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Citrus digest
By Times staff writers Animal Control has new headINVERNESS -- Xan (pronounced "Zann") Rawls started last week as Citrus County's new Animal Control director. Rawls held the same post in Brevard County from 1987 to 1992, and she most recently served as vice president and intake coordinator of Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida, a nonprofit group that coordinates dog adoptions. She started July 8 and will earn $40,326 annually. The county received about 40 applications and interviewed 13 candidates for the position. Rawls replaces Hank Baggett, the previous director who was fired in May after failing to tell supervisors he shot a feral cat out of a tree. Inverness has new official, tooINVERNESS -- Kenneth Koch, a planner with 25 years of experience in several Florida communities, started work this week as Inverness' new director of Development Services. Koch started his career as a city planner in Orlando, and later served for 13 years as Flagler County's director of planning and zoning. Most recently, he was the community development director for Cocoa Beach. The city had about 20 applicants for the position, which pays $48,000. Koch will handle planning and code enforcement issues for Inverness, replacing Hilbert Staton, who recently retired. Vote delayed on Florida Water purchaseBARTOW -- The Florida Governmental Utility Authority, a four-county coalition angling to buy Florida Water Services, delayed voting Thursday on the pending $520-million deal that would include utility systems in Spring Hill and Citrus County. FGUA officials are continuing negotiations with Florida Water in the hopes of lowering the purchase price and gaining the support of the local governments affected by the deal, said Citrus County Administrator Richard Wesch, an FGUA board member. The coalition hopes to have a finalized deal ready by its next meeting Aug. 29, he said, and a public hearing will be held sometime in September. Under the proposal, the FGUA would issue bonds to buy Florida Water's holdings statewide; local governments could then take over the systems in their area by assuming the bond debt. The group passed a resolution Thursday allowing local governments to opt out of the deal if they do not want the FGUA to purchase the Florida Water system in their area. Rabies feared in forest dog biteA man was bitten by a dog Saturday in the Withlacoochee State Forest on the game reserve off Trail 13, according to the Department of Public Safety, Animal Control. The bite took place near the caves close to Tillis Hill Campground. The animal is described as a large blond or tan Labrador or Lab mix. If the dog is not found by Tuesday, the man will have to have rabies vaccinations. If you have any information about the dog, call Citrus County Animal Control at 726-7660. Results say impact likely killed manateeCRYSTAL RIVER -- The full-grown female manatee found dead in Kings Bay on Wednesday appears to have been killed by an impact, according to the preliminary necropsy results released by the Florida Marine Research Institute on Thursday. The animal had multiple fractures and dislocated ribs, indicating it was struck by something, said Allison McDonald, spokeswoman for the institute. The manatee was producing milk at the time of her death but indications were that her calf was likely a year old and able to survive on its own, McDonald said. State records indicate that four other manatees have been found dead in Citrus waters through June, with one other death caused by a boat and another death also human-related. Last year, there were 10 manatees found dead in Citrus waters. The state reports 208 manatees have been found dead through June. Sixty-two of those deaths are attributed to collisions with watercraft.
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