DCSO arrests suspected drug trafficker

Mugshot By DCSO – Graphic By HardisonInk.com

By Jeff M. Hardison © May 11, 2026 at 3 p.m.
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     CROSS CITY – The Dixie County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) recently arrested a woman suspected of being a methamphetamine trafficker as well as a fentanyl trafficiker, according to records.

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     Jena Marie Hindsley, 38, of Old Town was arrested for sales of methamphetamine, according to records.
     Two DCSO deputies utilized a confidential source who contacted Hindsley on May 5 to complete the purchase of illegal drugs, according to records. They sought $20 worth of methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to records.
     After completing the purchase of a relatively small amount of those two illegal drugs on May 5, according to records, on May 6, DCSO deputies T. Reed and C. Baumgartner executed a search warrant.
     Three people who were in the yard in front of the camper-trailer where Hindsley was selling drugs from were allowed to leave after they were searched and were found to have no drugs on them on May 6, according to records.
     As the deputies were executing the search warrant signed by Dixie County Court Judge Jennifer Johnson, Hindsley said she would cooperate with the search, according to records.
     Hindsley told the deputies that there was heroin, methamphetamine and a loaded firearm in the camper, according to records. She told the deputies the weapon was being held by her “on consignment” by a drug buyer whose name she could not recall, according to records.
     The deputies found “… a box with a child’s photograph on it located on a stand to the left side of the front door.”
     Inside that box, was a plastic bag with 54 grams of methamphetamine (almost two ounces), according to records. Another plastic bag with 19 grams of fentanyl were in the box, too, according to records.
     There was a 9 mm pistol recovered, as well during that search, according to records. Hindsley is a convicted felon, according to records.
     Paraphernalia and other items were found during the execution of the search on May 6, too, according to records.
     On May 7, through investigative techniques, the DCSO located $2,500 in money believed to be proceeds from illegal drug sales, as well as a .22 caliber revolver, and more paraphernalia connected with this defendant.
     Hindsley was charged with sale of methamphetamine, possession with intent to sell methamphetamine; trafficking in methamphetamine (more than 24 grams); trafficking in fentanyl (more than 4 grams); possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and four counts of possession of drug paraphernalia (syringes, scales, baggies and spoons), according to records.
     Her total combined bonds are currently $520,000, according to records.

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Levy County extends burn ban to May 19
Information Provided By Tacia Guthrie, Administrative Assistant II
Levy County Board of County Commissioners
Published May 11, 2026 at 9 p.m.
     BRONSON -- The Levy County Board of County Commissioners declared a local state of emergency on Feb. 12 due to drought conditions and an increased risk of wildfire some time ago.
     County officials report that the prolonged dry weather, drought indicators, and winds have created conditions where fires can ignite easily and spread rapidly, threatening lives, homes, infrastructure and natural resources.
     County officials recently announced the ban is now extended at least through May 12 -- with the potential for more seven-day continuances being possible as provided by law.
What the Burn Ban Means
     The following activities are prohibited throughout Levy County:
     • Burning of yard debris, trash, household paper products, bonfires, campfires, warming fires, outdoor fireplaces, land-clearing fires, and cooking fires.
     • Any outdoor activity that creates flames or sparks, including fireworks and sparklers.
Allowed Activities (Exemptions)
     The resolution provides limited exceptions, including:
     • Cooking within an enclosed gas or charcoal grill, used according to manufacturer instructions and attended at all times by a responsible adult.
     • Agricultural, silvicultural, or land-clearing burns authorized by a valid state permit and supported by appropriate personnel and equipment.
     • Properly permitted public fireworks displays conducted by a municipality or the county with fire protection in place.
     • Emergency flares used on navigable waters.
     • Authorized firefighter training.
Enforcement
     Violating the burn ban is a second-degree misdemeanor under Florida law. In addition, anyone responsible for an illegal burn may be billed for the cost of emergency response and fire suppression. Levy County Fire Rescue will respond to suspected violations as quickly as possible and take immediate action to control or extinguish any fire.
Duration
     The local state of emergency and burn ban will remain in place for seven days unless lifted sooner, and may be extended in seven-day increments if hazardous conditions continue. County leaders urge residents to use extreme caution, avoid activities that could spark a fire, and report concerns promptly.

Suspects Jailed May 4, 2026 through May 10, 2026
Published May 11, 2026 at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

Suspects Jailed May 4, 2026 through May 10, 2026
Published May 11, 2026 at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

Suspects Jailed May 4, 2026 through May 10, 2026
Published May 11, 2026 at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

K9 adds
to Gilchrist County School District Safety

Sheriff Bobby Schultz is seen with the new K9 named Maverick and the dog’s handler, GCSO Deputy Bryant Davidson, and Gilchrist County Superintendent Gina Geiger.

Story and Photo
Provided By GCSO Lt. Keagon Weatherford
Published May 7, 2026 at 4 p.m.
     TRENTON -- the Gilchrist County School District partnered with the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) this summer to apply for the Florida Safe Schools K9 Grant.     Through this partnership, the agencies were awarded nearly $100,000 in grant funding dedicated to enhancing school safety across Gilchrist County.
     Because of this grant funding, the GCSO was able to purchase and train a firearm detection/therapy K9, GSP Maverick, from Southern Coast K9.
     The grant also provided funding for a brand-new fully outfitted K9 vehicle, training, equipment, and supplies needed for Maverick’s first year of service, saving Gilchrist County taxpayers nearly $100,000.
     K9 Maverick will be handled by GCSO Deputy Bryant Davidson and will serve in schools throughout Gilchrist County. Maverick’s role will include proactive firearm detection, campus safety support, and positive interaction with students and staff. His presence is another step forward in ensuring our schools remain safe, secure, and welcoming environments for everyone.
     Sheriff Bobby Schultz and the men and women of the GCSO are grateful for the continued partnership with Superintendent Gina Geiger and the Gilchrist County School District and for opportunities like this that allow the GCSO to improve public safety while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.

Dixie County man
dies after pickup truck crash
By Jeff M. Hardison © May 6, 2026 at 9 p.m.
     DIXIE COUNTY – a 64-year-old Dixie County man died today (Wednesday, May 6) from injuries he suffered months ago, according to a Florida Highway Patrol press release.
     On Nov. 19, 2025 at 9:35 a.m., the man was driving a pickup truck eastbound on Northwest 878th Avenue near 818th Street, the FHP said.
     The vehicle went off of the road onto the northern shoulder and hit a power pole, the FHP said. The cause of this crash and the death of Driver 1 are being investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol. The crash investigator is FHP Trooper J. Adkins and the homicide investigator is FHP Cpl. M. Singletary.

Trenton man dies after single-car crash
By Jeff M. Hardison © May 6, 2026 at 8:45 p.m.
     ALACHUS COUNTY – A 63-year-old Trenton man died yesterday (May 5) injuries he suffered from a crash on April 12, according to a May 6 press release from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP)
     The man was driving a sedan northbound on Interstate 75, when he was about one mile from the exit for State Road 26 on April 12 at 4:45 p.m., the FHP said, based on a report from crash investigator FHP Trooper K. Gonzalez and homicide investigator FHP Cpl. J. Allen.
     The sedan went off of the right side of the roadway, and hit  a utility pole, the FHP said. The driver was transported to the hospital with critical injuries, the FHP said. The driver passed away on May 5, the FHP said.
     This crash and the death of the man are being investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol.
 

Firefighters battle blazes in Levy County
Story, Photo and Video By Jeff M. Hardison © May 6, 2026 at 4 p.m.
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     LEVY COUNTY – Levy County Manager Mary-Ellen Harper is going to be working with County Commission Vice Chairman Charlie Kennedy to evaluate the whole delivery of fire and ambulance services to all parts of Levy County, including the eight municipalities.
     This decision came after Levy County Department of Public Safety (Levy County Fire Rescue) Director and Fire Chief Mitch Harrell gave the four members of the County Commission present on Tuesday (May 5) an update on some of the bigger recent fires in Levy County.

Chief Mitch Harrell is seen and heard here during part of his presentation to the Levy County Board of County Commissioners on May 5 as he spoke about fires in the county. Click on the PHOTO to see and hear the video.
Video By Jeff M. Hardison – All Rights Reserved

     Harrell said he had spoken with representatives for the Florida Forest Service that morning (May 5).
     The Cow Creek Fire is at 2,364 acres of then, he said. As of then, it was approximately 65 percent contained. Forestry was overseeing the remainder of the effort to extinguish it completely, Harrell said, although Levy County is providing water for the effort.
     This fire is in the re-burn stage, he said. That is when pine needles fall to the ground and the fire restarts.
     There are strike engines and brush trucks that have been brought in from outside of the area by forestry to assist in this final effort for this fire, Harrell said.
     On the afternoon of April 21, Harrell said, forestry personnel who were flying to a different fire – the King’s Road Fire – and they noticed smoke from this fire in Goethe State Forest.
     The Cow Creek Fire is noted to have started about 1:20 p.m. on April 21, Harrell said. It started on about two acres. Then, it went very rapidly to engulf 100, 500, 700 acres, and very soon well over 1,500 acres in the first round of that fire, Harrell said.
     By the time that weekend was over, Harrell said, there were 38 structural firefighters on the scene. They were operating 15 pieces of equipment – engines, structural engines, brush trucks and water tankers, Harrell said.
     The firefighting teams stopped the fire from damaging more than 35 large structures like barns and homes. There was one chicken coop that was lost to the blazing inferno, he said.
     Later the same afternoon (April 21), there was a fire in the Bronson area, Harrell said. That fire covered a 40-acre piece of property near the Bronson Speedway racetrack, he said. Two campers, two sheds, four houses and three vehicles were protected from fires by the work of firefighters there, Harrell said. 
     There were two van vehicles and the vehicle that started the fire were lost to the blaze, Harrell said. That vehicle got stuck and the grass underneath it caught fire, and that was the initial point for that event, he said.
     The chief of Levy County Fire Rescue said he is grateful for Marion County sending two engines and a shift commander to Levy County that day. 
     And that neighboring county was not alone in providing aid to Levy County, Harrell said.
     Alachua County sent an engine and a tanker, a shift supervisor and an assistant chief. The City of Newberry sent a tanker. There were helicopters flying for both the Cow Creek and the Bronson area fires, he said.
     The chief said there were forestry personnel cutting fire lines with bulldozers.
     Fire Departments from Williston, Bronson and Inglis all worked together, Harrell said.
     The chief added that he was getting phone calls from Citrus County and others to offer more help if it was needed. At the same time, he said, there were fires all over the area, in part due to an extraordinarily low level of humidity for Florida.
     Beyond that, there were neighbors helping neighbors to move livestock with trailers and to help in any way they could, he said.
     Harrell said it is by the grace of God that no one was hurt or killed and no equipment was lost in these fights with fires.

Friends of GCSO unveil memorial wall

Story and Photos By FGCSL Lt. Keagon Weatherford
Published May 6, 2026 at 3 p.m.
     TRENTON -- Yesterday (Tuesday, May 5), the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) held its first Fallen Deputy Memorial Ceremony at the new Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office Memorial Wall.

     Sheriff Bobby Schultz extends his gratitude to the Friends of the GCSO organization for helping make this memorial wall a reality, as well as to all of the individuals who contributed both financially and through their time and effort to its creation.
     This memorial stands in honor of four heroes who gave their lives in service to our community:
     • Deputy Sheriff Sidney Slaughter
     End of Watch: January 22, 1934
     • Sheriff Mark Read
     End of Watch: December 9, 1956
     • Deputy Sheriff Taylor Lindsey
     End of Watch: April 19, 2018
     • Sergeant Noel Ramirez
     End of Watch: April 19, 2018
~

     The GCSO was honored to welcome Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd as the keynote speaker, and the GCSO thanks him for taking the time to join in this meaningful occasion.
     Sheriff Schultz and the GCSO team is truly humbled and grateful for the overwhelming support shown by the community. Seeing so many individuals come together to honor these fallen heroes was a powerful reminder that their sacrifices will never be forgotten.
     Each of these heroes was represented by members of their family during the ceremony, and the GCSO is deeply thankful for their presence. It was a privilege to stand alongside them as everyone remembered and honored their loved ones.
     People will never forget their service. People will never forget their sacrifice.

Court records show
suspected street racer is jailed

Brian John Ralston - Mugshot by GCSO

By Jeff M. Hardison © May 5, 2026 at 4 p.m.
Updated With Mugshot May 6, 2026 at 11 a.m.
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     GILCHRIST COUNTY -- Brian John Ralston, 41, of Trenton started a short-term residency in the Gilchrist County Jail on April 29, according to records.
     Ralston is charged with nine crimes as of May 5, according to court records. Eighth Judicial Circuit Assistant State Attorney Shawn P. Thompson is the prosecutor, according to records. Eighth Judicial Circuit Assistant Public Defender Alexis J. Giannasoli is the defense attorney assigned to defend Ralston, who qualified for that service due to indigency, according to records.
     The Honorable Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Susan Wilson Bullard is the judge assigned to preside over this case, according to records.
     The nine crimes Ralston is facing as of May 5 are  racing on the highway (Florida Statute 316.191.2A); willful and wanton reckless driving (FS 316.192.3C1); exceeding the posted maximum speed limit by 50 m.p.h. or more (FS 316.1922.1A); fleeing or attempting to elude - lights & sirens in high speed (316.1935.3A); aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude (injury or damage) (FS 316.1935.4A); unlawful alteration of tag/vehicle registration (FS 320.061); use of a firearm during the commission of a felony (FS 790.07.2); possession of firearm by felon (actual possession) (FS 790.23.1A); and possession of firearm, ammo or electric weapon by a convicted felon (790.23.1A), according to records.
     That amounts to four misdemeanors, where three of them were for moving traffic violations and one for altering a tag or registration; and five felonies, including a couple where he is convicted felon with a gun.
    The first combined bonds set for Ralston equaled $630,000, according to records.
     He is scheduled for arraignment on May 13 at 9 a.m. in the main courthouse in Trenton, according to records.
     The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) was the agency that arrested Ralston on his active warrant, with assistance from the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office, according to Public Affairs Officer for FHP Troop B -- Lt. Joshua Seay. 
     Ralston was transported to the Gilchrist County Jail, where the GCSO served the warrant upon his arrival.
     Although information sent weekly by the GCSO in its listings of inmates who are checked into the relatively new jail showed “Florida Statute 775.0875.2a” was among the charges levied against Ralston, the FHP lieutenant said that listing was incorrect and a review of court records on May 5 proved Lt. Seay was correct.
     In other words, Ralston was not accused of the Unlawful taking, possession, or use of law enforcement officer’s firearm, according to court records.
     A review of court records showed the following, which led to the arrest warrants finally being served on April 29.
     On March 10 at approximately 4:48 p.m., FHP Trooper Branden R. Thomas was southbound on Southeast 70th Avenue in Gilchrist County when he saw a blue motorcycle and a white motorcycle, also going southbound ahead of him, accelerating in what appeared to be competition, according to Thomas’s report.
     During the chase, Trooper Thomas watched Ralston continue to flee after the other motorcyclist had pulled over.
     Ralston continued fleeing into the city of Trenton, according to records.
     He made a right turn onto Northeast Second Street, and then went left onto Northeast Second Avenue, according to records.
     The fleeing felon then continued northbound onto U.S. Highway 129, according to records. He kept fleeing from the fully marked FHP vehicle with its lights and sirens activated, according to records, and the suspect maintained speeds between 120 and 130 m.p.h.
     He repeatedly traveled northbound within the southbound lanes throughout the pursuit, Trooper Thomas noted.
     At approximately 4:58 p.m. on March 10, the white motorcycle, driven by Ralston smacked into the rear of an SUV, which was just north of Gilchrist County Road 232, Thomas noted. Thomas and two other troopers rendered aid to the injured motorcyclist, who was identified as Ralston by his Florida driver's license. The suspect is a convicted felon and was found to be in possession of a Palmetto handgun tucked in his waistband, according to records. The handgun was located with 16 rounds of 9 mm bullets, according to records.
     The office of the Honorable Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Brian Kramer has filed a notice of intent to seek enhanced penalties as the defendant is a 10/20 life offender. If he is convicted sentencing will be applied if this enhanced penalty set is ruled to be applicable by the judge.
     Florida's 10/20/Life law (FS 775.087) mandates harsh minimum prison sentences for felonies involving firearms. This statute also is known as “Possession or use of weapon; aggravated battery; felony reclassification; minimum sentence,” essentially increases the level of felony by one degree for instance: 
     ● In the case of a felony of the first degree, to a life felony.
     ● In the case of a felony of the second degree, to a felony of the first degree.
     ● In the case of a felony of the third degree, to a felony of the second degree.
     Even though the crime is believed to have occurred on March 10 and the arrest was on April 29, and first appearance is set for April 13, according to records, Ralston is innocent and will retain that innocence unless the state proves beyond and to the exclusion of reasonable doubt that the facts and evidence, when applied to the laws, shows he is guilty as charged.

Governor issues
ninth death warrant for 2026
By John S. Koch of Independent News Service
HardisonInk.com Correspondent 
Edited By Publisher Jeff M. Hardison © May 4, 2026 at 10 a.m. 
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law 
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     TALLAHASSEE – On Friday (May 1), Gov. Ron DeSantis directed the warden of Florida State Prison near Starke to schedule Andrew Richard Lukehart’s execution for June 2 at 6 p.m. 
     The execution window extends from June 2 to June 9, as specified in the governor’s order. Court records show Lukehart was convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse for the death of a 2-year-old child in Duval County. 
     A jury found Lukehart guilty on both counts. By a 9 to 3 vote, the jury recommended the death penalty for murder and a 15-year sentence for aggravated child abuse.
     As of Monday morning (May 4), records from the trial court, the Florida Supreme Court, and 11th Federal Court of Appeals indicate Lukehart has not received relief on claims including ineffective representation during trial and sentencing, where limited mitigating evidence was presented.
     So far in 2026, the state government of Florida has put six men to death using the injection method for execution, where three chemicals are introduced into the convict’s body. DeSantis is the record-holder for signing the most death warrants in one year for people on Florida Death Row since the United States Supreme Court reversed a previous ruling from when a different set of Justices determined capital punishment was against the United States Constitution.
     Florida executed 19 death row inmates in 2025, more than double the state's previous record and four times the number of any other state in 2025, according to records.
     As of late April 2026, there are approximately 247 inmates on Florida’s Death Row. The population is decreasing on Florida’s Death Row due to an accelerated pace of executions under DeSantis The population includes only one woman as of April 30. While the total population is shrinking, it remains the second-largest in the United States, following California.
     The United States Supreme Court has historically fluctuated on the death penalty, primarily evaluating it under the Eighth Amendment’s “cruel and unusual” clause. 
     The High Court effectively halted executions in Furman v. Georgia (1972) due to arbitrary application, but the United States Supreme Court reinstated it in Gregg v. Georgia (1976) following new, guided-discretion statutes.
     Later rulings narrowed its application, banning executions for juveniles, the intellectually disabled, and non-homicide crimes.
     Before the 1970s, the highest federal court rarely intervened, leaving capital punishment to state jurisdiction.
Key details on capital punishment for 2026, as noted in several reliable sources for research on the death penalty in the United States of America, show:
     ● Active States: Only a small number of states, including Texas, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Alabama, frequently carry out executions.
     ● States with the Death Penalty (27): Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
     ● Moratoriums: California, Ohio, Oregon, and Pennsylvania have authorized capital punishment but currently have gubernatorial holds on executions.
     ● Recent Abolition: Virginia (2021) and New Hampshire (2019) are among the most recent states to abolish the practice.
     Some major Christian denominations that explicitly endorse or sanction the death penalty, often citing biblical passages like Genesis 9:6 and Romans 13:4, include the Southern Baptist Convention, the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, and some independent Evangelical groups. Some individual members of those denominations oppose the death penalty.
     Many Christian denominations, particularly mainline Protestant and Catholic traditions, officially oppose the death penalty, citing the sanctity of life, and the potential for rehabilitation of the convict. Major denominations with formal abolitionist stances include the Roman Catholic Church, the United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and various Mennonite and Quaker groups. Some individual members of those denominations endorse or sanction the death penalty.
     Historically, in the United States, opposition to the death penalty is primarily led by the Democratic Party, which calls for its abolition, describing it as “cruel and unusual.” While a majority of Republicans support capital punishment, a growing minority, often aligned with libertarian or conservative religious groups, oppose it due to concerns over government overreach, cost and the potential execution of an innocent person. 

CCPD and FDOC catch
state work-release inmate
with quarter-pound of pot
By Jeff M. Hardison © May 1, 2026 at 9 p.m.
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     CROSS CITY – The Cross City Police Department (CCPD) working jointly with the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) recently caught a work-release inmate with 115 grams (four ounces) of marijuana, according to information in a recent Facebook post by CCPD Chief Jamey King.
     CCPD Lt. B. Dorman made an arrest after a state inmate assigned to the city’s work squad was caught with a significant amount of marijuana, King said.
     While cleaning up Johnny Greene Park, the work squad supervisor saw an inmate attempt to conceal a bag of suspected contraband, King said. Once the crew returned to the city yard, the same inmate was seen carrying the bag to a trashcan near City Hall. The supervisor immediately contacted law enforcement personnel, King said.
     Dorman responded and found 115 grams (four ounces) of marijuana inside the bag. CCPD, working in coordination with the FDOC, then conducted surveillance in the area, King said.
     Officers saw FDOC state inmate Adam Chaplin, 38, retrieve the bag of marijuana from the trashcan, King said. Chaplin was taken into custody and charged with possession of more than 20 grams (seven-tenths of one ounce) of marijuana, a felony in Florida, King said.
     Chaplin was transported to the Dixie County Jail, made first appearance, and then was returned to the custody of the FDOC, King said.

Florida executes
another murderer and rapist
Hitchcock is sixth man
executed in Florida in 2026

A member of The Associated Press and one of the other two journalists at the press conference after the execution are seen here.

Story and Photos By John S. Koch of Independent News Service
HardisonInk.com Correspondent © May 1, 2026 at 7 a.m. 
Edited By Jeff M. Hardison, Editor, Pubisher and website owner
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law 
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
     STARKE (INS) -- James Ernest Hitchcock, who turned 70 years old on April 5, was executed by the State of Florida on Thursday evening (April 30).
     After spending 50 years on and off of Florida’s Death Row at Florida State Prison (aka Raiford Prison) near Starke (Bradford County), his sentence to be executed was brought to completion.
     Among his many appeals to charges and sentencing, attorneys noted was his intellectual capacity. Raised in Arkansas, he was the first in his immediate family to graduate from high school, according to records. Other arguments brought forth by legal representatives during the five decades he sat on Florida Death Row were issues about the state executing humans and finer points related to that argument.
     On July 31, 1976, Hitchcock raped and murdered his 13-year-old step-niece, Cynthia Ann Driggers, at her home in Winter Garden, which is situated in western Orange County, and is a municipality within the Orlando metropolitan area, located approximately 14 miles west of downtown Orlando, according to facts and evidence brought at trail. The jury determined the truth of allegations brought against the man at trial.
     Hitchcock was found guilty of Driggers’ murder and sentenced to death in 1977, although his death sentence was overturned thrice before it was reinstated after each resentencing trial, according to records.
     On Aug. 5, 1976, James Hitchcock was charged with the rape and murder of Driggers, according to records.
     About two to three weeks before the murder, Hitchcock, who was then jobless and out on parole for his burglary conviction, moved to Orlando, where he stayed with his brother and his family, with one of the members being his brother’s 13-year-old stepdaughter, Driggers. Late that night, he raped the girl and then strangled her to death when she would not agree to not tell anyone about what he had just done, according to records.
 

    “For me, it is with absolute pleasure that I know James Ernest Hitchcock no longer exists.”
-- Ginie Meadows, family member of victim

     Hitchcock was put to death in the execution chamber at Florida State Prison near Starke. Florida Department of Corrections Communications Director Jordan Kirkland told reporters at the afternoon briefing that Hitchcock accepted his last meal and visited with a cousin on Thursday.
     Kirkland announced to reporters at the press conference after the execution that the action by the government that started at about 6 p.m. was completed at 6:12 p.m. on April 30 and that it went without incident.

Ginie Meadows
 

     Ginie Meadows, a surviving family member of the victim, has been a primary advocate for the Driggers family in Tallahassee, for decades. 
     She spoke during the final press conference about the rapist and murderer.
     “To Governor DeSantis, thank you,” Meadows said. “With your signature on his death warrant, the 50-year saga of Hitchcock has now become history. Death Row needs to be cleaned out. There should not be people lingering there – plain and simple.
     “This execution is not just about disposing of this useless, despicable man,” Meadows continued. “This is also about bringing to an end, a family’s unnecessary, painful agony. It’s also about bringing to a close the taxpayers’ burden to pay to have him detained for five decades.
     Meadows went on to explain, from her perspective, about why the death penalty process in Florida is justified, she is certain they do not understand the agony and emotional turmoil and torture, of having a loved one brutally murdered.
     “For me,” Meadows said, “it is with absolute pleasure that I know James Ernest Hitchcock no longer exists.”
     In his final words, Hitchcock made no final words of remorse nor claim of innocence; although, he thanked his attorneys for their services.
     Hitchcock became the sixth man Florida has put to death in 2026, following the same accelerated schedule Gov. Ron DeSantis began last year. The process took 11 minutes.
     Florida executed 19 death row inmates in 2025, more than double the state's previous record and four times the number of any other state in 2025, according to records.
     As of late April 2026, there are approximately 247 inmates on Florida’s Death Row. The population is decreasing on Florida’s Death Row due to an accelerated pace of executions under DeSantis The population includes only one woman as of April 30. While the total population is shrinking, it remains the second-largest in the United States, following California.

Levy County teacher arrested
for alleged sex crime against student

Mugshot By LCSO – Graphic By HardisonInk.com

By Jeff M. Hardison © April 23, 2026 at 8 p.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
    BRONSON – A 38-year-old man hired as a teacher by the Levy County School Board is in the Levy County Jail this evening (Thursday, April 23) after his arrest for two felonies this afternoon (Thursday, April 23).
     Nicholas Allen Sapp, 38, of Ocala is awaiting first appearance and the setting of bond on the charges of lewd or lascivious behavior against a student by an authority figure, according to records. Sapp is probably going to be among the jail inmates making a first appearance via Zoom tomorrow morning.
     Florida Statute 800.101(2)(a) prohibits an “authority figure” (such as a school employee or volunteer who is 18 years and older) from soliciting or engaging in sexual conduct with a student, defined under F.S. 800.101.
     Violation of this statute is a second-degree felony, which can result in up to 15 years in prison, with student consent or age not being a valid defense
     The other felony Sapp is sitting in jail now for is for allegedly violating Florida Statute 934.215, using a two-way communications device (like a cellphone or computer) to facilitate or further a felony, where that crime is a third-degree felony. This charge carries penalties of up to 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
     The Levy County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) sent a press release at 3:30 p.m. today (Thursday, April 23) to announce the arrest of Sapp, a Williston Middle High School teacher “for an inappropriate relationship with a student.” Sapp was taken into custody earlier today by LCSO detectives, the LCSO said.
     Deputies responded to a report from a witness who disclosed details of the relationship to a parent. Detectives immediately began their investigation, locating the victim and conducting interviews. Evidence corroborating the relationship was seized by detectives, the LCSO said.
     This is an active and ongoing investigation, the LCSO said. Detectives have no knowledge of any additional victims now, the LCSO said. Any person who has information about this suspect in regard to this crime or related crimes is asked to contact LCSO Det. Ryan Sullivan at 352-486-5111 ext. 360. Detective Sullivan is the detective who booked Sapp into the Levy County Jail this afternoon, according to records
     The LCSO is working closely with the Levy County School Board as this investigation continues, the LCSO said. Sapp has been placed on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of this case, the LCSO said.

State attorney advises
government agencies to release
public records as the law demands

Levy County Commission Chairman Tim Hodge reaches down from the dais to welcome Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Brian Kramer to the auditorium on April 21. Commission Vice Chairman Charlie Kennedy is seen at the right in the photo. The entire Levy County Commission heard the presentation.

Story, Photos and Video
By Jeff M. Hardison © April 23, 2026 at 7 p.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
     BRONSON – Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Brian Kramer provided insight to people responsible for public records – advising them to provide the public records, as the law requires, when they are asked to do so.
     Kramer provided a one-hour session for anyone who wanted to watch and listen at 1 p.m. on April 21 in the Levy County Government Center’s Auditorium.
     The top prosecutor of criminal offenses for the Eighth Judicial Circuit, which includes Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy and Union counties, said there are two ways a person can become a defendant when they violate Florida Statute 119. They can be sued in civil court, or if they can commit a level high enough to merit prosecution from intentionally refusing to provide public records.
     As of April 21, so far in his first term as the state attorney for this circuit, Kramer has not prosecuted anyone for violating Florida Statute 119. 
     Fomer Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney William Cervone successfully prosecuted some Fanning Springs City Council Members, though, when they were caught conducting government business outside the view of the public. That offense is a different part of Florida’s Sunshine Laws, or the state statutes created to keep Florida’s government “in the sunshine.”
     Laws regulating public meetings by boards, commissions, councils and the like are from Florida Statute 286. Florida's Government in the Sunshine Law was enacted in 1967. It requires that all meetings of any state, county, or municipal board or commission be open to the public, that reasonable notice is provided, and that minutes are taken, as outlined in Section 286.011, Florida Statutes.


Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Brian Kramer opens his one-hour presentation with this eight-minute monolog. He mentioned that as he took office, he and State Attorney’s Office Executive Director Rebecca Shinholser toured the counties of the circuit. He decided on way to help all of the government interest in the circuit would be to provide insight into how to avoid lawsuits or criminal charges by properly providing public records. Click on the PHOTO to see and hear the video.
Video By Jeff M. Hardison – All Rights Reserved
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKjEQxV3W3Q

     Meanwhile, back on the specific Florida's Public Records Law, commonly known as Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, it was first established in 1909.
     It was enacted to ensure that state, county and municipal records are open for personal inspection and copying by any person. It establishes that records created by public officers in the line of duty belong to the public office, not the individual, and should be preserved.
     In 1992, the right to access public records was strengthened by being added to the Florida Constitution (Article I, Section 24), guaranteeing the right to inspect and copy public records.
     Every year, this law is updated to coincide with technological advances, as well as to add exclusions created by the Florida Legislature and signed into the amended law by the governor – for various reasons. Among the most sweeping exclusion imposed most recently is one to protect crime victims’ rights, although some state law enforcement agencies clearly use this beyond where the legislative intent placed it.


Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Brian Kramer explains the law requiring public records to be visible to the public.


Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Brian Kramer speaks with Levy County Code Enforcement Department Director Dave Banton about how the Florida Legislature can change laws to allow anonymous reporting of suspected code violations; however, communications such as texts and email regarding any agency business are public records. Kramer told Banton that he may need to have the Florida Association of Code Enforcement to keep urging state lawmakers. The Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association, approaches the state leader with its requests -- which are sometimes approved.


Rebecca Shinholser, an assistant state attorney and the executive director for the Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office, is seen with Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Brian Kramer when the two attorneys agreed to a photo opportunity for the multiple award-winning daily news website.

     Kramer brought Rebecca Shinholser, an assistant state attorney and the executive director for the Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office, with him. Kramer held this post when he served with former State Attorney Cervone.
     State Attorney Kramer’s messages in this session were to help people who are custodians of public records to reduce the odds of them causing a lawsuit, which would be expensive to an agency – and hence to the taxpayers. If a government agency is ruled to have denied the public access to public records, then the government agency must pay the fees of the attorney or attorneys who prevail on behalf of the public records requestor in the civil action.
     A person convicted of violating Florida Statute 119 (Public Records Law) generally faces a maximum penalty of a non-criminal infraction, punishable by a fine not exceeding $500. While violations are typically civil, a person convicted of intentional, and repeated withholding or destruction of records can face broader, separate criminal charges (such as official misconduct).
     Kramer let listeners know the presentation was not meant to cover every aspect of the law, but instead to help people know generally what the law requires.
     Public records are all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing software, or other materials, regardless of physical form or transmission, made or received in connection with official agency business. Any material used to perpetuate, communicate, or formalize knowledge related to official agency business is subject to inspection and copying by the public.
     Kramer said live verbal communications are not public records. Conversations on a telephone are not public records, unless the telephone call is recorded, and then it is a public record that requires the recorded phone call to be stored, maintained and able to be inspected until the time comes when it can be disposed of in the manner allowed by law.
    As for tape recording of phone calls, Florida is an “all-party consent” state, making it illegal under Florida Statute 934.03 to record phone calls or private conversations without the consent of every participant. Violations can be prosecuted as a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, in addition to potential civil lawsuits for damages.
     Audience members at the presentation on April 21 should have grasped the concept that the typical expensive cost from violating the public records law is having to pay attorney fees after they failed to comply with the law. 
     Before taking office as the state attorney for this circuit in 2021, Kramer was the executive director of that office.
     He is proud to say the Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office was never sued for violating the Public Records Law when he was the executive director of that office or since he was elected as the state attorney.
     Getting sued for allegedly violating Florida Statute 119 is not a good use of the state’s resources, a judicial circuit’s resources, a water management district’s resources, a county’s resources, or any municipality’s resources, Kramer said.
     The public records do not belong to the government agency that has possession of them, Kramer said. Public records belong to the people – the public, the citizens of the state of Florida.
     As public servants, government workers create public records when they are needed, and the employees store, maintain, and distribute them, as well as to dispose of them in the manner provided by law, he said. They are the stewards of the records – not the owners.
     Kramer said workers should embrace this job of providing public records to the public, and to the press, rather than to resist it, or to be angry about it.
     Of the 130-plus employees in his office, Kramer said, the Florida Legislature funds zero positions for the duties related to public records. Yes, the state government creates unfunded mandates for many agencies.
     When his office charges the actual cost to provide public records, it accepts payment. Those payments are not returned to the Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office for the salaries, equipment or materials used to create public records. Instead, that money goes back to the state of Florida, Kramer said.
     Therefore, it is a complete loss when the State Attorney’s Office collects funds from public records requests. In regard to the Levy County Commission, when it charges for public records, the money goes back into the general fund.
     The State Attorney’s Office under his leadership has four employees whose job is to deal with public records requests. One of those four employees has public records duties as a singular job.
     Kramer strongly recommends public employees avoid co-mingling personal communications with agency business. For instance, an email between departments about sewer issues should not include a note from the sender to the recipient about if they want to go to lunch.
     When a person requests a copy of the email, the need to redact “the lunch comment” makes it difficult because there is no statutory exclusion specifically allowing for an employee’s bad judgment in adding personal notes in official correspondence.
     Kramer said some young lawyers in the office fail to remember not to use a personal cell phone for official business. When they do, it can create a situation where the employee must relinquish their phone for it to be reviewed completely to sort agency business messages from non-business personal messages, texts and the like.
     When do draft minutes of meetings become public records?
     Kramer said if the person creating the minutes is not working with anyone else and they are not sharing their work with anyone, then it has not become a public record. When the person passes the document to another person to review, then that draft set of minutes becomes a public record, he said.
     How fast must public records request be fulfilled?
     State law does not set a specific time limit (like 24 hours or 10 days) for complying with a public records request. Instead, the law requires that requests be acknowledged and fulfilled within a “reasonable” time, allowing only for the time necessary to locate and redact exempt information. Kramer said there is a “good faith” requirement.
     The Court will consider how long it takes for a clerk or records custodian to locate the record being sought, Kramer said. The Court will consider how long it takes for a review of statutory exemptions that allow an agency not to provide certain records.
     One excuse that a Court will not abide, Kramer said, is for an agency to claim it does not have staff to provide public records to a requesting party.
     Any attempt to intentionally frustrate a public records request will result in the Court taking action that the agency will not relish.
     When an agency is sued, that is when the staff and supervisors see if they maintained a record of the actions they took to meet a request for public records in a reasonable time.
     The first mistake some people make when they sue an agency is to skip the requirement to first give the agency five days of notice to comply with the law before the suit begins.
     A requestor can file pro se, representing themselves, or they can hire an attorney.
     This is a serious civil circuit court matter, and it will jump ahead of some other civil actions on the docket.
     In these cases, the government agency has the burden of proof to show it did not violate the law, Kramer said.
     In these cases, Kramer added, there is a simple judgement as to whether the lawsuit was wrong or right. There is no excuse that the agency staff members did not know better. The agency will just pay the attorney’s fees of the requestor who sued the agency for its failure to meet the requirement of the law if the requestor wins the lawsuit. As Kramer noted, Florida law is highly favorable to plaintiffs, allowing for attorney fees and costs if a violation is found, even if unintentional in regard to alleged public records violations.
     To download the entire 2025 Florida Government-In-The-Sunshine Manual as a PDF, click HERE. It includes many points in regard to both the public meetings aspect and the public records aspect of Florida Sunshine Laws.

Chiefland Fire Rescue battles blazes
Other agencies add to the effort

A firefighter works to extinguish a fire on April 18 in unincorporated Levy County.
Photo Provided By Chiefland Fire Rescue

By Jeff M. Hardison © April 23, 2026 at 7:15 a.m.
All Copyrights Protected By Federal Civil Law
Do Not Copy and Paste to Social Media or Elsewhere
     LEVY COUNTY – On Saturday (April 18), Chiefland Fire Rescue (CFR), along with Cedar Key Fire Rescue (CKFR), the Florida Forest Service - Waccasassa Forestry Center (DOF), and the Levy County Department of Public Safety (aka Levy County Fire Rescue {LCFR}) responded to the area of Levy County Road 347 and Southwest Buck Trail to extinguish an outside fire, according to records.
     The 20-plus acres, located at Southwest Gators Walk and Quail Road, which is in an area generally between Tiger Island and Upper Dan May Creek, was quickly contained with fire lines and backburns, preventing nearby structures from damage, according to a report from CFR Firefighter-EMT Luke Stockman. 
     This part of unincorporated Levy County is in the Fowler’s Bluff district, according to records.


Another picture of the active part of the fire is shown here.
Photo Provided By Chiefland Fire Rescue

     Firefighters from the Florida Forest Service returned to the scene on April 19 to monitor the fire, according to records, and the fire had remained 100 percent contained.
     The units on the scene were CFR Engine 71, with Firefighter-EMT Luke Stockman; CFR Truck 71, with CFR Firefighter-Paramedic Paul McCarthy; CFR Fire 71, with CFR Chief Dwayne King; CFR Squad 71 (manned by two volunteers-Lt. Kevin Davis and Donna Davis); CKFR Tanker 75-2, CKFR Brush 75, LCFR Battalion 1; and a number of DOF bulldozers.
     The CFR was dispatched at 3:39 p.m. on April 18 and was immediately enroute, according to records. It arrived at 4:05 p.m. and cleared the fire at 8:23 p.m., according to records.
     The cause of the fire was unable to be determined, according to records.
     In part of the detailed report by CFR Firefighter-EMT Stockman, he noted “Dozer operator advised his engine compartment had a fire, he had used extinguishers to put it out.”
     CFR Firefighter-Paramedic McCarthy pulled the booster line from CF Fire 71 and overhauled the engine compartment, Stockman noted in his report. Stockman relayed to dispatch that both of the first two DOF bulldozer operators were okay and had been accounted for, he noted in his report.
     In firefighting terminology, “overhaul” (also called fire overhaul) is the systematic search for hidden fires, smoldering embers, or hot spots after the main body of the fire has been extinguished. It is one of the last steps before declaring a scene as being safe to leave.
     DOF sent more bulldozers to assist in the attack against the fire, according to records. There were no injuries or structure damage noted in the report.