Waterway Cleanup Kits Ready for Pickup on Sovereign Path
Lecanto, FL · September 17, 2026
Stacks of heavy gloves and mesh collection bags line the Extension office counter early today. Plenty to cross off the list before Saturday’s big push along the water.
The Lead
Final preparations are underway across the county as organizers gear up for the 37th Annual Lakes, Rivers, and Coastal Cleanup, the centerpiece of the 31st Annual Save Our Waters Week kicking off this Saturday. Volunteer group leaders are making their rounds through the UF/IFAS Extension office on Sovereign Path over the next 48 hours to collect route assignments, safety gear, and commemorative shirts.
Coordinated by Keep Citrus County Beautiful alongside county aquatic services, the countywide effort mobilizes hundreds of residents to comb shorelines from the Tsala Apopka lake chain out to the Gulf marsh edges. Past drives have hauled tons of monofilament line, plastics, and submerged tires before autumn high tides push debris deeper into sensitive grass flats. Team captains must confirm their final headcounts and turn in participant waivers before loading gear into truck beds by Friday afternoon.
Local Pulse
Southbound Lecanto Highway Reopens Following Clearance Roads Deputies reopened the southbound lane Wednesday morning near West Kevin Lane after crews cleared debris from a two-vehicle collision.
Commissioners Decline Appeal on Pine Ridge Development City Hall The county commission voted unanimously to accept a circuit court ruling, ending public funding for further appellate litigation.
Sheriff’s Office Deploys Three New Canine Teams Safety Three newly certified canine teams entered active patrol duty across county beats this week to support tracking and searches.
Today's Outlook
- High 89°F · Low 73°F — Overcast
- Heavy cloud cover will keep the sun down, but humidity stays sticky all day.
What's On Around Town
Today
- Air Fryer Tapas Class Citrus County Canning Center (3405 W Southern St), 1:00 PM Learn quick appetizer recipes from hands-on extension kitchen instructors.
- Teen’s Night Out Depot District (300 N Apopka Ave), Inverness, 5:30–7:00 PM · Free Supervised games, themed entertainment, and snacks for middle and early high schoolers.
Tomorrow
- Watercolor Card Making Workshop Central Ridge Library (425 W Roosevelt Blvd), Beverly Hills, 10:30–11:30 AM · Free
- Abilities Fine Art Gala Art Center of Citrus County (2644 N Annapolis Ave), Hernando, 5:00–9:00 PM
- Small Town Slam Wrestling Depot Pavilion (300 N Apopka Ave), Inverness, 7:30–9:30 PM
Saturday
- Market at the Depot Depot District (300 N Apopka Ave), Inverness, 9:00 AM–1:00 PM · Free
- Citrus Recovery Fest Depot Pavilion (300 N Apopka Ave), Inverness, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM · Free
- Phil Collins Tribute Concert Town Square (559 N Citrus Ave), Crystal River, 7:00 PM · Free
Spotlight & Story
- Yulee Sugar Mill Chimney
- Built in 1851 from locally quarried limestone, this 40-foot chimney towers just five feet from County Road 490. During a 2006 stabilization project, National Park Service conservators used precision laser scans to match the exact lime-and-shell mortar binding the masonry together.
Lecanto Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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