News Update for 11/5/24
A race museum may be on the horizon for resident and visiting race fans in Highlands County. The Racing Hall of Fame and Marmer Construction have submitted a proposal to the Sebring Community Redevelopment Agency for the former Bank of America building. The joint venture would include a race museum operated by the Hall of Fame on the first floor, and a corporate office for Marmer Construction on the second floor. The CRA acquired the building at 231 S. Ridgewood Drive in late June, for $1.2 million dollars. A CRA Selection Committee will meet at 9 a.m. on Wednesday to evaluate the sole proposal submitted for the building.
A pair of popular Central Florida hotels will undergo major renovations. The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels are expected to go through a nearly 260-million-dollar expansion in order to keep up with demand in the Orlando area. The plan is to add more event space at the Dolphin and make improvements to all the guest rooms at the Swan. Construction is scheduled to begin sometime this month with the overall project scheduled to be complete during the summer of 2026.
The search for a woman and her two children is over, and she’s in custody. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office announced yesterday Lachina Cropes and her sons were found in Georgia. The 40-year-old Cropes did not have custody of the boys, and she allegedly took the 10 and 8-year-old without permission. They were last seen in Bradenton Sunday and were found in Peach County, Georgia. Cropes was arrested and charged with interference of child custody and battery. That’s because she allegedly pepper sprayed the foster parents before she took the kids. Deputies say the boys were not hurt, and they’re in the process of being returned to foster care.
The teenager accused of killing two people in a shooting in Orlando will be tried as an adult. Orange-Osceola State Attorney Andrew Bain announced yesterday 17-year-old Jaylen Edgar was formally charged as an adult with two counts of second-degree murder with a firearm. He’s also charged with one count of attempted murder with a firearm. Bain says more charges are coming. He says he decided to charge Edgar as an adult because of the brazen nature of the crime and the multiple victims who were shot in the middle of downtown while celebrating Halloween.
Boaters around Florida are being asked to be on the lookout for manatees. The FWC yesterday issued a reminder to boaters that this is the time of year when manatees travel to warmer water sites around the state. Despite their size, manatees can be hard to see, and boaters are encouraged to wear polarized glasses, go slow and abide by all manatee protection zones. Boat strikes are a major threat to manatees. If you see one that’s injured, distressed, sick or dead, contact the FWC.
Special Event fees are set to increase for city employees and road closures in Sebring. The Sebring City Council will be considering a resolution on the fees at tonight’s council meeting after reviewing the special event fees that were last adopted in March of 2019. The new fee structure includes increases in pay for Police and Fire Department Staff on Extra Duty and Public Works Employees. Increased Fees for road closures on Circle Drive, spoke streets, and Ridgewood Drive will also apply. Non-refundable Application fees are set at $25. For reoccurring monthly events approved by the council, a one time $25 per year application fee applies. Other fees included in the fee structure include stage rental with setup and breakdown costs, hanging and removing banners, and solid waste services.
A man wanted for murder in Orange County is hurt after he was shot by US Marshals in Alabama. The sheriff’s office says Jorge Javier Quintero allegedly killed his 29-year-old girlfriend, Carmen Elsa Escalante Carrera, last week. The 41-year-old Quintero was found in Alabama where the confrontation with US Marshals took place. After he was shot, Quintero was taken to the hospital where he’s in critical condition.
A teenager is dead following a dirt bike accident in Osceola County over the weekend. Authorities say a 16-year-old driver and 18-year-old passenger were trying to avoid hitting an SUV while traveling along Marigold Avenue in Poinciana last night when they hit a metal pole. The youngest victim died after being ejected from the bike and landing in the path of the other vehicle. The 18-year-old was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Everyone inside the SUV was not hurt and remained at the scene.
SpaceX has another successful launch to celebrate. A Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Kennedy Space Center at 9:29 last night. It carried a Dragon spacecraft with six thousand pounds of supplies for the International Space Station. The spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS at 10:15 this morning.