Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Hoops: Citrus falls to The Villages in district semifinals/B1 THURSDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 80 Partly sunny. LOW PAGE A4 60 www.chronicleonline.com FEBRUARY 11, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 126 ISSUE 126 NEWS BRIEFS Citrus could get $14M more in relief Citrus County COVID-19 Additional CARES Act money to help locals struggling during pandemic update MICHAEL D. Citrus could receive up disbursed based on yet and there are re- grants have been distrib- According to the Flor- BATES to $14 million in addi- future direction from stricted uses for the uted by the county to ida Department of Health, Staff writer tional federal CARES Act Crystal River, Inverness money. businesses sustaining money. and county leaders. “We may ultimately get economic damage from 45 positive cases were The positive news just Crystal River City County Administrator that,” he said. COVID-19. reported in Citrus County keeps coming for Citrus Manager Ken Frink an- Randy Oliver hedged a Citrus County has so Reaction to this latest since the latest update. County business owners nounced at Monday’s bit on how much Citrus far received $22,371,442, news was understandably No new deaths were re- and others affected eco- meeting that $14 million County will ultimately with $3,742,550 pending positive. ported, for a total of 362. nomically from the is arriving to county receive because the final reimbursement. To date, To date in the county, COVID-19 pandemic. coffers and will be number is not assured $7.4 million in CARES See FUNDS/Page A7 9,127 people have tested positive (including 65 non-residents). One new hospitaliza- tion was reported, for a total of 604 hospitalized. Totals reflect prelimi- nary reports received by the state, and are subject Sen. Simpson’s story to later revision. DOH vaccine From egg registration system open farmer to DOH-Citrus’ preregis- tration system to sched- ule COVID-19 vaccine statehouse appointments for individu- als 65 and older and solon frontline health care work- MICHAEL D. ers is now available. BATES Individuals can now be Staff writer added to a waiting list for vaccine appointments The Wilton Simpson and be notified when ap- story probably started pointments are available when he was 6 years old in Citrus County by visit- — the year he was ing myvaccine.fl.gov or by adopted. calling 866-201-0442; He knew firsthand the TTY is 833-476-1036. trials and tribulations As part of the statewide foster kids go through. preregistration system, Later on, the Simpson each county has a desig- family even had foster nated number that individ- kids in their home. uals can call and That experience stuck pre-register with if they do with him and today he not have internet access. has made the streamlin- ing of foster care reform Citrus County’s designated a top priority and hopes number is 866-201-0442. to end the cycle of kids Vaccine supply remains bouncing from home to limited and appointments home. may not be available for Placing as many of the several weeks. state’s estimated 30,000- Woman wanted plus foster kids in quali- fied families is for running from imperative and will in- crash scene crease their opportuni- ties to become The Florida Highway productive members of Patrol is seeking an In- society, he said. verness woman’s arrest “We want to make sure for running from a rollover we’re giving children crash. who want to be adopted A warrant was issued every opportunity,” he Sunday for the apprehen- said. sion of 60-year-old Suel- His reputation as a len Marie Bonville in successful businessman connection to the Jan. 28 was also formed early collision at U.S. 41 and on in life. State Road 44, according When Simpson was a teenager, he’d come to the FHP. She faces a home from school and charge of leaving a crash work on his dad’s egg scene with property dam- farm in Trilby, a small, age and four felony rural community in east counts of hit-and-run. Pasco County. MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle Witnesses identified It was a routine he Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, speaks Friday in his Pasco County office about Senate Bonville as the driver of a kept up until graduation leadership and some of his main priorities while holding office. silver Chevy Silverado from East Pasco High his path toward politics who ran from the School. He became so wasn’t so surprising. 7:15 p.m. crash after her adept he was soon man- Simpson said he felt pickup truck collided with aging the chicken oper- Simpson weighs in on issues the tug early on, when he a black Dodge Ram truck ation at the compound was a boy of about 11 or and its five occupants off U.S. 98. MICHAEL D. It’s a way politicians long-term interests of 12. Simpson watched the from Homosassa, ages Business boomed and BATES go about keeping their his constituents, he news on television and the farm grew from Staff writer name out there and said. quickly became involved 33, 25, 12, 7 and 5. preparing for the next And right now, that According to the FHP, 64,000 birds in 1978 to in the issues. He fondly If he was a typical election, he said. constituent base is the remembers Ronald Rea- Bonville was turning left the current population of more than 1 million. politician, Wilton Simp- But Simpson, 54, is entire state of Florida. gan, the first president onto Highland Boulevard Simpson was born in son said he would be not a typical politician. Simpson, elected last he could vote for when from U.S. 41 when her Lakeland, moved to concerned about grab- Rather than have it all month president of the he turned 18 in 1984. truck struck the oncoming Plant City when he was bing a sound bite on about him or make Florida Senate, is a As he grew older and Dodge, which overturned 3 or 4 years old, and Fox News or getting a disparaging remarks quiet, unassuming egg assumed more respon- multiple times, requiring then to Trilby, where headline in the about others, it’s about sibility in the family two girls who were inside he’s been ever since. newspaper. what’s in the best See ISSUES/Page A2 farm business, he felt to be airlifted. Bonville In 1990, Simpson, who the need to champion tried to drive away but her already had experience the 250-acre property, elected to the state Sen- president, one of the small-business owners truck crashed into ditch in asbestos removal, which he has since sold. ate in 2012 and this year most powerful pres- who he said were before she ran away. opened an environmen- Back then, Simpson attain the position of ences in state politics. being crushed by — From staff reports tal cleanup company on had no idea he would be Florida senate But looking back, maybe See SIMPSON/Page A2 INDEX Classifieds . .C6 Comics . .C5 Crossword . .C10 Editorial. A10 Howard Arnold: County’s first ‘Officer Friendly’ Entertainment . A4 Horoscope . A4 NANCY KENNEDY great thing when he Howard Arnold died Lottery Numbers . .B3 Staff writer brought Howard to our Jan. 21. He was 85. Lottery Payouts . .B3 unit,” said James Mar- “For 40 years he worked Food . .C1 If you ever took a field tone, a former Citrus with children ... and he’ll trip to Washington, D.C., County Sheriff ’s Office never know how many lives Obituaries . A6 with the school safety pa- School Resource Officer he touched,” said Barbara TV Listings. .C4 trol program, you can (SRO) who took many sheriff ’s department’s as a seasoned veteran of Arnold, Howard’s wife of 67 thank Howard Arnold, trips to the nation’s capi- educational programs,” the elementary school years. “He truly loved chil- otherwise known as tal with Howard Arnold. Martone said. “He was the programs that he brought dren, and they knew it.” “Officer Friendly.” “You could call Howard original ‘Officer Friendly,’ to Citrus County from “Sheriff Dean did a the godfather of all the and he was instrumental Jacksonville in the 1980s.” See ARNOLD/Page A7 A2 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2021 STATE & LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE The Simpson family includes In his Trilby office, Simpson is are now, thanks to his atten- There’s been speculation he his wife, Kathy, and two children: surrounded by mementos: a dance at government and civic will seek the state agriculture SIMPSON Wilton Jr., 22, and Lauran, 30. He signed picture of country music groups. Or he could be spotted commissioner post, but he isn’t Continued from Page A1 has two grandchildren: Addy, 6, star Chely Wright, an auto- in King’s Bay doing one of his making any firm commitments and Emy, 3. He and his family live graphed football from former favorite activities: scalloping. now. overregulation that held them in a home nestled by some trees Florida State Seminoles coach He loves Citrus and once had “I will still serve in some ca- back from expanding. inside the farm compound. Bobby Bowden, Florida Gators a home in Homosassa. pacity with nonprofits and the Over the years, Simpson be- He employs about 65 people and Tampa Bay Buccaneers hel- Citrus County, he said, also community,” he said. came a presence in Pasco County at his farm. And when he’s not mets, a framed picture of him benefits because it has a dedi- Right now, he said he’s too by joining committees and advo- busy, he’s working on several and his football team at Pasco cated state representative in busy to think about that.