HNS REPORTS---MONDAY, JULY 26, 2010
SHERIFF STEAMED AT NEWSPAPER STORY ON JAIL BUDGET
While some county commissioners have grumbled about the sheriff's proposed jail budget, Sheriff Rich Nugent is doing more than grumbling about a weekend newspaper story.
Commissioners and county officials spent part of the last two weeks trying to figure out why the budget request was higher than last year's spending for CCA's jail contract. As Hernando News Source reported first, the discrepancy was pegged to a budget assumption last year that CCA's prisoner count would go down when ankle bracelet monitoring was implemented, which never happened. Though the sheriff and county agreed to keep the jail budget at the same level this year as last, the $10.9 million requested for the jail is more than last year by the quarter-million dollar margin of the assumed ankle monitor savings.
A legacy media report over the weekend on the story was headlined "Sheriff wants more money for county jail." An unhappy Nugent released to all media a letter he wrote to the paper. He called the story "a completely inaccurate account of the facts."
He denied asking for more money and said of the monitoring savings, "Taking a “future discount” on paper alone for a program that doesn’t exist is nothing more than fuzzy math." He also called it "a train wreck just waiting to happen."
Meanwhile, Hernando News Source has been told that County Administrator David Hamilton overruled objections from several staff members in recommending approval of the Sheriff’s jail budget request. Sources say some argued that the agreement language for the same budget amount should be enforced.
The unusual agenda memo from Budget Director George Zoettlein has text that appears inserted labeled "County Administrator Comments" in which Hamilton says that the anticipated savings from ankle monitoring "needs to be added to the budget along with the ‘savings' that did not nor will not occur."
But Nugent said Hamilton "understands that the 'future discount' the County put on paper is completely invalid and should not be considered part of the jail budget." The sheriff also said that Hamilton's "staff, including the budget director agrees as well." However, judging from public and private comments, it will probably be Tuesday before it's known whether three county commissioners agree.
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ROWDEN CLAIMS 2nd QTR. CONTRIBUTIONS EDGE OVER SCHENCK
State House candidate Diane Rowden said Monday that second quarter financial reports show her with a 2-1 contributions edge over her expected general election rival, incumbent Republican Rob Schenck. Though the Democrat and former county commissioner still trails by more than 2-1 in total contributions to date, she said in a media release that most of her contributions were in small amounts from Hernando County residents. And campaign finance reports show the Rowden edge is much smaller once a $9,400 contribution from the state Republican party is added to Schenck's total.
State campaign finance databases show the two-term incumbent has almost $90,000 in contributions, while Rowden's total is $41,000. Most of Schenck's contributions were three-figure amounts, many from political action committees based outside Hernando County. Rowden's list shows more smaller contributors, most of them individuals. And Rowden has also been helped by almost $4,000 from the state Democratic party.
Among the names appearing on both candidates' reports are two members of the Bachschmidt family of Inglis, which is outside the district. Bill Bachschmidt is president of influential road contractor DAB.
Rowden's release quotes her as saying that Schenck "is still married to big money and contributions from outside Hernando County."
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APPRAISER TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT GOVERNOR WANTS
Hernando County Property Appraiser Alvin Mazourek says he and his staff are still reviewing a directive from Governor Charlie Crist for appraisals of properties with values affected by the Gulf oil spill. Last week, after the Legislature adjourned a special session before acting on Crist's call for a constitutional amendment on offshore drilling, the Governor responded with an order to property appraisers. The order allows appraisers to re-assess properties and come up with "interim assessments" that owners could use to claim money from BP. The order applies to 26 counties, including Hernando, which were included in an emergency declaration earlier.
Mazourek says his staff is looking into the latest order to see what his office needs to be doing. He called the unusual directive "a challenge."
Appraisers' association officials apparently haven't been much help so far. The organization's chief said last week that it may be hard to determine how much of the drop in value is attributable to the oil spill and how much to the economy. Since appraisers ultimately answer to the Department of Revenue under state law, it may take guidance from that agency before Mazourek and other appraisers will be in a position to go forward on Crist's order.
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TEEN GIRL CHARGED WITH MOLESTING EIGHT-YEAR OLD
Sheriff's deputies say a 15-year old girl has been charged with sexual battery in connection with the alleged molestation of an eight-year old girl. Detectives said the victim disclosed the abuse, and the teen suspect reportedly admitted to sexual abuse of the younger girl on about 15 different occasions between April and July. An arrest affidavit said the abuse involved fondling, digital penetration, and use of a sex toy. The affidavit also says the suspect's parents and the victim's parents were friends and the two were often together. The teen suspect was booked at the Hernando County Jail on the sexual battery counts and sent to the juvenile detention center in Ocala.
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SPRING HILL TEEN SLAMS INTO CAR, JAILED FOR DRUNK DRIVING
A Spring Hill teenager with a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit for adults was jailed Sunday after he slammed his SUV into a parked car on Montano Street. A sheriff's report says 18-year old John Anthony Mahatcek of 4886 Keysville Avenue lost control of his Ford Explorer and hit the parked car at 3217 Montano Street. Damage to the car was estimated at $10,000. A responding deputy said Mahatcek's eyes were red and watery and his speech slurred, and the suspect failed field sobriety exercises. Though he denied consuming alcohol, the report says breath samples at the Hernando County Jail showed .181 and .191, more than twice the legal limit for adults and way over the separate threshold for drivers under 21. Mahatcek was charged with DUI with damage to property.
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MAN SEEKING SHELTER FROM RAIN CHARGED WITH ARMED BURGLARY
A man who said he was only trying to get out of Saturday nght's rainstorm found himself jailed on charges of armed burglary over the weekend. An arrest affidavit says 18-year old Robert Dudley Taylor of Corbin, Kentucky, was spotted coming out of a vacant Gatewood Avenue home with a bag. The affidavit says he apparently gained entry by removing a screen and breaking a window. Deputies reportedly found two knives in Taylor's pants pocket, but the affidavit says the bag's contents and other items in the home were all his. Taylor denied breaking the window and claimed he was just trying to get out of the rain. He's now staying dry at the Hernando County Jail, where he was assigned an initial bond of $25,000.
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WEEKI WACHEE MAN JAILED AFTER SMASHING FRONT DOOR GLASS
Sheriff's deputies said a 41-year old Weeki Wachee man was charged with burglary Saturday night after they found him on Waverly Road in Spring Hill with blood on his hand and clothes. The deputies were responding to a Waverly Road residence where the occupant reported a man had smashed through a jalousie glass in the front door and attempted to gain entry. When they located Mack David Stafford of 6999 Richard Drive with lacerations on his hand and blood on his swimming trunks, they took him into custody, and he was later identified by the resident. Stafford claimed the complainant had tubes and canoes he used for his day on the river at the home. Deputies said he appeared to be "extremely intoxicated." Stafford was treated at the scene by EMS for his injuries and then booked into the Hernando County Jail on a charge of burglary.
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BASEBALL BAT ATTACK FOILED, MAN ARRESTED
A man who said he was going to kill his ex-wife was disarmed as he wielded an aluminum baseball bat Friday night in a Spring Hill apartment. Arrest affidavits say 39-year old George Anthony Platt of 14541 Todd Trail in Spring Hill went to his ex-wife's apartment and got in an argument. When he grabbed the baseball bat and began to swing it at her, Platt's brother David grabbed the bat and threw it outside the apartment. A separate affidavit says he also pushed another woman down and onto her laptop computer and punched her. He also reportedly kicked the front door in and broke the door frame because the occupants initially refused to let him in. According to the affidavits, George Platt was booked into the Hernando County Jail on charges of aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief.
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TWO REPORTED DEAD, FIVE HURT IN RIDGE MANOR ACCIDENT
An All Terrain Vehicle driver and his passenger were reportedly killed Saturday night after the ATV hit the side of a Sport Utility Vehicle in a remote area of the Ridge Manor Estates subdivision. A Florida Highway Patrol report says the ATV was southbound on Goodstone Drive when it traveled into the path of the SUV, which was heading east on Umbrella Rock Street. Troopers said the SUV overturned, and the driver and five passengers suffered minor injuries. The ATV driver was dead at the scene, and the ATV passenger was taken to Pasco Regional Hospital in Dade CIty, where unconfirmed reports say he died Sunday. Troopers said neither had any identification, and the names of the ATV driver and passenger had not been released as of Sunday night.. Driver of the SUV was identified as 24-year old Lauren Hinson of Webster. Troopers said she and four of the five passengers had minor injuries. Troopers said the crash remains under investigation.
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TRIAL SET THIS WEEK FOR LAST OF BOYETT'S GROVE ROBBERS
Trial is set to open this week for the last of three men accused of invading the Boyett's Grove attraction three years ago and nearly killing the owner. Court dockets list 27-year old Adrian House as charged with two counts of principal to armed robbery. Because of a judges' conference, the trial is not expected to begin until Thursday.
The man who allegedly shot James Oleson in the chest already pleaded guilty and got a 25-year prison sentence. Damion Childs was charged with attempted murder and robbery. The third man in the group that burst into the attraction and robbed Oleson and his wife Kathy at gunpoint, Willie Cliatt, was killed two years ago in a shoot-out with police.
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NEW FLOOD MAPS READY FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT
Hernando County is releasing updated, digital flood hazard maps for public review and comment prior to their final adoption. The maps show the extent to which areas throughout the County are at risk for flooding and are used to help determine flood insurance and building requirements. The new maps replace maps that are more than 25 years old. County commissioners will get a presentation on the new maps at their meeting Tuesday, and part of that will focus on properties that flooded recently, despite being out of the old maps' flood zones.
A county media release says residents and business owners can use the maps to obtain reliable information about their flood risk on a property-by-property basis. The maps also provide flood zone and elevation data to help community planners, engineers, builders and others decide where and how new structures, developments, and remodeling projects should be built. The maps may be viewed online at www.hernandocounty.us/floodmap/ or in person at the Development Services Department, 789 Providence Boulevard, Brooksville, Florida. Two Open House sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, August 11, and Thursday, August 12, 2010, both from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., in the cafeteria at Central High School, 14075 Ken Austin Parkway, Brooksville, Florida. The public will have the opportunity to review the maps and have one on one discussion with representatives of local government, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
County Emergency Management Director Cecilia Patella said, "Flooding is an increasingly frequent and costly problem throughout this part of Florida, and not just in high-risk areas.” She said that having more accurate and easily accessible maps is "an important step in understanding the risk, so we can take steps to protect and insure against it.”
The maps were developed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Hernando County and the City of Brooksville. The process included an extensive, multi-year review of the changes brought about by environmental, land use and other forces, use of state-of-the-art aerial mapping and risk modeling techniques, and a comprehensive pre-release review.
The digital maps are also known as Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs) because they are now in digital format and are used to determine flood insurance rates and requirements. In reviewing the new maps, officials said many property owners may find that their risk is higher or lower than they thought. A total of 23,983 parcels in Hernando County are shown as moving into the high-risk areas, and 236 are moving out. If the risk level for a property changes, flood insurance and building standards requirements can change as well.
The Open Houses scheduled for August 11th and August 12th are intended to provide an opportunity for viewing the new maps. The updated maps are still preliminary and have not yet been officially adopted. In addition to the public meetings, there will be a 90-day Public Comment Period when property owners can submit appeals and protests if they can show that the maps are in error. The maps will become effective once all comments are received and addressed. At that time, the new flood insurance requirements will take effect.
While the federal flood insurance requirements won’t be based on the new DFIRMs until they take affect, officials said Hernando County has elected to use the preliminary flood risk information to manage development in the floodplain where it shows a higher risk than the current effective map which is more than 25 years old.
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MONDAY IS LAST DAY FOR REGISTRATION, PARTY CHANGES
It's deadline day Monday at the Supervisor of Elections office...the last day to register to vote in the August 24 primary or to change registration. Officials say they will then double-check the registration rolls and begin gearing up for the August 9 beginning of early voting.
There are relatively few local races garnering attention for the primary, other than the Republican showdown between Sheriff Rich Nugent and Jason Sager for the right to face Democrat Jim Piccillo in November's election to succceed U.S. Representative Ginny Brown-Waite. Both Republicans and Democrats have statewide races on the ballot featuring contests for Governor and U.S. Senator.
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SPRING HILL SENATE CANDIDATE SLAMS POLLSTER
In a poll released Thursday by Rasmussen Reports, pollster Scott Rasmussen once again left Alex Snitker’s name off the survey. Snitker, a Spring Hill Libertarian running for the U.S. Senate, accused Rasmussen of "intentionally skewing the poll so to create the most favorable outcome for Marco Rubio.”
In a media release, Snitker pointed to multiple results from Rasmussen polls that show Rubio with a lead over Charlie Crist, despite recent results from other major pollsters showing Crist with a five to nine point lead. Snitker said the decision to leave his name off the Rasmussen polls shows that "Rasmussen is nothing more than a shill for the GOP and his polling data should be considered flawed.”
Rasmussen did include an “other candidate” category in Thursday’s poll, the first time he’s done so for the Florida Senate race since at least April. In this poll, the “other candidate” received three percent of the vote, which is slightly lower than Snitker’s numbers in another poll last week.
Snitker also pointed out what the media release called "a bit of irony" in what he believes Rasmussen’s reasons are for keeping him out of the polls. He cites the results of another poll, as well as his internal campaign polling, which shows that he is actually pulling more votes from Crist and the democrats than he is from Rubio. “That shows that Constitutionally limited government and individual liberty are not left-right concepts. They are American concepts,” said Snitker.
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CLEAN-UP PROJECT STARTS THIS WEEK AT LAKE LINDSEY
State fish and wildlife officials say a project to clean out Lake Lindsey in northeast Hernando County starts this week. According to the agency, the aquatic plant harvesting project is aimed at improving aquatic habitat and navigational access to Lake Lindsey. Crews will target floating tussock and spatterdock rhizome vegetation for removal. The project starts Wednesday and take about 30 days to complete.
Public access to the Lake Lindsey boat ramp will be blocked during the work due to the need to use the boat ramp for loading the harvested plant material. Officials said plant spoil will be trucked to the nearby Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area for disposal.
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Alex is a great guy and he deserves respect
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just take these criminals to boyetts grove and let us take care of them!!
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