Former CCSO Detective Dies Drive-Thru Food BUSTER THOMPSON, Resource Deputy
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Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Wimbledon: Injured Serena out in first round /B1 WEDNESDAY TODAY C I T R U S C O U N T Y & next morning HIGH 88 Mostly cloudy LOW with storms likely. 72 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com JUNE 30, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 266 NEWS BRIEFS Former CCSO detective dies Drive-thru food BUSTER THOMPSON, Resource Deputy. daughter-in-law and grand- Atchison will most likely be NANCY KENNEDY Atchison, who retired from daughter had lunch with remembered for his work giveaway set AND JEFF BRYAN the sheriff ’s office in July 2015, Atchison on Friday. alongside Detective Scott Beginning at 9 a.m. Staff writers was found dead Monday, June Gallant said his son visited Grace on the Jessica Lunsford Wednesday, June 30, the 28, by the son of a former col- Atchison again Sunday night, case, which received interna- public can receive food at For 29 years, Gary Atchison league while vacationing in and went to see him Monday tional attention. the Citrus County fair- rose through the ranks within the Florida Keys. He was 64. morning when he discovered Their investigations into grounds at 3600 S Florida the Citrus County Sheriff ’s “I was shocked when I got Atchison dead. the February 2005 kidnapping Ave., Inverness — drive- Gary Office, serving as a patrol the phone call,” Dave Gallant “It wasn’t an easy thing to and murder of the 8-year-old said, noting his son, find out that way,” Gallant said. thru only. Atchison deputy, detective and School See GARY/Page A5 Feed Citrus County will take a two-week break and resume at 9 a.m., Wednesday, July 14 and 28, at the Crystal River Mall parking lot at the for- Injured dog finds relief in recovery mer Belk site. Monetary donations are needed to continue feeding Citrus County residents. Consider donating through the New Church Without Walls (www. newchurchwithoutwalls. com), Citrus United Way (www.citrusunitedway. org), Community Food Bank of Citrus County (www.communityfood bankofcitruscounty.org) or We Care (www.we carefoodpantry.org). Register to vote at Liberty Park The Supervisor of Elections Office will be at Patriotic Day in Inverness from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Satur- day, July 3, at Liberty Park, 268 N. Apopka Ave. Stop by to make changes to your voter re- cord or register to vote. Information to apply for election worker positions will also be available. Contact the Supervisor of Elections Office if you are interested in having the elections office staff at BUSTER THOMPSON/Chronicle your organization or Dr. Meaghan Mielo, chief veterinarian of Citrus County Animal Services gives Beautiful, a 3-year-old bit bull terrier mix, some affection June business. 23, 2021. Mielo and animal shelter staff have been treating a wound to Beautiful’s left forelimb since she was seized in May from her owner To learn more visit vo- in Crystal River. tecitrus.gov, email vote@ votecitrus.gov, call 352- 564-7120 or fax Owner loses custody 352-564-7121. ‘Freedom Week’ due to alleged cruelty to offer sales BUSTER THOMPSON TALLAHASSEE — Staff writer Florida is about to find out how much a week of “Simply shocking to the conscience.” That’s how Citrus County Judge Bruce sales-tax “freedom” trans- Carney described Beautiful’s injury of ne- lates into capitalism. glect before he said the canine’s master Starting Thursday, in could no longer own an animal in the what lawmakers dubbed county. “Freedom Week,” people “For whatever reason, he maliciously will receive sales-tax tortured Beautiful,” the judge said of Crys- breaks when they make a tal River-area 30-year-old Aaron Cornelius wide range of purchases Barrett during a civil hear- that could help spur them ing the afternoon of Mon- to be more active after day, June 28. being limited by the coro- Favoring a county peti- navirus pandemic. tion, Carney’s decision came after Dr. Meaghan Shoppers from Thurs- Beautiful poses June 23, 2021, with the members of Citrus County Animal Services and Citrus Mielo, chief veterinarian day through July 7 will be County Sheriff’s Office’s Animal Control Unit who helped report and treat a leg injury of Citrus County Animal able to avoid paying all or prosecutors allege the dog’s owner neglected to care for. Pictured, from left to right, Lead Services, talked him Aaron Veterinarian Technician Stephanie Daniell, Animal Services Director Colleen Yarbrough, Vet part of sales taxes on through a photo collection Barrett purchases such as grills; of a large, open wound to Tech Erin Cagwin, Chief Vet Dr. Meaghan Mielo, Animal Control Officer Tina Andes, Animal bicycles; fishing and the top of the 3-year-old pit bull terrier’s Control Supervisor Lora Peckham and Animal Control Officer Gui Hall. camping gear; kayaks left forelimb. ligaments also became distorted, forcing veterinarian testified. “(Barrett) has not and canoes; tickets for Mielo said three inches of bone were ex- her to walk atop her wrist. met the community standard of care for concerts, movies and ball posed, causing a severe infection along “I hope she will be able to keep the limb animals.” games; gym member- with an infestation of maggots. Beautiful’s but it’ll never return to full-capacity,” the See DOG/Page A2 ships; boxes of softballs and sleeves of tennis balls; and even sunscreen. The tax package also includes a more-tradi- Tourism tax revenue soars CCSO detective could tional tax “holiday” for back-to-school shoppers MICHAEL D. BATES Revenue from the that will start in late July Staff writer fifth cent goes into a see charges dropped and last 10 days. line-item account in — From staff reports Tourists, it seems, are on the move the TDC budget for BUSTER THOMPSON 47-year-old to enroll in pre- again — if bed tax money is any tourism-related capi- Staff writer trial intervention for sub- indication. tal projects. stance abuse. SO YOU KNOW Citrus County collected 95% more in The numbers were A judge gave a chance for Brian Trehy, Conley’s law- I The Florida tourist tax revenue in April than it did even better in May. Stephen Paul Conley to yer, asked Howard to qualify John Department of one year earlier. The bed tax reve- resolve his felony case with- his client for the intensive Pricher Health has ceased In April 2021, the state sent the nue in May was out convictions of drug- and stringent drug counsel- the daily COVID- county a check for $271,040 in bed tax $227,646, up 411% from last year’s possession charges he ing, education, treatment 19 reports that revenue, compared to $138,354 In $44,487. Of course, last May was the was arrested for after re- program, which, if Conley have been used to April 2020, the first full month of the height of the pandemic so the compa- signing as a Citrus County completes, could lead to the track changes in pandemic. rable numbers this year look espe- lawman. dismissal of his five the number of “That’s the highest since we started cially good. Nobody was staying at During Conley’s court ap- drug-possession charges. coronavirus cases collecting 5%,” Citrus County Visitors local hotels back then. pearance Tuesday, June 29, If Conley fails, the State and deaths in the Bureau Director John Pricher said. The tourist (or bed) tax is levied on over Zoom, Circuit Judge Attorney’s Office will re- In 2018, county commissioners in- people who stay at hotels, motels, Richard “Ric” Howard ap- sume prosecution. state. creased the tourist tax from 3% to 5%. See TOURISM/Page A8 proved the Homosassa See CHARGES/Page A8 Classifieds . .C7 Crossword . .C14 INDEX Lottery Numbers . .B3 Obituaries . A6 Comics . .C6 Editorial. A11 Lottery Payouts . .B3 TV Listings. .C5 Horoscope . A4 Entertainment . A4 Movies . .C6 A2 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2021 LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE DOG Everyone here is in love Continued from Page A1 with her. Along with outlawing Barrett from owning or Dr. Meaghan Mielo contacting animals in the chief veterinarian of Citrus County Animal Services. future, Carney also or- dered Beautiful, five of wounds on her that would longer than 20 feet, is not Barrett’s other dogs and support her being at- used as a primary method four of his rabbits over to tacked by a dog.” of containment and the an- ownership of county ani- If the county’s custody imal’s owner can see them. mal services. over her stands, Beautiful “You can’t just wrap a Carney also instructed will be up for adoption. chain around their neck,” Barrett to pay the county Knowing when that could Peckham said. $6,486 for the veterinarian be will be up to her period Peckham, Mielo and An- treatment it’s given his an- of recovery, which might imal Services Director Col- imals. Barrett, who didn’t include long-term medical leen Yarbrough said the appear to the hearing, has foster care. relationship between the 30 days to appeal Carney’s “All of the staff have been county sheriff ’s office and findings. involved in her care and animal services hasn’t Officers with the Citrus have been rooting for her,” been this strong in a long County Sheriff ’s Office BUSTER THOMPSON/Chronicle said Mielo, who’s been as- time. Animal Control Unit With Dr. Meaghan Mielo, chief veterinarian of Citrus County Animal Services, scratching sisted by lead veterinarian With experience in seized the animals May 26 her chest, Beautiful looks over to vet technicians Stephanie Daniell, center, and Erin technician Stephanie Dan- field-training and foren- from Barrett’s home on Cagwin.