HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN Monday, June 17, 2019 VOL. 100 | NO. 168 | $1.00 YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1919 An Edition Of The Sun Road names to change at HRMC Changes to come with roundabout By PHIL ATTINGER “Sebring Parkway,” since have what other parts — to “Highlands Avenue,” STAFF WRITER the road is contiguous of the Parkway will soon since that name will be with the existing Parkway have: A roundabout. available. SEBRING — Motorists north of Youth Care Lane. The roundabout is Under Highlands heading south on Sebring Once work is complet- planned for the northern County road-naming Parkway toward U.S. 27 ed on that section of the entrance of the HRMC standards, any roads that at Highlands Regional Parkway — Phase 2 — campus, better known as are directly connected Medical Center may sometime in the next two Medical Center Drive. throughout their length notice some changes years, it will be identical A section of Medical need to have the same soon on road signs. to the existing Parkway. Center Drive will get name, to make them eas- COURTESY PHOTO/HIGHLANDS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS County commissioners Not only will it have a renamed as it reaches ier to navigate for law en- have approved changes to divided four-lane road into the property — a forcement, fire and emer- Sebring Parkway Phase 2A will install four lanes from Youth road signs on that stretch with a grass median and change approved by the gency medical personnel. Care Lane to DeSoto Road, improving the intersection there of road, to change “South extended turn lanes at Highlands County Board with extra stacking room for right and left turn lanes both on Highlands Avenue” to intersections, it will also of County Commission ROAD | 2A the Parkway and on the cross-streets. Vehicle Challenge coins takes out County to honor 11 for power poles saving life Roughly 1,000 By PHIL ATTINGER STAFF WRITER homes affected in SEBRING — For the first time on Tuesday, Highlands County will Lake Letta area present “Lifesaver Challenge Coins” to By ALLEN MOODY honor people who helped save a life HIGHLANDS SUN EDITOR using CPR. It will also likely represent the most AVON PARK — It was a rude awak- such coins presented at one time ening Sunday morning for thousands for one incident, said Dustin Fitch of people in the Lake Letta area after Highlands County Deputy Chief of a single-vehicle accident resulted Emergency Medical Services. Eleven in three power poles being knocked people, both emergency responders down. The initial report from Duke and civilians, helped revive a man Energy said that approximately 1,000 who collapsed in early May while customers were affected by the power jogging on Lakewood Road. outage that occurred at 6:07 a.m. They will be honored at the begin- “Duke Energy had three broken ning of Tuesday’s Highlands County poles and wires down in the general Board of County Commission meet- area of 1940 (SR) 17, Avon Park,” said ing, 9 a.m. at 600 S. Commerce Ave. in Duke Energy spokeswoman Ana Gibbs Sebring. in an email. “In addition to the actual By now, the story is familiar to accident, a fire was sparked during this Highlands News-Sun readers, and perhaps a few television viewers: Lee POWER | 2A Pearson left his home in the Harder Hall area of Sebring and jogged to Highlands Family YMCA at 6:30 p.m. May 6. When he was almost there, he had a heart attack. Pearson said he was just jogging in a “pretty pedestrian” way. He planned to use the StairMaster at the YMCA to practice for a planned hike up 14,000- foot Longs Peak in Colorado. COURTESY PHOTO He had won the 60- to 64-year-old From left, Kristen Marie Angel meets with Lee Pearson, a man whose life she helped save category at the state senior games in when she and others rendered cardiopulmonary resuscitation on May 6. Angel and others 2017: Gold medal for the 400-meter will be honored Tuesday morning with Lifesaver Challenge Coins at the regular meeting of run and bronze for the long jump. the Highlands County Board of County Commission. His wife, Sharon, didn’t worry about him at all. He hadn’t had heart trouble COURTESY PHOTO since a bypass operation 10 years ago. “I spun into the parking lot and because they came over to give Lee She didn’t even count him as over- then called 911,” Sodic said. (Pearson) CPR,” Sodic said. Highlands County Commissioner Arlene Tuck’s due until after 10 p.m., she said. The first instinct, from her cardio- One was Kristen Marie Angel, who son and daughter-in-Law attended The Certi- When Lee Pearson fell, Sandra Sodic pulmonary resuscitation training — had just sat down five of her six chil- fied County Commissioner Banquet in Orange had almost arrived home from her job given regularly at the airport — was to dren at Max Long Recreation Complex County, Florida. From left: Andy Tuck, Arlene at Sebring Regional Airport, and saw start CPR. to eat while one of her boys played Tuck and Sandee Tuck. him fall. “People must have seen me, baseball. She’s a registered nurse at Kenilworth Care and Rehabilitation Center, and had just renewed her two- Tuck year CPR certification. She saw people running through the parking lot toward the street, and someone said a man was not breath- earns FCF ing, so she ran to help. Also, off-duty Detention Deputy Chaz Abeln was on his way to the store with a friend, saw Lee Pearson designation and told his friend to pull over. Abeln ran over, but couldn’t find a SPECIAL TO HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN pulse. He saw how Lee Pearson had cut ORANGE COUNTY — The Florida up his head when he hit the ground, Counties Foundation (FCF) presented meaning he didn’t try to stop his fall Highlands County Commissioner — that he was unconscious before he Arlene Tuck with the Certified County hit. Commissioner (CCC) designation follow- So he rolled Pearson over and start- ing completion of a comprehensive study ed CPR while asking a fellow deputy to program developed by the Foundation. get the automated external defibrilla- Commissioner Tuck received the designa- tor (AED) from his patrol car. tion with 16 other county commissioners COURTESY PHOTO/LEE AND SHARON PEARSON AEDs have become standard equip- during an awards ceremony held at the ment for law enforcement in the last Florida Association of Counties (FAC) Sandra Sodic, at left, said she could barely recognize Lee Pearson when she met him, 10-15 years, for emergencies. Annual Conference in Orange County. because when he was unconscious on a sidewalk at Max Long Recreational Complex, near By the time the deputy returned, “I am so excited to have received my where they are standing, his skin was gray. Bystanders and medical personnel gave him however, others like Angel had arrived. certified County Commissioners designa- cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and revived him. Tuesday, the county will honor Sodic and tion,” said Tuck. “I started in November, others who helped. CHALLENGE | 2A TUCK | 2A Classifieds ......................B4-7 Local Sports ....................A7-8 Viewpoints ....................... A4 Good morning To Comics ................NEWS WIRE Lottery ..............SPORTS WIRE Weather .............SPORTS WIRE Dorie Jones Highlands Health................ B1 TV Listings ....................... B8 facebook.com/ twitter.com/ Thanks for reading! newssun.com newssun TheNewsSun A2 | HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN | June 17, 2019 www.highlandsnewssun.com received the CCC designation. TUCK “The program provides an Sebring Fire wins Run & Canoe FROM PAGE 1A overview into the intricacies of county government where one week after being sworn commissioners can learn a in as Highlands County variety of valuable tools nec- at Dirty Dozen Lake Fest Commissioner. I have attended essary to assist them in their week-long classes in Tampa, public service every day,” said Gainesville, Tallahassee and Florida Counties Foundation Orlando. I thought I was back Executive Director, Eric Poole. in college. It has been an honor “Those that choose to partic- representing Highlands County. ipate in the program display I have learned so much about an exceptional commitment to state law, county issues and serving Florida’s counties.” how to serve.” CCC participants must In order to serve as a county complete a total of 45 hours of commissioner in Florida, course work in order to gradu- the CCC designation is not ate. The program’s coursework required. However, county covers a variety of topics, such commissioners may voluntary as ethics and Sunshine Law, enroll in the program if they county government roles and wish to learn additional infor- responsibilities, county govern- mation and enhance their skills ment structure and authority, relevant to their duties and fi nancial management, growth responsibilities as an elected management, negotiation offi cial. Since the inception skills, economic development, of the program, a total of 477 and effective communication. Florida commissioners have . COURTESY PHOTO/SEBRING POLICE DEPARTMENT From left, Senior Engineer Tony Perez, Firefi ghter/EMT Greg Carr and Firefi ghter/EMT Keegan Allbritton celebrate after winning fi rst place in the Run & Canoe competition during Saturday’s Dirty Dozen Lake Fest. They ran two miles in 17.5 minutes, arriving at their canoe within 30 seconds of one another, then paddled a half-mile course in less than 7.5 minutes, fi nishing with a winning time of 24:46. to have both of those round- the three roundabouts will be. ROAD abouts built before fi nishing At that point in time, FROM PAGE 1A the length of Phase 3, so the Howerton said, under road-re- traffi c-control circles will be naming rules, that section of Roads that are no longer con- operational already.