News Update for 6/9/20

NEWS 6/9/20 BF
CORONAVIRUS SCORECARD

Coronavirus numbers released this morning show Highlands County has registered no additional cases of the coronavirus. To date there have been 150 positive cases. Of the 5,244 tests administered so far, 5,091 of the tests have come back negative. That’s a 94.7 percent negative rate over the past three months.
Florida Department of Health figures show that 40 people have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. Nine deaths have been tied to the Coronavirus since records started being kept back in March.

NEWS 6/9/20 BF
AP CORONA $TIMULI

Avon Park city council members last night moved ahead with a suggested stimulus package for residents and businesses inside the limits of the City of Charm. Under provisions of the plans, residents will get a $60 credit on their water and sewer bills, while businesses inside the city limit will be given up to a $500 credit for their water service.
Finance officials say the program will cost some $285,000 in lost revenue to the city.

NEWS 6/9/20 BF
HC CENSUS

Highlands County officials are pushing local residents to get with it and fill out census forms. They note that the census results determine how billions of dollars in federal funding flow into states and communites each year. That mans money for such things as fire departments, schools, roads & highways. As of June 4th, Highlands County had registered a 55.9 percent self-response rate in filling out census forms.
Meanwhile, as things begin to return to normal, county officials announced they now are renting out county facilities once again.

NEWS 6/9/20 BF
GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS

It’s a good news/bad news kind of story. Up in Polk County a man at a gas station in a convenient mart had left his wallet on the counter after paying. A good Samaritan snateched it up and dashed out the door to return it to the guy who had been standing in front of him.
Turns out, that was not the wallet’s owner. He took it tho, and left the station in a gray Toyota Camry. When the wallet’s owner returned – store officials figured out the situation. Authorities now are trying to find the man who got the wallet and disappeared.