Half of the former Wachovia building parking lot on North Ridgewood Drive in Sebring will temporarily open to the public. Mayor John Shoop says the Blackmon family will provide 25 to 30 spaces while the building is converted into a business office center. The city is finalizing a lease and liability coverage before the lot opens. The access is temporary. Once complete, the 54-office, 200-desk facility is expected to require the full parking lot.
Drivers in Sebring should be aware of temporary road closures scheduled for next week, March 3rd through March 5th, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lakeview Drive will be closed between West Boulevard and Ben Eastman Road, and Scenic Highway will shut down from Sebring Parkway to Lakeview Drive as the City of Sebring completes sanitary sewer line and lift station repairs. Access will be limited to local traffic only, with detours routed along West Boulevard and Ben Eastman Road. Drivers in nearby neighborhoods will be directed to use designated turns to reach detour routes. For details, residents can call 863-471-5156.
A Polk County man is one of those who was killed during a violent encounter off the coast of Cuba. Cuban officials announced yesterday Lakeland’s Michael Ortega Casanova was one of four people killed Wednesday. The speedboat he was on entered Cuban waters, and one of those onboard allegedly fired at a Cuban boat. That led to a shootout in which four people were killed and six were injured. Cuba says Casanova and others on the boat had terrorist purposes. Homeland Security is investigating.
The Florida Medal of Honor Memorial will host a public National Medal of Honor Day ceremony at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25th, in downtown Sebring. The event will honor Medal of Honor recipients with a presentation of colors, roll call, memorial sculpture dedication, and the sounding of taps. Veterans, families, and community members are invited, with an open house at the Memorial and Visitors Center to follow.
Customers of Placid Lakes Utilities in Placid Lakes are under a 48-hour precautionary boil water notice. The advisory applies to residents on Washington Boulevard Northeast, Farrell Drive, and Humphrey Avenue. Officials say the notice is strictly for water consumption, meaning any water used for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, or making ice should be boiled before use. For questions or additional information, customers can call 863-465-0345.