THE NEWSCASTER
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Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
Inglis, FL 34449
Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
A Publication of
Wednesday March 18, 2009
Sally Price - Correspondent
Permit No. 14
Newscaster Publishing
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Squawk Box Citrus County
commission
With Mike Moore
What’s Good For
accepts
The Goose....
Last week I was get-
administrator's
ting my hair cut and listening to
the town gossip. The gossip on
this particular day had to do
resignation
with an article printed in the Chronicle about
District 1 county commissioner Dennis Damato
yelling at the building code enforcement folks
The Citrus County Board of County
for investigating Senator Charlie Dean's wa-
Commissioners accepted the resignation of
terfront "barn" that was built sans permit due
County Administrator Anthony Schembri at
to a loophole in the permitting process.
a special meeting late Monday afternoon.
I don't know anything about the
The meeting was called Friday by
building code enforcement department nor
Commission Chairman John Thrumston to dis-
about the particular building in question; the
cuss Schembri's employment contract.
only thing I know about the issue was already
Schembri opted to offer his resignation with
reported. The article said the building ap-
the conditions that the 30 day notice would
peared to have at least two finished rooms.
be waived and that he receive the six month
Dennis Utter, 56 from Montana said it was like trying to stop his dually pickup and trailer on a sheet
Why squawk about someone build-
pay severance package stipulated in his em-
of ice early Saturday morning before he crashed into the Gulf at the end of C-40 in Yankeetown. Utter
ing a barn? First, the 'person' is a State Sena-
ployment contract. The vote was 5-0 to ac-
said he missed his turn at U.S. 19 in Inglis. He was travelling with companion Louise Wood (pictured
tor... our Senator to be exact. Second, build-
cept his resignation with the conditions.
right) and headed to a rodeo event in Pensacola. He said “something has to be done” with the
ing a barn must need less permitting than a
Deputy Administrator Eber Brown
signage at U.S. 19. The marking on the hwy no longer identifies the roat as U.S. 19. Instead it’s
house and I would guess has a different set
and county Community Services Director
marked as S.R. 55. View the full video report on www.thenewscaster.com - Photo by Tom Russell
of impact fees too. I (and certainly I can't be
Brad Thorp were nominated to serve as the
alone in this) smell a rat. Having only just
Crash Into Gulf: Third In Five Months
interim administrator during the search for a
completed building an addition on my Citrus
new administrator. The board voted 3-2 for
County house, I am all too familiar with the
336 and continued driving west on Hwy. 40.
Brown to take the interim post. Thrumston
By Tom Russell
process and costs associated with building
When he reached U.S. Hwy. 19 - which was
asked that the process of filling the
Newscaster Editor
on waterfront property. It's not exactly simple
the road that he wanted to take north, Mr.
administrator's job be put on the commission's
nor is it cheap.
Utter did not take it, because the road sign at
A road sign that was changed dur-
next meeting agenda.
My squawk is about Charlie Dean.
the intersection stated that it is S.R. 55, so Mr.
ing road construction in Inglis, a few months
Schembri reporedlybecame em-
Who does he think he is anyway? If what
Utter continued west on Hwy. 40. "I didn't
ago, has resulted in at least three, vehicles
broiled in a controversy when he showed up
was reported is true, then calling a little bun-
know that State Road 55 was U.S. Highway
going into the Gulf of Mexico at the end of
at a meeting in a Gospel Island neighbor-
galow that is to 'have the kids use it', a barn in
19," stated Mr. Utter, with good humor, "But I
Hwy. 40 in Yankeetown.
hood with a concealed weapon. Schembri said
know it now."
At the single traffic light in Inglis,
Continued on page 4- Squawk Box
he had a permit for the weapon. Schembri,
"I thought it was funny that so many
which is located at the intersection of U.S.
reportedly was asked to leave the weapon in
Wanted For
boat trailers were parked so close to the road,"
Hwy. 19 and County Road 40, the sign that
his car, but refused. The sheriff dept. is inves-
said Utter, about nearing the end of Highway
once proclaimed the highway as U.S. High-
tigating the incident.
County asking
County
Questioning
40, "Then, suddenly, the road was gone." Mr.
way 19, now states it as State Road 55. This
Utter said he was traveling about 35 mph,
has resulted in drivers, who are driving west
Around 8:10 am, last Thursday
when he stepped on the brakes, "It was like
on Hwy. 40 and looking for U.S. Hwy. 19, to
state for opinion
(March 12), the Hernando Elementary School
being on ice. The harder I braked, the faster I
continue driving west on S.R. 40, not realiz-
reported a suspicious incident
went." He said the road is covered with oil
ing tht S.R. 55 is U.S. Hwy. 19, and heading
to the Citrus County Sheriff's
and gas, and when boats drip water onto it, it
straight toward the Gulf of Mexico, with hardly
in bar n exemption
Office. A slender white man of
becomes extremely slick. "Something's got to
a warning.
medium height, in his early
be done," he said. "Even road bumps would
The most recent vehicle that ended
50's, wearing a camouflage hat
Citrus County Administrator Anthony
help." He said he'd been told by emergency
up going down the boat ramp into the Gulf of
and shirt and blue jeans was
Schembri said Thursday that because of ques-
workers on the scene that his vehicle is the
Mexico was driven by 56-year-old Dennis
seen on the school play-
tions about an agricultural exemption from
fourth vehicle that's gotten into a similar situ-
Utter of Stevensville, Montana, who was driv-
ground. When the man was
permitting and impact fees regarding a barn
ation in the past month, at the same location.
ing a truck that was pulling a 30 foot trailer
approached by a school official, the man
owned by a state senator from Inverness, he
However, Yankeetown Fire Chief Paul Shearer
loaded with cowboy hats that he and his pas-
scaled the 6-foot chain link fence and fled in
will be asking for an opinion from state offi-
said that Mr. Utter's vehicle is the third to go
senger planned to sell at a rodeo in Pensacola.
a champagne-colored Ford Freestyle SUV. If
cials. The county staff had responded to a
into the Gulf in the past five months, and that
Utter said he'd left Holder around
you notice any suspicious activity or have
complaint about a barn on property owned
the two previous incidents are still under in-
5:00 a.m., Saturday, driving north on Hwy. 41
additional information about this incident or
by Sen. Charles Dean, R-Inverness. The case
vestigation.
to Dunnellon, where he'd turned west onto
person, please contact your School Resource
was looked into by code inspectors and the
Louise Wood, 54, of Arizona, was a
Hwy. 40, looking for Hwy. 336 to take him to
Officer or the Citrus County Sheriff's Office
barn, which was on land designated for agri-
passenger in Utter's truck when it skidded
U.S. Hwy. 19, where he wanted to drive north.
Emergency Operations Center 911.
Continued on page 8 - Exemption Case
Mr. Utter did not notice the turn onto Hwy.
Continued on page 8 - Gulf Crash