THE NEWSCASTER
THE NEWSCASTER
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Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
Inglis, FL 34449
Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
Wednesday April 14, 2010
A Publication of
Sally Price - Correspondent
Permit No. 14
Newscaster Publishing
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Squawk Box
With Sally Price
What's Earth Day
2010 All About?
There is a lot of ex-
citement about Earth Day this
month. Earth Day is all about
cleaning up our planet and
stopping destructive behavior all over the
world. Reflecting on 50 years here, I won-
dered if we could really go back to what it
once was.
I remember when the Withla-
coochee River flowed clear. Not that long
ago. Oh, it was still the color of sun-jug
tea but there was grass, lots of grass, on
the bottom and banks. There were huge
catfish, bass, brim and all sorts of other
sun fish. Now, the river is bare rock and
mud bottom. There is no grass, only this
black moss that has taken over. The grass
and fish are gone.
The Gulf of Mexico at the mouth
of the river and out for a long ways was
clear. There was sea grass. The oyster
mounds were thick. Today the water is
murky and the grass is mostly gone and
the oyster beds look like moss heaps.
The growth here happened slowly and
The weather was beautiful Saturday for the 2nd annual Withlacoochee Wilderness Canoe and Kayak Race and Rally sponsored by Withlacoochee
mostly unplanned. And the changes to the
Area Residents (WAR). There were 44 entries and you could decide if you wanted to be all business and race to the finish line in Yankeetown
river and gulf followed right along; a slow
or gently paddle down the river and participate in a Rally of fact finding by answering assorted questions as you reach the goal. (One such
and miserable deterioration. Today there
question was how many supports were under the Hwy 19 river bridge.) The fun started at the Inglis Bypass Spillway Park where everyone was
are a lot more houses here. There must be
helped putting in their kayak or canoe. The Withlacoochee River is an ideal place to have an on the water experience and it was a great day with
at least 500 septic tanks on the flood plain
a lot of fun for all involved. Winners: Female Kayak- R.K Whitehurst 1st, Sue McLam 2nd, Emily Casey 3rd. Male Kayak- Steve Cournoyer 1st,
in Yankeetown. Holes in the ground full of
Emerson Claus 2nd, Norm Weist 3rd. Men’s single Canoe- Mike Mondrail 1st ( overall winner ), Terry Johnson 2nd. Female single Canoe- Jan
human waste subject to flooding. Perhaps
Streib. Rally- Bridget Merchant 1st, Mike Sapp 2nd, Rae Jean Nieland 3rd. Photo by Sally Price.
CCSO Investigates Citrus Carjacking Turns Fatal
this is a good example of what Earth Day
is all about.
The Town says septic tanks are
Apparent
environmentally friendly. Town officials
CCSO looking for driver of dark-red Chevy Trailblazer
said there is plenty of ground drainage and
Detectives with the Citrus County
tives are interested in speaking with the man
percolation. They had experts come tell us
Murder-Suicide
Sheriff’s Office are piecing together details
about what might have been
so at public meetings. Experts who sell
of a fatal carjacking that occurred shortly
said during the short car trip
Detectives with the Citrus County after 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7, in
that preceded the fatal inci-
Continued on page 11 - Squawk Box
Sheriff’s Office are investigating what ap- Inverness, in the parking lot of Best Friends
dent.
Adopt A Pet
pears to be a murder/suicide in Floral City, Grooming Salon, located at 3388 E. Gulf to
Detectives believe
sometime shortly after 3:00 a.m. Sunday Lake Hwy.
that Marino stole a 2004 sil-
Page 2
During interviews with “multiple
ver Saturn VUE (SUV) that
morning, after a Florida Highway Patrol
Trooper called the 911 Communications witnesses,” detectives determined that the
was parked in the parking
suspect, 32-year-old Jennifer Marino, who
lot of the pet grooming sa-
Marino
Center.
When deputies arrived at the home lists her address as 105 Crystal Road Ave.,
lon, after unsuccessfully at-
located at 4525 E. Seese Lane, off Hwy. Longwood, Florida (northeast of Orlando),
tempting to hitch a ride to Wildwood, Flori-
581 in Floral City, the trooper’s wife, San- was seen hitching a ride in a dark red or ma-
da. As the carjacker was pulling away in the
dra June Silcox, was discovered inside the roon Chevy Trailblazer, or similar vehicle,
Saturn, the owner of the vehicle, 64-year-old
house, dead from a gunshot wound. Trooper that was driven by a black male on S. Apop-
Mary Haynie of Lecanto, ran out of the sa-
Eddie Silcox, who apparently shot himself ka Ave., just off Main St., in the vicinity of
lon and tried to stop her. In the struggle that
after the 911 call, was transported to Citrus the Inverness Fire Department. Detectives
ensued, Haynie was run over by her own ve-
Memorial Hospital in Inverness, where he believe the driver of the Trailblazer dropped-
hicle.
off Marino at Fountain Square Plaza, where
Haynie was transported to Citrus
later died from his wound.
the pet grooming salon is located. Detec-
Continued on page 3- Murder-Suicide
Continued on page 8 - Fatal Carjacking