Once in a red moon

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Wednesday-Thursday, April 16-17, 2014
AP to ship
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Once in a
red moon
Celestial events give show to
some, meaning to others
By PHIL ATTINGER
Staff Writer
E
ven with science to explain how and when the
moon, Earth and sun
will line up into a total lunar
eclipse, the event still brings
out a search for meaning.
Sophomore students in
Deputies
training
to clear
accidents
Car plows under
pickup truck A3
Will send it to
Okeechobee; LP’s
will mostly stay here
Judy Johnson’s humanities
class at Walker Memorial
Academy in Avon Park suggested that ancients would
have taken Tuesday’s redtinged “blood moon” as a
sign of murder or of enemies
dying in battle.
By BARRY FOSTER
News-Sun correspondent
Katara Simmons/News-Sun
The moon took on a reddish hue
around 3:45 a.m. Tuesday during the first total lunar eclipse of
the year.
See MOON | A7
Local artist Peter Powell
Roberts dies at age 88
Fatalities can be
investigated locally
SEBRING — Highlands County commissioners Tuesday offered no objections to the city
of Avon Park taking their trash
and going their separate way.
The City of Charm reportedly
has plans to ship their refuse to
Okeechobee, where they could
get a better rate on tipping fees.
Avon Park is responsible for
about 6.5 percent of the county’s landfill volume each year.
Commissioner Don Elwell
told the board it was his understanding that Avon Park might
be “entertaining the opportunity to possibly set up a transfer station inside the city limits
so they also could accept Hardee County’s trash and that then
would be taken to Okeechobee
County.”
Treasure Coast government affairs director for Waste
See GARBAGE | A6
By BARRY FOSTER
Gavarette
tapped for
national
honor
News-Sun correspondent
SEBRING — The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office reportedly is very
close to having three of its officers
trained in the area of traffic homicide
to take over the last piece of the puzzle when it comes to traffic enforcement.
There has always been some level of traffic monitoring by deputies
in the area of speed and other infractions, but the actual handling of accidents — as well as the kind of traffic crashes — has increased under the
watch of Sheriff Susan Benton.
“Before, we mostly handled the
scene until Florida Highway Patrol
arrived,” said HCSO Chief Deputy
Mark Schrader. “We now have started
working (accidents).”
In fact, HCSO deputies worked
120 crashes in March alone. It began
with deputies responding and issuing
See HCSO | A6
Katara Simmons/News-Sun
Highlands County Sheriff’s Office deputies Zachary Lehman (from left) and John Steffner assist
the Florida Highway Patrol on Tuesday morning
during a minor car crash at U.S. 27 and College
Drive in Avon Park. Several HCSO deputies have
undergone training to investigate crashes including traffic homicide investigations.
Vol. 95
NO. 43
Katara Simmons/News-Sun
Peter Powell-Roberts looks through a book showcasing his work that was released in December. Roberts died Saturday.
Had just started another painting
Selected as president of
National Association of
County Engineers
By BARRY FOSTER
News-Sun correspondent
By SAMANTHA GHOLAR
Staff Writer
SEBRING — Highlands County Engineer Ramon Gavarette
has been selected as the president of the National Association of County Engineers. He
will be installed with swearingin ceremonies this evening at
the annual NACE conference in
Baton Rouge, La.
It has been a long process for
Gavarette, who initially served
in a regional capacity for several years. He then was elected
secretary/treasurer, vice president and served as presidentelect of the national organization this past year.
The National Association of
County Engineers is a 60-yearold non-profit, non-partisan
SEBRING — Highlands County lost a master artist and a “remarkable person” when
Peter Powell Roberts, 88, died Saturday,
Heartland Cultural Alliance President Fred
Leavitt said.
“There is definitely a hole in my heart. It’s
a part of life, but now at least he is out of
pain,” Leavitt said.
After finishing a new painting last week,
Roberts had just begun another.
“He had completed one. I had set up another one on the easel. He started it and that
was it,” said Leavitt.
Roberts, who lived at Sunny Hills Assisted Living Facility, fought what is believed to
have been pneumonia for three days leading up to his death on Saturday.
“He made it very clear that he didn’t want
to be admitted into the hospital again, so we
See ROBERTS | A4
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Partly sunny, breezy
and less humid
High 79 Low 64
Details on B12
See HONOR | A6
“Life Within” by Peter Powell Roberts
Classifieds............... B8
Clubs...................... B5
Dear Abby................. B2
Friends .................. B7
Obituaries ............... A7
Lottery Numbers....... A2
NASCAR ............... A11
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Sudoku Puzzle......... B2

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