Wolfgang Sprenger, 84, is accused of inappropriately touching six students.

DUNNELLON, Fla. — An 83-year-old former substitute teacher was arrested on Thursday for "lewd" and "lascivious" behavior during his time at multiple schools across Citrus County School District, according to a news release.

Wolfgang Sprenger was removed from his position on Jan. 31 after a staff member from Hernando Elementary reported he inappropriately touched some students, deputies said.

The school district said in a news release it immediately removed Sprenger from all substitute teaching positions within the district after learning about the allegations.

During the sheriff's office investigation, detectives were able to identify multiple student victims, as well as several students who witnessed the acts, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies said the victims state that Sprenger had touched them inappropriately. After completing interviewers, a warrant was issued for Sprenger's arrest, deputies said.

"This case exposes how a predator can and will work themselves into a position of trust to gain access to children," said Sheriff Prendergast.

Related Articles

"Sprenger violated the trust of the children he was supposed to teach and the trust our community placed in him. A classroom is supposed to be a nurturing and safe environment, not a playground for a predator like Sprenger. I hope this arrest will be the starting point on a journey of healing for his victims."

Sprenger was arrested on a warrant for two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child less than 12, four counts of lewd and lascivious conduct, and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a child.

Citrus County School District commented on the arrest, saying that Sprenger underwent a pre-employment drug test and level II background screening, which neither raised any concern.

"We want to assure our community that the Citrus County School District has robust policies and procedures in place to safeguard our students and ensure that our staff members are held to the highest standards of professional conduct," the district said in a news release.

The district said Sprenger was a substitute teacher at the following schools:

"We understand this news will be unsettling for our students, families, and staff," says Superintendent Sam Himmel. "The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority, and we take any allegation of misconduct very seriously."

People who drive down Ozello Trail and its back roads know how twisty and narrow they are.

It’s hard enough sometimes for a larger vehicle to pass another without some effort.

Now imagine a Class A motorhome – which can be as wide as 45 feet – traveling down those roads as they reach their home base off the end of Fishcreek Point. Imagine 37 of these juggernauts and you will know why Ozello residents are upset over a developer’s application to build an RV park-campground off Fishcreek.

Resident Barry Schwartz calls it a recipe for disaster.

“We can’t see (them) navigating those roads on an almost-daily basis without disrupting the quality of life and being safe,” Schwartz said.

Plus, he said, the proposed campground would be “out of character with the neighborhood.”

Schwartz said the majority of residents feel the same and plan to let their voice be heard when the Citrus County Planning and Development Commission (PDC) meets Thursday to hear a request from Sunshine RV Campground LLC to change the current land use designation and zoning on a 16-acre parcel of land on South Fishcreek Point.

The proposed Fishcreek Glampground & Ramp would consist of 37 RV sites, 23 glamping (luxury campsites) and five traditional camping sites.

The application calls for a store, tiki hut, kayak launch, garden boat trailer parking, pool and pool house, dog park, laundry buildings and a new pavilion.

To make this project work, the applicant would need to change the future land use map on the 16-acre property from CL (low-intensity coastal and lakes district) to RVP (RV park and campground district).

It would also need a zoning change to one that allows RVs and a campground with a planned unit development.

Resident Robert Evans said he cannot imagine the county would go along with that.

“I’m wondering how the county can allow this because it’s such a major change,” Evans said.

Plus, the property is adjacent to a state-protected 25,000-acre aquatic preserve and prone to flooding, he said.

“The property was never designated as an RV site,” resident Peter Vandenbergh said. “It’s zoned for mobile homes. “It’s a residential neighborhood so in order to bring RVs in they have to go through three residential streets.”

People walk dogs on those streets. Kids ride bikes. It would be unsafe, he said.

Ozello is “Old Florida,” he added, and people come there to experience a way of life that is disappearing.

Vandenbergh’s advice to planning commissioners on Thursday: “Make wise choices based on people who understand the area for what it is and what it should be.”

Vandenbergh said a large number of Ozello residents will show up Thursday to air their concerns.

The Planning and Development Commission meets at 9 a.m. in room 166 of the Lecanto Government Building, 3600 W. Sovereign Path.

Michael D. Bates is a staff writer with the Citrus County Chronicle and can be reached at mbates@chronicleonline.com.

Just a month after completing the most successful season in school history, the Lecanto football program was rocked on Friday when head coach Wyndell “Chop” Alexander was relieved of his coaching duties due to a violation of an unknown FHSAA policy.

FHSAA officials did not respond to requests regarding the violation.

Get more from the Citrus County Chronicle

The Panthers went 8-4 this season, including the program’s first ever playoff victory, a 45-14 blowout victory Nov. 12 at Pasco in the Class 3S regional quarterfinals. The record-breaking season came to a close a week later with a regional semifinal loss at Zephyrhills.

Alexander went 16-14 in three seasons at Lecanto, including a perfect 6-0 mark against county rivals Citrus and Crystal River, as the Panthers won the county championship the past three seasons.

A press release from Lindsay Blair, spokeswoman for for the Citrus County School District, stated:

“Lecanto High School head football coach, Chop Alexander, has been relieved of his duties as head football coach, effective immediately. Principal Jason Koon informed players and coaching staff early this morning. This corrective action is the result of a violation of FHSAA policy. Alexander was hired as the football head coach in 2019. Alexander will remain in his instructional position at Lecanto High School. The Citrus County School District is working with FHSAA on this issue until it is resolved. The Citrus County School District and Lecanto High School will have no further comments on the matter at this time.”

Alexander did not want to talk about the violation due to it being an ongoing issue but did have plenty to say about his time as head football coach at Lecanto and everyone who played a part in the success of the program.

“Administration, every single one of them, they’re all first class and have always supported me with everything I needed to be successful here at Lecanto,” he said. “And I want to thank all our teachers for being supportive with our kids and understanding that it’s tough being student-athletes. And being able to work with me to help them achieve the goal of graduating. I want to thank our parents and everyone who has ever sponsored our program. And all my coaches. My wonderful coaching staff.

“I have to give props to my wife. She’s my backbone. I couldn’t do anything without her. She’s a huge reason why any of this stuff happens. She’s the key component why everything was as smooth as it was. And I want to give the glory to God to leading me here.

“And these are all kids who came up through the system and bought in. They trusted that what we were coaching was going to lead to them being successful. I just have to give my props to those kids. These kids are awesome.”

Prior to becoming head football coach at Lecanto, Alexander was football defensive coordinator and head boys weightlifting coach at Citrus High. Alexander guided the weightlifting team to the Class 1A State Championship in 2019, the first ever weightlifting team title in the county. The Hurricanes crowned one individual state champion that season, had three more finish as runners-up and four more medalists to run away with the team title.

“That led to me getting the opportunity to step up and being the head coach here at Lecanto. I love this school. I always feel like it’s a great day to be a Panther,” Alexander said. “I promised Mr. Koon and I promised the school that anytime I decided to leave the program or had to step down I was going to leave it way better than it was before I stepped in, and I feel like we accomplished that.

“There’s no ill will. My relationship with administration and everybody here on staff is still very amicable. I spoke to the kids this morning and it’s all just going to be love. I’m a homegrown Citrus County boy. I’m 44 years old and I was born in Citrus Memorial Hospital. I love this area. This is God once again nudging me in another direction. This is my opportunity to write the next chapter of my life.”

A pair of county football teams are now looking for new head coaches. McKinley Franklin recently stepped down at Citrus High after his third season in charge.

Each year 20 percent of America’s older adults get hurt and go for rehabilitation help.

And with a third of Citrus County’s residents 65 years old or older, there’s no shortage of those needing either physical, occupational, or speech therapy after an injury, stroke, or disabling disease such as Parkinson’s.

ClearSky Health Inc. saw the need for help and will break ground next week on a 40,000-foot facility that will house 30 patient beds, have 100 staff, and treat an estimated 650 patients annually.

The facility is slated to open early next year. It will be ClearSky’s first Florida facility. It currently has a total of five in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. The company plans to open facilities in Arizona, Kansas and additional facilities in Texas.

Cathy Alonzo, the company’s vice president of marketing and business development, said Lecanto was a good fit for ClearSky’s venture into Florida.

“We felt there was a need for specialized rehabilitation care,” Alonzo told the Chronicle.

The facility will offer physical, occupational and speech therapy, she said.

The staff will include nurses and physicians specializing in rehabilitation care, as well as case managers, who will work with patients after they leave the facility.

Alonzo said ClearSky’s Lecanto facility will be geared to provide rehab services to patients living with disabling injuries or illnesses such as strokes, brain injuries, hip fractures, spinal injuries, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and other medically complex conditions.

Having a facility in Lecanto where Citrus County residents live will allow them to stay close to home and will help with the “financial and emotional burden” of rehabilitation, Alonzo said.

“There’s nothing like having family and friends to ... help heal,” Alonzo said.

Alonzo said ClearSky plans to open 10 more facilities in the U.S.

Alonzo said the typical patient length of stay is seven to 14 days with three hours of intense therapy five days a week or 15 hours of therapy over every seven days.

The ground breaking will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 13 at 3967 W. County Road 486, Lecanto.

“Our highly trained team, specialized equipment, dedicated facility, and integrative approach will set ClearSky Lecanto apart,” said Darby Brockette, CEO of ClearSky Health, in a news release. “Our staff will go above and beyond normal service expectations to provide patients with optimum outcomes for their recoveries.”

Brockette said the Lecanto facility will be:

Licensed and accredited

Use an interdisciplinary team approach to care

Have a physician with specialized training in rehabilitation supervise medical services

Provide rehabilitative nursing 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

Studies also show that rehabilitation facilities have better outcomes than traditional skilled nursing homes.

In the 2014 study titled the Assessment of Patient Outcomes of Rehabilitative Care Provided in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities and After Discharge, concluded that patients getting care at inpatient rehabilitation facilities returned home two weeks earlier than those at skilled nursing facilities.

They had an 8 percent lower mortality rate and 5 percent fewer emergency room visits per year than those who went to skilled nursing facilities.

Brockette said that case managers will also work with patients after discharge to ensure they receive the help they need to be as independent as they can be and be successful during their recoveries.

“Our goal is to help patients get home quickly with as much independence as possible so they can get back to their daily lives,” Brockette said.

Citrus County is getting a Texas Roadhouse, on the northwest corner near the County Road 491 and County Road 486 intersection – by the planned Lecanto Target.

Joe Cappuccilli, broker at Gulf to Lakes Real Estate Inc., broke the news Thursday on a tour bus.

Texas Roadhouse is a popular steakhouse that specializes in steaks in a Texan and Southwestern cuisine style.

Now that I have your attention, let me tell you about that and other developments from Thursday.

I took a break from my Chronicle cubicle and spent the entire work day on a bus.

Not the Greyhound. This was a specially-chartered, luxury bus provided by the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce.

And I had a great time learning even more about this fabulous county.

The chamber annually hosts its Business Appreciation Month Familiarization tour (BAM-FAM) and invites local politicians, business and community leaders on an all-day bus ride to economic development hot spots. Also invited was a Chronicle reporter – yours truly – and I enthusiastically accepted.

This was my third time on the tour and I have to say, this one was one of the best.

Takeaways

Here are my four big takeaways:

Citrus County is on the move, as evidenced by the exciting new entrepreneurial enterprises springing up from east to west.

Private enterprise is stepping up to accommodate more working-class folks

There are some new economic engines in place to broaden the county’s tax base and bring national attention to Citrus County.

There are just some really cool places here and more are on the way.

“There’s a lot happening here,” Ardath Prendergast, chamber vice president of operations and the Business Retention and Expansion program, told the 42 guests as we took off around 8:30 a.m. from Copp Brewery & Winery/Prohibition Grill in Crystal River.

Fish, solar panels and boats

Our first stop early Thursday morning was the Duke Energy Crystal River Mariculture Center & Bay Trail Solar Plant.

Built in 1991, the mariculture center at what is now the Duke Energy Crystal River Energy Complex was required at its conception to help offset impacts of energy production on marine life by hatching and raising fish to resupply Gulf waters.

The new solar plant is particularly impressive. We drove through the solar ‘farm’ and saw the 200,000 panels that will help generate power to up to 23,000 homes at peak production. Think of walking through a field of corn, only in this case it’s filled with rows and rows of panels on 500 acres.

It’s hidden off U.S. 19 north of the power plant so you’ve probably driven by it without knowing it’s even there.

From the solar farm it was on to Pete’s Pier Marina and learned about the Anglers Inn, best described as floating, five-star resorts moored at Pete’s Pier.

Anglers Inn is planning to have customers in the houseboats by December. They are being remodeled now and I got the chance to see one of these beauties.

Chronicle, WTC and Woodspring

The next stop was a place kind of familiar to me: the Citrus County Chronicle, to tour the printing presses and learn how the priceless prose I write actually gets on the printed page and delivered to you.

I’m still blown away when I look at the reams and reams of newsprint stored away. Tom Feeney, the director of production for the Chronicle, told the crowd the newspaper uses 2,000 miles of newsprint each month for all of its Florida newspapers.

As Chronicle Publisher Trina Murphy pointed out, the newspaper reaches 44,054 people through the print product and 66,161 online. The newspaper, she said, is expanding its reach to accommodate all kinds of folks who get their news through different avenues.

Other tour spots:

A look at the welding, industrial machinery and controls area at Withlacoochee Technical College.

Attendees got to see these young people learning tools of the trades they will eventually make their living from.

The under-construction Woodspring Suites, a 72-room hotel, just blocks from Citrus Memorial Hospital and the Inverness Government Center being developed by local physician and entrepreneur Paresh Desai. This will be Citrus County’s only extended-stay hotel.

Mahi-mahi and airplanes

We took a break for lunch at Oscar Penn’s in Inverness. Owner Jason Counsil and staff served us delicious mahi-mahi and she-crab soup – quite a change from my normal fare of bologna sandwiches.

Counsil set up a special outdoor tented area for the bunch of us and also announced an expansion in the future. More on that at a later date.

From Oscar Penn’s, it was off to Right Rudder Aviation at the Inverness Airport.

This stop really fired me up. Right Rudder’s chief operating officer Andrew Chan recently discussed how Citrus County will soon be on the national map when it becomes the home of 29 new state-of-the-art aircraft as part of a joint partnership between Right Rudder Aviation and Arizona-based Mesa Airlines.

Pilots from all over will be coming here to train and get certified. While here, they will be renting homes and spending money.

Habitat building affordable homes

I’ve written about Habitat at Citrus Springs, but got my first look at the affordable housing development during a tour stop.

Habitat for Humanity of Citrus County president and CEO George Rusaw showed us the dozen or so homes going up in the first phase, consisting of 180 residential lots on 65 acres. Rusaw said Habitat plans to build 20 to 30 homes per year. Market value of the homes will be $150,000 to $180,000.

Homeowners purchase their homes after completing a qualification process and 350 hours of sweat equity. The purchase price is financed with Habitat for Humanity of Citrus County. They are not government-subsidized.

“We anticipate these homes will primarily be occupied by the workforce of Citrus County,” Rusaw said

He said 40 families are already qualified to move in.

Craft beer and more

I could say more about other stops, including the progress at Holder Industrial Park, and the site of the under-construction ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospital of Lecanto scheduled to open next year.

But I have to save something for future stories.

We ended the bus tour where we started, at the new Copp Brewery & Winery/Prohibition Grill, which opened in May.

The Copp name is well-known in Citrus County, having opened the original location in 2007 by the Crystal River Post Office. Copp remodeled a building along State Road 44 and now has a full-service restaurant, The Prohibition Grill.

In one word: impressive.

Owner Fran Copp delighted us with a quick lesson on how craft beer is made in giant vats.

End of the road

It was a fun day and I believe all of us on the tour learned at least one valuable thing: Citrus is a county on the move and business, government and community leaders are doing their best to make it a smooth move.

Chamber president/CEO Josh Wooten pointed out during the tour some of the projects planned, proposed or under construction. Once they reach fruition, they will spur the economy and contribute to county growth.

“We’re planting seeds that are eventually going to produce dividends,” he said.

Michael D. Bates is a staff writer with the Citrus County Chronicle and can be reached at mbates@chronicleonline.com.

Michael D. Bates is a staff writer with the Citrus County Chronicle and can be reached at mbates@chronicleonline.com.