Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Gators: Florida faces Oklahoma in Cotton Bowl /B1 THURSDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 81 Partly sunny and LOW warm. 64 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com DECEMBER 31, 2020 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 126 ISSUE 84 I Editor’s Note: Due to early deadlines for the New Year’s Day Virus shots start next week edition, Thursday night’s lottery numbers will not Elderly up first; Department of Health warns initial supplies will be limited appear Friday, FRED HIERS will offer COVID-19 vac- 2,000 doses this week and “We don’t know how get the vaccinations here, Jan. 1. Staff writer cines to senior citizens the first to receive them will many vaccinations we’ll she said. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thurs- be emergency first respond- have. We know we have Seniors wanting the vac- NEWS Citrus County residents day, Jan. 7, and Saturday, ers such as paramedics and 2,000 we received (and cinations are required to 65 years old and older Jan. 9, at the Central Ridge firefighters this week. first responders will re- bring valid identification BRIEFS wanting to be vaccinated District Park, 6905 N. Le- “Whatever is remaining ceive theirs first) so people and must plan to be in Cit- against the coronavirus canto Highway, Beverly will be used at the drive- can guesstimate based on rus County to receive their Citrus COVID-19 will have the opportunity Hills. thru next week,” she said. that,” she explained. second round of the vac- next week as the Depart- DOH spokeswoman Au- As for how many vacci- “People are going to cine 28 days after their update ment of Health offers two drey Stasko warned the nations that will mean for have to be patient,” she first shots, according to According to the Flor- drive-thru clinics. clinics will be operational Citrus County residents, said. Stasko. ida Department of The Florida Department only for as long as supplies Strasko said she did not People do not have to be Health, 59 positive of Health in Citrus County last. The DOH received know. a Citrus County resident to See VACCINE/Page A2 cases were reported in Citrus County since the latest update. Eight new hospitalizations were re- ported; one new death was reported. Brashear to retire after 40 years To date in the county, 6,567 people have tested positive (including 39 non-residents), 512 have been hospitalized and 261 have died. Health Dept. to close, testing site will open The COVID-19 testing site at the Citrus Springs Community Center will remain open on New Year’s Day on Friday, Jan. 1, despite the Florida Department of Health in Citrus County’s (DOH- Citrus) office closures Thursday, Dec. 31, and Friday, Jan. 1. DOH- Citrus will reopen at its regularly scheduled times on Monday, Jan. 4. As a reminder, COVID-19 testing is of- fered to the first 150 in- dividuals from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Citrus Springs Community Center, 1570 W. Citrus Springs Blvd. Testing is provided at no cost to adults and children over 12, with or without symptoms. No appointment needed. Please bring a photo ID and plan to stay in your vehicle the entire time. JEFF BRYAN/Chronicle For more information As Bob Brashear reflected on his 40-year career as a pharmacist, he recalled learning early on that a pharmacist’s role is so much more than about DOH-Citrus and its simply filling prescription bottles with pills. After 40 years, Brashear is hanging up his white pharmacist’s coat and retiring as of Jan. 1, 2021. COVID-19 testing site, visit www.CitrusCounty Looking back over career, pharmacist says his job has been a ‘blessing’ Health.org or follow us on Twitter at @FLHealth NANCY KENNEDY lithium and to call the doctor Tribune for a pharmacist at Hospice of Citrus County re- Citrus. Staff writer and have him check her and Citrus Memorial Hospital and garding one of her patients,” Do not call the Citrus get her off the diuretics,” he carried it around for several he said. “A great part of the Springs Community Cen- s Bob Brashear re- said. weeks until both he and his Fedco pharmacy was having ter for information. flected on his 40-year ca- After 40 years and many wife, Dianne, had time off to Sunday off so I could attend Areer as a pharmacist, he other lives he has helped save, make the trip to Inverness. church with my family.” Cardinal recalled learning early on that Brashear is hanging up his The couple had wanted to Because Brashear understood Interchange a pharmacist’s role is so much white pharmacist’s coat and re- find a smaller community to that a pharmacist was more than more than simply filling pre- tiring as of Jan. 1, 2021. raise a family, and they de- a prescription filler, throughout meeting set scription bottles with pills. “When I look back on the last cided Citrus County was ideal. his career he offered a number The Citrus County “I remember when I was 40 years, I feel blessed to be a After their twin sons, Jesse of services, such as spending Board of County Com- working as an intern, filling a pharmacist,” Brashear wrote and Justin, were born, time with people to educate missioners proposes to prescription for a diuretic for a in a news release. “My friend, Brashear left CMH to work at a them about taking their medica- adopt a new Future lady. I remembered that she the late Harold Eich, once small retail pharmacy in Inver- tion properly. was also on lithium, and I re- shared with me a Bible verse, Land Use Map category ness, Fedco, staying there for In 1991, while still at Fedco, membered from pharmacy Colossians 3:23, which became almost 20 years. Brashear started Brashear’s in relation to the Sun- school that there was an inter- the theme for my life. He re- “I was the first pharmacist Vital Care, providing home in- coast Parkway Inter- action between lithium and di- minded me that my main goal out of our 20 stores that re- fusion medications. change Management uretics,” he said. was working for the Lord. quested a computer to keep up Dianne Brashear left her job Area at West Cardinal The woman was in the hospi- “It’s easy to be motivated with the volume of prescrip- at CMH as an ICU nurse to do Street, along with sup- tal, and Brashear called and when you know God as your tions, and then the other stores marketing for the business and porting text, goals, ob- asked how she was doing. boss,” he said. followed my plan,” Brashear also help train people how to jectives and policies, at “They said she was doing Brashear began his phar- said. “Back then, sometimes use their ambulatory infusion 5:20 p.m. Tuesday, fine, ‘but now she’s comatose,’ macy career in Pinellas County. the phone would ring at 2 a.m. pumps at home. Jan. 19, at the Citrus and I told them about the inter- In 1979, he cut out a help- and it could be Pam Kennedy, County Courthouse, action between diuretics and wanted ad in the Tampa director of nursing with See CAREER/Page A2 Room 100, 110 N. Apopka Ave. For information, con- tact the Land Develop- ment Division, 3600 West Sovereign Path, Suite Sen. McConnell says no to bigger relief checks 140, Lecanto, or call 352-527-5239. LISA MASCARO to force a vote. American households that households still need more It’s one last standoff, to- If you are unable to at- AP congressional The GOP leader made just don’t need it. help,” the Senate will con- gether with the override of tend, you may state your correspondent clear he is unwilling to McConnell’s refusal to sider “smart targeted aid. Trump’s veto of a sweep- position in writing and for- budge, despite political act means the additional Not another firehose of ing defense bill, that will WASHINGTON — Sen- ward it to the Land Devel- pressure from Trump and relief Trump wanted is all borrowed money.” punctuate the president’s ate Majority Leader Mitch even some fellow Republi- but dead. The showdown between final days and deepen the opment Division at the McConnell all but shut the can senators. Trump wants “We just approved al- the outgoing president and GOP’s divide between its Lecanto address listed door Wednesday on Presi- the recent $600 in aid in- most a trillion dollars in his own Republican Party new wing of Trump-styled above. dent Donald Trump’s push creased threefold. But Mc- aid a few days ago,” McCo- over the $2,000 checks has populists and what had All citizens entering the for $2,000 COVID-19 relief Connell dismissed the nnell said, referring to the thrown Congress into a been mainstay conserva- meeting will be screened. checks, declaring Congress idea of bigger “survival year-end package Trump chaotic year-end session tive views against govern- If you are sick, stay has provided enough pan- checks” approved by the signed into law. just days before new law- ment spending. home. demic aid as he blocked an- House, saying the money McConnell added, “if makers are set to be sworn — From staff reports other attempt by Democrats would go to plenty of specific, struggling into office.