THE FLORIDA STATE PATROL REPORTS HIGHWAY 70 NEAR COUNTY ROAD 721 EAST OF LAKE PLACID IS STILL BLOCKED AFTER A TRAFFIC INCIDENT AND FATALITY EARLY THIS MORNING. DETAILS AREN’T AVAILABLE YET. HEADING OUT OF HIGHLANDS COUNTY TOWARD OKEECHOBEE ON US98 MAY BE A BETTER CHOICE FOR A FEW HOURS.
A SEMI TRUCK TRACTOR TRYING TO PULL UP SHORT AT THE RED LIGHT SPUN AND TIPPED OVER YESTERDAY MORNING JUST NORTH OF THE CORNER OF HIGHWAY 27 AND SUN N LAK BOULEVARD IN SEBRING, SNARLING TRAFFIC FOR A WHILE, BUT CAUSING NO SERIOUS INJURIES. STATE TROOPERS SAY RAMON RODRIGUEZ BARRETO OF DAVENPORT WAS DRIVING HIS FREIGHLINER CAB SOUTHBOUND ON 27 ABOUT 7:30AM WHEN HE TRIED TO STOP AT THE RED LIGHT, LOST CONTROL AND SPUN OVER ONTO THE MEDIAN. BARRETO’S CAB TIPPED OVER, BLOCKING NORTHBOUND 27. BARRETO HAD JUST MINOR INJURIES THAT DIDN’T REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATION. TWO PASSENGERS IN THE SLEEPER SECTION OF THE CAB ALSO SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND WERE TREATED NEXT DOOR AT ADVENT HEALTH SEBRING.
IT’S CHRISTMAS EVE, AND THAT MEANS YOU’VE FINALLY HIT THAT LAST-CHANCE FOR GETTING THAT LAST MINUTE GIFT OR GROCERY ITEM. MANY LOCALLY OWNED MOM AND POPS WILL BE CLOSING EARLY TODAY – THE BIG CHAINS WILL BE OPEN TILL 6 OR SO. RETAILERS REPORT NATIONALLY, THIS PAST SATURDAY WAS THE BIGGEST SINGLE SHOPPING DAY IN HISTORY – EXPECTATIONS ARE FOR A 4% INCREASE IN SPENDING THIS YEAR OVER LAST. ONE GROUP OF WORKERS WHO WON’T TAKE THE NIGHT OFF WILL BE LAW ENFORCEMENT – CHRISTMAS EVEN HAS GROWN TO BE ONE OF THE YEAR’S WORST FOR ALCHOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS. LOCAL, COUNTY AND STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL BE OUT WITH A WATCHFUL EYE, SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL.
JUST SO YOU’RE NOT SURPRISED – THERE ARE TRASH PICKUP SCHEDULE CHANGES THIS WEEK. COUNTY TRASH PICKUP CHANGES INCLUDE WEDNESDAY PICKUPS MOVING TO THURSDAY, AND THE REST OF THE WEEK WILL BE ONE DAY LATE AS WELL. LAKE PLACID WILL HAVE NO PICKUPS FOR CHRISTMAS OR NEW YEARS EVE, AND SEBRING WILL BE ONE DAY BEHIND ON COMMERCIAL PICKUPS STARTING THURSDAY. AVON PARK SAYS, NO CHARGES. EXPECT THE SAME PATTERN NEXT WEEK, BY THE BY.