neighborhood,” he said. “The lady has had the dog for 16 years and everyone that lived in the area knew who the dog belonged to. Mr. Richardson and his friend had located the dog after it had been ran over and killed on Iona Street.

“The two young men were just trying to do the right thing by contacting the police about the dog. We are offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads us to the arrest of the person responsible,” he said.

Friends of Richardson, who was an active member of Chipley’s First United Methodist Church youth group, say kindness came naturally to the teen.

Brandon Loriaux, who planned to join the U.S. Air Force with Richardson, was the friend helping Richardson reunite the elderly lady with her lost pet.

“Thomas wasn’t like most people,” Loriaux. “He was very quiet. ... The people he was open to really loved him, and he would have done anything for them. I know; I’m one of those people. He had a very bright future ahead of him, and I just want people know in his last moment, the only reason he was there was because he was helping me help an older lady.”

Can You Help?

• Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to contact the Chipley Police Department at 850-638-6310. To remain anonymous, call CrimeStoppers of Washington County at 850-638-TIPS.

TALLAHASSEE — With Florida’s corrections system under scrutiny because of inmate deaths and alleged misconduct, a Senate committee next week will take up a wide-ranging bill aimed at improving prison safety and addressing issues such as the use of force by guards.

The 29-page bill is slated to go Monday to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, which heard testimony last week from newly appointed Corrections Secretary Julie Jones. During that testimony, Jones pointed to problems including understaffed prisons and a lack of training for guards who deal with mentally ill inmates.

One of the prominent themes of the bill (SPB 7020) is trying to increase the focus on safety in prisons. Current law emphasizes the role of the Department of Corrections in maintaining the security of prisons, but the bill would put into law a similar focus on ensuring the safety of employees and prisoners.

In part, it would require periodic inspections and audits to look for safety problems in prisons. As an example, audits of prison buildings would be required to “include the identification of blind spots or areas where staff or inmates may be isolated and the deployment of video monitoring systems and other monitoring technologies in such areas.”

A series of events during the past year has led to investigations and widespread questions about the prison system. Much of that scrutiny started after the Miami Herald reported last summer about the death of mentally ill inmate Darren Rainey at Dade Correctional Institution. Rainey died after guards allegedly forced him to shower in scalding water as punishment.

The scrutiny also has included probes of inmate deaths by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a whistleblower lawsuit by a group of corrections investigators.

The Senate bill would try to address several of the key issues that have emerged. For instance, when correctional officers are being taught about the use of force, they would be required to receive specialized training “for effectively managing in non-forceful ways mentally ill inmates who may exhibit erratic behavior.”

Also, guards who have been written up twice for incidents involving inappropriate use of force would not be able to work closely with inmates who are mentally ill or on psychotropic medications.

The bill also would address a frequently cited issue about prison staff being afraid of retribution from co-workers if they report wrongdoing.

One part of the bill would allow staff members to make anonymous and confidential reports to the Department of Corrections’ inspector general if they witness abuse or neglect of inmates but fear retribution.

In addition, the bill would require the department to establish a policy to protect inmates and employees from retaliation for reporting physical or sexual abuse or for cooperating with investigations.

The policy, in part, would have to include “multiple protection measures, such as housing changes or transfers for inmate victims or abusers, removal of alleged abusive employees or alleged abusive inmates from contact with victims, and services for employees who fear retaliation for reporting abuse or for cooperating with investigations.”

PANAMA CITY — A Bay County jury has convicted Lawrence D. Brown of seducing and molesting a 14-year-old girl, according to the State Attorney’s Office.

Assistant State Attorney Christa Diviney told jurors during her opening statement that Brown, 26, met a “painfully shy” 14-year-old girl at church and set about seducing her. The seduction culminated in a meeting July 22, 2013, at a church retreat where Brown molested her. Brown used his phone to communicate with her through increasingly suggestive texts and to set up the meeting at the retreat, officials said.

He was found guilty as charged of lewd or lascivious molestation, traveling to meet a minor to commit an unlawful sex act and using a computer to solicit a sex act from a child. He faces up to 35 years in prison when Circuit Judge James Fensom sentences him Feb. 19.

APALACHICOLA — A former Franklin County probation officer accused of stealing what prosecutors say was at least $250,000 has pleaded no contest to three felonies.

Jennifer Martina Brown, 33, could land in jail for as many as 30 years, although it is expected to be under five based on what 2nd Judicial Circuit State Attorney Willie Meggs is seeking. Circuit Judge William L. Gary will sentence her in the next few weeks.

Brown pleaded to one first-degree felony count of grand theft of over $100,000, and two third-degree felonies, for official misconduct and tampering with physical evidence. The grand theft charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, while the official misconduct and tampering with physical evidence felonies carry a five-year maximum sentence. The official misconduct charge is connected to filing false reports as a county probation officer, and the tampering with physical evidence stems from the allegation she shredded receipts prior to her firing.

Defense attorney GordonShuler told the judge the deal with prosecutors was a “straight-up plea,” as opposed to one where the specific terms have been negotiated and agreed upon, subject to approval by the judge. Shuler said adjudication of guilt would be left to the judge and that Meggs had said he would ask for no more than five years in prison, 15 years of probation, payment of fines and restitution, and for any sentences to run concurrently.

After the judge asked Meggs to speak, the prosecutor offered a slightly varied scenario.

“I’m a little bit at a loss in understanding this straight-up plea. I have told Mr. Shuler I would not ask for more than five years in the Department of Corrections. I don’t recall any discussion about anything running concurrent,” Meggs said.

“It’s a semi-negotiated straight-up plea then,” Gary said. “Kind of, sort of.”

Brown is the daughter of Glenda Martina, who supervises the Clerk of Courts criminal division, and the niece of Clerk of Courts Marcia Johnson.

Johnson first discovered the possible theft Aug. 9, 2013, while she was updating staff on the requirements of a legislative report on the assessment and collection of court fines and costs.

Four days later, Johnson notified Richard Stewart, owner of Florida Probation Services LLC, the private firm under contract with the county to administer county probation services. Stewart fired her Aug. 15, 2013, and she was arrested.

Brown’s scheme enabled her to routinely take cash payments from probationers, and rather than recording them properly, indicate the individual had completed community service hours, which can be credited against an account at a rate of $10 per hour.

The State Attorney’s Office has said the scheme may date back four years and could involve more than 300 probationers but that it mainly involved cases in 2012 and 2013. Prosecutors also have said no probationers went to jail for non-payment or had to pay additional money due to the thefts. They have said only a very small percentage of probationers ever performed community service hours.

In an interview following the hearing, Meggs said accountants brought in from the state have determined at least a quarter-million dollars was taken and divvied up into a dozen bank accounts.

“They examined bank records and where a lot of money went, and we have followed it,” he said. “What we can prove right now, accurately, is $250,000. This is a probation officer who stole a lot of money from probationers and put it in her own pocket.”

Meggs said accounting staffers from Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater’s office have not performed an audit, and that one “desperately needs to be done. From the time of probation, every probation case needs to be looked at.”

He said he believes the Franklin County Commission ought to higher an independent auditing firm to review the books. Johnson has told commissioners she has done an internal review, and that the monies taken were all earmarked for different funds within the court function of her office.

“I have requested an outside audit from the County Commission’s independent auditing firm,” Johnson said.

PANAMA CITY — An alleged burglar who exposed his sexual organs during a home invasion has been arrested, according to Panama City Police Department arrest records.

However, 32-year-old David Earl Robinson Jr., of Panama City, did not go without a struggle, police reported.

On Jan. 22 at about 5:30 a.m., a young woman called PCPD to her West 13th Street apartment after awakening to find a man lying face down on the floor near her bed. The man had his pants and underwear pulled down, exposing his buttocks. He had apparently sneaked in through an unlocked window, she told police.

She screamed and the man, who police later identified as Robinson, jumped back through the open window. Once outside, Robinson allegedly “turned toward (the woman) and began masturbating while telling her to be quiet,” officers reported.

When the woman went to get her mother, the man fled the area on foot. However, he left fingerprints behind from opening the window and officers lifted them from the sill, police said.

An arrest warrant was obtained for Robinson’s arrest, and officers attempted to arrest him when he appeared at the Bay County Jail as part of a release agreement on a previous charge. The officers gave Robinson a chance to turn over his property to his girlfriend, but instead he turned around and attempted to take one of the officers down with a “leg sweep tackle,” officers said.

The maneuver didn’t work, though. Officers arrested Robinson and took him to the Bay County Jail. He was charged with burglary, exposure of sexual organs, battery on an officer, resisting an officer with violence and violating his release conditions on misdemeanor marijuana and paraphernalia charges.

The officer suffered “soreness and bruising” from the leg sweep attack, officers reported.

PANAMA CITY — A 14-year-old who is accused of two arson incidents has been waived up to face the charges in adult court, according to court documents.

Austin Macmenamie was arrested by the Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations following fires on Jan. 2 and 3. Macmenamie was initially charged on two counts of arson and burglary as a juvenile, but he was waived up to adult court Thursday and appeared at the Bay County Jail to hear the charges, according to official documents.

Macmenamie’s bond was set at a total of $14,000.

According to investigators, Macmenamie allegedly set fire to trailer at 2630 A Twilight Ave. on Jan. 3.

“In the presence of his mother, … Macmenamie admitted to entering the trailer and setting the cardboard products on fire with a lighter,” officers reported.

Macmenamie went on to also tell arson investigators the day prior he entered a structure at 2534 N. Mercedes Ave. While inside the structure, Macmenamie said he poured fuel on items in the structure and set it ablaze, according to investigation notes.

Court records do not specify a motive or whether the structures were occupied, but no one is believed to have been injured.

He was arrested that day and taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice. Nearly three weeks later, the State Attorney’s Office waived the 14-year-old up to adult court and got a warrant for his arrest, according to court documents.

Macmenamie was ordered to be held without release until a bond could be set at his first appearance. He faces two counts of second-degree arson and two counts of burglary of a structure. Macmenamie will be arraigned on the charges in March.

Information is provided by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office on people arrested on charges Jan. 21-27. Those arrested can contact The News Herald if charges are dropped or if they are acquitted. Addresses are those given by the defendant during arrest.

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Morgan Kayleigh Schmidt, 20, Canton, Ga., possession or use of narcotic equipment, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver

Timothy Blake Keller, 56, 580 Hickory Bluff Road, Southport, robbery with a firearm, kidnapping

Dustin Allen Ard, 18, 137 Newman Point Road, Southport, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Rashad Tyrell Goolsby, 21, 624 E. Eighth, Panama City, possession of cocaine, possession of controlled substance without prescription, possession of marijuana, possession of use of narcotic equipment

John Dillon Hunt, 18, 500 West Gold Blvd., Panama City Beach, felony battery

Rex Terry Brannon, 68, 1700 Billings Ave., Panama City, domestic battery on person 65 years of age or older

Kerwin Jerriel Smith, 22, 1914 Frankford Ave., Panama City, burglary

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Shelby Brooke Head, 22, 5505 Scenic Drive, Panama City, possession of controlled substance without prescription

Jeffery Alan Lamb, 47, 8421 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach, kidnapping/false imprisonment

Mikeal Shon Meadows, 39, 117 White Cat Way, Panama City, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of synthetic narcotics with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possessiong of opium or derivative with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of use of narcotic equipment

Katherine Marie Martinez, 27, 5154 Marla Drive, Panama City, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Charles Christian Cook, 53, 1431 John Steinberg, Niceville, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Daltonica Wilson, 30, 812 West St., Parker, felony or domestic battery by strangulation, kidnapping/false imprisonment, sexual assault

Kenneth Richard Phillips, 25, 1401A Joe Lewis Blvd., Panama City, burglary

Demetrius Temane Brown, 34, Albany Ga., cocaine manufacturing, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of weapon or ammunition by felon

Petetrick Lamendez Browning, 20, 700 Transmitter Road, Panama City, possession or use of narcotic equipment

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Leo Edward Logsdon, 53, 1602 Cherry St., Callaway, aggravated battery causing bodily harm or disability

Holly Madison Fields, 22, 117 Treasure Palms Drive, Panama City Beach, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

Bryant Sidney Cox, 23, Union Springs, Ala., possession of marijuana

Kandi Ward Rollinswith intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Darrell Yujomo Elem, 37, 3304 W. 17th St., Panama City Beach, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

Jamie Lee Thompson, 32, 232 Belaire Drive, Panama City Beach, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Richard Allen Laubacker, 51, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, manufacture, sell or deliver, possession or use of narcotic equipment

Patricia Elaine Constantino, 51, 6504 Bridgwater Way, Panama City Beach, possession or use of narcotic equipment