THE NEWSCASTER
THE NEWSCASTER
PRESORTED
PLEASE
RECYCLE
STANDARD
US Postage
Paid
Deborah Russell - Editor
A Publication of
Wednesday February 8, 2017
Inglis, FL 34449
Tom Russell - Publisher
Newscaster Publishing
Permit No. 14
Sally Price - Historian
Please visit our website thenewscaster.com
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Community
Help Celebrate Women's
History Month at Citrus
Hills Country Club
On March 14th , the League of Women
Voter of Citrus County will be celebrat-
ing their fourth anniversary by honoring
Women s History Month at their annual
luncheon.It will be held in the Windsor
Room at the Grill at Citrus Hills Country
Club, 509 E. Hartford St., Hernando, Fl..
All interested men and women are invited
to attend.
There will be an Italian Buffet
with vegetarian options, along with gift
baskets raffles and Share the Wealth. Raf-
fle tickets for a fiber art original by Keith
Gum are being sold and will be drawn at
the luncheon.
The guest speaker will be So-
phia Diaz -Fonseca who is on the Board of
Directors for the Citrus County Commu-
nity Charitable Foundation and a former
New `Over 60 Ride Free' program - The Citrus County Transit, Transportation Disadvantaged Advisory Board adopted a new option for resi-
City of Inverness Councilwoman.
dents, age 60 and older, in January. The new program offers a discount on the Para Transit service to residents age 60 and older who obtain
a free pass to ride the Deviated Fixed Route. For the bus pass to be issued, residents are required to show proof of their age. This program
The tickets are $22.50, with res-
is not income based. For more information, call the Citrus County Transit office at 352-527-7630. Passes and applications are available at the
ervations no later than March 7 th.Please
Citrus County Transit Center, located at 1300 S. Lecanto Hwy., and also on the Citrus County Commission website, www.CitrusCountyTransit.com
Sinkhole on US Man charged in assault that left victim
send a check to LWVCC, P.O. Box 1903
, Lecanto, Fl., 34460-1903.Or call 352-
382-0032 for more information.Visit the
19 slows traffic to
in critical condition
league website ;www.lwvcitrus.org.
Career Expo and Open House at
a snail's pace
From the Citrus County Sheriff Dept.
rear of the home, by way of the garage door,
Withlacoochee Technical College
then attempted to go back inside when depu-
On Jan. 29, deputies with the Citrus
Acquire the Skills You Need for
ties confronted him. As Lira continued to re-
County Sheriff s Office responded to 1434
an Exciting Career in Less Than a Year!
sist deputies, they twice deployed a taser, in
N. Prospect Ave. Lecanto residence due to
From the Citrus County Sheriff Dept.
Anyone interested in attending WTC and
order to take him into custody.
an assault that had just occurred. Deputies
starting an exciting new career can meet
According to witnesses at 1434 N.
The Citrus County Sheriff s Office
found the victim, bloodied and unconscious,
the instructors, tour the program and
Prospect Ave., the victim came to the resi-
is alerting motorists to be careful and patient
lying near the road.
shop areas, ask questions on Thursday,
dence and knocked on the door. They said
due to traffic being backed up in Homosassa
Emergency medical services trans-
March 9th, 2017 from 1:00 pm to 3:00
that Mr. Lira answered the door, and walked
in the area surrounding U.S. Hwy. 19 (S.
ported the victim to a local hospital for
pm. Where: WTC, 1201 W. Main Street,
outside, screaming and cursing at the vic-
Suncoast Blvd.) and W. Grover Cleveland
medical treatment. Medical personnel de-
Inverness, FL. Enter WTC at the east-
tim. They said that Lira shoved the victim,
Blvd.
termined that the victim had suffered a frac-
ern entrance off of Montgomery Avenue
knocking him to the ground, then as the vic-
Most of the traffic is being diverted
tured skull. The victim, who was in critical
(across from the Suncoast ATM) For
tim got inside his vehicle and drove away,
around this intersection due to a 4 feet-deep
condition, was transported to a
more information, contact WTC at 726-
Lira struck the victim s vehicle with his
sinkhole in the center of the intersection, in
nearby trauma center and placed
2430 extension 4301.
hand, breaking the driver s side rear-view
the left (turning south) turn lane of W. Gro-
on life support.
mirror.
Easier Than eBay
ver Cleveland Blvd. The sink hole stretches
When deputies informed
A witness told deputies that the
from the stop bar in the left turn lane, about
people inside the residence to step
victim later returned to the residence, carry-
outside because the property and  Lira
20 feet into the intersection. A construction
You can now place classified ads at the Food
ing a metal baseball bat. The witness said he
company has been working to repair the
home was a crime scene, the sus-
Ranch Service Desk - 25 words/$12. New
told the victim to leave the property, and as
roadway.
pect of the assault, 36 year-old Paul J. Lira,
deadline: Monday 12 noon at the Inglis Food
he approached the victim, Lira ran past him
Meanwhile, the following roads
refused to come outside and made profane
Ranch service Desk. Cash or Check.
and charged the victim, who turned to run
have been closed: W. Grover Cleveland
comments to deputies. He went inside the
No refunds for early cancellations
home and soon attempted to flee from the
Continued on page 4 - Sink Hole
Continued on page 4 - Assault Charge