HAVECAVE A SAIESAFE AND HAPPYHAPPY - EWSiws SUNi NHighlands County’s Hometown Newspaper-S Since 1927 50¢ Behind the boom: A look at what Not your ordinary race: 24 hours goes into your fi reworks show B1 of LeMons runs this weekend A7 www.newssun.com An Edition of the Sun Friday-Saturday, July 4-5, 2014 4 County adds Leaving a $4.4 million lasting mark to sheriff’s building fund w -zj Honor Sidewalk at Girl Scout :xl BY BARRY FOSTER house where past meets present NEWS-SUN CORRESPONDENT MAL SEBRING — Another $4.4 million has been allocated for a planned new Highlands County Sheriff’s Offi ce headquarters. County Commissioners approved a budget amendment Tuesday. Among other “cost centers,” the money comes from unallocated rollovers from the county’s Capital Financial Strategy fund. That is money accrued from projects, both this year and last, year that came in un- Alt 1 - der budget. .+ Also in the pot is $600,000 from a BENTON $900,000 reserve in the Ae- Recreation & Parks Advisory Commit- r i- - tee fund as well as some $2.7 million that had been set aside for the HCSO’s planned Property & Evidence/Crime Scene building. The property and evidence facili- AIR ties will now be incorporated into the planned new 42,000-square-foot facil- Katara Simmons/News-Sun ity, set to go up on a pair of lots behind Former Girl Scout Sophy Mae Mitchell writes her name in the wet cement Thursday in Sebring. the public defender’s offi ce in down- town Sebring. Names of 1947-48 Girl Scouts restored on new sidewalk To further enhance savings, SEE COUNTY | A4 BY KIRSTEN SCARBOROUGH next door to the county court- bers of Troop 773 — Mikyla Ber- NEWS-SUN INTERN house, Troop 773 began brain- ish, Casey Pollard, Zoe Stanley, storming a way to preserve it. and Torie Allen — all began etch- It was at 10:12 a.m., Thursday The sidewalk had been placed at ing the names off of the old side- Coming soon morning, that the fi rst line was Stepping Stones House at 442 Eu- walk onto a template that they had drawn by Girl Scout Torie Allen in calyptus St. in 1947 and girls from constructed. Sebring’s Troop 773 Silver Award the 1947-1948 chapter had signed Next, the girls looked up all leg- to Sebring: Project. it. ible names in hope of contact- After troop leaders Danyle Ber- It was the beginning of February ing those previous Girl Scouts and ish and Brenda Gibson were con- that the girl’s idea, which they call asking them to attend the event pink hydrants tacted by the county, regarding the Honor Sidewalk, was decided and the next phase of their project. a sidewalk that presented safe- upon and put into action. BY BARRY FOSTER ty hazards at the Girl Scout house The four current Cadette mem- SEE HONOR | A6 NEWS-SUN CORRESPONDENT SEBRING — Bobbie Clark wants to paint the town pink this coming Oc- tober. Actually, it will not be the en- ‘A nerd-vana’: The tire town — only the fi re hydrants in the downtown. The project is part of breast can- Battle Zone is ready to cer awareness month. “They told me there are about 600 hydrants in the city and that is too ambitious of a play in Sebring project, I think,” Clark said. Instead, i ''1 she and her group will do about 100 BY KIRSTEN SCARBOROUGH at The Battle Zone. hydrants in Sebring’s historic district. NEWS-SUN INTERN “It’s all about the mem- Council members in the City on the bers,” said co-owner Josh Kirsten Scarborough/ News-Sun Circle gave the OK, if done in coop- A traditional game re- Cordero. “We wanted to Co-owner Ed Baldridge demonstrated a remote control air shark around The Battle Zone eration with the Sebring Fire Depart- shop Wednesday, during their opening day. tailer that allows custom- create an awesome social ment. ers and club members environment and a way “Fire Chief Brad Batz told me we to play with the store’s for individuals to meet with Joe and Sandy Pago- just a place where nerds could do this, but we have to be care- games and hang out as other gamers.” ria, Kyle Halverson, can be nerds,” he said ful not to cover the PSI ratings on the long as they want in or- Cordero is one of six James Scott, and Ed Bal- with a giggle. hydrants,” she explained. Fire hy- der to socialize and inter- partners who opened dridge. The shop includes drants in the city are color coded act with other gamers, is The Battle Zone in Se- “It’s a place to hang- trading cards, fi gurine with pound-per-square-inch ratings exactly the kind of atmo- bring’s Lakeshore Mall out, a nerd-vana,” smiled sphere that can be found on Wednesday, along Cordero. “That means it’s SEE ZONE | A6 SEE PINK | A4 Typical summer day: Classifi eds ................... B7 Obituaries .................. A6 Religion ....................... B4 facebook.com/ VOL. 95 Hot with some storms newssun Dear Abby ..................... B2 Lottery Numbers .......... A2 Sports on TV ............... A8 NO. 76 High 93 Low 74 twitter.com/ Details on B10 Healthy Living ............... B3 Puzzles ........................ B2 Viewpoints ................... A5 thenewssun A2 | NEWS-SUN | Friday, July 4, 2014 www.newssun.com Placid Lakes VFD douses brush fire Suspect BY KIM LEATHERMAN found NEWS-JOURNAL NEWS-SUN CORRESPONDENT with gun, Highlands County’s Hometown Newspaper Since 1927 LAKE PLACID — drugs http//:www.newssun.com Placid Lakes volun- The News-Sun (USPS – ISSN teer firefighters quick- 0163-3988) is published every Sunday, Wednesday & Friday. Peri- ly extinguished a brush BY PHIL ATTINGER odical postage paid at Sebring, FL fire Tuesday. The blaze Staff Writer and additional entry office(s). All was confined to a small material contained herein is the property of the News-Sun, which area and no structures SEBRING — Police is an affiliate of Sun Coast Media were threatened. caught a man who Group. Reproduction in whole or in The call was dis- allegedly fled from part is forbidden without the writ- patched at 5:30 p.m. to them on foot during ten permission of the publisher. All material submitted for publication Rocky Road N.W. The a previous chase, and becomes the property of the news- PLVFD arrived on the found he was carrying paper and may be edited for clar- scene within minutes, a gun and drugs. ity and space, as well as reprinted, published and used in all media. minimizing damage. Sandy Vega, 24, of Postmaster: Send address change The cause of the Kim Leatherman/News-Journal Sunkist Avenue in Se- to: News-Sun, 2227 U.S. 27 S., blaze is unknown but Placid Lakes Volunteer Fire Department’s Eric Conklin douses the scrub brush as he mops up Tuesday’s brush fire. bring, is now facing Sebring, FL 33870. theories abound. “It charges of carrying could have been a lit in the bright sunlight, could have had more keeping the risk of fire a concealed firearm, CMEommIT NT TO cigarette tossed out a Pratt said as he moved trouble if the winds low. “We have had a armed trespassing, accUracY The News-Sun promptly cor- car window,” speculat- a bottle with his boot. were high,” explained slow fire season so far,” resisting an officer rects errors of fact appearing in ed fireman Luis Pratt. Fortunately, after- firefighter Kelli McGee. he said. “The wet win- without violence and its news stories. If you believe we “It could even have noon winds had sub- Assistant Fire Chief ter as well as the after- possession of mari- have made an error, call the news- been this glass bottle sided by the time the Scott Hanks was grate- noon showers have re- juana, drugs without room at (863) 385-6155, ext. 516. If you have a question or acting as a magnifier” fire began. “We really ful for the recent rains ally helped a lot.” a prescription and comment about coverage, write to drug paraphernalia. Scott Dressel, editor, 2227 U.S. According to Se- 27 South, Sebring, FL 33870; Moose Lodge ■ Lake Placid resi- will take place on bring police arrest email [email protected].; or dents to open and Wednesday, July 9 at reports, Vega had a call (863) 385-6155. Celebrates SNAPSHOTS LO CAL NEWS close Lake June-in- the Lake Placid Elks backpack with him 4th of July Winter Scrub State Lodge. with several small OFFICE SEBRING — The Park. The ever-popular bags of marijua- Location: 2227 U.S. 27 South, RPAC meeting Sebring, FL 33870 Moose Lodge 2259 Opportunities to as- Christmas In July Cash na, adding up to 179 Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon- on U.S. 98 is celebrat- set July 17 sist with trail and fa- Grab will be the pro- grams — 6.31 ounces. day-Friday ing the 4rth of July on SEBRING — There cility maintenance are gram. It is sponsored Arrest reports also Phone: (863) 385-6155 Main Fax: (863) 385-1954 Sunday. will be an RPAC also available. this year by Highlands said he had an eye- They will enjoy a pic- (Recreation and Parks ■ Handyman to main- Independent Bank. glass case with several SUBscrIptION nic with free food from Advisory Committee) tain and repair rental RSVP to chamber@ small bags containing rates 4-6 p.m. and then ka- meeting Thursday, July bicycles; lpfla.com or call the 3 grams of suspected Home raoke with Lora from 17, 2014 at 2:00 p.m.