Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Ga. runoff: Control of Senate hangs in balance /A8 WEDNESDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 68 Sunny and cool. LOW PAGE A4 44 www.chronicleonline.com JANUARY 6, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 126 ISSUE 90 NEWS BRIEFS Publix will offer vaccines Citrus County MICHAEL D. BATES Forest Ridge Blvd., 15,000 doses of the Mod- volunteers, 65 and older, COVID-19 Staff writer Hernando. erna vaccine and that the Health Dept. update The Rainbow Square program can be expanded drive-thru vaccine were given the first does of Four Publix store phar- Shopping Center at 11352 as more becomes COVID-19 vaccine. According to the Flor- macies in Citrus County N. Williams Street, Suite available. shot test run “It was something we ida Department of Health, worked out with the county,” will administer the 400 in Dunnellon, will also It is expected that each DOH-Citrus staff con- 57 positive cases were she explained. “Basically COVID-19 vaccine to cus- carry the vaccine. pharmacy will be able to ducted a test run of its drive- reported in Citrus County tomers 65 and older start- Publix will launch an handle up to about 120 today was a test run, that is since the latest update. ing later this week. online reservation system vaccinations a day, accord- thru vaccine clinic Tuesday the bottom line. While to- No new deaths were re- The four are Crystal to be activated Thursday ing to Publix, which is at Central Ridge Park, offer- day’s event was not open to ported, for a total of 275. Springs Shopping Center, for folks to make partnering with the Flor- ing shots to volunteers for the general public, this was A higher total of deaths 6760 State Road 44 in Crys- appointments. ida Department of Health the county’s Meals on an exercise for Thursday was previously reported, tal River; Shoppes of Gov. Ron DeSantis said to administer the vaccine. Wheels program, according and Saturday, this was the but has been revised. Sugarmill Woods, 9525 in a news conference in DeSantis, speaking in- to an agency quickest way for us to test To date in the county, U.S. 19 in Homosassa; Ocala on Tuesday that 22 side an Ocala-area Publix, spokeswoman. everything and be prepared Publix Plaza, 1012 W. Main Publix pharmacies in Mar- called the announcement 7,012 people have tested DOH-Citrus spokes- for the general public.” St. in Inverness; and Shop- ion, Citrus and Hernando positive (including 45 woman Audrey Stasko said — From staff reports pes of Citrus Hills, 2601 N. counties will have about See PUBLIX/Page A6 non-residents). Two new hospitaliza- tions were reported, for a total of 532 hospitalized. Note that totals reflect preliminary reports re- ceived by the state, and Homosassa getting six open lanes may be subject to later revision. COVID-19 vaccines at drive-thru clinic Central Ridge District Park, 6905 N. Lecanto Highway, Beverly Hills, will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 5; Thursday, Jan. 7; and Saturday, Jan. 9, due to COVID-19 (65+) vac- cine setup and distribution by the Florida Department of Health in Citrus County (DOH-Citrus). As a reminder, all county parks close to the public at dusk and reopen at sun- rise. During vaccine distri- bution, Citrus County Facilities has added to Central Ridge District Park port-a-potties, barriers, a drive-up tent, and signage for citizens entering the park for COVID-19 vacci- MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle nation. Medical personnel, Motorists travel along U.S. 19 near the Grover Cleveland Boulevard intersection Monday, Dec. 28, through a mostly-finished portion of the DOH-Citrus staff, along highway. Major construction along U.S. 19 both north and south of the busy area pictured above is still underway. with law enforcement will be onsite to assure a safe Widening was originally supposed to finish in 2019; some work remains and successful event. Only the Moderna vac- MICHAEL D. BATES have been slightly down the this is finally about to be over will not completely finish until cine will be given at this Staff writer past three years because many with,” Kane said. spring 2021. time. Prior to receiving are reluctant to tackle the con- Now Kane said he can con- When done, there will be an the vaccine, individuals All six lanes going north and gestion and the traffic cones. centrate on growing customers additional lane in each direc- will be required to down- south on U.S. 19 through Hom- It’s been particularly bad the without road construction tion with paved shoulders, des- load and complete the osassa are expected to be open past two months, he said. “choking out our business.” ignated bike lanes and by late January. There was a full-court press FDOT spokesman John sidewalks on both sides of Department of Health That news from the Florida on the past few weeks by the McShaffrey said the contrac- U.S. 19. COVID-19 Vaccine Department of Transportation contractor to get those lanes tor’s work over the past couple There will also be a multi-use Screening and Consent (FDOT) should be welcome to open. Traffic was reduced to weeks has been “a concerted path on the east side (next to (https://tinyurl.com/ the thousands of motorists who one lane in spots, causing long effort to complete the paving the northbound lanes) of U.S. yb5bqrb9). A Moderna travel that congested 2.1-mile delays, especially during rush necessary to open the corridor 19. The majority of that path Fact Sheet (https://tinyurl. stretch daily from West Green hour. to three lanes in each will be 10 feet wide — from com/yccufj75) with infor- Acres Street to South Jump Kane said he welcomes the direction.” Green Acres Street to Hom- mation on what to expect Court. push to get this done but ques- “However, cold weather has osassa Springs State Park (mid- during and after the injec- It’s definitely good news to tions why the contractor waited affected the placement of the way between Yulee Drive and tion will also be given be- Bob Kane, manager of Kane’s until the holidays to start ramp- friction course (top layer of as- Grover Cleveland Boulevard) fore receiving the Ace Hardware in Homosassa, ing up and going to a single phalt), which would typically be — and from Ivy Place to Stone- vaccine. All documents whose store is in the epicenter lane, creating a horrific traffic done at night,” he said. brook Drive/Jump Court. will be available on site. of the widening. bottleneck through Homosassa. Even though the lanes may Citizens are asked to Kane said customer counts “I’m just more than happy open, the $31.8 million project See LANES/Page A6 be patient as the COVID- 19 vaccination program rolls out and continues in the months to come. Due to initial limited supply of the vaccine for these two Board shifts High-profile cases get scheduled events capac- ity will be reached quickly. Additional locations, COVID-19 funds dates and times will be hearing, trial dates announced as the vac- cine becomes available. BUSTER Howard to schedule an- strike Salas, killing the DOH-Citrus is encour- to help businesses THOMPSON other court hearing for 20-year-old. aging citizens who would Staff writer sometime after the wit- Citrus County Sheriff ’s like additional information MIKE WRIGHT Kinnard, however, said ness interviews, leading Office investigators who to phone any of the local Staff writer the board voted unani- Attorneys are set to de- the judge to set April 27 as recovered the shotgun, libraries. Staff is on hand mously in December pose witnesses involved in the date. which Pounders described at each library to answer Things got a little testy how to divide up the re- Jason Michael Pounders “Then we can have some as a family heirloom, questions and provide the during Tuesday’s county maining CARES Act Sr.’s alleged fatal final decisions found it had a barrel paperwork necessary to commission meeting as funds, only to have a shooting of Mi- here,” Howard length just shy of 15 inches. receive the vaccination. officials continued to re- working group led by chael James Salas said. Florida law states a Phone numbers for fine the CARES Act board Chairman Scott on Independence Pounders, a shotgun — unless it’s an COVID-19 vaccination grants program. Carnahan change the Day. Hernando 41-year- antique or federally per- distribution information Commissioners, who formula during a phone Assistant Public old, is accused of mitted — can’t have a bar- are as follows: agreed in December to conference last week. Defender Luke handling an un- rel less than 18 inches lawful shotgun as long. I Central Ridge: give the chamber of com- “We’re a board of five. Waatti, Pounders’ merce $1 million in fed- When the board makes a acting attorney, Michael a convicted felon Florida Department of 352-746-6622. during a party the Law Enforcement firearm I eral funds to distribute vote ... that should not told Circuit Court Pounders Sr. Coastal Region: to businesses hurt by the change in a phone call,” Judge Richard night of July 4 in examiners also test-fired 352-795-3716. COVID-19 pandemic, re- Kinnard said. “Ric” Howard during a the 5000 block of East the shotgun, which failed I Floral City: vised that by diverting Carnahan said the virtual court hearing Tues- Marsh Lake Drive in to cycle and eject the 352-726-3671.