THE NEWSCASTER
THE NEWSCASTER
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Deborah Russell - Editor
A Publication of
Wednesday April 13, 2016
Inglis, FL 34449
Tom Russell - Publisher
Newscaster Publishing
Permit No. 14
Sally Price - Correspondent
Please visit our website: thenewscaster.com
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Community
Large Cats, Small Cats Featured
in April at Wildlife Park
The Florida's Bobcats program
will be presented by Catherine Kennedy,
North Florida's Senior Wildlife Assis-
tance Biologist with the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission on
April 15, 2016, starting at 1:00 p.m. in the
Florida Room of the Visitor Center on
US 19. The Wildlife Assistance Program
seeks to promote coexistence with native
wildlife by providing education, outreach,
and technical assistance to the public to
mitigate and prevent human-wildlife con-
flict. This presentation will provide an
overview about bobcats in Florida, their
distribution, and their survival strategies.
Topics will also include ways to identify
bobcats and methods to prevent unwant-
ed interactions.
The audience will hear Kennedy
talk about her work as a wildlife biologist
focusing on Florida's Bobcats. There is
no charge to attend the Florida's Bobcats
program in the Florida Room. Florida's
Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is highlighting Florida's Big and Little Cats including Florida Panthers and Bobcats during
largest cat is the Florida panther, a subspe-
the month of April. A Florida Bobcats program will be presented by Catherine Kennedy, North Florida's Senior Wildlife Assistance Biologist
cies of puma, also known as a mountain
with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Friday, April 15, 2016, starting at 1:00 p.m. in the Florida Room of the Visitor
lion or cougar. It is the last subspecies
Center on US 19. This photo is of Antonio, the Bobcat by Ralph Bischoff.
of the puma still surviving in the east-
Passenger in traffic
Three arrested on armed robbery
ern United States. Biologists estimate
that 100-160 adult and sub-adult Florida
stop arrested on
panthers remain in the wild. Most pan-
charge - two adults and a juvenile
thers live in southwest Florida, south of
the Caloosahatchee River, although some
numerous charges
panthers have been known to travel as far
From The Citrus County Sheriff Dept.
S. Alabama Ave., Homosassa, voluntarily
north as central Georgia.
came to the Citrus County Detention Facil-
The Florida panther's decline
On April 9, three people, a woman,
ity, asking to speak with the detective work-
From The Citrus County Sheriff Dept.
occurred before 1950, when it was still
a man and a juvenile, were placed under ar-
ing this case.
legal to hunt panthers. It was listed as
rest, each charged with robbery with a fire-
Donte Demetrius Lewis, 26, 786
McKinsey told the detective that
endangered in 1967 and is protected under
arm or other deadly weapon. The robbery
NE 6th Ter., Crystal River, was arrested by
Keen came to his residence, April 6, and
federal and state laws. Florida panthers
incident occurred in Lecanto on April 6.
the Citrus County Sheriff s Office, April
told him that the victim had hit her. He said
are found mostly in the Big Cypress/Ev-
The reports stated
10, charged with possession of a controlled
that Keen also told him that the victim vid-
erglades ecosystem in Collier, Lee, Hen-
that the victim was able to
substance (greater than 20 gms of cannabis,
eo-recorded himself burning the belongings
dry, Monroe and Miami-Dade counties.
identify the female robbery
a felony amount of the drug) and resisting
of people close to her, and he had posted
Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife
suspect as 31 year-old Krystle
an officer without violence. His total bond
the video to social media. He said that he,
State Park is home to a two-year old Flor-
Lynn Keen of 8524 W. Drew
was set at $3,000. The report stated that a
along with Keen and the 17 year-old juve-
ida Panther named Yuma. He was res-
Ct., Homosassa. A warrant
traffic stop was made at Granny s Restau-
nile, had gone to the victim's residence, and
cued at a week old after being abandoned
was obtained for Keen's ar-
rant, located at 8th Ave. and U.S. Hwy. 19
Keen had knocked on the door. He said, the
Keen
by his mother and nursed back to health.
rest. The victim described the
in Crystal River, on a vehicle with a broken
victim stepped outside, and since he and the
Because he could not survive in the wild
other two suspects as white
tail light in which Lewis was a passenger.
juvenile were standing nearby, they covered
he will serve as an ambassador for the
males wearing dark clothing
When a deputy asked for consent to search
their faces with shirts. McKinsey stated that
Florida panther. The bobcat (Lynx rufus)
and masks. He stated that one
the vehicle, all the occupants got out of the
he was holding a black BB gun that looked
is widely distributed throughout most of
of the males had a black hand-
vehicle, and Lewis started to cross U.S.
like a real handgun. He said that he didn't
North America, and is common through-
gun.
Hwy. 19, heading away from the traffic stop.
ask for anything, but Keen had, and the vic-
out Florida. This cat has adapted well to
On April 9, Keen
Meanwhile, marijuana was found under the
tim had given her an X-Box. He said they
neighborhoods throughout Florida. The
was arrested on the robbery McKinsey
seat where Lewis had been sitting. Deputies
all left the victim's house and went back to
bobcat is equally at home in deep forest,
warrant. On the same day, 29
caught up with Lewis and took him into cus-
McKinsey's residence. McKinsey said that
swamps, and hammock land.
year-old Robert Michael McKinsey of 3132
Continued on page 11 - Passenger
Continued on page 8 - Armed Robbery