The Memorial Day holiday will soon be here, and it is one of the busiest times of the year for boaters. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and the Southwest Florida Water Management District have partnered to share tips for users of boats, kayaks and other watercraft. These important reminders will not only keep you safe...
May 25, 2022
Category: Community News
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FDA OK’s Pfizer booster shots for kids ages 5-11
FOX NEWS — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Tuesday that it had amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, allowing the use of a single booster dose in children ages 5 to 11. The shot would be given at least five months after completion of a primary series...
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SWFWMD criteria for minimum wetland, lake levels
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will hold an independent, scientific peer review of wetland-based criteria for use in establishing minimum wetland and lake levels beginning this month. A minimum level is the level of groundwater in an aquifer or the level of surface water at which further withdrawals would be significantly harmful to the water...
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FWC reaches major milestone with release of genetically pure hatchery-raised shoal bass
Freshwater fisheries researchers and managers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) successfully released 3,300 hatchery-raised shoal bass fingerlings (young fish) into the Chipola River in May. In 2018, Hurricane Michael depleted more than 90% of the shoal bass population in the Chipola River. As a direct management action following the hurricane, the...
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Building a better community with youth safety
By Marnie Ward, Ph.D. Long shadows were forming under the live oak trees at Florida Best Blueberry Farm, as families and volunteers gathered for the first Citrus County 4-H Progressive Agriculture Safety event. Each year, Progressive Agriculture Safety Days© reach tens of thousands of kids across the United States and Canada with potential life-saving education....
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Broward wildlife dealer, company sentenced in scheme to harvest, sell Florida turtles
MIAMI – A federal district judge in Miami has sentenced Michael Van Nostrand, 55, of Davie, Florida and Strictly Reptiles, Inc., a company also located in Davie, for their roles in a scheme to unlawfully enrich themselves and others by smuggling illegally-harvested Florida turtles out of the United States and into China, Japan, and other...
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Innovative nutrient reduction project begins on Lake Okeechobee
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is leading a new, innovative project to remove invasive aquatic plants and evaluate nutrients removed to improve water quality in Lake Okeechobee in south Florida. This effort is part of the FWC’s strategy to use a variety of tools and explore new techniques to best manage for...
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1 dead after deputy-involved shooting on March 25
A Dunnellon man was killed on March 25 after showing a gun and being shot dead on the scene. At approximately 5:30 p.m. on March 25, Citrus County Sheriff’s Office deputies initially responded to a residence off of North Windbreak Terrace in Dunnellon in response to a disturbance and verbal altercation. Upon arrival, deputies met...
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Missing Marion County couple found safe
The Marion County’s Sheriff’s office on Tuesday afternoon reported that an Ocala couple reported as missing have been found is safe. The Citrus County and Marion County Sheriff’s Offices were looking for the couple, who went on a trip to visit family but apparently never made it to their destination. Deputies said that Wendall and...
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Law enforcement looking for missing Ocala couple
The Citrus County and Marion County Sheriff’s Offices are looking for a missing elderly Ocala couple who went on a trip to visit family but apparently never made it to their destination. Deputies said that Wendall and Joan Crist left a home on Southwest 95th Ave in Ocala to meet family in Ft. Lauderdale, but...