Celebrity Cruises will be part of next year’s SuperSebring 2020. Track officials announced the partnership yesterday, which will include a new hospitality area. Elements of a luxurious Celebrity cruise will be re-created on dry land in a chalet overlooking the famous front stretch of the Sebring International Raceway.
The experience will include food and meet-and-greet sessions with racing celebrities. Next November, Celebrity will offer a cruise for fans and race aficionados. The ship will sail from Tampa and hit locations such as Costa Maya, Belize and Cozumel.
After firing their city manager and the resignation of their finance director, the city of Avon Park apparently has lost another key player. Director of Utilities Ronnie Jones reportedly has announced he is stepping down. In making the announcement he did offer a lifeline. Jones said he would remain in his post for a 10-percent raise and an agreement that council members would not interfere with him doing his job.
Council members agreed they couldn’t do that.
In the interim, former Highlands County Administrator and engineer Carl Cool said he would fill the gap – including overseeing the complicated and expensive northern utilities extension project.
A dozen municipal utilities, including the cities of Bartow and Wauchulla are breaking ground on one of the largest municipal solar projects in the nation.
The utilities on Monday broke ground in the Orlando area for the project which will have 900,000 solar panels installed at two sites there.
Jacob Williams, the CEO of Florida Municipal Power Agency, a wholesaler, says the utilities can make solar power more affordable by working together.
When it is finished, the project is expected to be able to power the equivalent of 45,000 Florida homes.
Other municipalities involved are Fort Pierce, Homestead, Jacksonville Beach, Key West, Kissimmee, Lake Worth Beach, Ocala, Orlando and Winter Park.
A man in Lakeland reportedly punched a Little League umpire and broke his tooth over a disputed call after a game.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office officials say 22-year-old Alberto Escartin Ramos was arrested on a charge of felony battery of a sports official.
Deputies say Escartin Ramos disagreed with a call the umpire made during a game Friday night. After the game Escartin Ramos reportedly went to the clubhouse to complain to the umpire and started screaming at him. When the umpire asked Escartin Ramos to leave, they say he punched the umpire in the face, breaking a tooth and cutting his lip.
He was released from jail on a $1,000 bond.