PAGE 4 - July 25, 2007
The Newscaster/Nature Coast News
Probation
Right Of Way Feud  - Continued from page 1
- Continued from page 1
to fix the fence situation," he explained.
lis, also received a letter, dated July 12, 2007,
Smith as an assistant state attorney and Billups as a deputy. Billups told Smith, "I'm sorry for
"They've landlocked a piece of my property,
from Blake Hunter, the Chiefland/Perry Main-
what I've done."
and now it's worthless, because it has no in-
tenance Engineer with the DOT, that stated,
Billups had earlier said that he had voluntarily surrendered his state certification as
gress and egress. And the guy who originally
"The Department of Transportation recently
a law enforcement officer, "I'm done," he said. "I've had enough."
owned this property donated the property so
received a complaint of unauthorized use of
Billups had served as police chief for five years, until his resignation in December,
they could have Palm Point Drive. And, in-
the public right of way, through the town of
citing health reasons. He had been seriously ill for several months with a bleeding ulcer. He
stead of, 'Hey, thanks for donating it,' they're
Inglis, on U.S. 19," further stating that, "Ille-
had taken all his medical leave, plus medical leave donated by other town employees as well
blocking all access from the previous owner.
gal use of the right of way is a crime", and
as unpaid leave, prior to his resignation. Billups had previously worked for the Inglis Police
And now that I own it - you know what I'm
"Please cease the unauthorized use of the
Department as a patrolman and also with the Levy County Sheriff's Office as a deputy.
saying? If that man was still here, what about
Department of Transportation rights of way."
One item reported as missing was his (Billups) service revolver. According to Lorraine
them taking the property? They didn't buy it -
"So, as soon as I started raising all
Barber, administrative assistant with the Inglis Police Department, "The gun was recovered
they didn't give a dollar for it. It was dedi-
this up," White continued, "They decide, 'Oh,
and paid for, but is still listed as missing or stolen.".
cated to their perpetual use, of all kinds of the
we're not going to mess with nobody.' And I
Inglis mayor Carolyn Risher said state attorney Bill Cervone came to her office to ask
right-of-way of the public. And they fenced it
called back up there, and there's an Orlando
what they should do regarding the case. Risher said, "you should do your job" and left it at
off and changed ordinances - and did that
Cordero at Lake City (DOT District Two Legal
that. Risher said Cervone has asked for a spot on a future Inglis town agenda to speak to the
and think it's okay. What they believe is that
Offices) that I told that we're going to fix it.
Inglis commission and the public. The Newscaster will have the announcement on Cervone's
I'm not going to spend the money to fight
They're starting to pick on me, and we're just
appearance.
town hall, so to speak. And I'm sure I'm going
going to fix all of Inglis. So now, the way I
Chief Bible has supervised the reorganization of the evidence room, assigning one
to lose in the end, but I've already spent
understand it, the other residents of Inglis, or
sworn officer, Tim Swiggett, and one non-sworn personnel, Lorraine Barber, to the evidence
$10,000 on just the fence deal. And that's
businessmen, have gotten letters, also, now,
room in January. No other personnel has access to the room, and Chief Bible will perform
YOUR tax dollars is what's fighting me, but
instead of just me. Mine's dated April 26; theirs'
occasional checks. Barber and Swiggett attended a two-day Evidence and Property class in
I'm putting MY money up."
was dated July 12. If they were going to do
Tampa on July 10 and 11, where they learned how to organize and manage the evidence room.
Going from bad to worse, White re-
this correctly, everybody would have gotten
Barber said she and Swiggett purged very old evidence from the evidence room, "Going back
ceived a Notice of Violation, dated June 4,
a letter when I got a letter, but they just wanted
five or six years, mostly clothing and cassette tapes." Barber and Swiggett will now dispose of
2007, from the Town of Inglis Code Enforce-
to single out me."
old evidence on a routine basis.
ment Officer, Bill Sinopoli (who recently re-
White said he would "absolutely"
According to Barber, evidence can be destroyed only when notification to dispose
signed from the position), regarding another
move his car lot back about four feet, so that
of the evidence is received from the State Attorney's Office. Evidence, such as drugs and
of his businesses, A & D Salvage, which is
he is out of the right-of-way, and he will some-
guns, is picked up by the Levy County Sheriff's Office, said Barber. However, guns from
located at 25 Hudson St., Inglis. According to
how accommodate parking at the rear of his
evidence that have been released for disposal by the State Attorney's office can then be used
the notice, the property is being used as a
business, as he guesses other businesses will
by the Inglis Police Department for official use. Another change in the evidence room system
junkyard/salvage yard, which is not a permit-
have to do, as well. "That's thanks to the Palm
is an account that was opened at a local bank by Mayor Carolyn Risher and Chief Bible. The
ted use in the C-2 Zoning district the busi-
Point Association," he said. "This Kenneth
department keeps track of the money that must be held and money that has been released for
ness is located in. The notice ordered White
Davis can't give me any concrete evidence of
disposal. The department is currently holding a pickup truck that was confiscated in a drug
to "Cease using property as a junkyard, sal-
who called, no written complaint; nothing. He
case. The truck must be held until the case is resolved.
vage yard, MUST BE COMPLETED no later
says the Palm Point Association chairman,
Burglary Suspect
than July 4, 2007..." White's attorney, Dock
which I believe to be Roy Smith, and you can
- Continued from page 1
Blanchard of Ocala, sent Sinopoli a letter,
check that, but last time I looked it, that was
dated June 21, 2007, saying that his firm's in-
who it was, and he is your commissioner in
ponents had also been moved from their usual location to the screened porch. She said she
vestigation of the matter revealed "that this
Inglis. So, that's where all this started from."
told the man to leave her property and he complied with her request. Once he was out of her
property has been in continuous use as a
Mr. White said no more, but the im-
yard and also out of sight, she said she ran to a neighboring house and asked a neighbor to
junkyard for over thirty years and, as such,
plication was obvious; it is public record: In
call 911.
this use is protected and grandfathered in."
the recent past, White made a complaint to
When deputies arrived at the residence, neighbors gathered around the area. When
The letter further advised Sinopoli that if he
the Levy County Sheriff's Office that Com-
deputies asked the victim to describe the burglar, she looked around the crowd and pointed
felt differently, in any way, to please advise
missioner Smith had impersonated a police
at Mr. Ball. she told deputies, "That's him!" However, she said Ball had been wearing a navy
his (Blanchard's) office, immediately. White
officer (the Inglis Police Chief) during a ver-
blue sweatshirt at the time he burglarizing her residence, and that he must have removed it.
said he has received no further correspon-
bal altercation at his business. However, the
She also told deputies that she believed that about $20 in change was missing; the money was
dence from the Town of Inglis regarding this
sheriff's office eventually dropped the
not recovered.
matter.
charges, citing lack of evidence.
Ball's unidentified roommate retrieved a blue sweatshirt from the residence where he
Lisa Flanders, who leases the prop-
White said that the White's Quality
and Ball had been residing and gave it to investigators. He also gave a sworn written state-
erty her business, Gobblers Eatery, is located
Auto sign is in full compliance, a full three
ment to the sheriff's office, stating that Ball had approached him and asked if he wanted to buy
on at 14 Hwy. 19N, Inglis, said, if the property
feet away from the right-of-way, because the
a television or stereo.
owner has received notification from the DOT
DOT measured the right-of-way at his busi-
Investigators determined that Ball forcibly broke through a wire fence to enter the
of a right-of-way violation, the information
ness, per White's request, prior to his placing
woman's property, then went up her side steps and threw a cement block through the glass
has not yet been shared with her, but she is
the sign.
window in the side door, in order to gain entry into the victim's home.
aware of the right-of-way issue.
"The thing we need to realize here,"
Ball was arrested and transported to the Citrus County Detention Facility where he
In January, before the current right-
said White, "Is that everybody in town, as
was charged with burglary and his bond was set at $15,000.
of-way issue on U.S. Hwy. 19 in Inglis
long as they are single and at their own
Sewing camp scheduled for Bronson
emerged, John Clark, the owner of Clark's Auto
agenda, just like putting the fence up." Ac-
There will be a Sewing Camp designed for beginners conducted by the UF IFAS Levy
Repair, complained about the deplorable con-
cording to White, the Town of Inglis forced
County Extension 4-H Program. You will get your own sewing machine license and then make a
dition of the area in the state's right-of-way.He
him to place a privacy fence, shielding the
pair of shorts. After that you will decorate a t-shirt to match.
said, "The Department of Transportation said
view of his car lot from the neighborhood
This camp is an additional camp, due to the increased demand, for the 4-H Summer Day
they wouldn't do anything about the condi-
behind his business. "Me having to get Dock
Camp Program held at the Levy County Agriculture Center in Bronson. It will be held July 30
tion of the area and I couldn't do anything
Blanchard (White's attorney) to do whatever
through Aug. 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. all week. For details call Muriel Turner at 486-5131.
about it, as the land is not my property."
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