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published: Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Funds, flu and fires made news in 2009

By ED BALDRIDGE

ed.baldridge@newssun.com

The past year was a busy one in Highlands County. Between the economic crisis and the swine flu outbreak and several anthrax hoaxes -- one that attracted national attention -- and the furor over a proposed paramilitary training center in Venus, there was plenty for residents to talk about at the water coolers.

Here's a look at nine of the major stories from i2009.

Presidential inauguration

The election of Barack Obama was not only a historical event for the nation, but for many in Highlands County as well.

Several bus loads of local residents traveled to Washington, withstanding cold and record crowds, to witness the momentous occasion.

"It was unbelievable," Pat Henderson, a Highland County resident, said of her second pilgrimage to the capitol city.

Henderson was part of the crowd on Aug. 28, 1963 to see Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. make his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, and felt she needed to make the 16-hour trip again to see America's first African-American president take his oath.

Unemployment

The Agency for Workforce Innovation's figures for non-seasonally adjusted unemployment tracked a steady climb throughout 2009, and the county unemployment rate reached 11.7 percent by November.

That is a dramatic jump from the 8.5 percent unemployment rate from November of 2008.

Based on AWI's percentages, the numbers translate into 5,011 Highlands County residents without a job by the end of the year, and construction was listed as the industry with the largest loss.

Statewide, Florida's unemployment rate hit 11.5 percent in November, up from 8.6 in January, the highest since 1975, with more than a million people out of work.

Swine flu

There was one documented death from the swine flu in the Highlands in 2009 and but H1N1 kept making the news all year long.

Test results showed that the cause of death for Marquis Hamilton, the Sebring High School freshman who died in September, was complications from H1N1 swine flu.

The 14-year-old didn't have any underlying health conditions that contributed to his death, which came just days before the US Food and Drug Administration approved an H1N1 vaccine.

Promises of vaccinations for schools in October were delayed until November.

In December, the Highlands County Health Department announced two different recalls for H1N1 vaccines including 100 doses never administrated from the manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur and specific lots of the nasal spray vaccine from MedImmune.

Both recalls were non-safety related of specific lots, did not pose a health threat, and authorities did not recommend revaccination for either recall.

Eagle Training Center

A proposed military-style training facility development in the southwest corner of Highlands County hit some snags as it was fast tracked through planning and zoning throughout the year.

Projected to create more than 250 jobs for county residents by developer Greg Eagle, the 7,700 acre facility complete with a jet runway was opposed strongly by homeowners and environmentalists around the Venus area.

More than 200 showed up to protest the project, stretching an Oct. 6 commission meeting into a marathon 11 hours of public comment.

Financial troubles for Eagle, a real estate developer from Cape Coral, and problems with the Department of Community Affairs brought the project to a halt finally in December, but Southern Farms LLC, landowners of the property where the facility was proposed, and their attorney Bert J. Harris Jr. stated that a relook at the zoning changes was in the cards for the future.

County audits

County Administrator Michael Wright inherited a few audit problems when he took the job in 2008, and those woes continued throughout 2009.

"Audits are good things, they point out where we need to improve," said the beleaguered county administrator at a commission meeting in November.

The Fuel Management Audit released in January pointed out several deficiencies in how fuel was accounted for and distributed.

Citing under accounting, the audit pointed out 13 significant internal controls and four opportunities for improvement.

Additionally, an audit of the Road and Bridge Department turned up more than $10,000 of items under $1,000 not inventoried properly.

After four months of interviews with county employees listed as purchasing or in possession of the missing items, the Highlands County Sheriff's Department stated on Aug. 22 that, "At this time, there is not enough information to substantiate the reported missing items were stolen...This case is closed and unfounded, as it relates to knowing if a crime actually occurred."

Wildfires

Continuing a four-year drought possibly into it's fifth year, Florida's lack of rainfall has heightened the occurrence of wildfires in the heartland.

In response, county commissioners formed a Local Wildfire Mitigation Board responsible for helping residents understand the dangerous situation.

Wildfires occurred almost daily throughout the first part of the year, and the dry conditions were not alleviated by the usual summer rains.

Firebreaks and prescribed burns are currently being used to deter the hazards in the upcoming wildfire season, which is typically December to April.

In the past 10 years, there have been a total of 1,124 wildfires of varying sizes that have burned 21,266 acres in Highlands County.

Anthrax hoaxes

Using what Sheriff Susan Benton called "great leg work," investigators with the Highlands County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation tracked down the man they said is responsible for an anthrax hoax in record time.

Jerron Mario Moffitt, who was arrested on April 5 after leaving 79 envelopes of white power labeled "Beware of Anthrax" two days earlier around the Sun 'N Lakes Community, told investigators that it was all just a big joke.

Moffitt was arrested at his parent's home, less than a mile from Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center, which was shut down for 14 hours due to the threat.

The 20-year-old Moffitt was charged with 79 counts of hoax of a weapon of mass destruction, which could add up to 15 years per count, or 1,185 years in prison.

Cele Pete Carmona, 20, was arrested May 18 on a warrant, charged with 76 felony counts of placing a hoax weapon of mass destruction. Authorities say he was with Moffitt when he placed most of the envelopes. In October, Carmona pled no contest to one of the counts and was sentenced to six months in jail and five years of probation.

That wasn't the only anthrax scare, however.

On July 21, two envelopes containing white powder were mailed into the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. Three days later, Cally-Jo Richardson, 31, of Sebring, was charged with two second-degree felony counts of possession of a hoax weapon of mass destruction and one third-degree felony count of criminal use of a personal identification information. Allegedly, Richardson hand-wrote the return address of her estranged husband on the envelopes that were sent out.

In October, the movie theater at the Lakeshore Mall was evacuated after a roll of quarters with a white powder inside was found. No arrest has been made in that case.

Avon Park's budget woes

Everyone had to tighten their belts in the past year due to the economy, but Avon Park officials announced during their budget season that they were going to be short -- a lot short -- of making ends meet.

Citizens attended discussions about cutting jobs, including the police department, and tempers flared over livelihoods.

Budget Director Renee Green and City Manager Sarah Adelt finally presented a budget that did not cut jobs in August, which included a 30 percent increase in city water rates, but announced that it would have to be revised when 2010 sales tax numbers were released by the state.

Economy hits local businesses

It was an up and down year for Highlands County as far as businesses were concerned.

Electronics giant Circuit City filed bankruptcy in January.

The Sebring store was one of 567 stores owned by the electronics retailer to be closed when the company ceases operations.

In 2009, the restaurant chain RJ Gators also closed its doors all across he state.

The popular restaurant chain had served central and south Florida for more than 21 years, but staggering debt and stiff competition forced it into Chapter 11 for the first time in the fall of 2007.

On the upside of the economy, retail giant Walmart announced in July that it was bringing a Sam's Club to Sebring, taking over the U.S. 27 location where the Scotty's used to be. No dates have been announced for the project, however.

Additionally, discount grocer Aldi announced it would take over the property owned by Barnhill's restaurant, and work on the renovation has recently begun.