Units from all over Highlands County responded to a fire at Camp Cloverleaf yesterday afternoon. A maintenance shed at the 4-H camp reportedly caught fire and burned to the ground. Officials say the building and all its contents were lost.
Cloverleaf Road was closed while firefighters fought both the flames at the structure and a nearby brushfire sparked by the blaze.
Apparently it began when a lawn mower being worked on backefired. There were no injuries reported in the incident.
Highlands has recorded its second traffic fatality of the year. Florida Highway Patrol officials say 28-year-old Carlos Martinez Leon was killed yesterday in an incident on Old State Road 8.
Reports indicate Leon was southbound in a Ford F-350, when he lost control of the big pickup. The truck went off the road, through a fence and hit a tree. Troopers say the Venus man was NOT buckled up.
Activity is picking up at the Sebring International Raceway for this weekend’s Hoosier Tire SCCA Super Tour event. The annual Sports Car Club of America’s annual event draws more than 300 racers from all over the country. It is one of the biggest club events of the year at the track.
There will be 28 different classes in competition for the event which begins tomorrow morning at the circuit. Tickets are free for the competition, which is the first of 10 planned race weekends across the country.
As we approach the January 23rd anniversary of the SunTrust Bank shooting in Sebring, it appears that a memorial park is nearing completion. Published photos show an open area which occupies roughly the footprint of the original bank building.
There are five walls, arranged like a pentagon – apparently representing the five women who were killed in the incident. Trees in the area also reportedly will be illuminated as part of the presentation. A number of other features, including commemorative plaques still need to be installed.
A formal dedication of that facility will be held January 23rd. It will be at 10am – to commemorate the tragedy.