The Frostproof Centennial Celebration winds up today in what is the kickoff to an annual event in the Friendly City. On tap for today is a fishing competition, a cardboard boat race and the Miss Frostproof Pageant.
Yesterday was the inaugural “Fire it up Frostproof” barbecue competition at Henderson Field. That was sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society. A planned “greased pig” contest was put off after what city officials described as “hate mail” by animal activists.
A circus in Sebring was put off due to similar actions.
There were no serious injuries this morning when a car hit a pole near Venus. Fire officials there say a car went off County Road 731, through the parking lot of the Venus Unites Methodist Church and hit the only poser pole in the area.
Both Highlands County Sheriff’s deputies and Florida Highway Patrol troopers responded to the call.
The driver, who has not been identified, was determined to have been impaired and was charges the driving under the influence.
A 6-year-old Polk County boy died after an all-terrain vehicle driven by another child flipped and fell on him. Clayton McLaughlin was pronounced dead at a Tampa hospital Sunday.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Clayton’s family brought him to a fire station after the crash.
Investigators said Clayton was a passenger in an ATV being driven by an 8-year-old. The boys were riding on a dirt track in Lakeland when the ATV struck two dirt mounds and flipped onto its side.
The ATV landed on Clayton. Authorities said he suffered “massive head injuries.” The 8-year-old driver was not injured.
Authorities said the boys initially wore helmets but removed them after taking a break and did not put them back on.