HNS REPORTS---OCTOBER 29, 2009
LISTEN TO THE CURRENT NEWSCAST...
CLICK > ON THE ICON:
PEDESTRIAN STRUCK BY THREE VEHICLES, DIES IN HIT AND RUN
Highway Patrol troopers say a pedestrian was killed on Cortez Boulevard east of Brooksville Wednesday night after being struck by a hit and run driver and then run over by two other vehicles. The accident occurred near Cortez and Goodway Roads. The victim was 31 years old from Sarasota, but no other identification was released pending notification of next of kin. Troopers are asking any witnesses or persons with information to come forward and assist in the effort to locate the hit and run driver. The vehicle was described as a 2005 Ford f-150 pickup. Troopers said from the information available, the pickup apparently left the eastbound lane and veered onto the shoulder "for an unknown reason," knocking the pedestrian onto the hood of the truck, then leaving the scene with the victim on the roadway, where two following vehicles were unable to avoid also striking the victim.
FIRE BOARD FIREWORKS CONTINUE AS JACOBS RESUMES CHAIR
The Spring Hill Fire Board adopted its first two ordinances on fire prevention and setting a fee schedule for inspections, increased the term of commissioners' bonds, and upheld a prior decision to buy equipment for fire inspectors Wednesday night. But on each side of the business part of the meeting, tempers flared among commissioners and between commissioners and the public.
The fireworks started even before the first agenda item, when Chairman Leo Jacobs re-took the seat he vacated temporarily two weeks ago and warned board members they should not be asking questions of fire district attorneys or staff. Jacobs said questions to staff should come from the board. Despite requests from Commissioner Rob Giammarco, who's made a habit of asking questions in and out of meetings, Jacobs wouldn't clarify the direction any further.
Then during public comment, Ken Fagan, who had a loud verbal altercation with Jacobs after an earlier meeting, called on him to resign as chair. The two raised their voices again until calmer commissioners sought peace, and Commissioner John Pasquale said "We're all acting like a bunch of nitwits."
Another citizen denied he was stalking Commissioner Amy Brosnan, who made that suggestion at the last meeting when her residence in the district was called into question. Civic activist Anthony Palmieri brought the issue up again with documentation from the Property Appraiser suggesting Brosnan does live outside the district and simply had her name put on her parents' deed after her election last year. Brosnan waved her drivers license and said she lived in the district.
But when Giammarco had an item added to the agenda to ask about a delay in getting hand-held electronic data units in the hands of fire inspectors, Pasquale accused him of blindsiding Chief Make Rampino. Rampino had said he couldn't respond to some of Giammarco's questions because he didn't know the issue was coming up and didn't have the paperwork in front of him.
That led to the final exchange of the meeting during members' closing comments, when Jacobs told Giammarco he should go to the chief and ask his question ahead of the meetings so the chief could be prepared.
Giammarco professed confusion as he left the meeting, about the direction not to talk to staff and then the later command to do so. He had said earlier in the meeting that he would continue to ask questions and gather information as he saw fit to ensure he was doing the work district taxpayers elected him to do.
FIRE BOARD CONFIRMS NO OUTSIDE PROBE OF FRAUD CLAIM
Claims by a former Spring Hill Fire employee that a part-time worker falsified time records was an issue Wednesday night for the second fire board meeting in a row. In response to a citizen request for an investigation by an outside agency, fire commissioners voted again 4-1 to leave the matter in the hands of Chief Mike Rampino. The chief said two weeks ago that he had investigated the allegation of fraud by a hydrant tester and concluded there was no evidence for it. But commissioner Rob Giammarco questioned the lack of any written documentation of Rampino's probe and called again for an outside investigation.
Rampino said the allegation came from a former employee and was a personality conflict. He said not only could he find no evidence of fraud but that the hydrant testing program was more efficient than ever at covering all the assigned areas since the accusing former employee left. He also said he had talked to all involved parties and was satisfied there was no evidence to support the fraud claim, which was e-mailed to all fire commissioners earlier this month.
Commissioner John Pasquale said he had done his own checking before he knew about Rampino's probe and agreed with the no-fraud conclusion. Giammarco's was the only vote in favor of an outside investigation.
TWO BURNED IN RESCUE FROM NOBLETON FIRE
A 75-year old wheelchair-bound Nobleton woman was seriously burned and a grandson-in-law was treated for minor burns in a mobile home fire at 29062 Friar Street in Nobleton Tuesday night. It's the second Hernando mobile home fire in little more than two days, but the first with injuries reported. A Brookridge double-wide was severely damaged Sunday in an electrical fire. The cause of the Tuesday night blaze in Nobleton was also traced to electrical problems.
A sheriff's report says Gloria Bowman was sitting in an electric recliner inside the home when the chair caught fire. 39-year old Brian Walker suffered burns on his hands when he raced into the home, lifted the disabled woman from her chair and dragged her outside where he tried to put out the woman's flaming clothing. Both Bowman and Walker were transported to Citrus Memorial Hospital in Inverness for treatment. The report says Bowman was transferred to the Shands Burn Center in Gainesville for treatment of second degree burns on 25% of her body. The single-wide mobile home was heavily damaged by fire and smoke, according to the sheriff's report. The fire marshal reportedly determined that the fire began in the recliner's electric motor and found no evidence of foul play.
HOUSING AUTHORITY HELPS BAIL OUT HOMELESS COALITION
Monroe The Hernando County Housing Authority voted to help bail out the Homeless Coalition Wednesday when Joe Monroe asked for help in making up a funding deficit. Monore was representing the four-county advocacy and service assistance group. He said the current economic crisis has led to increases in homelessness. The Coalition has already secured funding assistance from the Hernando Realtors' Association and Hernando Progress. But Monroe said they still needed $2,000 to close a deficit and help fund a local match for grant funding aimed at computer programs to allow direct service agencies like Jericho to keep track of who receives what assistance. Authority Director Donnie Singer said interest earned on two Authority business accounts was enough to meet the request, and the AUthority voted to have him cut a check this week.
ATTORNEY GENERAL REJECTS LAWSUIT AGAINST HOUSING AUTHORITY
In a recent letter Attorney General Bill McCollum's office says it will not bring a lawsuit against the Hernando County Housing Authority. Derrel Thomas got a ruling from the Florida Human Relations Commission allowing him to seek the Attorney General's help in suing the authority on a claim of housing discrimination. An attorney for the authority said in an e-mail to authority staff that the Attorney General's refusal to bring the suit does not end the case but does bring it one more step to closure. Thomas' claim was previously rejected by a federal court.
PECK SINK PARK PLANS GET COMMITTEE REVIEW
The Hernando County Environmentally Sensitive Lands Committee meets Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in the Hernando County Planning Department Conference Room on the second floor of the Government Center in Brooksville. The focus of the meeting will be to review and comment on the Peck Sink Stormwater Park conceptual plan, review applications for a committee vacancy, and discuss any other issues relating to sensitive lands. Check last weekend's HNS Week in Review for a larger image of the 30% Peck Sink plans.
CLICK > ON THE ICON:
Download | Duration: 00:05:07
PEDESTRIAN STRUCK BY THREE VEHICLES, DIES IN HIT AND RUN
Highway Patrol troopers say a pedestrian was killed on Cortez Boulevard east of Brooksville Wednesday night after being struck by a hit and run driver and then run over by two other vehicles. The accident occurred near Cortez and Goodway Roads. The victim was 31 years old from Sarasota, but no other identification was released pending notification of next of kin. Troopers are asking any witnesses or persons with information to come forward and assist in the effort to locate the hit and run driver. The vehicle was described as a 2005 Ford f-150 pickup. Troopers said from the information available, the pickup apparently left the eastbound lane and veered onto the shoulder "for an unknown reason," knocking the pedestrian onto the hood of the truck, then leaving the scene with the victim on the roadway, where two following vehicles were unable to avoid also striking the victim.
FIRE BOARD FIREWORKS CONTINUE AS JACOBS RESUMES CHAIR
The fireworks started even before the first agenda item, when Chairman Leo Jacobs re-took the seat he vacated temporarily two weeks ago and warned board members they should not be asking questions of fire district attorneys or staff. Jacobs said questions to staff should come from the board. Despite requests from Commissioner Rob Giammarco, who's made a habit of asking questions in and out of meetings, Jacobs wouldn't clarify the direction any further.
Another citizen denied he was stalking Commissioner Amy Brosnan, who made that suggestion at the last meeting when her residence in the district was called into question. Civic activist Anthony Palmieri brought the issue up again with documentation from the Property Appraiser suggesting Brosnan does live outside the district and simply had her name put on her parents' deed after her election last year. Brosnan waved her drivers license and said she lived in the district.
But when Giammarco had an item added to the agenda to ask about a delay in getting hand-held electronic data units in the hands of fire inspectors, Pasquale accused him of blindsiding Chief Make Rampino. Rampino had said he couldn't respond to some of Giammarco's questions because he didn't know the issue was coming up and didn't have the paperwork in front of him.
That led to the final exchange of the meeting during members' closing comments, when Jacobs told Giammarco he should go to the chief and ask his question ahead of the meetings so the chief could be prepared.
Giammarco professed confusion as he left the meeting, about the direction not to talk to staff and then the later command to do so. He had said earlier in the meeting that he would continue to ask questions and gather information as he saw fit to ensure he was doing the work district taxpayers elected him to do.
FIRE BOARD CONFIRMS NO OUTSIDE PROBE OF FRAUD CLAIM
Rampino said the allegation came from a former employee and was a personality conflict. He said not only could he find no evidence of fraud but that the hydrant testing program was more efficient than ever at covering all the assigned areas since the accusing former employee left. He also said he had talked to all involved parties and was satisfied there was no evidence to support the fraud claim, which was e-mailed to all fire commissioners earlier this month.
Commissioner John Pasquale said he had done his own checking before he knew about Rampino's probe and agreed with the no-fraud conclusion. Giammarco's was the only vote in favor of an outside investigation.
TWO BURNED IN RESCUE FROM NOBLETON FIRE
A sheriff's report says Gloria Bowman was sitting in an electric recliner inside the home when the chair caught fire. 39-year old Brian Walker suffered burns on his hands when he raced into the home, lifted the disabled woman from her chair and dragged her outside where he tried to put out the woman's flaming clothing. Both Bowman and Walker were transported to Citrus Memorial Hospital in Inverness for treatment. The report says Bowman was transferred to the Shands Burn Center in Gainesville for treatment of second degree burns on 25% of her body. The single-wide mobile home was heavily damaged by fire and smoke, according to the sheriff's report. The fire marshal reportedly determined that the fire began in the recliner's electric motor and found no evidence of foul play.
HOUSING AUTHORITY HELPS BAIL OUT HOMELESS COALITION
MonroeATTORNEY GENERAL REJECTS LAWSUIT AGAINST HOUSING AUTHORITY
PECK SINK PARK PLANS GET COMMITTEE REVIEW
Comments