Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 MLB: Rays complete sweep of slumping Yankees / B1 MONDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 76 Showers and LOW thunderstorms. 60 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com APRIL 19, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 193 NEWS BRIEFS Director or not, ready for storm Citrus County COVID-19 cases still Search still on track for leader of Citrus County emergency management on the rise MICHAEL D. BATES Sheriff ’s Office. track,” Vitt said. Health in Citrus County, the According to the Staff writer Interim Director Troy Hess and In February, the county started school district, county fire depart- Florida Department of his staff are “very capable” of putting together a job description ment and the cities of Crystal Health, 16 positive Hurricane season is only a little handling a storm or other emer- for EOC director and applicants River and Inverness. cases were reported over a month away and there is a gency that arises, she said. would be vetted through a hiring “Our first hiring panel meeting chance Citrus County will have a Vitt said the search is progress- committee. The salary range is is coming up in a week and a in Citrus County since permanent emergency manage- ing smoothly. To date, the emer- from $58,968 to $90,854. half,” Vitt said. the latest update. ment director in place by then. gency management office has The committee includes County The interview process follows One new death But even if it doesn’t, there are received 15 applications. Of those, Administrator Randy Oliver and that meeting. was reported, for a no worries, said Col. Elena 10-11 appear qualified, she said. representatives from the sheriff ’s total of 433. Vitt with the Citrus County “I definitely feel we’re on office, Florida Department of See DIRECTOR/Page A7 To date in the county, 10,697 people have tested positive (including 95 nonresidents). Two new hospital- izations were re- ported, for a total of 691 hospitalized. Totals reflect pre- liminary reports re- EA CULPTOR ceived by the state, S S and are subject to revision. Vaccine registration system open for Citrus DOH-Citrus’ prereg- JEFF BRYAN/Chronicle istration system to Once a COVID vaccine vial schedule COVID-19 is punctured, it can be vaccine appointments placed back into the for all individuals refrigerator at between 18 and older and front- 36 and 77 degrees, but it line health care work- must be discarded after ers is now available. 12 hours, per the Centers Individuals can for Disease Control and now be added to a Prevention. waiting list for vaccine appointments and be notified when ap- pointments are avail- Unused, able in Citrus County by visiting myvaccine. fl.gov or by calling 866-201-0442; TTY is not 833-476-1036. As part of the statewide preregistra- tion system, each wasted county has a desig- MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle nated number that in- Citrus County resident John Wilchynski is a self-taught artist and creates nautical-themed sculpture from dividuals can call and his garage in Dunnellon. He says the creations he crafts are from the many diving adventures he has taken preregister with if throughout his life. they do not have in- Website offers ternet access. Citrus County’s designated quick helpline number is Self-taught Dunnellon artist: inspiration, determination 833-540-2058. Vaccine supply re- HANNAH SACHEWICZ However, he remembered enjoying sculpting turnaround mains limited and ap- Staff writer in his high school art class. pointments may not “I went home and started working on some with vaccines be available for sev- DUNNELLON simple sculptures,” he said. “One thing led to an- eral weeks. master diver and self-taught marine other and I started doing a lot of different ocean- sculpture artist has invented a unique type sculptures." MARI-ELAIN EBITZ — From staff reports method of sculpting that combines his He garners inspiration from his many ocean Special to the Chronicle two loves. “I went off the beaten path adventures. In the frenzy that fol- ONLINE andA did it my own way,” Wilchynski said. “I try to do a study of each piece before I work lowed the release of sev- Wilchynski was born in Gulfport and grew up on it,” Wilchynski said. POLL eral COVID vaccines by the water. Has always loved the ocean, but his He’s observed everything from flying fish and earlier this year, some passion for sculpting came later in life. sea turtles in Barbados to sailfish in Panama. found it exceedingly frus- What do Before becoming a sculptor, he was trying to “Every piece I’ve done usually has a story be- trating not being able to learn how to paint. hind it,” Wilchynski said. you think? get a scheduled appoint- “My painting was not that good,” Wilchynski ment through the Publix The Citrus County said as he laughed. See SCULPTOR/Page A5 website. Chamber of Commerce Additionally, getting up is embarking on a in the dark morning was months-long “Shop not appealing to drive to Local” campaign. What the first-come, first- are your shopping served Citrus Department habits? of Health location. A. I diligently shop Add to that, having to local. wait for hours in line and B. It’s easier to avoid then be told the number crowds during the of available vaccines had pandemic to shop been filled at that site added to that frustration. online and not all local Although the vaccine retailers offer online issues have leveled out, as shopping. over 190 million Ameri- C. I cannot find what I cans have received at need locally. least one dose, according D. Store hours are to the CDC’s COVID Data counterproductive to my Tracker, there are still family’s work/school many in Citrus County schedule. who do not have the shot. As of April 11, only a lit- To vote, visit www. tle more than 25% of the chronicleonline.com. county’s population has Scroll down the home been fully vaccinated. page and look for the The latest COVID surge poll box in the right- validates the need for hand column. more people to get the vaccine. Although seniors Results will appear were the only age group next Monday. Find last not in the surge, younger week’s online poll people were. results./Page A3 These two loggerhead turtles, above left, are created from memories John Wilchynski said he has from a diving adventure in Panama. Wilchynski’s sculptures are intricate creations, such as this sea life depiction, above right. See UNUSED/Page A5 Classifieds . .B8 Crossword . .B10 INDEX Horoscope . A4 Obituaries . A5 Comics . .B7 Editorial. A6 Lottery Numbers . .B3 TV/Movies . .B6 Extra puzzles . .B5 Entertainment . A4 Lottery Payouts . .B3 A2 Monday, april 19, 2021 Citrus County (FL) ChroniCLe Se Habla Español INVERNESS HOMOSASSA 2036 Hwy 44 West 5699 S. Suncoast Blvd. (352)726-1916 (352)621-8000 HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 9am - 4:30pm Sat. by Appt. www.floridahearing.com CC-000ZYKS Page A3 - MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 STATE &CITRUS L COUNTYOCAL CHRONICLE Around the COUNTY LHS athlete looks forward to Boys State HANNAH SACHEWICZ be an experience to work on Homosassa Staff writer planes and possibly spaceships,” Nick said. Republican club “Don’t talk about it, be about “The goals he sets are ex- to meet April 20 it.” This is the phrase that Herb tremely high,” Herb said. “He’s The regular monthly Neeld says his family lives by, not only a scholar, but also an meeting of the Homosassa and what Nick Neeld (Post) athlete.” strives to live up to. Nick plays varsity basketball at River Republican Club will Nick was recently selected to LHS and has been chosen both be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April participate in the selective Flor- his sophomore and junior year 20, at the Marguerita Grill, ida Boys State program in Talla- for the Citrus County All-Star bas- 10200 W. Halls River Road. hassee, where he will gain ketball team. This month’s speaker will hands-on experience on the poli- Nick also hopes he can con- be Detective Chris Cornell tics of our state. tinue his basketball career after of the Citrus County Sher- “It was through a nomination high school. “It’s something I’d be iff’s Office. Cornell has process,” Nick said. Once he was interested in if I could get a schol- spent the past 21 years of nominated, he applied for the arship,” Nick said. his 27-year career in law program and was selected. “We are a sports family but first enforcement in the CCSO. “I’m excited to experience it up and foremost, it’s our belief in He has served as a high there, experience the govern- Christ, then it’s our family and tech crimes detective for ment and how their decisions af- education, and sports is the last,” 15 years and is Citrus fect us personally,” Nick said. “I Herb said. County’s only digital foren- know that we’re getting a chance Outside of school, Nick holds a to meet some of our Florida job at the Publix in Citrus Hills. sic examiner. officials.” “I’ve learned to balance my life Cornell has also been a In June, Nick will spend a week with all those achievements,” member of the Internet at the capitol as a part of a mock Nick said. “Those were made Crimes Against Children government, where participating possible by supports such as my group, worked with the Se- high school juniors will learn to family, my mother and coaches, cret Service, FBI and the run for office, go through with Frank Vilardi, Thomas Vilardi, Attorney General.