THE NEWSCASTER
THE NEWSCASTER
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Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
Yankeetown, FL
Wednesday January 30, 2008
Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
A Publication of
Permit No. 4
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Newscaster Publishing
Sally Price Correspondent
Squawk Box     Citrus, Levy
Deputies
With Mike Moore
The "Pack Rats" Friend
Arrest Three,
Now here's a new one...
this past week, I was visited by
Break Up
the PurgeGenie. Wait... what?
Yes, the PurgeGenie, a friend of
mine who has started a rather
Meth Lab
unique business where she
comes to your house and helps
you get rid of your extra stuff hands-on. Kind
Three Inglis residents arrested on
of a `Clean Sweep' sort of approach to help-
Meth-Lab-related charges
ing unfortunate pack-rats (like myself) tidy
Three Inglis residents
up and purge unwanted, extra or unneces-
were arrested, Jan. 15,
sary things. I thought the experience was in-
when a retired law
teresting enough to share.
enforcemment officer, who
We are not `hoarders' like you see
now  works  at  the
on T.V., you know those kinds of folks that
Chiefland Wal-Mart, con-
just collect everything and don't even want
tacted the Levy County
to part with trash and such. No, we're just
Sheriff's Office and re-
your ordinary consumers who accumulate
ported that three people
junk over time and somehow manage to fill in
had purchased items that
(tightly) any given space we are presented.
are key ingredients in the Ronald Spears
We're by no means unique, probably anyone
manufacturing of metham-
reading this has thought about donating
phetamines ("meth"), and that the men had
something to the Goodwill or having a garage
left the store in a silver car, possibly a Chevy,
sale. People are natural hunters and gather-
with the tag number V70-2DX.
ers; I myself make no apologies.
According to the
Anyway, after reading and signing
Making camp each afternoon where the moods strikes him, James Schauer settles down with
arrest report, investigators
the paperwork, we set about locating the stuff
his bike, canoe, GPS, computer and a solar panel (presumably for power). Photo by Sally Price
located  the  car  in
that was taking up space but no longer being
Chiefland, as it was travel-
Cross Country Trek Takes
used. As the living room began to fill up with
ing across Hwy. 19 to the
things taken from the backs of closets and
Winn-Dixie parking lot
such, the Purge Genie (her name is Cherie ac-
across the street. The re-
St. Louis Man To Nature Coast
tually) sat in the middle of the growing pile
port stated that 39-year-
and analyzed and cataloged it. She was very
old Ronald Emerson
knowledgeable and sifted through the real
home, James was impressed by the friendli-
Spears got out of the car
junk. Then she wrapped and boxed the stuff
By Sally Price, Newscaster Correspondent
ness of folks everywhere. He was the talk at
and went into the North
Paul Schott
she thought would sell well and took it away
Gobbler's Eatery and even truckers coming in
Florida Pharmacy, then
where she lists it on Ebay, Craigslist, and a
Before his 60th birthday,James
commented on the guy pulling a canoe on a
came out of the pharmacy and got into the
host of other places that she uses.
Schauer, searching for a simpler life, left St
bike. He felt that as people get labor saving
car, and the car then
We were amazed. Almost immedi-
Louis MO on a cross country trek alternating
devices to simplify life, they just fill life up
headed south on Hwy. 19.
ately things we would have just tossed off
between canoeing rivers and biking roads.
with more things to do and don't really enjoy
Two miles north
were selling for money. We had a copy of
James pedals a bike pulling a 300 lb. trailer
their time.
of Gulf Hammock, investi-
Madonna's DVD "Truth or Dare" and frankly
topped with full size canoe and all his
Making camp each afternoon where
gators stopped the car.
we hated it. The Purge Genie listed it and sold
worldly belongings in between.
the moods strikes him, James settles down
They had the three male
it the same day somewhere for $39.99! Incred-
His goods, from camp gear to com-
with a book and a smile. With a great
passengers step out of the
ible! For some of you, it might sound like we
puter, GPS and solar panel, are all high-
personality, incredible fortitude and seeking
car and questioned them
are too lazy to sell stuff on Ebay ourselves.
tech and everything he needs to live is pulled
a bold adventure, James pedals his way to his
separately. Rear passen-
Maybe. In reality though, the Purge Genie
behind him as he passed through Inglis this
goal in life. He is a person you won't forget if
ger Paul Schott IV, 19, told Brenda Spears
helped us sort out and emotionally part with
week. Headed for a trip around the coast of
you talked to him because where most of us
the officers that they were
things that we really didn't need and took up
Florida and on to Maine before returning
have dreams, James is fulfilling his.
making a run to purchase items for Ronald
Continued on page 3 - Squawk Box
Spears. He said that Spears had he and an-
other youth (a witness; the driver of the car),
Adopt A
Newscaster Pigskin Predictors Wrap Up Season
wake up early that day to go with him to
Chiefland to purchase items that he knew
Pet
Predicting New York To Upset New England
would be used in the manufacture of metham-
phetamine. He said he paid about $4 in cash
Page 2
in Super Bowl! Page 8
Continued on page 3 - Meth Arrests