[Times photo: Douglas R. Clifford] Rains hardly touch drought Recent afternoon showers are helping, according to officials, but the risk of fires remains high and water restrictions are likely to remain in place.

June 14, 2000

School chief disappointed with 5.1 percent raise
John Sanders will continue to earn less than superintendents in neighboring counties. But school board members say he requested too much.

Irate car buyer charged in attack
BROOKSVILLE -- ValuCar Inc. gave Donald McCarty a lemon -- so he made lemonade.

School Board postpones decision on laptop project
BROOKSVILLE -- The School Board will wait until August before making a decision on whether to spend $226,000 this year on laptop computers for students at Fox Chapel and Parrott middle schools.

River board adopts tentative budget
BROOKSVILLE -- The Withlacoochee River Basin Board has adopted a tentative budget of $9,912,385 for fiscal 2001, up $184,191 from the past year.

Fire district chief recommendation creates a debate
The commission eventually approves the proposal, which the county administrator thought would be a good compromise.

Counties should fund beetle battle
The loggers are backlogged. And unless they get some help soon, it could mean the growing infestation of the Southern pine beetle in area forests will reach alarmingly unacceptable levels within two months.

Hernando now has more girls in sports than boys
The school's efforts to involve more females follows a citation from the state for failure to comply with gender equity requirements.