Crystal River, FL 34429 (352) 419-0171 (352) 436-4288 OVEROVER 2020 4065 N
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Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 NFL: Tampa Bay among teams set to begin the playoffs/B1 TUESDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 65 Sunny and cool. LOW PAGE A4 44 www.chronicleonline.com JANUARY 5, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 126 ISSUE 89 NEWS BRIEFS Vaccine push ramps up Citrus County COVID-19 EUGENE GARCIA update AND DANICA KIRKA According to the Flor- Associated Press ida Department of Health, 52 positive cases were The drive to vanquish reported in Citrus County the coronavirus gained since the latest update. ground Monday when No new deaths were re- Britain introduced an- ported, for a total of 283. other COVID-19 vaccine To date in the county, and the first people inoc- 6,955 people have tested ulated in the U.S. began rolling up their sleeves positive (including 47 non- for their second and final residents). dose. One new hospitaliza- Authorities in France tion was reported Mon- and elsewhere in Eu- day, for a total of rope, meanwhile, came 530 hospitalized. under fire for slow roll- outs and delays. Council to mull Helen Cordova, an in- road, sidewalk tensive care nurse, got improvements her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at Kaiser Improvements to Permanente Los Angeles Colonade Street along Medical Center along the newly built Colonnade with other doctors and Park Apartments will be nurses, the prescribed up for the Inverness city three weeks after they council to review Tues- received their first shot day, Jan. 5. at the start of the U.S. Inverness City Man- vaccination campaign. ager Eric Williams will “I’m really excited be- propose engineering cause that means I’m just that much closer to hav- work and putting out to ing the immunity and bid improvements to being a little safer when I Colonade Street and put- come to work and, you ting out to bids plans to know, just being around extend the sidewalk by my family,” Cordova said. the apartment complex to As of Monday, the Cen- State Road 44. ters for Disease Control The apartment com- and Prevention reported plex offers affordable that nearly 4.6 million housing to residents who shots have been dis- qualify for the subsidies. pensed in the U.S., after Williams will also up- a slow and uneven start date the council about the to the campaign, marked Cooter Pond boardwalk by a confusion, a multi- improvements and a re- tude of logistical hurdle and a patchwork of ap- pair schedule for lights proaches by state and strung along the board- local governments. walk by the water’s edge. Over the weekend, U.S. Williams is also sched- government officials re- uling a workshop later ported that vaccinations this month for the council had accelerated signifi- to consider the fate of the cantly, with Dr. Anthony city’s newly built visitors Fauci, the nation’s top office. infectious-disease ex- The council will also pert, saying 1.5 million consider Citrus County shots were administered commission’s request to in 72 hours, or about grant a needed utility 500,000 per day. easement to install fiber Britain, meanwhile, MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle became the first nation optics to the county’s ani- Citrus County Road Maintenance worker Ralph Harper secures a tent to the asphalt Monday, Jan. 4, at the to start using the COVID- mal shelter and the future Central Ridge District Park near Holder. COVID vaccinations are scheduled to take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 19 vaccine developed by airport business park. at the location Thursday. AstraZeneca and Oxford The provider, Spectrum University, ramping up Sunshine State LLC, will its nationwide inocula- need a 10-foot wide utility tion campaign amid soar- easement through city’s DOH expects heavy turnout ing infection rates property at 3900 S. Flor- blamed on a new and ida Ave., which is at the seemingly more conta- FRED HIERS gious variant of the virus. north sprayfield at the Staff writer city’s wastewater treat- Brian Pinker, an 82-year-old dialysis pa- ment plant. The Department of Health in County nears 7,000 tient, received the first The city council mem- Citrus County is bracing for its shot at Oxford University bers will meet 5:30 p.m. at first day of COVID-19 vaccinations Hospital, saying in a 212 W. Main St., Inver- Thursday as people anxious about statement: “I can now re- ness. The public is invited. the deadly disease stress over get- cases; 1,167 locals have ally look forward to cele- ting to the vaccination site before brating my 48th wedding Abuse shelter supplies run out. anniversary.” “We’re being inundated with seeks donations Britain’s vaccination calls and emails about the how already received shot program began Dec. 8 The Citrus County and when the vaccinations will be with the shot developed Abuse Shelter Associa- doled out,” said Audrey Stasko, BUSTER THOMPSON Those people could have by Pfizer and its German tion (CASA) is in need of the DOH spokeswoman in Citrus Staff writer also received their vaccine out- partner BioNTech. disinfectant spray, clear County. side of the county as part of The country has re- totes with matching lids The DOH here received 2,000 As Citrus County closes in on their employment. corded more than 50,000 and blank journal books. vaccinations and inoculated first its 7,000th COVID-19 case, Across Florida, 260,655 peo- new coronavirus infec- The next time you’re out responders last week with the more locals and Floridians ple — up 137,774 since Dec. 28 tions a day over the past plan of offering the remainder, continue to get vaccinated — have been given their first of shopping, pick up some six days, and deaths have over 1,000 vaccinations, from against the contagious respira- two doses of either the Mod- extra supplies and drop climbed past 75,000, one 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, tory disease. erna or Pfizer vaccine since the them off at the CASA of the worst tolls in and Saturday, Jan. 9, at Central According to the Florida De- state implemented its distribu- Outreach office between Europe. Ridge District park, 6905 North partment of Health (FDOH) on tion plan Dec. 14, according to 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Prime Minister Boris Lecanto Highway, Beverly Hills, to Monday, Jan. 4, 1,167 county the FDOH. Monday through Friday, Johnson announced a residents 65 years old and older. residents received their first Nobody has yet received at 1100 E. Turner Camp wave of near-lockdowns The DOH will give the free vac- vaccine dose for the novel coro- their complete series of doses. the weekend before Road, Inverness. cinations out first come, first navirus — up 941 since Mon- Alternatively, drop off day, Dec. 28. See CASES/Page A5 donations at Carol’s Inte- See TURNOUT/Page A5 See VACCINE/Page A5 riors and Floors from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Satur- day at 6410 S. Suncoast Blvd., Homosassa. For information, email Carnahan drops proposal to shift CARES money Angie Arnold at angie@ casafl.org. If interested in MIKE WRIGHT CARES funds from United housing services division through on the county’s Carnahan said Monday volunteering, call 352- Staff writer Way of Citrus County to the to help pay rent, mortgage plan to provide $450,000 to that Citrus County Hous- 344-8111 or download the county’s housing services and utilities for residents United Way over three ing Services can spend the Volunteer Application at The county commission division. suffering the economic payments to also provide CARES funds quicker and casafl.org. Completed ap- chairman says he will Commissioner Scott Car- fallout of COVID-19. rent, mortgage and utility more efficiently than plications can be emailed withdraw a proposal on nahan had recommended Instead, Carnahan said payments for those who United Way. to [email protected]. Tuesday’s county commis- that $300,000 in CARES Monday he will drop the lost jobs or wages due to — From staff reports sion agenda to shift dollars be given to the idea and instead follow the pandemic. See MONEY/Page A5 Classifieds . .B5 Crossword . .B8 INDEX Health . A11, A12 Obituaries . A6 Comics . .B4 Editorial. A8 Lottery Numbers . .B2 TV Listings. .B3 Horoscope . A4 Entertainment . A4 Lottery Payouts . .B2 A2 TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2021 CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE As our way of saying "THANKS" for stopping by and completing your hearing evaluation, you will receive 3161-C Gulf to Lake Hwy. • Inverness, FL 34453 1122 N. Suncoast Blvd. • Crystal River, FL 34429 (352) 419-0171 (352) 436-4288 OVEROVER 2020 4065 N. Lecanto Hwy., Suite 400 2406 Commercial Way LOCATIONSLOCATIO Beverly Hills, FL 34465 Spring Hill, FL 34604 NS IINN (352) 632-2412 (352) 835-7128 FLORIDA!FLORIDA! 000ZL0H N OTHING ABOVE PINK LINE Page A3 - TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2021 STATE &CITRUS L COUNTYOCAL CHRONICLE Man accused of burglarizing garage, tractor BUSTER THOMPSON during Mendez’s first court ap- reports, Mendez is accused of area pawn store. Mendez’s wallet and ID also Staff writer pearance Thursday, ac- breaking into a de- Mendez is also accused of fell out of his pocket during the cording to arrest and tached garage in the entering a farm tractor on altercation. A Floral City man was jailed in court reports. 7500 block of South Sunday that was parked in the Detectives on Wednesday in- connection to two separate bur- Mendez faces charges Meyers Point, where he 13000 block of South Istachatta terviewed Mendez, who re- glaries within his hometown.