Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Afghanistan: Taliban celebrates victory as US leaves /A12 TUESDAY TODAY C I T R U S C O U N T Y & next morning HIGH 90 Partly sunny, a LOW few showers and thunderstorms. 73 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com AUGUST 31, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 332 NEWS BRIEFS Teens’ shooting trial begins Citrus schools to keep optional Three accused of firing bullet which killed 59-year-old Homosassa woman masking rules BUSTER “Take your time, sir,” of Nov. 21, 2018, 58-year- manslaughter and unlaw- alone, and not a jury, will On Aug. 27, a judge THOMPSON Citrus County Circuit old Ryder was fatally shot fully shooting firearms in render a verdict, which ruled in favor of the group Staff writer Judge Richard “Ric” outside her house on the connection to firing the the judge is expected to of Florida parents who al- Howard told him. “We’re 6100 block of West Way- stray bullet that caused deliver Wednesday. leged Governor Ron De- John Ryder was de- in no rush.” ward Wind Loop in Ryder’s death. If Howard convicts Santis’ order banning scribing his wife of “She was kind- Homosassa. Their shared trial them, the teens could be mask mandates is 39 years to a prosecutor hearted,” John Ryder con- Zoey Ellan Andersen, began Monday, Aug. 30. sentenced to either pro- unconstitutional. when his emotions tinued about Sandra Jason Byron Simms Jr. Assistant state attor- bation or incarceration in “We are aware of Leon brought him to tears on Ryder, “and would do any- and Joseph Shane Finn neys Blake Shore and a youth-detention facility. County Circuit Judge John the courtroom witness thing for anybody.” were charged in April Kevin Davis presented C. Cooper’s ruling,” Citrus stand. In the early afternoon 2019 as juveniles with their case to Howard, who See TRIAL/Page A2 County School District spokeswoman Lindsay Blair said. “The Governor’s executive order still re- mains in effect until the final order is submitted.” While Citrus County Sumter singer set for solo debut opted out of a mask man- date for the 2021-22 school year, at least 10 Sam Moran Florida school districts voted to defy DeSantis’ has a lifetime order. “At this time, masks will remain optional for stu- of stories dents and staff,” Blair MARTIN STEELE said. “We will continue to For the Chronicle have masks readily avail- able on all school cam- BUSHNELL puses and school buses.” am Moran has a lot Blair said masks are to sing about. From not an actionable item on Shis stories and the Sept. 7 school board music, it’s apparent he’s meeting agenda and no experienced much, and votes can be cast to do created many bonds in anything at this time. his 64-year life. Now he’s followed a dream right Between Aug. 10 and into the recording studio Aug. 27, the Citrus for his first solo album — County School District “Lines on His Face.” has recorded 663 positive Like many contempo- COVID-19 cases among rary musicians, he also staff and students. wanted his own music For the most up-to-date video, which late last statistics and a school-by- month, brought a full school breakdown, visit the crew from Crazy Horse COVID-19 Dashboard at Productions in Lakeland citrusschools.org. to Tarrytown and Webster. DOH sets new The crew was “wrap- vaccination ping up” work on the video and Moran expects schedule to realease it about Due to an increase in mid-September on a new demand, the Florida De- website and YouTube. He partment of Health in Cit- finished up studio record- rus County’s (DOH-Citrus) ing in early July and was expecting to get CDs ear- COVID-19 vaccination site lier this month. He also at the Lecanto Health De- plans for its release on partment is relocating the major music stream- Wednesday, Sept. 1, to ing services. UF/IFAS Extension Citrus The 11-song album is County, 3650 W. Sover- all Moran originals, ex- eign Path in Lecanto. cept for one song, he said. First and second doses The exception is “Driver,” of Moderna (18+) and written by his nephew Pfizer (12+ with parental and performed by Moran consent) vaccines are of- with a “special guest” — fered at no cost by ap- his brother. pointment or walk-in on the Sam Moran is a perfor- following days and times mance name. Locally, he’s Sam Medigovich, a man throughout September: who’s plied his hand at 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednes- an assortment of jobs days, Sept. 1 to 29; 8 a.m. over decades, all the to 5 p.m. Mondays and Fri- while honing his music days, Sept. 3 to 27; and skills. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, He took on a number of Sept. 11 and 25. personas for the video – a Additional doses of rural mail carrier, a tow Moderna and Pfizer vac- MARTIN STEELE/For the Chronicle truck operator, a grocery Singer Sam Moran is driving the Pro Car Towing & Repair truck in this scene being set up by Matt Sparks, front, cines are also available to store janitor and and Jered Allen, back, of the Crazy Horse Productions video crew. “Stimulus Check,” the video, is coming with moderately to severely the release of Moran’s first solo album “Lines on His Face.” See SINGER/Page A7 immunocompromised in- dividuals who fall under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s current recommendation. Individuals should talk to their health care provider Local COVID vaccinations Hurricane Ida about their medical condi- tion, and whether getting an additional dose is ap- propriate for them. rise, but so do infections slams Louisiana To make an appoint- ment, visit bitly.com/citrus FRED HIERS for protection before peo- While the number of Power grid fails, thousands covidvax. Appointments Staff writer ple are exposed. people testing positive for will be made available no There were 1,096 new the virus is on the rise, the more than two weeks in Citrus County’s vaccina- COVID-19 cases in Citrus percent of people testing trapped by floodwaters advance. Individuals must tion rate against the coro- County between Aug. 20 positive is on the decline, REBECCA rushed in, after the furi- bring their COVID-19 Vac- navirus, the virus behind and Aug. 26, according to suggesting that more peo- the deadliest pandemic on the Florida Department ple want to be tested as SANTANA AND ous storm swamped the cination Record Card and U.S. soil, continues to rise of Health. That was the they learn about infection JAY REEVES Louisiana coast and rav- a signed Screening and as more people head to highest number of new numbers being on the rise. Associated Press aged the electrical grid Consent Form, available vaccination centers amid cases for at least the past The percent of people in the stifling, late-sum- on the DOH-Citrus growing fears of the virus few months, according to who are tested and were NEW ORLEANS — mer heat. website. and its mutations. FDOH data. There were positive was about 23% Rescuers in boats, heli- Residents living amid For information about But while the vaccina- as few as 158 new cases between Aug. 20 and copters and high-water the maze of rivers and DOH-Citrus, visit www. tion rate rose in Citrus back between July 9 and Aug. 26. That was down trucks brought hundreds bayous along the state’s CitrusCountyHealth.org County to 57%, the num- July 15. from a high of 27% from of people trapped by Gulf Coast retreated or follow us on Twitter at ber of people getting in- But it also continues to the first half of this month. Hurricane Ida’s flood- desperately to their @FLHealthCitrus. fected is also climbing in be a mixed bag for the waters to safety Monday — From staff reports what appears to be a race county. See COVID/Page A5 and utility repair crews See IDA/Page A5 Classifieds . .B7 Crossword . .B10 INDEX Lottery Numbers . .B3 Obituaries . A6 Comics . .B6 Editorial. A11 Lottery Payouts . .B3 TV Listings. .B5 Horoscope . A4 Entertainment . A4 Movies . .B6 A2 TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2021 LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE their unattached garage. CCSO Sgt. Brian Afterward, while the Casalvieri testified to find- TRIAL couple was heading back ing 13 brass shell casings Continued from Page A1 to the porch, John Ryder and at least one spent asked his wife to wait so shotgun shell in the area, Andersen and Finn ap- he could close the garage along a trail leading into peared at their trial door. Gunshots were still the field to the north of the in-person alongside their ringing out, he testified. Ryder home. Proudly respective attorneys, John Ryder said the last Casalvieri said the am- Serving Charlie Vaughn and Assis- vision of his wife alive was munition matched with tant Public Defender Ed her looking at him as he the ammo brands found in Citrus County Spaight. Simms showed turned to go and shut the Andersen’s home. up via Zoom. His lawyer, garage door. When John Casalvieri said the Med- Bill Grant, told Howard Ryder turned back around, ical Examiner’s Office and his client had he found Ryder deputies were unable to been quarantined lying facedown on recover a projectile from due to COVID-19. the ground with either Ryder’s body or the Davis said in blood coming scene of her death.