Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 College basketball: HOF coach John Chaney dies at 89 /B1 SATURDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 71 Increasing high LOW clouds, warmer by afternoon. 50 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com JANUARY 30, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 126 ISSUE 114 NEWS BRIEFS State launches vaccine website Citrus County Eligible residents can preregister online COVID-19 Associated Press For anyone who doesn’t have DOH-Citrus joins update internet access, each county has a According to the Flor- TALLAHASSEE — Florida phone number where residents ida Department of Health, launched a statewide system Fri- can preregister. To schedule a preregistration system day for residents 65 and older and vaccine appointment with Citrus 59 positive cases were Ridge District Park. Vaccines frontline medical workers to pre- County, call 866-201-0442 or (TTY) Chronicle reported in Citrus County will still be provided on a first register for coronavirus vaccine 833-476-1036. since the latest update. The Florida Department of come, first served basis. The appointments. To be eligible, the person must Four new deaths were re- Health in Citrus County drive-thru clinic will offer the The state says registrants will be a Florida resident or long-term (DOH-Citrus) announced that the vaccine to the first 1,000 ported, for a total of 345. be contacted by phone, text or visitor and fall into one of three statewide preregistration system individuals. To date in the county, email when vaccine appointments groups: — Long-term care facility to schedule COVID-19 vaccine Vehicles will be allowed into 8,550 people have tested are available in their county and residents and staff; appointments for individuals 65 the park starting at 7 a.m. to positive (including assisted in making appointments n 65 years of age and older and older and frontline health begin staging for 9 a.m. vaccina- 59 non-residents). to receive their shot. The website n Or health care personnel with care workers, is now available to tions. Access to the park must Two new hospitaliza- is myvaccine.fl.gov. direct patient contact. Citrus County residents. come from the south, and vehi- tions were reported, for a The state has received some Hospitals may also vaccinate This system will not impact cles will only be permitted to criticism from residents who say anyone they deem to be extremely total of 586 hospitalized. Saturday’s drive-thru vaccina- make a right hand turn into the its previous system for register- vulnerable to the virus. Almost Totals reflect prelimi- tion clinic in Beverly Hills. The park. Motorhomes and vehicles ing, which varied by county and 1.7 million people have tested posi- nary reports received by DOH-Citrus COVID-19 vaccine pulling trailers will be turned distributor, was too complicated, tive for COVID-19 in Florida and the state, and are subject drive-thru for 65 and older at 9 away due to height restrictions. particularly for older residents more than 26,000 have died since to later revision. a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at Central who may not be internet-savvy. the first case was reported March 1. See DOH/Page A7 FVN monument dedication today The Female Veterans Network (FVN) will host a monument dedication School district names top teacher ceremony at 11 a.m. Sat- urday, Jan. 30, on the grounds of the Old His- toric County Courthouse in Inverness. The public is welcome. Masks and social distanc- ing are strongly encouraged. The FVN conducted fundraising for three years to erect a monu- ment dedicated to all fe- male military past — present and future. For more information on FVN, contact Cynthia Henderson, president/ founder, at 352-628-6481 or Jo Monty at 952-239-1027. Visit www.female veteransnetwork.org. Car Show & Music Festival set Sunday The Citrus County Car Show & Music Festival will take place Sunday, Jan. 31, with vehicle reg- JEFF BRYAN/Chronicle istration from 9 to 11 a.m. Judie Banfield, a third-grade Hernando Elementary School teacher who has six years of teaching for the same academic system that taught at the Citrus County Fair- her, reached a milestone Jan. 7, when the school district named her its 2022 teacher of the year during the annual Galaxy of Stars ceremony. grounds, 3600 S. Florida Ave. (U.S. 41), Inverness. Spectators are free; show Third-grade teacher Judie Banfield brightens the gem of local education vehicles are $25 to register. BUSTER THOMPSON unconditionally lean on you,” the third- district is an honor in itself.” For more information, Staff writer grade Hernando Elementary School Florida Department of Education offi- teacher said, holding back tears, “and even cials will consider Banfield for the state call Ken McNally at Judie Banfield knows about the power of when they don’t get it, you give them the title alongside other school districts’ top 352-341-1165. teaching. tools and support they need to understand educators. They’re expected to announce Friends of the Her own teachers with the Citrus County mistakes are OK.” their pick in July. School District taught her how to read and Banfield’s six years of teaching for the same If selected as Florida’s teacher of the CR refuge to write a second language of English while academic system that taught her reached a year, Banfield will spend a year hosting meet virtually they also helped nurture her childhood. milestone Jan. 7, when the school district talks for school districts statewide — an op- Now Banfield is giving the same gift of named her its 2022 teacher of the year during portunity for her to exchange schooling tips The Friends of the education and care back to local elemen- the annual Galaxy of Stars ceremony. and successes. Crystal River National tary students. “I just didn’t think I meant that much to “Florida needs to shine,” she said, “we’re Wildlife Refuge Complex “You have this tremendous responsibil- them,” she said. “Just being nominated the Sunshine State.” will meet virtually at ity but gift to work with kids who just amongst these amazing people in this See TEACHER/Page A7 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31. A brief business meet- ing will be followed by a presentation by Refuge Manager Joyce Palmer and Friend’s President Jane ‘Aunt Beth’ Owen, Mixed signals for Mike Engiles. Both will talk about recent develop- ments at the Refuge and upcoming projects. beloved school lunch lady Florida’s economy All are welcome. Q&A session to follow, time Associated Press permitting. ORLANDO — New unemployment claims in Flor- To join the meeting, visit ida last week jumped by almost 50% from the previ- tinyurl.com/y66pd5dw. ous week, continuing a yo-yo cycle of applications The meeting ID is 393 580 NANCY KENNEDY for jobless benefits. Meanwhile the state’s unem- 7027 and the passcode is Staff writer ployment rate last month nudged down ever so 968226. slightly, according to figures released this week. — From wire reports Everyone loves the school lunch lady, The mixed signals on Florida’s service-oriented INDEX and everyone loved Jane “Aunt Beth” economy reflect the uncertainty posed by the coro- Owen. navirus pandemic. At the same time that more Flo- Classifieds . .B6 For nearly 25 years, she fed students at ridians are getting vaccinated, more contagious Comics . B5. Inverness Primary School, Citrus High strains of the virus have been found in the U.S. Crossword . .B9 School and Pleasant Grove Elementary Florida last week had 57,824 new jobless claims, a Editorial . A10 School — an estimated 5,100,000 lunches jump from the previous week’s 39,226 new claims, Entertainment . .A4 before retiring in 1995. according to figures released Thursday by the U.S. Horoscope . A4 Jane Elizabeth (Law) Owen died Department of Labor. By comparison, new unem- Lottery Numbers . B3. Jan. 22. She was 83. ployment claims nationwide last week dropped Lottery Payouts . B3. Born the oldest of 11 siblings, Beth more than 7% to 847,000 applications. Movies . .B5 grew up in Hernando where she and her Florida’s unemployment rate in December dipped siblings played in the woods and down by Special to the Chronicle Obituaries . .A6 slightly to 6.1% from 6.3% in November, continuing a the lake and attended school at the old Jane “Aunt Beth” Owen, who died Jan. 22 at downward trend, according to figures released Religion . A13, A14 historic brick schoolhouse on U.S. 41. age 83, was a Citrus County School District Tuesday. The state reached a high of 13.8% last April TV Listings . .B4 Her father, Joe Law, worked for the “lunch lady” who fed kids for nearly 25 years. amid virus-related business closures. county, and at one time, the family lived said Beth’s sister, Sue Sage. “Daddy al- Florida has lost 1.1 million jobs since the start of behind the VFW in Hernando. ways did the barbecue for different the pandemic last March but has gained back only “We were always down at the VFW groups, and we all helped.” 718,700 jobs. helping with the get-togethers they had,” See BETH/Page A7 See ECONOMY/Page A8 A2 SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2021 CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE OF KBB NOW up % FOR YOUR OFFERING to 120 TRADE** Credit less than perfect? Village Toyota can help! 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