Correction appended: A previous version of this story's photo captions contained an incorrect location of where the fire took place and which agency responded to the blaze
– A late-night house fire in Homosassa on Tuesday killed a retired woman who was trapped inside before firefighters could extinguish the blaze
firefighters in Citrus County and the woman’s family said
Citrus County Fire Rescue responded to the fire just before midnight in the Sugarmill Woods community just east of the 7 Sisters Springs near the Gulf Coast
The neighborhood is about 70 miles south of Gainesville
Firefighters found the home nearly completely burning
The fire caused the home’s roof to collapse
They stayed on the scene until about 3:30 a.m
to make sure the fire didn’t spread to nearby homes
Firefighters searched the home when they arrived but found no one inside
they noticed a vehicle in the garage and searched again
said in a phone interview that the family presumes her step-mother
Powell said authorities in Florida told the family it would take time to positively identify Smith
but she said it was Smith’s car in the garage and the home was locked where Smith lived alone
The fire department said it was still investigating the circumstances of the blaze and had not publicly identified who died inside the home
Smith lived in the home since at least 2007
The couple met in the 1980s and married in March 1986
They lived in Idaho and in New York before retiring to Homosassa
Family members said the couple enjoyed skiing
Arthur Smith died in October 2023 at age 72
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s office and the Citrus County Sheriff’s office
This is a breaking news story. Check back in case there are further developments. Contact WUFT News by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org
— A house fire in Citrus County left one person dead late Tuesday night
Citrus County Fire Rescue said units were dispatched to a reported structure fire in the Sugarmill Woods community around 11:19 p.m
they found a home with flames erupting from most of the structure
The fire was so intense it prevented firefighters from getting inside
As firefighters continued to work the fire
they found the home was completely engulfed in flames and that the roof had collapsed
which revealed a vehicle inside and raised concerns about people inside the home
crews found the victim dead inside the home
The victim's identity is being withheld until next of kin are notified
The fire was fully extinguished around 3:29 a.m
and Medical Examiner were notified and are investigating the cause of the fire
and I feel like that's part of where the system failed"
Henry Betsey Jr. is facing charges for marrying three Florida women in three different counties at the same time. Now
saying the system that handles marriage licenses kept them in the dark
More Hernando and Citrus County News from ABC Action News
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— One person is dead following a house fire Tuesday night in Homosassa
to a structure fire in the Sugarmill Woods community
Authorities said the 2,400-square foot home was 80 percent involved in flames when crews arrived
The roof of the structure collapsed shortly after crews arrived
prompting firefighters to take defensive positioning
crews were able to prevent the spread of the fire to neighboring homes
a search of the home led to the discovery of a body
Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and Medical Examiner are conducting an investigation into the fire
Due to the extensive damage and the ongoing investigation
the origin and cause of the fire remain undetermined.
The identity of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
a premiere golf course in North Brooksville and the State of Florida are in land swap negotiations so Cabot can add more holes to their golf course and the state can add more acreage for preservation
Cabot Citrus Farms has proposed swapping their 800-plus acres of timberland in Levy County for 324 acres of Withlacoochee State Forest adjacent to their current golf facility
“We pursued whether there was a chance to come up with a win-win
which would be the state getting greater land of significantly greater acreage and preservation value in return for land on which we could build additional golf to the west of Citrus Farms.”
Cabot Citrus Farms is a new addition to the Cabot portfolio of golf courses
has completed an 18-hole course and is working on completing the second 18-hole course at Citrus Farms
The facility includes a resort with high-end homes and cabins
The 324 acres would allow even more golfing opportunities
Environmentalists aren’t happy with this plan and worry that the land swap could start a trend that could be disastrous for Florida’s natural resources
The deal is getting significant attention because there was an unrelated proposal to add golf courses and other amenities to some of the state parks which was recently a hot topic that faced bipartisan opposition before it was cancelled
The property in question is bordered by the Suncoast Parkway and US-98 to the west and southwest and Cabot Citrus Farms to the east and southeast
The northern neighbor is a 1222-acre parcel in Citrus County
The 324 acre parcel is closely tied with the Sugar Mill Woods development area and the earliest sales record available on the property appraiser’s website shows Punta Gorda Dev Inc
the property was purchased by the Department of Transportation for $6 million and nearly a year later
it was deeded to the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund of the State of Florida – the entity that holds title to state-owned lands in Florida
The next step for the property exchange would be Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) of the State of Florida
2024 and this land swap was not on the agenda
The next meeting is scheduled for December 12
Contact us: [email protected]
Southern Woods Golf Club and Oak Village Bath and Tennis Club
a 30-year PGA Member/Club Pro and his wife
head golf professional and general manager at nine different golf properties
“I am excited to lead the efforts to restore these storied golf courses and clubs to the high quality the membership and community deserve.”
"I am excited to lead the efforts to restore these storied golf courses and clubs to the high quality the membership and community deserve," said Yates
"Penny and I look forward to creating the best golf experience possible
Parks is the founder and president of Links Financial
which provides advisory services for businesses
She is one of the founders of the Executive Women's Golf Association
and a board member of the Tampa Sports Authority
which manages Tampa's municipal golf courses
Links Golf took over operations on July 14
Penny Parks, Links Golf, LLC, 813.341.1250, [email protected]
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director of golf course maintenance operations at On Top of the World Communities in Ocala
has been named the recipient of GCSAA’s 2022 President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship
Jorgensen will officially receive the honor at the 2022 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego in February
The 22-year GCSAA member oversees the maintenance of three golf courses: Candler Hills Golf Club
which are all part of On Top of The World Communities
Jorgensen has held this position since December 2005
“It is a great honor to be recognized for our environmental efforts,” Jorgensen says
“Environmental stewardship is an active part of how we operate as a company
We strive to leave it better for generations to come.”
GCSAA’s President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship was established in 1991 to recognize “an exceptional environmental contribution to the game of golf — a contribution that further exemplifies the golf course superintendent’s image as a steward of the land.”
with reclaimed water providing almost half of the irrigation at his facility
No areas outside the line of play are treated with pesticides or fertilizers
and out-of-play areas have been converted to wildflower areas for pollinators
further curbing inputs and increasing habitat for wildlife
Jorgensen is one of the pioneers of solar power use on golf courses and
takes steps to reduce waste that comes into the property (being mindful of packaging) and waste that leaves the property (composting on-site)
“Our entire team is focused on preserving the land around us,” Jorgensen says
water quality and quantity continue to be available for generations to come.”
Jorgensen has served as a GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador since 2015 and has been a member of GCSAA’s Best Management Practices (BMP) Resource Task Group. He has presented several times at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show. (Check out a recap of the education session “Why Didn’t I Think of That
who earned degrees and turfgrass certificates from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the University of Georgia
was previously superintendent at Southern Woods Golf Club
World Woods Golf Club and Sugarmill Woods Country Club
View the complete list of past President’s Award winners
When you write a Golf Advisor course review now through December 31
your review will be entered into Golf Advisor’s Rate to Escape: Maui Sweepstakes for a chance to win a five-star trip to Maui
One Grand Prize winner and guest will travel in an AVIS rental car for six nights/ seven days of accommodations with the latest gear from OGIO to play on the finest fairways in Maui
We’re also giving away 12 Golf Advisor Swag bags to lucky reviewers
– Playing a golf course out of order sounds like the stuff of nightmares
it was part of one of the biggest and best surprises of a great year in golf
you’ll do a lot of strange things on the course
I was still catching my breath, having just played three other-worldly holes through an old quarry at Brooksville Country Club
a William Mitchell design that Bobby Weed renovated in 2008
but playing them is more like an acid trip…from what I’ve read
I’d just birdied the first of what I thought were back-to-back par threes at Brooksville C.C
Coming off the all-or-nothing downhill par-3 14th
I saw tee boxes just five steps off the left edge of the green
So it seemed natural to turn around and plunge back down into the quarry once more before returning to the pleasant parkland golf the course had given me for the first 11 holes
But after I lipped out my birdie putt and walked up the hill and out of the quarry
the sign on the next tee read “18,” not “16.”
Turned out the real 15th tee was behind the 14th green
and I was supposed to play two par fours before that last quarry par three
I burst out laughing at my mistake as the latter stages of a brisk late-November afternoon descended on the Spanish moss-laden live oaks dotting the property
I didn’t stop giggling until I holed out to finish my round
Such was the euphoria of a pleasant surprise
the 16th tee was right next to the 18th green and the 15th played right back to the clubhouse
so much so that I found myself thinking that hole sequence made more sense
Perhaps I’m biased in order to cover up my mistake
Brooksville’s quarry holes formed a spectacularly crazy penultimate act on a golf course I now consider a hidden gem in a destination that is easy to overlook
The kicker: green fees barely top $40 (if you’re around on a Tuesday
you can play for $28; it’s hard to imagine a much better value in Florida golf)
but avid traveling golfers are likely familiar with this town an hour north of Tampa
a well-known multi-course facility whose Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks courses have graced magazine rankings since opening in 1993
Here was another surprise. Of World Woods’ two Tom Fazio-designed “big courses” (there is also a nine-hole executive course and three further practice holes, plus a massive driving range and putting course, making the facility a haven for golf addicts), Pine Barrens is generally more popular
It hosted a 2002 “Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf” episode with Phil Mickelson and David Toms
and its large sandy waste areas have always helped it to photograph nicely for magazine spreads
This is especially true of the famous short par-4 15th
where players can drive the ball on or around the green if they choose to carry one of the property’s biggest sandy expanses
But after playing both courses, I found myself favoring the less-heralded Rolling Oaks layout
Rolling Oaks has more of a parkland look to it
with crisp-edged bunkers and larger and much more undulating greens than Pine Barrens
Pine Barrens’ greens are smallish and flatter
owing to a somewhat tougher tee-to-green makeup
But what tipped the scales in Rolling Oaks’ favor is its more compact routing
I found fewer long stretches from one green to the next tee
and you may well find you prefer Pine Barrens
But don’t make the mistake of skipping Rolling Oaks
Green fees here can tick above $100 in peak fall/winter/early spring
but closer to Tampa or in a higher-traffic destination
A post shared by Tim Gavrich (@timgavrich) on Nov 29
Southern Hills Plantation Club is a bit more restrained in its bunkering than some Dye designs
But centerline hazards like those in the 15th fairway and some deceptively tough greenside pits on the par threes can derail you if you’re not careful
and players who can overcome the fearsome looks will find it generally very playable
When the course hosted the second stage of Web.com Tour qualifying
it took a four-round score of 14-under par or better to advance
with a growing membership (real estate is starting to pick up again) that limits outside access before 11 am
Guests can book up to four days out and green fees float between $75 and $125
The lone negative surprise about Brooksville as a golf destination: accommodations are not exactly plentiful
World Woods has a handful of off-site villas and Southern Hills has three villas of between two and four bedrooms
but the nearest chain hotels come in the form of a Holiday Inn about 10 minutes west of Brooksville proper
and a Hampton Inn (where I stayed) about the same distance east of town
When you have breakfast at the cash-only Florida Cracker Kitchen (and you should – their corned beef hash is among the best I’ve had)
they’ll give your change back to you in $2 bills
World Woods is about 15 minutes northwest of town along a quiet stretch of US-98
About halfway there is Kevin’s “The Way Station,” a quirky roadhouse-like shack of a place
I stopped in for a quick bite between rounds and was the only person in the place
Kevin cooked me one of the best burgers I’ve had in recent memory
Other visitors swear by Kevin’s chicken wings
Food prices are very reasonable in and around Brooksville
I had dinner one night at Broad Street Market
In Tampa or Orlando or a more upscale destination
I noticed a similar phenomenon at Papa Joe’s
a surprisingly solid red-sauce Italian joint that’s been in business a few miles outside of town since 1981
Greens putted true with good speed….Wayward tee shots will roll into the junk.”
Another option is to continue northwest from World Woods and play either Sugarmill Woods or Southern Woods
two private clubs owned by World Woods owner Yukihisa Inoue that allow outside play after noon
the consensus was that people prefer Southern Woods by a slight margin
Brooksville is an excellent value-oriented
Southern Hills and Brooksville Country Club
you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much fun you have
— A late-fire destroyed a home in Citrus County
Beachview Drive to find a two-story wood frame residence fully involved in flames.
and the Rehab Unit from Citrus Springs responded to the scene
Multiple 911 callers reported hearing a possible explosion
and flames were visible about 2-3 miles away from the residence
The fire was brought under control at 11:52 p.m
No injuries were reported. Assistance was requested for the displaced residents
head golf professional and general manager at nine golf properties throughout Southwest Florida
according to a new release announcing the acquisitions
“I am excited to lead the efforts to restore these storied golf courses and clubs to the high quality the membership and community deserve,” said Yates
“Penny and I look forward to creating the best golf experience possible
Parks is the founder and president of Links Financial
She is one of the founders of the Executive Women’s Golf Association
which manages Tampa’s municipal golf courses
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Indonesian horror film Pabrik Gula — known in English as Sugar Mill — has been acquired for a North American release by EST N8, Deadline reports
Described as “a chilling tale that evokes The Cabin in the Woods while staying rooted in Indonesian lore,” the film will be released in theaters
The film follows a group of seasonal workers arriving at a sugar mill
only to find themselves tormented by vengeful demons
they must unravel the mystery of what awakened these dark forces — and whether they can escape and return home before it is too late
Awi Suryadi directs from a script by Lele Laila
The trio previously collaborated on the highest-grossing Indonesian film of all time
EST N8 is a partnership between the Los Angeles-based EST Studios and the New York- and Bangkok-based N8 Studios
representing a slate of Asian films at global markets
“We can’t wait to introduce audiences to the rich world of Pabrik Gula
a film that will surely resonate with fans of supernatural horror,” said EST Studios chairman Jaeson Ma
Pabrik Gula opens in Indonesia later this month
Bleecker Street has acquired the US rights to Bone Lake
setting an October 10 theatrical release date
erotic survival thriller is directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan (Spoonful of Sugar) and written by Joshua Friedlander (Holly Slept Over)
A couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate is upended when they’re forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple
A dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex
bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival
Nick Matthews (Saw X) serves as director of photography
Trace Thurman wrote in his review out of Fantastic Fest
“Bone Lake emerges as one of the biggest surprises of Fantastic Fest
operating as an incredibly entertaining thriller that doesn’t skimp on the gore or the laughs
It’s a goddamn blast from start to finish.”
Bone Lake has been rated “R” for strong bloody violence
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