C M Y K www.newssun.com EWS UN NHighlands County’s Hometown-S Newspaper Since 1927 Tougher task Swimming soon? Promises, promises Harder Hall redesign City votes to help fund Checking up on Obama’s shows up in scores filling dredge hole 2008 campaign pledges SPORTS, 1B PAGE 2A PAGE 12B Friday-Saturday, January 6-7, 2012 www.newssun.com Volume 93/Number 3 | 50 cents Forecast Harder Hall offer not good enough Mostly sunny and a Council: Bring us cash, not promises bit warmer By SAMANTHA GHOLAR tributed over a 30-year period. High Low [email protected] The council, however, felt the amount was SEBRING — The Harder Hall problem too low considering the $4.3 million the city won’t be going away anytime soon after the owes on the building. 71 47 Sebring City Council took no action on an Council member John Clark felt the offer Complete Forecast offer from Catellus Hotel Group, LLC. was just the same as previous ones and PAGE 12A The $2.5 million offer was presented to the strongly suggested declining the offer. council Tuesday evening by CRA Executive “I got no cash, but I got big plans,” Clark Online Director Pete Pollard and City Administrator said when describing the types of offers Scott Noethlich. Harder Hall has received recently. President of Catellus Hotel Group Stephen News-Sun file Barker proposed that the $2.5 million be dis- See HARDER, page 6A The City of Sebring owes $4.3 million on Harder Hall. Question: Is too much emphasis put on the Iowa School caucuses? A lasting tribute Yes grades Two war heroes memorialized in Sebring 93.6% show By CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY [email protected] SEBRING — Two new names have been added to the Circle Park progress No monument honoring Sebring’s mili- tary heroes killed in combat: Sgt. LPHS surges 6.4% Marcus Cale Mathes, 25, killed during Operation Iraqi Freedom in from D to B a mortar attack north of Baghdad, Iraq on April 28, 2008; and Pfc. By CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY Total votes: 94 Joshua Lynn Jetton, 21, killed dur- [email protected] Next question: ing Operation Enduring Freedom in SEBRING — District adminis- a firefight in Kunar Province, trators are more than pleased with Should the City of Afghanistan on June 20, 2011. the grades earned by the high Sebring be willing to Mathes is survived by his wife schools for the 2010-2011 school finance the sale of Julia, his parents and a younger year, especially because the under- Harder Hall? brother who is now in the army. lying numbers show significant Jetton was married to Sebring improvement in important areas. Make your voice heard at High School graduate Alicia Moore Lake Placid High School earned www.newssun.com Jetton. a B, the first for a Highlands She delivered twins, a girl and a County high school. Obituaries boy, two months after his death. Sebring High School earned a Joyce Cheever Both men, their families and C. It would have also been award- friends have said, matured in the ed an B, but schools are penalized Age 81, of Sebring service, were dedicated husbands a complete grade if they don’t John Davis and proud of their country. raise the progress of the bottom 25 The morning was cold as Darin News-sun photo by CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY percent of students by 50 percent Age 46, of Sebring Darin MacNeill, owner and operator of Everlasting Memorials and MacNeill, owner of Everlasting Monuments in Sebring, etches two new names on the Circle Park tribute in reading and math every year. Crystal Devane Memorials and Monuments of to fallen heroes — Sgt. Marcus Mathes and Pfc Joshua Jetton. Sebring was successful in doing Age 74, of Sebring Sebring, arrived to do his work. that with math, but not in reading. Methods have changed over the Avon Park, which stayed at a D, Georgina Feliciano years. Rather than using a chisel rounding area. monuments for five years and has also shown improvement. It Age 81, of Kissimmee and hammer to engrave names into Then it is a simple matter to cre- worked with Stephenson-Nelson would have been assigned a C stone, they are etched using a sand- ate the letters by aiming the sand, Funeral Home for 25 years before grade except for that lack of Francis Hugo blasting technique. which shoots out of a nozzle under that, is philosophical about his progress with the bottom 25 per- Age 76, of Sebring Special stencils made of rubber high pressure. work. cent of students. — MacNeill orders them from a The process took only about two “It is always (emotional) when “We are making some really William Miller company in Georgia — are taped hours. Traditional carving would we do something like this,” he said. good gains,” said Becky Fleck, Age 88 onto the stone, with other rubber have taken weeks. “It makes you proud and touches mats placed to protect the sur- MacNeill, who has been carving your heart.” See GRADES, page 6A Julia Roberts Age 86, of Sebring Jackie Robinson Age 79, of N.C. Sebring Elections building Robert Ross Age 81, of Sebring Centennial confusion continues Ruth Whittington By ED BALDRIDGE George Hensley. Age 87 celebration [email protected] It is scheduled to last for Obituaries, Page 5A SEBRING — As more 50 years. information about the elec- The agreement states that Index begins today tions building on Kenilworth “the city and county agree Classifieds 9A Boulevard comes to light, that the county shall have Community Briefs 2A By SAMANTHA GHOLAR county staff confirmed exclusive jurisdiction and [email protected] Wednesday the existence of Dear Abby 11B responsibility to conduct all SEBRING — The City of Sebring Centennial Committee. an interlocal agreement that Editorial & Opinion 4A inspections of buildings of invites everyone to join its Centennial Mayor George Hensley will greet resi- could eliminate the City of the county that are located Healthy Living 5B Kick-Off, which starts today at 5:30 with a dents, visitors and all present and read a Sebring from county inspec- within the municipal bound- Lottery Numbers 2A walking parade at Sebring City Hall proclamation declaring Sebring a century tion issues. aries of the city for fire, safe- through Downtown Sebring ending at city. The agreement was drafted Religion 7B ty, environment, building Circle Park. Music from the Sebring High School by County Attorney Ross construction and other pur- “The weather looks like it will be lovely Marching Band will entertain spectators Macbeth in 1997 and signed poses of every description and the plans are coming together perfect- by both the county commis- ly,” said Jen Brown of the Sebring See SEBRING, page 6A sion and the Sebring mayor, See ELECTIONS, page 6A 0790994 01001 Phone ... 385-6155 Fax ... 385-2453 Online: www.newssun.com WAUCHULA STATE BANK; 11.25"; 1.5"; Black plus three; process, #2 front strip; 0 0 0 1 5 6 3 5 C M Y K Page 2A News-Sun ࡗ Friday, January 6, 2012 www.newssun.com COMMUNITY BRIEFS SFCC offers on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Lifetime Learners Eighteen East restaurant Institute (18 E. Main St.). Anyone who has an AVON PARK — South interest in Main Street Florida Community Avon Park is invited to College’s Community attend as this meeting that Education Department is will feature an informal sponsoring the Lifetime meeting and discussion Learners Institute. The with the new Avon Park Lifetime Learners Institute Chamber of Commerce program is a member-cen- Executive Director, Laura tered organization that Wade. offers short-term education For more information, opportunities for individu- contact Casey Wohl at als ages 50 and older. [email protected] Classroom sessions are or by phone at 24-6326. held on Thursdays, Jan. 12 For more information about through April 5, 9 a.m. to the Avon Park CRA, visit noon, Building T, Room www.AvonParkCRA.com/. 20, at the SFCC Highlands Campus, 600 W. College RSVP for LP Dr., Avon Park. chamber luncheon The Lifetime Learners program provides opportu- LAKE PLACID — The nities for intellectual and Greater Lake Placid cultural exploration. Chamber of Commerce Educational sessions and January membership lunch- field trips provide a relaxed eon will be held on News-Sun file environment for adults to City Pier Beach has been closed to swimming since a man drowned in the dredge hole in 2008. Wednesday at noon at the develop new interests and Lake Placid Elks Lodge. an opportunity for personal Kristina Anderson, execu- growth and social interac- tive director of the Council approves funds to tion. A variety of topics Highlands County and speakers about local IDA/EDC will be the pre- people, places, and ideas senter. The luncheon is also will be featured on a week- sponsored by Highlands help fill City Pier dredge hole ly basis. County IDA/EDC. The registration fee is RSVP the chamber on or $85 for 12 sessions, or before the end of today at Beach has been closed to swimming since 2008 choose weekly sessions for [email protected] or call $10 per session. 465-4331. Cost is $8 per By SAMANTHA GHOLAR ‘It’s a crime if we don’t fix it.’ marked, it’s been marked and Participants may register in person. [email protected] there’s lots of other holes in Building B on the SEBRING — City that lake that aren’t marked,” Highlands Campus or at GEORGE HENSLEY Grief Group starts Administrator Scott Clark said. any SFCC campus or cen- Sebring mayor today Noethlichh discussed the “Yeah, but we made that ter.