It’s Day Six at the Highlands County Fair with more livestock shows and plenty of entertainment on tap. Slated for today are Poultry Judging and the Pee Wee Show for youngsters with small animals.
Last night was the Market Steer Show. Showing the Grand Champion there was Autumn Reynolds. Reserve Grand Champion was shown by Kaitlyn Sellers.
The Senior Grand Champion Showmanship ribbon went to Stella Handley, Intermediate went to Grace Lynn Miller while Junior Showmanship was awarded to Natilee McNabb.
Tomorrow night will be the livestock auction.
The fair runs through Saturday.
The pursuit of a suspect wanted in connection with a shooting in Sebring, resulted in a couple of crashes and injury to a Highlands County Sheriff’s deputy yesterday.
Lawmen spotted a white 2021 Dodge Charger – believed to have been involved in the shooting incident – and tried to pull it over.
However, the driver, identified as 27-year-old Jaquan Salavas Hall of Avon Park, fled down State Road 66 into Hardee County. At one point, Hall spun out and ran head-on into a Highlands Sheriff’s cruiser.
The chase continued until Hall again lost control of the charger and rolled it – injuring himself and passengers in the vehicle. They were taken to the hospital, treated and charged.
By a 3-2 margin, Highlands County commissioners yesterday voted to put a temporary hold on the construction of mobile home parks in the county. The moratorium will be in place until July, while staff researches rules from other counties that regulate development standards for such facilities.
County Attorney Sherry Sutphen reportedly will bring back a draft resolution on the matter for further discussion at the next commission meeting.
A Polk County man is facing the death penalty. A jury yesterday recommended that Marcelle Waldon be put to death for killing a couple in Lakeland four years ago. The 39-year-old was convicted last week of first-degree murder.
He stabbed to death former city commissioner Edie Yates Henderson and her husband in the couple’s home.
Only eight out of 12 jurors needed to agree to the death penalty, but they got 11 votes. The judge still has to agree with the recommendation before Waldon is sentenced to death.