R News is Your News
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SPRING HILL – Former Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Attorney and current Fifth Circuit Judge Joel Fritton could be in some hot water, after deputies were called to investigate a domestic dispute at the home of his estranged wife. On Monday, Deputies responded to an address on Winthrop Drive, where they met with Maria Fritton, who has lived separately from her husband for several months. A confidential source provided exclusive information to R News, claiming that Judge Fri...
SPRING HILL - One person is confirmed dead after a vehicle crashed into a house on Fulton Ave. According to sources, the driver of a silver car drove into the side of a house located at 10259 Fulton Ave. The vehicle then burst into flames, but was extinguished prior to the arrival of Fire Rescue. There are no reports of injuries from inside the residence. The Florida Highway Patrol is currently investigating the cause of the crash. UPDATE: According the Florida Highway...
WEEKI WACHEE – The Hernando County Sheriff's Office is investigating a disturbing incident that occurred at Winding Waters K-8, after a substitute teacher was removed from campus on Thursday. A bulletin sent out to parents last night that reads: This afternoon, Winding Waters administration was made aware of student's allegations of inappropriate touching by a substitute teacher in a middle grade classroom. School administration immediately escorted the substitute from the c...
WEEKI WACHEE – The Hernando County Sheriff's Office is reporting that a student at Winding Waters K-8 has been charged with filing a false report with Law Enforcement, after claiming she was touched by a substitute teacher. R News broke the story last Friday and on Wednesday we released our interview with the beloved substitute teacher, Hector Escobar, who vehemently denied the accusations. According to officials, Detectives conducted several interviews and viewed video s...
HUDSON – FDLE agents arrested three former Hudson High School (HHS) teachers after a fraudulent testing scam involving certification exams for Agriculture Education Services and Technology (AEST), Inc. According to officials, 38-year-old Robert "Rob" Edward Herrington of Port Richey, 47-year-old Harold "Jim" James Martin III of Hudson, and 31-year-old Kathleen "Kate" Rebecca Troutman of Bradford, Arkansas are each charged with one count of organized scheme to defraud. O...
HERNANDO COUNTY – It's a parent's responsibility to make sure their child attends school, does homework, and instills virtues, like kindness, compassion, and a sense of responsibility. Your child's school has an obligation to make sure they are safe and learn the essentials needed to seek a higher education, learn a trade, play professional sports, or pursue whatever career they choose. Students are also presented with numerous opportunities to participate in fundraising for v...
SPRING HILL – Numerous deputies responded to Buccaneer Bay at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park today, after a dispute led to pandemonium inside the park. The incident occurred around 5:00 p.m. today, after sources say a deputy attempted to remove several individuals from the park. When they refused, chaos erupted and an urgent call for backup went out across the radio. Numerous deputies arrived on scene within a few minutes of the call and detained at least five people. Fire R...
SPRING HILL – Indoor trampoline parks have become popular throughout Florida, and Spring Hill used to have one until the owners suddenly closed their doors on Monday. That according to a notice placed on the company's Facebook page on July 31st. Summit Adventure Park of Spring Hill was located at the corner of Spring Hill Drive and Mariner Blvd in Seven Hills Plaza, until Monday, when the owners officially closed their doors. But a lot of patrons and parents say good r...
HERNANDO – As Primary Election Day draws near, candidates are putting away their mud pies and preparing to watch the results with nervous anticipation. Hernando County is notoriously vitriolic, when it comes to dirty politics and mudslinging. Candidates in past races who have attempted running "clean" campaigns, have ultimately found out the hard way that it's not a conducive strategy to winning. There is a well-known "secret" among the local elite, that if you aren't part o...
SPRING HILL – A popular Mexican restaurant was shut down today, after a routine inspection revealed numerous health concerns within the establishment. According to a report issued by the Department of Business & Professional Regulations. Plaza Mexico Restaurant Bar and Grill, located at 7285 Forest Oaks Blvd, was closed this morning, after an inspector found 15 violations. Of those violations, 6 were listed as high priority, 3 intermediate, and 6 basic. The basic violations a...
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the launch of a new webpage to help recruit qualified military veterans to join schools across the state. On August 17th, the State Board of Education will consider a rule to formally implement a program for veterans to receive a five-year temporary education certificate while they finish their bachelor's degree, provided they meet certain criteria. This rule implements SB 896, which Governor DeSantis signed earlier...
PORT RICHEY – A 12-year-old boy Chasco Middle School student is in hot water, after officials say he fired an airsoft gun on school grounds. According to officials, deputies responded to the school this morning, after witnesses say the student fired several shots into a backpack, while in the cafeteria. The child has been charged with disruption of a school function. No one was injured during the incident....
NEW PORT RICHEY – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced three proposals for the 2023 Legislative Session that will help support and grow Florida's teaching workforce and leverage the talents of Florida's retired veterans and first responders. The proposals include a recruitment initiative targeted to bring retired first responders and retired veterans to the classroom through fee waivers and bonuses; an apprenticeship program that provides bonuses to teachers for mentoring a...
BROOKSVILLE – You may notice a lot of construction activity in and around the Hernando County Judicial Center, starting in September. According to County officials, there will be upgrades to the Courthouse building, including expanding courtrooms, enhancing security, creating a brand-new entrance and lobby, and adding addition ADA parking spaces. This project is set to begin on September 13, 2022 and is expected to continue through the spring of 2024. The new lobby entrance i...
CITRUS – Officials with the Citrus County Sheriff's Office is investigating a disturbing form of social media bullying, that has targeted a local student. According to reports, investigators became aware of a graphic that has been circulating on the popular app, Snapchat. The graphic contains a picture of a Citrus County student, along with CCSO's agency logo and the logo from Citrus County government. The graphic is styled to mimic a "Wanted" bulletin and characterizes the p...
BROOKSVILLE - Just before 10:00 a.m. on Friday, deputies responded to a residence in the area of Ayers Road and Arlanie Ave, after receiving reports of shots fired inside the residence. Numerous deputies surrounded the residence and utilized drones to aid in securing the property. Around 11:00 a.m., deputies used a loud speaker to try and get the male subject to surrender peacefully. A robot was deployed inside the residence to make sure it was safe to gain entry. After a...
SPRING HILL - Fire Rescue is on the scene of a drowning at a residence on Franconia Ave, involving a 4-year-old child. CPR is in progress and the child will be airlifted to a trauma center for treatment. There are no further details at this time....
SPRING HILL – Earlier this afternoon, R News reported a hit and run accident that occurred at the intersection of Arrowhead Ave and Norfolk Ave. According to sources, the driver of a gold pickup truck struck a utility pole, severing it at the ground, and then fled in the heavily damaged vehicle. Fire Rescue responded and secured the area due to live electrical wires across the roadway. Just a few blocks away, R News Reporter Tom Lemons located the abandoned truck in an o...
TALLAHASSEE - Today, Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet invested more than $56 million to acquire seven properties across the state that will be designated for conservation. The seven parcels total nearly 20,000 acres, more than 98% of which are within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a recently designated network of connected lands that are crucial for wildlife habitat. "Acquiring lands for conservation and recreation is a top priority for my administration," said...
CITRUS – The Citrus County Sheriff's Office is reporting the arrest of an Ocala woman for allegedly murdering a Marion County Detention Deputy. According to officials, at approximately 3:30 p.m. on August 19, 2022, Citrus County Deputies responded to a residence in the Pine Ridge subdivision, after reports of a potential suicide of a 31-year-old male. The victim, Cory Schweitzer, an off-duty Detention Deputy with the Marion County Sheriff's Office had suffered a gunshot w...
SPRING HILL – The Hernando County Sheriff's Office is investigating an unusual smash and grab burglary that occurred early this morning at a local hardware store on Spring Hill Drive. According to sources, around 4:00 a.m. this morning, burglars used a vehicle to smash through the side of Crowder Brothers Hardware, which is located at 12480 Spring Hill Drive. The business is a well-known gun and pawn store and usually keeps several firearms in stock. It is unknown what the b...
TALLAHASSEE - Today, Governor Ron DeSantis suspended Broward School Board Members Patricia Good, Donna Korn, Ann Murray and Laurie Rich Levinson from office following the recommendations of the Twentieth Statewide Grand Jury to suspend these board members due to their incompetence, neglect of duty, and misuse of authority. Even four years after the events of February 14, 2018, the final report of the Grand Jury found that a safety-related alarm that could have possibly saved l...
SPRING HILL (PASCO) - One person is dead and another seriously injured after a late-night crash on US-41. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a pickup truck driven by a 24-year-old Lutz man was traveling eastbound on Bowman Road, preparing to turn left onto US-41. At the same time, a minivan driven by a 79-year-old Spring Hill man was traveling northbound on US-41. The driver of the truck pulled into the path of the minivan and collided with the front left side of the...
SPRING HILL – A possible tragedy was averted this morning, thanks to the quick actions of a Spring Hill man who noticed a toddler wandering dangerously close to US-19. Joseph Dono was in the drive-thru at Dunkin Donuts, located in front of the Target Department Store on US-19, when he noticed a young child running through the parking lot. Dono says, "I jumped out of my vehicle and ran over and grabbed the child before he could get hit by a car." In shock, Dono yelled, "...
BROOKSVILLE – A Fifth Circuit Judge in Lake County has ordered the abatement of a lawsuit filed against the Hernando Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) by the Hernando County School Board (HCSB). The dispute began earlier this year, after commissioners refused to place the ½ cent sales tax extension referendum on the November 2022 ballot. Instead, commissioners wanted to place the item on the ballot for the 2024 election. With negotiations at an impasse, school b...
