THE NEWSCASTER
THE NEWSCASTER
PRESORTED
STANDARD
PLEASE
RECYCLE
US Postage
Paid
Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
Yankeetown, FL
Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
A Publication of
Wednesday April 9, 2008
Permit No. 4
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Newscaster Publishing
Sally Price Correspondent
Squawk Box
With Doug Johnston
Coping with an empty
nest: Part 2
An event that is greatly an-
ticipated by children and cau-
tiously looked forward to by
parents is the child's sixteenth
birthday. We associate sixteen
years of age with the privilege
of driving a car. That's when a parent's hair
really begins to fall out.
It is helpful to be able to hand the keys to
the family car over to one of your teenagers
and tell them to go to the store and pick up a
loaf of bread or pick up something at the post
office. But every time that teenager leaves the
house in your car you can depend on hearing
police car and emergency vehicle sirens from
every angle as soon as your child drives off.
It never fails. Any wrecks, fires or medical
emergencies that will occur in your commu-
nity will happen five minutes after your child
pulls out of your driveway.
The thought of turning your teenager, who
can barely walk without bumping into every
A massive disaster mock drill was held at the Withlachoochee Technical Institute last week which included emergency and support personnel
wall and piece of furniture in your house, loose
from every discipline. The drill included emergency relief activities such as the one shown here, members of the Citrus County Health
on an unknowing society with a 2-ton pack-
Department handing emergency supplies to volunteer disaster victims. These drills increase the ability of local first line responders to deliver
age of steel and metal on wheels that can
assistance during major disaster events. Photo by Mike Moore
travel 90 miles-per-hour is enough to give most
King Road
Inverness Woman Faces Homicide
people nightmares.
When the children finally leave the nest
for good you would think the anxiety you feel
Mine Special      Charge in Death of Dunnellon Woman
when you hear sirens would subside: It
doesn't. I still find myself trying to figure out
Kimberly A. Wooten, 34, 1466 E. Monopoly Loop, Inverness, made
the probable location of each of my children
arrangements to turn herself in at the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, at
Exception
when I hear sirens. None of my children live
12:00 a.m., March 31 on an arrest warrrant issued by the Citrus County
in Dunnellon now, but they are all within 45
State Attorney's Office. She met with FHP Officer Clarence Williams
minutes away or less and two of them some-
and was placed under arrest on charges of driving under the influence
Application
times pass through Dunnellon because of
with manslaughter, vehicular homicide and driving under the influ-
their jobs so there is always that nagging
ence with personal injury. Her bond was set at $56,000, and she was
question in the back of my mind of whether or
released later that morning.
on Hold
not one of my children is the reason those
The charges stemmed from a car crash that occurred around 3:20
sirens are blaring.
a.m., Sept. 16, 2007. The accident took the life of 20-year-old Tiffany
Continued on page 3 - Squawk Box
At the December 2007 meeting of the
Victoria Powell of Dunnellon who was a passenger in a 1994 Ford van
Kimberly Wooten
Levy County Planning Commission the Plan-
Inglis Police Chief
driven by her mother, 42-year-old Patricia H. Powell, who was on her
ning Commission considered the a special ex-
newspaper distribution route for the Ocala Star-Banner. The Powells were driving south on N.
ception application that was filed with the
Croft Ave., about two miles southwest of Hernando, when hit from behind by Wooten, who
Returns to the Job
County in late October for a mining operation
was driving alone in a 2003 Mitsubishi in the same direction as Mrs. Powell's van, but travel-
on King Road north of Inglis. The application
ing much faster, the report stated. The impact caused Mrs. Powell's van to roll over and strike
see page 8
was tabled and Tarmac America, LLC was re-
a tree, ejecting Tiffany Powell, who was sitting in the right front passenger seat. Wooten and
quested to supplement its application with
Powell were both treated for minor injuries. The accident investigation was delayed due to
further research data. According to Tarmac
Inglis Mayor
pending blood toxicology results.
Attorney Jacob Varn on or about February 1,
Of the charges, Wooten can only be convicted of DUI manslaughter or vehicular
2008, Tarmac provided the additional infor-
Resigns, Changes
homicide, not both. The burden of proof is different with each charge, and one of the charges
mation, to the County in response to the Plan-
can be dropped. Her maximum sentence could be 16 years.
ning Commission's request.
Her Mind,  see page 10
Wooten is the estranged wife of former Citrus County Commissioner, Josh Wooten,
Varn stated in a March 31st letter to
who served from 2000-2004, when he lost his bid for re-election.
Continued on page 8 - Application on Hold