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Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher

Wednesday July 4, 2007

Yankeetown, FL

Tom Russell - Consulting Editor

A Publication of

Permit No. 4

Mike Moore - Photojournalist

Newscaster Publishing

Have A Safe And Happy Independence Day

Sally Price Correspondent

Squawk Box Through

Angry Tears

With Doug Johnston

Time is right for a time-out

Inglis Mom

Tom Russell and his wife

Deborah have graciously lent

Mourns The

me prime space for nearly two

years in their newspaper. I en-

joy writing and have been flat-

Loss Of Her

tered by the response to my

articles from many of the Newscaster's read-

ers. The Russells have provided me a forum

Son In Iraq

and I have used it.

I feel that a hiatus is in order. I need

to recharge my brain cells, or at least what is

By Deborah Russell

left of them. My wife and I are going on a

Newscaster Editor

vacation to the mountains of West-By-God-

"Nothing is more important than protecting the welfare of our children", said Citrus County

Virginia from August 6th through the 20th and

Sheriff Jeff Dawsy. Then he swore in fourteen new Child Protective Services investigators

Friday,

I hope that I can return with a fresh outlook

to uphold those words. As they take their oath of duty from the Sheriff, their new super-

Kathryn Mondini wanted

visor Lt. Dave Wyllie looks on. The ceremony Monday morning culminates years of work to

and some new experiences to share with you.

to let the world know

transition the investigative work charged to the Department of Children and Families over

If that happens, I will ask the Russells to bear

to the Citrus County Sheriff's office.Newscaster Photo by Mike Moore ( story on page 3)

about the senseless loss

with me for another go-around.

As she headed back home to Inglis, late

Initial news reports of five immediate casual-

of her only son in Iraq,

We all owe Tom Russell a pat on the

Thursday morning, she had no idea she had

ties had not been accurate, she said. News

although she was suffer-

back for the product he has brought us in the

already lost her son. Meanwhile, the Inglis

reports also stated that seven additional men

ing with unrelenting grief

Inglis/Yankeetown area. In the past 20 years

Police Department was frantically attempting

were injured, as well, and that one of the in-

and physical exhaustion.

there have been two weekly papers before

to locate her for army officials, without alarm-

jured had already returned to duty.

"It's not right," she said, Sgt. Wm W. Crow

Tom arrived and neither had the quality that

ing relatives and friends, until Mrs. Mondini

Sgt. Crow had served in the military

her voice tremulous. "America is killing our

the Newscaster provides week in and week

could be told about her son's death. Lorraine

since 1999. He served a tour of duty in Korea,

own men over there! As quickly as device

out.

Barber an employee of the Inglis Police De-

before serving three tours in Iraq. She said

detectors are made, the enemy is building

Tom has an interesting background

partment and a good friend of Kathy Mondini,

the military had originally sent him to Iraq for

devices we can't detect." Mrs. Mondini said

and even though he is from way up north he

called Mrs. Mondini's daughter, Candace

one year in 2003, but they extended the tour

the officers who had notified her, the previ-

is proficient at what he does. He balanced his

Hudson, to see where Kathy was, saying, "I

to 15 months, then added another tour, then a

ous evening, about her son's death had told

Michigan background by marrying Deborah,

haven't seen your mother for a week and a

third. He was injured, during his second tour

her this. "We're constantly fighting a losing

who is an Alabamian. Deborah is a charming

half. Where is she?" Mrs. Barber said she was

of Iraq, last summer, when a car bomb exploded

battle," she said.

southern lady and I really like her even on

very uncomfortable, attempting not to alarm

while he was riding in a Bradley tank, leaving

Mrs. Mondini said her son, 28 year-

those occasions when our Florida Gators line

Candace and knowing that Candace would

shrapnel in his arm. Sgt. Crow was later

old Army Sgt. William Wayne Crow, had told

up to play football against those Tigers from

later learn the sad news from her mother, but

awarded a Purple Heart for his sacrifice. He

her, after his second tour in Iraq, 'Mom, it's

the Plaines of Auburn.

also knowing it had to be done. Candance

underwent surgery in Germany, where he

not the same this time. We're fighting a ghost.'

All of us in our community want

told her that Kathy was enroute from North

learned that he'd sustained a nerve injury.

"I think our government's being too pride-

Continued on page 3- Squawk Box

Carolina to Inglis, so officials waited for her

When he went back to Iraq - for the third time

ful," she said. "We need to get these people

to return home. Mrs. Barber said she had

- in February, 2007, he still had numbness in

out of there!" Pointing to a news clipping that

Adopt "Snuggles"

plenty of work to do, so she stayed at her

his arm. But Sgt. Crow had felt the need to

proclaimed '22 troops dead,' Mrs. Mondini

desk until army officials could notify her friend

hurry back to his men. Mrs. Mondini explained

exclaimed, "Every day there's a troop lost!

see page 2

of the tragedy. Officers knocked on Mrs.

with fervor, "Army infantry, front lines! They

When you see troop, you don't know how

Mondini's door, just after 9:00 p.m. Thursday

lived and fought and cleaned on the front

many a troop is. It could be one, but it could

night, when she returned home, to give her

lines, seven days a week, with only four hours

be more, and they don't tell you how many.

the worst news of her life.

off per week," she said. "His men weren't even

It's no different in Iraq than it was in Vietnam,

On Friday afternoon, Mrs. Mondini

fully-trained! They were burned-out and suf-

anymore, I don't believe," she added. "I love

had not slept a wink since Wednesday night.

fering from post-traumatic stress syndrome.

the Lord with all my heart, but I don't think he

Officials told her that her son had died in the

They're using the same men, over and over,

wants this."

attack and that five others in his group had

since 2003. They were highly likely to be killed.

Mondini, who has worked with

been "critically injured." She had since learned

He'd lost a twenty-year-old man, just two

Jesus Is! Ministries in Inglis for the past 13

Continued on page 4 - Angry Tears

that four of the critically injured men had died.

years, had taken a brief trip to North Carolina.