Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 College basktball: Season begins amid pandemic /B1 WEDNESDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 80 Warm but LOW pleasant. 62 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com NOVEMBER 25, 2020 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 126 ISSUE 48 COMING UP SHOP LOCALLY, SAVE MONEY Pursuit leads to arrest BUSTER after running the silver Deputies arrived called to assist. and Spring Hill, troopers THOMPSON Nissan Armada she was to find Holubec FHP troopers in- were able to perform a Staff writer driving off a roadway in driving away in the tercepted the pur- precision immobilization central Hernando County, Nissan, and tried to suit at U.S. 41 and technique (PIT) maneuver A Texas woman faces according to a news release pull her over, but Croom Road near on the vehicle, causing it charges from a pair of law from FHP. Holubec continued Brooksville, where to enter nearby woods and enforcement agencies Holubec’s alleged run-in onward and almost the fleeing Nissan overturn, according to the after she led authorities and pursuit with police struck a deputy’s was traveling up to FHP. on a vehicle chase through began at around 11 a.m. cruiser on her way Joyce 100 mph and tried As it lay disabled, the It’s big! two counties. Monday at an Inverness out, according to a Holubec to collide with Nissan began to smoke Pick up a Chronicle on Florida Highway Patrol home, where Citrus CCSO news release. troopers’ cruisers. while a pair of troopers Thursday, Thanksgiving (FHP) troopers appre- County Sheriff ’s Office Deputies chased Holu- When the Nissan tried to remove Holubec, Day, for a great paper hended San Antonio 57-year- (CCSO) deputies re- bec south on Pleasant reached Fort Dade Ave- who was trapped inside. chockful of business old Joyce Tracy Holubec sponded to reports of do- Grove Road into Hernando nue, north of State Road 50 promotions, coupons on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, mestic violence. County, where FHP was in between Brooksville See PURSUIT/Page A8 and savings ideas. Editor’s note I Due to early deadlines Cancer survivor ‘paying it forward’ Wednesday night, lottery numbers will not appear in Thursday’s Six-year-old edition. brings socks, NEWS BRIEFS smiles to Citrus County other kids COVID-19 NANCY KENNEDY update Staff writer According to the Flor- Beginning when he was ida Department of Health, not quite 2, Luke Lambert 50 new positive cases received chemotherapy were reported in Citrus for his leukemia for County since the latest 1,241 days in a row. update. Three new hospi- During one exception- talizations were reported; ally difficult treatment, no new deaths were Luke went into anaphy- reported. lactic shock. His blood To date in the county, pressure immediately 4,408 people have tested dropped and all color drained from his face — positive (including his parents weren’t sure if 21 non-residents), he was even alive. 403 have been hospital- For three and a half ized and 158 have died. years, Luke fought hard. Post to offer The message on the blue T-shirt he wears tells first responders it all: “I survived leuke- holiday dinner mia. What’s your superpower?” The Beverly Hills Now 6, he doesn’t re- American Legion Post member being sick, but he 237, 6726 N. Lecanto does remember the socks Hwy., will provide free he wore in the hospital at meals for first respond- UF Health Shands Chil- ers and veterans. Any dren’s Hospital. police, fire, sheriff or “They were ugly yellow EMT personnel on duty baby socks,” he said. that day may stop by the Because kids shouldn’t have to wear ugly socks, Post from 1 to 3 p.m. for especially not kids who an eat-in or take out are sick, Luke and his meal. parents, Lauren and Ste- Meals will also be de- phen Lambert, have part- livered to the Sheriff’s Of- nered with Resilience fice Emergency Center Gives’ Socks with Stories: personnel on duty that Paying It Forward day. Veterans will also be Initiative. served during this period Luke and 49 other pedi- of time. MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle atric cancer survivors For information, Six-year-old Luke Lambert sits Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, with his mother, Lauren, in their Inverness home. During were chosen to help call the Post at his young life, Luke endured more than 1,300 rounds of chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic lymphoma (ALL). spread the message of 352-897-4776. Now cancer-free, he and his family are selling socks through the Socks with Stories charity to help children struggling with cancer. See SURVIVOR/Page A8 Deck the House Holiday Light Contest Embrace your inner Clark Griswold with the Community rallies to support woman with cancer Citrus County House Hol- iday Light Contest. The NANCY KENNEDY Amy suffers with terminal In July, about six months Chronicle invites you to Staff writer metastatic breast cancer after finishing treatment, enter into its friendly com- throughout her body. Amy started not feeling petition for the most For 22 years, Coach A fundraising benefit is well. beautiful house on the Deon Copeland and his scheduled to take place “We thought maybe it block through Friday, wife, Amy, have been from noon to 5 p.m. Satur- was COVID,” Deon said. inseparable. day, Dec. 5, 2020, at Fat “It passed, and then in Dec. 4. They went to Lecanto Daddy’s Roadhouse, 1470 September she started A first-, second- and High School together, had S. Suncoast Blvd. (U.S. 19) having massive third-place winner will be classes together, although in Homosassa. headaches.” announced for the east they didn’t really know The event will feature a In a matter of days she and west side of the each other until after they cornhole tournament, was at UF Health Shands county. Residents will had graduated, Deon Co- music, food, raffles and undergoing radiation submit a photo of the peland said. 50/50 drawing and silent treatment for more than a exterior of their home “We actually met in auction items, including a dozen lesions on her brain. and receive a yard sign Ocala one night,” he said. signed jersey from Tampa Then she had pneumonia. telling everyone to vote “A few days later she told Bay Buccaneers tight end Now the cancer is in her for their entry. Voting her mom, ‘I met the man Rob Gronkowski. Special to the Chronicle liver and lungs, her adre- runs Saturday, Dec. 5, I’m going to marry.’” Amy was diagnosed with Deon and Amy Copeland in healthier days — Amy is fighting nal gland, hip and lower through Tuesday, They’re raising two chil- breast cancer in September terminal metastatic breast cancer. A fundraiser to help back bones. dren, Bailey, 20, and Hud- 2019, and she had a lumpec- “The prognosis is not Dec. 15. The Chronicle with medical costs is planned for Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, son, 16. tomy followed by radiation at Fat Daddy’s Roadhouse in Homosassa. good, but her spirits are,” will publish a locator Deon has worked for the and chemotherapy. Deon said in a phone in- map in print and online school district as an assis- “When she got done with On the GoFundMe page cancer. I remember hear- terview Saturday, Nov. 21, so everyone can see the tant high school principal, treatment, I thought this Bailey Copeland made for ing the news for the first 2020. “I agree with my son lights in person. teacher and coach. Amy was all behind us,” Deon her mother she wrote: time and feeling my heart who told her, ‘You are the To enter the contest, worked for River Safaris said. “She’s always said, “A year ago, my biggest sink into my stomach. The strongest woman I ever visit tinyurl.com/ in Homosassa. ‘The cancer’s not gone, but fear became my reality. My pain that my family and I met.’ She’s coming to grips y3532nos. And now, cancer threat- I’m hoping I have a lot of mom, Amy Copeland, was have endured since that — From staff reports ens to separate them as days left.’” diagnosed with breast day is indescribable.” See COPELAND/Page A8 Classifieds . .C6 Crossword . .C12 INDEX Education . A13, A14 Obituaries . A6, A7 Comics . .C5 Editorial. A11 Lottery Numbers . .B3 TV Listings. .C4 Horoscope . A4 Entertainment . A4 Lottery Payouts . .B3 A2 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2020 CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE 000YWIG N OTHING ABOVE PINK LINE Page A3 - WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2020 STATE &CITRUS L COUNTYOCAL CHRONICLE Around the COUNTY DOH will offer virus testing Friday FRED HIERS are necessary for the tests of- people came for testing. due to the coronavirus, about six Hernando man Staff writer fered between 7:30 to 10 a.m. And while demand slacked off times the number that typically arrested on The DOH here offers the tests during the summer, Stasko said die from the flu during flu drug charges Many government offices and Monday, Wednesday and Friday. the department has been hitting season. services will close Friday, the day It previously offered the tests its 150 limit almost every testing Stasko said her agency is en- Citrus County Sheriff’s Of- after Thanksgiving, but amid the Monday through Friday, but this day. couraging people to take precau- fice deputies arrested a Her- growing number of COVID-19 summer the demand fell and the If the demand remains up after tions during the holidays. nando man after finding cases locally, the Department of DOH reduced the service.