Citrus: Citrus digest

INVERNESS -- Assistant State Attorney Jeffery Smith sent a letter to Christina Ann Radford, warning her to send her 10-year-old daughter to school. Radford's daughter continued to be truant from Pleasant Grove Elementary School, Smith said, and now the 37-year-old Inverness resident has been charged with four counts of failing to keep her child in school. She was being held Friday at the Citrus County jail in lieu of $1,000 bail. If convicted, she could be forced to pay $500 for each count, Smith said. According to Smith's March 15 letter, Radford's daughter missed more than 15 days between Sept. 10 and Dec. 5. No criminal action was taken then because Radford said she planned to teach her child at home. Parents who opt to homeschool have 30 days to present the school system with a plan on how they will proceed. Radford never submitted any paperwork, Smith said. Meanwhile, the child was absent from school from December through April, he said.

Burn ban imposed due to dryness

LECANTO -- Due to extremely dry and windy conditions, Citrus County residents have been placed under a burn ban until further notice, county public safety director Charles Poliseno said Friday. Residents caught burning leaves in their back yards or burning yard waste in barrels or a pit could face a $500 fine and 60 days in jail, Poliseno said. The ban was imposed to decrease the chance of a wildfire, which become more common during dry months. Poliseno said the rain predicted for this weekend won't be enough to ease the extremely dry conditions. "It doesn't appear that we will be getting a substantial enough amount of rain."

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