Signed: Manning reaches deal with Denver Broncos /B1 WEDNESDAY CITRUS COUNTY TODAY & Thursday morning HIGH Scattered afternoon 83 showers, partly cloudy LOW Thursday morning. 61 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com MARCH 21, 2012 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOLUME 117 ISSUE 227 INSIDE ROMNEY WINS: GOP primary Man accused of extorting teacher Voters in Illinois help Republican presidential promptly released disguised his voice what happened: race./Page A14 Authorities say Ohio man from jail on $10,000 on the phone. The teacher began an on- bond, sheriff ’s office She said the line Facebook friendship NATIONAL NEWS: spokeswoman teacher approached with a Colorado woman posed as Colorado woman while Heather Yates said. the sheriff ’s office who identified herself as Extortion is a on Feb. 13, saying Kristy Campbull. The online with local woman felony punishable by she was in an online friendship eventually led to up to 15 years in relationship with a an online relationship that teacher with bogus accusa- prison. James Colorado woman included the exchange of MIKE WRIGHT tions when she broke it off, The Chronicle is Barker and that the woman emails and photographs. Staff Writer authorities said. withholding the teacher’s was threatening her if the However, Yates said, the James Barker, 39, of the name because of the nature relationship ended. teacher was unaware that INVERNESS — An Ohio Toledo suburb of Swanton, of the charges. Yates said the teacher did Campbull did not exist — at man is charged with posing was arrested March 8 by Yates said the teacher not know until recently that least not by that name. Job duties as a woman in an online re- Fulton County, Ohio, corresponded by Facebook, the correspondence was ac- She said a Colorado More employers are lationship with a Citrus deputies on extortion email and phone with tually with a man posing as woman known as Kristy asking job seekers for County school teacher, and charges. He was extradited Barker thinking she was a a woman. their Facebook, Twitter then blackmailing the Friday to Citrus County and woman. Yates said Barker According to Yates, this is See ONLINE/ Page A5 passwords./Page A7 BOY BANDS BACK: Grandmother Keeping tradition afloat tells of fears, heartache A.B. SIDIBE Staff Writer INVERNESS — It was a day Migdalia Berrios said New breed she saw coming for quite a Variety of new young while — ac- groups driving each tually a lit- other to the top of the tle under charts./Page B6 two years ago when LOCAL NEWS: her daugh- ter started dating Aaron Lee Aaron Potts. Potts Aaron would later wed Alexza, Berrios’ daughter, and they quickly had two children to- gether. Both Alexza and Man cave Aaron had A Citrus Springs man one child remodels garage with each from 1950s style./Page A3 previous re- lationships — a CHRONICLE CONTEST: blended Alexza family. MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle Potts But Crystal River Boat Builders Jack Bosen, left, and Bill Kelley work on the club’s sailing scow Wednesday, March 14. Berrios had her doubts The club is building an authentic, Civil War-era sailing scow. about bliss in the new setup. She alleges abuse of Alexza at the hands of Aaron and Local group then there was the case of Aaron’s 5-year-old stepson, Berrios’ grandson, nursing devoted to building a broken arm. And, there was the crying boats by hand and wailing whenever Berrios, who was raising Color me MATTHEW BECK Alezxa’s eldest child, would Children can enter the Staff Writer try to take him over to see Chronicle’s Easter his mom on weekends. coloring contest to win CRYSTAL RIVER—Plank by “He would always (say), ‘I a prize./Page A8 plank and nail by nail, the Crystal don’t want to go, Mom.’ He River Boat Builders are bringing calls me mom. I tried to tell FOSSILS: their Civil War-era sailing scow to them there was something life. wrong, but they would not Camel bones Club president Steve Kingery listen,” Berrios said. UF researcher makes said his club is working on a her- Then another time, she discovery during itage boat-building project. He and alleges her grandson came Panama Canal the group have been working on home from a weekend visit expansion./Page C1 Vessels like this 12-foot-wide scow were utilized in the mid to late 1800s the current boat for about a year. as a commercial transport vessel. with scratches on his neck “The club focuses on local craft and a burn on his lower CRHS TENNIS: that would have been used in the been used along the coast to trans- Once complete, Kingery reports body. Berrios said she al- Local girls mid to late 1800s,” he said. “The port commerce. It could carry a the overall length of the vessel will legedly found out later it boat we are building now is a sail- very heavy load in very shallow was the result of a cigarette victorious ing scow that typically would have water. It has a very shallow draft.” See SCOW/ Page A2 burn and choking. In Tuesday match, team Tuesday, in Circuit Judge beats Santa Fe Ric Howard’s court, both 7-0./Page B1 Aaron Lee Potts, 28, and Alexza Marisol Potts, 26, COMING UP were arraigned separately 000AWS0 for alleged crimes against COMING TOMORROW: Car-chase starter gets 4-year sentence the little boy Berrios tried to warn them about. Fresh Circuit Aaron is facing four Judge Ric According to an arrest report, stuff Man accused counts of aggravated child Howard abuse. Alexza is facing two Beverly tagged him Whitney started “wildly swerving counts of child abuse al- Hills Farm- of fleeing after a habitual ers Mar- from left to right,” attempting to hit legedly trying to cover up felony of- ket is Aaron’s actions. If con- snatching TVs fender closer to law enforcement vehicles in pursuit. victed, Aaron could face up before sen- becoming 30 years in prison and tencing a reality. pleads Harry truck with extensive dam- Eventually, Whitney’s Alexza up to five years. him. /Thursday Whitney III age to the driver’s side. truck struck the arresting Their cases have been no contest After his A be-on-the-lookout officer’s vehicle, causing continued to May 1. sentence, Whitney offered order (BOLO) was issued Whitney to lose control and The prosecution alleges an apology. INDEX A.B. SIDIBE as Whitney led a high- leave the roadway. He was Aaron sprayed the young Staff Writer “I apologize to the Citrus speed chase east on State placed under arrest and boy’s groin area with scald- Comics . .C7 County Sheriff ’s Office for Community . .C5 Road 44 in Crystal River. transported to the county ing water causing first, sec- taking them on a spin and Crossword . .C6 CRYSTAL RIVER — The Despite attempts by jail. ond and third degree burns. Editorial . .A12 man who led deputies on a the businesses,” he said be- marked CCSO units to stop The arresting officer also According to the CCSO Entertainment . .B6 high speed chase late last fore bailiffs took him away. him, he didn’t and contin- reported that he recog- report, when Alexza, who Horoscope . .B6 month after brazenly steal- According to his initial ued eastbound on S.R. 44 nized Whitney immedi- was at work during the al- Lottery Numbers . .B4 ing television sets at Sears arrest report, on Feb. 23, to Homosassa Trail, con- ately as the person leged crimes, was first ques- Lottery Payouts . .B6 pleaded no contest Tues- Crystal River Mall Sears tinuing along the road until captured on video Feb. 16 tioned about it, she denied Movies . .C7 day and was sentenced to employees spotted Whit- he made a U-turn at the stealing a $1,279.95 genera- noticing anything unusual, Obituaries . .A6 48 months. ney stealing two Samsung fire station near U.S. 19. tor from Honda of Crystal but later admitted she no- Classifieds . .C8 Harry Glen Whitney III, LED televisions. The sheriff ’s report said River. ticed the injuries, but was TV Listings . .C6 51, was in court to be ar- Three Sears associates Whitney was “wildly Chronicle reporter A.B. told it was a bad bug bite be- raigned, but instead struck attempted to stop him, but swerving from left to right, Sidibe can be reached cause Aaron had been out a deal with prosecutors couldn’t. Whitney was seen attempting to strike my ve- at 352-564-2925 or with the kids at a local park and decided to enter a no taking off in a 2001 gray hicle and other police asidibe@chronicle contest plea. Dodge Dakota pick-up vehicles.” online.com. See ACHE/ Page A5 A2 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012 CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE SCOW Crystal River Boat Builders use no Continued from Page A1 power tools in their projects, which makes the challenge of making a be about 45 feet, with 36 feet of that being deck. The boat seaworthy vessel all the more labor is 12 feet wide. Kingery said the project intensive and, ultimately, rewarding. is not just about building a boat. “The boat-building is al- the workers employ to con- it right-side up. But before most a sideline to the intent struct their craft. we turn it over, we have to of the overall project,” he “The challenge is learn- get the hull ready for the said. “This is an outreach ing or relearning how to use water, even though it won’t project. We are educating a hand tool.