THE NEWSCASTER
THE NEWSCASTER
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Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
Inglis, FL 34449
Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
A Publication of
Wednesday July 14, 2010
Sally Price - Correspondent
Permit No. 14
Newscaster Publishing
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Squawk Box
Yearty falls from prestige
into prison routine
With Debbie Russell, Editor
Former District 3 Levy County
Commissioner William Samuel “Sammy”
Yearty, 64, of Otter Creek, who was sus-
pended from office by Gov. Crist and later
convicted of soliciting and accepting a
bribe from an FBI agent and lying to an
FBI agent during a federal investigation,
started serving the 33-month prison sen-
tence, July 6, given him by Chief Federal
Judge Stephan P. Mickle in May.
Yearty is serving his term at the
Pensacola (Florida) Federal Prison Camp,
a minimum security facility that houses
male offenders on Saufley Field, an outly-
ing base of the Pensacola Naval Air Sta-
tion, located 175 miles west of Tallahas-
see, FL and 50 miles east of Mobile, AL.
The other minimum security
Florida Federal Prison Camps are located
in Marianna, Tallahassee, Coleman and
Miami.
Former District 5 Levy County
Commissioner Anthony “Tony” Parker,
Volunteers handle the bagging and distribution of “gleaned” potatoes in support of a multi-agency event in Homosassa last Saturday morn-
49, Bronson, was also suspended from
ing. Held at the Homosassa Civic Center, the joint inter-county effort will help feed more than 9000 families across three counties in our area
office by Gov. Crist and convicted of so-
and save the over abundant crop from a trip to the dump (see story below) . The Newscaster/Mike Moore photo
Volunteers
liciting/accepting a bribe in the same case.
Two Drown in Separate Mishaps,
Parker fared better than Yearty and was
sentenced in April to six months house ar-
Save Potato
rest and 500 hours of community service.
Search Continues For Boater
Parker’s probation and electronic moni-
toring fees were waived due to financial
Crop From
(Crystal River) A 47-year-old Crystal
Wildlife officers were notified as well.
hardship. Parker had a fit of conscience
River man reportedly drowned at Hunter
Apparently, Vu Thanh Ngu, 37,
and returned his portion of the money back
Springs today in Crystal River.
of Riverview, along with his family and
to federal agents. No charges were made
Landfill
Citrus County Sheriff’s Office
some friends, had rented a pontoon boat
against Parker of lying to federal investi-
dispatchers received a call July 8th just
from River Safari's & Gulf Charters in
gators.
before 12:45 p.m. about a swimmer in
Homosassa to enjoy a day of scallop-
By now, Yearty must be well
distress who had slipped below the wa-
By Newscaster Correspondent
ing. According to witnesses, Ngu was
aware of his new responsibilities and set-
ter’s surface.
Mike Moore
tling into his structured routine. According
in the water with a safety line but he
A small “army” converged on Ho-
to the institution’s handbook, inmates must
Deputies responded, and the
lost hold of it and started having trouble
mosassa last Saturday to receive and process
submit to five head counts on weekdays
body of Paul Hansen was recovered from
swimming. Others on the boat got in
a 44,000 lb. truckload of potatoes donated to
and six head counts on weekends and holi-
about 12 feet of water. Next of kin was
the water and tried to assist, however,
Citrus County Community Food bank by the
days. Prisoners must check the dormitory
notified.
Ngu did not resurface. A strong cur-
“Gleaning Network” Society of St. Andrews
bulletin boards each evening for the fol-
No foul play is suspected, and
rent, winds and rough waters from an
and staffed by a volunteer contingency of
lowing day’s work assignments. Any pris-
the body was transported to the medical
approaching storm also hindered their
ten Levy, Citrus, and Hernando Churches
oner who is not at his designated location
examiner’s office in Leesburg for autop-
rescue efforts.
and at least twelve different agencies; the
during any given time is considered out of
sy.
The CCSO dive team was called
inter-county and multi-agency cooperative
bounds.
Search Continues for Missing Boater
out and searched for the man through
effort was a first for the Community Food
(Homosassa) Before noon on Sunday,
Sunday night, along with the Coast Guard
Continued on page 4 - Squawk Box
Bank. The volunteers, some as far away as
July 12, Citrus County Sheriff's Office
and FWC. The search for Ngu started
Spring Hill and Orlando, chipped in to help
911 operators received a call regarding
again early Monday morning. The agen-
Pet Patrol
sort and bag the bulk-packed pallets of red
a man who had possibly drowned near
cies are covering at least a 5-mile search
potatoes gleaned from fields in North Caro-
Marker 10 in the Homosassa River. Dep-
area both from the water and in the air.
Page 2
lina. Re-packaged into 5lb. bags the truck-
uties immediately responded, and the
At this point in the investigation, the in-
load will help feed more than 8000 families
U.S.Coast Guard and Florida Fish and
cident is being treated as a drowning.
Continued on page 8 - Potato Gleaning