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Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Softball: Lecanto tops county rival Citrus in slugfest /B1 WEDNESDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 68 Scattered storms LOW early and cooler. Breezy. 48 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com MARCH 3, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 146 NEWS BRIEFS Man will take child sex case to trial Citrus County BUSTER Court Judge Rich- If a jury con- Assistant Public De- contemplation,” Johnson THOMPSON ard “Ric” Howard victs Johnson as fender Luke Waatti told responded, denying COVID-19 cases Staff writer during a Tuesday, charged for lewd Howard on Tuesday Munchel’s offer. “I’m According to the Flor- March 2, Zoom and lascivious Johnson was considering pleading not guilty.” Jacy Kyle Johnson re- hearing, sched- molestation of a an offer from Assistant It’s alleged Johnson, ac- ida Department of Health, jected a prosecutor’s offer uled Johnson’s child 12 years old State Attorney Debra cording to court records, 58 positive cases were to serve 12 years in prison, trial for the week or younger, lewd Munchel to change his molested a girl from June reported in Citrus County and will stand trial on ac- of July 6. and lascivious not-guilty plea in ex- 2018 to October 2019 in since the latest update. cusations he molested a Howard also set Jacy molestation of a change for a 12-year Citrus County, and also No new deaths were girl for more than a year a final pretrial Johnson child between 12 prison sentence followed videotaped her taking a reported, for a total of and inappropriately vid- hearing for the Martin and 16 years old, and by two years of sex-of- shower in October 2019. 404. eotaped her. County 35-year-old on video voyeurism, he faces fender probation. To date in the county, Citrus County Circuit June 21. a sentence of up to life. “It was never a See COURT/Page A9 9,821 people have tested positive (including 76 non-residents). Three new hospitaliza- tions were reported, for a total of 644 hospitalized. Totals reflect prelimi- nary reports received by DeSantis touts record the state, and are subject to later revision. Vaccine registration system open DOH-Citrus’ preregis- tration system to sched- ule COVID-19 vaccine appointments for individu- als 65 and older and frontline health care work- ers is now available. Individuals can now be added to a waiting list for vaccine appointments and be notified when ap- pointments are available in Citrus County by visit- ing myvaccine.fl.gov or by calling 866-201-0442; TTY is 833-476-1036. As part of the statewide preregistration system, each county has a desig- nated number that indi- viduals can call and preregister with if they do not have internet access. Citrus County’s desig- nated helpline number is 833-540-2058. Gas prices continue TORI LYNN SCHNEIDER/Tallahassee Democrat steep hike Gov. Ron DeSantis arrives in the House of Representatives chamber to give his State of the State speech on the first day of the 2021 Legislative Session in Tallahassee Tuesday, March 2. Gas prices in Citrus County shot up about 15 cents Monday as fuel Governor says state’s COVID-19 response proven right, looks to future costs continue to skyrocket. BRENDAN in-person. All Floridians February was the most FARRINGTON have a right to earn a liv- expensive month at the Associated Press ing — and our citizens are employed at higher rates pump since July 2019. Senate leader Simpson TALLAHASSEE — Re- than those in the nation To be exact, it’s been publican Florida Gov. as a whole. Every job is 19 months since gas was Ron DeSantis reflected as essential.” this expensive, according much on the past year as DeSantis’s speech to AAA — The Auto Club he did his priorities for marked the first day of the lays out 2021 agenda Group. 2021 during a State of the 2021 legislative session. Florida drivers are now State address Tuesday Ironically, while DeSantis JIM TURNER lawsuits related to COVID-19. paying an average price that touted his response was talking about keeping News Service of Florida “The vast majority of these busi- of $2.61 per gallon. to the coronavirus the state open, the Capitol nesses made a good-faith effort to Throughout February, pandemic. was closed to the public TALLAHASSEE — Senate Pres- adhere to ever-changing guide- gas prices increased an DeSantis, a staunch op- because of the pandemic. ident Wilton Simpson lines,” Simpson said. “Our average total of 24 cents ponent to lockdowns and In the early months of called for pumping money bills strike the right bal- business restrictions, said the pandemic, DeSantis per gallon. However, driv- from an expected next ance by shielding those Florida is in much better shut down many busi- ers are paying 22 cents round of federal coronavi- that did their best under shape than other states nesses and set capacity rus relief into “shovel difficult circumstances, per gallon more than a because it is open for limits at restaurants and ready” road and water while also protecting month ago, and 23 cents business. other stores. But he later projects, while backing consumers.” more than this time last “While so many other abandoned those policies legislation to revamp the Proposals by Sen. Jeff year. The state average states kept locking people and said Florida will state retirement system, as Sen. Wilton Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, has increased a total of down over these many never go on lockdown he helped open the 2021 Simpson would help shield busi- 41 cents since January 1. months, Florida lifted again. legislative session on R-Trilby. nesses (SB 72) and health- “Last month’s jump at people up,” DeSantis He credits that decision Tuesday. care providers (SB 74) the pump was largely said. “Florida’s schools for Florida being in a Simpson, in a brief opening from lawsuits stemming from inju- driven by refinery issues are open — and we are better financial situation speech to senators, also main- ries or deaths related to — caused by arctic one of only a handful of than forecasters pre- tained support for rapidly moving COVID-19. weather in Texas,” said states in which every par- dicted last year. legislation to shield businesses ent has a right to send Auto Club spokesman and health-care providers from See SIMPSON/Page A9 their child to school See DESANTIS/Page A6 Mark Jenkins. “Other fac- tors were tightening global fuel supplies and continued optimism that the COVID-19 vaccine and stimulus money Rollie Budd: Family man, father, fun-loving guy would help boost fuel demand.” NANCY KENNEDY “I got home and was ex- “He had to go back on — From staff reports Staff writer plaining all this to my the (naval) ship and was INDEX husband, that we had to gone for three or four Rollie Budd was a mas- get ‘100-pound test line,’ months,” she said. “When Classifieds . .C8 ter at the “gotcha.” and he looked at me and he came back, he asked Comics . .C7 “He’d tell you some- said, ‘Phyllis, how long me to marry him and I Crossword . .C14 thing, and in your heart have you known Rollie? He met his wife of Pullmans,” Marjorie said yes. That was Editorial. A7 you knew it was probably You really think he’s 62 years, Marjorie, on a Budd said. “Rollie had 62 years ago.” Entertainment . A4 not true, but you believed serious?’ train. been overseas. It was After Rollie got out of Horoscope . A4 him anyway,” said Phyllis “Rollie was like family, Marjorie, a nursing stu- Good Friday, and he didn’t the Navy, he and Marjorie Education . A10 Brown, a longtime friend and we had a good, lasting dent, was coming home to have any reservations and moved to Inverness where Lottery Numbers . .B3 and neighbor. friendship,” she said. “We Florida — Sumter County we both ended up in the they raised their three club car.” Lottery Payouts . .B3 She said one time Rol- lost a dear friend when — from Maryland and sons. lie was going to take her we lost him.” Rollie was on leave from They talked the entire Obituaries . A2 Rollie went to work for a and her husband out fish- Rollie LeRoy Budd the Navy. ride back to Florida, and local doctor, taking care of TV Listings. .C6 ing in the Gulf, and he died Feb. 2. He was 84. “I had a Pullman (sleep- the next day Rollie came his orange groves, and did told her she needed to get Born in Hopewell, Flor- ing car) reserved for to the nursing school and that before then-sheriff a certain kind of fishing ida, in Hillsborough about four months, but they sat on the front porch B.R. Quinn hired him line that didn’t actually County, Rollie came to when I got on the train and continued the exist. Citrus County in 1958. they didn’t have any conversation. See BUDD/Page A2 A2 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021 CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE Obituaries Dakota Family will be receiving Scott, 13 friends from 12 until ser- vice-time at 1 p.m. on Sat- CRYSTAL RIVER urday March 6, 2021 at the A Celebration of Life for Brown Funeral Home and Keith Crematory in Lecanto, Rigalo, 50 Dakota Deputy Scott, age 13, of FL. CRYSTAL RIVER Crystal Keith James Rigalo, 50 River, Evelyn of Crystal River, FL born Florida, Welk, 82 in Pough- will be held 4:00 BURNT HILLS, keepsie, NY New pm, Fri- York, day, 9/13/1938-2/14/2021 died on Dakota March 5, Evelyn Mae Welk February Scott 2021 at looked to find joy in every 27, 2021.