2024 Predictions – Hernando Sun vs. Community

This year we asked community members to send us their local predictions for 2024 so we can have a friendly competition. At the end of the year we will grade Hernando Sun’s predictions vs. the predictions from our readers and community members and determine the winner.

For 2023, Hernando Sun did an excellent job of predicting the future. We were only fully wrong on one prediction, and that was where our eldest daughter was going to college. We predicted that Hernando would get a high-end grocery store and a Sprouts market is coming to the county. This was not one of the stores that I named in the prediction, so it was only partially correct.

We have noticed a trend: the housing market has cooled off and we expect it to stay that way through 2024. This is an election year and with that uncertainty, I expect many large financial decisions will be put off until after the election.

The 2024 election will be some of the biggest news of the year. We predict that Republicans will win Hernando County local and state elections. In many recent elections, either only one or no Democrats were elected. This year, we expect that Republicans will win all of the local and state elections in the county. This is expected because the local Republican party has a formidable operation and will be energized with this being a presidential election.

We predict that the intersection of Cortez Blvd and Cobb Road and the associated work will be finished in 2024. This would be an unexpected result as the Cortez Blvd widening project from Cobb Road to Buck Hope Road is not expected to be finished until early 2025, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. This means that we are predicting that this intersection will be finished before the rest of the project.

Once again, we predict Hernando will get a club store or high-end grocery store. A Sprouts Organic Market was soliciting bids for a build-out in 2023 and should be opening in the near future. Hernando also has a couple of local markets, Murphy’s Market and HL Asia Supermarket. We predict that this year, Costco, Whole Foods, Fresh Market or Trader Joe’s will announce that they are opening in Hernando County. We have made this prediction for a number of years, and it lowers our correct prediction percentage since it does not work out. However, we would like one of these stores and therefore will keep making this prediction. We are, in sports parlance, taking one for the team. We are hoping that someone reading this article has the ability to make this happen and helps us out.

We are predicting that the Brooksville Splash Park will be finished in 2024. It has faced challenges since costs have increased and additional funding will have to be secured to build the park. This splash park should not be confused with the Anderson Snow Rotary Splash Park, which is not scheduled to be finished until late spring 2025.

The Hernando Leopards football team had a losing record of four wins and six losses this past year. Although John Capel III, who led the team with 1515 rushing yards this past season, is graduating in 2024, we are predicting that the Leopards will have a winning record in 2024. The team is facing a more favorable schedule in 2024 and is returning many of its core players.

The Hernando Sun will be checking back in the last week of 2024 to see how well we did with the predictions. If you use these predictions for betting purposes, most likely, that will not work out well for you. However, if, for some reason, the betting on the predictions does work out well, we would appreciate a cut of the winnings. Please send the check to the Hernando Sun.

2024 Predictions from Hernando Countians:

I predict that Olive Garden will open up a restaurant in Hernando County.
— Sarah Nachin

Space Aliens and Their Space Craft will return to Hernando County looking for their Friend John Reeves from 1965.
— Joe Solomon

Hernando Beach boat parade will have 30 participants.
— Dr. Jason Ledger

I predict we will have one or two pickleball courts in our Anderson snow park in 2024.
— Dr. Mary Li

We predict that The Arc Nature Coast’s new Life Skills Development Center at our Neff Lake Campus will be completed in 2024! Happy New Year!
— Nancy Stubbs

Hernando County will get a local Hispanic supermarket in 2024! Hernando County will get a local shopping mall in 2024!
— Joseline Stocker

Predicts Hernando High School Football team will win the County Championship
Predicts that Edward Summerlin, Dennis Raines, and Richard Marcus will be inducted into the Hernando High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Predicts a legitimate soul food restaurant will open in Brooksville in 2024
Predicts President Joe Biden will win Hernando County in the 2024 Elections
Predicts the Florida Legislature will approve the establishment of a Smithsonian-style Black History Museum in the State of Florida.
I wish everyone a Happy Productive New Year!
— Imani Asukile

Gopher Tortoises are going to get tired of getting pushed around. They may start hanging out in parking lots to bully people and impede traffic.
— Lisa MacNeil

Hernando County grows as a community AND The Hernando County Hawks bring home a EAFL Championship to Brooksville!!!
— Austin Webster

God will bless South Brooksville to prosper in the revitalization of the community. The Tax Redevelopment Advisory Committee (TRAC) will be blessed to get the ok to proceed with the building of a community center in South Brooksville.
–Connie Green