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License# CACO10415 70 PAGE A4 000J80O www.chronicleonline.com SEPTEMBER 9, 2014 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 120 ISSUE 33 Man accused of molesting girls Inverness resident faces multiple felony charges of sexual battery against victims younger than 18 BUSTER THOMPSON was hit with multiple felony offenses girl said Willis had sexual relations punishments; however, they both re- Staff writer of molestation and sexual battery with her within the past 72 hours — fused, according to the report. against victims under the age of 18 and she said that there were other In an interview with the already- LECANTO — An Inverness man after a Citrus County Sheriff ’s Office children in the same home who had incarcerated defendant at the Citrus faces felony charges of sexual bat- investigator received information also been abused by Willis. County Detention Facility, Willis de- tery and molestation of three female from three girls alleging that he had During further interviews at nied the allegations on the grounds minors. sexual contact with them, according Jessie’s Place, the investigator was that he was working on the dates the Bill Willis, 40, was initially to Willis’ arrest report. told by an 11-year-old and a 15-year- children reported the incidents oc- charged Friday with violating his pa- During an interview with a child old that Willis had molested them, curring and that the children made Bill Willis role for driving with a suspended li- protective team at the Jessie’s Place saying he would seek sexual favors being held with cense. Later that day, however, he Child Advocacy Center, a 12-year-old in exchange for lessening their See ARREST/ Page A2 no bond. Court DIGEST MSBU quarrel continues Murder trial starts Monday PAT FAHERTY Staff writer The trial of Gregory Scott Holub, facing second-degree murder charges in the death of an Inverness mother, is sched- uled to open this coming Monday. Deseray Lynn Bowles, 24, was shot and killed during the early hours of Easter Sunday in 2013. Investigators believe she was in a vehicle on Rabbit Lane in Floral City when the shoot- MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle ing occurred. Gregory Janice Tuten, right, talks with her mother, Shirley Booth, the proprietor of the Mid-Florida Motel and RV Park in Hernando, about After she was Holub how the fire services assessment fee has created a major financial burden. shot, someone accused of drove her to the killing Sleepy Hollow Deseray Family worries tax could force them to close their Hernando motel restaurant on Bowles. nearby Gobbler Drive, where A.B. SIDIBE results are the same — it is costing busi- services partnership plan with Dunnel- deputies responded. Staff writer nesses too much and her elderly par- lon and Crystal River to spare its resi- Bowles was subsequently ents stand to lose everything they dents from having to pay the transported to Citrus Memorial Janice Tuten readily admits she is not worked for all their lives. county-imposed MSBU fee. hospital where she died from a genius at mathematics, but every way Tuten, the Citrus County Builders As- The county commission introduced her injuries. in which she crunched the assessment sociation and the city of Inverness all the fire services MSBU last fall to pay Holub, 29, of Bradenton, was fee numbers from last year’s controver- say the tax is too much and is negatively for depleted and old fire equipment arrested in an Ocala motel sial county municipal services benefit impacting businesses. The city of Inver- within a day of the shooting, and a firearm was recovered. unit (MSBU) for fire services, the ness is actually mulling a tri-city fire See MSBU/ Page A2 See COURT/ Page A2 INSIDE HEALTH & LIFE: Car crashes into Inverness department store BUSTER THOMPSON corner of State Road 44 employee at the neighbor- Staff writer and South Croft Avenue to ing Glory Nails salon and find a black Mercedes up witnessed the crash. INVERNESS — No in- against the store’s brick- “She threw (her car) in juries were reported early wall entrance. reverse and kept going,” Monday afternoon after a According to a respond- Slocum said. “Smoke was car reversed out of a park- ing sheriff ’s deputy, the 77- coming out of her tires.” ing spot in an Inverness year-old woman driving The driver of the Mer- area shopping plaza, the Mercedes hit a light cedes was cited with care- backed into a minivan and pole in front of her parking less driving. then into the brick wall of space, causing her to panic T.J. Maxx personnel de- Better than a T.J. Maxx store. and reverse into a passing clined to comment on the a biopsy Citrus County sheriff ’s white Chrysler minivan incident. The structure is New technology makes deputies and Fire Rescue and then into the depart- being inspected as a pre- NANCY KENNEDY/Chronicle it easier to monitor the personnel arrived at the ment store. caution and for structural A 77-year-old woman drove her car Monday into the liver./Page C1 T.J. Maxx store on the Cassandra Slocum is an stability. Inverness T.J. Maxx store. Classifieds . .C6 Community . .C7 INDEX Lottery Numbers . .B3 Obituaries . .A6 Comics . .C9 Editorial . .A8 Lottery Payouts . .B3 TV Listings . .C8 Crossword . .C8 Entertainment . .A4 Horoscope . .A4 Movies . .C9 000J7NI CRYSTAL MAKE NO PAYMENTS TILL 2015 ** CHEVROLET 2014 CHEVY SPARK 2014 CHEVY EQUINOX 2014 CHEVY SILVERADO 1035 S. Suncoast Blvd., Homosassa $ 10,688 * $ 18,788 * $ 21,988 * 800-584-8755 ext. 10 SALES: Mon-Fri 8:30am-8:00pm • Sat 9:00am-7:30pm • Sun-Closed ^ MO. ^ MO. ^ MO. SERVICE: Mon, Wed & Fri 7:30am-5:30pm • Tue & Thu 7:30am-7:00pm $ 39 LEASE $ 39 LEASE $ 39 LEASE $ DUE AT $ DUE AT $ DUE AT Sat 8:00am-4:00pm • Sun-Closed 169 2,986 SIGNING 269 3,278 SIGNING 289 3,476 SIGNING BODY SHOP: Mon-Fri 7:30am-5:30pm • Sat & Sun-Closed $ $ $ MONTH 6,217 RESIDUAL MONTH 14,721 RESIDUAL MONTH 19,217 RESIDUAL crystalchevroletonline.com *PRICES INCLUDE ALL REBATES AND INCENTIVES. NOT EVERYONE WILL QUALITY. EXCLUDES TAX, TAG, TITLE AND DEALER FEE $599.50. ^LEASES ARE 39 MOS/39,000 MILES, 25 PER MILE OVER AND INCLUDES ALL REBATES AND INCENTIVES. EXCLUDES TAX, TAG AND DEALER FEE $599.50. ALL OFFERS ARE WITH APPROVED CREDIT AND CAN NO T BE COMBINED. PICTURES ARE FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY. SEE DEALER FOR COMPLETE DETAILS. **MUST QUALIFY WITH ALLY FINANCIAL. A2 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014 LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE entered a plea of not broken guilty. Each count of a sec- ribs, COURT ond-degree felony carries bleeding Continued from Page A1 a 15-year prison sentence. on the He was arrested Aug. 20 brain, The defendant, a regis- after a standoff with Cit- cuts and tered sex offender, made a rus County deputies. The severe court appearance on K-9, Zeus, was released to bruising. Monday. No plea has been detain Burnham, but was Nicholas “This is offered in the case, and injured when the defen- McGahen one of the his attorney plans to file a dant reportedly struck the charged with most seri- motion to dismiss, this dog with a metal baseball attempted first- ous cases week. bat. degree murder. on today’s The trial is expected to Burnham’s next court docket,” last a week, and Judge appearance is set for said Howard after hear- Richard Howard labeled Sept. 23 and Howard ex- ing a request for continu- it “the number one trial pects the case to go to trial ance based on the for next week.” by the end of the year. availability of witnesses. ● ● ● ●●● ●●● Billy James Burnham, Nicholas Austin Lonnie Bryan Martin, 53, of Inglis — facing McGahen, 28, of Ho- 58, of Hernando, entered MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle charges of aggravated as- mosassa, charged with at- a plea of no contest on A trailer park sits adjacent to the Mid-Florida motel in Hernando. sault on a law enforcement tempted first-degree Monday and accepted a officer, assault on a law en- murder, is expected to go state-offered deal for five “We charge that fee only going to be their nest egg, forcement animal with in- to trial Nov. 10. McGahen years of drug offender when they come in the but now there is a good tent to harm, resisting was arrested in January. probation, and court and MSBU middle of the cycle, but chance they will lose officers without violence, The victim of the crime program costs. Continued from Page A1 everything goes back to everything if this tax battery of a law enforce- McGahen is alleged to Martin faced a charge normal during the next stays.” ment officer and aggra- have committed is a Crys- of aggravated battery with and to build and refurbish cycle,” Phillips said. “She Adams plans to read vated battery with a deadly tal River man who was a weapon — a machete — some fire stations. said if the builder pays the Tuten’s letter into the weapon — on Monday bludgeoned and suffered during a verbal dispute. The tax requires county prorated amount on the record at today’s Board of homeowners to pay a flat property, the homeowner County Commissioners $54 fee per residential would not have to worry meeting and put the com- property parcel, and busi- about paying the MSBU mission on notice about his nesses pay according to until the next normal cycle.