THE NEWSCASTER
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Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
Inglis, FL 34449
Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
A Publication of
Wednesday February 11, 2009
Permit No. 14
Newscaster Publishing
Sally Price Correspondent
Bank Robbery
Suspect in
Beverly Hills
Arrested
(Beverly Hills) A week ago Tuesday, the
Citrus County Sheriff’s Of-
fice was dispatched to a
bank robbery at the Bank of
America located at 3505 N.
Lecanto Highway.
The lone suspect
entered the bank, waited in
line, approached the next
available teller and slid a
note to her, demanding
cash. Although no weapon Kevin Townsley
was actually displayed, the
suspect kept his hand under his shirt during
his interaction with the teller. He left the build-
ing with an undisclosed amount of cash and
fled either on foot or in a vehicle.
The suspect has since been identi-
fied by associates as Kevin Townsley, 20, of
Beverly Hills. Surveillance video from the
bank presents a clear visual image of the
young man. Sometime after the robbery,
Townsley may have been driving a red, mid-
sized pickup truck.
Brrr...Temperatures were in the low 20s last week and The Reverend Marvin Eiland and wife Lillie created a winter wonderland this past week at their
Once on scene, sheriff’s deputies set
home on the corner of Elm St and Hwy 40 E by leaving the sprinkler on all night. Progress Energy Florida customers set a new peak-demand record Friday.
up a perimeter. The agency’s helicopter and
Customers used 10,276 megawatt-hours (MWh) between 7 and 8 a.m. Friday. That usage surpassed the prior hourly peak for the utility – 10,131 MWh,
K9 units also responded. A BOLO (be on the
set Jan. 24, 2003. Newscaster Photo
Citrus County Laying Off Utility
lookout) was issued, and a Code RED went
Inglis Traffic
out to citizens in the area to put them on alert.
There were nine employees (includ-
Employees, Revenue Down
ing auditors who were conducting a routine
Stop Ends
bank audit) present during the time of the rob-
bery, along with seven to eight customers.
The Citrus County Water Resources
sponsibly to the ratepayers if we did not. It
Continued on page 3 - Bank Robbery
Department laid off four employees on Feb. 6
has been a hard decision for us because ev-
With Driver's
Adopt A
because of the sharp decline in water and
ery one of these people was an excellent em-
sewer connection fees. The slump and then
ployee."
virtual shutdown of new housing has meant
Knight said it was painful because
Pet
Death
a steadily diminishing number of fees. The
of the human factor, but the lay-offs were
county’s Utility Division is an enterprise fund,
strictly a business decision. The move will be
Page 2
meaning it is supported by its own revenue
combined with some other actions to make
On February 5, 2009 Officer Letson
like the county Building Division. It depends
up for the shortfall in fees, he said. It will mean
with the Inglis Police Department and Deputy
on rates and hook-up fees for its revenue in-
that the county will be delayed in some capi-
Cothron with the Levy County Sheriff’s of-
stead of property taxes like some other county
tal projects such as line extensions, he said.
fice were parked at the NAPA auto parts store
services. Because of that, as fees have
Knight said that as far as he knew it was a
in Inglis on U.S. 19, conducting stationary
dwindled to almost nothing, County Admin-
first time -- at least in recent history -- that
radar speed checks. The Officers observed a
istrator Anthony Schembri and Water Re-
utility workers have had to be laid off. The
black Mazda car traveling north bound at a
sources Director Robert Knight said they had
county utilities division has grown in recent
high rate of speed and Officer Letson clocked
to take action to protect the county’s rate
years, acquiring a number of utility systems
the car on radar at 80 mph in a 45 mph speed
paying customers. Schembri said, “The move
and going from 6,000 customers in 2002 to
zone.
will save about $208,000 a year in salaries and
about 23,000 customers today. It had 51 em-
A traffic stop was conducted at 11:07
benefits. Letting people go because of a poor
ployees before the lay-off. The employees let
P.M. one mile north of the city limits of Inglis.
economy is the hardest thing a manager has
go are from the capital projects side of the
As soon as officers were getting out of there
to do. I regret that circumstances require us
department, not the operations side, Knight
patrol car they heard a loud gun shot from
to do this, but we would not be acting re-
Employees Laid Off - Continued on page 4
Continued on page 3 - Traffic Stop