News Update for 2/2/23

You may have noticed increased air traffic over Highlands County the past few days. Officials at the Avon Park Bombing Range say they’re hosting training exercises – and we can expect more today. The sessions will run from mid-morning until very late tonight. Noise levels are expected to be high.

Things are almost in readiness for tomorrow’s opening of the Highlands County Fair. Highlands Radio Group Day will signal the opener, with the debut of the Reithoffer rides, the Nerveless Nocks Thrill Show, Scott’s Magic Show and a Piano Juggler.
Friday also will be the first beauty pageant during the run of the fair, with the Junior Miss Highlands County competition to take to the stage at the Alan Jay Arena.
The gates will open at the Highlands County Fairgrounds tomorrow evening at 5pm.

There are rumblings that the "Super Sebring" format involving both the 12 Hours of Sebring and a 10-Hour World Endurance Championship sports car race may not last.
According to Reports, the FIA World Endurance Championship is evaluating a “rethink” of its joint race weekend with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 12-Hour classic at Sebring.
Principals say It’s difficult for the sponsors and manufacturers to have two races on the same weekend and are looking for a solution.
The format was inaugurated in 2019.

It will be next year before the man accused in the Sebring Suntrust shooting incident will ge to trial. The hearing will come to the courtroom in January of 2024.
Five tellers at the Sebring Suntrust South location were gunned down in an incident in January of 2019. Zephen Xaver has been implicated in the case. The Sebring man was apprehended shortly after the incident.
At a hearing yesterday, public defenders declined to raise an insanity defense, and asked for more time.

As many as a hundred private aircraft are expected to touch down at the Avon Park airport today, as the Old Fart’s Flying Club comes to the City of Charm.
The group meets regularly at different airports to gather for lunch and fellowship. Today they will be dining at the Jacaranda Hotel.

According to reports, The Mosaic Company has sold its Streamsong Resort golf resort near Bowling Green in Hardee County for $160 million. Apparently, it has been purchased by Lone Windmill LLC, a subsidiary of Kemper Sports Management.
The phosphate mining company, had converted a former mining site 10 years go into three golf courses to develop Streamsong Resort as part of its reclamation process of former mines.
Mosaic owns some 380,000 acres in Hardee, Polk, Manatee and Hillsborough county.