HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN Saturday, July 21, 2018 VOL. 99 | NO. 202 | $1.00 YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1919 AN EDITION OF THE SUN “I wouldn’t feel guilty. Final school administrative slots filled Arlene, we are a tiny By MARC VALERO Park Middle five in Food and Nutrition call 863-471-5733 or town. We can’t support STAFF WRITER School and Services, 13 school support 863-471-5737. Culverhouse staff and openings for school As some schools con- everyone.” SEBRING — The final was the reading bus drivers and school bus tinue to look for teachers, Councilwoman Debra Worley said, school administrative coach at attendants. Memorial Elementary positions have been filled Lake Country The district will be holding Principal Courtney Floyd referring to Councilwoman Arlene Tuck’s comment with Superintendent Brenda Elementary a teacher recruiting event said Friday, “We are fully that council members would all feel guilty if the Longshore making recom- School. from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, staffed so we are super Lake Placid Police Department took over the job mendations on two assistant CULVERHOUSE While the Aug. 1 in the large confer- excited about that.” of policing the schools or did nothing to support principal positions. administrative ence room at the George She hired three teachers the program and something happened. Pending the expected positions are filled, the dis- Douglas Administrative for the new school year. approval by the School trict continues to advertise Building, 426 School St., “We had a couple who had Board of Highlands County, for teachers, with the first Sebring. moved out of the district for the new assistant principals day of school on Aug. 13. The flyer for the event various reasons and then we are Stacey Hinson at Hill- Current advertised teacher states it is seeking applicants had a retirement so we did Blackman asks Gustat Middle School and openings include: 10 ele- who have a bachelor’s degree have to hire some new staff, Ashley Culverhouse at Avon mentary and four at both or higher, a desire to work but we are very excited of Elementary School. the middle and high school with children and have a who we have brought in and Lake Placid Hinson was a math levels. passion for learning. we are excited that we are teacher/coach at Avon Support openings include For more information, fully staffed and ready to go.” for $75K Town balks at number By KIM LEATHERMAN STAFF WRITER LAKE PLACID — Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman spoke to ALGAE BLOOM Town Council at a budget workshop Thursday evening and asked for $75,000 to help finance the place- ment of a school resource officer in each of the town’s three schools. The request comes on the heels of the unfund- ed mandate, Senate Bill 7026. Blackman explained the law was created to improve the safety of BLACKMAN the schools in the state, including Highlands County. He and School Board Superintendent Dr. Brenda Longshore decided to place a deputy sheriff or a police officer in the schools within the county to that end. “We are in the process of trying to fund that,” Blackman said. “We worked out a 50/50 split with the Highlands County Board of County BUDGET | 5 This Wednesday, June 29, 2016 aerial photo shows blue-green algae in an area along the St. Lucie River in Stuart, Fla. In 2016, Florida’s governor declared a state of emergency and beaches were closed when algae blooms spread from Lake Okeechobee to nearby estuaries. (Greg Lovett/The Palm Beach Post via AP) Highlands to help Lake Okeechobee By PHIL ATTINGER Department of Environmental next 10 years. STAFF WRITER Protection and the South Florida At 40,000 acre-feet per year, that FILE PHOTO Water Management District to waive annual cost calculates to $3.8 million. The results of a salary study discussed at a SEBRING — Land in the south of restrictions and regulations pre- Funds for January School Board meeting showed that Highlands County will play a part in venting them from storing water in the project school bus drivers and general cafeteria preventing the next algae bloom in additional areas south of the lake. comes workers were among the positions that Lake Okeechobee. However, the Brighton Project will from a are underpaid the most in the Highlands In much the way the stormwa- now let SFWMD store water coming 2016 school district. The district currently has ter treatment area in Spring Lake down canals in south Highlands appropri- openings for school bus drivers and school Improvement District filters runoff County, before it reaches the lake. ation by the bus attendants. before it enters Arbuckle Creek and “Every gallon stored counts in Florida Legislature specifically for Lake Istokpoga, the Brighton Valley situations like the current high public-private partnerships to benefit Project will do the same thing. water emergency South Florida is the Northern Everglades. Last week, the South Florida Water facing,” SFWMD Governing Board However, the Legislature will need Tentative Management District approved a Chairman Federico Fernandez stated to vote in more funding to continue public-private partnership with in a SFWMD press release. “This this project. the Lykes Brighton Valley LLC to Governing Board is thankful to Lykes SFWMD reports that Brighton Valley agreement for create the Brighton Valley Northern Brighton Valley for stepping up and is the second large-scale public-pri- Everglades Public-Private Partnership helping reduce nutrients in the Lake vate partnership on agricultural Project, which will treat water in the Okeechobee watershed.” lands approved by the Governing school support Lake Okeechobee watershed over the Phone calls to get further direct Board under the 2016 Legislative next decade. comment from SFWMD staff were not appropriation. The problems for Lake Okeechobee immediately returned Friday. During the recent high water emer- personnel When water levels are high in the gency, the Caulkins Water Farm have been building with continued By MARC VALERO algae blooms each year. According to C-41A Canal, SFWMD states, the on 3,200 acres of former citrus STAFF WRITER News Service Florida, Gov. Rick Scott Brighton Valley Project will divert that groves near Indiantown in issued an emergency order on July 9 water to flow, at an average rate of Martin County held more than SEBRING — A tentative agreement after releases from Lake Okeechobee 40,000 acre-feet per year, through ap- 12,000 acre-feet of water away has been reached between the resulted in toxic algae outbreaks on proximately 8,200 acres from the St. Lucie Estuary. School Board of Highlands County both coasts. of private land Fernandez, in the and the Educational Support Union. There has been a push for a in Highlands press release, said While there has been little word yet reservoir south of the County. private landowners have on Tuesday’s contract talks between lake, News Service This should provided SFWMD with the district and the teachers union, Florida reported, to reduce nutri- short-term flexibility the negotiations on Wednesday move water out of ents in the water before it reaches to store and treat water between the district and the non-in- the lake when it Lake Okeechobee, as much as 3.2 and reduce damage to structional employees resulted in a swells with tons of phosphorus and 27.3 tons of estuaries. tentative agreement. seasonal nitrogen. It’s actually something Teachers union President Shawna- rains. The project involves an 11-year SFWMD has done for years Mae Warren reported the non-in- By lease and agreement for the project, through its Dispersed Water structional employees negotiated for making approved by the SFWMD Governing Management program — stor- 5-10 percent raises, depending on a decla- Board, and includes $11.5 million ing and treating water on public the position. ration, for land improvements to make the lands and in partnership with They still need to vote and ratify Scott project feasible in the first year. private landowners. their contract, she noted. cleared Once the improvements are in Record rainfall started in May, caus- But, no additional information the way place, SFWMD reports it will pay the ing Lake Okeechobee to rise more than was available. With both the past for the Brighton Valley Project an annual a foot in a matter of weeks. SFWMD year, 2017-18, and upcoming year, Florida fixed fee, which would equal $95 per has used these projects to get another 2018-19, open to negotiations, it is acre-foot of water treated there for the 54,000 acre-feet of water storage. SUPPORT | 5 Classifieds ..... ...............................B5-7 Florida Report ...........................A6 Obituaries ..............................A6 Good Morning To Comics ...................... News Wire Local Sports ..........................A7-8 Viewpoints .............................A4 Karen Harrison Thanks for reading! facebook.com/ twitter.com/ Faith & Family ..... ............................B1 Lottery ..... ........................News Wire Weather .................. News Wire newssun.com newssun TheNewsSun A2 | HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN | Saturday, July 21, 2018 www.highlandsnewssun.com Four-car wreck case still open Sebring man OK By PHIL ATTINGER STAFF WRITER SEBRING — Police still after Hardee wreck don’t have a conclusive By PHIL ATTINGER van ended up rolling in At that same time, re- cause of Thursday morn- STAFF WRITER ing’s four-car wreck on the wreck. ports said, Nickerson was Sebring Parkway at State ZOLFO SPRINGS — A The third driver — eastbound, approaching Road 17/North Ridgewood Sebring man had the 62-year-old Susan Jane that junction, while Long Drive. misfortune Thursday to Long of Zolfo Springs — was westbound in a Sebring Police Cmdr. end up in the middle of a had critical injuries after 2008 Chevrolet Silverado Curtis Hart said Friday three-car wreck in Hardee running into Nickerson’s pickup also approaching investigating officers still County.