| Pensacola News Journal
The Milton Metropolis Council voted Thursday night to re-identify the Milton Neighborhood Middle after a person of its former mayors, Clyde Lee Gracey, a longtime public servant who handed away at the starting of February at the age of 99.
The council’s transfer will come considerably less than two a long time after it removed the name of a further former mayor, Dude Thompson, off the similar setting up next Thompson’s arrest and sentencing for wire fraud and tax evasion fees.
Gracey passed away Feb. 2, 2020, in accordance to his obituary in the News Journal.
Next a extensive career in the U.S. Navy, Gracey settled in Milton with his spouse and children and served the town in different capacities, like on the Milton Housing Authority Board, the initially Board of Changes and the Elections Fee, as perfectly as president of each the Milton Superior University PTA and the Quarterback Club.
He served on the Milton City Council for 6 a long time and then turned mayor in 1980, a seat he held for 14 years. Thompson succeeded him as mayor in 1994.
“Mr. Gracey contributed greatly to our city development in the local community, and I have practically nothing but the finest respect for Mr. Gracey and the provider he gave to our community,” Councilman George Jordan reported. “I have no objection to us naming this neighborhood heart just after him.”
The vote was unanimous, but not last. It will go before the Metropolis Council once again in early March.
“This is a amazing way to honor former Mayor Gracey,” said Milton Mayor Heather Lindsay. “His little ones and grandchildren will be really grateful for your consideration.”
Sentencing: Ex-Milton Mayor Male Thompson sentenced to 51 months in jail for embezzling from United Way
Community middle: Milton will rename Man Thompson Neighborhood Heart, may perhaps go after forensic audit
The Milton Neighborhood Centre was named the Dude Thompson Group Heart from 2015 right until 2019, when Thompson’s name was taken down soon after the significant expenses from the city’s longest-serving mayor arrived to light-weight.
Thompson was once heralded as a pillar of the Milton neighborhood and the constructing was named soon after him in 2015 as a tribute to his longtime service.
But Thompson, now 67, pleaded responsible in May 2019 to 20 counts of wire fraud and 3 counts of tax evasion. The fees stemmed from an FBI investigation that found Thompson made use of his situation as government director of the now-defunct United Way of Santa Rosa County to funnel at least $650,000 in donation checks into his private financial institution account from 2011 to 2018. Investigators believe the full was likely a great deal increased.
Thanks to statute of restrictions on economic information, investigators could not recuperate proof from ahead of 2011, despite the fact that Thompson served at the charity’s helm for 40 many years. He very effortlessly could have embezzled hundreds of thousands that investigators couldn’t confirm, federal prosecutors stated.
Restitution: Man Thompson must fork out $652,000 in restitution to United Way and lover charities
Thompson was sentenced to 51 yrs in prison. He claimed to Federal Correctional Institution Butner Lower in japanese North Carolina, a reduced security facility, on March 2, 2020.
Thompson served Milton as a city councilman from 1978 to 1994, and as mayor from 1994 to 2014.
Annie Blanks can be attained at ablanks@pnj.com or 850-435-8632.
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