HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN Monday, June 8, 2020 VOL. 101 | NO. 160 | $1.00 YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1919 An Edition Of The Sun County not selling HRMC yet By PHIL ATTINGER said that a sale could six or seven years. subject to a public hear- STAFF WRITER get a bit complicated, If sold, it would be ing process, given that it’s especially with the sold subject to the lease, sale of county property. SEBRING — After facility leased to Hospital Carmichael said: “Not “We would be better off talking about priorities Corporation of America. many entities would be to wait,” Commissioner Tuesday, county com- Carmichael said the interested in that.” Greg Harris said. “We missioners decided now hospital campus consists For that reason, she could remove this from is not a good time to of more than one parcel said the county may not one of our priorities for sell Highlands Regional owned by the Highlands be ready at this point to the year.” Medical Center. County Hospital District, sell that property. The proposal from FILE PHOTO In her report, County with the lease on the In addition, she said, Attorney Joy Carmichael property set for another any purchase would be SELL | 2A Highlands Regional Medical Center. County to keep foreclosures in-house Outside firm, hired on contingency, now let go By PHIL ATTINGER STAFF WRITER SEBRING — County commissioners have decided they don’t want to bring in an outside law firm to help with foreclosing on properties for code liens. The idea came up at the mid-May meeting after a coastal-county legal firm offered to take on any outstanding cases for the county for an hourly rate and a percentage of any settlements. The Board had voted unanimously on May 19 to take on the outside attorney on a contingency basis, but reversed that decision last Tuesday — unanimously — by voting to keep all foreclosure cases in-house. It was originally a consent item on the JERRY MEISENHEIMER/CORRESPONDENT May 19 agenda, meaning it would have been approved en masse with several other items. St. James Director of the RCIA program, Carol Muir, enjoys a hug from Rev. Ireneo Lopez-Tovar, who is celebrating his 70 years of priest- However, Commissioner Arlene Tuck asked hood. to have it pulled and added to the action agenda for discussion. It would have been an agreement between Father Lopez-Tovar hits 70 years in priesthood Highlands County and Weidner Law, a probate attorney in Tampa, to foreclose on By JERRY MEISENHEIMER himself in Arcadia. He appropriate open code enforcement liens. CORRESPONDENT loved the climate and Linda Conrad, zoning supervisor, had told decided to stay. For many commissioners that the fiscal impact would LAKE PLACID — On years, he helped out at St. depend on the number of cases referred to June 5, 1950, Father Ireneo James and the surrounding Weidner Law, but recommended the propos- Lopez-Tovar fulfilled his parishes. Now, at age 95, al from the firm, because it would provide father’s dream when he was he lives in a condo in Lake additional revenue that has previously gone ordained a Catholic priest Placid, and says Mass at St. uncollected. in Burzos, Spain. And over James as often as he is able. At the May 19 meeting,Tuck had concerns the past 70 years, he has So, on June 3, in spite that the county already has an attorney shared God’s Word with of the coronavirus, a in-house and would then consider hiring people around the world. special concelebrated another attorney for foreclosures while still Father Lopez-Tovar tells Mass was held on the day seeking an assistant county attorney. how his father would take of his 70th anniversary “Why do we need so many attorneys?” him on walks when he was of being a priest. Three Tuck asked. “If we have an attorney, an as- only 6 years old. When other priests assisted. sistant attorney and a paralegal, I don’t think they would see a church, They were the pastor we need to be hiring these other outside his father would tell him of St. James, Reverend [attorneys].” that one day he would be a JERRY MEISENHEIMER/CORRESPONDENT Vincent Clemente, the Tuck said the county’s in-house attorney bishop. Unfortunately, his Jean Warren of St. James Catholic Church presents a decorated cake pastor of St. Catherine’s and her staff, once an assistant is hired, father passed away around to Father Ireneo Lopez-Tovar at a reception in his honor. parish, Reverend Jose should be able to handle the code lien case- that time and wasn’t at his Gonzalez and Reverend load and the resale of those properties. ordination, at least not as only people with British come to the United States Felix Gonzales of the Commission Chair Ron Handley said in physically. But Reverend passports were allowed to and minister to the agri- Spanish Catholic Church May he would only be willing to take on the Lopez-Tovar always stay in the country. During cultural workers there. So, in Lake Placid. Italy, Spain, firm if they would do the first case pro bono, remembered those words. his 22 plus years in the for another 20 some years, and Venezuela, were so that he could see how effective the firm Since becoming a mission field, he had to Father Lopez-Tovar served represented. would be. priest at age 25, back in learn four different African the spiritual needs of Members of the con- He didn’t like the proposed hourly rate and Spain, Father Lopez-Tovar tribal languages. Puerto Rican and Mexican gregation prayed along potential of a 30-40% fee on any collected volunteered to become a Father Lopez-Tovar was migrant workers. while wearing their pro- liens. missionary to Africa, serv- befriended by the Apostolic One of those workers tective masks and social “My take is, if they want that deal, then ing in Southern Rhodesia Delegate from Rome, who asked if he would come distancing. (called Zimbabwe today). would become the Bishop down to Florida to baptize Following the 11 a.m. COUNTY | 2A In order to do that he had of Camden, New Jersey. his child. Father Lopez- to become a British citizen The bishop invited him to Tovar accepted and found PRIEST | 2A County virus toll hits 146 HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN STAFF more cases, but it was the first day since May 31 the county Several more cases of has a positive testing rate COVID-19 were reported in of less than 10%. Eleven of Highlands County with the the cases are in correctional release of Sunday’s numbers facilities and 16 from long-term by the Florida Department of care establishments. Health. The number of cases Glades County didn’t see any in the county has risen to 146, new cases for the day, but only with 144 of those Highlands received three test results back County residents. There have and held at 84 cases, with 43 been 39 hospitalizations and of those involving correctional nine deaths from the virus. facilities. Highlands County has seen Hardee County added four 11 cases involving long-term new cases and now stands at additional cases. The county It was another day with more big testing day for Florida and care facilities and one case 145 cases. now has seen 138 cases, with 30 than 1,000 new cases in the the percentage of positive tests that is related to a correctional Okeechobee County contin- of those involving correctional state, with an increase of 1,100 institution. ued its upward climb with 14 facilities. and 12 more deaths. It was a VIRUS | 2A DeSoto County added five Classifieds ......................B3-5 Puzzles .........................B5-8 Viewpoints ....................... A6 Good morning To Sports ............................ B1 TV Listings ....................... A7 Weather .......................... A8 Jack Barrowman Lottery ........................... A2 facebook.com/ twitter.com/ Thanks for reading! newssun.com newssun TheNewsSun A2 | HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN | June 8, 2020 www.highlandsnewssun.com 5 THINGS fee be a portion of the proceeds of Almanac That Will Make You COUNTY the settlement and sale. SMARTER FROM PAGE 1A Tuck argued, instead, that the Today is Monday, June 8, the county should do all cases in- 160th day of 2020. There are 206 they need to prove to us that they house, “and we can make all the days left in the year. can do that and they can do the fi rst money.” 1. Frank Lloyd Wright and axed those who one gratis,” Handley said. “Then Commissioners asked Carmichael Today in history produced more than attempted to escape. they can show us that they can to look into the matter, and she 1,000 architectural 4. Wright is the make money at it and we can, too.” reported last Tuesday that, in the On June 8, 1967, during the designs. During his rumored inspiration Commissioner Greg Harris said past, the county attorney had han- six-day Middle East war, 34 lifetime, Wright designed behind Ayn Rand’s The the matter is time-consuming, but dled code enforcement foreclosure American servicemen were 1,114 buildings, but Fountainhead. Ayn would prefer to give them two or issues. killed when Israel attacked only 532 of them were Rand’s seminal work, three cases up front, to see if the Commissioner Don Elwell said the USS Liberty, a Navy intel- actually completed. The Fountainhead, is attorney can handle them. last week that the matter is a ligence-gathering ship in the 2. In 1937, Frank Lloyd a novel about a young County Attorney Joy Carmichael “capacity issue” for him. Mediterranean Sea.