THE NEWSCASTER
PLEASE RECYCLE
Deborah Russell - Editor/Publisher
Tom Russell - Consulting Editor
Mike Moore - Photojournalist
Sally Price Correspondent
State & Local
Candidates,
Amendments
(General Election)
The General Election is just two
weeks away, on Tues., Nov. 4th, and never
has your vote been more critical. All regis-
tered voters should be determined to vote,
and all preparations, such as knowing the
location of your polling place, along with
how and when you're getting there, should
be made in advance, so nothing can under-
mine your exercising your crucial - as never
before - right to vote. Polls are open until
7:00 p.m. Remember to bring with you a
picture I.D., such as a driver's license or a
State-issued I.D. card. If you have moved,
bring proof of both your old and your new
addresses (a utility or other bill). Be alert
to voter fraud; if your name has been re-
moved from the voting roster, contact your
Supervisor of Elections - immediately - to
exercise your right to vote: Citrus County
Supervisor of Elections (Susan Gill,
Inverness) at 1-800-655-6645 or (352) 341-
6740; or Levy County Supervisor of Elec-
tions (Connie Asbell, Bronson) at (352) 486-
5163. Unfortunately, the deadline to regis-
ter for this election has already passed; the
deadline was Oct. 6th. However, you can still
register to vote for elections that will be held
after the Nov. 4th General Election.
EARLY VOTING dates in Florida
are Monday, October 20th through Satur-
day, November 1st. Early voting sites:
LEVY COUNTY - Supervisor of Elections
Office, 421 S. Court St., BRONSON (Mon.-
Sat., 9am-5pm); CITRUS COUNTY - Cit-
rus County Courthouse, 110 N. Apopka Ave.,
INVERNESS (8:30am-4:30pm); Inverness
City Hall, 212 W. Main St., INVERNESS
(8:30am-4:30pm); Crystal River Elections
Office, 801 S.E. Hwy. 19, CRYSTAL RIVER
(Mon.-Sat., 9am-5pm); Homosassa Public
Library, 4100 Grandmarch Ave.,
HOMOSASSA (8:30am-4:30pm).
Continued on page 5 - Election
WE
MOVE
SHEDS
(352)637-6607
The Shed Store
156 N. Florida Ave.
Inverness
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Wednesday October 22, 2008 A Publication of
Newscaster Publishing Permit No. 14
Gainesville
PD nabs
suspect in
Crystal River
bank robbery
Around 9 p.m.,
Oct . 16, Gainesville Po-
lice Department officers
made a traffic stop on Sh-
annon Lee Shepardson,
36, of 8300 W. Rainbow
Oaks Court, Crystal River,
the primary suspect in the
Oct. 14 robbery of the Shannon
Mercantile Bank in Crys- Shepardson
tal River. He was taken into
custody on a Citrus County Sheriff's Office Academy of Environmental Science Students in Crystal River and State Park volunteer Buffy
warrant for robbery. Dematteis are making preparations for a spooky charitible funrasier. The event is the main
Just before 3:30 p.m., Oct. 14, a fundraiser for the friends of the Crystal River Preserve State Parks. More on page 5
lone white male had entered the front door
of the Crystal River Mercantile Bank lo-
cated at 1000 S.E. U.S. Hwy. 19. Five bank Levy School Board Member
employees, but no customers, were in the
building at the time. The robber's face was
covered with cloth, and he alluded to hav-
ing a weapon, although no weapon was
Charged With Lewdness
Levy County one of the stalls, "coughing very loudly, as if
visable. He demanded cash from one of the
School Board Member to signal to come into the stall." Davis said
tellers and was given an undisclosed amount
(District 1), Billy R. that he'd pretended to leave the bathroom,
of money. He exited through the front door
Morrison, was charged and the coughing had ceased. Davis said he
of the bank and ran to the back of the build-
with lewdness, follow- then had opened the bathroom door, again,
ing, followed by a bank employee who was
ing an alleged incident as if he were re-entering the bathroom, and
attempting to see the robber's vehicle or
that took place at Santa the coughing had resumed.
direction of travel. He was seen jumping
Fe College in Officer Barley went to the
into a two-tone, blue or gray 1991 Plymouth
Gainesville on Oct. 11. restroom and entered the first stall. Mr.
Voyager station wagon or van.
Morrison, 47, was is- Morrison was already in a stall and stayed
Just minutes before the robbery,
sued a notice to appear there for about five minutes, then left the
the suspect was videotaped in the ABC Fine
Billy Morrison in court after allegedly restroom and re-entered it, about four min-
Wine & Spirits store located at 822 S.E.
exposing himself to a plain clothes campus utes later, and went into the stall next to Of-
U.S. Hwy. 19. His behavior was strange
police officer in a men's restroom in the ficer Barley's. Barley stated that he and
enough that workers had noted his tag num-
campus' J Building, which is a science build- Morrison had no verbal communication, and
ber and passed it along to Citrus County
ing, around 11:15 a.m. about three minutes later, Morrison stood up
deputies.
Morrison is also manager of the and exposed himself through a hole in the
Because Shepardson wore a mask
divider wall between the two restroom stalls.
during the commission of the crime, the Perkins State Bank Bronson Branch and a
member of the Levy County Canvassing Officer Barley then identified himself as a
charge of robbery where offender carried
Board for the Nov. 4th General Election. He Santa Fe College Police Officer and placed
no weapon was enhanced to a first-degree
was elected, unopposed, for a second term Morrison under arrest.
felony. His bond was set at $10,000. If he
fails to meet his bond, he'll be transported
to the Citrus County Detention Facility for
on the school board in 2006.
According to the report of the inci-
Barley transported Morrison to the
SFC Police Department. When questioned
incarceration. His 1991 Plymouth Voyager, dent, Sante Fe College Police Officer Mark
Barley was called to the J building by Sgt.
as to how he knew about the hole in the stall
divider wall, Morrison explained that he'd
which was used in the commission of the
robbery, was secured by Gainesville police E.C. Davis, to investigate a suspicious per- come across something written in the Oaks
and will be transported back to Citrus County son in the men's restroom. Sgt. Davis told
Officer Barley that he'd heard someone in
Mall bathroom. He said he couldn't remem-
Continued on page 4 - Lewdness Charge
for processing.