Tomorrow will mark the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States – where the twin towers in New York City were demolished, the Pentagon in Washington was damaged and a plane headed for another attack was crashed in Pennsylvania.
Here in Highlands County a number of observances are planned.
The annual Highlands County Fire Rescue stair-climb will commence tomorrow morning at 8:46. That marks the time a an airliner hit the first of the twin towers. The event will benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
Participants will climb 2,220 steps – representing the 110-floors firefighters had to climb before the twin towers in New York City collapsed
From 10-noon, the Highlands Tea Party will stage an “Always Remember” flag wave at 330 Highway 27 North in front of Boom Boom Guns & Ammo, the public is invited to participate with their flags and patriotic signs.
A “Moment of Silence” Observance will be held at American Legion Post 25 in Lake Placid. That will commence at 11am.
The Highlands County 9/11 Memorial will be dedicated tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 pm. That will be at the West Sebring Volunteer Fire Department on Hammock Road.
The memorial includes a piece of twin-towers steel surrounded by commemorative bricks emblazoned with names of some of those lost – as well as survivors and dedications.
A Frostproof Middle School student has been charged after reporting he saw another student with a gun on campus. The incident caused the school to go on lockdown and search by Polk County Sheriff’s deputies.
They found nothing. A subsequent review of school video did not corroborate the student’s account of what he’d told school officials. The 6th grader has been charged with giving a false report to law enforcement and disrupting school functions. He was taken to the Polk County Juvenile Detention Facility.