Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 NFL: Brady-led Bucs get first playoff win since 2002 / B1 MONDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 70 Increasing high LOW clouds, light winds. 51 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com JANUARY 11, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community 50¢ VOL. 126 ISSUE 95 BRIEFLY COVID-19 LOOKING AHEAD: Narrowing learning gaps UPDATE According to the Florida Department Citrus County School District tracks down struggling online students to help of Health, 64 positive cases were reported BUSTER THOMPSON where pandemic learn- students underperform- Hebert said 973 students want in Citrus County Staff writer ing gaps have a better ing in core subjects, He- to keep learning online, requir- since the latest up- chance of narrowing. bert said, 1,600 students ing their parents or caregivers to date. Four new As the Citrus County School “That’s what the have yet to reply. submit an education plan to the District enters another semester schools have been work- Hebert said if schools district, proving they will part- deaths were reported amid COVID-19, its school ad- ing through,” Dr. Scott still don’t get a response, ner with teachers to act as their for a total of 289. ministrators continue to track Hebert, the school dis- social workers will visit children’s learning coach. To date in the down and help out their online trict’s chief academic of- student homes As of Monday, according to the county, 7,553 people students who have poor grades. ficer, told the Chronicle Scott in-person. school district, 2,737 students have tested positive It’s been a priority for local ed- Editorial Board on Hebert “We have to know were enrolled in Citrus Virtual, (including 50 non- ucation officials to contact strug- Wednesday. chief academic what their decision is,” which had close to 4,000 students residents). gling pupils enrolled in the Since the district began officer. Hebert said, noting the at its peak enrollment during the Five new hospital- district’s Citrus Virtual class- in mid-December reach- fall semester ends fall. izations were re- rooms to try and get them back ing out via phone, email and Jan. 15 before spring semester ported for a total of into brick-and-mortar schools, mail to families of Citrus Virtual starts Jan. 19. See GAPS/Page A7 546 hospitalized. Totals reflect prelim- inary reports received by the state, and are subject to revision. Businesses hit Ocala by COVID costs can get help Frightened into man Local businesses starting today, Jan. 11, can apply for two differ- pitches ent grants to help them financially due to COVID-19 expenses. realizing a dream The Personal Pro- $220 tective Equipment (PPE) micro grant will have a minimum Near-death experience leads area woman to open boutique million award of $250 up to a maximum $2,500. It MICHAEL D. BATES will pay up to Staff writer $2,500 for business’s ‘ranch’ PPE expenses in- Inverness resident and business curred between owner Regan Elson almost died MIKE WRIGHT March 1 and Dec. 15, last March from sepsis. Staff writer 2020. The life-threatening disease The Small Business caused infection to build up and Mitchell Coulton has Retrofit/Adaption grant Elson, 22, endured some painful big dreams to help the will have a maximum moments that caused her to be hos- millions of American award of $10,000 per pitalized for five days. women military veterans business. This is to pay But it was that experience that who are in need of mental- solidified Elson’s longtime desire for business’s adapta- health counseling to open a boutique. Life, she said, is services. tion and modification too short and she called that har- COVID-related More than just counsel- rowing time “an eye-opener.” ing, through. His plans in- expenses. “Having my own store has always clude housing, Both grants will be been a dream,” Elson said. “After I transitional training, day- offered through the got sick, I did everything I could to care for children, organic county on a reimburse- make it come true. I feared I might farming and a PTSD ment basis and will re- die and that accelerated my dream equestrian program. quire the business to open a boutique.” Coulton, an accountant owner to submit an ap- On Dec. 5, Elson opened Twisted who owns a barber shop plication online through Moon Boutique at 105 S. Osceola in Marion SurveyMonkey. Ave. in downtown Inverness. She County Visit www.Citrus rents an upstairs room at the Tan- with his BOCC.com. Applications gles Hair Salon and Day Spa, a wife, is will be accepted until downtown Inverness fixture for the un- some 22 years. funds are exhausted. paid ex- Elson has known the salon owner, ecutive — From staff reports Stacey McKinney, for quite some director time and she and her mom and of Women grandmother have gotten their hair Holly ONLINE POLL: Davis Veterans done there for a long time. in Crisis, “Grandmother mentioned to Citrus County What do commissioner. a non- McKinney that her daughter was profit you think? looking for space to open her bou- that has tried to raise tique and one thing led to another,” awareness for what Coul- Opioid overdose deaths Elson said. ton proposes as the increased sharply in The partnership works. While $220 million Whispering Citrus County during salon clients are waiting for their Oaks Ranch, which as of the COVID-19 hair appointment, McKinney and now exists only on paper pandemic. How can our her staff invite them to walk up- despite photos on the local community best stairs and check out Elson’s group’s website of horses, handle the opioid crisis? boutique. cabins and administra- A. More arrests. People McKinney said she was im- tion building. who use drugs need to pressed right from the start with Commissioner Holly Elson’s enthusiasm, especially MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle be in jail. Davis, who met Coulton being so young. Regan Elson, 22, has owned Twisted Moon Boutique for several months. B. Decriminalize drugs Following a medical crisis, she said she was motivated to start her own through a mutual friend and set up a well- See DREAM/Page A7 business, something she has wanted to do since the age of 16. See RANCH/Page A5 connected social web of rehabilitation. C. Build an opioid treatment center that will be the hub of dealing with drugs in the county. Preparing county’s children for the future D. We need direction and guidance at a national level. Local State Chamber of Commerce leader talks Citrus poverty stats, reading levels strategies are not cutting the mustard. MICHAEL D. BATES northeastern section Commerce luncheon Fri- U.S. census. E. Don’t do anything. Staff writer near Hernando. day, Wilson drew atten- “What do you want Citrus to be This is a problem that Statewide, more than tion to the Florida in 10 years?” he asked the can’t be solved. There are 5,484 children 870,000 children live in Chamber Foundation’s 100 members present at the To vote, visit www. younger than the age of 18 living poverty, defined by the Prosperity Initiative and luncheon. chronicleonline.com. in poverty in Citrus County, ac- state as a family of four asked chamber members If those population hike projec- cording to 2019 U.S. Census data. making $26,200 or less present to take steps tions hold, it means Citrus County Scroll down the home And of those children, the ma- per year. now and prepare for the will have to create 5,000 new jobs page and look for the jority (56.9% or 741 of them) live Mark Wilson, Mark influx of another by 2030, Wilson said. poll box in the right- in the ZIP code 34428 in north- president/CEO of the Wilson 12,000 or 30,000 people And that will be difficult if hand column. western Citrus. Florida Chamber, said president/CEO, moving to Citrus County such poverty is allowed to Results will appear Conversely, of all 13 county his organization is doing Fla. Chamber in the next decade. worsen and reading scores of next Monday. Find last ZIP codes, the one with the least something about it. As of Commerce There are 149,657 peo- third-graders are not improved. week’s online poll number of children (7.5% or 119) guest speaker at the Cit- ple who currently live in results./Page A3 living in poverty is 34442, in the rus County Chamber of this county, according to the See FUTURE/Page A7 Classifieds ............... B8 Crossword .............. B10 INDEX Horoscope ................A4 Movies ..................... B7 Comics .................... B7 Editorial ....................A6 Lottery Numbers ...... B3 TV Listings ............... B6 Extra Puzzles . .B5 Entertainment ...........A4 Lottery Payouts ........ B3 A2 MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2021 CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE Se Habla Español INVERNESS HOMOSASSA 2036 Hwy 44 West 5699 S. Suncoast Blvd. (352) 726-1916 (352) 621-8000 HOURS: Mon. - Fri. 9am - 4:30pm Sat. by Appt. www.floridahearing.com 000YY6J Page A3 - MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2021 STATE &CITRUS L COUNTYOCAL CHRONICLE Around the COUNTY Waterfront issues under consideration Live workshops Crystal River Council to vote on finalizing paddlecraft operations, launch fees resume via Zoom OCALA – CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion will re- BUSTER THOMPSON overcrowding at Hunter Springs wristbands as proof of a city-paid map after a boat repair and main- Staff writer Park and obtain more city reve- launch. tenance business requested the sume live employability nue from businesses profiting for Roughly $101,000 of the funding zones didn’t encompass its work- workshops beginning Mon- Kings Bay Park and the com- free from a public park.