THE NEWSCASTER
THE NEWSCASTER
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Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
A Publication of
Wednesday October 30, 2013
Inglis, FL 34449
Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
Newscaster Publishing
Permit No. 14
Sally Price - Correspondent
Please visit our website: thenewscaster.com
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Community Events
Mark your calendars. On Friday,
Nov 1st Operation Welcome Home will
be honoring United States Marine Corps
LCpl Dan Beatty back from Afghanistan.
He served with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Ma-
rines He graduated from Crystal River
High School.
The ceremony will be held at
American Legion Post 155 on Highway
44 near Crystal River. Dinner (Meat Loaf)
will be served at 5pm and we will begin
the ceremony at 6pm.
Community can help Park collect Gifts
from Home to send to troops --
Homosassa Springs Wildlife
State Park will offer free park admission
for everyone on Veterans Day November
11, 2013 in honor of veterans.
In addition, the Park and the
Friends of Homosassa Springs Wildlife
Park are organizing a special commu-
nity service project for the soldiers in
Afghanistan. Area residents and visitors
are encouraged to make a difference in a
soldier’s life by donating items to Gifts
from Home to be boxed for Christmas
delivery to soldiers serving in Afghani-
stan. These items can be brought to the
Park office on or before Veterans Day.
For more information, please call Jo and
A three vehicle crash just south of the barge canal in a wrong way crash killed one man last Wednesday. One driver received minor injuries and
Dennis LeCount at (352) 503-7795 or the
was transported to Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center in Crystal River for treatment. One driver was transported to Shand’s Hospital at the
Park office at (352) 628-5445, ext. 1002
University of Florida in Gainesville where he died on Octtober 26 from injuries sustained in the crash. See full story below.
Citrus County Port Authority meeting
SWAT Team Makes Arrests on
Man Dies in
set for October 30
The Citrus County Port Author-
Two for Selling Oxycodone
ity will meet Wednesday, October 30 in
Three Vehicle
the board chambers, Room 100, of the
Citrus County Courthouse in Inverness at
From Citrus County Sheriff Dept.
9:30 a.m.
sentence from 1993 until 2004 for robbery.
Crash on US-19
The following items are on the
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Of-
Gates was subsequently charged with pos-
agenda for this meeting:
fice s Tactical Impact Unit wrapped up a six-
session of a firearm by a convicted felon.
·
Conclusion of Port Citrus Feasibility
From Florida Hwy Patrol
months-long investigation into the posses-
ìLarry Gates was actively sell-
Study by Rick Ferrin of TranSystems
sion and sale of prescription drugs on Oct.
ing pharmaceutical narcotics on a daily
A three-vehicle crash in Citrus
·
Discussion of Memorandum of Un-
24. Larry Donnell Gates, 49, 1217 Parkside
basis,î said Tactical Impact Unit Detective
County just south of the barge canal on Oct.
derstanding with the Port of Tampa
Ave., Inverness and Jodi LeAnn Alexander,
Aidan Marshall. “Our unit made it a prior-
23 resulted in the death of one of the drivers.
·
Election of Chairman of the Citrus
23, 3498 E. Kennedy St., Inverness, were ar-
ity to investigate this individual for selling
According to the Florida HIgh-
County Port Authority
rested on outstanding warrants for the sale
these highly addictive narcotics. The seizure
way Patrol, the crash occurred at 5:50 p.m.
·
Election of Vice Chairman of the
and possession of oxycodone.
of firearms from this convicted felon also
in Crystal River, on U.S. Hwy. 19 at River
Citrus County Port Authority
According to detectives, Gates ob-
makes our community a safer place to live.î
Road.
tained pills to sell by “sponsoring” people
Gates’ bond for all charges was
Ernest E. Rinas, 58, of Willis-
Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday,
to visit doctors, although he did not have a
$60,000, while Alexander’s was $25,000.
ton, was driving a 2002 Chevy, traveling
Nov. 4, at 2:00 a.m. Set your clocks back
valid prescription for any of the controlled
on Hwy. 19, just south of the Levy County
one hour - FALL BACK
pharmaceutical substances he sold. Gates
line. For an unknown reason, he was driv-
would pay for peoples’ visits with doctors
ing south in the northbound, inside lane.
and also to fill their prescriptions, then he
Douglas Steponaitis, 44, of Seffner, FL was
would sell the pills to other drug users.
driving a 2000 Ford pickup truck, traveling
After the sheriff s office SWAT
north on Hwy. 19, in the inside lane, ap-
team executed the search warrant, detectives
proaching Rinas’ Chevy. Hobart P. Bryant,
found Gates to be in possession of three
19, of Largo, FL was driving a 2003 Nissan
hunting rifles, along with numerous rounds
SUV, also traveling north on Hwy. 19 in the
of ammunition. Gates is a convicted felon
outside lane, just behind Stephonaitis’ truck.
from Georgia who served a lengthy prison
Three rifles seized in drug arrests
Continued on page 12 - Fatal Crash