News Update for 1/17/20

Avon Park set a record yesterday. Officials of the Old Farts Flying Club said they had their best meet-up ever. More than 80 planes came in at the Avon Park Executive Airport.
Planes ranged from home-built aircraft to twin engine planes. Even a helicopter showed up for the event – hosted by the city of Avon Park. More than 100 of the participants were shuttled to the Jacaranda Hotel for lunch.
Apparently neither the Avon Park Chamber of Commerce nor the Highlands County Tourist Development Council showed up to promote the city or the county.

Avon Park city officials are looking for another traffic light on Memorial Drive. They told Highlands County officials that traffic coming off the Parkway extension is moving so fast, it is nearly impossible for motorists to turn off Hal MacRae Boulevard.
County officials said there are certain warrants that need to be met for a stop light to be installed at a given location. They said they would pass the issue on to the county’s engineering department.
In the meantime, they suggested increased law enforcement activity in the area.

One person was killed and traffic was tied up for better than six hours on Highway 27 in Frostproof yesterday morning. Polk County Sheriff’s officials say an SUV being driven by Taron Rolle of Bartow was northbound near Warner Southern University.
Rolle lost control, went through the grass median and hit an oncoming car. The driver of that vehicle, 77-year-old James Hildock of Daytona Beach was killed in the incident.
Apparently, Hildock was enroute to a job in Sebring. Charges are pending.

Actor and professional wrestler Dave Bautista will join Tampa’s most famous pirate invasion as the grand marshal for the 2020 Gasparilla Pirate Fest.
Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, which organizes the event, announced yesterday that the “Guardians of the Galaxy” star and six-time WWE champion will share grand marshal duties with Tampa police Lt. Travis Maus for the Parade of Pirates on Jan. 25.
They will lead more than 103 parade floats, 50 krewes, five marching bands and the infamous Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla pirates through Tampa. The Gasparilla Pirate Fest has been held nearly every year since 1904 to celebrate the fictitious pirate Jose Gaspar.NEWS 1/17/20 BF
OLD FARTS WRAP