Press Releases

Hurricane Idalia Evacuation Order Issued

August 28, 2023 12:45 p.m.

A MANDATORY EVACUATION has been ordered for Levy County residents and visitors in the coastal areas of Levy County.  This includes, but is not limited to Cedar Key, Yankeetown, Fowlers Bluff, Fanning Springs, and any other area that is prone to storm surge. Please start your preparations for evacuations as soon as possible, and be completed by 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 29, 2023.  Residents and visitors of Cedar Key need to be off the island before the storm surge arrives. The bridges throughout the island cannot withstand the storm surge and will become impassable.  Once the storm surge comes in, help may not be available to reach you.

All Levy County Public offices will be closed for business Tuesday, August 29^th and Wednesday, August 30^th. This closure includes the Court House and Judicial services.

August 28, 2023

Levy County is preparing for Hurricane Idalia landfall Tuesday afternoon and into Wednesday early morning. The county is making emergency preparations to ensure the safety of our citizens and visitors. Flooding, Hurricane force winds and life-threatening storm surge are major concerns. The following emergency orders have been passed:

Levy County Schools have been canceled Tuesday (8/29/23) and Wednesday (8/30/23)

Special needs shelter will be open at the Bronson Elementary School; 400 Ishie Avenue Bronson, Florida at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning (8/29/23)

General population and pet friendly shelter will be open at the Bronson Middle/High School; 351 Ishie Avenue Bronson, Florida at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning (8/29/23). Williston Middle High School shelter will be open once Bronson Middle High is near capacity.

Citizens with animals that need to be sheltered need to bring a crate, food, bottled water (1 gallon jug per animal) and any medications. Owners must provide Rabies vaccine certificate and proof of distemper parvo/ feline distemper vaccine. Levy County Animal Services will provide vaccines for addition $10.00 per vaccines. All animals will be sheltered at the Levy County Animal Control shelter if you cannot provide proof of vaccinations. Citizens who have pet questions should call (352) 486-5138.

All county boat ramps will be closed at end of business today, Monday 8/28/23

The Cedar Key airport will be closed

Sandbag locations are now operational at the following locations:

Gulf Hammock Fire Station

Cedar Key Community Center

Rosewood Baptist Church

Yankeetown Water Plant

Inglis Municipal Building

Bronson Town Hall

Chiefland Maintenance Yard

Fowler’s Bluff Fire Station

Morriston Fire Station 11

Fanning Springs Fire Station

Empty lot across from the Williston Police Department

 

Levy County citizens information lines are now operational and a representative can answer your questions: 352-486-5155 or 352-486-5576.

August 21, 2023

On August 18, 2023 Jakarr T. White registered as a Sexual Predator with the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. By Florida law White is required to notify law enforcement whenever he changes addresses.

Jakarr T. White was convicted in 2013 for Lewd and Lascivious Battery victim between 12-15 years old.  White has registered his address as: 1650 SE 140 Terrace, Morriston, Florida 32668.

For a complete listing of all registered sexual predators and offenders residing in Levy County, or to search by zip code, please visit www.fdle.state.fl.us and go to the sexual offender data base.

Sexual Predator:

Jakarr T White

1650 SE 140 Terrace

Morriston, Florida 32668

Black/Male

DOB: 2/16/92

Levy County students are returning for the 2023-2024 School Year tomorrow, August 10th. We anticipate heavy vehicle traffic in and around all of our school campuses, especially for the first few days. We want to remind motorists to SLOW DOWN, BE ALERT, and BE PATIENT.

School busses will return to their normal morning and afternoon traffic patterns, picking up and dropping off students at designated school bus stops throughout the county. Motorist can expect traffic delays as student’s board and disembark. Motorists are reminded to be extra cautious and slow down in and around school bus stop locations and NEVER pass a stopped bus.

Please visit the school web page for the most up to date information.

School Resource Deputies have been training all summer in anticipation for the students return. Active shooter, first aid and campus security were their main focus. Sheriff McCallum ensures each campus has the most qualified and highly trained deputy sheriff on school property.

Sheriff McCallum and each School Resource Deputy wishes each student a successful learning year and ask those who travel through these school zones to be patient and alert to help us protect our future.

August 3, 2023

A Silver Alert has been issued for:

Richard Chase 81 years old (9/25/41).

Richard Chase was last seen this morning at 10:30 a.m. in the Wal-Mart Shopping plaza in Chiefland, Florida. He was wearing a green shirt and black shorts. His hair and beard are currently longer than in the picture provided. He is driving a white 2006 Dodge Caravan with attached Florida tag JSM-G64 (similar to the one pictured above). Family reports he is suffering from memory loss issues and may be disoriented.

If located immediately contact the Levy County Sheriff’s Office at 352-486-5111 or your local authorities.

August 1, 2023

 

On July 27, 2023 Jeffrey Earl Lashley registered as a Sexual Predator with the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. By Florida law Lashley is required to notify law enforcement whenever he changes addresses.

Jeffrey Earl Lashley was convicted in 2004 for Sexual Battery in violation of Florida Statute 794.011 (5).  Lashley has registered his address as: 4955 SW CR 347, Cedar Key, Fl.

For a complete listing of all registered sexual predators and offenders residing in Levy County, or to search by zip code, please visit www.fdle.state.fl.us and go to the sexual offender data base.

Sexual Predator:

Jeffrey Earl Lashley

4955 SW CR 347

Cedar Key, Florida 32625

White/Male

DOB: 9/11/1959

July 28, 2023

The LCSO Bravo Day Shift Patrol deputies would not be denied yesterday. If you ran from them, you were as good as caught.

Levy County opted out of the proposed bill many years ago which allowed individuals to operate unregistered motorized vehicles on the right of way. For example, you are not allowed to ride your ATV or UTV in the ditch or on the roadways of Levy County. This is in-fact a violation that you can be ticketed for, or if you decide to evade the deputy could result in you being arrested.

Yesterday morning Corporal Mike McNeil was called by another deputy who was responding to another call. Corporal McNeil was told that he just passed a male driving a moped on US Hwy 27 Alt. whom he believed to be Trevor Stewart. Stewart is known to flee from law enforcement and it is also known that he has a suspended license. Corporal McNeil located the subject around 9:00 and attempted to stop him on CR 335 near NE 69^th Place. He failed to stop and began making evasive turns in an attempt to evade Corporal McNeil.

The male driver maxed out the moped at its top speed of 40 mph and was unable to out run Corporal McNeil. The driver pulled to the side of the road, laid the moped on its side and fled into the woods on foot. Deputies with the assistance of K-9 Behr tracked the suspect to an abandoned trailer before losing the trail.

A short time later a citizen contacted Corporal McNeil and told him “Trevor” ran into their home earlier and he was not welcome there. Corporal McNeil with additional deputies drove to this home and located Trevor Stewart (3/9/96) of Bronson hiding inside a closet. Although he was not wearing the same clothes and initially denied running from Corporal McNeil the investigation proved otherwise. Stewart was arrested for driving on a suspended license, fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement and resisting arrest. He is currently being held in the Levy County Detention Center in lieu of a $60,000.00 bond.

Later this same morning Deputy Nelson Macias saw a person riding a red ATV on US 41 in Morriston. He attempted to stop the subject who decided to flee. Undaunted by this attempt to avoid apprehension, a chase ensued. Deputy Macias was able to overtake the fleeing subject who “blew up the motor” of the ATV. The suspect then fled into the woods on foot.

Deputies arrived to assist and established a perimeter. The fleeing suspect was apprehended a short time later while trying to cross a road. The subject, identified as John Joseph Daniels (6/15/78) of Williston was taken into custody and delivered to the Levy County Detention Center. He was charged with fleeing and attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, driving while license suspended and resisting arrest. His bond had been set at $113,500.00.

We appreciate all the citizen assistance we received in these cases. The LCSO will continue to work to keep our highways safe.

July 25, 2023

On July 21, 2023 Levy County Deputies responded to a residence on SE 55^th Street in Morriston to investigate an open line 911 call. 911 Operators could not hear any noises or sounds of distress. However, two weeks prior deputies responded to a domestic violence call at this same location. The suspect fled prior to law enforcements arrival and had not been apprehended.

Deputies arrived and saw a male standing on the front porch. The man immediately retreated inside the home. A Ford F-150 was parked in the driveway and the driver’s door was open. Plainly visible inside the truck were two handguns, cash and drugs. The registered owner of the truck was the same person suspected in the previous domestic violence call and the male seen fleeing inside the home matched the description of the domestic violence suspect.

Deputies and Drug Task Force members surrounded the home and called for the suspect to surrender. He did not and authority to enter the home to apprehend the suspect was granted by the homeowner. Deputies located the suspect, identified as John H. Chastain (10/11/88) of Morriston, hiding inside a closet. Chastain did not surrender peacefully and fought deputy’s attempts to handcuff him. Chastain was arrested for felony battery for the incident that occurred two weeks prior. He was also found to have 17.1 grams of Fentanyl in his pocket.

The truck was sealed with the visible contraband inside and towed to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office impound yard. A search warrant for this truck was obtained by LCSO Drug Task Force Detectives.

On July 24, 2023 Task Force Detectives executed the search warrant on the truck. Detectives recovered the two plainly visible guns, drugs and money. The search also led to the discovery of a third gun and more narcotics. In all, three guns, one having previously being reported stolen in Levy County on 3/9/23, 278.7 grams of Fentanyl (0.61 pounds), 580.1 grams of methamphetamines (1.27 pounds), 57.5 grams of powder cocaine, 20.8 grams of crack cocaine, 2.9 grams of MDMD ecstasy, 26.7 grams of marijuana, 5 packs of Fentanyl 12mcg/hr patches, oxycodone and $1,600 in US currency.  In the State of Florida possession of more than 400 grams of methamphetamines is considered a trafficking offense and is punishable as a Capital Felony with a potential life sentence and possession of Fentanyl in excess of 28 grams carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years.

John Chastain is being held in the Levy County Detention Center and has been charged with a multitude of crimes. His bond is set at $3,810,000.00 dollars.

July 24, 2023

Deputies arrested Philip Roberts (8/27/65) of Gainesville during a traffic stop on July 19, 2023 after finding drugs in his possession. Jaime Fordham (10/12/95) of Bronson was a passenger in the vehicle with Roberts and too was arrested for tampering with evidence. Fordham attempted to conceal drugs and needles in the vehicle at the request of Roberts as they were being stopped.

Roberts was found in possession of cocaine and methamphetamines, as well as driving with a suspended license. He was transported to the Levy County Detention Center.

Fordham was also booked into the Levy County Detention Center and placed in a holding cell. Detention Officers noticed she was acting strange and began monitoring her. Each cell is monitored by video. Fordham was seen behaving abnormally and appeared to be attempting to “retrieve” contraband concealed on her body. Officers saw a small white packet fall to the ground that she immediately picked up and ate.

In the hours that followed her arrest Fordham exhibited symptoms of a person high on illegal narcotics. The investigation following this incident revealed Fordham had ingested Fentanyl she smuggled into the jail. She was additionally charged with introduction of contraband into a detention facility and tampering with evidence. She has since posted a $15,000 bond and released.   

Roberts is currently being held in custody in lieu of a $30,000.00 bond.