Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 The Captain: Suncoast Swim Team honors Holme /B1 FRIDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 67 Cloudy, scattered LOW storms. Breezy and cooler. 38 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com FEBRUARY 19, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 134 NEWS BRIEFS US life expectancy drops Citrus County COVID-19 update Latest figures show the biggest decline since World War II due to pandemic According to the Flor- MARILYNN Americans losing nearly Other health experts Bibbins-Domingo, a deaths topping 3 million ida Department of Health, MARCHIONE three years and Hispan- say it shows the profound health equity researcher for the first time. 46 positive cases were AP chief medical writer ics, nearly two years, ac- impact of COVID-19, not and dean at the Univer- Life expectancy is how reported in Citrus County cording to preliminary just on deaths directly sity of California, San long a baby born today since the latest update. Life expectancy in the estimates Thursday from due to infection but also Francisco. can expect to live, on av- Three new deaths were United States dropped a the Centers for Disease from heart disease, can- This is the first time the erage. In the first half of reported, for a total of staggering one year Control and Prevention. cer and other conditions. CDC has reported on life last year, that was 77.8 during the first half of “This is a huge de- “What is really quite expectancy from early, years for Americans over- 376. 2020 as the coronavirus cline,” said Robert Ander- striking in these numbers partial records; more all, down one year from To date in the county, pandemic caused its first son, who oversees the is that they only reflect death certificates from 78.8 in 2019. For males it 9,479 people have tested wave of deaths, health of- numbers for the CDC. the first half of the year ... that period may yet come was 75.1 years and for fe- positive (including ficials are reporting. “You have to go back to I would expect that these in. It’s already known that males, 80.5 years. 75 non-residents). Minorities suffered the World War II, the 1940s, to numbers would only get 2020 was the deadliest One new hospitaliza- biggest impact, with Black find a decline like this.” worse,” said Dr. Kirsten year in U.S. history, with See LIFE/Page A6 tion was reported, for a total of 617 hospitalized. Totals reflect prelimi- nary reports received by the state, and are subject to later revision. Vaccine Remembering ‘Mr. Crystal River’ registration system open DOH-Citrus’ preregis- tration system to sched- ule COVID-19 vaccine appointments for individ- Curtis Rich Sr. uals 65 and older and frontline health care was a man of workers is now available. Individuals can now the community be added to a waiting list for vaccine appoint- BUSTER THOMPSON ments and be notified Staff writer when appointments are t’s hard for people who knew available in Citrus him to summarize what Cur- County by visiting my Itis A. Rich Sr. meant to his vaccine.fl.gov or by call- hometowns and neighbors as a ing 866-201-0442; TTY family man, community advo- is 833-476-1036. cate and politician. As part of the statewide Wherever he went and lived preregistration system, — from southern Florida to each county has a desig- North Carolina’s mountains, and nated number that indi- Citrus County in between — viduals can call and Rich left an impression with his preregister with if they do positivity and willingness to not have internet access. serve those who asked for help. Citrus County’s desig- “He was always upbeat and friendly with everyone,” said nated number is Rich’s wife of 36 years, Vangie. 866-201-0442. “He was such a gentleman; he Vaccine supply re- was just such a nice person.” mains limited and ap- “What he meant to me was pointments may not be very special,” said his son, Cur- available for several tis Rich II, who carried on the weeks. legacy of his father’s local tool business. “I am not who I am Publix vaccines without the major input of what delayed due to the guy did in my life.” “He was kind, compassionate, snowstorms very invested in the community Publix pharmacies and made it a better place for have delayed taking any those who lived there and peo- online appointments for ple who wanted to move there,” vaccine inoculations due said former Dunnellon mayor, to inclement weather in state senator and U.S. congress- most other areas of the woman Karen Thurman, who’d country. See RICH/Page A9 Snowstorms have de- ABOVE LEFT: Former Crystal River layed shipments to their Mayor Curtis Rich Sr. and his wife stores. of 36 years, Vangie, pictured in “Once additional vac- 2019 in their backyard in cine is received, we will Highlands, North Carolina. Curtis announce the next op- Rich died Sunday, Feb. 14 at 92 portunity for vaccine ap- years old. pointment scheduling,” Publix Director of Com- BELOW LEFT: Father and son, munications Maria Brous Curtis Rich Sr. and II, stand in said. front of Curtco Inc., their family’s The most up-to-date in- business in Crystal River, founded formation can be found at in 1960 by Rich Sr. as the Curtis publix.com/covidvaccine. Tool Company. Food bank ALANA RICH/Special to the Chronicle recognized by county EOC The Community Food Bank (CFB) was Crystal River man arrested in stabbing case awarded the Command- er’s Award of Excellence by the Citrus County Woman alleged suspect entered home and attacked her; bond set at $20,000 Sheriff’s Department Emergency Operations BUSTER appearance in redacted arrest Carver off the woman, Carver while he was Division. THOMPSON court on Thursday, report, deputies and chase him from the being treated at Citrus “Thank you so much Staff writer according to responded house with a large knife, Memorial Hospital for a for this esteemed recog- records, a judge Wednesday to a before the woman dis- cut to his pinky finger. nition,” said Barbara Citrus County Sheriff ’s issued the 26-year- Crystal River covered stab wounds to Authorities took Carver Sprague, Executive Di- Office deputies arrested a old a bond of home, where her left arm and into custody for the rector of the CFB. “We Crystal River man for $20,000, and stipu- Carver had been shoulder. second-degree felony stabbing a woman. lated Carver to living, to speak A witness drove the after taking down his Mi- are honored to have the Brett Thomas Carver wear a GPS moni- Brett with the woman woman to an area hospi- randized statement, opportunity to work with was booked into the toring device if Carver and two witnesses tal for treatment, accord- which was redacted from the Citrus County Sher- county jail the morning he’s released on it. who said Carver entered ing to the sheriff ’s office. the arrest report. iff’s Department Emer- of Wednesday, Feb. 17, Carver was also or- their home through an un- Witnesses also found a Contact Chronicle re- gency Operations under a charge of aggra- dered by the judge not to locked door, went into the box cutter and other evi- porter Buster Thompson at Division and look for- vated battery with bodily return to the crime scene woman’s bedroom and dence Carver left behind, 352-564-2916, bthompson ward to our continued harm. His bond was or have contact with the began striking her while tying him to the alleged @chronicleonline.com or partnership.” withheld. woman. she was in bed. stabbing. visit tinyurl.com/yxn2ahso — From staff reports During Carver’s first According to Carver’s A man was able to get Deputies met with to see more of his stories. Classifieds . .C5 Crossword . .C9 INDEX Lottery Numbers . .B3 Obituaries . A5 Comics . .C4 Editorial. A8 Lottery Payouts . .B3 TV Listings. .C3 Horoscope . A4 Entertainment . A4 Scene . .C1 A2 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE 2021 TOYOTA 2021 TOYOTA 2021 TOYOTA 2021 TOYOTA COROLLA CAMRY LE RAV4 LE HIGHLANDER 0% APR LE 0% APR 0% APR 0% APR LE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE MODEL#1852 MODEL#2532 MODEL#4430 MODEL#6946 LEASE FOR LEASE FOR LEASE FOR LEASE FOR $ -OR- ZERO $ -OR- ZERO $ -OR- ZERO $ -OR- ZERO 150 DOWN 189 DOWN 228 DOWN 308 DOWN PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS WITH $3999 DOWN $266/MO. FOR 36 MOS. WITH $3999 DOWN $305/MO. FOR 36 MOS. WITH $3999 DOWN $349/MO. FOR 36 MOS. WITH $3999 DOWN $429/MO. FOR 36 MOS. ALL LEASE OFFERS FOR WELL-QUALIFIED LESSEES WITH APPROVED CREDIT THROUGH SETF. NOT ALL LESSEES WILL QUALIFY. CLOSED-END LEASE ON NEW 2021 COROLLA LE MODEL #1852. $150 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS. $3,999 DOWN PAYMENT OR $266 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS $0 DOWN PAYMENT. 2021 CAMRY LE MODEL # 2532. $189 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS $3999 DOWN PAYMENT OR $305 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS $0 DOWN PAYMENT. 2021 RAV4 LE MODEL # 4430. $228 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS $3,999 DOWN PAYMENT OR $349 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS $0 DOWN PAYMENT. 2021 HIGHLANDER LE MODEL #6946 $308 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS $3,999 DOWN PAYMENT OR $429 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS $0 DOWN PAYMENT. NO SECURITY DEPOSIT REQUIRED. MONTHLY PAYMENTS DO NOT INCLUDE TAXES.