THE NEWSCASTER
THE NEWSCASTER
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Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
A Publication of
Wednesday May 8, 2013
Inglis, FL 34449
Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
Newscaster Publishing
Permit No. 14
Sally Price - Correspondent
Have A Safe & Happy Mother's Day
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Squawk Box
Technically, No Place
Safe From Florida Sinkholes
From FDEP
The entire state of Florida sits
on top of several thousand feet of lime-
stone. Limestone is a rock that can form
with natural void spaces called porosity.
In limestone where the void spaces are
connected, the rock is permeable. Porous
and permeable limestone makes great
aquifers and provide millions of gallons
of fresh drinking water for residents and
agriculture. The most significant factor in
the development of sinkholes is the disso-
lution of the limestone underlying Florida
by naturally acidic groundwater.
-Sinkholes are a natural and common fea-
ture of Florida’s landscape. They are only
one of many kinds of karst landforms,
which include depressions, caves (both
air and water filled), disappearing streams,
springs and underground aquifer systems,
all of which occur in Florida. Thousands of
naturally occurring sinkholes can be seen
throughout the state of Florida including
many that connect underground to springs,
rivers and lakes.
-Sinkholes form in karst terrain from the
Twenty three bikers of the Brotherhood Riders arrived Friday in the rain at the FHP Trooper Ronald Gordon Smith Memorial on the corner of
collapse of surface sediments into under-
Basswood and Hwy 19, south of Inglis. The Hwy 19 Cross State Barge Canal Bridge was named for trooper Smith, who was killed at this site in
ground voids. In Florida one may see solu-
December, 1973. The riders are active or retired firefighters, law enforcement and emergency medical personnel who ride to honor those who
tion sinkholes, cover-subsidence sinkholes
lost their lives in the line of duty. Continued on page 2 - Dedicated Riders.
or cover-collapse sinkholes. The first two
Pregnant mother accused of
Inglis Attorney:
types will show very little topographi-
cal disturbance to the naked eye, while
killing toddler daughter
the third is the type which shows a abrupt
Police Chief's
change in topography and is most associ-
that the child had swelling and
ated with the thought of sinkholes.
From Citrus County Sheriff Dept.
Contract in Doubt
bruising to her face, her left eye
Questions about sinkholes in urban and
Several days after her child was
was swollen completely shut, she
suburban environments:
found dead and an autopsy ruled the child’s
had bleeding in her brain, blood
-My yard is settling... Do I have a sinkhole?
By Tom Russell, Newscaster Editor
death a homicide, Chelsea Maree Huggett,
and a yellow fluid draining from
Maybe. But a number of other factors can
In a ten page memo to the Inglis town
21, 1605 N, Julia Way, Hernando, FL was
both ears and bleeding from her Huggett
cause holes, depressions or subsidence of
commission, interim attorney Bradly Bettin
arrested by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Of-
nose.
the ground surface. Expansive clay lay-
indicated in his opinion there are problems
fice, May 2, charged with aggravated child
The death was ruled a homicide by
ers in the earth may shrink upon drying,
with the police chief’s contract and it may
abuse and murder while engaged in certain
the state district medical examiner and the
buried organic material, poorly-compacted
not be valid. Bettin was asked to review the
felony offenses in the death of her two-and-
manner of death blunt force trauma. The
soil after excavation work, buried trash or
timeline of approval of Chief Dixon’s con-
a-half year-old daughter, Aliyah Marie Bra-
medical examiner confirmed that the victim
logs and broken pipes all may cause de-
tract by Commission President Sally Price.
num. The report stated that Huggett is eight
had a frontal skull fracture above the right
pressions to form at the ground surface.
Bettin said, “Authority to sign the
months pregnant and consequently had to be
eye and hemorrhaging covering the entire
These settling events, when not verified as
contract documents, which could only be
handcuffed at her front. She was transported
brain.
true sinkholes by professionals, are collec-
granted by the Commission at a Sunshine
to the Citrus County Detention Facility and
Det. Kathleen Liotta reported that
tively called “subsidence incidents.” If the
Law Compliant meeting, was either as-
given no bond on the charges.
she viewed “the multitude of bruises, marks
settling is affecting a dwelling, further test-
sumed by the Mayor or “granted” by the
Authorities were summoned to
and other injuries to this victim,” by way
ing by a licensed engineer with a licensed
Town Attorney. The Commission couldn’t
Huggett’s residence at 7:54 a.m., April 26.
of photographic evidence. “The victim had
geologist on staff or a licensed geology
- and didn’t - grant such authority because
Huggett told deputies that her child was
several areas of bruising on her forehead,
firm may be in order. Property insurance
it never saw (or approved) the written docu-
dead due to her boyfriend spraying her with
cheeks, lips, behind her ears, on her shoul-
may pay for testing, but in many cases in-
ments.”
bug spray. The child was transported to Cit-
ders and back area, blood coming out of her
surance may not cover damage from set-
In the memorandum, dated May 2,
rus Memorial Hospital by emergency medi-
nose, several areas of bruising on the back
tling due to causes other than sinkholes.
2013 Bettin further states “A fair reading of
Visit our website and access this entire story:
cal services and pronounced deceased. An
of her head, a skull fracture and bruised
Continued on page 4 - Contract
www.thenewscaster.com
emergency room physician told deputies
Continued on page 8 - Toddler Homicide