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By TIMES WIRES
Published October 10, 2006

Jail inmate accused of having sex with girl, 13

LECANTO - A man serving time in the county jail on petty theft charges was arrested on more serious charges after a 13-year-old girl told detectives that she had sex with him. Robert Juan Jernigan III, 21, of Inverness was charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a child. A sheriff's spokeswoman said the girl told detectives that she and Jernigan had sex twice. Another person was also being sought as a suspect in the case, the spokeswoman said. Jernigan's bail is $10,000 on the lewd and lascivious battery charge.

Man charged with burglary at tiki bar

CRYSTAL RIVER - A man was arrested and accused of stealing money from a waterfront tiki bar. Artis Garlawrence Berlin, 43, of Havana, Fla., was charged with burglary Sunday. Crystal River police were investigating a burglary at Cravings on the Water. The security guard said he saw Berlin near the restaurant after discovering the break-in. Police spoke with him, searched him and found $200 and some rolled coins, which matched the amount of money reportedly missing from the restaurant. Berlin told police that the money, including the rolled coins, came from a check he had cashed. He was charged with burglary and was released from jail Monday after posting bail.

County, utility work to finalize transfer details

INVERNESS - County officials and representatives of the Florida Governmental Utility Authority have almost hammered out all of the details of the agreement that would transfer control of the utility's 11 Citrus systems to the county. "I think we're very close to being able to package everything up now," County Attorney Robert "Butch" Battista said Monday. He said commissioners will likely have a chance to consider the agreement and detailed due diligence information in early November. Earlier this month, FGUA attorney Brian Armstrong sent a letter criticizing county consultant John Jenkins for not doing enough to review FGUA files. "Despite the fact that FGUA staff has informed you for many months that all documents in its possession are available for typical due diligence review, neither you nor anyone else from your office has spent even a minute at the (FGUA's) Longwood office reviewing those documents," Armstrong wrote. But Battista said Jenkins and county officials reviewed those documents last week. And he said the county has gone to great lengths to examine the FGUA's Citrus systems both in the field and on paper.

correction

Marcia Sabatula is the volunteer administrative assistant at Jessie's Place, the Citrus County Children's Advocacy Center. Because of incorrect information provided to the Times, her name was misspelled in Saturday's Citrus Times.

[Last modified October 10, 2006, 06:30:41]