Suwannee River Ramp Closure

Levy County

 

June 29, 2012

 

The Levy County Suwannee River boat ramps located at Clay Landing, Camp Azalea and Fowlers Bluff will be closing at 5 p.m. on Saturday June 30, 2011. Rising floodwaters are expected to be impacting our local river communities and boaters are asked to keep their speeds slow to reduce the impact on homes.

 

Boaters should expect to see an increased patrol by FWC during the weekend holiday. Recreational boater as asked to exercise increased caution while traveling the waterways this holiday weekend and into next week due to the above normal waters and floating debris.

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Lt. Scott Tummond
Criminal Investigations Division
Levy County Sheriff's Office
(352) 486-5111

Murder/Suicide Investigated

June 26, 2012

 

The Levy County Sheriff's Office responded to 7491 NW 168 Lane Fanning Springs, Florida to the frantic call from a juvenile female sobbing to 911 operators that someone had killed her mother.

 

Within minutes of the call being received, Deputies arrived on scene and confirmed what the child had reported. The body of Genoveva Magnolia Recinos Castillo 1-3-66 was discovered in the living room area of her home. A large injury to her neck was plainly visible.

 

As additional law enforcement arrived on scene, the suspect information was quickly obtained from neighbors and the child. Within minutes, the body of Arturo Ranferi Zacarias 1-1-86 was located in a room of his residence across the street. Zacarias appeared to have died from self inflicted wounds.

 

As this investigation began to unfold, it was discovered by Investigators that Castillo and Zacarias knew each other. Statements taken from friends of the families said that Zacarias viewed Castillo as a mother figure, having lost his mother some years before. The case is currently under investigation in attempts to identify the catalyst that sparked Zacarias to take such violent actions.

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Lt. Scott Tummond
Criminal Investigations Division
Levy County Sheriff's Office
(352) 486-5111

Update- T/S Debby

Levy County

 

June 28, 2012

 

NWS Tallahassee has advised that local flood warnings are still in effect for the Suwannee River basin. Sheriff Johnny Smith has decided to re-open all launch sites in the county. Should that prediction of rising water begin to cause problems on the Suwannee River, it could prompt a second closure. The situation will be closely monitored daily and advance warning of any impending boat ramp closures will be announced.

 

The Sheriff cautions boaters who decide to travel on the waterways of Levy County exercise additional caution. With all the recent rains and associated run-off, excessive debris will be floating our river making navigation more hazardous. 

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Lt. Scott Tummond
Criminal Investigations Division
Levy County Sheriff's Office
(352) 486-5111

Tropical Storm Debby-- Levy County Update-- June 26, 2012

June 26, 2012

10:50 a. m.

 

As a result of Tropical Storm Debby, an Executive Order of Emergency has been declared by Gov. Scott, which includes Levy County. The Board of County Commissioners for Levy County have also signed a Local Declaration of Emergency.

 

The recent heavy rains have caused sinkholes to form, roads to flood and weakened the root systems on some of our trees, making them vulnerable to the winds. Drivers are cautioned to stay off of flooded roadways and be aware that roads could become obstructed with debris.

 

At 0955 hours Levy County Sheriff Johnny Smith has ordered the closure of the Waccasassa River, Suwannee River and Withlacoochee River to all boating traffic. The following boat ramps will be closed to all boating traffic: the ramp at the western end of SR 40 in Yankeetown, Shell Mound, Fowlers Bluff, Clay Landing, Camp Azalea, Waccasassa boat ramp at CR 326 and the #4 boat ramp in Cedar Key, all City maintained ramps in Cedar Key and Yankeetown. All citizens are urged to stay off the water until the ramps have been re-opened and the waterways deems safe for navigation.

 

Emergency Management Director Mark Johnson has also ordered the closure of the George T. Lewis airport in Cedar Key.

 

Levy County Emergency Management is monitoring the storm very closely and we stand prepared to assist our citizens during this storm.

 

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Lt. Scott Tummond
Criminal Investigations Division
Levy County Sheriff's Office
(352) 486-5111

Sexual Predator Notification

Sexual Predator

 Address Notification

 

Date: June 25, 2012

 

On June 25, 2012 James E. Cook registered as a Sexual Predator with the Levy County Sheriff's Office. By Florida law Cook is required to notify law enforcement when ever he changes his address.

 

James Cook was convicted in Levy County in 2003 for sexual battery by an adult on a child under 12. Cook was just released from prison and has registered his address of residence as 10251 NE 20 Ave. Chiefland, Florida.

 

Sexual Predator:

James E. Cook

10251 NE 20 Ave.

Chiefland, Florida

White/Male

DOB: 08/06/1966

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Lt. Scott Tummond
Criminal Investigations Division
Levy County Sheriff's Office
(352) 486-5111

Tropical Storm Debby --- Update for Levy County

As this storm progresses Levy County is already on the move to secure and make safe the citizens it serves. The Levy County Emergency Management Director Mark Johnson has been working now for several hours making arrangements for our citizens.

 

With reports of several trees down in the greater Levy County area, road crews and Law Enforcement are at the ready. Cedar Key is experiencing sustained winds of 32 mile per hour with gusts up to 39. These winds in conjunction with the recent rains have weakened some of our larger trees and are making them vulnerable to the winds. Residents are cautioned that should a tree fall across the power lines, DO NOT attempt to cut the tree off of the line. Stay back and  immediately contact Central Florida Electric Co-op at 352-493-2512 or contact the Sheriff's Office at 352-486-5111.

 

In anticipation of high tide at 5:00 the storm surge is expected to peak around 5.5' above mean sea level (MSL) on the tide poles.  8"of rain fall are expected from this storm. This is a welcomed relief for our parched lands. This however, means some flooded roads in the Cedar Key and Yankeetown area of Levy County. Citizens are urged to drive safely and stay off the flooded roads.

 

EM Director Johnson has requested the opening of the Inglis Community Center located behind Town Hall for any residents of Yankeetown who feel they would be safer at this location. The Rosewood Baptist Church is on stand-by for any residents of Cedar Key should the need arise.

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Lt. Scott Tummond
Criminal Investigations Division
Levy County Sheriff's Office
(352) 486-5111

Unusual Discovery

On 6-20-12 at approximately 2:00 in the afternoon, Todd Thompson of 13871 SW 72 Place Rosewood, Florida made a very unusual discovery. Thompson had just moved to this property and was in process of cleaning. While moving things around, he noticed two objects that only took only a second to identify. HAND GRENADES. Everyone has seen them. In movies strapped to soldiers' chests, in pictures of OUR servicemen preparing to depart for battle. No one would ever think they would be in their yard.

 

Thompson did the right thing. He got away from them and called the professionals. Levy County Deputies responded and from a distance, verified what Thompson knew. Yes they were hand grenades. Deputies contacted the Alachua County Sheriff's Office Bomb Disposal Unit who responded to recover and make safe these deadly devices. Lt. Moran (ASO Bomb Unit Supervisor) confirmed that the grenades were "training" devices, however could still be armed and cause injury to the unsuspecting. Lt. Moran cautions citizens, which is echoed by all Law Enforcement; should you discover anything you recognize as an explosive, contact the Sheriff's Office. Allow the people with the correct training and equipment remove the object. There is no reason for you to handle or try to move it, you could be risking injury or death.

 

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Lt. Scott Tummond
Criminal Investigations Division
Levy County Sheriff's Office
(352) 486-5111

Water Relief for the City of Cedar Key Courtesy of the Deer Park Natural Spring Water Plant – Nestle Waters.

Public Service Announcement

City of Cedar Key, Fl

 

The Cedar Key Water and Sewer District Chairman David Beach announced today that as he continues to resolve the saltwater intrusion issue that now effect the city water, Nestle Water has volunteered to deliver fresh drinking water to the residents of Cedar Key. The first shipment of water arrived today at approximately 2:30 and is currently being distributed to city residents.

 

The water is being distributed at the Cedar Key Fire Department. Residents are asked to bring either a current water bill or their Hurricane re-entry pass. Mr. Beach says, " two gallons of water per day will be available for each city resident until this problem is resolved." Mr. Beach is currently working on delivery of bulk water to the city for residents. Residents are asked to hang on to their larger containers so that they can transport water to their homes.

 

The City web site will be posting a FAQ section that will answer most resident and tourist questions. Their web address is www.ckwater.org. Any questions not found on the web can be addressed to the City Water District headquarters by calling  352-543-5285.

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Lt. Scott Tummond
Criminal Investigations Division
Levy County Sheriff's Office
(352) 486-5111

Public Safety Warning- Cedar Key, Florida

Salt-Water Intrusion into City Well System

This is an important message from the Cedar Key Water and Sewer District. Due to the drought and low groundwater levels, the District's wellfield is suffering from Salt-Water intrusion.  As a result, the District strongly recommends that for the immediate future, tap water within the City of Cedar Key should not be used for drinking, cooking or any other purpose designed for human consumption.The water remains safe for other household purposes. Starting on Wednesday, June 20, bottled water will be available free of charge for District customers at the Cedar Key Community Center.  Please direct questions to the District at 352-543-5285 during business hours. 

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Lt. Scott Tummond
Criminal Investigations Division
Levy County Sheriff's Office
(352) 486-5111

Delay's Delay's Delay's

Beef 'O'Brady's franchise owner Mark Swain wants to open, but delays keep forcing him to move his Grand Opening date. These delays come in the dark of night, when no one is looking.

 

Twice now thieves have broken in. Stealing the tools his contractors need to do their job. Took the building supplies purchased to make the business complete. And most recently, they stole the newly installed Flat Screen TV's meant for the patrons to watch games while enjoying the family atmosphere.

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The Levy County Sheriff's Office is aggressively investigating these crimes. We are asking our public, the people we protect, for some help. Investigators need tips to identify the criminals, recover the property and help this business open. Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest are urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-877-349-8477. You could be eligible for a reward.

 

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Lt. Scott Tummond
Criminal Investigations Division
Levy County Sheriff's Office
(352) 486-5111

Grant purchases NEW Radios

In 2011 - 13 Florida Counties combined and applied for the Regional Domestic Security Task Force (RDSTF) Public Safety Communications grant worth $3,683,474.00. Alachua County Sheriff's Office was the administrator of this grant representing the counties. Lt Scott Finnen represented Levy County and managed our portion of this grant application.

 

On August 4, 2011, Alachua County was notified they had been awarded the grant. This notification came from the State of Florida, Division of Emergency Management. The purpose of this grant was to purchase the new P25 federal interoperability standard 700-800 MHz radios.

 

Levy County's portion of this grant totaled $178,500.00. This value is the equivalent to 47 radios at approximately $3,795.00 each. This grant award represents the first major investment in our countywide radio system since conversion to the State system in 2007. This was at NO COST to the citizens of Levy County. 

 

The new Harris XG-75 radios are the state of the art and will have compatibility to talk to all surrounding agencies once fully programmed. The radios will be used for communication interoperability in emergency and natural disaster situations, adding to the cohesiveness of all county operations.

 

The radios will be distributed through the county emergency services including: Williston Police Dept., Inglis Police Dept., Cedar Key Police Dept., Chiefland Police Dept., Public Safety Director Knowles representing Fire and Rescue for Levy County and the Division of Emergency Management.

 

In these tight economic times, Levy County Sheriff's Office is constantly searching for new, innovative ways to increase the effectiveness of Public Safety for the citizens of Levy County. Grants are one of the ways we save our citizens money and bring new technology to better serve our public.

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Lt. Scott Tummond
Criminal Investigations Division
Levy County Sheriff's Office
(352) 486-5111

Levy County Teen Driver Improvement Program

The Levy County Sheriff's Office, Community Relations Division, is offering a no cost, Teen Driver Improvement Program to all Levy County students who have a current Operators License or Learners Permit or who are about to get their Learners Permit.

The goal of this program is to educate the teen drivers of Levy County of the dangers of aggressive driving, distracted driving, impaired driving, and to reinforce the benefits of seatbelt use. These four issues have been found to be major causes of teen involved crashes, injuries and fatalities. This program is free of cost and is 4 hours in duration. This program consists of classroom instruction, videos, power point presentations and hands on time during which the students will drive golf carts through a course to learn first hand the dangers of the choices that they make while driving. This is a graphic presentation that will show the students the human consequences of their driving choices. Parent waivers are required due to the graphic nature of the presentation. All students will be required to pre-register for the class by calling Sgt. Max Long at #(352) 486-5111 ext. #275 or via e-mail at mlong@levyso.com. A minimum of eight students are required for class to be held, therefore these dates are tentative. Program Funded by a Highway Safety Grant through FDOT

ALL CLASSES BEGIN AT 9:00 AM

Williston H.S - 7/9, 7/10, 7/18, 7/19, 7/30, 7/31, 8/9  

Chiefland H.S - 7/11, 7/12, 7/23, 7/24, 8/6, 8/7

Bronson H.S. - 7/16, 7/17, 8/1, 8/2, 8/8

Cedar Key H.S. - 7/25

Yankeetown - 7/26

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Lt. Scott Tummond
Criminal Investigations Division
Levy County Sheriff's Office
(352) 486-5111

Task Force Arrests Absconded Sex Offender wanted for Burglary

Task Force Arrests Absconded Sex Offender wanted for Burglary

 

On May 31, 2012, the Levy County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) and the U.S. Marshal's Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force (FRFTF) arrested Kenneth L. Starling, DOB 9-21-63.  Starling had been charged with a Burglary and Absconding as a Registered Sex Offender and had warrants for his arrest.  LCSO Deputies and the FRFTF began searching for Starling earlier in the week and were able to locate him at around 7:30 p.m. in Fanning Spring. Starling was charged earlier in the month stemming from an investigation conducted by LCSO Patrol Division.  When Deputies began looking for Starling, they discovered that he had fled the area.  As a registered sex offender, Florida law requires that he notify the local law enforcement agency, that being the Levy County Sheriff's Office, if he plans on being away from his home more than 5 consecutive days or more than 14 combined days within a calendar year. 

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Lt. Scott Tummond
Criminal Investigations Division
Levy County Sheriff's Office
(352) 486-5111