Militants Execute Journalist Islamic Extremists Release Video Purporting to Show Beheading of US Reporter Steven Sotloff
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License# CACO10415 72 PAGE A4 000J66Y www.chronicleonline.com SEPTEMBER 3, 2014 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 120 ISSUE 27 Militants execute journalist Islamic extremists release video purporting to show beheading of US reporter Steven Sotloff Associated Press continue to strike the necks of the family, said that the Sotloffs Time and Foreign Policy maga- Islamic State. your people.” had seen the video but that au- zines, vanished in Syria in Au- In the video distributed Tues- BEIRUT — Islamic State ex- The footage — depicting what thorities have not established gust 2013 and was not seen day and titled “A Second Mes- tremists released a video Tues- the U.S. said appeared to be a its authenticity. again until he appeared in a sage to America,” Sotloff day purportedly showing the sickening act of brutality — was “The family knows of this hor- video released last month that appears in a similar jumpsuit beheading of a second Ameri- posted two weeks after the re- rific tragedy and is grieving pri- showed Foley’s beheading. before he is apparently be- can journalist, Steven Sotloff, lease of video showing the vately. There will be no public Dressed in an orange jumpsuit headed by a fighter with the Is- and warning President Barack killing of James Foley and just comment from the family during against an arid Syrian land- lamic State, the extremist group Obama that as long as U.S. days after Sotloff ’s mother this difficult time,” Barfi said. scape, Sotloff was threatened in that has conquered wide swaths airstrikes against the militant pleaded for his life. Sotloff, a 31-year-old Miami- that video with death unless the group continue, “our knife will Barak Barfi, a spokesman for area native who freelanced for U.S. stopped airstrikes on the See VIDEO/ Page A2 Feds end manatee watch partnership STEPHEN E. LASKO/For the Chronicle Obligations relating to Three Sisters Springs, as well as budget constraints, prompted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials to request that another entity assume manatee watch responsibilities at the Blue Waters in Homosassa. Program volunteers will now wear Florida Park Service uniforms and officials with the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park will orchestrate their activities. Park Service will take over volunteer program in Homosassa from U.S. Fish and Wildlife A.B. SIDIBE and volunteers will now be donning conduct regarding the sea cows, espe- River National Wildlife Refuge Staff writer Florida Park Service uniforms. cially during the busy winter season. spokesman Ivan Vicente, his agency The manatee watch program at the The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service became overwhelmed with other The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- Blue Waters, springhead of the Ho- provided the training and the uni- projects and financial difficulties. vice’s more than decade-long part- mosassa River, was created in 2002 forms and the wildlife park worked “It is not a divorce we wanted, be- nership work with the manatee watch after two manatee sanctuaries were on recruitment, scheduling, hour doc- cause the wildlife park has been volunteer program at Homosassa created in the area. umentation, in-water training and great partners with us, but with us Springs Wildlife State Park is ending. Volunteers keep an eye on visitor in- handling complaints/reports. getting ready to open public access to But officials at the park said the teraction with endangered manatees The arrangement worked until program will continue uninterrupted and educate the public about proper recently when, according Crystal See WATCH/ Page A2 Annual business expo Lawyers turn to Bondi features 60 exhibitors for opinion on HCA deal The event runs from 9 a.m. to MIKE WRIGHT Show is Saturday 3 p.m. Saturday in the Citrus Questions for Attorney General County Auditorium as well as Staff writer PAT FAHERTY outside, on the accompanying Pam Bondi regarding the Citrus Staff writer county fairgrounds property, on The entire Citrus Memorial Memorial transaction include: U.S. 41 just south of Inverness. hospital transaction and all it ■ includes for the future of Can the CCHB use net proceeds of the Building on last year’s suc- Parking and admission are transaction for a charitable trust? cess, the 2014 Citrus County free. health care in Citrus County Chamber of Commerce Busi- “This is Citrus County sup- may well come down to the ■ May HCA demolish useless or obsolete ness Expo will be bigger and porting Citrus County,” said Jeff opinion of one person: Attor- structures without violating state statute? (The better. Inglehart of the chamber, who is ney General Pam Bondi. Pam Bondi agreement allows HCA to demolish structures It’s the second annual oppor- coordinating the event. It’s all Attorneys involved in the state attorney not on the hospital grounds, such as off-site tunity for local businesses of all local businesses and nonprofit transaction are finalizing a general. clinics). types to connect with local organizations.” formal request for an opinion consumers. He said it will be a diverse from Bondi to ensure the An attorney general’s opinion policy, knowing they have the And the expo is designed as a mix of all types of businesses 50-year lease to Hospital doesn’t carry the same weight backing of the state’s top lawyer. family outing with a food truck, and services. Corporation of America passes as a judicial ruling, but it’s The Citrus County Hospital pet adoptions and project activ- muster of an untested close. Governments rely on for- ities for children. See EXPO/ Page A9 state law. mal AG opinions to set See BONDI/ Page A9 INDEX INSIDE Classifieds . .C10 Comics . .C9 Community . .C7 Crossword . .C8 Editorial . .A8 Entertainment . .A4 Horoscope . .A4 Lottery Numbers . .B3 Lottery Payouts . .B3 Movies . .C9 Obituaries . .A6 TV Listings . .C8 No serious injuries: Polar vortex: Outside education: A pre-dawn crash snarled traffic in A new study links chills to melting ice./A10 Students spend a lot of time in nature at the Inverness./A3 Academy of Environmental Science./C1 A2 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2014 CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE Diamondback VIDEO Continued from Page A1 of territory across Syria and Iraq and declared it- self a caliphate. In the video, the organi- zation threatens to kill an- other hostage, this one identified as a British citizen. The SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S. terrorism watchdog, first reported about the video’s existence. In Washington, State De- partment spokeswoman Jen Psaki said U.S. intelli- gence analysts will work as quickly as possible to de- termine if the video is authentic. Associated Press “If the video is genuine, Television journalists stand across from the home of the family of journalist Steven we are sickened by this Sotloff on Tuesday in Pinecrest, Fla. brutal act, taking the life of another innocent Ameri- broke the Islamic State’s enrolled at the University have access to information can citizen,” Psaki said. two-month siege of Amirli, of Central Florida. from some of the most dan- “Our hearts go out to the a town where some 15,000 UCF spokeswoman gerous places in the Sotloff family.” Shiite Turkmens had been Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala world.” MARILYN PRUTER/Special to the Chronicle Psaki said it is believed stranded. said Sotloff was a student House Foreign Affairs Marilyn Pruter of Inverness discovered this that “a few” Americans are In a sign of disorganiza- majoring in journalism Chairman Rep. Ed Royce, diamondback rattlesnake measuring still being held by the Is- tion — or perhaps dissen- from 2002 to 2004. She said R-Calif., said the new 56 inches in her backyard on Sunday lamic State but would not sion — in the extremist the school has no record of video demonstrates the Is- morning. She said she discovered the deadly give any specifics. group’s ranks, it appeared him graduating. lamic State’s “barbarity snake while preparing to fill her bird feeder at The fighter who appar- that a faction of the Is- Just how Sotloff made across the region — be- 6:45 a.m. The resident of Sweetwater Pointe ently beheads Sotloff in lamic State posted the his way from Florida to heading and crucifying went back into her home to get help to the video calls it retribu- video early, before it was Middle East hotspots is not those who don’t share dispatch the snake. If you photograph news tion for Obama’s contin- supposed to be released. clear. He published arti- their ideology.” He said or interesting events in Citrus County, send a ued airstrikes against the In a later Twitter message, cles from Syria, Egypt and the U.S. and allies need to photo and caption along with your contact group. those responsible apolo- Libya in a variety of publi- step up military action information to [email protected]. “I’m back, Obama, and gized and asked fellow ji- cations. Several focus on against the group, includ- I’m back because of your hadis not to “reproach” the plight of ordinary peo- ing through airstrikes. arrogant foreign policy to- them. ple in war-torn places. At Sotloff ’s parents’ wards the Islamic State ... Last week, Sotloff ’s In a statement, Foreign home in Pinecrest, tion a new training pro- despite our serious warn- mother, Shirley Sotloff, Policy magazine said it Florida, two police vehi- gram as required by state ings,” the fighter says.