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Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Nation & World: Chauvin guilty on all 3 charges /A10 WEDNESDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 75 Afternoon LOW sunshine. 48 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com APRIL 21, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 195 NEWS BRIEFS Cooper faces grand theft charges Citrus County SECO utility vouchers for services in Citrus County. Former head of Annie Johnson his own benefit, accord- The current executive di- COVID-19 cases ing to his arrest report. rector told the Chronicle According to the Flor- Family and Senior Center awaits trial The Annie Johnson that Cooper no longer ida Department of Family and Senior Center holds that position. He Health, 29 positive cases FRED HIERS begin his jury trial July 19. provides food assistance told the investigating dep- were reported in Citrus Staff writer Larry P. Cooper, 71, was ar- and helps financially uty he provides part-time strapped families with finance work for the char- County since the latest rested in February 2020, by Mar- The former executive director ion County Sheriff ’s Office utility costs when SECO Larry ity and its three update. of the Annie Johnson Family and deputies after a months-long in- vouchers are available. Cooper employees. Two new death were re- Senior Center, who is facing grand vestigation and accusations that The Dunnellon-based charitable The investigation began in ported, for a total of 436. theft charges, is scheduled to he falsified documents to obtain organization also provides See THEFT/Page A5 To date in the county, 10,747 people have tested positive (including 95 non-residents). Five new hospitaliza- tions were reported, for a total of 696 hospitalized. Totals reflect prelimi- nary reports received by Leader of the band the state, and are subject to revision. Register for COVID vaccine DOH-Citrus’ preregistra- tion system to schedule COVID-19 vaccine ap- pointments for all individu- als 18 and older and frontline health care work- ers is now available. Individuals can now be added to a waiting list for vaccine appointments and be notified when ap- pointments are available in Citrus County by visit- ing myvaccine.fl.gov or by calling 866-201-0442; TTY is 833-476-1036. Citrus County’s desig- nated helpline number is 833-540-2058. DOH accepting walk-ins The Florida Depart- ment of Health in Citrus County is accepting walk- ins at their Duke/ DOH-Citrus vaccination site, 8200 W. Venable St. in Crystal River from MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thurs- Kathy Thompson, Seven Rivers Christian School’s band instructor, works with the horn section of the middle school band Tuesday afternoon, day, April 22. April 20. She has been teaching music in the classroom for 46 years. First and second doses better you are, the more fun it is. of Moderna will be ‘This is not a “When we do concerts, I ask available. my beginners to stay and listen The health department to the middle school and high will be back at the Cen- job. I’m doing school bands because I want tral Ridge District Park them to be inspired by what today and Friday, what I love.’ they hear — ‘Hey, just one more April 23, to finish up the year and I can be playing this second-dose people, and NANCY KENNEDY music, and three more years I then they will officially be Staff writer can be playing this music that’s even more fun,’” she said. relocated to the Duke/ Kathy Thompson’s job is sim- Thompson said she loves the DOH-Citrus site as of first weeks when everything is Monday, April 26. ple: Make kids fall in love with playing a musical instrument. raw, the sounds of the music are Lawn crew It’s simple, but no one said it’s rough and squeaky. easy. “Then working on it for six or mistaken as After 46 years of teaching mid- seven weeks and getting it to suspicious dle school and high school band the point of a performance level — I’m still thrilled by that,” she Crystal River Primary students in Sumter, Citrus and Hernando counties, at 71 and Seven Rivers Christian School band instructor Kathy Thompson leads said. staff mistook a hired lawn currently teaching band classes a group of middle school band students from her classroom on the Recently, Thompson was one crew as suspicious, lead- part time at Seven Rivers Chris- school’s campus. The instructor has been teaching music in the of a number of veteran band di- ing their campus and two tian School — she also teaches classroom for 46 years. rectors who sat for video- other neighboring schools clarinet for the Citrus Youth Ed- Rivers (Christian School), all school, they can choose their recorded interviews for the to go into a brief lock- ucational Symphonic Orchestra sixth graders are required to be electives, including band. Florida Bandmasters Associa- down while authorities (CYESO) and plays clarinet with in band,” Thompson said. “The “Many come in ambivalent and tion (FBA) Legacy Project, investigated. the Nature Coast Community philosophy behind that: Kids end up wanting to do it again,” which are posted on YouTube. According to the Citrus Band — Thompson still gets a might not opt to be in band, but she said. “It takes several years View Kathy Thompson’s County School District, a thrill when a student goes from if they have to, they might fall in for kids to really love playing, interview at https://tinyurl. custodian at the primary ambivalent to excited. love with an instrument.” because it’s all wrapped up in the com/6hfn4jn5. school called the Citrus “Our program here at Seven Once students enter middle idea of being successful. The See BAND/Page A6 County Sheriff’s Office at around 7 a.m. on Tues- day to report a suspicious From the CAPITOL person on the grounds. While school district and sheriff’s office author- Chamber to DeSantis: Gov. DeSantis signs ities responded, the pri- mary school was locked down before its students Reinstate requirements arrived. online sales tax bill Crystal River middle MICHAEL D. BATES receiving unemploy- The News Service of Florida and high schools were Staff writer ment benefits. also secured as a Unemployed folks no TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis late Monday precaution. Josh Wooten, president/CEO of the longer have to make signed into law a plan to require out-of-state online re- After law enforcement Citrus County Chamber of Commerce, five work contacts a tailers to collect sales taxes on pur- cleared Crystal River Pri- said businesses are pleading for work- week to continue re- chases made by Floridians, with the mary School, according ers but can’t find them because many ceiving benefits. estimated $1 billion a year in revenue are making more money staying home DeSantis signed Ex- going to curb a pair of taxes on Florida to the school district, the and being unemployed. Josh ecutive Order 20-104 on businesses. lockdowns were lifted “That’s what we’re hearing from em- Wooten April 16, 2020, when he Florida business groups have lob- within 30 minutes. ployers around our community,” Woo- declared a state of emergency for the bied for years to require out-of-state According to the school ten said. “There’s no incentive to look state due to the pandemic. In issuing retailers to collect and remit sales district and sheriff’s office, for work.” the order, DeSantis said he didn’t want taxes, saying it is a matter of fairness. Gov. Ron investigators identified the To that end, Wooten has fired off a let- people who lost their jobs or who were But past proposals failed because of DeSantis person in question as part ter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on be- furloughed to get caught up in endless concerns by Republicans that they of a lawn crew hired for half of the chamber, asking him to bring red tape when applying for unemploy- could be viewed as increasing taxes on consumers. school maintenance. back the reporting requirement of “ac- ment benefits. The bill is expected to produce an estimated — Buster Thompson/Staff writer tively seeking work” by claimants See WOOTEN/Page A2 See CAPITOL/Page A11 Classifieds . .C7 Crossword . .C14 INDEX Lottery Numbers . .B3 Obituaries . A6 Comics . .C6 Editorial. A9 Lottery Payouts . .B3 TV Listings. .C5 Horoscope . A4 Entertainment . A4 Movies . .C6 A2 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2021 STATE & LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE their dining room service the Crystal River Mall, because they cannot hire said he is sure there are WOOTEN wait staff or cooks. Hotels some people in Citrus Continued from Page A1 are having trouble finding County who are legiti- housekeepers and tour mately seeking work and It’s time, Wooten said, companies cannot find op- need the unemployment for that executive order to erators, he said. assistance. end. “Even our local manu- But not all. Businesses “are now facturing businesses that Wilson said he went clamoring to bring back pay generous wages have through the interview pro- the many workers that large banners in front of cess with two men who they previously fur- their buildings that say were to start work as screen loughed last year at the ‘now hiring’ with little to printers the next day. They height of the pandemic,” no response,” Wooten said. never showed up. Wooten wrote. Mike Engiles, who runs “It doesn’t matter what BLUEBERRY “However, we are hear- manatee tours year-round industry it is — plumbers, ing from business after out of his Crystal River builders, restaurants, any- business that workers do Watersports, said the in- thing really, ‘’ he said.