HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN Thursday, July 18, 2019 VOL. 100 | NO. 199 | $1.00 YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1919 An Edition Of The Sun Doty family wins wrongful death suit Jury awards $700M verdict in 2012 murder By PHIL ATTINGER Felipe, both charged in connection burned, while still alive. STAFF WRITER with Doty’s death, convicted of “This was unspeakable evil,” murder in 2015 and given concur- said Scott Leeds, who with Channa SEBRING — The family of Aaron rent life sentences. Lloyd, both of The Cochran Firm Doty, who died seven years ago Doty, 19, was beaten the night out of Fort Lauderdale, handled the after a fi ght with two men, has won of July 9, 2012, at a party at the civil case for the family. a wrongful death suit and a jury home of Rodriguez and Felipe COURTESY PHOTO/DOTY FAMILY award of $700 million. in Sun ‘n Lake of Sebring Special Lawsuit Aaron Doty was killed June 10, 2012, and Jonathan Rodriguez The verdict came down Monday Improvement District. and Kenneth Felipe were charged and convicted of his murder in Sebring after a single-day He was then taken the next Doty’s parents fi led a wrongful and other charges. Each were sentenced with two concurrent jury trial against Jonathan Ray morning to a remote wooded area death suit against Felipe and life sentences and have now had a jury civil judgement against Rodriguez and Kenneth Edward in the northwest of Sun ‘n Lake and DOTY | 8A them of $700 million. Traffic unit not in budget THE ASSOCIATED PRESS In this Feb. 23, 2018, fi le photo, former Florida Speaker of the House Richard Corcoran speaks at a press conference on school safety at the Capitol in Tallahassee. Corcoran is now the Florida Educa- tion Commissioner. Students to PHIL ATTINGER/STAFF A pack of cars, after taking off from the junction of U.S. 27, U.S. 98 and State Road 66, race south along U.S. 27 toward Lake Placid. A receive mental dedicated Highlands County Sheriff ’s Offi ce traffi c unit would help enforce rules against aggressive driving, but Sheriff Paul Blackman said having such a unit would cost $900,000, a fi gure he said he cannot fi t into this year’s budget. health courses Blackman: $900K too much to add amid cuts State education By PHIL ATTINGER quarters – 1,703 citations board signs off STAFF WRITER His deputies also work traffi c crashes when Florida By ANA CEBALLOS SEBRING — “I would Highway Patrol troopers NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA love to have a traffi c unit,” are not available or too far Highlands County Sheriff away to clear an accident TALLAHASSEE — Public schools will be Paul Blackman said Tuesday scene quickly. required to teach students at least fi ve hours after the nighttime County “We work it if it’s 30 of mental health instruction beginning in Commission meeting. minutes or more (wait),” sixth grade, under a mandate approved by However, when Blackman Blackman said. “I don’t the state Board of Education Wednesday asked his command staff want to ask our citizens to and hailed by Florida’s top educator as a to come up with a cost for stand around in this heat “life saver.” starting up a traffi c enforce- for a half hour.” Education offi cials proposed the change ment unit this year, the Total traffi c crashes to the statewide school curriculum in June, price tag was just short of worked between Jan. following discussions with First Lady Casey PHIL ATTINGER/STAFF $1 million — approximately 1, 2016, and 11:59 p.m. DeSantis, who has made the mental health $900,000 — in personnel, Motorists turn left from southbound U.S. 27 onto eastbound U.S. 98 Tuesday add up to 3,611, issue one of her top priorities. equipment and training. at midday Wednesday. Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman said which Blackman said equal The new requirement will require That’s for four deputies Tuesday he’d like to have a dedicated traffi c enforcement unit, but a 46% of the crashes in the students to take courses aimed at helping and a sergeant, all the fi ve-deputy team would cost nearly $1 million. He cannot fi t it into county. them to identify the signs and symptoms vehicles and the shift Fiscal Year 2019-20 when the Board of County Commission has asked According to Sheriff’s of mental illness, fi nd resources if they are scheduling to provide 24- everyone to hold to a 3.5% or less increase this year. Offi ce staff, that total battling with depression or other issues, represents the number and teach them how to help peers who are hour coverage, seven days to a 3.5% increase or less. Blackman was elected to of traffi c crash reports struggling with a mental health disorder. a week. “Our deputies are doing a his post in November 2016, It also represents a 27% generated. “We are going to reinvent school-based lot of traffi c (enforcement),” the numbers of citations While it may not be an mental-health awareness in Florida, and we increase to his agency Blackman said. when the Board of County written are as follows: exact number, it’s a good will be the number one state in the nation representation of the crash- in terms of mental health outreach and Commission has asked all Tickets & crashes • 2016 — 1,619 citations county departments and • 2017 — 1,900 citations es that rose to the level of school safety, all because of the governor’s constitutional offi cers to Of the last three years, • 2018 — 2,802 citations needing a report. and First Lady’s remarkable vision,” Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran hold their budget requests even prior to when • 2019, for the fi rst two TRAFFIC | 2A said in a prepared statement released following the board’s unanimous vote on the measure Wednesday morning. The fi ve-hour minimum will be included in curriculums for grades 6-12, but it Happiness Farms changing its role remains unclear if the classes will begin in the upcoming academic year. The policy fi nalized Wednesday does not include an At Caladium Festival implementation date. Corcoran said the new mandate is the By KIM LEATHERMAN brainchild of the First Lady, who has taken a STAFF WRITER HEALTH | 8A LAKE PLACID — Happiness Farms and Bates Sons & Daughters started the Caladium Festival 29 years ago. In efforts to increase tourism, Dot Bates HEARTLAND AUTO PLUS and Carolyn Phypers chose to create the Caladium Festival during the summer when the retailers suffered and the caladiums were at their peak. Happiness Farms was the setting of the fi rst festival and the grower has FILE PHOTO been at the heart of the festival since its inception. It still will be, just in a Happiness Farms will not be able to sell caladium bulbs at this year’s Caladium Festival. slightly different role this year. Hurricane Irma prevented the grower from planting their usual numbers in 2017 and rains The 29th annual Caladium Festival in 2018 washed away much of that year’s crop. will go forward without Happiness Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce bulbs this year,” co-owner Danielle Farms selling bulbs like they normal and other vendors. Family members Daum said. “We knew that when do, Phypers said. They will be there we harvested this year. We knew the behind the scenes working and will be working on the bus tours and volume of our harvest was going to be promoting the festival. on other aspects of the festival. The very short.” Your hometown auto guide that The family members who own and family also helps with the car and bike manage Happiness Farms will be sup- show. Daum explained that there was 13 keeps you moving in style. porting the other growers, the Greater “We won’t be at the park selling ROLE | 2A SPECIAL SECTION, INSIDE Classifieds .................... B6-10 Lottery ........................... B2 TV Listings ......................A12 Good morning To Comics ..................... B11-14 Money Market ..................A10 Viewpoints ....................... A9 Linda Bentz Sports ............................ B1 Obituaries ........................ A8 Weather .........................A14 facebook.com/ twitter.com/ Thanks for reading! newssun.com newssun TheNewsSun A2 | HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN | July 18, 2019 www.highlandsnewssun.com 101-year-old celebrates birthday Sebring sets Humane Society millage benefits refl ects the millage rate By KIM LEATHERMAN Rate goes up that would bring in the STAFF WRITER same amount of revenue to 5.3184 as the previous year, SEBRING — When Shirley By PHIL ATTINGER based on the past year’s Bryson’s family throws a birthday STAFF WRITER increases in property party for her, everything goes to values. the dogs, and cats, literally. Bryson SEBRING — Sebring Council members also recently turned 101 on July 10 City Council kept to its offi cially and unani- and celebrated the milestone with schedule and took ap- mously approved the friends and family from all over the proximately 5-10 minutes declaration of the millage state. Family also came in from as Wednesday evening to set rate and the statement of a rate increase. far away as Tennessee for the July KIM LEATHERMAN/STAFF the millage rate. 13 party. It was delayed only Highlands County Bryson is an animal lover, so Alex Teijelo, 8, and Jacob Teijelo, 6, help Great-Grandma Shirley Bryson with almost slightly as City Clerk Property Appraiser Raymond McIntyre has she asked her friends and family 500 pounds of cat and dog food donation Wednesday at the Humane Society of Kathy Haley had to re- determined that, overall, to buy dog and cat food instead Highlands County.