Citrus digest

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 3, 2000

Man charged in shooting at Crystal River bar

DUNNELLON -- Authorities stormed a home on Sunday to arrest a suspect in a Crystal River bar shooting the night before. Ken DiFranco, 43, of 3219 W Dunnellon Road was being held in Marion County on a charge of aggravated battery. Citrus County sheriff's deputies say he shot Frank David, 56, of Crystal River twice in the leg during a dispute at the Happi Tyme Bar, on County Road 495. Sheriff's spokeswoman Ronda Hemminger Evan said David's injuries were not life threatening. Police say DiFranco argued with David and a woman Saturday night. The men went outside, exchanged shoves, and shots were fired, Evan said. No weapon has been recovered, though investigators believe it may have been a .38-caliber handgun. Investigators were tipped that DiFranco was at 13900 SE Highway 484 in Dunnellon. Citrus and Marion County deputies surrounded the home at 4 p.m. Sunday, and hostage negotiators with the Marion Sheriff's Office tried to contact him. They fired tear gas into the home, and when DiFranco did not emerge, the Marion SWAT team entered and found DiFranco in the attic. He was being held on $15,000 bail on the aggravated battery charge and a charge of failing to make a court appearance on an invalid driver's license charge. He was expected to be taken to the Citrus County Detention Facility.

Pilot says he ran out of fuel as he tried to find airport

HOMOSASSA -- The Citrus County Sheriff's Office identified the pilot of a single-engine plane that crashed in a residential area Saturday as Alan Fearns, 70, of 1031 N Carney Ave., Lecanto. Fearns was treated and released from Seven Rivers Community Hospital, authorities said. Fearns told deputies that his plane got above the clouds at roughly 800 feet and that he couldn't see the Crystal River Airport as he approached to land. He circled several times until he could see the airport, but said he ran out of fuel. He told deputies that he attempted to land the plane on South Dell Point, but clipped a tree and struck a home, causing minor damage and not hurting anyone.

Candy representative says needle came from elsewhere

HERNANDO -- A quality control representative of World's Finest Chocolate Inc. has examined a needle found in a candy bar sold as part of a school fundraiser and concluded that the object could not have gotten into the product during the manufacturing process, a company spokesman said Monday. The Citrus County Sheriff's Office is investigating how the needle ended up in a candy bar sold to a Crystal River woman as part of a Hernando Elementary School safety patrol fundraiser last week. The school has asked for the return of all the candy bars. "Clearly the object would have been detected in our manufacturing process," said company spokesman Peter Barry. Metal detectors, screens and magnets used in the process would have discovered the needle if it was present. "There is no evidence to point to anything other than the fact that this was an isolated incident," Barry said.

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