Good morning, Crystal River! Citrus County commissioners are set to finalize a $540.2 million county budget this afternoon at 1 p.m., with a lower general fund tax rate that's still expected to bring in more overall property tax revenue for the year ahead.

Also today: Crystal River locked in a two-year insurance contract extension that will save the city about $28,000 a year, hundreds of volunteers kicked off Save Our Waters Week with a waterway cleanup this weekend, and local Academy of Environmental Science students spent a day with Marine Science Station leaders doing hands-on work of their own. Plus, the Citrus County Chamber has three Business Appreciation Month events lined up for October, and the Art Center of Citrus County has a new play opening next month.

And if you've got a mystery item gathering dust in the attic or garage, Dudley's Auction is offering free appraisals this Saturday at the Fall Home & Garden Show. Let's get into it.

Citrus County commissioners are set to finalize a $540.2 million budget Monday.
Citrus County Chronicle
Citrus County commissioners are set to finalize a $540.2 million county budget this afternoon, with a lower general fund tax rate that's still expected to bring in more overall property tax revenue. The Board of County Commissioners meets at 1 p.m. at the Citrus County Courthouse and streams live on the county's YouTube channel.
Read More →

Crystal River is getting a break on its insurance bill.
Citrus County Chronicle
Crystal River just landed a two-year insurance contract extension that will save the city about $28,000 a year, welcome breathing room as officials keep working through millions of dollars in outstanding hurricane claims.
Read More →

Save Our Waters Week started with a splash this weekend!
Citrus County Government
Hundreds of volunteers turned out this weekend to help clean up Crystal River-area waterways, kicking off Save Our Waters Week with a hands-on push to protect the community's natural resources.
Read More →

One month. Three can't-miss events. Business Appreciation Month is almost here!
Citrus County Chamber of Commerce
The Citrus County Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for Business Appreciation Month with three events in October: the BIG BAM Chamber Mixer at TGH Crystal River on October 1, the Annual Salute to Business Luncheon at CF's Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus on October 9, and the BAM BBQ at M&B Dairy on October 22.
Read More →

A little magic, and plenty of mischief, is coming to the Art Center of Citrus County.
Citrus County Chronicle
The Art Center of Citrus County opens its new play, Two Witches, No Waiting, on Friday, October 2, a story about two witchy sisters fighting to save their family home.
Read More →

What's hiding in your attic, garage or closet?
Citrus County Chronicle
Dudley's Auction is offering free appraisals this Saturday, September 26, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Citrus County Fairgrounds Auditorium as part of the Fall Home & Garden Show, so bring in that mystery item from the attic or closet.
Read More →

Child Passenger Safety Week: is your child in the right seat?
Citrus County Fire Rescue
It's Child Passenger Safety Week, and Citrus County Fire Rescue is urging parents not to rush kids out of car seats and boosters too soon. National Seat Check Saturday is September 26, when Fire Rescue will help make sure your child's seat is installed and used correctly.
Read More →

Academy of Environmental Science students help Save Crystal River during Save Our Waters Week.
Citrus County School District
Local Academy of Environmental Science students spent a day alongside leaders from the Marine Science Station helping with Save Our Waters Week, getting hands-on experience protecting Crystal River's waterways.
Read More →

The next Apple may already exist. Insider sources say Elon has spent two years building a secret device inside Tesla's facilities — one he claims will be "10x bigger than the largest product in history."

There's just one problem: the company is private, and unless you know Elon personally, you can't buy a single share. That was true until Guardian's research team found three public ticker symbols sitting in the launch supply chain.

Click here to see all 3 tickers, free of charge.

You won't hear these names on CNBC — Wall Street hasn't published a word on the connection. But when the launch hits September 21, that quiet ends.

Some are already calling this the biggest opportunity since AI. For anyone who missed Apple before the iPhone, this may be a second look at that kind of setup.

Get the 3 ticker symbols here.

Unlock the free briefing now.

Got an event we should know about? Reply to this newsletter and let us know what's happening around town so we can share it in a future issue.

Know a food truck that should roll into the spotlight? Reply to this newsletter and let us know where it's serving next so we can share it in a future issue.

{Insert Local Business Spotlight Here}

Not seeing your favorite restaurant listed? Reply to this newsletter and let us know your go-to place for date night.

Know a band, show, or performer we should put on the local stage? Reply to this newsletter and let us know about upcoming live entertainment for a future issue.

If you received this newsletter from someone else, please [Subscribe Now] to get it sent directly to your inbox every day.

We're here to help support local businesses, and to see the community grow together. If there is anything that you'd like to suggest to us, just reply to this email and it'll come right to our editor.

Sincerely,
Mark and the Inside Crystal River Team