Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Softball: Citrus battles Belleview in regional semifinal/B3 WEDNESDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 88 Mostly cloudy LOW with showers possible. Humid. 67 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com MAY 12, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 216 NEWS BRIEFS Culver’s coming to county Citrus County COVID cases Popular Midwestern fast-food chain looking to open two new locations here According to the Florida Department of MICHAEL D. Ocala or Brooksville to the franchise owner restaurant at that location. Pleasant Grove Road. Health, 23 positive BATES sample a taste of the Mid- hopes to open the first “I’ve met a lot of people Nate Drury, the owner cases were reported Staff writer west. Now, Citrus County Culver’s in Citrus County. who have actually told me of the new Inverness Cul- in Citrus County since is getting two of them. The second restaurant they would love (a Cul- ver’s, who also owns one the latest update. Culver’s doesn’t have the In about four weeks, will be at 1652 County ver’s) in Inverness,” said in Hernando and Pasco Six new deaths were name recognition of many demolition will begin on Road 491, at the corner of Joseph Knight, who will County, said when time fast-food restaurants, but reported, for a total of the now-vacant West Gate County Roads 491 and 486 be the restaurant’s gen- gets closer, he will need to those who have eaten Plaza at State Road 44 in Lecanto and construc- eral manager. hire 70-80 employees. The 453. there swear by the chain’s and Pleasant Grove Road tion could begin in early The new Culver’s will restaurant will seat 98– To date in the butterburgers, cheese in Inverness. The adja- 2022. Culver’s has re- have a double drive-thru 118 guests. county, 11,185 people curds and custard. cent empty bank will also quested a building permit and be accessible off have tested positive Patrons had to travel to get leveled. By December, for a new 5,169-square-foot State Road 44 and See CULVER’S/Page A5 (including 99 non-residents). Two new hospital- izations were re- ported, for a total of 728 hospitalized. Totals reflect prelim- Memorial honors fallen officers inary reports received by the state, and are subject to revision. Gov. declares emergency after pipeline shutdown TALLAHASSEE — Florida Gov. Ron De- Santis declared a state of emergency Tuesday evening in response to gasoline shortages caused the shutdown of a major pipeline by hackers. The executive order signed by DeSantis activates the Florida National Guard, as need, and directs state emergency man- agement officials to work with federal and local officials. The Colonial Pipe- line, the biggest fuel pipeline in the U.S., delivering about 45% of what is consumed on the East Coast, was hit on Friday with MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle a cyberattack by hack- Citrus County Sheriff’s Deputy and Community Resource Officer Heath Schaffer gets an up-close view of the newly unveiled Citrus County ers who lock up com- Sheriff’s Office Fallen Law Enforcement Memorial Tuesday, May 11, at the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Operation’s Building. The names of puter systems and three Citrus County law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty are inscribed on the memorial. demand a ransom to release them. A large Newly-unveiled marker erected to honor lawmen killed in line of duty part of the pipeline re- sumed operations FRED HIERS enforcement officers. manually late Monday, Staff writer “But he was already and Colonial antici- dead when I got there,” pates restarting most Feb. 11, 1997, was like she told the Chronicle. of its operations by the most Tuesdays for Myrtle She was the mother of end of the week, U.S. Johnson until Citrus six and had been mar- Energy Secretary Jen- County sheriff ’s deputies ried to her husband nifer Granholm said. came to her door. 29 years. He died in a ve- More than 1,000 They came because of hicle collision while on duty. gas stations in the her husband, 16-year vet- eran Master Detective Au- The event was the un- Southeast reported brey Fred Johnson. veiling of the first of three running out of fuel, pri- “There were two of statues at the Citrus marily because of them that came to the County Sheriff ’s Office what analysts say is house and they took me building in Inverness to unwarranted to (Bayfront Health) commemorate the coun- panic-buying. Seven Rivers hospital,” ty’s three law enforce- Name reading recalled the 76-year-old ment officers who died in widow after a ceremony the line of duty. of fallen to unveil a statue Myrtle Johnson never Citrus County Sheriff’s Office personnel bow their heads in prayer Tuesday, Citrus soldiers memorializing fallen remarried. May 11, behind a memorial of a law enforcement officer likewise bowing his Citrus County law See MARKER/Page A2 head in prayer. The annual reading of the names of Citrus County’s fallen heroes from the Civil War to current conflicts will take place at 6 p.m. Sunday, May 30, at the Divided board backs City gets update Fallen Heroes Monu- ment in Bicentennial Park, Crystal River. on blighted Attendees should new animal shelter bring their own chairs. Iced bottled water will be provided. The cere- Members vote 3-2 for new site in Lecanto mony will be about shopping center 30 minutes long. MIKE WRIGHT will start planning for an a multi-million dollar proj- — From staff and wire reports Staff writer $8 million to $9 million ect with no means to pay BUSTER to council about the fu- shelter on county-owned for it. THOMPSON ture of the vacant and INDEX Commissioner Jeff Kin- property in Lecanto. Kitchen said “some rich Staff writer blighted Crystal Square nard took a tour of the Cit- The vote essentially people” were driving the shopping plaza at 579 SE Classifieds . .C7 rus County Animal erases direction given just push for a new shelter in After spending U.S. 19, City Attorney Comics . .C6 Shelter on Friday and two weeks ago to include Lecanto. roughly a year sitting Robert Batsel Jr. said Crossword . .C14 came away with one exploring costs associated Commissioner Ruthie apart in their city hall’s the property’s code en- Editorial. A9 conclusion: with renovating the exist- Schlabach said the com- chambers because of forcement hearing is Entertainment . A4 Citrus needs a new ing shelter, along with esti- munity supports a new COVID-19, Crystal River still on for Thursday. Horoscope . A4 shelter. mates for a new one. shelter and will be willing City Council members Crystal Square’s Lottery Numbers . .B3 “There is no rehabbing Commissioner Ron to financially support ad- were shoulder-to-shoul- code-violation case has been running simultane- Lottery Payouts . .B3 that place,” he said during Kitchen Jr. and Chairman ditions for special pro- der together on the dais. Tuesday’s commission Scott Carnahan each cited grams. She noted an “It’s very nice to get ous to the city’s attempt Obituaries . A6 meeting. that decision in voting no. anonymous $100,000 do- things a little bit back to to get the plaza’s New TV Listings. .C5 At Kinnard’s sugges- Kitchen said he wanted all nation for a new shelter normal,” Mayor Joe York-based owners to tion, the board voted 3-2 information before voting and said more support is Meek said, starting demolish the 8-acre site to ditch any idea of reno- to eliminate renovating the expected. council’s Monday, in exchange for the city’s vating the existing shelter shelter, and both said they May 10, meeting. in Inverness, and instead opposed seeking plans for See BOARD/Page A5 In his regular update See CITY/Page A5 A2 WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2021 LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE forget the sacrifice people have made.” MARKER As many communities Continued from Page A1 across the country call to defund their police de- “I never looked for any- partments and protest one else,” she said, smiling. their law enforcement She had a wonderful personnel, Ryan and other husband and was grateful local elected officials told for the time she had with the Chronicle that Citrus him, she said. County residents are About 100 members of proud of their deputies. the public and dignitaries “We respect people who YOUR HEALTH IS OUR PRIORITY came to the event. are serving us and that’s Myrtle Johnson has for- the way it should be,” gotten many of the details Ryan said. of the day her husband Crystal River Mayor Joe died. Meek said the county is But she remembers that MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle made up of professional she never worried about An unveiling ceremony was law enforcement and the risks associated with held Tuesday, May 11, at the grateful residents. the job. Citrus County Sheriff’s “We’re 100% pro law en- “Not at all. That’s what Office Operations Building forcement. We take every he wanted to do,” she said. for a memorial recognizing opportunity we can to cel- He was 61 when he died. three law enforcement ebrate them,” Meek told Of his six children, two officers killed in the line of the Chronicle. “We’re were still living at home duty while serving Citrus blessed to have a great when those two deputies County. group of folks that make took his widow to the up our communities.” hospital.