THE NEWSCASTER
THE NEWSCASTER
PRESORTED
PLEASE
RECYCLE
STANDARD
US Postage
Paid
Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
A Publication of
Wednesday February 27, 2013
Inglis, FL 34449
Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
Newscaster Publishing
Permit No. 14
Sally Price - Correspondent
visit our website: www.thenewscaster.com
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Squawk Box
Levy 911 ‘glitch’ worked
out ‘without a hitch’
From Levy County Sheriff Dept.
Most everyone knows that
emergency help is only a simple phone
call away, by dialing 911, the universal
number for help, but on Feb. 20, an un-
forseen glitch could have had dire conse-
quences had it not been for the foresight
of 911 Coordinator Mike West looking
into “what if” situations.
Levy County receives service
through the local phone carrier, AT&T,
which lost service on Feb. 20 - for un-
known reasons - in their Gainesville
facility which feeds the Levy County
PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point).
But Levy County’s 911 system had a
backup plan that worked like a charm,
thanks to a MOU (Memorandum of Un-
derstanding) in place with the neighbor-
ing Alachua County Sheriff s Office.
Levy County citizens who
needed help and called 911 between the
hours of 3:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. - the
time of the unprecedented glitch - were
not aware there was a problem with
phone service or that their calls had
been routed through the Alachua County
Winter low tides expose a lot of Canook Beach (Redneck Beach as many call, it), a favorite fishing and swimming hole of South Levy residents at
Sheriff s Office.
the end of Hwy 40 Yankeetown. The name Canook came from a large old boat that grounded there and eventually tides, weather and vandalism
According to West, “Alachua
took it’s toll on the old wooden boat. Remnants are left in the sand to the east of what is left of this vessel. The county has filled in the side
County operators were able to forward
of the road that was washed out. Chain Saw Charlie from the Keys carved a face on one of the two palms that stand alone on the beach and are
Levy County 911 calls to the appropriate
showing more roots and will eventually fall to the tides.
local operators, who immediately dis-
Homosassa Couple Facing Charges
Deputies
patched the necessary services. No calls
were missed, and Levy County did not
Related to Theft/Pawn Scam
experience any interruption of services.”
Apprehend Sexual
Levy County 911 Operators were sent
to Alachua County to assist Alachua
From Citrus County Sheriff Dept.
with stealing six items of jew-
Predator
County communications operators with
A husband and wife of 7385 S. Fi- elry from a home where she has
the call load increase. Meanwhile, Mr.
nale Pt., Homosassa, were charged with nu- worked on Saturdays since Oct.
From Citrus County Sheriff Dept.
West worked with AT&T on site in Levy
2012, caring for a woman who
merous crimes recently. According to their
Deputies apprehend-
County to correct the issue.
has a serious medical condition.
arrest reports, the wife stole items from two
ed Harold Monk, 42, a sexual
Shortly after 8:30 p.m., Levy
The victim’s husband provided
different people who employed her, and her
predator who absconded the
County’s 911 system was back online
Sullivan
detectives with an appraisal
husband pawned the items because his wife
day after Christmas after be-
and functioning properly.
of five of the six items report-
does not have an identification card.
ing released from prison.
ed as stolen, which had been
Sherry Ellen Sullivan-Conley, 40,
Monk was supposed to meet
Remembering
pawned on Jan. 19, 20, 26 and
was charged in two cases with four counts
his probation officer on Dec.
Monk
27 and Feb. 9 and 10, 2013 at
of grand theft ($300 or more, but less than
26 at a bus station in Crystal
ABC Pawn Shop, Homosassa
$5,000) with her bond set at $20,000, and
the 1993
River, but never showed. At that time, the
Sullivan-Conley
for $1,169.
her husband, Christopher Scott Sullivan,
CCSO put out a BOLO and released details
When the detective and victim’s
40, was charged in the same two cases with
asking for the public’s help in locating him.
"No Name Storm"
husband went to the pawn shop, two pieces
seven counts of trafficking or endeavoring to
They received information shortly after that
were damaged and a ring was missing. An
traffic in stolen property, with his bond set
Monk had left the county. This week, how-
arrest report stated that the pawn shop and
at $35,000.
pgs. 4, 11
ever, detectives received intelligence that
victim’s husband agreed to reduce the price
The couple was arrested on the first
Monk was still in Crystal River. Last week
for the two damaged pieces to a second-
case on Feb. 19. Mrs. Sullivan is a CNA
he was located in the woods near Turkey
(Certified Nursing Assistant) and is charged
Continued on page 3 - Theft/Pawn
Continued on page 8 - Absconder