THE NEWSCASTER
THE NEWSCASTER
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Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
Inglis, FL 34449
Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
A Publication of
Wednesday February 9, 2011
Sally Price - Correspondent
Permit No. 14
Newscaster Publishing
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
.
Squawk Box
C
Unemployment rate for Citrus,
Levy, Marion dips below 14%
From CLM Workforce
January's release of unemploy-
ment data for Citrus, Levy and Marion
counties from the Florida Agency for
(AWI) indicated joblessness dropped un-
der 14 percent in the Workforce Connec-
tion three-county region for December
2010.
Workforce Connection’s region
posted a 13.6 percent unemployment rate,
down 0.7 percent since November and
down 0.5 percent over the year.
Rusty Skinner, chief executive
office for Workforce Connection, said that
the region experienced a mixed-bag of in-
dicators.
“We’re up and down, up and
down … We’re not fostering the type of
job growth need to begin to pull us out or
continue a trend to reduce the numbers of
unemployed.”
Skinner noted that the “one bright
spot is that our overall unemployment is
better than we were a year ago.”
Marion County’s unemployment
rate for December is 14 percent, a drop of
0.7 percent since November and 0.4 per-
cent lower than December 2009. However,
the Ocala MSA now has the second-high-
Emergency Services from Citrus and Levy County responded to a car/motorcycle wreck between the Withlacoochee River and the Barge Canal
est unemployment rate in the state, though
Saturday where Hwy 19 narrows from four lanes into two lanes and the new bridge is being constructed. Many wrecks have occurred in this
well behind Palm Coast with 15.7 percent.
area over the years and hopefully the four lane highway and new bridge will end this. Newscaster Photo
The Ocala MSA also tied with Jackson-
Motorcyclists seriously injured
ville with the third highest number of job
Robber Hits
losses, losing 1,500 jobs over the year.
in Inglis car/cycle crash
According to Becky Rust, AWI’s
RaceTrac
head of Labor Market Statistics, the metro
areas with the highest unemployment rates
are due to “continued weakness in con-
overturn and eject both Nelson and Green-
From Florida Hwy Patrol
Convenience
struction.” Rust said Ocala also experienc-
wall.
A car/motorcycle crash in Inglis
es long-term declines in the finance sector.
The report stated that Hagmann
at 1:10 Sunday afternoon, Feb. 6, resulted
Statewide, Rust noted that bar-
Store
was charged with failing to yield right-of-
in in minor injuries to the driver of the car
riers to jobs recovery continue to include
way, and she was wearing a seatbelt, but
and serious injuries to the two motorcyclists.
such factors tight credit conditions and
neither Nelson or Greenwell were wearing
According to the Florida Highway Patrol,
frugal consumer spending, business cost-
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office
helmets, and no alcohol was involved in the
Joan Hagmann, 68, Eaton, N.Y. was driving
cutting and weak demand, less worker mo-
(CCSO) is seeking information regarding
crash.
a 2000 Dodge Intrepid, traveling south on
bility due to the poor housing market and
an armed robbery that took place in Crystal
Emergency Medical Services from
U.S. Hwy. 19, approaching W. Foss Grove
higher worker productivity due to technol-
River, just before 3:25 a.m. on Friday, Feb.
Citrus and Levy counties responded to the
Path, while Paul Nelson, 60, Crystal River,
ogy.
4, at the RaceTrac gas station located at 1001
scene. Hagmann received minor injuries, but
was driving a 1989 Harley Davidson motor-
Rust also said that longer spells
N.E. 5th St. and Hwy. 44.
Nelson and Greenwell received serious inju-
cycle, traveling north on U.S. Hwy. 19 with
of unemployment make reemployment
The two female clerks told deputies
ries and were transported to Shands Hospital
his passenger Donna Greenwell, 59, also of
more difficult, adding a new phenomena of
that a lone white male had entered the store,
at the University of Florida Medical Center
Crystal River.
employers advertising jobs open to those
wielding a firearm and demanding cash.
in Gainesville. Nelson was transported out,
The report stated that Hagmann
who are already employed.
They handed him an undetermined amount
first, by Shand’s helicopter, and about twen-
failed to notice the motorcycle approach and
Out of a regional labor force of
of money, then the man fled from the store,
ty minutes later, a helicopter from Bayflite
attempted to make a left (east) turn onto W.
204,744 – which is 1,332 fewer than No-
possibly heading west. No shots were fired,
landed in the field by Food Ranch and trans-
Foss Grove Path, directly in the path of the
vember – there were 27,909 without jobs
and neither of the clerks was injured. The
ported Greenwell.
motorcycle. The motorcycle struck the right
Continued on page 3 - Squawk Box
side of the car, causing the motorcycle to
Continued on page 4 -Robbery
ontinued on page 3 -Motorcycle Crash