Top stories of 2009
Jan. 1
Band leader arrested in sex case
BROOKSVILLE – A high school band teacher was arrested under the suspicions he molested one of his students.
The alleged abuse began in November between Timothy Brightbill, 43, and a then-17-year-old student at Nature Coast Technical High School, according to an arrest affidavit.
The first encounter occurred at Brightbill’s home, 14987 Copeland Way, but the two were Dec. 31, 2008 ate December at the victim’s Spring Hill home, the affidavit states.
That’s when the victim’s mother came home around 2:30 p.m. to find the couple together in the victim’s bedroom, according to the affidavit.
Brightbill was taken to the sheriff’s office, where he reportedly admitted to committing sex acts with the victim.
He would later be convicted and sentenced to nine years in prison.
Jan. 13
Superintendent applies for New England post
BROOKSVILLE – The school board got its first taste of Superintendent Wayne Alexander’s balancing act between running the district and yearning for a return to his native New England.
Alexander told the board he applied for the job to show the judge in a custody battle that he’s making an effort to get a job in the Northeast and return to his family.
But Alexander sounded enthusiastic when interviewing with the committee in Framington, Mass.
“Being home is my No. 1 priority,” he told those committee members.
They eliminated him from the pack two days later.
It would be the first of three job interviews before Alexander was forced to resign in September.
Jan. 22
Arrest made in murder of property appraiser
BROOKSVILLE – Police arrested Monty Gregg Albright, who they said robbed and strangled city property appraiser Steven Van Slyke in his Cherry Street home.
Albright was charged with first-degree homicide.
Police say Albright went to 27 Cherry St. on Monday and bound Van Slyke, 58. He stole his bank card and pin number, took the victim’s vehicle to a bank machine and withdrew cash, police said.
Albright tried cleaning up the scene and hiding Van Slyke’s body under a bed, according to reports.
The defendant would plead no contest in April. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Jan. 26
Realtor dies after suffering stroke in mid-flight
SPRING HILL – Long-time Realtor David Sturgill, 61, suffered a stroke while flying his ultralight aircraft.
Two days later he would be taken off life support.
His friends and business associates remembered him as an ethical businessman who always remained true to his word.
He was credited with helping build Spring Hill into what it is today.
Sturgill was flying his plane shortly before 2:30 p.m. when he was stricken with the early symptoms of a stroke.
He landed it and drove it beyond the landing strip toward the end of a nearby taxi runway, said Assistant Chief Frank DeFrancesco of Hernando County Fire Rescue.
He drove the plane to the fence adjacent to the fire station.
Paramedics arrived minutes later and transported him to Spring Hill Regional Hospital, DeFrancesco said.
In 1979, he bought the real estate business and renamed it Century 21 David Sturgill.
Several years later, he merged with another company in Spring Hill and it became Century 21 Alliance Realty.
Feb. 3
Superintendent resigns, then changes mind
BROOKSVILLE – Feeling a need to return to his family, Superintendent Wayne Alexander announced his intention to resign.
One week later, he took it back.
“I will be completing my contractual agreement,” Alexander told the board at the start of the Feb. 10 meeting. “I need to honor that commitment.”
Alexander called his decision to resign “an emotional response to family needs that have been building for months.”
Alexander originally announced he wanted to resign effective July 1 so he could move to New England to be with his new wife Jennifer and two stepchildren, who lived in Connecticut.
Alexander wanted to relocate them to Hernando County, but the family was embroiled in a visitation dispute with Jennifer’s ex-husband. He began looking for jobs in New England.
Eventually, the school board asked him to resign. Alexander served his last day Sept. 11.
Feb. 6
Central student hits pedestrian, takes his own life
BROOKSVILLE – A Central High School senior suspected of hitting a woman with his car Thursday night near Hexam Road shot and killed himself when authorities in Levy County pulled him over, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The woman, 21-year-old Alicia Anderson of Boston, Mass., was flown to Tampa General Hospital, where she was listed in serious condition.
Andrew Altringer, 18, was driving east on Meinert Avenue shortly after 10 p.m. when the 2008 Mazda he was driving left the roadway and struck Anderson, who was walking in the same direction, an FHP report states.
Altringer had a passenger in the car, 17-year-old Kyle Case of Brooksville, according to the report. Altringer did not stop or call for help, FHP said.
Shortly after 11 p.m., the Mazda was clocked traveling at 80 mph in a 45 mph zone in Inglis, according to a report from the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.
Altringer stopped when Levy County deputies and Inglis police officers attempted to pull him over. As officers approached the Mazda they heard “a loud gun shot,” the report states.
Officers found Altringer alone in the car, suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
He was taken to Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center in Crystal River where he was pronounced dead.
Anderson later filed a lawsuit against Altringer’s family seeking damages.
She also sued the convenience store that sold him alcohol earlier that evening, according to court records.
Feb. 11
Mother and boyfriend charged in abuse case
SPRING HILL – Deputies arrested a couple accused of confining and abusing a 16-year-old boy.
The victim, who is not identified in reports, came from Taiwan when he was 4 years old. His adoptive mother, Tailing Gigliotti, is also from Taiwan, but it’s unclear when she came to the United States or took custody of the victim.
Gigliotti moved to 13115 Whitmarsh St., south of Spring Hill Drive, about four years ago. Neighbors say her son was withdrawn and hesitant to talk with anyone.
“This kid has been through living hell,” Sheriff Richard Nugent said during a media conference, which grabbed national headlines.
According to an arrest report, the victim had not slept on a bed in three years. He was relegated to a sleeping bag in the hallway as punishment.
The bathroom window of the house was boarded up and metal “L” brackets bolted the door shut, deputies said.
Days prior to the arrest, the teenager was made to strip naked and was beaten with a three-foot plank of wood and a metal-tipped water hose, according to an arrest affidavit. His arms were bound with packing tape and a bungee cord formed a noose around his neck. The power was turned off to the bathroom, leaving the teen in total darkness, deputies said.
Gigliotti and her live-in boyfriend, Anton Angelo, were arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment.
Their trials are scheduled for February.
Feb. 19
Capt. Bierwiler dies in auto accident
BROOKSVILLE – A veteran law enforcement captain died in a head-on collision with a 16-year-old driver who had taken his parents’ car without permission, deputies said.
Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Scott Bierwiler, 42, died when a 2002 Mitsubishi Montero smashed head-on into his unmarked 1999 Ford Crown Victoria on Powell Road.
The father of three – two daughters and a son – was driving to work. He had supervised the operations bureau, which includes patrol, aviation and canine units, since January 2008.
Sheriff Richard Nugent fought back tears as he described speaking with Bierwiler’s mother and family to offer condolences. He called the captain a “consummate professional.”
“This is not how you expect for this to happen,” Nugent said. “It’s a loss for the community, for the agency and for his family.”
The Florida Highway Patrol said Andrew Morris of Weeki Wachee was driving the Mitsubishi, which crossed from the westbound lanes into eastbound traffic.
Morris, a student at nearby Nature Coast Technical High School, was treated and released from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa.
Bierwiler’s widow is suing the teenage driver facing criminal charges for the car crash that killed her husband.
The suit was filed in August. It also claims 17-year-old Andrew Morris’ parents, George and Andrea Lyle, are responsible for the crash.
Five months after the accident, Morris was arrested on charges of third-degree murder and grand theft auto. Because Morris was supposedly committing a felony at the time of the fatal crash, it elevated the driving charge to third-degree murder.
March 7
Springstead boys reach state finals
LAKELAND – For 31 1/2 games, no one could solve Springstead High and its stifling pressure defense.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, that one last half separated them from a perfect season and a state championship Saturday at The Lakeland Center’s George Jenkins Arena.
Springstead rushed out to a commanding 17-point lead in the first half, only to get out-scored 49-23 by Cocoa in the final two quarters to drop the Class 4A state title game, 75-60.
The Eagles (31-1) set a Hernando County record for wins and became the county’s first basketball team to ever advance to the state finals.
“To me, for these kids it’s commendable what they did,” said Springstead Head Coach Pat Kelly. “These kids committed and flowed and did a great job. For them, it’s unbelievable what they accomplished.”
March 24
County commissioners approve booze sales
BROOKSVILLE – County commissioners banked on the hope people’s taste for alcohol would stimulate the flow of money.
To test the waters, board members voted 4-1 to allow the sale of beer and wine at April 25’s Reggae Sunfest at Linda Pedersen Park in Hernando Beach. Commissioners said they would gauge that event to see if the sale of alcohol brings more money into county coffers and whether park officials can keep drunks from hitting the road.
It was the first time the county allowed the use of alcohol at county events. Parks and Recreation Director Pat Fagan said he thought long and hard before bringing it to the board.
The county reportedly netted $8,324 from the festival.
Alcohol also was served in September during the Bluesapalooza event at Anderson Snow Park.
April 13
NCT football coach resigns over alleged improprieties
BROOKSVILLE – Amidst allegations of sexual impropriety with a student, Nature Coast Technical High School football coach and physical education teacher Jamie Joyner resigned.
Joyner’s one-sentence resignation letter delivered to Nature Coast Principal Tizzy Schoelles did not give a reason for his departure.
Joyner, 34, was already on a paid suspension that took effect March 31 as the district investigated an off-campus meeting with an 18-year-old female Nature Coast student the previous week.
More than a week later, deputies discovered the student accompanying Joyner at a hotel near Ridge Manor.
No charges ever have been filed against Joyner, who refused to speak publically about the relationship.
April 17
Ingoglia becomes new GOP leader
BROOKSVILLE – Blaise Ingoglia, who made a name for himself locally in 2007 as the organizer of the Government Gone Wild seminars on government waste, was tapped to be the new leader of the county’s Republican Party.
The Hernando County Republican Executive Committee supported Ingoglia to succeed Ana Trinque, who decided in March to step down from the chairmanship to spend more time on her business and with family.
The party formed an exploratory committee to consider possible successors after Trinque announced she wouldn’t finish her two-year term. They approached Ingoglia. One other person was nominated, but that person stepped aside to support Ingoglia.
Ingoglia, 38, a professional poker player and frequent public speaker, is founder and president of Hartland Homes, a homebuilder in Spring Hill.
But he was probably best known in Hernando County for organizing the Government Gone Wild seminars that sought to point out instances of waste in local government. Some county officials criticized the seminars, questioning some of the facts and figures used in those presentations.
May 2009
May 1
20 Nature Coast high school students deemed ineligible
BROOKSVILLE On the heels of a highly publicized scandal that resulted in the resignation of its head football coach, Nature Coast Technical High School officials confirmed that 20 slots at the magnet school had been filled by ineligible students who live outside the county.
Students who live outside Hernando County are eligible to apply for enrollment at schools in Hernando County, but that excludes magnet schools, which have a specialized curricula.
May 13
County administrator chastised for hiring legal firm
BROOKSVILLE County Commissioner David Hamilton formally apologized to county commissioners and the public for not following protocol in hiring a legal firm to assist in union negotiations.
And county commissioners stressed they do not want a repeat of that breach, which also violated state law.
Or, as Commissioner Chairman David Russell more colorfully put it: “You have been (taken) to the woodshed.”
In April, Hamilton retained the services of Tampa-based Thompson, Sizemore, Gonzalez & Hearing to provide the county with “strategic advice” during initial collective bargaining sessions with the Teamsters.
The bill came to $2,186.61 and came out of the county’s Human Resources budget.
However, Hamilton retained the firm without getting prior approval from county commissioners.
That prompted a memo from the county legal department, advising Hamilton that he violated Florida Statutes stating that only county commissioners can retain legal counsel.
Hamilton told commissioners “there will be no further breaches of that protocol.”
May 27
Dredge project moves forward but at great cost
BROOKSVILLE In one fell swoop, county commissioners at a regular business meeting spent more than $6 million to move the Hernando County Beach dredge project forward.
They voted unanimously to pay $5 million to Jacksonville-based Subaqueous Services, the lowest bidder on the construction project.
Commissioners also voted 5-0 to pay the engineering consultant, The Halcrow Group, another $1 million, which more than doubles its contract.
After about 15 years of endless delays and litigation, work began on the dredge a couple of months later.
“This is a big day for us and a big day for Hernando county,” County Engineer Charles Mixson.
Mixson said the $1 million change order was necessary because much of the scope of the project, including seagrass mitigation, water sampling and monitoring, was not known at the time of the original bid.
Even with the $1 million hike, the project is still under the total $9 million budget, Mixson said.
Commissioners said they would keep residents informed during construction, which will widen and deepen the channel for boaters.
May 30
High school vandals get community service
BROOKSVILLE Fourteen Hernando High School seniors were allowed to graduate with the rest of their classmates but were directed to do 40 hours of community service before collecting the actual diploma.
The students had performed various acts of vandalism on the school a week earlier when they entered off hours and rearranged furniture, smeared petroleum jelly on the doors and rails.
Just what kind of punishment should be meted out to those students was the focus of much community debate leading up to graduation.
But then-School Superintendent Wayne Alexander agreed on the community service after talking with the students and meeting with other officials.
June 2009
June 5
Class valedictorian delivers revised graduation speech
SPRING HILL Valedictorian Jem Lugo delivered her commencement speech during graduation ceremonies at Springstead High School.
But it wasn’t her first choice of speech.
People in the audience anxiously waited to see if Lugo would defy the school principal and school superintendent and deliver her original speech, which they deemed too controversial.
Lugo was told to write another one or else another student – one with a lower grade-point average – would take her place.
Lugo gave a different speech but told Hernando Today her heart wasn’t in it. Hernando Today published her original speech online at hernandotoday.com.
June 10
Drug rehab gets turned down
BROOKSVILLE A drug rehabilitation center in Spring Hill was not allowed to expand.
County commissioners voted 4-1 to reject a special exception use permit which would have added three new buildings on a 3-acre site, increasing bed capacity from 22 to 54.
For 90 minutes, commissioners heard testimony from center officials and about 50 residents who live near the center off Cessna Drive in Spring Hill.
Neighbors feared an outbreak of robberies, mail theft and increased drug activity from the patients being treated for alcohol and drug addiction.
The president of Suncoast Rehabilitation Center, Eric Mitchell, discounted those fears and said rehab patients are there voluntarily and not court-ordered. He stressed there would be stringent security measures.
But commissioners decided the expansion would not fit in with the residential character of the neighborhood and that a substance abuse center does not conform to the original zoning category of the site, which was a congregate care facility.
Commissioner Rose Rocco said she was concerned when she rode by the center the other day and the entrance gate was wide open and people were “just sitting and doing whatever.”
June 13
House bill named after local official
BROOKSVILLE It’s common for state legislators to name a bill after a person who fought hard for its passage.
But it’s not every day when it happens to someone in Hernando County.
Well, that happened in June when Gov. Charlie Crist signed House Bill 73, also called the “Mike McHugh Act,” into law.
Named after Office of Business Development Director Michael McHugh, HB 73 requires the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and water management districts to adopt programs speeding up the process of permits for “target industry businesses.”
A “targeted industry business” is one that creates high-paying jobs, normally 115 percent of the average county wage. That translates to about $15 an hour or over $30,000 annually for Hernando County.
State Rep. Robert Schenck, who sponsored the bill, said he named it after McHugh because of his tireless efforts in economic development
“He identified this need so I thought it was just right to name it after him,” said Schenck, who had been trying three years to get this into law.
June 26
Weeki Wachee manager fired
WEEKI WACHEE The former manager at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park was fired after an investigation revealed he had sexually harassed a former mermaid, falsified payroll documents for an employee and physically threatened another.
Doug Tobin, a spokesman with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, confirmed that Tommy Ervin had been terminated.
Ervin had been working for the parks department since 1978 and took over Weeki Wachee Springs in November 2008 after it had become a state park.
“The report speaks for itself,” said Tobin, referring to the 86-page document that detailed the investigation by the Office of Inspector General in Tallahassee. “It goes to show this department was serious about the investigation.”
Specifically, Ervin was found guilty of official misconduct, violating the rules of a violence-free workplace and conduct unbecoming of a public employee, according to the report.
July 2009
July 3
Library fund mushrooms to $4 million
BROOKSVILLE County commissioners, who just learned that the local library officials had accumulated $4 million in state funds, asked whether it could reinstate local library hours and days that had been tampered with to save money.
Hernando County’s four main libraries were recently forced to reduce hours and close certain days due to the budget crunch.
But Hernando Today learned the library had a $4 million fund set aside in rolled-over state aid to library money and some questioned whether conditions were as dire as previously made out to be.
Commissioner David Russell and County Administrator David Hamilton met with the library director to discuss ways of using a chunk of that $4 million to hire additional personnel and keep the library open six days a week.
Recognizing that $4 million is a “significant amount,” Russell said the county could free up general fund money currently going to the library and use it to offset law enforcement costs.
Commissioners agreed to use that newfound money to reinstate library service hours. But it wouldn’t happen until later in the year because the idea somehow got pushed off commissioners’ radar.
July 4
Jail operator demands county release money
BROOKSVILLE The operator of the Hernando County Jail questioned the right of the county to withhold money it contends belongs to them.
Purchasing Director James Gantt sent Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) a letter saying the county will withhold $421,969 from its April billing because he believes the operator did not sufficiently compensate the county for helping add 104 new beds at the jail.
Gantt said he was merely enforcing the provisions of the contract.
But CCA didn’t see it that way.
Natasha Metcalf, CCA’s vice president for customer contracts, fired off a letter to Gantt, saying the county is in default of its contract and asking him to “immediately release the withheld funds.”
But the county did not back down.
During budget sessions in September, CCA – as part of a contract concession – agreed to not press the county for the $421,969.
July 21
New Target opens along Suncoast Parkway
BROOKSVILLE No more bumper-to-bumper drives along U.S. 19 and no more longing for a multi-purpose discount store in Brooksville not named Wal-Mart.
That was the consensus among the hundreds of shoppers this day who filed through the front doors of the newly opened Target at the Suncoast Crossing Shopping Center along Spring Hill Drive, on 11.75 acres next to Kohl’s.
Several Brooksville-area shoppers said they were relieved they no longer needed to endure the busier streets of Spring Hill nor travel into Pasco County to get the apparel, shoes jewelry, electronics, bedding and kitchen supplies they sought.
They also can buy groceries, Starbucks coffee and hot food at the new Target.
Job seekers packed the Career Central offices in late May as Target representatives collected resumes and applications and interviewed nearly 300 people. In the end, the store hired 160 employees, most of whom greeted the first swarm of shoppers Tuesday.
July 30
Swift, strong thunderstorms cripple county
SPRING HILL A line of swift, strong thunderstorms pounded Spring Hill for an hour on this summer day, causing localized flooding and power outages for 48 homes.
The storm came suddenly and struck around noon, catching drivers and residents by surprise.
Julie Goodrich was blow-drying her daughter’s hair around 12:30 p.m. when she was startled by a loud bang.
“It shook the whole house,” Goodrich said.
As Goodrich tried to find the source of the noise, she began to smell the strong odor of smoke. She rushed out of her house at 1026 Stillwater Ave. into the rain and noticed smoke coming out of the roof.
Firefighters rushed to the home south of Spring Hill Drive, near Cobblestone Drive, and extinguished a blaze in the garage. A tree directly next to the home bore fresh marks of a lightning strike. A fire official on scene was fairly certain lightning was to blame.
Meanwhile, as pouring rain flooded streets, a tree toppled over in the lawn of 3441 Chadwick Ave., off Landover Boulevard, near Springstead High School.
The branches snagged power lines on the way down and dropped them into about five front yards on Chadwick.
August 2009
Aug. 6
Ax falls on county managers
BROOKSVILLE The streamlining ax fell heavily at county government as County Administrator David Hamilton laid out a plan that would eliminate high-level managerial positions, cut salaries and assign more duties to remaining directors.
The two biggest moves: cutting Deputy Administrator Larry Jennings’ and Budget & Finance Director George Zoettlein’s positions and merging them into one.
The minimal savings the county would accrue from hiring one person to take on dual responsibilities would be $100,000 annually, Hamilton said.
The announcement left Zoettlein’s job in jeopardy.
But in October, county commissioners gave Zoettlein a larger cushion of job security.
They voted 5-0 to have the administrator develop a revised job description for the budget director position, incorporating some of the duties of deputy county administrator, a title eliminated with the retirement of Larry Jennings.
With the extra duties, Zoettlein will assume a greater role in the leadership team, which meets regularly to make policy recommendations and report back to county commissioners.
Aug. 7
56 government employees sign up for early leave
BROOKSVILLE County government employees had until 5 p.m. today to apply for the early leave incentive program, offered to those with at least six years of service.
The final tally was 56.
Applying for the cash-out program were some big names, including Community Relations Coordinator Brenda Frazier, Parks Director Pat Fagan and Assistant County Engineer Gregg Sutton.
But those managers, and many of the other applicants, eventually took their names off the program.
Human Resources Director Cheryl Marsden stressed that many of the people who applied may have done so as “placeholders” and applicants had 45 days to take their name off the list.
They were testing the waters, so to speak, to see how deep commissioners would cut budgets during the summer.
Aug 7
Arc Nature Coast breaks ground on shelter
SPRING HILL The Arc Nature Coast hosted a groundbreaking ceremony this day for its new education center and regional evacuation shelter.
Local residents with developmental disabilities will use it everyday for wellness programs and education. They also will have it in case Hernando County is ravaged with another natural disaster.
“Right now we lease space on U.S. 19 and we service a lot of people there,” said Arc Nature Coast President Mark Barry. “Having the additional training space was needed so we could get out of that leased space.”
Most of the construction – $1.1 million out of the $1.5 million – will be paid for through emergency management funds. The remaining $400,000 will be raised through donations, Barry said.
The building will be located at the corner of Mariner Boulevard at Partridge Street, three blocks south of Cortez Boulevard.
It will be the first regional evacuation shelter and education center of its kind in Florida, Barry said.
Aug. 12
Fire board reverses vote on tax
SPRING HILL To the fire chief, it was a “dead issue.”
He said so at least six times. He made sure the board could read his lips. There were going to be no new taxes for local businesses.
That didn’t stop the board of fire commissioners to vote 4-0 this day to rescind a controversial resolution from three weeks earlier that lingered in the public’s minds and drew the ire of local business owners and county lawmakers.
At their previous meeting July 22, the board asked to explore the possibility of a tangible personal property tax on local businesses. It voted 4-1 to do so.
Fire commissioner Rob Giammarco cast the dissenting vote. He was the one who recommended the board vote on it again Wednesday after mulling it over for three weeks.
The room was packed with residents, many of whom voiced their displeasure with the resolution before the latest vote.
Had the tax, known as TPP, been implemented, it would not have affected all businesses, merely those with tangible property worth more than $25,000.
Tangible property is defined as any furniture, fixtures or equipment used for business and commercial use, whether it is owned or leased.
By law, the district cannot institute such a tax.
September 2009
Sept. 5
County reacts
to Obama’s school speech
President Barack Obama’s nationally televised speech to students created a firestorm of controversy among Hernando County residents as well as others nationwide who claimed the president was using the event to push his own political agenda.
School officials reported that they were deluged with phone calls from parents. At least one school contacted didn’t show the live 15- to 20-minute speech that was broadcast on C-SPAN.
Even the Republican Executive Committee issued a statement urging parents to be wary.
While Interim Superintendent Sonya Jackson said students should have the option to opt out of watching the broadcast, Pinegrove Elementary Principal Earl Deen decided not to allow students to watch the broadcast.
Other principals asked parents to fill out permission slips allowing their children to opt out of watching the broadcast while other middle school principals also opted not to broadcast it, since the message didn’t follow into the school’s curriculum.
Both local Republican and Democratic Party chairmen issued statements as well citing reasons for or against allowing students to watch the broadcast.
The issue was similar to President George H.W. Bush’s school broadcast in 1991. Critics also blasted him and accused him of spreading a political agenda.
Sept. 11
Board raises questions
over document shredding
An investigation began over who destroyed vital public documents that could have been used as evidence in a highly publicized civil case involving two students who were ordered to transfer out of the magnet high school because they didn’t live within the district as required.
Instead, board members voted 3-2 to reinstate the students because they didn’t have the information.
It is not known whether Margaret “Tizzy” Schoelles, who was principal at Nature Coast when roughly two dozen out-of-county students were in attendance and-or graduated, shredded the documents herself.
Schoelles was transferred during the summer and is the current principal at Fox Chapel Middle School. She has denied multiple requests for an interview.
Board members were critical about the nature of the shredding and suspected it was done soon after the controversy was made public and an investigation already had begun.
Sept. 16
City DPW director fired,
blames misunderstanding
Following his firing as City Department of Public Works, Emory Pierce claims his getting let go was the result of a misunderstanding.
Pierce was placed on paid administrative leave Aug. 3 when an investigation was opened into the ongoing construction of a walking trail under his supervision.
“It was very unreasonable,” said Pierce, who characterized his termination as a “witch hunt.”
However, City Manager Jennene Norman-Vacha concluded Pierce was dishonest.
The trouble started with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, or Swiftmud, the state agency that regulates projects with potentially harmful effects on the environment. Pierce said he acquired an exemption from Swiftmud for the work on the Good Neighbor Trail, but not a full-fledged permit.
There were also a few other shortcuts to meet a deadline that would allow the city to keep more than $100,000 in state grant money that is funding the project. One of those shortcuts included dumping 90 cubic yards of fill dirt on the property in anticipation of leveling out some of the trail’s grade, which requires a permit.
October
Oct. 1
Activist spurs death inquiry,
is said to hound witnesses
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office opened an internal investigation into the death of a fugitive who drowned Sept. 10 in Hunter’s Lake in response to a civic activist’s claims of a cover-up.
However, investigators later found that political activist Brian Moore “hounded” witnesses and tried to get them to describe something they didn’t see, according to an internal affairs investigation into the drowning death of James “Little Man” Rayford.
Rayford, who was on Pasco County’s most-wanted list, was being sought for various drug and fleeing charges. When found fishing in a johnboat on Sept. 10 at Hunters Lake, Rayford reportedly headed toward an island on the lake. When the Hernando County sheriff’s helicopter approached him, he jumped into the water on his own, according to the report.
However, Moore, who lives nearby but did not see the incident, claimed the helicopter bumped Rayford’s boat and that the pilot went after him in a menacing manner.
After witnesses didn’t back up his claims, Moore contacted one couple and left a message telling them they don’t, “have the backbone or the integrity or the wherewithal to take a stand and speak up for this man.”
Two days after deputies converged on Hunters Lake, Rayford’s body was found. A medical examiner determined no foul play and said there were no signs of trauma consistent with what Moore claimed.
Moore claimed he would not let the incident rest and would write a letter to the Department of Justice.
Oct. 2
Baby’s death brings
murder indictment
David McBurnett Jr., 19, was indicted for first-degree murder in the beating death of his girlfriend’s 1-year-old son, Hunter Morris. The child, who suffered internal bleeding, a rib fracture and “numerous contusions,” died in the hospital on Sept. 12.
McBurnett was arrested by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 11.
The child’s mother, Breanna Underwood, was not charged.
The alleged beatings occurred between March 2009 and Sept. 10 while McBurnett lived with Underwood and her son on Geronimo Street.
The child’s mother told investigators McBurnett struck the victim on “numerous” occasions because the boy was crying, a report states. McBurnett used his fists, a sandal and a remote control to hit him and would occasionally squeeze the boy’s face, according to a report.
In an interview with detectives, McBurnett admitted to the acts and said he did it to make the child stop crying, according to a report.
The grand jury also indicted McBurnett for aggravated child abuse.
Oct. 16
Board rebuffs manager’s advice
The rejections of the county administrator’s suggestions to reduce the budget left at least one county commissioner hopeful it wasn’t a sign commissioners were undermining him-a mistake made with two prior administrators.
In October, board members rejected their administrator’s recommendations on two key issues:
They abolished the two standing committees David Hamilton created in March to vet budget and economic issues before they reached a voting meeting.
Commissioners voted 3-2 to reconsider the idea of eliminating the position of budget director George Zoettlein after three members, Rose Rocco, Jeff Stabins and Jim Adkins, thought it was not a good move now.
Hamilton recommended merging the budget director and deputy county administrator position to save money.
The month prior, commissioners disregarded many of Hamilton’s streamlining recommendations, which included reducing the size of government broadcasting, and eliminating top managerial positions such as assistant county engineer and the recreation director. Both positions were retained.
County Commission Chairman Dave Russell said at that time that board members should allow Hamilton to do his job and follow his cost-saving recommendations.
Hamilton said he doesn’t believe there is a disconnect between himself and the county commissioners.
However, Commissioner Jeff Stabins admitted there is some friction between the board and Hamilton but nothing that can’t be resolved.
Oct. 20
Pot smoking teacher
now head of the class
A teacher who admitted to smoking marijuana remains employed with the school district, but not in the same school or as a drug prevention educator.
However, comments made to a St. Petersburg newspaper about his transfer to the STAR Education Center almost cost him his second chance after board members interpreted those comments to mean he believed the transfer was a punishment and that he didn’t want to be there.
However, both sides eventually agreed in December for Michael Provost to stay employed after he apologized yet again for his actions and promised to better represent himself and the school district.
Provost was previously employed at D.S. Parrott Middle School as a health, career education and physical education teacher – a large part of which was drug prevention.
Provost was originally suspended after an anonymous tipster reported to the district she had seen Provost smoking marijuana. He later admitted to smoking the drug and also failed a drug test.
With the agreement, Provost will receive $14,542.31 in back pay and benefits up to late November. He also has to undergo random drug tests at his expense and complete a drug treatment program or counseling.
The sparring match between Supervisor of Elections Annie Williams intensified last fall after Williams asked for more money from county commissioners who ordered her to instead shave $43,000 from her $1.056 million budget.
How that should be done continues to be debated.
In October, Williams approached commissioners asking for more funding needed to operate the 2010 elections. What happened instead was the start of a back-and-forth struggle between Williams and commissioners about how her department should be funded and operated.
Williams claims she is bound by Florida Statutes to run her department.
However, Commissioner Jeff Stabins and others agreed her budget needs to be cut. When he offered suggestions on how that should be done, Williams responded by saying they were absurd and took exception to him trying to help.
When asked if she plans to make any additional cuts or trim her salary further, Williams said she is sticking by her current plan of reductions.
“It is what it is,” she said.
She added she may approach county commissioners in the future if it becomes necessary to obtain more money to run her department.
In response, Stabins said he can say “no” in four different languages.
The budget issue will likely come to a head in 2010 when Williams’ budget runs low.
Oct. 30
Fleet manager admits to kickbacks
Based on documents obtained by Hernando Today, the county’s now former fleet director was discovered to be taking kickbacks on the side from a parts supplier.
Just two hours after admitting to the deed, Stepongzi was escorted out of the department of public works building. He resigned a day later.
Stepongzi also received a scathing job performance review on his last evaluation in June and was warned of termination if he didn’t improve.
The evaluation also lays the blame of a huge $350,000 department deficit squarely on Stepongzi’s shoulders.
Stepongzi said he started receiving money in December 2008 and the payments continued through July 2009. During that time, he purchased five GPS units for the county for a total $3,321. He said the company cut him checks for each sold unit and he pocketed a total of $332.
Vulocity also charged the fleet department $2,691 for an annual subscription for the GPS units. Stepongzi said he did not receive payments from those fees.
Stepongzi said he does not believe his actions rise to the level of kickbacks because the Vulocity checks were paid to him on the side and did not affect the ultimate cost of the monitoring devices.
He instead called it a “side business.” He also stressed that Vulocity was the lowest bidder for the GPS units.
Following two months investigation, it appears former Stepongzi’s personal payments on the side were confined to only one parts supplier.
But that could change pending more probing by the sheriff’s office and the state attorney’s office.
November
Nov. 11
County OKs deferral of commercial impact fees
After months of discussion, county commissioners unanimously voted to adopt an ordinance that allows commercial and industrial builders to defer payment of impact fees that total in excess of $25,000 for up to three years.
County Commissioner John Druzbick said it will be a “tremendous tool” to encourage large and small businesses to relocate to Hernando County.
The ordinance established a $25,000 threshold for commercial and industrial projects. The ordinance would allow developers to defer the payment of impact fees up to three years with a nominal interest rate.
Payment of the total impact fee plus interest would be due in full at the end of the deferral period but no longer than three years.
County officials hope this will act as an incentive to spur new development.
Following commissioners’ vote, officials from both the Hernando County School District and City of Brooksville approved to go along with similar agreements for one year, after which the measure would be reconsidered for approval.
Nov 13
Pastor drops complaint against police
Brooksville police officers were cleared of any wrongdoing after a man dropped a complaint claiming he was unduly singled out due to his race.
Elijah Harris, a black pastor and corrections officer, accused the police of racially profiling him and that he was wrongly singled out when police responded to an armed robbery the night of Nov. 11 at Little Caesars Pizza.
Harris had just opened the front door to go outside when police ordered him to get down. He stepped backward into the store and got on the floor. Two of the employees told the police officers the suspects had fled the scene and the officers left.
Harris said he had the impression that he was the only one among a crowd of people ordered to drop to the floor. As it turned out, there was no crowd at all.
After watching the police video, Harris recanted and later denied accusing the police of racial profiling.
Brooksville Police Chief George Turner also cleared his officers of any wrongdoing.
December
Questionable fundraising through fire union
Hernando Today revealed in December that a telemarketing firm that solicits donations from area residents in the name of helping charities through two firefighter unions in Hernando County keeps roughly 85 percent of the proceeds – meaning that only 15 cents for every dollar collected went to charities.
The firm, Bay Area Council Inc., collected about $2.3 million in donations from area residents from 2004-07 but distributed only $348,000 to its eight union affiliates. The company let its registration lapse earlier this year and still has not submitted 2008 figures. Nowhere on its application to the state did company officials claim they were collecting for charities. It did not apply for tax-exempt status.
In response, area charity organizers called the fund-raising practice “predatory,” “cold and impersonal.”
Even a spokesperson of the American Lung Association – which came under fire recently following news reports out of Boston that claimed the agency hoarded most of the funds it collected through its phone-soliciting campaign – admitted the best practice was to donate to a cause directly.
Following the media reports, at no time have fire union heads declared they would end the telemarketing practice or stop using Bay Area Council Inc.
