EMS to Ask for More Federal Money Meadowcrest FRED HIERS Nonprofit, Ambulance Company’S Clerk of Court Staff Writer Share to Be About $1.7 Million
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Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 MLB: Rays earn series win over White Sox / B1 MONDAY TODAY C I T R U S C O U N T Y & next morning HIGH 91 Some sun; scattered storms LOW move inland. 74 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com AUGUST 23, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 324 NEWS BRIEFS EMS to ask for more federal money Meadowcrest FRED HIERS nonprofit, ambulance company’s clerk of court Staff writer share to be about $1.7 million. When costs to exchange out an en- shut for now Nature Coast EMS will go to the gine and other costs were sub- BOCC to chew on dog park The Clerk of Court Citrus County Commission on tracted, Baxter said the amount for Citrus County an- Tuesday asking that its share of was reduced to $1.1 million. nounced its Meadow- federal COVID relief Earlier this summer, idea for Citrus Springs funds be reconsidered crest customer service that was reduced again to after commissioners cut $822,000 and again to location in Crystal the local agency’s portion $300,000 by the county MICHAEL D. BATES Schlabach asked staff to River will be closed to only a fraction of what commission. Baxter said Staff writer crunch the numbers. Their esti- Monday through Fri- it was a year ago. the latest reduction came mate: $64,322. Of that, 82% of the day, Aug. 23 to Nature Coast, which when Nature Coast’s County commissioners Tues- cost was for clearing land and Aug. 27, due to an un- contracts with the com- share for overhauling the day will vote on a proposed dog fencing the property, which expected staff short- mission to provide ambu- county’s 911 system park at Citrus Springs Commu- would be divided into two sepa- Scott age, according to a lance services, began increased. nity Center, to be paid for rate sections for large and small Baxter news release issued talking with county offi- Nature Coast’s annual through impact fees. dogs. Plus, about $3,800 would cials a year ago about its CEO of Nature budget is about $10 mil- Citrus County has just one pub- go into annual operation costs. Sunday, Aug. 22. Coast EMS. “We apologize for share of the federal Coro- lion and it receives nearly lic dog park and it’s in Staff said the park could be any inconvenience navirus Aid, Relief, and Economic $850,000 from the county Homosassa. But that’s 15 miles paid for through impact fees. away from Citrus Springs and a The commission meeting be- this may cause,” the Security Act, Nature Coast Chief commission. Scott Baxter told the Chronicle. Baxter said the additional resident asked Commissioner gins at 1 p.m Tuesday, Aug. 24, at release stated. Ruthie Davis Schlabach to look For all court-related Baxter said he and the county See BOCC/Page A7 first discussed last year the See EMS/Page A7 into building another on 2.5 acres. matters, citizens can visit the customer ser- vice location at the Citrus County Court- house, 110 N. Apopka Ave., Inverness. For all non-court-related matters, visit the Clerk Annex, 120 N. Mont- gomery Ave., Inverness. Decades of dedication As an alternative, the release stated Longtime family customers can visit www.citrusclerk.org. Learn about physician hangs up local aquatic preserves his stethoscope The Friends of Crystal River National MARGO WILSON Wildlife Refuge Com- For the Chronicle plex, Inc. will host a Nature Coast Lecture hen Dr. Charles Li came to Chicago in 1974 after serving as a surgeon in Series at 6 p.m. Taiwan, he may not have imagined Aug. 24 via Zoom. W he’d wind up in practice in a small town along Environmental sci- the Gulf Coast of Florida, from where he’s re- entist Trisha Green of tiring 43 years later at 76. the Florida Depart- But Dr. Li, a family practitioner, has found ment of Environmental that “Crystal River is a good town to live in, Protection’s (FDEP) and it’s growing ... I like the living style.” Office of Resilience Dr. Bhadresh Patel has purchased Li’s and Coastal Protec- clinic along West Gulf-to-Lake Highway in tion will introduce the Crystal River, and Dr. Jerome Carolino, a fam- audience to two local ily practitioner, is the new doctor. Dr. Patel aquatic preserves. now owns four clinics — in Beverly Hills, In- Green will share in- verness, Floral City, and Crystal River — that formation about the are part of West Florida Medical Associates. preserves’ natural re- “Dr. Li has done a service to Crystal River for over 40 years, serving the nursing homes sources and describe and the hospital,” Dr. Patel said. “He’s a very the monitoring pro- dedicated physician ... and is very profes- grams being con- sional in his approach to taking care of pa- ducted in the St. tients,” according to Dr. Patel. Martins Marsh and Big Dr. Li immigrated to Chicago, and after Bend Seagrasses three years as a resident physician there, he aquatic preserves. moved to Florida. A friend in Ocala told him She currently coordi- about “a good opportunity,” Li said, and urged nates these programs. him to apply when Seven Rivers Community She will discuss how Hospital opened in 1978. He did, and he’s the information is used been tending to the medical needs of Citrus for management and County residents ever since. conservation. His wife, Su-Jan, who was trained as a To join the Zoom chemist and taught high school physics in Tai- meeting, visit tinyurl. wan, helped run Li’s office. “She’s a good person,” he said, smiling. com/5wfrb8hs. Meet- Li recalled when he first moved to Crystal ing ID: 393 580 7027. River, “You could see fish. You could see the Passcode: 342957. bay from Highway 19.” — From staff reports As Crystal River grew up, Li worked to be- come a good counselor and friend to his ONLINE patients. Compared to other medical specialties, a POLL family practice doctor, he has found, has “more patient interaction. We provide the What do frontline care.” He said he also has gotten to know his pa- MARGO WILSON/For the Chronicle you think? tients’ family members. Longtime Citrus County physician Dr. Charles Li has sold his practice in Crystal River and retired. Dr. With the Atlantic Li has served area families for three generations and is a former chief of staff of Seven Rivers and hurricane basin See DEDICATION/Page A7 medical director of three nursing homes. activity peaking, how concerned are you? A. We are fully prepared and stocked. Poll: Most want parent control in school mask debate B. We will prepare when necessary. JOHN HAUGHEY certain to carry over into the fall and equivalent of board and superinten- children should wear masks indoors C. We aren’t worried. The Center Square winter in the form of litigation, court dent salaries and the removal of of- at school.” rulings and legislative action when ficials from their posts. In response to the same question, A slight majority of recently lawmakers convene in January for The governor’s actions in champi- 40% said they oppose allowing par- To vote, visit www. polled Floridians agree with Gov. their 2021 legislative session. oning parental rights has garnered ents to decide if children should be chronicleonline.com. Ron DeSantis that parents should On Tuesday, the state’s Board of more support than opposition, ac- masked in school and 9% were Scroll down the home determine if their children should Education determined the Alachua cording to an August 12-16 survey of unsure. page and look for the wear masks in school, but a majority and Broward county school dis- 500 respondents conducted by Aris- The FAU BEPI survey varies poll box in the right- disapprove of the governor’s stance tricts’ mandatory mask mandates totle Inc., on behalf of Florida Atlan- from an Aug. 3 St. Pete Polls survey hand column. in banning businesses from requir- violate state law and DeSantis’ tic University’s Business & of 3,952 likely voters, in which 62% Results will appear ing proof of vaccination from pa- June 30 executive order that allows Economics Polling Initiative (FAU of respondents said they support next Monday. Find trons and employees. parents to decide if their students BEPI). mask mandates in schools and less last week’s online The school mask and “vaccine wear masks at school. Slightly more than 51% responded than 32% said they opposed such poll results./Page A3 passport” issues have embroiled Both districts face sanctions that “yes” when asked if they “support measures. Florida in controversy this summer may include withholding the allowing parents to decide if their See POLL/Page A5 Classifieds . .B7 Crossword . .B10 INDEX Horoscope . A4 Movies . .B6 Comics . .B6 Editorial. A6 Lottery Numbers . .B3 TV Listings. .B5 Entertainment . A4 Extra Puzzles . .B4 Lottery Payouts . .B3 A2 MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021 CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE 50008593 Page A3 - MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021 STATE &CITRUS L COUNTYOCAL CHRONICLE Around the COUNTY Traffic stop results in drug charges Join 17th CCVF HANNAH SACHEWICZ Bond was set at $4,000. back of the truck. tal-like substance. golf tourney Staff writer On Aug. 19, while driv- Mills reportedly said The substance reportedly tested ing along Rock Crusher he did not have a license, positive for meth and weighed ap- Check in for the 17th an- A Homosassa man was found in Road, deputies ran the li- registration or proof of proximately 1.14 grams.