Year in Review

May 1

State slaps county with $25,000 fine over DPW

BROOKSVILLE The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has fined Hernando County $25,000 for failing to meet two agency-imposed deadlines related to the cleanup of the former public works compound in Brooksville.
County commissioners had the option of paying the fine or doing an in-kind project or some kind of a pollution prevention project.
They opted to do a stormwater drainage project in the neighborhood in lieu of the fine.

May 3

Council tabs Bobowski for city manager; later withdraws name

BROOKSVILLE The Brooksville city council tapped Mitchell "Mitch" Bobowski for the position of city manager.
After a marathon day of interviewing, the five-member board selected the 55-year-old former general services director for the city of Seminole in Pinellas County. He beat out two other finalists.
Six days later, Bobowski withdrew his application after council members questioned his employment history.

May 8

Acid explosion send scientist to hospital

BROOKSVILLE A quart of nitric acid exploded in a laboratory at the Cemex plant on Ponce De leon Boulevard and burned the scientist handling it.
Guiermillo Paredes was sent to Brooksville Regional Hospital with first-degree burns while deputies converged on the factory just north of Citrus Way.
The small explosion was contained inside the building, which showed no signs of exterior damage.

May 10

Barb leaves Brooksville Regional Hospital

BROOKSVILLE Tom Barb, executive director of Brooksville Regional Hospital, announced he accepted a new job with an Orlando-area hospital.
Barb was credited with resuscitating Brooksville Regional from economic troubles and overseeing its relocation to a new building on Cortez Boulevard, west of the city.
Kathy Burke was later named chief executive officer for Brooksville and Spring Hill regional hospitals.

May 12

Kay Adams dies after 28 years with county

BROOKSVILLE Kay Adams, who dedicated nearly three decades to the county and eventually worked her way to the top position in the utilities department, died.
Adams, who was 60, still held the position of utilities director but hadn't been on the job for six months as she fought cancer.
She was lauded for bringing a conservation-minded approach to her job as she helped he department meet the demand for a growing county - and still find time for community service.

May 15

Nature Coast Commons breaks ground

SPRING HILL Nature Coast Commons, a new 350,000-square-foot retail in Spring Hill, broke ground.
Representatives from Tampa-based Opus South Corporation development team were on-hand to serve refreshments and give an overview of the new complex, located on 42 acres of U.S. 19, just south of Spring Hill Drive.
Projected for completion in early 2008, the new center will be anchored by a 104,000-square-foot JCPenney. Commitments are in place or under way with several other stores, including an electronics retailer, a book store, grocery store, arts and crafts retailer and fashion tenants, according to Opus.

May 20

Firefighters contain 150-acre fire near Weeki Wachee

HERNANDO BEACH A brush fire that burned nearly 150 acres of wetlands a few miles west of Weeki Wachee was labeled suspicious and the state started an investigation.
Firefighters from Hernando Beach, Hernando County and Spring Hill, along with representatives from the Southwest Florida Water Management District worked for more than nine hours to contain the blaze.

May 22

Brooksville manufacturer announces merger

BROOKSVILLE Tissco LLC, a Brooksville manufacturer of beverage dispensing equipment, announced it will merge with its sister company, Micro Matic LLC, at the airport industrial park to form one operation.
They will combine operations and move into a 50,000-square-foot facility at the county's corporate AirPark sometime in the second quarter of 2008.
Tissco has about 50 employees but plans to grow its staff to 100 in the next two years. By mid 2008 TISSCO will change its name to Micro Matic, a privately owned Danish company founded in 1953 with more than 1000 employees worldwide.
The company is investing more than $3.4 million in capital improvements.

May 23

Norman-Vacha is new Brooksville city manager

BROOKSVILLE The Brooksville city council unanimously named Jennene Norman-Vacha is new city manager and gave hr a two-year contract.
Norman-Vacha is a Brooksville resident and former deputy administrator for Hernando County.

May 24

Matthew Leonhart named teacher of the year

BROOKSVILLE Parrott Middle School teacher Matthew Leonhart was named Hernando County's 2007 Teacher of the Year.
Leonhart has taught at Parrott Middle for four years and was surprised he was recognized for the 12th annual Wal-Mart teacher of the Year program.