R News is Your News
R News is Your News
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BROOKSVILLE - A death investigation is underway at a residence on Meetinghouse Lane in Brooksville, after a golf cart was found tipped over in Cloverleaf Lake. A witness says a male occupant was discovered inside the golf cart, face down in the water. Fire Rescue responded and confirmed the driver was deceased. There are no further details at this time....
BROOKSVILLE – Last September, R News reported the arrest of three suspects who committed an armed home invasion in Spring Hill and then fled to Pasco County in the victim's car. Today, R News discovered new shocking details that involves the arrest of a woman who may have planned the robbery. According to court documents, in the early morning hours of September 18th, 26-year-old Marina Nicole Rhinehart brought three black males to the victim's residence, where she also r...
BROOKSVILLE – The Hernando County Sheriff's Office is reporting the arrest of a Brooksville man, after investigators found hundreds of child sexual assault images on his electronic devices. According to officials, probable cause was established to secure a search warrant at the residence of 29-year-old Ryan Hohman. Prior to serving the warrant, detectives observed Hohman driving on a suspended license and conducted a traffic stop. Hohman was placed under arrest on that c...
Letter from the Editor After years of covering Hernando County government and politics, I have learned that transparency, accountability, and respect for checks and balances are something to be desired. There is an illusion that politicians represent the people, but as we all know, most only care about preparing for the next election and gaining as much power as possible. I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir for most voters in Hernando County. The leadership in the School...
UPDATE 3:20 p.m.: According to School Board member Mark Johnson, Ms. McFarlane is no longer employed with the Hernando County School District, effective today. There are unconfirmed reports that Ms. McFarlane packed up her things and never returned to the school several days ago on her own accord. It is not known if she was terminated or resigned from the HCSD. BROOKSVILLE – Last month, R News reported that a first grade student at Winding Waters K-8 had been battered, not o...
SPRING HILL – A Grand Opening of Hernando County Fire Station #5 was held yesterday, allowing citizens to tour the facility and meet fire officials. The station officially began operations last month, which allowed firefighters to finally move out of an old portable building and into the new state-of-the-art facility. County Commissioners Steve Champion, Jerry Campbell, and Brian Hawkins attended the event, along with Florida State Representatives Jeff Holcomb and County A...
BROOKSVILLE – The Florida Highway Patrol is reporting the arrest of a Riverview woman for possession of stolen Cadillac's, after the driver was stopped for Speeding on I-75. On Wednesday, Troopers conducted a traffic stop on a 2018 Cadillac Escalade that had a dealer's tag attached. The driver, 39-Year-old Yajaira Martinez advised she did not have paperwork for the vehicle, so Troopers ran a check of the VIN numbers to makes sure it matched the tag. Officials say the VIN, w...
SPRING HILL – Detectives with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office have been quite busy over the last few weeks, capturing suspects involved in possessing child pornography. Today, investigators executed a search warrant at 4276 Goldcoast Ave, after receiving several tips earlier this year regarding the distribution of child pornography. According to officials, detectives discovered two child-like sex dolls in the residence that belonged to 51-year-old Greg Houseman. Investiga...
FLORIDA – Since 2018, Law Enforcement and other agencies have been shielded from releasing the identities of crime victims because of Marsy's Law, but all that changed yesterday, when the Florida Supreme Court unanimously ruled to amend the law. Marsy's Law went into effect five years ago and was intended to protect the identities of law enforcement officers and victims of crime, but the Florida Supreme Court says, "We conclude that Marsy's Law does not guarantee to a v...
BROOKSVILLE – Some interesting news coming out of this week’s Hernando Board of County Commission (BOCC) meeting, after a commissioner proposed two ordinances be considered to protect consumers. During Tuesday’s BOCC meeting, Commissioner Steve Champion asked County Attorney Jon Jouben to research the possibility of passing a cashless prohibition. Champion, who also owns American Gun and Pawn, says some businesses are refusing to accept cash. “You go to a Bucs game, you go...
SPRING HILL – Two men are behind bars after they were arrested on unrelated possession of child pornography charges on the same day. Warning, details of the allegations are extremely graphic and disturbing. According to officials, detectives made contact with 32-year-old Joseph Alexander Jones on November 9th after receiving several tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding child pornography. Detectives interviewed Jones at this r...
IMPORTANT UPDATE: After the release of our report regarding the iPhone Update, we were notified that the feature does not allow the automatic sharing of private information. According to Apple, you still have to acknowledge and approve any request to share your contact information. It is unknown why Law Enforcement agencies, including the Hernando County Sheriff's Office is sharing this errant information with the media. HERNANDO – If you own an iPhone and are preparing to i...
CITRUS – Officials in Citrus County have provided an update on the deputy who was struck by a vehicle earlier this year. According to Sheriff Mike Prendergast, "Deputy Andy Lahera's wife, Michelle, just reached out to me to give us a significant update on Andy's recovery from the accident. She wants us all to know that Any has been given a great opportunity to be at one of the nation's top rehab centers. Andy has a condition called 'disorders of consciousness," caused by a s...
BROOKSVILLE – The Hernando County Sheriff's Office is reporting the arrest of a suspect for homicide after a body was discovered in the Hill 'n Dale area yesterday afternoon. According to officials, a homicide investigation began around 3:30 p.m. yesterday, after a witness called to report smelling a foul odor and discovering what appeared to be a deceased person behind the Dollar General. After just 10 hours, say officials, investigators identified the suspect as 5...
NEW PORT RICHEY – An investigation is underway into a shooting that claimed the life of an alleged burglar. According to the Pasco Sheriff's Office, an armed burglar attempted to break into an apartment at Trinity Palms at Seven Spring Apartments and was shot and killed by an "individual" inside the residence. The investigation is ongoing, say officials....
NEW PORT RICHEY – A teenager faces multiple felony charges this morning after a multi-agency pursuit ended with a PIT maneuver. Pursuit Video According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 18-year-old Juelius Austin Matusiak fled from Pasco Sheriff's Deputies after committing a battery on law enforcement. The Florida Highway Patrol and New Port Richey Police joined in a pursuit that began in the area of Trouble Creek Road. Troopers caught up with Matusiak who was driving a white p...
BROOKSVILLE – Since 1961, the U.S. Department of State has allowed teachers from around the world to work in the United States under a J-1 visa for up to five years. The program called TPG Cultural Exchange helps establish diplomacy with other countries and allows K-12 students the opportunity to learn about other cultures. However, some say there are serious issues with the program that need to be addressed. Yesterday, R News reported that a first grader at Winding Waters K...
BROOKSVILLE – There is supposed to be zero tolerance for violence in Hernando County Schools, but one parent says a Winding Waters K-8 (WWK8) teacher got away with battering her son twice without consequence. According to Kris Evans, her then-6-year-old son Joey is a first grader at WWK8, and she tells R News that his teacher Kimberle McFarlane attacked him two times since September - one time leaving a large bruise on his arm. Evans says the first time it happened was on S...
BROOKSVILLE – On October 16th, 38-year-old Shawn Mullins was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in the area of Jacqueline Road and Mariner Blvd. The suspect in the case has not been identified by officials, but one woman claims the suspect is her sister and that she may still be hiding in the area. According to Kathie Hartwell, 35-year-old Rhonda Sue Smith is the woman responsible for Mullins' death. Hartwell says Smith doesn't have a valid driver's license and was due...
SPRING HILL – A horrific tragedy unfolded last night after a single-vehicle rollover crash claimed the lives of two Spring Hill teens. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a Toyota Camry was traveling southbound on Mariner Blvd, when the driver failed to negotiate a curve, overturned, and struck a tree in the front yard of 6225 Mariner Blvd. Officials say four unrestrained passengers, three 16-year-olds and one 17-year-old, suffered serious injuries. Two of the teens l...
SPRING HILL – An early morning crash claimed the life of a Spring Hill man, after crashing his motorcycle head-on with another vehicle. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the 47-year-old driver was traveling eastbound on Coronado Drive, west of Whitewood Ave, when he lost control of the motorcycle and collided head-on with a Volkswagen driven by a 43-year-old man. The driver was transported to a trauma center where he died from injuries suffered in the crash. The d...
BROOKSVILLE – The Hernando Board of County Commission meetings are usually pretty humdrum but that wasn't the case yesterday when a group of animal rights activists raised concerns over euthanasia practices at Hernando County Animal Services (HCAS). Bob and Kelly Detwiler, who are long-time adversaries of HCAS manager James Terry, joined several animal activists in voicing concerns over what they claim is the practice of using a heart stick method to euthanize animals at H...
BROOKSVILLE – Firefighters are still on the scene of an early morning structure fire at the 2600 block of Walking Horse Lane. Officials say they arrived at the scene just before 9:00 a.m. to find the structure fully engulfed. The State Fire Marshall will be investigating the cause of the fire. There are no injuries reported at this time....
BROOKSVILLE – Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis joined members of the ATF and U.S. State Attorney's Office today, to announce a federal Grand Jury indictment of four suspects involved in the February 2023 murder of a 17-year-old Brooksville girl. Isabella Scavelli was murdered in her Brooksville home on February 7th, one day after she filed a sexual assault complaint with the Sheriff's Office against 36-year-old Lenard White. Officials say White paid 21-year-old Sheldon R...
BROOKSVILLE – Sheriff Al Nienhuis announced he's running for a third term as Hernando County's chief law enforcement officer today, but this time he may not be a shoo-in. Nienhuis was appointed in 2011 by Democrat Governor Charlie Crist and was elected twice after that. Despite mounting allegations of coverups, a defendant in several federal lawsuits, and one of the few anti-body camera chiefs in the state, Nienhuis believes voters still trust him to do the top job again. N...
