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Features

  • Katie Lucas, Nature Coast EMS, 05/...

    Good morning! The month of May is an extremely busy one, with excitement filling the air for everyone with high school and college graduations, parties to attend and summer plans being made.

    Tragic accidents also happen this time of year; some of them preventable. All of us at Nature Coast EMS encourage you to be safe, take plenty of time to reach your destination and designate a driver if the occasion warrants. “Every minute counts,” so be smart while planning your fun.

  •
    Suddenly someone: Nobodies find...

    By Nancy Benac
    Associated Press
    WASHINGTON  — Wanna be famous?    Forget reality TV. The presidential campaign could be just the ticket from nowhere to notoriety.

    It can be done with a heartfelt story. An off-hand remark. Or simply by having a distant connection to someone who’s Somebody.

  •
    They love to tell the story

    Susan Dibble
    The Daily Herald

    When a group of biblical storytellers presents the Gospel of Mark in area churches over the next several weeks, audience members may find some comic moments.

    They may hear Jesus exclaim, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” to one of his future disciples.

  •
    Space to grow

    HOMOSASSA — For a while, Kelly Burdett enjoyed the convenience of working out of her home.

    But soon, the Lecanto resident said being surrounded by the same walls day in and day out began to drive her insane.

    So when Mike Orlito, certified business analyst with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), suggested to her about possibly applying to become a tenant of the new Citrus Enterprise Center, she decided to give it a shot.

  •
    Cultural studies class broadens...

    INVERNESS — The classroom of Inverness Middle School teacher Steffanie Grotz turned into an eclectic mix of culture, sights, sounds and smells for several hours as her gifted students completed a project designed to make them more culturally aware.

    “Moving from Culture Shock to Culturally Aware” was implemented by Grotz to help her REACH, or gifted students, see past the confines of Citrus County.

  • Cash Money Movies

    The Great Detective is back!
    Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and director Guy Ritchie surprised us all two years ago when they brought their take on the “Sherlock Holmes” series to the silver screen. When the film was released, people were shown a different kind of Holmes who uses his supreme intellect to solve crimes and take down bad guys in the most creative, jaw-dropping ways. There was no doubt a sequel would eventually be made.

  • Foster on Film

    If you’ve seen the newest “Muppets” and still can’t get enough — “The Muppets Take Manhattan” DVD is available at Walmart and most Red Boxes.
    Made in 1984, “The Muppets Take Manhattan” was backed by Muppet demigods Jim Henson and Frank Oz. From start to finish, the whole movie exudes charm. Rizzo the Rat’s kitchen number, Miss Piggy and Joan Rivers’ cosmetic debacles and the unfathomably adorable Muppet Babies sequence had me curling over my knees to refrain from bursting.

  •
    Are we ready to step up and work...

    By Ellie Esler
    Special to the Chronicle
    On Nov. 17, approximately 50 individuals representing a cross-section of Citrus County residents met to hear a panel discussion on the status of education in Citrus County.

    The panel, moderated by County Judge Mark Yerman, consisted of Dr. Douglas Alexander Sr. of the New Church Without Walls, Darrick Buettner of Lecanto High School, Superintendent of Schools Sandra “Sam” Himmel, Capt. Thomas R. Holme Jr., Melissa Pfeiffer-Hermann of the Citrus County Education Association, and PTA leader Kathy Thrumston.

  • Powerful, user-friendly tool for...

    Laura Byrnes
    Workforce Connection

    Earlier this month, while many enjoyed the extended Labor Day weekend with backyard barbecues and late summer swims, the Employ Florida Marketplace was hard at work improving its vast array of features for employers and job seekers.

  •
    Career clues: Negotiating salary...

    By Carole Feldman
    Associated Press
    The unemployment rate is 9.1 percent and jobs are hard to come by, especially for recent college graduates with limited experience. So what happens when that first offer comes in and the salary or benefits aren’t quite what you expected?

    Many people’s inclination is to accept it anyway.

  • Chronicle Click & Save launches...

    Savvy shoppers have a new place to find great local deals.

    Taking a cue from deal of the day websites such as Groupon and Living Social, starting Monday, the Chronicle will launch Click & Save on its website, www.chronicleonline.com/.

    John Murphy, the Chronicle’s director of online media, said Click & Save is a way for customers to leverage group buying, saving 50 percent to 90 percent off local products and services.

  •
    Students, teachers swap roles for a...

    CRYSTAL RIVER — When do playing with modeling clay and poker chips turn into a scientific exercise?

    When students are in charge of the lesson plans.

  •
    China, meet Dunnellon

    The Chinese are coming, the Chinese are coming. And that means no downtime for two Dunnellon educators when a group of 34 10- to 13-year-old Chinese students will make Dunnellon their home for a month starting in July.

    Jennifer Williams, a kindergarten teacher at Dunnellon Christian Academy, will be the program coordinator for those students coming to Dunnellon. Principal Kristy Nelson nominated her for the position.

  •
    And now, a word from our seniors

    By Darrick Buettner

    As another school year comes to a close, Lecanto High School is proud of its soon-to-be-graduating seniors. Many wonderful classes and students have walked through the halls of Lecanto; the class of 2011 continues that proud tradition. Before our students cross that graduation stage on May 20, the six students who participated in the LHS graduation speech contest have a few thoughts to share about high school and beyond.

  •
    Crafts class a playground for kids...

    Give a child a cardboard tube and access to boxes of fabric scraps, ribbon, pipe cleaners and trim, let him or her run wild with their imagination and be prepared to be amazed.

    One day last week during spring break, Amiee Marshall, children’s librarian at Lakes Region Library in Inverness, did just that.

  •
    The perfect fit: After-school...

    On any given school day, as Marita Hurn, who will be 10 on Feb. 27, plays “Fox, Tree, Squirrel” on the playground at Pope John Paul II Catholic School, she thinks she’s only having fun.

    As part of the YMCA’s CATCH Kids’ Club after-school program, she’s really decreasing her chances of developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease when she gets older.

  •
    Crystal River High School students...

    Author Allan Stratton recently chatted via the Internet chat program Skype with several Crystal River High School students during a business class in the school’s media center. He talked about his newly released book, “Borderline,” which is up for Florida’s Teen Read Award.

  • Prepare to be country-fied at...

    By Rochelle Kaiser
    Special to the Chronicle

  •
    A salute to screen and stage

    In 2009, a group of symphonic band enthusiasts got together to form the Nature Coast Community Band.

    Now the group is about 68 members strong with musicians, about half of whom have played professionally, traveling to Citrus County to pack themselves into a room at the county’s canning center in Lecanto for rehearsals.

  •
    Difference-makers

    Every year, each school in Citrus County selects its own Teacher of the Year and Support Staff Person of the Year. The countywide winners are selected by a panel of judges comprised of members of the Citrus County Education Foundation board, past winners and members of the Citrus County School System. Countywide winners will be announced at the Galaxy of Stars event Feb. 1 at Citrus Hills Golf and Country Club in Hernando. The Citrus County Education Foundation hosts the awards celebration. The current Teacher of the Year winners from each school are shown here.