Tour de France: Riders rest before hellish Pyrenees /B1 WEDNESDAY TODAY CITRUS COUNTY & next morning HIGH 91 Partly sunny with a LOW chance of showers and thunderstorms. 74 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com JULY 18, 2012 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOLUME 117 ISSUE 346 Adam Putnam explained milk producers voluntarily cut down sugar in flavored milk. Sugar content reduced in milk Only four teaspoons of sugar now Associated Press Producers have vol- untarily reduced sugar content by 38 percent in chocolate and MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle strawberry flavored milk that’s sold in most of the state’s schools, Florida’s agriculture chief said Tuesday. Agriculture Com- missioner Adam Put- nam also told the State Board of Education only low-fat and no-fat DOWNPOUR milk is offered in those schools. Rain drenches west side of county but sprinkles east “We can knock two or three cubes off your SHEMIR WILES Wednesday, though he added chances would chart,” Putnam said Staff Writer drop to 20 percent going into the weekend. during his appearance Using data from the airport in Inver- before the panel at ness, Rude said Citrus County received Broward College in ard and steady about a quarter- to a half-inch of rain Fort Lauderdale. “We showers hammered thanks to an upper level low that moved a did reduce the fat, the moist, unstable air mass across the area. carbs and the sugar the county Tuesday Coupled with some high pressure in the without a new rule.” southern part of the state, Rude said the Even with the reduc- and weather officials ex- activity spurred showers that drifted east tion, though, each serv- pect more rain this week. to northeast. Special to the Chronicle ing of flavored milk The storm did carry some lightning and A manatee helps mow Dan Cyr’s backyard during contains about four thunder, but no severe weather was the recent flooding associated with Tropical Storm Debby. teaspoons of sugar. Richard Rude, a meteorologist with the recorded in the county, Rude said. See MILK/ Page A4 National Weather Service in Ruskin, fore- casts a 50 percent chance of rain for See RAIN/ Page A9 Sea cows help mow local COMING THURSDAY: Procession backyard after flooding for fallen A.B. SIDIBE soldier Staff Writer A funeral procession As herbivores, manatees’ appetite for green, leafy will travel through Citrus things is legendary. These include turtle grass, manatee County from MacDill Air grass, shoal grass, mangrove leaves, various algae, Force Base to Chiefland water hyacinth and water hydrilla. on Wednesday for Spc. However, after the recent flooding associated with Trop- Clarence Williams III, a ical Storm Debby, Crystal River resident Dan Cyr would Brooksville soldier who like to add one more thing to sea cows’ menu: lawn grass. was killed July 8 in Cyr, who lives on a canal in the Magnolia Shores area, Afghanistan when his picked up his phone and walked onto his moderately vehicle hit an impro- flooded backyard during the storms and lo and behold, vised explosive device he saw a manatee munching away at his lawn grass. in Wardak Province. “I saw two of them that day,” Cyr said. “We practically Williams and Staff Sgt. live in a natural playground. I am used to seeing all kinds Ricardo Seija, 31, of of things out there, but this was the first time I had seen Tampa, were among six manatees in the yard.” soldiers killed. Manatees are known to consume about 4 percent to 9 The procession will percent (32 to 108 pounds for an adult manatee) of their travel north on I-75 to body weight in wet vegetation every day. State Road 50, then Manatees normally feed off the bottom, in the water move west through column and at the surface. But Michael Lusk, refuge Brooksville to connect manager of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge with U.S. 98 (Ponce Complex, said they are known to crop overhanging DAVE SIGLER/Chronicle De Leon Boulevard), branches and haul themselves partially out of the water TOP: A stranded motorist exited her vehicle Tuesday afternoon after her car stalled in high to eat bank vegetation. and is expected to ar- water while waiting at a traffic signal. The deep water pooled at the intersection of North rive at the junction with “They, however, do not beach themselves like whales,” Dunkenfield Avenue and State Road 44 in Crystal River. A noontime storm across much Lusk said. U.S. 19 at 1 p.m. of the county dropped heavy rain across much of the region. BOTTOM: Jim Echlin and Its final destination is Skye Morrow were well prepared for their walk back from lunch as patchy rain moved See SEA COWS/ Page A9 Carnegie Funeral into Inverness on Tuesday. Home, 217 S.E. Fourth Ave., Chiefland. INDEX Comics . .C7 Two vie to unseat school superintendent Community . .C1 Crossword . .C6 Editorial . .A8 Entertainment . .B6 Cummins: I would be in schools Balfour: Need for development Horoscope . .B6 Lottery Numbers . .B4 MIKE WRIGHT MIKE WRIGHT Lottery Payouts . .B6 Staff Writer Staff Writer Movies . .C7 Obituaries . .A5 CRYSTAL RIVER — Rob Cummins doesn’t work in the CRYSTAL RIVER — Sandy Balfour is big on strategies. Classifieds . .C8 Citrus County School District, but he sure is familiar with it. As someone who has taught in Citrus County elemen- TV Listings . .C6 Rob Cummins’ family moved to Citrus County in 1972. He tary, middle and high schools, Balfour said she knows the Sandy Cummins attended middle school and high school, plus the former school district can improve its education to students by Balfour GOP candidate Central Florida Community College when it was housed studying problems and finding solutions. GOP candidate for school with Lecanto High School. For example, Balfour said in 1998, she brought a team for school superintendent. See CUMMINS/ Page A9 See BALFOUR/ Page A9 superintendent. A2 WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012 LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE Run for the MONEY With the hills of Tallahassee behind them, runners settled in for a long, straight, flat journey ahead of them to Perry on Day 2. ■ THIS DAY IN HISTORY: In 1993, Chet was tired person’s thinking, mood and behavior and can ap- and hurting from his 15 miles Monday. His last 2 1/2 pear at all ages and is treatable. miles of the morning were in direct sunlight with no Mental retardation (now commonly referred to as a clouds or shade to give him relief. He finished at 9:40 form of developmental disability) is a disability for life. in the same way he started – just gutting it out, one The individual is diagnosed before the age of 18 and step after the other, ignoring the pain. has an IQ below 70. — Cheryl Ferguson, Key Training Center Goal ■ Q & A: With more than 250 known explanations Specialist for what causes a human body’s chromosomes to lit- ● MYTH: We do not know what causes develop- erally flip-flop or never even show up on the job, just mental disabilities. as many instances are still unresolved. ● FACT: Many conditions or factors have been In the absence of clear-cut messages and com- identified to cause developmental disabilities. Some forting diagnosis, treatment and cure, it is no surprise can be prevented; some cannot. myths and misconceptions often fill in the spaces. There are genetic causes such as Down syn- Those at the Key Training Center who focus on drome and Fragile X syndrome. There can be com- restoring and building the quality of life for those with plications suffered by the fetus during gestation or developmental disabilities have responded to those during the actual birth or delivery. Alcoholism, drug myths. The Citrus County Chronicle will run the re- abuse and some illnesses incurred by the mother sponses all week. can cause or contribute to developmental disabilities. ● MYTH: Mental retardation and mental illness Accidents, injuries to the head or illnesses children are the same thing. have can cause brain damage, resulting in develop- ● FACT: Mental retardation is sometimes con- mental disabilities. fused with mental illness. Mental retardation refers to More than 250 causes have been identified and below-average intelligence while mental illness is many are still unknown. Continued research is just that — an illness. Mental illness can often be critical. controlled by medication and you can recover from — Theresa Flick, Key Training Center Program being mentally ill. It is associated with changes in a and Services Director I run because... The Key is EDITOR’S NOTE Verticals • Faux Wood Blinds • Shutters • Cellular Shades part of my hometown. I think It’s Run for the Money Week, BLINDS the Key Training Center with runners taking turns cover- WE’LL MEET OR BEAT ANY ing the 180 miles between the COMPETITORS PRICE* “ “ 72 HOUR is a valuable resource to Capitol in Tallahassee and the our community and I will Key Training Center campus in FREE Lecanto. While the grueling jour- BLIND FACTORY show my support any ney is to raise awareness about LECANTO ~ TREETOPS PLAZA • Valances • Installation the developmentally disabled, it 1657 W. GULF TO LAKE HWY. • In Home Consulting way I can. is especially significant in that it www.72-hourblinds.com 000BYTX brings attention to the need for of Key clients who don’t receive 527-0012 1-877-746-0017 *Must present written estimate from competitor for this price Battalion Chief Craig Stevens donations to cover the expenses government support. The Savings Are Yours Because The Factory Is Ours! a Citrus County firefighter. Homosassa 621-7700 Crystal River 795-8600 F REE I NSPECTIONS Inverness 860-1037 T ERMITE S PECIALISTS S INCE 1967 000C1VQ HOME SERVICES Toll Free 1-877-345-BUSH www.bushhomeservices.com 000C0N8 000BU5V 000BVIR SPageTATE A3 - WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012 & LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY CHRONICLE Around THE STATE City rolling back, forward Citrus County NANCY KENNEDY taxes because the taxable cally conservative (budget) Also, Citrus County Sher- trucks, but they got a handle Staff Writer value of their property is document,” he said.