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2 men injured in 15-foot fall from platform

By TIMES WIRES
Published December 27, 2006

Two workers fell 15 to 20 feet from scaffolding Tuesday afternoon and were taken by helicopters to Shands at the University of Florida at Gainesville. The men were working on a house when the accident happened about 1:50 p.m. Wayne Martin, operations chief for Nature Coast Emergency Medical Services, said the men fell onto a brick surface. Shands is one of several hospitals to which patients with significant trauma injuries are taken.

Schools improve holidays for needy

Schools helped brighten the holidays for needy people in the community, including some of their own. Students and staff members organized food and clothing drives and raised thousands of dollars to give to the less fortunate. Here are some of the highlights:

- Bus drivers bought gifts and collected food for needy children who ride their buses. One driver knitted an octopus scarf for a student who uses a wheelchair and a pink fuzzy scarf for another disabled student. Several drivers participated in a Santa biker run.

- District office staff members and several schools raised money for the Shop With a Cop program. Deputies accompany children on a shopping spree to Wal-Mart and pick out gifts. In addition, families are provided with holiday meals with all the trimmings.

- Maintenance workers "adopted" three needy children and raised $400 to buy them gifts.

- Pleasant Grove Elementary counselors made snow angels for 84 children, and the student council stuffed socks with food and other staples for the homeless.

- Rock Crusher Elementary students visited nursing homes and sang for the elderly. The school also bought gifts for them.

- Citrus High raised money for two teachers who are battling cancer. The school gave each one $300 in "dinners to go" from an Ocala business that makes the ready-to-eat-meals.

- Crystal River High raised almost $2,000 for more than 40 students who don't have adequate homes. The fundraiser included selling Applebee's gift cards.

Fairgrounds to host tractor pull

There will be a tractor pull Jan. 26-28 at the Citrus County Fairgrounds. Advance one-day tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children. Two-day passes are $15 and $7; three-day passes are $23 and $10. Call 726-2993 or go to www. citruscountyfair.com.

[Last modified December 26, 2006, 20:11:57]