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BROOKSVILLE – Three Sam's Club employees are facing organized fraud charges after officials say they conducted multiple fraudulent returns. Records indicate that 47-year-old Dorcaliz Ramos-Garcia, 37-year-old Amanda Elizabeth Dillon, and 53-year-old Aurora Heredia were all taken into custody at the Sam's Club located at 13360 Cortez Blvd last Friday and booked into the Hernando County Jail. According to court documents, Dillon admitted to stealing over $400 between January a...
BROOKSVILLE – An investigation is underway into a convenience store robbery that resulted in the theft of $8,000 worth of cigarettes, say officials. According to a statement provided by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the 7-Eleven gas station at 15310 Cortez Blvd just before 6:00 a.m. Monday, in reference to a robbery in progress. Officials say the store clerk reported that three black males wearing hoodies and gloves entered the store and s...
BROOKSVILLE – A candidate for Hernando County Commissioner has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the Hernando County Education Foundation (HCEF), after allegations she used her personal bank account to collect donations for the nonprofit. Earlier this month R News reported Pam Everette was under investigation by the HCEF after it was revealed that instead of using the organization's direct donation link, she solicited her followers to donate directly to her personal Cash A...
SPRING HILL – Investigators say it was just a tragic accident after a toddler drowned in a family pool just days after his second birthday. Fire Rescue was called to a residence on Lydia Court just before 8:00 p.m. Monday, after receiving a 911 call regarding a toddler who had fallen into a swimming pool. According to officials, the child was with both parents while they repaired a closet door in his room and within just a few minutes they noticed he was missing. After a b...
HERNANDO – Hernando County Fire Rescue has been extremely busy over the Memorial Day Weekend, with multiple structure fires, vehicle crashes, and assisting with rescues along the coastline. Earlier this morning, a rollover crash in the parking lot of Harbor Freight on US-19 injured one person. This afternoon a pickup truck caught fire that threatened a nearby residence. A small brush fire developed as a result but it was quickly extinguished by fire crews. Yesterday, a s...
BROOKSVILLE – A transient is behind bars today after officials say he called 911 to report that he shot someone. According to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, numerous deputies responded to the area of Candlelight Blvd and Cortez Blvd on Tuesday, after officials say 42-year-old Carlos Martin Saez called 911 to report that he shot someone. Upon arrival, deputies observed Saez and another subject sitting on a park bench. Deputies announced their presence and ordered both m...
HERNANDO – Law Enforcement unions play a crucial role in safeguarding their members' interests by negotiating fair wages, advocating for better working conditions, and ensuring job security, but sometimes that representation comes with a price and it's not always in the form of union dues. The Hernando County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) employs approximately 300 sworn deputies with about 230 of those being members of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP Lodge 164). Over the last f...
WASHINGTON, DC – Recognizing the dedication of those working to improve the well-being of all Americans affected by diabetes, the Diabetes Leadership Council presented the Diabetes Champion Award to Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-CA), vice chair of the Diabetes Congressional Caucus, Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), chair of the Diabetes Congressional Caucus, and Nimit Jindal, PharmD, Senior Health Policy Advisor to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) C...
BROOKSVILLE – A Hernando County Commissioner is calling for a vote to remove an ordinance he says goes against basic conservative values and wastes law enforcement resources that are already in short supply. Sheriff Al Nienhuis recently touted efforts to crack down on ATV activity in the Royal Highlands area, where deputies utilize UTVs, drones, and the agency's air unit to track down and issue citations. Critics immediately lashed out at Nienhuis for going after young p...
SPRING HILL (PASCO) – A two-vehicle crash involving a motorcycle claimed the life of one person on US-41, Friday. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, just after 10:00 p.m. a 40-year-old Hudson man was driving an Oldsmobile van when he attempted to turn south onto US-41 from Five Palms Lane. The driver failed to yield to a Yamaha motorcycle traveling north on US-41, which resulted in a collision. The driver of the motorcycle, a 25-year-old Spring Hill man suffered fatal i...
HERNANDO – While the average citizen struggles to make ends meet, drug overdoses destroy families, and violent crime plagues our communities, an investigative researcher out of Collier County says Sheriff Al Nienhuis is busy finding ways to line his pockets with your tax dollars. David Jaye investigates elected officials around Florida and publishes his findings on his website tripledippers.org. Jaye contacted R News last month and revealed what he says is unethical and d...
OCALA – At least 8 people are confirmed dead and 40 injured in a horrific bus crash earlier this morning. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a collision occurred between a bus transporting 53 migrant workers and a Ford Ranger on SR-40 at SW 148 Ct. Officials say the two vehicles side-swiped, causing the bust to veer off the road and overturn. The crash remains under investigation. Bus Crash Bus Crash...
BROOKSVILLE – A candidate for Hernando County Commissioner is under investigation for using her personal bank account to collect funds for a local nonprofit. Yesterday, a source who wished to remain anonymous provided a screenshot of a March 14, 2024, Facebook post showing County Commissioner candidate Pam Everett soliciting funds for the Hernando County Education Foundation (HCEF). The post reads: Need to build a team for the Hernando County Education Foundation. The team w...
BROOKSVILLE – A Hernando High School Paraprofessional is under investigation for allegedly using her personal bank account to accept payments for soap products during school-sponsored fundraisers. Her Ex-husband says she may have stolen the proceeds. The investigation began earlier this year during a divorce trial between Brooksville City Councilman David Bailey and his now ex-wife Robin Bailey. David says it was revealed during trial testimony that Robin used her Cash App a...
HERNANDO BEACH - A search is underway for a missing diver at the Hernando Beach Boat Ramp. Officials say a 59-year-old man dove underwater with only a mask and has not resurfaced. HCSO Dive Team is responding. Hernando Beach Boat Ramp Hernando Beach Boat Ramp...
ODESSA – An early morning crash claimed the life of a motorcyclist after he collided with a garbage truck. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, just before 7:00 a.m. this morning, a 35-year-old Spring Hill man was operating a Waste Management garbage truck traveling westbound on SR-54. At the intersection of Monmouth Drive, the driver attempted to make a left turn across the eastbound lanes and drove into the path of a motorcycle driven by a 51-year-old Lutz man. As a r...
WEEKI WACHEE – One person was injured in an RV fire that also burned a half-acre of brush, early Monday. According to officials, Fire Rescue responded to the 8700 block of Ostrom Way just before 10:00 a.m. after reports of an RV fire. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered the RV fully engulfed, among other items on the property. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire but not before it scorched a half-acre of the property. Officials say one civilian suffered injuries a...
SPRING HILL – An investigation is underway into a possible drowning on Delaware Drive involving a toddler. The toddler was brought to Oak Hill Hospital and later airlifted to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg for treatment. The child's condition is unknown at this time. A crime scene was established at a residence on Delaware Ave where detectives and the Department of Children and Families conducted investigations. The Sheriff's Office has not released a statement r...
BROOKSVILLE - According to a statement released by Hernando County Government Officials, the majority of internal and external systems are back online and are fully operational. Officials say they will continue working on the issue until the County's systems are fully restored. They go on to apologize to Hernando County residents for the disruption in service. Officials declined to provide specific details about the investigation or confirm if the county paid the...
HUDSON – Body Camera video released just hours after a deputy-involved shooting shows an armed woman lunge toward two Pasco County deputies. Moments later, deputies opened fire, killing the woman. The incident took place just before 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the area of Denton Ave and Dane Lane. That's where Pasco County Officials say a passerby was flagged down by a woman who claimed she needed help and to call 911. After speaking with dispatchers, the witness passed the phone t...
JACKSONVILLE – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation to further strengthen Florida's protections for consumers, teachers, and employees from being forced to adopt ideologies or reflect a preferred political behavior. Governor DeSantis signed two pieces of legislation aimed at bolstering protections for consumers, by providing recourse for individuals who believe they have been de-banked for political reasons. The new laws will also protect teachers, by ensuring t...
DADE CITY – On this day two years ago, Hernando County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a shootout between two brothers on Jodi West Drive that left one brother dead and the other charged with murder. Today, detectives returned to the scene for yet another death investigation. Officials have not commented on the investigation, but according to court documents, the defendant in the 2022 homicide, 30-year-old James Francis Nulty, did not appear for a pretrial hearing on April 2...
HERNANDO COUNTY – There are three Hernando County Commissioners up for reelection this year and the stakes couldn't be any higher for one incumbent as he prepared to face off against three opponents in the General Election. District 3 Commissioner John Allocco (R) is running for a third term against two conservative candidates, Marvin Baynham (R), Burton Melaugh (NPA), and Democrat Luciano Vignali. Hernando County has long been a red county, with Diane Rowden being the last D...
BROOKSVILLE – Several Hernando County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) deputies will not face contempt charges or be forced to explain to a judge why they missed depositions in a homicide case being tried in Hernando County. In March, R News reported that Detective Kevin Keiper and Deputies Mitchell Vesper, Chelsea Reid, John Longobardi, and Craig Milne all failed to appear for depositions in reference to a 2023 homicide case. In addition to the HCSO employees, a State Medical E...
WEEKI WACHEE – Changes are coming to a portion of the Weeki Wachee River that is expected to help protect the river's ecology. Local and State Officials will be installing signage along a 5.61-mile section of the Weeki Wachee River, between Roger's Park and Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, designating the area as the Springs Protection Zone. The new state law prohibits anchoring, beaching, grounding, and mooring of vessels within the protected zone. Boaters could face a $...