HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN Tuesday, April 14, 2020 VOL. 101 | NO. 105 | $1.00 YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1919 An Edition Of The Sun The stimulus check is in the mail — or will be soon Tips on spending your check By KIM MOODY Ways and Means, dated IRS.gov/coronavirus web- longer and tips on how to “If you have had your assume.” STAFF WRITER May 2. Paper checks will site for the calculations. spend it. income impacted, take Roberts also said it is take longer and will be Parents could receive “If you have not had stock of contractual important to prioritize SEBRING — The sent out at about May 4, $500 for children under your income impacted, obligations like mortgag- wants versus needs. Internal Revenue Service according to the same 17. Children 18 or 19 are the best thing to do is to es and rent, utility bills, “You may want a steak, said the coronavirus memo. not eligible if they can start building an emer- credit card balances and but what you need is stimulus checks are in The $2.2 trillion be claimed as a depen- gency fund,” Roberts said. auto loans,” she said. food,” she said. “Look to the mail in a Tweet on stimulus bill will disperse dent by a parent. Other “You can also pay down “Contact the providers your neighbors and see April 11. Well, the fi rst checks for $1,200 for in- restrictions apply such as debts, such as credit of the services and ask what you can barter.” wave of checks have dividuals whose adjusted the necessity of having a cards and also put aside which ones (bills) can Roberts had some been sent out for direct gross income, AGI, is social security number. some money to support be deferred and which tips for those who have deposit. A “second run” below $75,000 and $2,400 Carol Roberts, UF/ local businesses.” ones have to be paid now. already been fi nancially will hopefully take place for couples whose AGI is IFAS community resource One example of helping The important part is impacted by the pandem- about 10 days later, below $150,000. There are development agent, local businesses would be to communicate. If they ic and are already behind said a memo from the checks available for those shared a few pointers on to order take-out or deliv- (providers) don’t hear House Committee of who make more. See the making the check(s) last ery from time to time. from you, they can only CHECK | 4A Florida Thank You surpasses 20K Small Businesses For Serving virus cases FILE PHOTO Your Local Community! Highlands at The School Board of Highlands County started busing free meals for children on Monday to the southern parts of 61 cases Highlands County. By MARC VALERO STAFF WRITER SEBRING — Florida has 20,601 District COVID-19 cases with 470 deaths as of the Monday morning release of numbers by the Florida Department delivers south of Health. Highlands County has 61 total positive virus cases with fi ve deaths. county meals The 61 Highlands cases include one non-resident with a total of 20 hospitalized due to the virus. to bus stops The latest death in Highlands on By MARC VALERO Saturday was that of a 61-year-old STAFF WRITER female. The demographics of the This good news story is spon- Highlands cases shows 54% have sored by America’s Best Hearing, been male and 46% female with an 4119 Sun N’ Lake Blvd., Sebring, age range of 0 to 85 with a median FL 33872; 863-210-2764. age of 56. LAKE PLACID — A couple of Five of the six most recent cases school buses are running routes have been female with the Florida to deliver free meals to children Department of Health showing that whose families are a long distance the two new cases in the Monday to reach schools for the School morning report were females age Board of Highlands County’s no- 64 and 28. The four new cases on cost meal program. Sunday were three females who are With the closure of classes at 65, 55 and 44 and one male who is schools due to COVID-19 health/ 43. safety concerns, the district has Two zip codes in Highlands County been operating a no-cost meal account for 40 of the cases. The program for children 18 and under 33870 Sebring zip code has 24 cases for pick-up at public schools from and the Avon Park 33825 zip code has 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 16 cases. Last week the district added This Community Thank You Ad Is The zip code refl ected in the three community locations for data is ideally a representation of meal pick-up from 11:30 a.m. to a COVID-19 positive person’s resi- noon — The Old Schoolhouse in Sponsored By: dence. However, there are instances Lorida, 1957 Blessings Ave., Lorida; where the zip code may refl ect the The Highway Park Community hospital where a person/case was Center, 101 Robinson St., Lake admitted or tested. The Florida Placid and Avon Park Lakes Baptist Department of Health states it is Church, 2600 N. Highlands Blvd., working to review these cases and Avon Park. appropriate them to the correct The school district announced residential information. that, in its efforts to meet the A total of 485 have been tested growing needs of the community, for COVID-19 in Highlands with 61 beginning April 13 meals would be positive, 422 negative, 2 inconclusive. distributed in the Venus and Sun There are 3 listed as awaiting testing ‘N Lakes areas of Lake Placid to or results pending. Miami-Dade County has the BUS | 4A CASES | 4A Petco reopened after a thorough cleaning By KIM MOODY business by delivering “At Petco, the health, “Out of an abundance STAFF WRITER products to homes or by safety and well-being of caution, our Sebring offering curbside pickup. of people and pets is store was closed on SEBRING — As con- Recently, it was ru- always our top priority. Saturday for a thorough fi rmed coronavirus cases mored that an employee Like other essential deep cleaning by a third climb in the county, so at Petco at 1704 U.S. 27 retailers, we are working party before reopening does the fear of catching tested positive for the diligently to help protect for business this morning the virus. Despite Gov. COVID-19 virus and that the health and safety of (Monday). We are closely Ron DeSantis’ stay-at- they were closed. The the pets counting on us, monitoring the situation home order, people still Highlands News-Sun our employees, our guests and continuing to take have to shop and go reached out to Petco on and the communities we proactive, precautionary to businesses deemed Monday. The store man- serve as we all navigate steps to help protect our “essential.” ager referred the paper to COVID-19. At this time, employees, guests, the Many businesses have its corporate offi ce. we are not aware of any pets in our care, and the adjusted their hours of While the store did Petco employees testing communities we serve COURTESY PHOTO/PETCO operations to sanitize close on Saturday to be positive for COVID-19 as we navigate these Petco reopened Monday after a third party cleaned the store as and restock. Others have sanitized, it was open on in the state of Florida,” a precautionary measure. changed how they do Monday. Petco offi cials said. PETCO | 4A Good morning To Classifieds ......................B1-3 Lottery ........................... A2 Viewpoints ....................... A6 Charles Marsh Comics .........................B4-7 TV Listings ....................... B9 Weather .........................A10 facebook.com/ twitter.com/ Thanks for reading! newssun.com newssun TheNewsSun A2 | HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN | April 14, 2020 www.highlandsnewssun.com 5 THINGS That Will Make You SMARTER Giving a helping hand to animals Special to the Highlands News-Sun 1. Cinnamon comes from the bark of the cinnamon COURTESY OF BATTLE OF THE BANDS tree. 2. The cinnamon tree can grow up to 60 feet. The devastation that the 3. Cinnamon sticks are also called quills. COVID-19 pandemic has wrought 4. Cinnamon is high in fi ber and calcium which has touched every facet of society helps improve colon health. worldwide, and the tragedy is now 5. Cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant that aids in affecting the ones who give us controlling blood sugar. comfort, our pets. Locally however, — thatsitfruit.com an organization is trying to help. The Battle of the Bands, Incorporated, a local veterans 501c3 charity, is holding a drive to Details few on child aid the Highlands County Humane Society. Battle of the Bands, along with hit by car Saturday the Lake Placid Moose Lodge, are responsible for creating the War COURTESY/ANNE MARIE FEENEY By KIM MOODY completed as of Monday’s Dog Memorial Monument on Main Battle of the Band, Incorporated has a soft spot for animals. Along with the Lake STAFF WRITER press time. Street in Avon Park. Placid Moose Lodge, they created the War Dog Memorial Monument on Main Street in Watson said the little Anna Marie Feeney, president Avon Park. AVON PARK – A 4-year- girl sustained a head of the organization, said, “We saw old girl was airlifted to injury and although on the news that, due to the crisis, being Prevention of Cruelty to at the KISS 107.5 FM Studios, 801 Tampa General Hospital she was fl own to TGH, people who were laid off and were Animals Month, The Battle of the U.S.