THE NEWSCASTER
THE NEWSCASTER
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RECYCLE
STANDARD
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Paid
Deborah Russell - Editor
A Publication of
Wednesday March 18, 2015
Inglis, FL 34449
Tom Russell - Publisher
Newscaster Publishing
Permit No. 14
Sally Price - Correspondent
Please visit our website: thenewscaster.com
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Squawk Box
A Look at Low Income
Housing In Citrus County
What is your Housing Wage? Is
it sufficient to allow you to rent a decent
two-bedroom apartment in Citrus County?
In Citrus county the Fair Market
Rent (FMR) for a two-bedroom apartment
is $747 per month. In order to afford this
level of rent, and utilities, a household
must earn $2,490 per month ($29,880 per
year), if it is to avoid paying more than the
recommended 30% of its income on hous-
ing. This amounts to a Housing Wage of
$14.37 per hour, and is based upon work-
ing a 40-hour week, for 52 weeks per year.
In Citrus County, the estimated
mean (average) for a renter is $10.81 per
hour, considerably less than the $14.37
hourly wage required to rent a two-bed-
room apartment, while not exceeding the
30 percent maximum percentage of in-
come dedicated to housing.
The Florida minimum wage is
$7.93 per hour.
This means Citrus County work-
ers who earn an average wage of $10.81
The 4th Annual Air Commando Ruck March is under way and passed through Inglis Monday on their run from Tampa to Hulbert Field, 35 miles
per hour, or below, cannot afford to rent
east of Pensacola. Sixteen Air Commandos are marching 450 miles to benefit the Special Ops Warrior Foundation and the Air Commando As-
decent, safe, and affordable housing. This
sociation. The ACA s devoted to "preserving and spreading our Air Commando heritage. We provide support to past, present and future special
seriously affects single-parent families
operations Airmen and their families." Above left is Staff Sgt. Arturo Venegas, right is Staff Sgt. Shane Rodriquez, Continued on pg. 4.
where there is only one wage-earner. Of-
Alleged cancer victim charged
Police Chief,
ten, when there are two wage-earners in
a household, rent becomes impossible to
maintain when one earner loses his/her
Town of Inglis
with organized fraud
job.
Section 8 rental assistance ad-
Named in Lawsuit
ministered by Citrus County Housing
specifically asking for cash. She received
From The Citrus County Sheriff Dept.
Services, headed by Heidi Blanchette,
"hundreds of dollars," according to the
A local woman recently found her-
who with her nine-member staff, makes it
CCSO, in cash donations from family and
Former Inglis resident and Inglis Plan-
self on the wrong side of the law when she
possible for qualified average and below-
friends, to pay her alleged medical bills.
ning commission member Michael Pe-
was unable to prove she had cancer - as she
average wage-earners to rent, or remain in,
Loved ones reached out to the com-
ters has filed suit in U.S. District Court at
had claimed - in what the Citrus County
a decent housing. This is accomplished by
munity, asking help in paying Johanneson s
Gainesville March 8, 2015, naming former
Sheriff s Office has deemed "an unusual
rental supplements provided by Housing
medical bills. They set up a donation area
police chief Steve Dixon and the town for
case of lies and deceit" involving Kelly Jo-
and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8
for her on on the website, "GoFundMe.
violation of his civil rights. Peters alleges
hanneson, 36, of 1795 N. Cloverdale Ter.,
Housing Choice Vouchers. Currently they
com,"called "KellysHope." Empathizers
that his civil rights under the fourth and
Hernando.
are not accepting applications for this pro-
rallied, and she received at least $4,400 from
fourteenth amendment were violated when
In September of 2014, detectives
gram which is serving over 230 families at
the "KellysHope" website, alone. Various
he was arrested in 2011. The suit also alleges
with the Major Crimes Division became in-
present.
community fundraisers were held, accord-
that Peters first amendment rights were vio-
volved in this case that began in late 2013,
It is important to note that these
ing to the sheriff s office, including one by
lated following the publishing of a political
when Johanneson disappeared for about
the Citrus County Airboat Alliance, which
Continued on page 8 - Squawk Box
ad in The Newscaster critical of Dixon and
a month. Family members did not know
raised an (as yet) undetermined amount of
the police department. The department was
Inglis Election
where she was, and when she resurfaced,
cash for Johanneson. The sheriff s office
subsequently disbanded in January 1, 2014.
she told them she had been at Moffitt Cancer
posted a photograph on their Facebook page
Trouble began for Peters in Feb-
Results:
Center for testing and diagnosed with Stage
that was posted on the organization s web-
ruary of 2011 when he was stopped by an
IV breast cancer.
site, showing Johanneson seated, with a pink
G o to: thenewscaster.com
Inglis police officer for an inoperative tail-
Family members were devastated,
scarf covering her hair, while (appearing to
light on a trailer. Peters was given a citation
according to the sheriff s office, and Johan-
be) blowing a kiss, according to information
for failure to provide proof of insurance. Pe-
homepage
neson asked family members and friends for
help in paying for her doctor appointments,
Continued on page 4 - Lawsuit
Continued on page 4 - Fraud Charges