2025 Year-In-Review

January

Gadsden County trailblazer Shirley Green Knight retires

For the past twenty-four years, Shirley Green Knight has been Gadsden County’s Supervisor of Elections.

Her tenure ended on January 6, moving her into the next phase of her life, retirement.

Knight holds the distinction of being the first African-American and first female to be elected as Gadsden County Supervisor of Elections.

Art lovers gather for Collect Select Exhibition and 2 Weeks with the Arts fundraiser at Gadsden Arts

Gadsden Arts hosted a celebration of art, bringing together 175 people from across the region and beyond. The event featured art talks and work by celebrated artists from Florida to Georgia, youth in the museum’s Creative Futures Council program, and many of our region’s artists.

Winter storm brings snow

For many, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event. A low-pressure system moved across North Florida, brought snow to the area.

The storm reached from Texas to the Carolinas last week.

In Gadsden County, many residents built snowmen, made snow angels and engaged in snowball fights, some

seeing snow for the very first time.

February Suspect in gas station killing fatally shot in Live Oak following man-hunt An armed robber shot four individuals at the Mobil gas station located at 3749 Pat Thomas Parkway in Gadsden County. Two of the four victims who were shot reportedly died from their injuries. Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office says Dominic Caroway age 44 of Avondale, Arizona was responsible for the robbery and double homicide committed at the gas station in the Shiloh community. Caroway was shot and killed following an early morning standoff in Live Oak.

Interim county administrator, attorney terminated

For a second time in less than six months, county commissioners have voted to terminate the county’s attorney and administrator. The board voted to award Williams Law Group a 3-year legal services contract in October. In November, the board voted to hire the county’s former building and planning director/assistant county administrator Roosevelt Morris as the interim county administrator after firing former county administrator Ed Dixon.

County keeps Morris as interim county administrator Earlier this month, the Gadsden County Board of Commissioners voted to hire former growth management director Justin Stiell as the interim county administrator. At that time Commissioners Eric Hinson, Alonzetta Simpkins and Shawn Wood voted in favor of replacing Roosevelt Morris, the county’s building official, who has been serving as the interim county administrator since the former administrator Ed Dixon was fired in November.

However, when it came time to vote on Stiell’s proposed contract during the regularly scheduled meeting last week, the board voted it down.

The board voted 3-2 to not approve Stiell’s contract. Simpkins and Wood dissented.

The board then voted to keep Morris as the interim county administrator until a permanent administrator is hired, which Wood and Simpkins also voted against.

County announces winners of inaugural black history essay contest

Among the celebrated works of black women artist Mary Proctor, Mary T. Smith and Ruby C Williams the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners and the Gadsden County School Board hosted its inaugural black history art and essay contest reception on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at the Gadsden County Art Center & Museum. While reciting their essays, winners Trinity Schemenauer, Joshua Smith, and Brianna Hutchins provided an inciteful peek into the history and continual expansion of skills, entrepreneurial spirit and educational growth of African Americans in Gadsden County. The topic: "African Americans and Labor" brought forth the students’ ability to tie in historical labor practices of black Americans to the present.

March Quincy launches “My Quincy” app to streamline communication and services for residents The City of Quincy launched the “My Quincy” app, a new mobile platform designed to improve communication between the city government and its residents. The app offers a one stop solution for staying informed on important updates, local news, and city services all accessible directly from your smartphone.

“My Quincy” enables the city to send real time notifications to users, ensuring they stay up to date on crucial information, from road closures and weather alerts to local events and emergency updates. By registering for the app, residents can receive push notifications and text messages tailored to their preferences, ensuring that they never miss important news or alerts.

Porchfest is Saturday

Quincy Main Street’s 13th Annual Porchfest Music Festival returned on Saturday, March 22.

There was free live music by thirteen of North Florida’s most popular musical groups playing on porches and other venues throughout the downtown historic district, all within walking distance of the Courthouse Square.

April

County makes moves to fund primary care office in Havana Gadsden Commissioners voted to move forward with awarding to help a Havana native start up a primary care practice in Gadsden County. During the March 18 regular meeting, staff were instructed to identify potential funding sources. Dr. Camron Browning presented a proposal outlining the purpose and necessity of the requested funding. The presentation included details on how the funds would be utilized, the anticipated benefits to the community, and any potential partnerships. In his proposal, Browning requested 1-2 year funding from Gadsden County to support the startup and initial operational sustainability of a new primary care office in Havana.

May

Gretna’s May Day Festival draws thousands for music, food, and community spirit

The 28th annual May Day Festival greeted the Springfield Multipurpose Center. the festival attracted 2500 attendees and 25 vendors, according to Jefferson. Big Ron and The Crew, Big Mucci and West Love set the musical tone for the evening, with host Joe Bullard and DJ AP complementing the lively affair.

Quincy Music Theatre closes season with Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Quincy Music Theatre is closing out its 40th season with a classic comedy full of fun and charm. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is based on the 1988 MGM movie starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine. The story takes place in the French Riviera and follows two sneaky men—Lawrence Jameson (played by Ken Lambert) and Freddy Benson (played by Jake Tottle)—who are trying to outsmart each other. Their goal? To trick a wealthy woman, Christine Colgate (played by Grace Casey), out of $50,000. Along the way, their wild and silly plans lead to plenty of laughs. Other characters include Lawrence’s assistant Andre Thibault (Dakota Miller), Muriel (Colleen McClure), and Jolene (Ashleigh Littlefield). The musical is full of crazy moments, fun songs, and unexpected twists that will keep the audience entertained. Quincy’s version is directed by QMT Board President Kafui Ablordeppy, with choreography by Taylor Whittle and music direction by Scott Leaman.

Quincy Rotary Trap Tournament raises more than $22,000 for youth camp The Quincy Rotary Trap Tournament saw a strong turnout and mild weather, helping the annual event raise more than $22,000 for the Rotary Youth Camp, which serves children with physical and cognitive disabilities. The tournament featured two competitive divisions and required two tie-breaker rounds to determine the winners. In the Experienced Division, Ben Rush took first place, followed by Freddie Clark in second and Trevor Clark in third. The Novice Division saw Daniel Boyd claim first, with David Boyd in second and Brian Jackson in third. Proceeds from the event will support the Rotary Youth Camp, which has been offering children with special needs a week of summer fun since 1994.

County adds nearly 100 youth jobs after concerns over selection process Following public outcry over a lottery-based selection process, the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners has voted unanimously to expand its Summer Youth Jobs Program, allowing all qualified student applicants who met the deadline to be hired. At a special meeting on Wednesday, May 14, commissioners approved funding for 98 additional positions, increasing the number of youth workers from 150 to 248. This came after concerns from parents, educators, and commissioners over the fairness and transparency of the original selection process, which used a digital lottery to randomly choose participants from a pool of eligible applicants.

June

County approves $5K sign-on bonus for new paramedics amid staffing shortages

In an effort to combat critical staffing shortages in emergency medical services, Gadsden County commissioners unanimously approved a $5,000 sign-on bonus for newly hired paramedics. The decision follows a proposal from new Emergency Medical Services Chief Dewayne Ford, who outlined a multi-step plan aimed at stabilizing the department and attracting qualified personnel. Quincy commissioners suspend rules of procedure, fire city manager with split vote In a surprise move during a tense June 10 meeting, Quincy commissioners voted 3-2 to terminate City Manager Rob Nixon, suspending standard rules of procedure to take immediate action. The commissioners gave no reason for Nixon’s termination. The city manager’s termination was not on the agenda. Commissioner Lane Stephens brought it up at the end of the 3-hour meeting, during the portion for commissioners’ comments. Stephens made the motion to remove Nixon under Section 2.71 of the city charter, which allows commissioners to suspend procedural rules by majority vote. The motion was seconded by Mayor Beverly Nash and passed with support from Commissioner Devonta Knight. Commissioners Ronte Harris and Robyn Wood opposed. July

Quincy Community Redevelopment Agency is under scrutiny Several city officials said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and other agencies may be investigating the City of Quincy’s Community Redevelopment Agency, though it wasunclear whether a formal criminal investigation has been launched. The discussion came during an emergency Community Redevelopment Agency board meeting on Thursday, June 20, where CRA Manager Millie Forehand told the board she had been informed by FDLE and the State Attorney’s Office that the agency is under a “multi-level criminal investigation.”

Gadsden School District maintains “C” Gadsden County School District received an overall grade of “C” for the 2024–25 academic year, according to data released by the Florida Department of Education.

Love’s Travel Center breaks ground on $25 million Gretna location

Love’s Travel Center officially broke ground Wednesday on a new $25 million facility in the City of Gretna. The site, located off Interstate 10 at Exit 174, is expected to bring jobs, infrastructure improvements, and increased visibility to the community.

Gadsden County High sanctioned by FHSAA over player eligibility violations

Gadsden County High School’s football program has been banned from the upcoming FHSAA State Series, fined a total of $21,500, and placed on restrictive probation after an investigation found multiple eligibility and registration violations.The Florida High School Athletic Association has sanctioned Gadsden County High School and its head football coach following findings that eight student-athletes participated in games and summer programs without proper registration.

August

Ethics commission finds probable cause in case involving county commissioner

The Florida Commission on Ethics has found probable cause that Gadsden County Commissioner Ronterious Green violated state ethics laws by participating in county decisions involving a business relationship with his landlord. According to the commission, Green is accused of having “a conflicting contractual relationship that created a continuing or frequently recurring conflict between his private interests and the performance of his public duties, when he approved multiple contracts for his landlord.” Green said, “The contractor involved has been receiving contracts since 2010, 10 years before I was elected to the county commission. All contractors are selected by county staff without involvement of commission. All votes were placed on the consent agenda and approved in 5-0 votes.”

37 th Art in Gadsden draws crowd of more than 300 Gadsden Arts welcomed more than 300 patrons for the opening reception and awards ceremony of the 37th Art in Gadsden Juried Exhibition. The event, held on Friday, Aug. 1, was presented by Thomas Howell Ferguson, P.A., represented by longtime colleague Debie Leonard. A popular regional tradition since 1989, this year’s exhibition features 117 outstanding artworks by 91 artists from across our region. On Friday night, Gadsden Arts was honored to have Gadsden County Commissioner Alonzetta Simpkins welcome the enthusiastic crowd.

Gadsden County players avoid suspension, must transfer schools A hearing was held at Lively Technical College Tuesday, Aug 5., where eight Gadsden County football players successfully appealed their ineligibility to the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), avoiding a one-year suspension. While the players were eligible for the 2025 season, they were not permitted to play at Gadsden County and had to take their talents to another FHSAA school. Despite the players’ desire to remain at Gadsden County, the Section Appeals Committee confirmed the ruling with a 4-2 vote.

Divided Gadsden County commissioners choose new interim county administrator

After a divided Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners voted 3-2 Monday evening to select Reginald James as the new interim county administrator, the board voted 5-0 Thursday to approve James’ contract. The role of county administrator has been filled by interim administrator Roosevelt Morris since November 2024, when the board voted 3-2 to fire county administrator Ed Dixon.

Quincy city clerk arrested on fraud and misuse of office charges

Quincy City Clerk Janice Shackelford was taken into custody Tuesday morning at City Hall on multiple fraud-related charges, according to the State Attorney’s Office. Chief Assistant State Attorney James Beville confirmed Shackelford, 62, faced a series of felony and misdemeanor counts, including:

One count of organized scheme to defraud One count of grand theft Six counts of forgery Six counts of uttering forged documents One count of misuse of public office (misdemeanor) One count of violating Florida’s public records law (misdemeanor)

Interim administrator targets vehicle spending

The Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners met Tuesday night, with Reginald James making his debut as the new interim County Administrator after being officially hired last week. James didn’t hesitate to make his presence felt during his first board meeting, accusing his predecessor of misusing county vehicles. “Apprently, the former administrator wanted a large portion of his staff to have access to county vehicles, and as a result of that we’ve amassed a total of 89 of them at a cost $40,000 a month, half a million a year—I’m interested in reducing that as fast as I possibly can,” said James. September Florida State linebacker in critical condition after being shot in Havana

A Florida State University football player was in critical but stable condition after he was shot in Havana on Sunday, Aug. 31.

Freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard, 18, was reportedly shot in the head at the Havana Heights apartments on 16th Street SE. According to a statement issued by the university Monday morning, Pritchard was in Havana visiting family.

Allison Christmas Spetacular moves after complaints from neighbors

A popular Christmas light display outside of Havana is relocating after complaints and pressure from neighbors.

The Allison Christmas Spectacular has lit up Sandy Creek Road from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day every year since 2008. Daniel Allison is the man behind the display. The new location for the display is the Havana Christmas Tree Farm at 2867 Florida Georgia Highway. It will start operating Thanksgiving night and end the night of Jan. 1.

County commission votes to keep 9.0 millage rate

Florida State University head football coach Mike Norvell shared an update on linebacker Ethan Pritchard. Norvell said Pritchard opened his eyes briefly on Sunday. The news came just days after four arrests were made in connection with a shooting that left Pritchard critically injured. Investigators later recovered multiple shell casings from the scene, including 7.62x39 and .40 caliber rounds. Surveillance footage obtained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) from nearby apartment complexes showed four armed individuals acting as lookouts and carrying rifles — including an AK-variant and a Draco-style weapon — just before the shooting. The suspects are:

Germany Atkins, 23, of Havana, Florida Caron Miller, 18, of Havana, Florida Jayden Bodison, 22, of Woodville, Florida Juvenile, 16, identity withheld

October Quincy commissioners seek answers on missing deposits, leaked image

A Facebook post showing what appeared to be customer checks stored in a drawer at the City of Quincy’s utility customer service department has prompted official statements and a police investigation. The post, made by Rodney Moore a long-time critic of local officials, included a photo of checks and claimed that “tens of thousands” of dollars in payments were left in a drawer for days, questioned why daily deposits were not being made and referenced a blue sticky note indicating $20,606.35 in missing funds. Havana celebrates 25th annual PumpkinFest

Downtown Havana welcomed visitors for the 25th Annual PumpkinFest on Saturday, October 11, 2025. The event featured family-friendly activities, contests, and entertainment throughout the day. Attendees enjoyed food trucks, vendors, live music, and a variety of children’s activities, including a kid’s zone, pumpkin painting, a petting zoo, games, pony rides, and a bounce house.

Quincy City Commission appoints former superintendent of schools as new city manager

The Quincy City Commission voted 3–1 to hire former Gadsden County Superintendent of Schools Roger Milton as the city’s new city manager. The decision was made during a tense meeting on October 14, 2025, where commissioners Ronte Harris and Robin Wood expressed surprise, noting that no interviews had been conducted for the position.

November

Veteran’s spirit soars with Dream Flights

Seventy-year-old Army veteran Robin Hasting enjoyed crisp blue skies and perfect flying weather as he took to the skies this past Friday in a World War II-era biplane.

The flight was organized by Dream Flights, a nonprofit that honors veterans with special 15-minute flights in restored vintage aircraft. In its 15 years in operation, Dream Flights has logged nearly 8,000 veteran flights.

Burn ban issued in Gadsden County as wildfire risk rises

Gadsden County officials have enacted an emergency burn ban as hot, dry and windy weather continues to elevate the risk of wildfires across the region. The ban, effective immediately, followed a series of recent brush and house fires and forecasts that showed no relief from the conditions over the next week. County leaders say the temporary restrictions were necessary to protect residents, property and local natural areas.

Florida State linebacker Ethan Pritchard sues Havana complexes, citing years of violence Florida State University linebacker Ethan Pritchard is suing two Havana apartment complexes, alleging long-standing security failures created the dangerous conditions that led to him being shot in the head in a case of mistaken identity. A previous lawsuit against Havana Heights, filed after a woman and her daughter were wounded in a drive-by shooting, was settled out of court. Pritchard and his family are seeking $50,000 in damages.

December

Havana man sentenced to life in prison for 2023 internet café killing Ty’rone Washington was sentenced Tuesday, Dec. 2 to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Lewis Butler, a security guard who tried to protect an employee during the robbery attempt. Washington was also convicted of the attempted first-degree murder of a store clerk who was shot but survived.

Gadsden County seniors protest reassignment of elderly affairs director Nearly two dozen senior citizens gathered outside a Gadsden County office building Monday and Tuesday mornings to protest the reassignment of the Department of Elderly Affairs director. Protesters held handwritten signs calling for the removal of Interim County Administrator Reginald James following the county’s decision to reassign Latoya Fryson from her role as director. According to county officials, Clerk of Court Nicholas Thomas reported “improprieties” within the Department of Elderly Affairs. At the Dec. 2 Board of County Commissioners meeting, commissioners authorized Interim County Attorney Louis J. Baptiste to conduct a formal investigation into the reported issues

$779M verdict awarded in Havana internet café killing The widow of a security guard killed during a 2023 armed robbery at a Havana internet café is calling on Florida lawmakers to crack down on alleged illegal gambling operations after a Gadsden County jury awarded her family a $779,389,024.37 wrongful death verdict. The verdict, returned this week, stems from the killing of Lewis Butler, who was shot while working security at a business described in court filings as an internet café operated by Fortune MGT 2023 LLC and Manishkumar Patel.

Investigation leads to reinstatement of elderly affairs director after seniors protest

During a special meeting, county officials released the findings of a review, which identified administrative and financial weaknesses tied to the operation of the senior center. According to the county attorney, rental fees collected for use of the facility were not consistently deposited into county accounts, some outside organizations were permitted to use the building at discounted rates without formal approval, and required sales taxes were not always charged. The investigation further identified a potential conflict of interest involving Director Latoya Fryson, who had volunteered with the Gadsden County Senior Citizen Foundation while serving as director of the Department of Elderly Affairs. Following the presentation, Interim County Administrator Reginald James announced Fryson’s reinstatement. James said the county did not have clear policies or procedures in place when Fryson assumed the role, contributing to the situation.

2025 Year-In-Review

Gadsden County High School principal reassigned; district names interim replacement

Roy D. Mitchell

Roy D. Mitchell

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Gadsden County High School principal reassigned; district names interim replacement

Roy D. Mitchell

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