Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 NHL: Lightning hope to lift Cup at home /B1 THURSDAY TODAY C I T R U S C O U N T Y & next morning HIGH 88 S c a t t e r e d A LOW showers and thunderstorm s. 72 PAGE A4 w w w.chronicleonline.com JULY 8, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 274 NEWS BRIEFS County spared by Elsa Storm will impact garbage pickup Flooding still D ue to the Fourth of Jly holiday and the clo- seen as concern s u r e o f t h e C t r u s C u n t y Landfill from Tropical BUSTER THOMPSON Staff writer Storm Esa, W aste M an- agem ent custom ers in Tropical Storm Elsa spared unincorporated Ctrus Citrus County as it churned C u n t y w i l l h a v e i m - along Florida’s Gulf Coast to- pacted services for the ward the Northeast but left a rem ainder of the w eek lingering threat of flooding in and next w eek. its rainy and windy wake. There w as no garbage, By their 11 a.m. Wednesday, recycling or yard w aste July 7, update, when Elsa was collection service on making landfall in Taylor W ednesday, Jly 7. U nin- County, National Hurricane c o r p o r a t e d C t r u s C u n t y Center officials downgraded residential custom ers w ill Citrus County’s hurricane warn- be serviced on a tw o-ay ing to a tropical storm warning, which later expired by 3 p.m. delay the rem ainder of Amanda Woodward, the coun- the w eek and into next ty’s emergency management di- w eek. Tuesday custom - rector, said hazardous ers w ill be serviced conditions from storm’s arrival Thursday, W ednesday Tuesday night into Wednesday custom ers w ill be ser- morning were expected to die viced Friday, Thursday down Wednesday afternoon. custom ers w ill be ser- “That is very rapidly coming viced S aturday and Fri- to an end,” she told the Chroni- day custom ers w ill be cle. “I’m feeling good about s e r v i c e d M o n d a y , J l y 1 . where we are.” T h e w e e k o f J l y 1 a l l According to the National collection days w ill be de- Weather Service, a peak wind layed by one day. Tues- gust of 41 mph was reported at a home station in Crystal River, day custom ers w ill be and the agency’s station in In- serviced W ednesday, verness captured a gust as fast W ednesday custom ers as 26 mph. w ill be serviced Thursday, Woodward said no local inju- Thursday custom ers w ill ries or significant damages be serviced Friday, and were reported because of the Friday custom ers w ill be storm, which was forecast to serviced S aturday. head toward Georgia, the Caro- Al residential services linas, Virginia and on to Maine w ill be back on schedule over the next week. t h e w e e k o f J l y 1 . Downed tree limbs and utility C m m e r c i a l a n d r o l l - f f cables obstructed local path- custom ers w ill have a ways, and area electric compa- delay in service up to tw o nies worked to restore power. By noon, Duke Energy reported days for the rem ainder of 12 outages in Citrus County; the t h i s w e e k . Withlacoochee River Electric V isit w w w .w m florida Cooperative (WREC) had two; storm .com for updated and SECO restored power to all inform ation. its local customers. Alligator attack A tree fell on top of power lines near the intersection of suspected in Northeast Eighth Avenue and woman’s death Northeast First Terrace in Crys- tal River, closing the junction to V A R I C — A a l l i g a - MATTHEW BECK/ C r o n i c l e traffic. tor apparently attacked a Shanell King and her nine-year-old daughter Arianna Davis take Tropical Storm Elsa with ease Wednesday, Storm surge from Elsa’s west- wom an whose body was July 7, as they play in the waves at Fort Island Gulf Beach. “Say hi to Elsa,” King encouraged her daughter. erly winds posed a risk for the found in a retention pond The two were visiting the beach with other friends and family. See COUNTY/Page A2 near Tam pa, sheriff’s offi- cials said. H i l l s b o r o u g h C u n t y S heriff’s deputies found the w om an’s body in a Elsa kills one, makes way through Georgia pond Sunday night, a new s release said. RUSS BYNUM AND Wednesday and injured sev- hours after making landfall flooding downpours and eral others when a possible along Florida’s northern Gulf caused several tornado warn- The fam ily of the CURT ANDERSON Associated Press tornado struck a campground Coast. The storm’s center was ings. The coasts of Georgia 2 9 - e a r - l d w o m a n t o l d at a Navy base in southeast sweeping over southeast and South Carolina were W F L A- V t h a t s h e w a s SAVANNAH, Ga. — A weak- Georgia. Georgia by 8 p.m. Wednesday. under a tropical storm warn- know n to sw im in the ened but resilient Tropical The National Hurricane Elsa seemed to spare Flor- ing. Forecasters predicted pond. They said they are Storm Elsa killed at least one Center said Elsa still packed ida from significant damage, grieving and asked for person in Florida on 45 mph winds more than nine though it still threatened See ELSA/Page A5 p r i v a c y . S heriff’s officials said the w om an suffered inju- ries “consistent w ith an alligator attack,” but the m edical exam iner’s office w ould determ ine the offi- Local caddy heading to US Senior Open cial cause of death. D eputies called the C H R I S weekend and he won’t get Club. He’ll be on the bag game has done everything stature. He’s won more Florida Fish and W ildlife BERNHARDT JR. to hoist a winning trophy. for Jay Haas, trying to he sought out to do,” than anyone I’ve ever cad- C n s e r v a t i o n C m m i s - Staff writer But the 59-year-old help Haas add to his Courtois said. “Now he’s died for.” sion and trappers to the Black Diamond resident 18 career victories on the trying to pile on top of The U.S. Senior Open is scene to try to catch the Martin Courtois won’t hopes to play a role in a PGA Tour Champions what he’s done already. one of the five majors for gator, the release said. swing a club during the championship perfor- circuit. “I’m honored to caddy — From staff and w ire reports U.S. Senior Open this mance at Omaha Country “Jay at this stage of the for someone of his See CADDY/Page A6 Classifieds . .B4 Crossword . A9 INDEX Lottery Numbers . .B3 Obituaries . A5 Comics . A10 Editorial. A7 Lottery Payouts . .B3 TV Listings. A9 Horoscope . A4 Entertainment . A4 Movies . A10 BEST OF THE BEST SPOTLIGHT 2021 AUTO CLINIC 6617 W. GULF TO LAKE HWY • CRYSTAL RIVER, FL 34429 PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE • COMPUTER SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS AIR CONDITIONING • OIL CHANGES • GUARANTEES TUNE UPS • BRAKES • NITRO-FILL TIRES WHEEL ALIGNMENT • NEW TIRES AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR & OIL CHANGE SPECIAL CALL TODAY (352) 795-3681 DirksAutoClinic.com | [email protected] CC-0010EJA A2 THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2021 LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE before and during Elsa flood-prone areas of the have been dumped onto river, especially the Ar- COUNTY the river’s watershed, fu- rowhead community, Continued from Page A1 eling future water heights. should expect to see rising “We need to keep the waters but nothing county’s coast into rivers in mind,” Woodward significant. Wednesday afternoon, but said. While there’s been a lot tidal floods were By Monday, July 12, the of recent rains, Fulkerson manageable. river at State Road 200 said, there was enough “I think we’re looking near Holder could rise up “breathing room” before pretty good,” Woodward to an “action” flood stage Elsa arrived to let river said. of 7.2 feet — 0.8 feet below levels drop. National Hurricane minor flooding levels — Fulkerson said the Center officials at 11 a.m. according to National Oce- county should still be cau- downgraded Citrus Coun- anic and Atmospheric tious about these early ty’s peak storm surge risk Administration (NOAA) downpours foreshadowing from 3-5 feet to 2-4 feet forecasts. a wet and rainy rest of the above normal tides, and NOAA also predicted an summer. then down to 1-3 feet action flood stage of “The rain we’ve had within the next half-hour. 28.8 feet by the river’s this year in June and July A coastal flood advisory junction with U.S.