HNS REPORTS
HUDSON MAN ARRESTED IN HOAX BOMB PHARMACY ROBBERY
The Hernando County Sheriff's Office reported 29-year old Troy Anderson of Hudson was arrested Thursday in a pharmacy robbery in Spring Hill. Deputies say Anderson entered the Suncoast Vital Care Pharmacy at 5330 Spring Hill Drive just before noon, opened his coat and displayed a device he said was a bomb, took a bottle of Oxycontin pills and fled the store. Responding deputies were notified of a suspicious person report just before the robbery from the same area, describing a motorcycle and tag number. The bike was spotted a few minutes later at a nearby convenience store, and Anderson was reportedly found hiding in the store's bathroom. They also found a coat and the hoax bomb device in a trash can outside the store. A media release says the robber was described by a pharmacy employee who recognized him as a previous customer and says the suspect in custody matched the description. Anderson has been charged with robbery with a deadly weapon, possession of a hoax bomb during the commission of a felony, and trafficking in oxycodone. He's being held at the Hernando County Jail on $200,000 bond, and sheriff's officials say there's still an outstanding warrant from Tampa to be accounted for.
ALEXANDER PACT OK'D, INTERIM SCHOOL CHIEF CONSIDERED
Hernando County School Board members approved an agreement with Superintendent Wayne Alexander Thursday that calls for his early departure on September 11. At the same special meeting board members also agreed to put off a decision on an interim superintendent until next Tuesday when they hope to interview potential candidates. Alexander's agreement pays him more than $14,000 in salary and benefits for leaving nine months early, due to loss of board support. Chair Dianne Bonfield said she thought former employee and long-time district administrator Ed Poore would be a good candidate for interim superintendent while the ongoing search for a permanent replacement goes on. Other board members suggested recently appointed assistant superintendent Sonya Jackson for the interim post. Member Pat Fagan suggested former board member Jim Malcolm as well as local resident Lisa Hammond. Member Sandra Nicholson said she had a person in mind but declined to give a name. District lawyer Paul Carland said he would contact those named by board members and seek to arrange for interviews at next Tuesday afternoon's board workshop. Members said they wanted to have someone on board by Alexander's departure date, barely two weeks away, although there was some disagreement about whether the interim choice should promise not to apply for the permanent job.
PRELIMINARY STUDENT COUNTS MOSTLY ON PROJECTION TARGETS
Initial student counts from the first few days of school pleased Hernando County School Board member John Sweeney, who commented on the counts at the end of a special Thursday board meeting. According to Sweeney, the counts are close to projections for most schools, in contrast to previous years when the projected counts first tended low during the housing boom years, then trended higher than reality as the bubble burst. This year, with the exception of Springstead High, Sweeney says the counts are pretty much what was expected. Springstead is dealing with an initial student population more than 130 students higher than projected. Sweeney said he was pleasantly surprised with enrollment at Nature Coast Tech, where officials were apprehensive after the board voted to allow all Hernando students on the waiting list to attend the magnet school after they decided to re-admit some students from Pasco County to resolve a lawsuit. Despite that approval, the Nature Coast counts are not significantly higher than what officials were predicting. Sweeney's information will be updated by school officials after the first ten days of classes when the so-called "ten day count" is made and announced.
CCA PROPOSAL FOR REVISED JAIL CONTRACT UNDER COUNTY REVIEW
County officials were meeting Thursday to consider a new proposal from Corrections Corporation of America which CCA says could save the county $730,000 on its jail contract in the next budget year. The figures are based on changing the methodology for accounting for out-of-county inmates that are housed at the jail. The new concept provides for a lower county per diem payment to CCA for county inmates if more out-of-county prisoners can be housed at the jail on a space available basis. Achieving the promised savings could require some changes in judicial sentencing, since it's based on a county inmate population which would likely depend on how many arrests are made in the coming year and how those arrestees are dealt with by the courts. CCA officials were also promising to drop a claim for more than $420,000 for the current contract year, which county officials have disputed, if the new methodology is approved. The proposal repeats CCA's position that it does not want to negotiate contract terms in the public meeting the County Board has scheduled for next Tuesday. Instead, CCA says it wants an agreement in place before the meeting is held. That meeting was scheduled after Commissioner Jeff Stabins said he wanted to save county jobs by getting reductions in jail costs from CCA in return for other contract concessions. Wednesday CCA officials from the company's Nashville headquarters sought to meet privately with commissioners, but except for Stabins, none were willing to do that after getting a memo from County Administration advising against private meetings. Instead the CCA officials huddled privately with county staff and provided the new proposal at the end of those discussions.
CCA AND THE SUNSHINE LAW?
Hernando News Source has learned that the Fifth Circuit State Attorney's Office requested and received a briefing on the CCA negotiations in view of Sunshine Law questions raised by a Thursday print media article. The article indicated that CCA was pressing to negotiate the terms of a revised Jail contract directly with commissioners, but did not want to do so in a public meeting. A state attorney's official was told that any CCA meetings are with individual commissioners, and that county staff and lawyers are taking all steps to prevent intentional or accidental Sunshine Law violations. Generally, the Attorney General has stated that meetings with individual board members about a pending legislative matter are proper, so long as parties to the meetings are not used and do not act as conduits for private communication between the elected officials. The state attorney's office was told Thursday that the Sunshine Law limitations have been explained to commissioners and CCA, and the assistant state attorney reportedly said the explanation was satisfactory.
FATALITY CONFIRMED IN COUNTY LINE ROAD ACCIDENT
The Florida Highway Patrol has confirmed that a fatality resulted from an accident Thursday morning on County Line Road at Farnsworth Drive, about a half mile east of Mariner Boulevard. According to reports, a light truck veered off the roadway and struck a power pole, ejecting the driver. The incident also reportedly caused a localized power outage, and Withlacoochee Coop crews were still at the scene Thursday afternoon replacing the damaged pole.
LOCAL BUSINESS SALUTES EMPLOYEES FOR TWO YEARS OF SAFETY
Accuform Signs in the Hernando County Airport Industrial Park, has announced that its employees have worked more than two years without a lost-time incident and celebrated the occasion with special honors to employees. Owners Wayne Johnson and David Johnson personally presented each Accuform employee with a certificate from Angel Food Ministries. “You have worked hard to get us here, and we believe hard work should be rewarded,” said Wayne Johnson,CEO of Accuform. “That’s why we have chosen to partner with Angel Food Ministries to purchase a Signature Box for every household in the Accuform family,” said Johnson. He continued, “The Angel Food Signature Box contains a wonderful variety of food that will feed a family of four for a week. It is our hope that each employee will use this food to gather as a family and reflect on what’s important in each of their lives.” For past milestones, Accuform has catered lunches, given away t-shirts and more, but Johnson said he wanted to do something unique that could be shared at home and that would bring families together.
COUNTY, UNION TALK CONTRACT FRIDAY
It's back to the bargaining table Friday for county and Teamsters Union negotiators. The sides have accelerated the pace of talks as September's budget hearings approach. County officials say they need to have some economic issues resolved in order to know how much to put in the budget for salaries. Commissioners want to schedule employee furlough days and set policies for layoffs as needed, but the sides in the talks have not yet gotten to bargaining on pay terms. At the last session the negotiators were still arguing over non-economic issues such as seniority and grievance procedures.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TOPIC OF FRIDAY MEETING
The Hernando County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee meets on Friday at 9 a.m at the Government Center in Brooksville. Housing Authority Director Donnie Singer is expected to brief committee members on the status of several county programs aimed at helping lower income families afford homeownership.
SHERIFF'S E-LERT SEEKS THEFT SUSPECTS
If you wish to remain anonymous or to be eligible for a reward, call the Hernando County
Crime Stoppers toll free number 1-866-990-8477 or you may email your tip by clicking below.
http://www.hernandosheriff.org/Tips/ You may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.
The Hernando County Sheriff's Office reported 29-year old Troy Anderson of Hudson was arrested Thursday in a pharmacy robbery in Spring Hill. Deputies say Anderson entered the Suncoast Vital Care Pharmacy at 5330 Spring Hill Drive just before noon, opened his coat and displayed a device he said was a bomb, took a bottle of Oxycontin pills and fled the store. Responding deputies were notified of a suspicious person report just before the robbery from the same area, describing a motorcycle and tag number. The bike was spotted a few minutes later at a nearby convenience store, and Anderson was reportedly found hiding in the store's bathroom. They also found a coat and the hoax bomb device in a trash can outside the store. A media release says the robber was described by a pharmacy employee who recognized him as a previous customer and says the suspect in custody matched the description. Anderson has been charged with robbery with a deadly weapon, possession of a hoax bomb during the commission of a felony, and trafficking in oxycodone. He's being held at the Hernando County Jail on $200,000 bond, and sheriff's officials say there's still an outstanding warrant from Tampa to be accounted for.
ALEXANDER PACT OK'D, INTERIM SCHOOL CHIEF CONSIDERED
PRELIMINARY STUDENT COUNTS MOSTLY ON PROJECTION TARGETS
CCA PROPOSAL FOR REVISED JAIL CONTRACT UNDER COUNTY REVIEW
CCA AND THE SUNSHINE LAW?
Hernando News Source has learned that the Fifth Circuit State Attorney's Office requested and received a briefing on the CCA negotiations in view of Sunshine Law questions raised by a Thursday print media article. The article indicated that CCA was pressing to negotiate the terms of a revised Jail contract directly with commissioners, but did not want to do so in a public meeting. A state attorney's official was told that any CCA meetings are with individual commissioners, and that county staff and lawyers are taking all steps to prevent intentional or accidental Sunshine Law violations. Generally, the Attorney General has stated that meetings with individual board members about a pending legislative matter are proper, so long as parties to the meetings are not used and do not act as conduits for private communication between the elected officials. The state attorney's office was told Thursday that the Sunshine Law limitations have been explained to commissioners and CCA, and the assistant state attorney reportedly said the explanation was satisfactory.
FATALITY CONFIRMED IN COUNTY LINE ROAD ACCIDENT
The Florida Highway Patrol has confirmed that a fatality resulted from an accident Thursday morning on County Line Road at Farnsworth Drive, about a half mile east of Mariner Boulevard. According to reports, a light truck veered off the roadway and struck a power pole, ejecting the driver. The incident also reportedly caused a localized power outage, and Withlacoochee Coop crews were still at the scene Thursday afternoon replacing the damaged pole.
LOCAL BUSINESS SALUTES EMPLOYEES FOR TWO YEARS OF SAFETY
Accuform Signs in the Hernando County Airport Industrial Park, has announced that its employees have worked more than two years without a lost-time incident and celebrated the occasion with special honors to employees. Owners Wayne Johnson and David Johnson personally presented each Accuform employee with a certificate from Angel Food Ministries. “You have worked hard to get us here, and we believe hard work should be rewarded,” said Wayne Johnson,CEO of Accuform. “That’s why we have chosen to partner with Angel Food Ministries to purchase a Signature Box for every household in the Accuform family,” said Johnson. He continued, “The Angel Food Signature Box contains a wonderful variety of food that will feed a family of four for a week. It is our hope that each employee will use this food to gather as a family and reflect on what’s important in each of their lives.” For past milestones, Accuform has catered lunches, given away t-shirts and more, but Johnson said he wanted to do something unique that could be shared at home and that would bring families together.
COUNTY, UNION TALK CONTRACT FRIDAY
It's back to the bargaining table Friday for county and Teamsters Union negotiators. The sides have accelerated the pace of talks as September's budget hearings approach. County officials say they need to have some economic issues resolved in order to know how much to put in the budget for salaries. Commissioners want to schedule employee furlough days and set policies for layoffs as needed, but the sides in the talks have not yet gotten to bargaining on pay terms. At the last session the negotiators were still arguing over non-economic issues such as seniority and grievance procedures.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TOPIC OF FRIDAY MEETING
The Hernando County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee meets on Friday at 9 a.m at the Government Center in Brooksville. Housing Authority Director Donnie Singer is expected to brief committee members on the status of several county programs aimed at helping lower income families afford homeownership.
SHERIFF'S E-LERT SEEKS THEFT SUSPECTS
 |  |  |
|
Ifyou recognize these subjects, notify District 2 Deputy Fremer. If youwish to remain anonymous or be eligible for a reward, see the below box.
| ||
Crime Stoppers toll free number 1-866-990-8477 or you may email your tip by clicking below.
http://www.hernandosheriff.org/Tips/ You may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.
Comments