Citrus County issued a state of emergency late Sunday afternoon as Tropical Storm Idalia continues to meander northward through the Gulf, threatening the west coast. “It’s imperative that citizens take this storm very seriously but we don’t need to panic right now,” County Commission Chairwoman Ruthie Schlabach said. Emergency Operation officials have mandated the opening of Citrus County schools as shelters starting Monday, Aug. 28, in the afternoon. So schools will be on the following half-day schedule: Dismissal for Elementary: 12:35 p.m. Dismissal for Middle School: 11:20 a.m. Dismissal for High Schools: 11:40 a.m. All schools will be closed on Tuesday, Aug. 29, and Wednesday, Aug. 30. After-school programs and extra-curricular activities are canceled beginning Monday afternoon until further notice. Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday warned residents along the Gulf Coast, particularly in the Big Bend region of North Florida, to brace for a potential Category 3 hurricane making landfall Wednesday and causing life-threatening flooding and power outages. Idalia was upgraded to a tropical storm Sunday. The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) has issued hurricane and storm-surge watches for Citrus County and all of Florida’s Gulf Coast, with impacts expected as early as Tuesday. The latest track now has Idalia making landfall near Taylor and Dixie counties, just north of Citrus midweek. Tropical storm-force winds could hit Citrus County sometime Tuesday. But again, that depends on the track. More should be known Monday. The consensus is that the farther this storm moves to the west, the better conditions would be for Citrus County. “Once the storm gets into the Gulf, strengthening is expected due to low wind shear and very warm sea surface temperatures,” BayNews9 meteorologist Josh Linker said in a news release. By Wednesday, Idalia should become a hurricane, he said. Even though no definitive center has formed, the National Weather Service believes Citrus County could experience the storm’s impact sometime Tuesday into Wednesday, according to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. “Based on best available information, it is predicted that counties along the coast may receive a catastrophic storm surge from 6-9 feet above ground level – which is greater than what was experienced in Hurricane Hermine,” the sheriff’s office said. To allow citizens time to prepare for the possibility of tropical weather, Citrus County has opened two self-serve sandbag sites: Homosassa Community Park, 4210 S. Grandmarch Ave., Homosassa Bicentennial Park, 501 N. Baseball Point, Crystal River The city of Crystal River has also opened a self-serve site at the Crystal River Firehouse, located at 650 NW Third Ave. Self-serve sites are open 24 hours but are not monitored overnight for availability of supplies. Citizens wishing to take advantage of the self-serve sites will need to bring a shovel. Stay with the Chronicle for the lost up-to-date information on the storm.

Citrus County issued a state of emergency late Sunday afternoon as Tropical Storm Idalia continues to meander northward through the Gulf, threatening the west coast.

“It’s imperative that citizens take this storm very seriously but we don’t need to panic right now,” County Commission Chairwoman Ruthie Schlabach said.

Emergency Operation officials have mandated the opening of Citrus County schools as shelters starting Monday, Aug. 28, in the afternoon. So schools will be on the following half-day schedule:

-Dismissal for Elementary: 12:35 pm

-Dismissal for Middle School: 11:20 am

-Dismissal for High Schools: 11:40 am

All schools will be closed on Tuesday, Aug. 29 and Wednesday, Aug. 30.

After-school programs and extra-curricular activities are canceled beginning Monday afternoon until further notice.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday warned residents along the Gulf Coast, particularly in the Big Bend region of North Florida, to brace for a potential Category 3 hurricane making landfall Wednesday and causing life-threatening flooding and power outages.

Idalia was upgraded to a tropical storm Sunday.

The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) has issued hurricane and storm-surge watches for Citrus County and all of Florida’s Gulf Coast, with impacts expected as early as Tuesday.

The latest track now has Idalia making landfall near Taylor and Dixie counties, just north of Citrus midweek.

Tropical storm-force winds could hit Citrus County sometime Tuesday. But again, that depends on the track. More should be known Monday.

The consensus is that the farther this storm moves to the west, the better conditions would be for Citrus County.

“Once the storm gets into the Gulf, strengthening is expected due to low wind shear and very warm sea surface temperatures,” BayNews9 meteorologist Josh Linker said in a news release.

By Wednesday, Idalia should become a hurricane, he said.

Even though no definitive center has formed, the National Weather Service believes Citrus County could experience the storm’s impact sometime Tuesday into Wednesday, according to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office.

“Based on best available information, it is predicted that counties along the coast may receive a catastrophic storm surge from 6-9 feet above ground level – which is greater than what was experienced in Hurricane Hermine,” the sheriff’s office said.

To allow citizens time to prepare for the possibility of tropical weather, Citrus County has opened two self-serve sandbag sites:

Homosassa Community Park, 4210 S. Grandmarch Ave., Homosassa

Bicentennial Park, 501 N. Baseball Point, Crystal River

The city of Crystal River has also opened a self-serve site at the Crystal River Firehouse, located at 650 NW Third Ave.

Self-serve sites are open 24 hours but are not monitored overnight for availability of supplies. Citizens wishing to take advantage of the self-serve sites will need to bring a shovel.

FEMA workers say they’re here to help storm victims apply for assistance or check the status of an existing application.

HOMOSASSA, Fla. — FEMA’s first disaster recovery center in hard-hit Citrus County is now open.

The organized effort to provide relief from Hurricane Idalia comes nearly two weeks after the storm brought devastating storm surge to that part of our region.

“We never dealt with FEMA, so this is all new to us,” Leroy Cliff, one of the first in line applying for assistance, said.

Like so many people in Citrus County, Cliff is grateful that FEMA is on the ground here.

The county's first disaster recovery center is located in the West Citrus Community Center.

“We figure if we can get some money back, that's fine,” Cliff added.

“We were a little worried since so much time has passed,” Charlene Vairy, who also applying for assistance, said. “But we are really grateful that they are going to be able to help a lot of our neighbors who don't have insurance, and our insurance is very limited.”

FEMA workers say they’re here to help storm victims apply for assistance or check the status of an existing application. They can help find housing and rental information and also refer people to other agencies offering additional assistance.

“We'd love to see you. talk to you, povide any assistance we can,” FEMA’s Susan Miles, who is managing the center, said. “And even just answer general questions if we need to.”

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Many agreed it can be a daunting process, so the ability to ask questions face-to-face is a big help.

“It's really important,” Pastor Al Hopkins with Redemption Center Church said. “Because sometimes navigating the application is kind of difficult. So, them being here and helping us basically learn how to help move the application along is pretty good.”

The Small Business Administration is also on hand helping people secure low-interest loans.

Local agencies are providing assistance and even counseling for those feeling overwhelmed.

“You are sort of panic mode running on adrenaline just kind of flying by the seat of your pants on what needs to be done next because everything is a priority,” Vairy said. “So, once all of that settles, and then you look at what you're left with and what it's going to take to rebuild, it's heavy. It's really heavy.”

The location of Citrus County's FEMA disaster recovery center is 8940 West Veterans Drive which is essentially between Homosassa and Crystal River along Highway 98.

The center is open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. every day between now and Sept. 24, and longer, if needed.

Citrus County also realizes some people may need help getting to the disaster recovery center, so Citrus County Transit is offering free transportation services by appointment only. People can call 352-527-7630 to make a reservation.

It’s Saturday morning at The Bin Spot and most of the people outside in line waiting for the doors to open at 9 a.m. have been there for hours.

Some have even spent the night sleeping in their vehicles in the parking lot.

As the doors open, about 100 people rush into the spacious, 12,000-square-foot warehouse building, grab an over-sized shopping cart or a giant blue shopping bag and head for the rows of wooden bin tables loaded with merchandise.

It’s part “Supermarket Sweep” and part treasure hunt, and except for the music playing, it’s surprisingly quiet as people toss merchandise into their carts or bags.

Some browse, others just fill their carts in a steady rhythm.

These are serious shoppers on a mission to find the best deals.

Everything, every item, is $6, whether it’s a $2,000 MacBook computer or $100 Ninja food blender or a $17 package of disposable dog diapers.

This is bin shopping, one of the hottest trends in retail.

Bin stores like The Bin Spot at 1520 S. Suncoast Blvd. in Homosassa (the former Pro-Line Boats building), sell liquidated merchandise from major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Target at extreme discounts, as much as 90 percent of the original retail price.

The Bin Spot is open Saturday through Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with each day featuring a different category of merchandise at a set price.

Saturday is general merchandise for $6 – electronics, home goods, pet stuff, camping gear, sometimes tools, toys, and more.

Sunday is shoes day, $15 a pair, plus leftover general merchandise for $5 per item.

Monday is clothing day for $4, and Tuesday is miscellaneous for $3 per item.

“On Wednesday, our bin store staff and warehouse staff empty out all the bins, and everything goes back into our warehouse,” said Lauren Albanese, who, together with her partner, Ken Zarillo, own The Bin Spot and Wholesalez wholesale liquidation supply business.

Albanese said they get multiple trucks delivering merchandise every day, as many as 35 trucks in one day.

They also ship merchandise to other bin store locations around the country. What’s left over in Homosassa might show up in a row of bins in Ohio or Alabama or any number of places.

The key to a bin store’s success: Fresh merchandise every week.

“That’s why you see the same people here every Saturday, because they know that they’re getting completely new shipments, and every week it’s something new for them,” Albanese said.

Originally, she and Zarillo were thinking about opening a pallet liquidation business, which is similar to a bin store, but instead of buying individual items customers buy an entire pallet of merchandise for one set price.

“Bin stores were beginning to become a popular thing, and we realized that was better for our area,” she said. “We’re able to provide high-end products and everyday products for working-class people for $6 or $5 or $4.”

Their goal is to open as many stores as they can across the country; they recently opened a store in Sebring.

The store in Homosassa has been open for about two years.

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On a recent Saturday, Albanese and a Chronicle reporter stood in the back part of The Bin Spot and watched the people.

“It’s so fun to watch, especially when someone finds something, a Gucci purse or a MacBook computer, and they’re screaming and jumping up and down,” she said. “It’s fun when we see something like that when we’re filling the bins, but it’s more fun when the client finds it.”

She said there are two types of shoppers: resellers and people buying for themselves or looking for gifts for someone else.

“We hear stories all the time from the resellers who do this as a business,” she said. “There’s one young woman who had to quit her job to take care of her father, so this is perfect for her.

“That’s why we do this,” she said. “And there are others with their own stories who are here every weekend.”

Ashton Ritchie, who comes from Sumter County nearly every Saturday, comes for the sport of it.

“I love ‘thrifting’ at thrift stores, but this is the next level,” she said. “It’s so much fun. Just going through everything is fun, because it’s different every week and you see stuff and say, ‘I didn’t know I needed that!’

“Or I’ll be looking at something on Amazon and keep coming back to it, not ready to commit and then see the same thing here – how can I turn it down? And then I go home and look up the original prices so I can see how much I saved.”

She said she usually spends between $60 and $100, but might get a load of merchandise that would’ve cost $500 somewhere else.

“Recently I’ve gotten interested in camping,” she said, “and last week I got a bunch of camping stuff – a tent, air mattress, portable fan. I got a $300 sleeping bag for $6!”

She added that bin shopping is definitely addicting.

“I come with my boyfriend’s mom, and she is a ‘couponer,’ but she says this is way more fun than couponing. It’s the thrill of finding things,” she said.

On a recent Monday, bin shopper Mandi Solak scoured the bins of clothing looking for jean jackets.

She found one with white fringe on it.

“What I’ll do is put a big embroidery piece on the back and resell it,” she said. “I’m always looking for jean jackets and Levis, and then whatever sparkly bits catch my eye.”’

She also found a men’s leather jacket that she said she’ll use to make purses. That jacket, she said, was a bonus find.

“I’ve been a geriatric and hospice nurse for 20 years and I just gave up my nursing career,” she said. “I needed a break, and this does it.”

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Another part of bin shopping fun – mystery boxes.

Those are the brown boxes with a product inside, taped up, and scattered throughout the bins.

They may have a label that tells what’s inside, but more often than not they don’t.

Customers can’t open the sealed brown boxes, but they can bring them to the “What’s in the Box?” station and a Bin Spot employee will open it so the customer can see what’s inside and decide whether to purchase it or not.

“We have some people buy them and either resell them as ‘mystery boxes’ or use them as white elephant gifts for parties,” Albanese said.

The Bin Spot also has a Premium Room, usually open only on Saturdays, with high-dollar merchandise on shelves or inside display cases – watches and cameras, electronics, computers, tools.

They also have major home appliances like refrigerators and stoves, marked at up to 60 percent off the retail price.

“We’re able to get products at such a discounted price, and we’re happy to be able to offer it to people in our community,” Albanese said. “Last year, we donated a bunch of stuff; we went around dropping products off at (organizations) all over the county.

“We’ve been blessed, so the more we can give back, the more we can do, we want to do, because this is our community,” she said. “And then when you hear some of the stories from people, you don’t realize that just by having a store open you’re changing people’s lives.”

For more information about The Bin Spot:

Phone: 352-794-3054

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebinspot

Website: thebinspot.com

Open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday through Tuesday.

Lu the Hippo is an old Hollywood actor. Even though he’s retired, fans can still visit him at his Florida home and take photos of him!

If you’re not familiar with the 64-year-old bull hippopotamus, you can learn more about him in this article.

Then, add Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park to your list of fun roadside attractions in Florida you want to visit.

Lu the Hippo’s Younger Years

Lu was born in 1960 in San Diego and was originally an actor with Ivan Tors Animal Actors.

His full name is Lucifer, but everyone loves to call him Lu. His talent company relocated him to Homosassa Springs.

Here, Lu starred in Hollywood films, including “Cowboy in Africa” and “Daktari” and the TV shows “Art Linkletter Show” and the “Herb Alpert Special.”

In 1989, Lu faced eviction from his Homosassa Springs home.

The Florida Park Services took over the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park and planned to move all non-native species out of the state. This included Lu since he was born in California.

Lu was so beloved and had become a staple of Homosassa that residents decided to take measures to keep him in the park.

Community members rallied together and sent a petition to the Governor of Florida at the time, Lawton Chiles.

Chiles agreed with the community of Homosassa, and even made Lu an honorary citizen! This means he can never be moved from Homosassa Springs, where excellent staff takes care of him.

Visiting Lu in Homosassa

Today, Lu spends his retirement days swimming, playing with toys, eating, and entertaining his visitors by living his best life!

If you visit him, Lu may call back to you if you yell his name at him! If he’s in a great mood, he may even do a somersault in the water for you!

Lu recently celebrated his 64th birthday (January 26th)! He is still the oldest living hippopotamus in North America.

His birthday “cake” consisted of watermelon, pumpkin, gourds, and two bucket-sized pieces of ice filled with berries.

If you’d like to visit Lu, make sure to check out visiting hours, and any closures at Homosassa Springs!

If you’re not near Homosassa, don’t worry! Lu is also very active on Facebook! Check out his Facebook Page.

Learn more about Lu’s home in Crystal River: Swim With a Manatee and Experience Authentic Crystal River, the Soul of Florida

Want to explore other cool places in Florida, check out:

On Monday, the first day the American Red Cross post-hurricane shelter opened, David Coffin had the entire place to himself.

Volunteers fed him hamburgers and fries, showed him the restroom and shower trailers, let him pick out the cot he wanted to sleep on and told him about the services they could offer him.

The temporary Red Cross shelter, in partnership with Citrus County government, is being housed in the former Pro-Line Boats building on U.S. 19 in Homosassa, now The Bin Spot, owned by Ken Zarillo and Lauren Albanese.

On Sunday afternoon, volunteers cleared out all the Bin Spot retail merchandise and the Red Cross came in with all their cots and trailers and volunteer staff, transforming the giant warehouse in preparation for meeting the needs of people affected by Hurricane Idalia.

People like David Coffin.

The day of the hurricane, Wednesday, Aug. 30, Coffin walked seven miles in the pelting rain and wind, from Halls River Road in Homosassa to State Road 44 in Lecanto.

“Then I walked to the RaceTrac and then to the county transit center,” he said. “I’m a regular there, and all the people know me and I know them.”

He got on a bus, the Crystal River route, that took him to Winn-Dixie.

He said he slept in the rain that night.

“I lived in Homosassa for three and a half years, and then last July (2022) my brother passed away and then in August I had a stroke, and now I’m homeless, but I’m trying to correct that,” he said. “I heard about the shelter from one of the bus drivers, and I came here on Monday.”

On Tuesday, Coffin told the Chronicle that he has already talked to the staff from Citrus United Way and also Red Cross volunteers and that people are working on getting him clean clothes and a place to live.

“I’m a veteran, and I get some services,” he said. “But I desperately need a place to live.”

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It’s been years since the Red Cross has had an office in Citrus County. However, wherever a disaster occurs, the Red Cross is ready to mobilize as soon as they get word from the local authorities.

In this case, it’s the Citrus County government.

How this all came together: After Hurricane Idalia came through, possibly hundreds of residents on the west side of Citrus County were left with flood-damaged homes, many unlivable.

That’s when reality hit – Citrus County does not have a designated shelter for people displaced by disaster.

There are shelters for people during a hurricane, but not after.

When Idalia passed and the storm surge waters receded, representatives from the local nonprofits scrambled to find ways to help their clients and residents who were suddenly displaced.

The United Way currently has 13 families staying at the Bella Oasis motel in Homosassa, said Gene McGee, a United Way board member.

McGee is also on the board of the Citrus County Education Foundation and is a lobbyist for Citrus County in Tallahassee.

“The thing is, the Red Cross can’t come in (to a community) unless they’re invited and there’s a place for a shelter,” McGee said.

So, for the first week after the hurricane, the United Way and the other organizations did what they could as the county requested the Red Cross to come.

“We started looking for a facility, looking at all the county buildings, and at the same time, FEMA needed a building,” McGee said.

Then his friend, Ken Zarillo, offered to shut down his Bin Spot business for a month so the Red Cross could use it for a shelter.

“We were happy to do this,” Zarillo said. “We’re in a position where we could, and Citrus County has been really good to us since we came here four years ago.”

Zarillo also owns the former Fat Daddy’s restaurant building, which he said he’s going to gut and turn into a building that can be used in emergency situations, perhaps a shelter or a place where agencies like FEMA could set up operations.

“Because, unfortunately we’re going to have more storms, and Citrus County doesn’t have a permanent shelter right now,” he said.

McGee said this has brought glaring attention to that very need.

“We had to scramble this time, and luckily we’ve got a good-hearted guy with assets willing to close down his business and let us use his building,” McGee said. “If we didn’t have that, I don’t know what we would’ve done.

“We HAVE to have a shelter, and I think it’s on us, the county, to get a shelter funded. That’s something I’ll be talking to (our state legislators) about.”

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The air-conditioned shelter is open, located at The Bin Spot, 1520 S. Suncoast Blvd., Homosassa.

The cots are set up. There are plenty of bathrooms and showers, including some for people with disabilities.

The county animal services has brought over crates and food for pets.

Ken Zarillo has set aside some Xboxes and TVs so kids can play video games.

There’s plenty of food, and people can receive health screenings, mental health and spiritual help.

Staff is on hand to help people find housing or help for other needs.

And not everyone who receives services is required to sleep there, McGee said.

“It could be a respite center for people who have been affected by the storm,” he said. “The Red Cross coming in and taking care of all this for us is a godsend, and I can’t say enough about the Red Cross filling the void for us.

“We’re learning a lot. There is a void, and we just wish we would’ve done this sooner.”

Nancy Kennedy can be reached at 352-564-2927 or by email at nkennedy@chronicleonline.com.