Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014INSIDE 1:13 PM Page 1 Big burgers, hot dog! lair for food / B1 Enjoy Memorial Day with the tradition of f meaty burgers and wonderful wieners on the grill. THURSDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 90 Sunshine, LOW becoming more humid. 66 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com MAY 21, 2020 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 125 ISSUE 226 INSIDE LOCAL: Spotlight on Jobless system swamped business The Chronicle is DeSantis: Historic surge of unemployment claims overwhelmed computers coordinating spotlights on local businesses that JOHN HAUGHEY unemployment system “designed to fail.” simultaneously and could n For the latest on Citrus are adapting to the The Center Square after being confronted the “We had an unprece- boost-up to 5,000, but County unemployment coronavirus . To submit past week by reporters dented surge of unemploy- when the response to the Florida Gov. Ron DeSan- figures, see Saturday’s who said they’ve been del- ment claims. That was a COVID-19 emergency your own business edition of the Citrus spotlight, visit https:// tis said the state’s revamped uged by people demanding tough challenge under any forced businesses to shut unemployment system has County Chronicle . answers to why so many circumstance but even a down, it was over- bit .ly/2LsNIhU . For sent checks to 97.6% of n had not received unem- greater challenge that the whelmed by hundreds of today’s spotlight, see Experts point to need nearly 900,000 “processed” for reform ./Page A9 ployment payments. system the state paid a lot thousands — now nearly Page A3 claimants’ applications, DeSantis went through of money for was not up to 2 million — jobless paying nearly $2.7 billion years combined,” DeSan- the on-the-run changes he task,” DeSantis said. Floridians. NEWS since March 15. tis said. has initiated after inherit- DeSantis said the The CONNECT system The state’ “has paid out The governor staged a ing a $77 million system CONNECT website built was “the equivalent of BRIEFS more (in unemployment) news conference Tuesday from his predecessor and by DeLoitte Consulting throwing a jalopy into the the last 10 weeks than it specifically to discuss the now U.S. Sen. Rick Scott was capable of handling Citrus COVID-19 has in the previous five state’s embattled that he’s described as 1,000 people on the site See JOBLESS/Page A5 information One new positive COVID-19 case was re- ported in Citrus County since the latest FDOH Lake levels drop during dry spell update. To date in the county, 115 people have tested positive and 12 have died. For more information, see Sunday’s edition. STARS winners announced today This year, to observe the welfare and safety of our students, the event will be held online. Win- ners for the player of the year in each boy and girl sport, scholar-athletes, male and female MVPs, and overall athlete of the year will be announced. A video of the award announcements, and congratulatory video snippets from the schools and special guests, will be posted at 6 p.m. today. Visit https:// bit.ly/ 36e2qCL to see nominees for the MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle awards and to watch the Lack of rainfall through the early part of the springtime has left area lakes, like Lake Henderson in Inverness, low. Many hope the coming video. rainy season will help improve the low-water conditions. Chronicle’s virtual Rainfall amounts for county currently running below historic averages graduation site MICHAEL D. BATES has received less than half the Only 7.94 inches fell from Citrus only received 0.01 inches The Citrus County Staff writer historical average rainfall for Jan. 1 through May 13, accord- of rain from May 1 to May 13. Chronicle is hosting a vir- January through May, according ing to District Hydrologic Data “Two of the past three months tual graduation page that The lack of rain has had a to Dr. Mark Fulkerson, senior Manager Granville Kinsman. we’ve recorded essentially no includes photos and per- predictable effect on local lakes professional engineer with the The wettest month rainfall in Citrus County,” and the Withlacoochee River. Southwest Florida Water Man- (4.78 inches) was April and the sonal information pro- So far this year, Citrus County agement District (SWFWMD). driest (0.10 inches) was March. See LEVELS/Page A2 vided by graduates. Family and friends of each graduate are en- couraged to visit their graduate and congratu- late them with a personal message under their Inverness eyes upgrades to utility services photos. Graduates can also up- FRED HIERS private utility operators to expired service area government,” City Man- now should also be updat- load profiles to their Staff writer lay out the utility’s capital agreement with the county. ager Eric Williams said. ing the utilities service photos. improvement needs for the “The city is growing “In order to properly con- agreement and outlining Anticipating that Inver- next several years. every day and enjoys a tinue forward, the need to capital needs on that up- Visit https://www. ness will grow, and with it In addition to wanting a high focus of investment engage with an expert firm date, Williams told council chronicleonline.com/ the demand for the city’s capital investment plan, for development/ for master planning pur- members this week. virtual_graduations to utility services, the Inver- the council also agreed to redevelopment opportuni- poses is upon us.” The current service take part in the Chroni- ness council unanimously direct North Carolina- ties due to the decades of While updating the capi- agreement outside the city cle’s virtual graduation. agreed this week to approve based Kimley Horn and good planning and growth tal needs of the city’s utili- — From staff reports a $155,250 deal with its Associates to update its management by the city ties is important, the focus See CITY/Page A5 Classifieds . .B5 Crossword . .B8 INDEX Sports . A6 Obituaries . .A5 Comics . B4. Editorial . A8 Lottery Numbers . .A6 TV Listings . .B3 Horoscope . A4 Entertainment . .A4 Lottery Payouts . .A6 000YGM2 A2 Thursday, May 21, 2020 LocaL Citrus County (FL) ChroniCLe all its water control struc- tures to conserve water in LEVELS the lakes for the remain- Continued from Page A1 der of the dry season. Fulkerson said. “Rainfall Withlacoochee in April was very helpful River to temporarily halt drop- The Withlacoochee ping water levels in River in Citrus County also March, but with essen- continues its dry-season tially no rainfall this decline. During the first month, water levels are two weeks of May, river lev- on the way back down els fell about 5 inches in very quickly again.” the area between State Rainy season begins Roads 48 and 200. June 1 and homeowners River flows have also should start seeing their declined about 40% since parched lawns starting to May 1, Fulkerson said. spring back to life. On average, Withla- Tsala Apopka coochee River levels near Citrus County are about Chain-of-Lakes 9 inches lower than they This winter/spring has were last year at this time been much drier com- and flows are only about pared to last year and lake half of what they were a levels are about 16 inches year ago. lower than they were last Rain chances in Citrus year at this time. County are slim all the In the first two months way through Tuesday, ac- of May, levels dropped cording to the National about 4 inches or twice as Weather Service. much as they fell over the Contact Chronicle re- MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle entire month of April, ac- porter Michael D. Bates at A lack of rainfall in recent months has caused area lakes and the Withlacoochee River to become lower than average, cording to Fulkerson. 352-563-3205 or mbates@ as seen above on the poles that support this boat dock. The District has closed chronicleonline.com. For the RECORD Citrus County Other arrests His bond was set at $16,000. Sheriff’s Office n Bobby Snodgrass, 70, ON THE NET n Kendrick Gunn, 38, of of South Rama Avenue, Le- n For more information West Gardenia Drive, Citrus ( ) DUI arrests 352 628-3443 License canto, at 11:33 p.m. May 17 on Springs, at 11:55 a.m. May 17 000YEIC about arrests made #DN 17606 n Jennifer Hullender, 36, of an active warrant for writing on an active Cook County, Illi- Inglis, at 8:11 p.m. May 16 on checks with insufficient funds. by the Citrus County nois warrant for violation of misdemeanor charges of driving His bond was set at $500. Sheriff’s Office, go to probation, making him a fugi- under the influence, DUI with n Richard White, 33, of www.sheriffcitrus.org tive from justice. Quality Dentistry, property damage, and leaving Crystal River, at 6:08 a.m. and click on the n Jessica Gabbard, 33, of the scene of an accident. Her May 17 on a felony charge of Public Information Gandy Boulevard, St. Peters- Without The Sales Tactics bond was set at $3,000. aggravated battery on a preg- link, then on Arrest burg, at 5:11 a.m. May 16 on n Helen Reid, 62, of Her- nant victim and a misdemeanor Reports. felony charges of possession It’s all about hard work, nando, at 5:08 p.m. May 16 on charge of battery. with intent to sell a controlled misdemeanor charges of driv- perseverance, learning, n Joshua Carter, 18, of license as a habitual offender. substance and possession of ing under the influence and West Pine Bluff Street, Crystal a controlled substance and a DUI with property damage.