Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 NHL: Lightning look to even Stanley Cup final series/A5 TUESDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 87 Mostly sunny, LOW breezy. 68 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 125 ISSUE 350 NEWS BRIEFS Grant to leave school post Citrus COVID-19 update Twenty-three new positive cases Official has been school police chief since 2018; says it’s time to retire were reported in Citrus County BUSTER Grant told a Chronicle leadership has over the Citrus to 2011 before he was since the latest FDOH update. One THOMPSON reporter Monday, “and I provided our County Sheriff ’s promoted to a sergeant new hospitalization was reported; Staff writer think it’s just time.” guardians with Office Special in the program for a year. No new deaths were reported. Grant was hired part the tools and Operations Divi- “I will rely heavily on To date in the county, Buddy Grant, the Cit- time in December 2018 knowledge sion, will leave the relationships I have 2,646 people have tested positive rus County School Dis- as the school district’s needed to con- the sheriff ’s of- built not only at CCSO, but (including eight non-residents), trict’s top law first police chief. tinue to keep our fice to succeed also those at the school 272 have been hospitalized and enforcement officer, will School officials hired students safe,” Grant, according district, to continue our 86 have died. clock into retirement him full time the follow- Himmel said in a Buddy to the school successes of protecting starting in December. ing spring as the dis- news release. “I Grant district. our most valuable re- Construction impacts School Superinten- trict’s state-required am confident the Citrus County During his source,” Vincent said in utility lines dent Sandra “Sam” Him- school safety specialist, department will Schools Police time with the an email to the Chronicle. mel announced Grant’s and later had him over- continue to suc- Chief and sheriff ’s office, Vincent’s decision to Roadway construction in and decision on Monday, see the district’s first ceed for years to School Safety which began in become the school dis- around Homosassa has impacted Sept. 21, 2020. contingent of armed come because of Specialist. 1993, Vincent trict’s next police chief utility lines for nearby customers. “I finally hit the mark school guardians. the example he has set.” served as a school re- CenturyLink spokeswoman where I can retire,” “It is clear that his David Vincent, captain source officer from 2002 See GRANT/Page A3 Stephanie Meisse said road work along U.S. 19 has cut the communi- cation company’s fiber network sev- eral times over the past few months. “We regret that these fiber cuts by third parties are causing phone and internet service outages for many of our residential and small ‘These kids can’t live this way’ business customers in the area.” Meisse said. Florida Department of Transpor- Hard-working tation spokesman John McShaf- frey said there have been a few instances where services have grandma seeks been disrupted for a few hours be- cause of poorly marked utility lines help for her or contractor errors, but no interfer- ences have occurred within the past few weeks. grandkids Voter registration NANCY KENNEDY drive set for today Staff writer The Supervisor of Elections office While most of Citrus County will host a voter registration drive sleeps, Sandra Ingram gets in from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, which her car, seven days a week, no is National Voter Registration Day, at matter how bad the weather, the county library locations: just to make sure her custom- I Lakes Region Library — 1511 ers in Sugarmill Woods have Druid Road, Inverness. their morning paper when I Central Ridge Library — 425 they get up in the morning. W. Roosevelt Blvd., Beverly Hills. A Chronicle newspaper I Homosassa Public Library — carrier for more than 30 4100 S. Grandmarch Ave., years, she has rarely missed a Homosassa. night, beginning around mid- MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle I Coastal Region Library — night and ending her shift Sandra Ingram lives in this trailer with her two grandchildren, 6 and 17 years of age. Her daughter 8619 W. Crystal St., Crystal River. around 6:30 a.m. died in 2019 and she now cares for the two. Her trailer is in a desperate state of repair and is hoping Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, is the last “Back when I was first for assistance to find a suitable place to raise her two grandchildren, saying, “These kids can’t live this way.” day to register to vote in the Nov. hired as dock supervisor 10 3, 2020, general election. You may years ago, Sandra had been that is beyond repair on a ents, who are both deceased. Bella Oasis Motel for about 15 here 20 years,” said Jonathan also register online or find addi- piece of property in Homo- There’s a house and a years, was diagnosed with can- Andrews, Chronicle distribu- tional information about registering sassa that she inherited from travel trailer behind it. cer in November 2018. By Feb- tion director. “We used to help to vote at www.votecitrus.com. her mother. “Both the house and the ruary 2019, she could no longer her load her Sunday papers “I’m desperate,” Ingram trailer need to be torn down,” take care of herself or her chil- Voter registration applications in — those bundles can be heavy English and Spanish are available said. “I’m 66, I have COPD, she said. “The trailer is a dren, so Ingram moved them — and she’d bring us subs or heart disease and am dia- piece of junk, and the house on the website to print and deliver all into the trailer. chili and other food to say betic, and now I have a 6-year- is just as bad. Rats have eaten “We were all crammed to- in person to the elections office or thank you. old to raise ... I need a decent holes in the trailer’s ceiling, gether, and I took care of her mail to P.O. Box 1870 Lecanto, FL “Any time anyone needs home for these kids.” walls and floors. Rats ate the until three days before she 34460. help, she’s the first to jump Ingram, one of 10 siblings wiring in the trailer, so the passed,” she said. “I finally Voter registration applications in,” Andrews said. with only herself and a sister only way I have electricity — had to call hospice ... it’s been may also be obtained by calling 352- Now Sandra Ingram is the still alive, has lived in Homo- it’s hooked up to the house.” rough.” 564-7120 or toll-free 800-655-6645, one who needs help. sassa since she was a An air conditioning unit Ingram is currently in the or by visiting the Supervisor of Elec- Last year, July 1, 2019, her teenager. leaks, and she flushes her toi- process of getting custody of tions Office at 1500 N. Meadowcrest daughter, Brenda West, died She said she knows just let with a bucket of water. her 6-year-old granddaughter Blvd., Crystal River 34429. from cancer at age 40 and In- about every road in town, es- “It’s a horrible mess,” she — who has never had a real gram has been raising her two pecially Sugarmill Woods. said. bed to sleep in. Food giveaway grandchildren, ages 6 and 17, The property where she Ingram’s daughter, who was Wednesday at mall in a cramped travel trailer lives now belonged to her par- the front desk manager at the See GRANDMA/Page A7 Beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday Sept. 23, the public can receive food at the Crystal River Mall park- ing lot (by the former Belks store) drive-through only. Monetary donations are needed M-CORES groups Local virus cases for to continue feeding Citrus County residents. Please consider donat- ing through Citrus United Way week of Sept. 14-21 (www.citrusunitedway.org), Com- to review reports munity Food Bank of Citrus County BUSTER THOMPSON documented 35 and 45 new (www.communityfoodbankofcitrus Staff writer local coronavirus cases. county.org) or the New Church Those figures surpass Without Walls (www.newchurch Recommendations will help guide A two-day bump in re- prior daily numbers dating withoutwalls.com). ported COVID-19 cases over back until Sept. 4, when the Fall Home & Outdoor development of toll road projects the week contributed to a FDOH recorded 86 cases. higher average of transmis- As of Monday, COVID-19 Show scheduled MIKE WRIGHT M-CORES — Multi-use Corri- sions for Citrus County com- has killed 86 locals — an in- The Chronicle’s Fall Home and Staff writer dors of Regional Economic Sig- pared to the week before. crease of 13 over the last Outdoor Show will be from 10 a.m. nificance — is the study of three According to the Florida week — and has hospital- to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, in the It was never about piecing to- major toll road expansion proj- Department of Health’s ized 272 people, according to the FDOH new Inverness Depot at Liberty gether a preferred corridor. ects. Two — the Suncoast and (FDOH’s) coronavirus dash- Citrus County’s cumula- Park. Rather, more like a blueprint of turnpike extensions — include board on Monday Sept. 21, Citrus County representatives on 2020, a total 2,646 people in tive rate of positive corona- More than 40 vendors with a where not to build.