Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Volleyball: Lecanto hosts Springstead in GC8 clash /B1 WEDNESDAY TODAY C I T R U S C O U N T Y & next morning HIGH 95 Mostly cloudy, LOW thunderstorms likely. 73 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 340 NEWS BRIEFS COVID shots up, but so are infections DOH sets new FRED HIERS number of infected. Despite the increase, consecutive week that Cit- Centers for Disease Con- Staff writer As of Sept. 2, the num- the county still falls sig- rus County has seen more trol and Prevention. vaccination ber of Citrus County resi- nificantly behind the than a thousand new According to the fed- schedule The number of Citrus dents eligible for Florida average of 69% cases, according to FDOH eral agency website, Due to an increase in County residents heading vaccination who were vaccinated. records. nearly 77% of Citrus to pharmacists, clinics and vaccinated rose to 58%, an But as vaccinations rise There have been 17,629 demand, the Florida De- County seniors age 65 doctors’ offices for vaccina- increase of about 1,200 in Citrus County, so are cases of the virus since years and older are fully partment of Health in Cit- tions in hopes of protecting people compared to those those getting infected. March 2020. vaccinated as of Sept. 1. rus County’s themselves against the vaccinated between Aug. There were 1,066 new Seniors continue to be Nearly 85% have had at (DOH-Citrus) COVID-19 coronavirus continues to 27 to Sept. 2, according to coronavirus cases the the largest group in Citrus least one dose. vaccination site at the Le- rise. But as vaccinations the latest Florida Depart- week ending Sept. 2. That County seeking vaccina- canto Health Department increase, so are the ment of Health report. marks the second tions, according the U.S. See COVID/Page A7 relocated Wednesday, Sept. 1, to UF/IFAS Ex- tension Citrus County, 3650 W. Sovereign Path in Lecanto. Individuals are encour- aged to follow the sig- nage at the site to direct Taking a ‘leap of faith’ them where to enter the building. First and second doses Skydiving of Moderna (18+) and Pfizer (12+ with parental consent) vaccines are of- business fered at no cost by ap- pointment or walk-in on the following days and attracts thrill times throughout September: seekers I 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Sept. 1 JEFF BRYAN Editor to 29. I 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. onnie Hickey Mondays and Fridays, walks by faith, not Sept. 3 to 27. by sight. I 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat- D But this past urday, Sept. 11 and 25. year, his journey re- Additional doses of quired more than a walk. Moderna and Pfizer vac- It required a leap of faith. cines are also available to For Hickey, taking such moderately to severely a leap wasn’t a concern immunocompromised in- — he’s taken more than dividuals who fall under 9,000 leaps from air- the Centers for Disease planes soaring thousands of feet above the Earth. Control and Prevention’s “He made everything current recommendation. perfectly all the way Individuals should talk to through,” said Hickey, as their health care provider he repacked a parachute about their medical condi- Saturday, Sept. 4, inside tion, and whether getting the hanger of his recently an additional dose is ap- opened business — Cen- propriate for them. tral Florida Skydiving of To make an appoint- Dunnellon at the Dunnel- ment, visit bitly.com/cit- lon-Marion County Air- ruscovidvax. port. “And even when I Appointments will be thought things weren’t made available no more going to work out ... ev- erything fell so perfectly than two weeks in ad- into place. There wasn’t a vance. Individuals must night that I didn’t pray bring their COVID-19 and say, ‘Thank you.’ Vaccination Record Card “He put me here for and a signed Screening one reason and that was and Consent Form, avail- to be a teacher and able on the DOH-Citrus protector.” website. Hickey and his staff of For information about professional skydivers, DOH-Citrus, visit www. however, don’t mind pro- CitrusCountyHealth.org viding an adrenaline or follow us on Twitter at rush for those seeking @FLHealthCitrus. thrills. In addition to pro- viding instruction for MOAA to those who want to be- come certified skydivers, discuss new the newly opened busi- Veterans Village ness also offers tandem The Military Officers skydives for those eager to experience the rush Association of America of it. (MOAA) Citrus County ABOVE: Thomas Crump gently drifts toward the ground “You look at their face chapter welcomes veter- Saturday, Sept. 4, at Central Florida Skydiving’s landing zone and see them asking ans and the public to at- at the Dunnellon-Marion County Airport. themselves, ‘Why did I tend a speaker pay for this? What am I presentation at 10 a.m. RIGHT: Tandem-jump instructor Jerrid Salliote shouts a doing here?,’” Hickey Sept. 9 at the American countdown as he and fellow jumper Ephese Richard exit the said. “They don’t realize Legion Post 155, 6585 W. it until about 3 to 4 sec- aircraft more than 10,000 feet above the Dunnellon Airport. Gulf-to-Lake Highway in onds when they leave the Minutes later the two were safely on the ground. Crystal River. plane, why we do this The featured speakers every day. It’s not falling BELOW: Central Florida Skydiving owner Donnie Hickey, left, are Dr. Paresh Desai and anymore, you’re learning Dr. William Dixon, mem- performs a gear check with skydiving student Alejandro Rad to fly. bers of the Veterans Vil- the morning of Saturday, Sept. 4, at the Dunnellon Airport. “When you do the flair and landing, you just lage executive board. Later in the morning, Rad completed a solo jump. MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle overcame one of the most For more information scariest things you’ve about the speaker event, ever done in your life. I visit moaafl.org/Chapters/ just think that’s the cool- CitrusCounty. est thing ever.” — From staff reports That was the case Sat- INDEX urday for Yazamin Mu- rillo and her husband, Classifieds . .C6 Ephese Richard, who Comics . .C5 came for their first-ever Crossword . .C10 jump on their 13th anni- Editorial. A9 versary. While skydiving Entertainment . A4 was on Richard’s bucket Horoscope . A4 list, it was Murillo who Lottery Numbers . .B3 made the leap first. Lottery Payouts . .B3 “When that door Movies . .C5 opened and the wind hit Obituaries . A6 me, I was like, ‘Oh my God, we cannot go back,’” TV Listings. .C4 she quipped. “Then we just jumped off, I think I got white for a second and then everything was just calm. See LEAP/Page A2 A2 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle Yazmin Murillo seems relieved as she and her tandem instructor Jerrid Salliote come to a stop as their chute gently settles Saturday morning, Sept. 4, at Central Florida Skydiving in Dunnellon. Murillo and her husband jumped separately with Salliote from high above the Dunnellon-Marion County Airport. Murillo, an Ocala resident. “I came here to do this “I never want to get too “He’s always making sacri- for a reason,” Hickey said, big for my britches,” he LEAP fices for me, doing stuff that “this is about sharing my said. “I want to keep the Continued from Page A1 he doesn’t want to make me passion for aviation and fly- small vibe, the small-town happy. So I figured I’d do it ing. I love the student as- feeling. I just want to take “It was unreal. It was an for him this year.” pect of teaching; tandem is the time to get to know the amazing experience, an Their location — the the introduction to (skydiv- students, the people. I amazing experience. I’m Dunnellon-Marion County ing). To share the passion don’t want to get that big. smiling now because I did Airport — couldn’t be bet- and love about aviation and This isn’t about the money; it and it’s over.” ter suited for the new en- flying, that’s the goal.” it’s about teaching people Richard’s excitement terprise. Central Florida Up there, he said, point- how to fly.” could be heard well before Skydiving has an annual ing toward the sky, is Skydiving, he said, he landed — with shouts lease with the airport with beautiful. changed his life. of excitement coming from a three-year commitment, “We’re laughing, con- “That’s a never-ending the air. running through Sept. 30, stantly,” Hickey explained. story,” Hickey said, “I “I got to fly it and every- 2024, according to county “No one brings a phone wouldn’t trade it for any- thing,” he said about guid- records. Packed and ready to go, these parachutes sit awaiting bill or breakup through thing in the world.” ing the parachute to the “It seemed like an obvi- jumpers. Each chute has a main and an emergency chute, here. They enjoy the vibe, But he wants to share it ground. “It was cool; jump- ous choice,” said Stephanie the second in case of any issue. the atmosphere, We’re al- with everyone. ing out of the plane was Cauffman, noting the cen- community, one thing that know how many skydivers ways striving to do better.