Digest

By Times Staff
Published June 21, 2006

Hearing on plea in vehicular homicide case is rescheduled

INVERNESS - The next court hearing for William Thornton will be at 2:30 p.m. July 26, according to court records. Thornton was supposed to be in court at 9 a.m. today to ask a judge for permission to withdraw his plea to two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of driving without a license. But the hearing has been postponed. Circuit Judge Ric Howard sentenced Thornton, 18, to serve a 30-year prison term for the crimes after Thornton pleaded no contest. He declined a trial and did not have a plea bargain with prosecutors; sentencing was left up to the judge.

Initiative of Sheriff's Office encourages safe gun storage

INVERNESS - The Citrus County Sheriff's Office will be giving away gun locks and gun safety materials today as part of "Just ASK" day. The event is part of a campaign to encourage parents to secure guns that are within easy reach of children. The Sheriff's Office operations center is at 1 Dr. Martin Luther King Ave., Inverness, and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WEATHER

TODAY: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a high around 91. Calm wind becoming northwest between 6 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

TONIGHT: Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 8 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low near 72. North-northwest wind between 3 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

THURSDAY: Isolated showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a high around 90. North-northwest wind between 3 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.