News Update for 3/19/25
On March 25 at 11 a.m., the Florida Medal of Honor Memorial & Visitors Center in Sebring will hold a special ceremony to mark National Medal of Honor Day. The event will feature the reading of 23 names of Florida’s Medal of Honor recipients, with a bell rung after each name and taps played in their honor. Local officials, including county commissioners, the sheriff, and the Sebring mayor, will participate in the ceremony. Sebring High School’s Junior ROTC cadets and American Legion veterans will also lay a wreath at the memorial, which was dedicated in December as the state’s only tribute to Florida’s Medal of Honor recipients.
After 25 years at the same location, The Champion for Children Foundation has a new home. The foundation has officially moved its administrative office to 227 N. Commerce Avenue in Sebring. The new location is just steps away from its Family Resource Center, allowing for easier access to services. The move paves the way for establishing regular open hours for the Resource Center, that has been used for workshops in the past but hasn’t had walk-in availability. After an upcoming grand opening, the plan is to have the center open two days a week, offering assistance and guidance to local families.
A retired Polk County deputy was struck and killed Monday night by an alleged drunk driver in Bartow. Investigators say 69-year-old Dan Cooley had pulled over on Van Fleet Drive to remove a fallen tote from the roadway when he was hit by 50-year-old Aaron Wells of Winter Haven. Cooley was rushed to Bartow Regional Medical Center, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Deputies say Wells showed signs of impairment, failed sobriety tests, and later registered a blood alcohol level above the legal limit. An 11-year-old girl was also in his vehicle but was not injured. Wells is now charged with DUI manslaughter and negligent child abuse.
NASA and Boeing aren’t ready to give up on Starliner. NASA officials said yesterday it’s working on issues that led to helium leaks in the capsule last year. The capsule was supposed to bring astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore home from the International Space Station. Those leaks made that too dangerous, though, so Williams and Wilmore were stuck on the ISS for nine months. They finally returned to Earth yesterday on a SpaceX capsule. As for Starliner, NASA says it’ll resume testing this summer in New Mexico. If all goes well, Starliner could be reintroduced to NASA’s space rotation and carry astronauts to the ISS once again.
Young agriculturists can now sign up for the 2025–26 Highlands Youth Citrus Project, open to local youth ages 8 and up. The program teaches participants how to grow and sell a healthy citrus tree at the Highlands County Fair. For $30, youth receive a tree kit with everything needed to cultivate their citrus plant. They’ll attend educational meetings, maintain records, and complete a citrus-related presentation. The project wraps up with a silent auction at the fair, where top trees are featured in a live auction. Registration is open until March 24. For more details, contact the Highlands County 4-H Office.
A 57-year-old Lakeland man, Matthew Case, was arrested early Saturday after deputies found him hauling stolen sheet metal on a bicycle trailer—creating a traffic hazard on Walker Road. Case, a career offender on probation, was caught with meth, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. The stolen sheet metal, worth $800, was traced to a property two miles away. He now faces multiple charges, including Grand Theft, Trespassing, and Drug Possession.
A Central Florida man is credited with rescuing two paddleboarders in the Gulf. Clermont’s Russ Coon heard yesterday about an alert from the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. Two 16-year-old girls who went paddleboarding Monday in Cedar Key did not return. Deputies, the FWC and the Coast Guard joined in the search, but it was Coon and some friends who found the two yesterday. Coon said they planned to go fishing, but the plans changed that morning when they heard about the missing teens. They found the girls near Turtle Bay, and Coon’s friend tells News 6 they were in good spirits for a bad situation. Deputies say the girls were taken to the hospital for dehydration and mild hypothermia.
Some Florida lawmakers are pushing to restore a three percent cost-of-living increase for the state’s retirees. A bill introduced in the state legislature would restore the increase to the Florida Retirement System. Supporters say the increase is necessary to keep pace with inflation and ensure retirees maintain their standard of living. Critics say the increase would undermine the need for fiscal responsibility.