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  • Citizens Demand Body Worn Cameras After Violent Arrest Video Emerges

    Tom Lemons, June 30, 2024|Updated Jun 30, 2024
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    BROOKSVILLE – Cellphone video has emerged that has some residents wondering if two Hernando County Sheriff's Deputies went too far in arresting a bicyclist over an equipment violation. Full Video The incident took place around 10:30 p.m. on June 19th while Deputy Dennis Castillo was on patrol in the area US-41 and John Garry Grubbs Blvd. According to an arrest affidavit, Deputy Castillo conducted a traffic stop on a male subject riding a bicycle at the 7-Eleven located at 7...

  • Commissioners Decide Fate of Historic Spring Hill Waterfall

    Tom Lemons, June 30, 2024|Updated Jun 30, 2024

    BROOKSVILLE – Earlier this month the Hernando Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) opened debate over what should be done with the historic Spring Hill Waterfall located at the intersection of Spring Hill Drive and Commercial Way. During the June 11th meeting, commissioners weighed the option of demolishing the waterfall and replacing it with a more modern structure but that didn't sit well with local residents. Following the meeting, grumblings over the BOCC considering t...

  • Dade City Man Dies in Motorcycle Crash

    Tom Lemons, June 30, 2024|Updated Jun 30, 2024

    RIDGE MANOR – The Florida Highway Patrol is reporting the death of motorcyclist who was killed Saturday on Cortez Blvd. According to officials, a GMC pickup truck driven by a 67-year-old Webster man was pulling out of the solid waste station on Cortez Blvd and failed to yield to a motorcycle traveling eastbound. As a result, the motorcycle collided with the truck, critically injuring a 56-year-old Dade City man. The driver was pronounced deceased after being transported to a...

  • Woman Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2022 Murder of Detention Deputy

    Tom Lemons, June 29, 2024|Updated Jun 30, 2024

    CITRUS COUNTY – The Citrus County Sheriff's Office has announced the conviction of a woman who shot and killed her ex-boyfriend, a Marion County Detention Deputy. On August 19, 2022, deputies responded to a residence on Pine Ridge Estates due to reports of a suicide. Prior to their arrival deputies were advised 31-year-old Cory Schweitzer had an apparent gunshot wound and was not breathing. Once first responders arrived at the residence, they pronounced the victim to be d...

  • Spring Hill Woman Charged with Multiple Counts of Arson, Jealously Possible Motive

    Tom Lemons, June 27, 2024|Updated Jun 29, 2024

    SPRING HILL – A Spring Hill woman was arrested on Wednesday after officials say she set several fires inside Bridgewater Club Loop Apartments. According to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, on June 10th a male victim contacted the agency after discovering the windshield of his vehicle was damaged and that it appeared to have been set fire. On June 17th, the same victim reported that his driver-side window had been smashed and the rear seat had burn marks. During the i...

  • Tampa Free Press And R News Join Forces To Deliver Comprehensive Local, State, and National News Coverage

    Tom Lemons, June 27, 2024|Updated Jun 27, 2024

    NEWS PROVIDED BY The Free Press June 27, 2024, 13:16 GMT Tampa Free Press, R News TAMPA, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, June 27, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In an exciting move to bolster local journalism and expand national reach, the Tampa Free Press and R News today announced a strategic partnership. This collaboration will combine the strengths of both organizations to deliver in-depth, high-quality news coverage to audiences across the Tampa Bay region and beyond. "This...

  • Here Comes the Sahara Desert

    Tom Lemons, June 24, 2024|Updated Jun 24, 2024

    FLORIDA – The Sarah Desert is headed to Florida over the next week. In an event that meteorologists say is nothing new, westerly winds carry over 180 tons of dust across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Gulf of Mexico each year. Experts say most of the dust remains aloft between 5,000 and 15,000 feet and has both positive and negative effects on Florida. Positives: • Can weaken tropical systems and lower activity because the dry Saharan air layer contains 50% lower hum...

  • Multiple Gender Options Removed from Student Website Following Complaint

    Tom Lemons, June 24, 2024|Updated Jun 24, 2024

    HERNANDO – A glitch in the system is what sources say allowed the Hernando County School District's student enrollment website to show multiple gender options. A parent complained and the problem went away. On Friday, R News received a screenshot of the Winding Waters K-8 Skyward Information System showing a drop-down list that allowed students to choose between Agender (no gender at all), Cis gender, Female, Male, Non-Binary, Pan gender, or unreported. The parent who sent the...

  • Is Sheriff Nienhuis Using Identity Politics to Pander Black and Christian Voters?

    Tom Lemons, June 23, 2024|Updated Jun 24, 2024

    HERNANDO – Politicians use various tactics to earn the trust of voters during an election year. A Republican candidate might make promises to their base that reflect traditional conservative values, like lowering taxes and reducing the size of government. A Democrat might build their platform on important liberal issues, like protecting abortion rights and stiffening laws on gun control. Whether or not they keep their promises is irrelevant because it's the vote that c...

  • Several Subjects in Custody After Raid on Hudson Home, Possible Shooting Suspects

    Tom Lemons, June 21, 2024|Updated Jun 21, 2024

    UPDATE: The following is a statement from the Pasco Sheriff's Office: Update: Pasco Sheriff’s Office is providing an update on the shooting into an occupied dwelling that occurred in the Pioneer Trl. area of Port Richey on June 21 around 3:35 a.m. Preliminary information indicates that Kenneth Ohmann, 49, and Thomas Philpot, 33, attempted to break into an occupied home and fired multiple shots into the residence. At the time of the incident, there were numerous victims i...

  • Two People Survive Plane Crash in Spring Hill

    Tom Lemons, June 21, 2024|Updated Jun 21, 2024

    SPRING HILL - Two people survived a small plane crash this afternoon when the aircraft they were flying suddenly lost power. According to sources, an instructor and student were flying a small single-engine aircraft along the coast when they lost power to the engine and attempted to land on Pine Island Drive. The plane struck a tree when it touched down, causing catastrophic damage to the aircraft. Both the instructor and student pilot were uninjured in the crash. American...

  • Former REC Member Censured After Resigning, Claims Corruption is Rampant

    Tom Lemons, June 10. 2024|Updated Jun 21, 2024
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    SPRING HILL – A former member of the Republican Executive Committee (REC) resigned last week, stating he can no longer tolerate the level of corruption among its members. Combat veteran and former candidate for Hernando County Commissioner Mike Fulford says he's been a registered Republican for 44 years and considers himself to be a patriot and true conservative. Fulford also serves as a commissioner for the Hernando County Planning and Zoning Committee and was an active m...

  • Early Morning Shooting Between Brothers Leaves One Injured and the Other Behind Bars

    Tom Lemons, June 18, 2024|Updated Jun 20, 2024

    SPRING HILL – An early morning altercation between two brothers left one shot and the other charged with attempted murder. According to officials, deputies responded to an address on Stillwater Ave around 5:00 a.m. this morning, after receiving reports of a shooting. No other details were released until this afternoon when reporters confronted Sheriff Nienhuis about the incident during a press conference. Nienhuis says the two brothers were arguing about one of them leaving t...

  • Suspect Charged with 2nd Degree Murder in Death of Inmate

    Tom Lemons, June 18, 2024|Updated Jun 18, 2024

    BROOKSVILLE – On Saturday, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office reported the death of an inmate at the Hernando County Detention Center. Today, Sheriff Al Nienhuis provided more details into what happened and identified the suspect and victim. According to Nienhuis, the suspect, 35-year-old William Gillespie was being held in the medical unit after suffering injuries from an earlier altercation with an inmate. While being removed from the cell for an interview regarding the ea...

  • Two Hernando County Candidates Could Face Sanctions, Possible Disqualification

    Tom Lemons, June 17, 2024|Updated Jun 18, 2024

    HERNANDO – It's not the "October Surprise" but R News stumbled upon a technicality regarding the campaigns of two local candidates who could face disqualification due to filing the wrong form. While reviewing candidate documents on the Hernandovotes.gov website, R News discovered that Sheriff Al Nienhuis filed a form DS-DE 9 (Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designations of Campaign Depository for Candidates), that is not the current state-approved revised version. The l...

  • Boater Captures Dramatic Video of Waterspout, Two Homes Destroyed

    Tom Lemons, June 17, 2024|Updated Jun 17, 2024

    CYRSTAL RIVER – Residents along the coast reported seeing several waterspouts and tornados yesterday afternoon that officials say damaged homes, trees, and powerlines in west Citrus County. Tailor Burbank happened to be on his boat when he captured incredible video of a waterspout that eventually crossed over land and destroyed two waterfront homes. Burbank says he was as close as 100 yards from the waterspout that eventually flattened two wooden structures in front of his e...

  • Possible Homicide Investigation Underway After Inmate Dies at Hernando County Jail

    Tom Lemons, June 15, 2024|Updated Jun 16, 2024

    BROOKSVILLE – The Hernando County Sheriff's Office is investigating an inmate's death at the Hernando County Detention Center. Officials are not releasing many details, but they say the inmate died as a result of an incident that occurred at the jail on June 14, 2024. The inmate was transported to a local hospital where officials say he was pronounced deceased. R News will continue to bring more on this story as it develops...

  • Human Remains Believed to be Those of Missing Family of Four

    Tom Lemons, June 15, 2024|Updated Jun 15, 2024

    HUDSON – The Pasco County Sheriff's Office is reporting heartbreaking news that human remains found on Friday may be that of a missing family of four. VIDEO During a press conference today, Sheriff Chris Nocco announced the arrest of 25-year-old Rory Atwood who is charged with First Degree Murder after human remains were found at his residence on Nottingham Trail. Officials would not confirm, but it is believed that the remains are those of Rain Mancini, 26, Phillip Zilliot I...

  • Overnight Fire Destroys Several Structures and Vehicles

    Tom Lemons, June 15, 2024|Updated Jun 15, 2024

    BROOKSVILLE – Several structures and vehicles were destroyed in an overnight fire, say officials, According to Hernando County Fire Rescue, firefighters responded to the 1000 block of Breggs Lane, where they discovered a large barn, a home, and two vehicles fully engulfed. Officials say it took over an hour to bring the fire under control, which had begun to spread to nearby brush. An investigation revealed that an E-Bike inside the barn sparked the fire, which led to s...

  • The Deadline Has Come and Gone. Who's Left?

    Tom Lemons, June 14, 2024|Updated Jun 15, 2024

    HERNANDO – A lot has happened with Hernando County Politics and today. Here's what we know. District 1 Commissioner Beth Narverud (R) thought she might be able to hold on to her seat without a fight until newcomer Ryan Amsler (R) filed to run against her earlier this week. Anthony Arenz withdrew from the race after Amsler announced he would be running. Incumbent for the District 3 seat John Allocco (R) also believed there would be nothing standing in his way until Marvin B...

  • Two Teens Face Multiple Burglary Charges Because of "Door-Kick" Challenge

    Tom Lemons, June 13, 2024|Updated Jun 14, 2024

    SPRING HILL – The Hernando County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is reporting the arrest of two juvenile suspects involved in a string of "Kick-In" style burglaries. VIDEO According to officials, social media tips led investigators to the arrest of Brody Abdon and Gavyn Trapp, both just 15 years old, on multiple counts of burglary. The investigation began earlier this week when HCSO published Ring doorbell video of two suspects attempting to kick in the door of a residence on B...

  • Sheriff'S Office Investigating Rash of Kick-In Burglaries

    Tom Lemons, June 12, 2024|Updated Jun 13, 2024

    SPRING HILL – The Hernando County Sheriff's Office is seeking the public's assistance in identifying two suspects involved in a kick-in burglary earlier this morning at a residence on Bluewater Avenue. VIDEO Officials say similar incidents have been reported in the area that occurred during the early morning hours. Officials did not state whether the residences were occupied at the time of each burglary. Anyone with information regarding the identity of these suspects is a...

  • Spring Hill Man Causes 4-Vehicle Crash on Howard Frankland Bridge

    Tom Lemons, June 13, 2024|Updated Jun 13, 2024

    TAMPA – A Spring Hill man is charged with reckless driving after officials say he caused a 4-vehicle crash on the Howard Frankland Bridge, Wednesday. VIDEO According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 19-year-old Rolando Joaquin Garza was traveling eastbound on I-275 (Howard Frankland Bridge) when he passed a Trooper at a high rate of speed, changing lanes, and driving recklessly. The driver overtook a Lexus RX350 driven by a 74-year-old woman and forced her to collide with a g...

  • Golf Carts Approved to Operate on Shoal Line Blvd

    Tom Lemons, June 11, 2024|Updated Jun 12, 2024

    HERNANDO BEACH – The Hernando Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) unanimously approved an ordinance to allow golf carts on portions of Shoal Line Blvd, but it may be a while before the change goes into effect. A recent survey of Hernando Beach residents revealed an overwhelming consensus that golf carts should be allowed to be driven on Shoal Line Blvd, between Bluefish Drive and Calienta Street. Before the ordinance can take effect, Shoal Line Blvd will have to be repaved a...

  • Residents Shocked at Sheriff's 2025 Budget Proposal, Demand New Leadership

    Tom Lemons, June 10, 2024|Updated Jun 11, 2024

    HERNANDO – Residents in Hernando County have had enough with "liberal" politicians approving outrageous tax increases and massive budgets, and they demand a refund on votes they cast in the last two elections. But wait, Hernando County is a "Red County" where all five Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and the Sheriff are registered Republicans, so why are their policies not aligning with fiscal conservative values or the taxpayers who elected them? While most residents are...

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