The SunTrust Bank location where five tellers were gunned down back in January is all but a memory now. Without fanfare, heavy equipment crews have been taking down the Midtown Branch building and preparing the lot for donation.
Officials at SunTrust say that so far, no specific use for the site has been determined. However, they continue to work with local officials to make that determination.
A number of memorials had been placed at the site. Those reportedly were donated to victims’ families prior to the demolition work.
It appears there will be two recipients for the inaugural William Gentry Memorial Scholarship. The award was established last year in Gentry’s name, after the Highlands County Sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed while responding to a call on a neighborhood dispute.
A team including Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman General Counsel Garrett Roberts, Kevin Gentry and Alan Jay Wildstein went over applications yesterday.
After picking the recipient, Wildstein said he would match the funding – so they picked a second student. Winners’ names will be announced later today.
There were no injuries but traffic on Highway 27 was slowed for a time yesterday afternoon when a semi-truck caught fire and burned. Units from Highlands Lakes and West Sebring worked to extinguish the blaze, which consumed most of the trailer and its load of food.
The driver was not hurt and was able to separate the cab from the trailer before the fire got too bad. Cause of that blaze remains under investigation.
One person was taken to the hospital yesterday morning when two cars came together in Sebring. According to reports, a Toyota Corolla hit a PT Cruiser at the intersection of Highway 27 and Flare Road. The force of the impact sent the Cruiser into a ditch an over onto its side.
Apparently, the driver of the Cruiser was transported to the hospital. No names or other details have yet been released.