Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Olympics: USA men’s boxing has revival in Tokyo /B1 THURSDAY T O D A Y C I T R U S C O U N T Y & n e x t m o r n i n g HIGH 84 Numerous LOW storms. Localized flooding possible. 73 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com AUGUST 5, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 302 SO YOU KNOW I The Florida Depart- ment of Health Jury convicts man in killing has ceased the daily COVID-19 re- ports that have been used to track Michael Ball, 64, faces possibility of life in prison for shooting of neighbor changes in the MIKE WRIGHT It’s as simple as prison. Sentenc- video recording of an in- video. “I hate it but he number of corona- Staff writer that,” Ball said. ing was set for terview detectives con- didn’t give me no virus cases and A four-man, Sept. 15. ducted with Ball at the choice.” deaths in the state. A Beverly Hills man on two-woman jury Ball, 64, was county jail after the Ball said he had just trial for second-degree held Ball respon- charged in the shooting. finished cleaning the murder in the shooting sible, convicting March 25, 2020, During the interview, handgun when he stuffed NEWS death of a neighbor said him as charged death of 32-year- Ball repeatedly states he it in his waistband, cov- he was afraid for his life Wednesday eve- old Tyler Dorbert shot Dorbert out of fear ered with a sweatshirt, BRIEFS when he pulled the ning at the conclu- Michael on a street outside based on an assault that and went outside to get trigger. sion of a three-day Ball their home in happened two years the mail. When Dorbert County opens Michael Kenneth Ball trial. Beverly Hills. prior. came out of his house as also said he had no Ball, also convicted of While Ball didn’t testify, “The guy beat me once Ball and neighbors were self-serve regrets. carrying a concealed the bulk of evidence came and he was going to do it sandbag site “I’m glad he is (dead). weapon, faces up to life in from a five-plus-hour again,” he says on the See GUILTY/Page A2 Due to heavy rainfall, Citrus County will open a self-serve sandbag site at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 5, at Bicentennial Park, 501 N Baseball Point, Crystal River. The site will Rain, flooding to wrap up week close at 5 p.m. For information, con- tact the Road Mainte- nance Division at 352-527-7610. Repairs slated to fix broken AC at county jail Repairs to fix a broken air-conditioning system at the Citrus County Deten- tion Facility have been slated for the weekend of Aug. 7. CoreCivic, which manages the facility, and the county have been working since July 16 to mend a malfunctioning cold water chiller. To help affected in- mates combat the heat, facility staff brought them fans, ice and additional water. Chronicle seeks individuals who joined military in wake of 9/11 The 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, ter- rorist attacks is approach- ing. The Chronicle is seeking those individuals who were spurred to join the U.S. armed forces in M A T T H E W B E C /Chronicle the wake of the attacks. Two men working with the United States Geological Survey monitor the output of water through the Inglis Dam in northwest Citrus County. To share your story, email Most of the water flowing from the Withlacoochee River makes its way into Lake Rousseau, where it passes through the flood gates eventually Jeff Bryan at jeff.bryan@ pouring into the Gulf of Mexico. To ease the swollen Withlacoochee River, water managers have the gates open to lower the water in the river. chronicleonline.com or Brian LaPeter at blapeter@chronicle August off to soaking start, but county should start to dry out Saturday online.com. MICHAEL D. BATES Withlacoochee River. of low-lying and poor drain- Dr. Mark Fulkerson, chief Where Staff writer A flood watch warning re- age areas, as well as road professional engineer with mained in effect for Citrus ponding. the Southwest Florida Water were you on Heavy rains continued to County through Wednesday The National Weather Ser- Management District (SWF- Sept. 11, 2001? pelt Citrus County on Wednes- night. Additional rainfall vice (NWS) forecasts increased WMD), offered these four day, leading to more reports of amounts of 3 to 5 inches were rain chances all this week. takeaways: Where were you on the flooded roads and increasing expected Wednesday. Added Thursday, Citrus County could I The average recorded morning of Sept. 11, the concerns for folks who to the heavy rain from Tues- get another quarter- to half- 2001, when terrorist at- live along parts of the day, there was some flooding inch more. See FLOODING/Page A7 tacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere brought our nation to a standstill? The Chronicle is asking read- ers to share your stories, Local 24-year-old shares COVID-19 experience in 200 words or less, about where you were HANNAH SACHEWICZ Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on May maintenance workers. have just slept with his mouth that fateful September Staff writer 3. Unfortunately, he was wrong. A few week ago, Rogers was open. morning. Email your A council representative at driving to a meeting in Orlando “It was just a cough every now thoughts to community@ Twenty-four-year-old Derrick Florida Carpenters Regional for what he thought was a regular and then,” he said. chronicleonline.com. Rogers thought he was in the clear Council, Rogers represents more Tuesday. He woke up with an itch — From staff reports when he got his Johnson & than 1,000 Walt Disney World in his throat, but thought he may See COVID/Page A5 Classifieds . .B7 Crossword . .B12 INDEX Lottery Numbers . .B3 Obituaries . A6 Comics . .B6 Editorial. A9 Lottery Payouts . .B3 TV Listings. .B5 Horoscope . A4 Entertainment . A4 Movies . .B6 CC-0010FS3 A2 THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 2021 LOCAL/STATE CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE GUILTY Citrus Springs man pleads guilty Continued from Page A1 arguing, Ball said he showed the gun to him. “What’s so hard about it? The to federal firearm, drug charges guy came at me. He’s done it be- fore,” Ball said. BUSTER THOMPSON against him stemmed authorities raided the on state charges. Hopkins was Assistant public defender Ed- Staff writer from Operation Coin home on March 17, released from custody after ward Spaight said Ball was afraid Toss, a Citrus County 2020. Hopkins, the only posting bail on a $28,000 bond of Dorbert. A Citrus Springs man Sheriff ’s Office effort person at the house, as his case was being turned “He actually believed the danger claimed responsibility for fed- between 2019 and 2020 was detained. over to the feds. was real,” Spaight said. eral firearm and drug-traffick- that targeted the coun- On a bedroom night- After the federal indictment Assistant state attorney Blake ing crimes that originated from ty’s most habitual drug stand, detectives found was filed, agents with the Bu- Shore, however, noted that a Citrus County Sheriff ’s Office offenders. what would later be ver- reau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire- neighbors who testified about narcotics investigation. Detectives of the Simeon ified as 25.7 grams of arms and Explosives, or ATF, the confrontation said Ball was Simeon Kyle Hopkins sheriff ’s office’s Tacti- Hopkins crack cocaine alongside went to rearrest Hopkins in De- agitated while Dorbert stood by pleaded guilty Wednesday, cal Impact Unit began investi- a loaded .40-caliber pistol. cember 2020 at the same house. when Ball shot him Aug. 4, at the U.S. District gating Hopkins after his Investigators also discovered When Hopkins opened his unprovoked. Courthouse in Ocala to one neighbors complained to the a digital scale in the kitchen door for them, the agents could And he pointed out that the video count of possessing a firearm agency about Hopkins selling next to almost two oxycodone smell a strong odor of mari- showed Ball during the jailhouse in furtherance of drug traffick- cocaine and marijuana out of tablets and equipment used to juana coming from inside the interview pacing, swearing repeat- ing and one count of possessing his home on the 1500 block of cook or process powdered co- home. After Hopkins gave edly, being confrontational with a cocaine with intent to distrib- West Gainesboro Lane. caine into crack cocaine. them consent to search his detective and, at one point, punch- ute, according to court Hopkins didn’t list the house Hopkins gave detectives the house, authorities discovered ing a wall. records. as his primary address, but combination to a large gun roughly 8 pounds of marijuana “He came outside to pick an ar- In accordance with their deputies doing random sur- safe, which contained $2,000 in in the attic. gument,” he said. plea offer with Hopkins, prose- veillance of the residence ob- cash bonded by a rubber band, Hopkins wasn’t charged in Shore said Ball held a grudge for cutors with the U.S. Attorney’s served Hopkins living there for four handguns, two rifles, a connection to the marijuana. what occurred two years before the Office dropped the 28-year- six months up until his even- shotgun and boxes of Prosecutors in their plea deal shooting, when Dorbert punched old’s third charge of illegally tual arrest in March 2020.