HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN Monday, July 6, 2020 VOL. 101 | NO. 188 | $1.00 YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1919 An Edition Of The Sun State sees 10,000 more virus cases Florida surges past 200,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases STAFF REPORT numbers. the state, bringing the death new cases. Pinellas County reported four Pinellas County It was another bad day on toll to 3,832, which consists added 423 cases and Polk hospitals were completely out It was another five-figure the positive percentage rate, of 3,731 residents and 101 County saw 287 new cases. Lee of ICU beds on Saturday. increase for Florida COVID-19 as the rate was 17.02%, which non-residents. County saw 278 new cases and Locally, Highlands County cases, although the state has pushed Florida to 9.09% Miami-Dade County saw its eight other counties (Collier, saw an increase of eight cases, needed a little help from its overall. The World Health fourth straight day with more Lake, Leon, Manatee, Osceola, bringing the total to 405, which friends to get there. The Florida Organization said tests should than 2,000 new cases after add- Pasco, Sarasota and Seminole) includes three non-residents. Department of Health reported be 5% or lower for 14 straight ing 2,258 and Broward County saw between 100 and 188 new The death toll remained at 11. 9,999 new cases among Florida days before re-opening. Florida saw 1,670 new cases. cases. Smaller increases were residents and there were 60 has not seen less than a 10% An additional four counties The recent increase in cases reported in most of the nearby non-resident cases to yield a positivity rate since June 22. — Orange (760); Palm Beach is taking a toll on healthcare counties, with DeSoto seeing total of 10,059 cases with the There were 29 new deaths (686); Hillsborough (630); and professionals in parts of the release of Sunday’s updated and 160 hospitalizations in Duval (531) saw more than 500 state. The Tampa Bay Times VIRUS | 3A Longshore highlights options for safe school year By MARC VALERO STAFF WRITER SEBRING — In her weekly update, Superintendent Brenda Longshore provided an overview of the educa- tional options parents can choose for their children for the 2020-21 LONGSHORE school year, along with some of the health safety measures for those who opt for face-to-face instruction at school. To ensure a healthy start to the school MARC VALERO/STAFF year, which starts Aug. 11, the district has allocated resources and added hours The City of Sebring will seek design-build quotes on the cost to renovate the former Wachovia bank building for the relocation of City Hall. to the work day of the custodial staff to allow for daily deep cleaning of schools,” Longshore said. Sebring banking on relocating City Hall “We are also collaborating with our local health department officials to By MARC VALERO provide guidance on best practices for STAFF WRITER creating and maintaining a safe and healthy learning and work environment SEBRING — It was 10 for students and staff,” she said. years ago next Wednesday Longshore said the clear and consis- that Wachovia bank closed tent message from parents is they want its downtown Sebring loca- educational options for their children. tion in the distinctive, white, “With direction from the governor’s curved, three-story building plan for reopening schools and input at 228 N. Ridgewood Drive. from the community and parents, we The Sebring Community have what we now feel is the best road Redevelopment Agency map for moving forward,” she said. The purchased the property over plan has been released this week so a year ago for $325,000 and parents are aware of their options and after some consideration so that families and staff can make their at that time to relocate City plans for fall. Hall to the building, the In the first option, students in ele- city is going ahead with the FILE PHOTO mentary, middle and high school return process to possibly make to school campuses for face-to-face that move a reality. The City of Sebring hopes to sell its building to the county contingent on the city relocating its offices to instruction in the traditional model, After a joint meeting of the former Wachovia Bank building on North Ridgewood Drive. Longshore said. While this option the Sebring City Council and provides a return to the regular school relocating the city’s offices. was amiable to spending up first two floors, leaving the CRA, City Administrator “So the contract to sell this to $2 million on the building the third floor for future structure, there will be major differences Scott Noethlich said the city in the day. property is contingent on renovation, Noethlich said. build-out. will continue forward with us essentially moving into Polston Engineering archi- The bank never found a Students will have their temperatures the process of obtaining taken before the start of each school that building,” Noethlich tect subcontractor Michael need to build-out the third construction costs for said. Council would seek Griffith prepared a scope floor, the report stated. day — either before they board their renovating/remodeling the school bus or when they arrive at school. the “justified value” of the of work for the bidding on The “new modern” design building. existing City Hall property of the project, which includes left an open area between Parents of elementary students should The City Council asked remain at the bus stop until their chil- $1,183,107 in its sale to the the demolition of the bank the first and second floor, City Attorney Bob Swaine county, drive-thru. and the building is semicir- dren are cleared to board the bus. to draft a contract for the Any child with a temperature of 100.4 But, first the city has to A year ago, engineer Carl cular with a plaza inside the sale of the present City obtain a more detailed Cool of Cool and Cobb circle with a flag pole. or higher will not be allowed to attend Hall property on South to school, Longshore said. Staff and renovation cost estimate, he Engineering Company of “The semi-circle shape of Commerce Avenue to the said. The city will try to get Avon Park prepared a report the building is the shape of visitors will also have their temperatures county, contingent on the checked as they enter the campus. a more firm cost by bidding for the city that showed a what someone would think city acquiring the North it through a “design-build floor plan for the Wachovia the City Hall of a Circle City Ridgewood Drive building SCHOOL | 3A process.” building where the city should look like,” Cool’s from the CRA and then It appeared that council could set up easily on the report stated. HLT holds annual ‘Patriotic Revue’ By SHARON WEATHERHEAD watching an enjoyable the cast singing the “Star was a fundraiser for this CORRESPONDENT holiday show. Limited food Spangled Banner.” Some scholarship program. and beverage service was of the older youth from the Other soloists included SEBRING — Highlands available. Summer Institute program Tony Toler (“I Was Born Lakeside Theatre held their For those not quite were part of the cast. Free”), Marcus Conerly annual Patriotic Revue ready to attend a show at Larissa Meagher, already a (“Citizen Soldier”), Cassady on Saturday, July 4 on the the theater, even though veteran at HLT as an actor, Hitt (“Traveling Soldier”), Blackman Stage. This show safety precautions were vocalist and director, sang Tracy Schuknecht offers something new each practiced during the event, “God Bless America.” (“Blowin’ in the Wind”) year so it’s always fresh and the show was available She is a current recipient and Aslan Smith (“Back exciting. This year’s show as a live stream option of the Jane Lou Buck in the USA”) on acoustic directed by Tom Staik, was at no charge. This made Scholarship program. guitar. another great success. the show accessible to At this time she is doing The Summer Institute SHARON WEATHERHEAD/CORRESPONDENT Families and friends many more people in the her studies remotely in participants included gathered to show their The cast performs the “Star Spangled Banner.” community. her collegiate theater community spirit while The show began with program. Today’s event REVUE | 2A Classifieds ......................B1-3 Puzzles .........................B3-6 Viewpoints ....................... A4 Good morning To Lottery ........................... A2 TV Listings ....................... A5 Weather .......................... A6 David Powers facebook.com/ twitter.com/ Thanks for reading! newssun.com newssun TheNewsSun A2 | HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN | July 6, 2020 www.highlandsnewssun.com ALMANAC 5 THINGS Haywood Taylor That Will Make You Today is Monday, July 6, the 188th day of SMARTER celebrates 92nd birthday 2020. There are 178 days left in the year. Today in history 1. Louis Armstrong used to say that he’d been By SHARON WEATHERHEAD for himself. He sits in the CORRESPONDENT born on July 4, 1900. Turns out, he was 13 months balcony every Sunday. Those On July 6, 1942, Anne Frank, her parents and off. In 1988, music historian Thaddeus “Tad” Jones in the balcony with him have sister entered a “secret annex” in an Amsterdam located a baptismal record at New Orleans’s Sacred SEBRING — One of Sebring’s become his family.” building where they were later joined by four Heart of Jesus Church. According to this document, iconic residents celebrated Mille Schrader has known other people; they hid from Nazi occupiers for the performer’s actual birth date was August 4, 1901. his 92nd birthday on Friday.