Among the main infrastructure issues Hernando wants to address: Building elevation and coastline preservation.

Florida’s new chief resilience officer toured Hernando County last week. He's visiting local communities throughout the state to discuss resiliency goals.

In November, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Wesley Brooks as the state's new chief resilience officer, after nearly two years of not having a full-time person in the position.

Brooks was director of federal affairs at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and he also worked with U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio on environmental initiatives.

The governor's office said in an email that Brooks is meeting with local officials across the state to learn about their specific regional needs.

“Governor DeSantis created the Chief Resilience Officer position with the direction to coordinate statewide response to better prepare for the environmental, physical, and economic impacts of flooding in Florida,” said Jared Williams, deputy communications director for DeSantis’ office.

“To implement this mission, Dr. Wes Brooks has been visiting, and will continue to visit and coordinate with, local communities throughout the state to discuss our shared resiliency goals, including recently in Hernando County.”

James Coleman, Hernando County's emergency manager, said he discussed flooding and sea level rise with Brooks, as Hernando is in the Withlacoochee River Basin.

"One of the things that Dr. Brooks brought up was, we're not just looking at coastal flooding and incidents of that nature, but also inland flooding," he said.

Brooks toured Hernando County Fire Station #6, which is being demolished and rebuilt to the basic flood elevation of 15 feet.

"From there, we went and looked at a home that's being elevated … put on piers or stilts, and it's right at the water's edge. It's one of these homes that has a canal that comes right up to the back of the house,” he said, adding that it’s part of the mitigation and remediation that needs to take place, especially in older communities.

The county wants to also focus on finding ways of preserving the coastline.

Coleman said he’s hoping to get some grant funding through The Resilient Florida Program, legislation that was signed into law in May. It ensures coordination in coastal and inland resiliency.

“Dr. Brooks, talked at length about the grant programs that The Resilience Program is coming out with — they're usually 50/50 grants, and they can be used for projects or for planning purposes,” he said.

The governor recently announced the award of more than $404 million for 113 projects through the program.

“One of the things that the governor mentioned was, he was going to try to leverage that $404 million into over $800 million, with the rest of the state budget with monies that could be appropriated towards the resiliency of the state. So that is really exciting. I mean, that's almost a billion dollars,” said Coleman.

In thinking about storm preparation, he said counties across the state are “all in it together.”

“When these storms hit, it's a regional approach to response and recovery,” he said. “Hernando County doesn't do by themselves. We get with Citrus County, Sumter, Pasco, Pinellas. I mean, everybody jumps in together and it's a regional approach to wherever the disaster hits.”

A suicide threat in Hernando County was resolved recently, and Sheriff’s Office officials say it was thanks to a drone. They say that is just one example of how the drones are being used in law enforcement.

What You Need To Know

Hernando County's Unmanned Aerial Systems Unit was launched about two years ago, and so far, officials say the drones have been deployed more than 200 times.

Technology has evolved quite a bit since Cpl. Michael Woodward joined the Sheriff’s Office 10 years ago, when the department did not have a drone unit.

The 47-year-old jokes that he entered the academy later than most usually do, but that didn't affect his desire to serve.

“It’s the old cliché," he told Bay News 9's Katya Guillaume. "I wanted to help people and when I got in, I wanted to do it for a long time.”

He started off as a patrol officer and climbed his way up to corporal when he joined the Unmanned Aerial Systems Unit.

“Days are great," he said "You really get out there and really get to help the good people.”

Woodward said a lot has changed since his academy days, but one of the biggest changes he's seen was introducing the idea of using drones in the department two years ago.

“I like to keep our agency on the cutting edge and do new things," he said, adding that his current job is something he never thought he’d be doing.

“When I go to thinking about what the future would bring, I knew that this was an up and coming thing, so it was just something that I tried, and I grew interested in it from there," Woodward said.

He started the program with just five drones, but now has 11 total and a handful of deputies operating them throughout the county.

“There are restrictions like our Brooksville airport and stuff, but we have waivers that allow us to fly within that jurisdiction if need be," he said, noting that the unit is always ready to go at a moment’s notice.

“All of our vehicles, the majority of them are set up with command cabinets," he said. "We can be on scene and set up this whole command cabinet with the screens and everything within a matter of minutes.”

“As quick as we can get this deployed, could be the difference between saving somebody’s life and not,” he added.

Woodward said while that’s always been the goal, this new technology goes even further to help law enforcement officers protect themselves and others on dangerous calls.

Right now the officials with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office say the drones are deployed about 10 times a month to help out on calls.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Spectrum Bay News 9 reached out to the property owner for comment and did not hear back by the time story was published.

They have now told us they did plan to build a parking lot, but there was also an exclusive offer to donate the building to the Hernando Historical Museum.

However, both parties could not agree on a timeline.

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — Downtown Brooksville is known for its history and historical sites.

Preserving the old has been a goal for organizers and event planners in the area.

The Garrison House is believed to be the oldest building in the area — and it’s hanging on by a thread.

Local historians and residents are not happy with its condition. Chris Rhodes has studied history for years.

“A lot of historians believe that this was here when the Garrison’s first moved to Hernando in 1830-1840s. This is one of the pioneers of Brooksville,” he said.

Rhodes said he’s proud to call Brooksville home because of its history.

“Oh my God, this is devastating,” he said while looking at the torn-down home.

“Which is something that Brooksville just doesn’t need,” Rhodes said.

He understands the owners have a right to do what they want with their property, but he thinks there are so many other possibilities to preserve this piece of history.

“This doesn’t have to be a home,” he continued on. “It could be a restaurant, it could be a small business, it could be a small retail shop, it could be a photo studio again.”

Back in the 20s, Albert Haskell, a well-known photographer, turned the house into his ‘Photo Shop.’

Rhodes said now is the time to bring back Brooksville’s old charm, not tear it down.

“As the downtown area is starting to revitalize and reawaken the heart of Brooksville, it’s monstrous to have this occur,” Rhodes expressed.

“This property needs love. This property needs to be respected.”

A grant was filed in 2021 by Brooksville Main Steet to protect and save the property by moving it, but the owners did not agree to the timeline, so the old home will be gone forever.

Spectrum Bay News 9 reached out to the property owner for comment. They said they did plan to build a parking lot, but there was also an exclusive offer to donate the building to the Hernando Historical Museum.

However, both parties could not agree on a timeline.

BROOKSVILLE, FL.— Hernando Christian Academy may not be a household name, but the school's baseball game is as good as anyone.

“We have a bunch of guys out here who could play college baseball,” said junior center fielder, and team captain, Matthew Biel. “The talent is there, our catcher, first baseman, shortstop. I feel like everybody could go on to the next level.”

The Lions are having one of their best seasons in over a decade. Head coach Garrett Mikkola credits the closeness of his small team.

“It’s an awesome group,” said Mikkola. “We have 12 of us this year, kind of down from the past where we would have 15, but a great group of guys and I wouldn’t trade them for anything,

The team can hit, play good defense, and, perhaps most important to high school baseball, they have an ace on the mound.

Johnny Giannie may not look intimidating at 5’7” 120 lbs., but this pitcher can bring the heat. He also enjoys dictating the pace of the game.

“Starting the game and getting my rhythm going,” said the senior. “Getting to control the game, I love it.”

“He hits his spots, he makes hitters miss, and all around he’s just solid,” said junior catcher Larson Lott.

“He doesn’t shy away,” said coach. “I will sit down with my pitchers and ask them what type of game they want to have and he always says ‘let me take the big dog’ for that week.”

Mikkola has a full squad of guys ready to step up and challenge anyone. He knows firsthand what it’s like to do big things at a little school. Mikkola went to HCA and helped the Lions win a Sunshine State Athletic Conference championship back in 2009. That was their last one until a couple weeks ago, when the Lions captured the SSAC 6A title.

“It was amazing, that feeling of doing it with these guys, with my guys, not a group of guys that were brought in from somewhere else,” said Mikkola. “To do it with the guys I’ve had for 4, 5, 6 years, it was really special and amazing to win it with them.”

The Hernando Christian Academy Lions are fine playing the underdog. They understand it’s easy to overlook them. But winning a state title changes perception. And if someone didn’t know HCA before, they’ll certainly have to remember the name now, thanks to a small group, with a big dream, on a baseball field.

Brooksville Fla. – The Florida Department of Health in Hernando County (DOH-Hernando) has partnered with Nomi Health to provide no-cost, COVID-19 testing at the Hernando County Fairgrounds beginning Thursday, August 12, 2021. The drive-thru site will be open 7 days a week, from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Appointments are highly recommended to avoid wait times. To make an appointment visit https://testing.nomihealth.com/signup/fl.

“We are seeing an increase in positive cases among residents who are not vaccinated,” Florida Department of Health Administrator Robin Napier shared. “The Health Department has collaborated with Nomi Health, a COVID-19 testing and vaccination provider, to offer no-cost testing to the community. The site will supplement our pharmacies and medical providers in Hernando County who have been overwhelmed with the demand for testing.”

The testing site entrance is on the back side of the Fairgrounds, entering from Oliver Street. Residents should be prepared to stay in their vehicles while awaiting testing. Restroom facilities will not be available. Only people who are being tested should be in the vehicle with the exception of parents, guardians, or caregivers. No pets are permitted in the vehicle during tests.

If you’re experiencing non-life-threatening symptoms or think you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, contact your health care provider or make an appointment for a COVID-19 test. Self-isolate until you receive confirmation of your results to help slow the spread.

Symptoms of COVID-19 may include:

For more information on Nomi Health, visit: https://nomihealth.com/ or call 904-295-0562 to reach a customer service agent.

Additional testing and vaccine locations

Local and commercial pharmacies, as well as our community health care providers (health centers, urgent cares, physicians, hospitals, etc.) continue to offer COVID-19 testing throughout Hernando County. Individuals can find COVID-19 Testing Sites in Hernando County on the DOH-Hernando website and on the DOH COVID-19 Testing Sites Locator. It is recommended that residents call prior to arrival to ensure they meet any guidelines required by the provider. COVID-19 testing is not available at the health department.

DOH-Hernando continues to urge all eligible individuals (including those who have already had COVID-19 and recovered) to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and they protect people from getting sick or severely ill with COVID-19. For frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccination, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @HealthyHernando. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.