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Local News

  • Bronson news briefs

    n Demolition extended

    The Town of Bronson has extended the demolition of a condemned house for one more week. The Council voted 4-1 Monday night to give owner Ella Baumbach one more week to complete the demolition, or the Town will do it for her. Some minor progress has been made, said Bronson Building Official Robert Niffenegger, including partial removal of the roof.

    In January, a final extension of 15 days was given to Baumbach to have a licensed contractor complete the demolition of the structure. Last month, the Town gave Baumbach another 15-day extension.

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  • Officials warn of mosquitoes

         They're back, and they're hungry for blood. With the recent rainfall, standing water and warm temperatures, Mosquitoes are going to be hatching fast, according to Matt Weldon, director of parks and mosquito control for Levy County. Yankeetown and Cedar Key, with their salt marshes, are two of the worst areas, Weldon said, though Gulf Hammock and Otter Creek can get bad, as well. To combat mosquitoes, Weldon said the  county has five trucks that spray an oily coating on the the surface of the water in problem areas, whi

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  • Mosquito Facts

    n  80 species of mosquitoes known in Florida n  33 can be problems for humans and animals n  13 are capable of spreading pathogens

    --Information taken from www.mosquito.ifas.ufl.edu 

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  • Citizens and officials worried about federal flood maps

    The City Commission voted unanimously 5-0 Monday night in favor of city officials sending a letter to federal and state agencies expressing concerns about recent flood map data. The letter, which will be a collaboration between City Manager Grady Hartzog and Building and Zoning Official Bill Hammond, will be sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Suwannee River Water Management District with the hope that the agencies, especially FEMA, will review collected data affecting local property owners. According to a recent report from SRWMD, the maps,

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  • Rise in traffic fatalities prompts driving refresher

    The Levy County Sheriff’s Office is sponsoring driver refresher courses in Bronson and Chiefland as a result of an increase in traffic fatalities in the county. The free, two-hour class “Realities of Driving” is aimed at all ages. Lt. Sean Mullins of the Sheriff’s Division of Community Relations says the course is a wake-up call designed for all drivers who over time can become complacent in their driving. We can all use a refresher on safe driving habits, Mullins said. The Bronson class is April 20 from 7 to 9 p.m.

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  • Good NewsLevy unemployment rate down

    The news was good for job seekers in Levy County in March as the jobless rate dropped to 13.5 percent, down from February's rate of 14.2 percent.

    That means out of 16,633 people in the civilian labor force, 14,390 were employed and 2,243 were unemployed.

    It's the first good news on the county's job front since October 2009 when the rate was 12.4 percent. The county's unemployment rate has sat stubbornly above 12 percent since July 2009.

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  • Parker spared prison time

     Suspended Levy County Commissioner Tony Parker was sentenced to six months house arrest, five years probation and 500 hours of community service on Wednesday afternoon by Federal Chief District Judge Stephan P. Mickle.

    Parker, along with Commission Chair Sammy Yearty was convicted of soliciting and accepting a $10,000 bribe from an undercover FBI agent posing as a developer. Yearty was also convicted of lying to the FBI during an interview and will be sentenced  on May 5.

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  • Florida passed over in Race to the Top money

    Florida was denied funds from the Race to the Top program last week, a $4.35 billion fund designed to change how school districts pay and evaluate teachers.

    Race to the Top is a main component of President Barack Obama's education agenda. Florida was considered a heavy favorite to receive a share of the fund. The state asked for more than $1 billion.

    Instead, the first two recipients of Race to the Top money will be Delaware and Tennessee.

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  • South county citizens fail to win appointment

    Citizens from south Levy County turned out in force to support County Commissioner Marsha Drew of Yankeetown in her quest to replace Planning Commissioner Thad Barber with her own appointee, but while they packed the meeting room, the move failed.

    The action — which drew acrimonious comments from the delegation of about 20 people — came during the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday morning at the Levy County Courthouse. Also in attendance were Planning commissioners Toni Collins of Camp Azalea and Ron Grant of Williston.

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  • City comp plan and fire budget put on back burner

    The city commission just scratched the surface of Monday night's agenda, ending the meeting in about 20 minutes.

    The first item was a first reading of revisions made to the city's new comprehensive plan, which recently came back from the Florida Department of Community Affairs with several objections.  The plan was submitted to FDCA last year.

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