High school athletics programs are such a major component of the high school experience and Sebring High School is no exception. Especially this year with a new fan section, the hype behind our athletics program on campus has been higher than I have seen in the past four years. In return, ou…
One of the advantages — or perhaps disadvantages — of retirement is that you have more time to think. When I am not distracted by the baseball playoffs, I often think about statistical analysis, Boolean Logic and algorithms.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a host of supply-chain issues throughout the economy, but it has also revealed issues that have been decades in the making.
I am distressed regarding the recycling program. It feels like something died – like the end of something critically important may have disappeared forever. It felt almost painful to put my always-full recycling can out at the street along with the trash – for the last time. A stunning accum…
The news media is about as popular as a first-century tax collector. This probably isn’t breaking news if you are a consumer of journalism, or what passes for journalism.
At-risk teens in Florida have been sexually abused, threatened, beaten and choked — all while in state custody, all in the name of punishment. One guard at a juvenile detention center broke a boy’s jaw.
Florida historically has had one of the lowest wage bases and is heavily dependent on tourism and our winter guests. Florida needs to diversify its economy, but that’s not as easy as it sounds.
Despite the many blessings of living in America, why aren’t more Americans happy?
The lack of easily accessible information makes it harder for Floridians to make decisions on how to navigate the COVID pandemic.
There are a few things about me people find out rather quickly when they get to know me. These include: I am an incurable bookworm, believe chocolate should be its own food group, and I love coffee.
Election fraud is not new. It greatly accelerated in 2020. Voter rolls need to be reviewed at least once every year. Deceased removal each year and no voting activity every three years. There should continue in person voting and absentee ballots only. Approved photo identification and the la…
We have evidence now that’s more than apocryphal. People in service industries are leaving their jobs in record numbers.
It’s been reported that 2,996 died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States. It caused grief, agony and tears for weeks, and for some, months — and even years.
I was very disappointed to read the guest column “To vax or not to vax” in a recent paper. When you publish a “guest column” it implies that the writer has some special knowledge about the topic. For example, the school superintendent might write a column about the need for a new school or a…
Over the last 22 years I have been involved with youth aviation education and conducting programs at the Sebring Regional Airport and sharing those activities with our community. I am still surprised that many in the community don’t realize we have an airport in Sebring, or if they do, are u…
With winter fast approaching, Europe finds itself in an energy crisis — and reliant on the tender mercies of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. It’s a self-induced disaster years in the making.
As he drove, I noted a flock of wading birds in the pasture pond we went by. Quickly ticking off a great egret, white ibis, a snowy egret, and a great blue heron, we continued chatting about what the day might bring. A red shouldered hawk perched on a dead tree near the edge of the road caug…
Since the 1980’s I have always thought this far away place called Polk County, Florida was nuts and 40 years later my opinion hasn’t changed. In fact, admittedly I have an axe to grind that I never have been able to let go of. My bad.
A president issues an executive order. A court throws it out on a technicality. The president issues a new order, addressing the court’s concerns. Another court throws that out, on another technicality. And on and on. This is no way to enact national policy, and it certainly is no way to tre…
LAKE PLACID — Rev. Doctor Robin Reed was recently installed as the 13th pastor of St. Francis Assisi Episcopal Church in Lake Placid, Florida.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the U.S. border with Canada has remained closed to non-essential travelers. The Biden administration has kept delaying the opening, and now says it will be in early November. If there’s a good reason not to do it now, we’d like to hear it.
Motorcyclist dies, hit by a trooper and run over by a truck
The former County Commissioner Don Elwell managed to break the internet a few weeks ago when he posted on Facebook a post titled “A community evolving.” In it, Elwell went in-depth into the evolving economic environment around the county and his expectations as it continued to grow. It was a…
Again, people freaking out over something they should not freak out about. If you are fully vaxxed, you are protected, right? Well, now we know even though you are fully vaxxed you can still catch the virus, carry the virus, have a “light case” or “die” from the virus. Those who are unvaxxed…
Consumers constantly need safeguards in Florida.
I am always looking for something uplifting to read. I have a devotional that I try to listen to and then read about every morning to help start my day off right.
I probably let a certain, prolific writer get to me too often, and maybe that’s why he writes the same old, same old criticism of Christianity and people of faith ... to see if we will stand up for our faith.
That hurt. Losing a playoff series always does, and falling to the rival Boston Red Sox stings a little bit extra. The crazy caroming ball play that went against the Rays late in Game 3 will take a while to get over. Nonetheless, a hearty congratulations for another entertaining season. By s…
We are making decisions in response to this pandemic that will live on for generations. Once government makes a decision, it rarely ever changes the enacted policy.
The growth of the electric car industry is one of the hopeful signs Americans are taking the climate threat and this emerging technology seriously. Already electric vehicles and hybrids account for 3.5 percent of cars sold in Florida, the nation’s second highest rate. The sight of a Tesla ha…
The Biden administration is looking for ways to close an estimated $160 billion tax gap — the amount of money that is owed by various taxpayers but that has not been collected. It is an admirable goal and highlights a definite problem that needs to be addressed in a responsible way.
Those who know me know that I am a Star Trek fan (calm down Star Wars fans, I am one of you as well). I have followed the franchise through its ups and downs, watching series and movies alike.
