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Emerald News

The

Volume: 11 Issue: 26 December 13, 2018 - December 27, 2018


ONE
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from Freeport, Florida Covering Walton County
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Inside this EDITION:


Editorial in the Wolfe’s Den…...Page 2

Mysterious Tunnels Discovered


Underneath Florida…...…..Page 3

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll


…..Page 10

Time to allow the Ten Commandments


in Texas classrooms? ………..Page 13

Lots of extra’s to make you feel


good. Learn and feel better inside

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In color online:
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The way you remember getting your news. Sit back, relax,enjoy!
Page 2 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018
The Editor’s Editorial
Views expressed in The EMERALD STAR NEWS do not necessarily reflect those of the
HOWL “The Wolfe’s Den” publisher. The staff of The EMERALD STAR NEWS pride ourselves in our efforts to
Hello everybody! I hope your staying warm somehow. ensure accuracy of the publication contents. However, there is no guarantee of the accuracy of
all the Information nor the absence of errors and omissions (especially when sent through a third
Those electric bills will be higher than usual. Make use of rugs, party); therefore, no responsibility can or will be assumed. 2500 copies printed bi-weekly.
socks and sweaters inside. Every layer you wear keeps your body
doing what it is designed to do. Stay healthy, check on those neighbor kids and the elderly.
If no one comes to check on them at least every other day, it could become tragic. WE DID IT!!!
Tis’ the time for the Holidays! Don’t forget how this is still a real world. Full of thieves and YES,
con-artists to steal your things. There is a nation-wide epidemic of “Porch Pirates”. You know we have been waiting to
For every person going through a parking lot full of gifts there is a statistic stating that find the right fit for an
every heavy loader is being watched and or targeted for theft 75% of the time during the 3 expansion deal to catapult us into
weeks before Christmas! our future here based in Freeport,
Keep your senses about you. Those flashing lights and bright tinsel is one of the biggest Florida.
distractions that take people’s mind away from being safe. If there was a wish to wish, that We proudly announce our newest
wish would be to eradicate thieves and sexual deviants among us. addition to the Emerald Star News.
Way too many times, our Laws that were once designed to protect us common citizens for Mr. & Mrs. Lee Cox with
us to all live in peace and harmony in our neighborhoods, in our city or county. As most of Cox Direct Marketing has joined
you know, these Laws are out of date for the way things are today. with us in a current partnership.
People, yes people have taken the Law and abused it, used it and do what part of the Law This is a major upgrade of
they want to enforce. Not the entire Law as written. Guess what? You live in such a county. improvement to our coverage area.
Hi! Welcome to the beaches. Pray to God you know all the Laws for this area for typical We will expand and grow as your
city living is not truly welcome here. Your kids that think by getting away to a place along Advertisers join with us.
of the Gulf of Mexico is cool and safe to have some fun. Guess what tho’. You are all 850-585-0262
We have big plans coming soon
under camera’s and citizens waiting for you to ‘ass-up’ and disrupt the beach in peace. with COLOR being added early
They prey upon you visitors who are just hanging out together. They ask your I.D., then 2019.
‘ooops one of your buddies are taken off to jail for having a beer in his hand or an unknown Lee Cox has been with me helping
open warrant. Forget the fun at that very moment. You will not be the same once they through the web online showing of
decide to let you see a Judge. Then at that same time that Judge either posts you a bond or our newspaper. Their ideas are very
they don’t. Good Luck. similar to what Frank’s desire has
I write you this for I know as fact many things that are hidden from the common public been. We once for a period of 5
throughout this corrupt ways that carry on daily in this county. There is a lot more land in years was a 32 page color
Walton County than just those white sand beaches. newspaper!
Heck, we even have recent issues from selfish individuals who are now challenging a You will be seeing a variety of
‘common Law’ factor many folks here have enjoyed for decades. They buy along the beach subject matter, you will not find in
for the view? Or for the property to fence it and keep others from it? That makes no sense. any other newspaper. Freedom!
You do not go to a Ski Resort area to buy a house only to try and reshape areas skiers have If there is something you would like
gone through for decades too! You want your own beach? Go to an island and see how well to see in this paper please let us
the people that are natives there treat you. know. We are open to suggestions.
I think you are no good hearted person. Don’t buy what you may not be happy with. The We are maintaining our intention of
trouble you are causing is an outrage to being a beach go-er, a person who loves nature helping people throughout this
doesn’t think they deserve more than anyone else. We share the sunsets as equal to a warm county.
hug. We share the beaches for that’s why we have friendly, wonderful compliments about If you think that we can be of help
those precious beaches. You are now interfering with people’s livelihood. There is no way just e-mail us or call us.
any child under 5 years old could ever avoid becoming sun burnt. Since you now enforce We want you to be just as proud of
no tents nor umbrella’s? You are not right! this newspaper as we are.
Just from the mere fact that you chose to not be welcoming shows us your true colors. Especially going on our 11th year!
Your type is not welcomed here in Walton County. Neighbors on the North end of the same Frank Wolfe
county don’t even bother with fencing anywhere. Either they know you or you are where
someone should not be. You could easily be shot up here. Not so much the beach, but
who’s to say? You have people flying in and driving in from all across this Nation to spend
some relaxing beverage and swim while spending fun precious times with their family.
Personally, I hope the County wins against you. I hope the entire State rules against future
law-suits that do nothing but waste taxpayers money and crapping on vacations that people
long to live for.
Trust me. The world and it’s beauty will outlast any greedy actions you are trying to
accomplish. For what gain? You got a need for the sand, that us taxpayers
paid for when the hurricane came through and they needed replaced and
re-pumped for months at a time? Really?
I feel this appears to be a land grab attempt. You deny people to walk along
your home (fenced off) for visitors to reach the beach safely. What is your
problem with that? Does your Gma not need a safe path to walk too?
Being here in this part of Florida, the flow is different, the people are
different here. Trust me live here more than 15 years you will have seen
enough of greedy commercial operations popping up everywhere. This is an
open area for a lot of us semi-retired folks to make some money running a
small business.
To me, a small business shows more care, to cater to the needs of a friendly
customer, more than a national conglomerate seems to. Good, honest
working people here around Freeport deserve a chance at a better wage to
provide a better life than what has been going through the average milling
school system. Bless those kids who are unique. Stop bullying NOW!
Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Page 3
EDEN GARDENS STATE PARK Ain’t wasting No Time to get
CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT OPEN McDonald’s going. Waffle House next
HOUSE
Eden Gardens State Park annual Christmas
Candlelight Open House will be held Saturday,
December 15th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. The public is
invited to enjoy the traditional luminary walk to the
beautifully decorated rooms of the Wesley
House. Each room has been decorated by numerous
individuals and civic organizations who lovingly
decorate their “room” with a particular theme.
The public is asked to vote for their favorite room.
Admission fees are waived for the evening and the
Friends of Eden will be providing refreshments in
the Pavilion. Donations to the Friends of Eden, a Mysterious Tunnels Discovered Underneath Florida
Citizen Support Organization, are always welcome
and greatly appreciated. Have you ever wondered why there are reports of so many giant Burmese pythons in Florida yet no one seems to
Eden Gardens State Park, 181 Eden Garden Road, catch one? Same for the Swamp Ape. And all of those escaped lab monkeys. And where do all of those senior
is located in historic Pt. Washington, off of highway citizens disappear to right after the Early Bird special is sold out? Could there be mysterious tunnels only they know
98 East and CR 395 North. This annual event is about? Turns out that may be the answer, at least in Ybor City, a historic neighborhood in the northeast art of
hosted by the Friends of Eden and the Florida Park downtown Tampa, Florida, where an urban legend about hidden underground tunnels has suddenly broken through
Service. from legend to reality. Put on your miner’s hat and let’s go urban spelunking.
– discovered at the corner of 12th Street and Sixth Avenue by construction workers excavating for a new building –
were part of the legendary labyrinth rumored to have been built under the city in the 1800s and used for a variety of
nefarious activities once they were abandoned before ever being completed for their equally mysterious original
purpose. Architect Gerry Curts, whose office is next to the tunnel opening, showed Fox 13 photographs of the
tunnels under Ybor City, which was founded in the 1880s by Vicente Martinez-Ybor, a cigar manufacturer. He and
other cigar makers hired thousands of immigrants from Cuba, Spain and Italy to roll the hundreds of millions of
cigars they sold annually, turning Tampa into “Cigar City.” It’s still known for its cigars but the hand rollers have
long been replaced by rolling machines and the neighborhood disintegrated until recently when gentrification by
artists revitalized it into the entertainment and office center it is today. Yeah, yeah, yeah … what about the secret
tunnels? Right. Tampa Bay Times reports that the first tunnels were discovered in the early 2000s when tracks were
being laid for a streetcar system. At that time, it was speculated that the brick-lined, dirt-floored tunnels were part of
an old drainage system taking water to the nearby Ybor Channel and Tampa Bay. However, the flat dirt floors told
Curts otherwise. Because of their size, the tunnels would seem to have been part of a major public works project, but
no records of that can be found. On the other hand, theories about their possible illegal purposes abound. If this
branch of the system reached Tampa Bay, it would support the idea that the tunnels were used to smuggle Chinese
immigrants into the city for non-cigar labor needs at a time when it was nearly impossible for Asians to immigrate
legally. Those immigrants could also include Chinese prostitutes that were an unfortunate part of the massive
cigar-rolling labor force. Outside or transporting illegal immigrants, another theory is that the tunnels were used to
transport illegal booze. THNey;re big enough to have easily accommodated wagons filled
with moonshine during Prohibition, not to mention other illegal products, people and
lottery numbers. Historian Mormino doesn’t buy this.

While one group argues the historical origins of the tunnels, another argues their
historical significance and wonders if they should be preserved. The developer has
offered to put a glass floor over them, but any more than that requires people to ask the
same question that was probably asked in the late 1800s … how much money can be
made off of them?

Why does McDonald’s Advertise? Why does Coke and Pepsi?


Keeping your name visible in print works!
They do NOT know what you offer, if you don’t advertise!
Being constantly in print is the Name of the Game. 850.585.0262

We will make space for you to .


Advertise with us!
Call Frank today. Thank you for
reading and sharing with others.
Page 4 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018

President Donald Trump has long said that he wants


to shut the government down as a means to force Democrats to fund
the border wall he initially promised would be paid for by Mexico.
"If we have to close down our government, we're building that wall," he said in July 2017.
Until now, he has held off. But with operating authority for several federal agencies due to
expire Dec. 21, the president is finally ready to grant his own wish.
After Trump invited reporters to sit in for a testy exchange at his first meeting in more
than a year with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday, the Democrats teed him up to shoulder the credit or the blame if
the money runs out and the government is
forced to close down.
Pelosi, a California Democrat who is
expected to become House speaker in
January, referred in the meeting to a partial
government closure as the "Trump
shutdown."
Schumer, a New York Democrat, told

UNIONS Trump "you want to shut it down. You


keep talking about it." Trump took the bait.
"If we don't get what we want, one way or
For most of my life I have been a supporter of the Union movement. There have
the other ... I will shut down the govern-
been excesses but if you look back to the 30's when the Union movement got
ment. Absolutely," he said. "I am proud to shut down the government for border security."
underway it's pretty clear that they were necessary. Business exploited workers
Later, Trump told reporters that he was happy to take responsibility for a partial pause in
shamelessly. Read about child labor and hired thugs to assault striking workers.
government operations. It was "Chuck's problem" when the government briefly shut down
Then some years ago we began to see "right to work" laws. Right to work laws
early in the year, Trump said. "It was his idea, and he got killed," Trump said, either un-
don't guarantee anybody the right to work. Right to work laws say that if you
aware or unconcerned that he was putting himself in the same position as Schumer was in
join a company that has a union you cannot be forced to join the union. You do,
less than a year ago. "He doesn't want to own it." "I'll take it," Trump added. "I will take it
however, gain the benefits that Union workers fight for such as pay increases,
because we're closing it down for border security, and I think I win that every single
medical and retirement programs. Lots of workers saw this as a way to get the
time." But there's reason for Republicans who care about the broader public perception of
"gravy" without having to pay union dues.
the party's ability to govern and to expand its base to worry about his tactics. Rep. Tom
Fast forward to today: Unions have become weak. Many states, especially
Cole, an Oklahoma Republican who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, said
throughout the South, enacted "right to work" laws. As a result wages in the
most GOP lawmakers agree with Trump on border security policy but that even the
South were lower, and employees enjoyed fewer union mandated
president has taken note of the hit Democrats took when they were blamed for the
benefits. Many companies moved South to take advantage of that.
shutdown. Like Cole, many Republicans on Capitol Hill aren't nearly as excited as Trump
Recently Ford announced that it was cutting 6000 US factory jobs.
about the prospects of a partial government shutdown — several agencies, including the
Today they announced that they will also cut 8000 "white collar" jobs.
Defense Department, are already funded through the end of the fiscal year in September
Guess who is available to step in to protect those jobs as your union rep would
— right before Christmas.
have done? Answer: Nobody.
"I hope that's not where we end up," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.,
You reap...what you sow.
told reporters in the Capitol on Tuesday. "I'd still like to see a smooth ending here, and I
You could learn Japanese, Chinese, Korean, (or whatever) and emigrate....but
haven't given up hope that that's what we’ll have."
that's not going to happen.
Michael Steele, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a frequent
Trump critic, said that the president is setting the GOP to take a hit with voters.
What is going to happen is that you're going sit around and bitch and blame
"There's no way that you're going to be able to sit down, with that on videotape (Trump
everybody but yourself. Change it? It takes you to get off your couch, do it!
pushing for a shutdown), and blame the Democrats for a shutdown," he said. "I can tell
you the leadership is not happy about that. They know the consequences of these things.
They do have a way of coming back to bite that you see at the ballot box."
Trump is still obsessed with the midterm elections, but his attention — and that of
fellow Republicans — will soon turn to 2020.
He has to weigh whether the pain of being blamed for a shutdown is worth the chance
that it will result in him getting something that resembles the border wall he promised.
With Democrats in control of the House for the next two years, that will be a tall order.
Meanwhile, House Republicans will have to pick up at least 17 seats to take power back
from Democrats after losing ground in each of the last two elections and with a presi-
dent whose approval rating has been mired below the break-even point in Gallup polling
for the entirety of his term.
In the Senate, Democrats are eyeing potential gains in Arizona, Maine and Colorado,
while the most likely target for Republicans is Sen. Doug Jones in Alabama. Polling and
recent election results in Arizona, Maine and Colorado suggest that Trump's border wall
isn’t popular in those states.
Overall, Americans say, by a 57 percent to 36 percent margin, that Trump should make
concessions on his border wall to prevent a government shutdown, according to a recent
survey by NPR, PBS NewsHour and Marist College.
Cole said the two sides have basically reached agreement on everything but the level of
funding for border security in the Homeland Security bill and how that will be allocated
to an actual wall or other methods of deterring illegal immigration.
"This, to me, is more about politics than it is about substantive policy," he said. "But it's
supercharged because of the politics."
The question is whether Trump's drive to shut down the government over the border
wall is good politics for the GOP
Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 The Emerald Star News, Inc. Page 5

Business Ads as low as $20

The FREEPORT POST 850-585-0262

Hertz, Clear partner to speed rentals with biometric scans


Biometric screening is expanding to the rental car industry.
Hertz said Tuesday it is teaming up with Clear, the maker of biometric screening kiosks found at many
airports, in an effort to slash the time it takes to pick up a rental car. Clear hopes it will lead more
travelers to its platform, which has 3 million members in the U.S.
It’s the latest place consumers will find biometric technology, which has migrated over the last 50
Greetings from the Mayor’s Office……
years from secure government facilities and banks to airports, stadiums and even smartphones that
unlock with the touch a fingerprint. Hertz is the first rental car company to use the technology. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
Improvements in cameras and other technology have made it cheaper to install scanners that can read Our annual Festival of Trees was a great success last weekend even
fingerprints, faces, and irises. More than 100 airports worldwide use biometric readers from Clear, though the weather did not corporate with our Tree Lighting and
Vision-Box and other companies to scan passengers. Walt Disney World verifies visitors’ identity by Parade, we had a little over 300 people come through to see the 19
scanning fingerprints. beautifully decorated trees and we were entertained by the Bay and
And the advancements will likely keep coming. Microsoft is working with Australia’s national bank on Butler Elementary Choirs and thank them for their contribution to
cardless ATM machines that would let people withdraw cash using a facial scan and personal our city. The winning tree was decorated by the Miss Freeport
identification number. Universities in London and Copenhagen have on-campus groceries that let Queens 2018- Congratulations! Our parade and tree lighting were
students pay with their finger. Some laptops can now be unlocked with a fingerprint scan. rescheduled for this coming weekend so mark your calendars and
Hertz with Clear launched their biometrics scans this week at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International come join us on Saturday, December 15th, beginning at 4:40 pm
Airport. It will be rolled out to 40 more U.S. Hertz locations next year, including John F. Kennedy with the parade and tree lighting immediately following.
Airport in New York, San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. In our recent city council meeting the council approved to continue
Hertz Gold Plus Rewards loyalty program members with access to Clear will be able to bypass the advertising for the Utility Billing Supervisor job and agreed to list it
counter, pick up their car and head to the exit gate. There, Clear pods equipped with cameras and on Zip Recruiter for a one-month period. Applications are also
touchscreens can read their face or their fingerprints. If they match up with Hertz’s reservation data, the being accepted for an assistant Planning Clerk, applications can be
gate will open. Hertz will have at least one lane dedicated to Clear members at each location. Hertz turned in at the city hall. The city council also approved the
President and CEO Kathy Marinello expects Clear to shave 1.5 minutes off what’s now a two-minute purchasing of 5 new dumpsters for the city to be able to use with
checkout process. keeping the city clean if a clean-up project is necessary within the
“In the world of travel, I think time is of the essence,” she said. city then a container can be requested for their use and the county
The service is free for members of the Gold Plus Rewards program, which also has no fee. Travelers will have it removed to help with the clean- up. We had a first read-
can sign up for Clear at a Hertz location. To upgrade to airport service, which promises to move Clear ing of the changing of the Impact Fee and Tap Fee to a Capacity
members through security lines more quickly, travelers must pay a monthly fee of $15. Fee which will be brought up at the January meeting for a second
Clear says it’s the first time it will be identifying members based on their face instead of their iris or reading. The Handicap Trails across from the sports complex at
their fingerprints. Clear CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker says the cameras can take measurements and Hammock Bay are being worked on and the asphalt should be
identify minute differences in facial features. poured soon as we commence on completing this grant funded
Amil Jain, a professor at Michigan State University who researches biometrics, says facial screenings project. A piece of playground equipment (Spider) donated by
work by comparing an original photo to a new one. That could be tough in a rental car lane, where the Hammock Bay to the city will be placed at Casey Park behind City
lighting may differ substantially and drivers could be wearing makeup or winter scarves that change Hall which will give the children another option for play- many
their features. thanks to Jay Odom and Hammock Bay for their donation of the
“If you don’t do the biometrics right, you’ll turn off the customer more,” he said. But biometric play equipment.
scanning done well could be more robust and secure than having an employee see if a driver’s face The Splash Pad is currently being built by the batting cages at the
matches their license, he said. Freeport Regional Sports Complex and should be completed in
Jain doesn’t think customers need to be particularly worried about facial scans. He points out that approximately one month. The second reading and adoption of the
millions of people have shared photos of their faces on Facebook and other platforms already. Marina Village No Wake Zone has been completed and the place-
But Justin Brookman, director of consumer privacy and technology for Consumer Reports, said ment of signs should be forthcoming soon. The Water Department
consumers should think twice before sharing personal identifiers. has been approved to purchase a new Mini Excavator for their use
“Once your biometric data gets leaked or compromised, you can’t really do anything about it,” he said. and, the council also voted to set up a Wastewater System Fiscal
“The more people who potentially have it, the more potential for things to go bad.” Sustainability and Asset Management Plan with an ordinance and
Seidman-Becker said Clear will not sell or share the data it collects. She noted that the company has this will be discussed at the first meeting in January. City Hall will
been certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. be closed on December 24 and 25 for the Christmas Holiday.
But Jeramie Scott, the national security counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said Wishing each of you a great holiday season and a Happy New Year.
sharing biometric data is still risky, because there are no federal laws governing the
collection, use and retention of biometric data.
“An individual might sign up for one use only to find out that down the road their data is
being used in another manner,” he said.
Emerald Coast flowers & gifts
Marinello said Clear approached Hertz about the partnership and Hertz agreed to pay for & The prissy hen
the installation of the Clear pods. Marinello wouldn’t say how much Hertz is investing,
but said the company expects to recoup that through increased customers and return visits.
Hertz has been eager to adopt new technology and partner with other companies in an
effort to prove there is still a future in rental cars despite pressure from ride-hailing 137 Hwy 20 West— Freeport
companies and self-driving cars. It’s a partner with Volvo in an autonomous driving "check out our weekly Cash & Carry specials”!
incubator in Israel, for example.
Clear, too, has been trying to boost its membership through partnerships after Seidman- Store hours are Mon-Fri 10-5 and Sat 10-2.
Becker bought it out of bankruptcy in 2010. Delta Air Lines bought a 5 percent stake in
the company in 2016 and offers discounted Clear membership rates for its frequent fliers.
Owners Russ Barley and Tim Ard, invite everyone to stop on in!

850-835-5200 or 850-267-2616
Page 6 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Thursday Dec. 13, 2018
miracle needed
My wife and I were
driving in Northern
California when we
drove by these
beautiful people
holding up a sign. We
stopped, gave them our
book, and said a
prayer. It turns out they
had some problems that seemed overwhelming.
You see, sometimes we think we can live successfully by
ourselves when we simply cannot. A few years ago, I
walked around with the weight of the world on my
shoulders. It worked for a while, but as time passed, I
couldn’t handle it. I kept pushing ahead, but it was too
much. I got myself into a mess that could not be gotten out
of. This is the point in life in which we all find ourselves
at some time or another, if you’ve lived at all.
My life was boring until this moment. It was then I
realized – “What is impossible with man is possible with
God.” I turned it over to Him, acted on the talents He
gave me, and miracles started to happen. From that
juncture in my life, it got interesting, to say the least.
It was like my life had just began.
I truly believe in miracles because I truly believe in God. We would like to invite everyone out to our End of
I was speaking to a group of homeless people in Medford, The Year Christmas concert, Sunday, December
Oregon this week when I looked into their eyes. I knew at 16th at the Chautauqua Theater in downtown
that moment, I was there to serve them, but then I realized
Defuniak Springs! Show starts at 3pm! Tickets are $10
I was the one being blessed by their presence. God
at the door and if you would like to pre-order please let
brought me to them, but it was for me, not them. They
me know. Please help us pack the house for this event!
were a blessing to me.
We look forward to seeing you all on our special day
I sincerely believe that you have a Christmas miracle that
to show your love and support for your Walton County
is beyond your wildest imagination ahead. God is
Community Band! Proceeds will help support the
amazing, but He gets crazy this time of year. Watch out
future of the band in regards to the purchase of
for a miracle you never expected!
additional music, as well as additional equipment, so
Rick Stanfield is a syndicated columnist, motivational
that we may recruit additional players!
speaker and author. His latest book is “I Can and I Will.”

Fantastic Bedroom Deals


Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 The EMERALD STAR NEWS Inc. Page 7
Page 8 The EMERALD STAR News Inc. Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018
Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 The EMERALD STAR News, Inc. Page 9
Page 10 The EMERALD STAR Ne ws, Inc. Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018
Advertising space is available Where is your Ad?
Health Post within this newspaper! 585-0262 We will make room
for you. Call us today
850.585.0262
CFO Jimmy Patronis Appoints Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos as Chair of Florida
Healthy Kids Corporation Board of Directors Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced the appointment today of Dr. Stephanie E. The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking
Haridopolos as Chair of the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation Board of Directors. Poll for Tuesday shows that 49% of Likely U.S.
CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “Dr. Haridopolos’ medical expertise and her leadership will bring a fresh perspective to Voters approve of President Trump’s job
Florida Healthy Kids. A recent report noted that the number of uninsured children across the nation has increased. One performance. Forty-nine percent (49%) disapprove.
of the first issues I’ve asked her to focus on is to find innovative ways to increase the number of children enrolled in The latest figures include 36% who Strongly
the program. With the news that Healthy Kids will not raise monthly premiums for subsidy and full-pay plans in 2019, Approve of the way Trump is performing and 39%
it’s important that we find new opportunities to ensure no Florida child goes without health insurance. I look forward who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a
to working with Dr. Haridopolos to keep our children safe and healthy.” Presidential Approval Index rating of -3. (see trends).
Regular updates are posted Monday through Friday
Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos said, “I’m thrilled to take on this new role to help even more of Florida’s children get the
at 9:30 a.m. Eastern
care they need and deserve. Florida Healthy Kids has been covering millions of children for 28 years, and working
Now that Gallup has quit the field, Rasmussen
alongside the entire board, I know we can build on this success. I appreciate CFO Patronis’ leadership on this
Reports is the only nationally recognized public
important issue and look forward to serving Florida well.”
opinion firm that still tracks President Trump's job
Dr. Stephanie E. Haridopolos is a board-certified family medicine physician who completed her residency at Albany approval ratings on a daily basis. If your organization
Medical Center in New York. She was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to serve on the Board of Medicine in May 2017, is interested in a weekly or longer sponsorship of
where she most recently served as Chair of the Rules and Legislative Committee and Vice-Chair of the Probation Rasmussen Reports' Daily Presidential Tracking Poll,
Committee. She previously held positions with the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence Foundation, the please send e-mail to beth@rasmussenreports.com .
American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Florida President Trump will meet with Democratic
Statewide Drug Task Force. leaders today to discuss funding for the border wall
The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation is a nonprofit, public-private partnership created by the Florida Legislature to with Mexico. Earlier today, the president tweeted
expand access to affordable, child-centered health insurance. The Corporation administers Florida Healthy Kids that while his administration’s measures to shore up
(healthykids.org), a comprehensive health and dental insurance program for Florida children from age 5 through the the border have been effective, it would be less
end of age 18. The Corporation is governed by a Board of Directors and is chaired by Florida’s Chief Financial expensive to complete the wall. A growing number
Officer or his designee. of voters want the wall, as do 70% of Republicans.
Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is a native Floridian and a member of Florida’s As Democrats prepare to take control of the House
Cabinet, who oversees the Department of Financial Services. CFO Patronis works each day to fight insurance fraud, next month, many are posturing for pointed attacks
support Florida’s firefighters, and ensure the state’s finances are stable to support economic growth in the state. against the Trump administration with an eye for the
Follow the activities of the Department on Facebook (FLDFS) and Twitter (@FLDFS). 2020 presidential election. But 68% of voters think it
is more important for the new Democratic majority
Cold Weather Shelter to Open in Walton County to focus on policy areas where it can work with the
president and his fellow Republicans.
Walton County Emergency Management has activated the Cold Weather Forty-three percent (43%) of Likely U.S. Voters
Emergency Shelter Plan for Walton County. In accordance with this plan, think the country is heading in the right direction.
the Matrix Community Center will be coordinating all staffing and resource Brexit, the British withdrawal from the European
requirements for the official Walton County cold weather emergency Union scheduled for March 29, stalled yesterday
shelter. This shelter will open beginning at 5:30p.m and will close at when Prime Minister Teresa May delayed a vote on a
7:00a.m. the following morning. deal with the EU that she said her party could not
DeFuniak Springs Community Center 361 North 10th Street win. Turmoil over a proposed deal has been roiling
DeFuniak Springs, Florida 32433 in the U.K. since July, when 65% of U.S. voters be-
The National Weather Service predicts a temperature of below 40°F in lieved it at least somewhat likely that Great Britain
Walton County. Freezing temperatures are possible late tonight would actually quit the EU. At that time, 35% of
through tomorrow morning, Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Walton voters said the Brexit decision would be bad for the
County Emergency Management will continue to monitor weather United States, while 25% thought it would be good,
developments and make additional announcements as necessary. and 22% felt it would have no impact.
For more information on how you can volunteer with or donate to the Cold [rasmussenreports.com]
Weather Emergency Shelter, contact the Matrix Community Center at (850)
892-1090. For any other questions, contact Walton County Emergency
Management at (850) 951-2017.

What does it matter to you, the reader?


In case you don’t know, we use the Advertising dollars to pay
for the PRINTING of this (Free to you)
FREEPORT Newspaper.
Made by a U.S. Veteran wanting to HELP everyone!
Voice of the People! If you don’t speak up, don’t complain!
Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 The EMERALD STAR News, Inc. Page 11
Page 12 The Emerald Star News, Inc. Thursday, Dec. 13 2018
Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 The Emerald Star News, Inc. Page 13

Time to allow the Ten Commandments in Texas


classrooms? One state lawmaker thinks so
State Rep. Dan Flynn of Van wants to make sure that any Texas teacher who wants to
display the Ten Commandments in his or her classroom may do so.
That’s why he filed House Bill 307 that says school officials — particularly school
board trustees — cannot prevent copies of those commandments from being posted
“in a prominent location” in classrooms.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Flynn. “If a teacher wants to put it in her classroom, she
should be able to do it just as if she wanted to put up Halloween, Thanksgiving or any
other decorations.
“I think it’s a good list of disciplines that young people would find very meaningful to
them.” Public displays of the Ten Commandments have sparked legal battles in the
past. And this one likely will too, if Texas lawmakers approve it during the upcoming
legislative session that begins Jan. 8.
“It’s unconstitutional,” said Bob Tuttle, a professor of law and religion at the George
Washington University Law School. “The government is limited in its ability to
display religious messages.
“You couldn’t have a banner hanging across the entrance to City Hall that says ‘Jesus
saves.’ That would be the government invoking religion,” he said. “That’s what really
is going on here with the Ten Commandments. Schoolchildren are subject to being a
captive audience for particular government messages.”
Tuttle said the fact that Flynn’s bill makes displaying the Ten Commandments
optional — not required — is not important.
“It’s a statement of what it’s like to live your life in the company of God,” he said.
“It’s appropriate for congregations. ... But I do not believe that it’s something I want
the state trying to explain.”
Texas proposal
Flynn has unsuccessfully proposed this measure in past legislative sessions.
He noted there are monuments — such as the one on the Texas Capitol grounds —
that are dedicated to the Ten Commandments. The one in Austin, that features the
commandments carved into Texas Sunset Red Granite, was erected by the Fraternal
Order of Eagles of Texas in 1961.
In November, voters in Alabama approved a constitutional amendment allowing the
Ten Commandments to be displayed in government buildings and schools.
When asked if this could spark a legal battle, Flynn said: “I don’t know why it should.
It’s just allowing teachers to put something in their room that is about good values.”
Changing times?
Flynn said he filed the bill again because teachers have told him they want to display “Remember the # ” Call this Man, to get you out!
— not teach — the Ten Commandments in their classrooms.
“They want to put up a list of good, healthy guidelines for a good life,” Flynn said.
He said he believes 2019 may be the year this measure finally passes.
“We live in a day where everyone wants to question everything you do,” Flynn said.
“A teacher’s classroom is her office, where she should be able to put things she wants
to. I want to not let school boards prohibit them from doing it if they want to.”
Tuttle disagreed.
Anyone who puts the Ten Commandments in a classroom, and spends the money to
legally defend that move, “will lose and will pay the legal fees.”

PLACE YOUR AD WITH US! We cover from 30A, all the way
thru FREEPORT up to DeFuniak Springs along Hwy.90 and up to Hwy. 83N.
Being that we print every other week, it does become hard to find.
Come to FREEPORT City Hall, all Libraries in the county, all businesses in
FREEPORT and in Walton County. Come ON, don’t delay!
Lime Green Boxes, Exxon Gas in Freeport has past Editions below top rack.
ONLINE USERS can view all past Editions at:
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Page 14 The EMERALD STAR News, Inc. Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018

Voyager 2 probe moves into interstellar space


Eleven billion miles from Earth, NASA's long-lived Voyager 2 probe, still beaming back data 41 years
after its launch in 1977, has finally moved into interstellar space, scientists revealed Monday, joining its
sister ship Voyager 1 in the vast, uncharted realm between the stars.
Voyager 2 moved past the boundary of the heliosphere, the protective bubble defined by the sun's
magnetic field and electrically charged solar wind, on Nov. 5. The transition was marked by a sharp
Made you turn your decline in the number of charged particles detected by the spacecraft's plasma science experiment, or PLS.
head? The instrument has not detected any signs of the solar wind since then.
Three other instruments measured corresponding changes in cosmic rays, low-energy particles and
So could your Ad? magnetic field strength. At Voyager 2's enormous distance from the sun, it took 16-and-a-half hours for
the data to make its way back to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
We have a strong Voyager 1 crossed the boundary of the heliosphere, a transition zone known as the heliopause, in 2012.
But Voyager 1's plasma detector stopped working in 1980, and the new data from Voyager 2 provides
following thru Walton Co. fresh insights into the nature of the boundary between interstellar space and the sun's magnetic and
electrical influence.
"Working on Voyager makes me feel like an explorer, because everything we're seeing is new," John
Richardson, principal investigator for the PLS instrument at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in
Cambridge, said in a statement. "Even though Voyager 1 crossed the heliopause in 2012, it did so at a
different place and a different time, and without the PLS data. So we're still seeing things that no one has
seen before."
Voyager 2 was launched in August 1977, 16 days before Voyager 1, which explored Jupiter, Saturn and
Saturn's large moon Titan before heading out into the depths of the solar system. Voyager 2 flew past
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune before it, too, left the realm of the major planets.
"Voyager has a very special place for us in our heliophysics fleet," Nicola Fox, director of the
Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters, said in a NASA statement. "Our studies start at the sun and
extend out to everything the solar wind touches. To have the Voyagers sending back information about
the edge of the sun's influence gives us an unprecedented glimpse of truly uncharted territory."
While both Voyagers have now departed the sun's heliosphere, they are still inside the solar system as it's
currently defined. That boundary is the outer edge of the Oort Cloud, a vast collection of rocky debris left
over from the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago that is held in place by the sun's gravity.
At its current velocity, it will take Voyager 2 another 300 years or so to reach the inner boundary of the
Oort cloud and possibly 30,000 years to move beyond it.

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Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 The EMERALD STAR News, Inc. Page 15

MY OFFER to you! What you got?


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theories surrounding the Apollo landings have been rife
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Thanks for picking this up to read…..
If Russian cosmonauts did make it to the Moon, it is not Our Advertisers are very special to us all,
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no matter ‘who’- YOU are! God Bless you and yours.

DISCLAIMER!
Since there are some people who are so
easily offended by funny things posted.
I figure I better apologize to the GRINCH,
so he won’t be upset over a joke like I had
last Edition? Relax folks, it’s a joke!
If you feel offended, call someone who cares

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Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 The EMERALD STAR News, Inc. Page 16

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