For 2024, Hernando Sun discovered again that predicting the future is really difficult. We did slightly worse than a coin flip on our six predictions. This year we will be increasing our number of predictions to ten, because somehow that will improve our odds. It will make it easier to grade our prediction results.
One of the predictions that we made last year that did not work out was that the corner of Cortez Blvd and Cobb Rd would be finished by the end of the year. We are doubling down on the prediction. They’re going to finish the Cortez road project soon.
Another prediction that did not work out was the splash pad at Tom Varn Park. This was finished last year, but did not open due to an issue getting a permit from the health department. They decided to wait until the Spring to finish the Splash Park. We are predicting that Tom Varn Splash Park will open in 2025.
As a bonus, we also expect the Anderson Snow Splash Park to open as well. In 2025, will see the opening of two slash parks.
In 2024, the Withlacoochee River flooded at levels not seen in a hundred years. There was slightly higher flooding recorded in the 1920s and slightly lower flooding in the 1960s. This led to devastating damage in the areas surrounding the river. Many homes sat in water for weeks not days. The damage from this was shocking to even veteran disaster recovery personnel. We are predicting that this year the Withlacoochee River area will have a respite and there will be no major flooding.
We are anticipating that Hernando Beach will not see a significant storm surge from a hurricane. In the past few years Hernando Beach has been hit by massive storm surge several times. Helene hit Hernando Beach very hard, many locals said it was the worst damage that they had seen in their lifetime. For many years the No Name Storm of 1993 was the event that all others were measured against, now that measuring stick is Helene.
We envision that permits for new single family homes will increase in 2025 over 2024. There are several communities in the infrastructure phase and they should start adding homes as they transition to the building stage.
Now that the new bike trails throughout the county are being finished, we foresee a decrease in bicycle accidents. The trails being finished will mean more bike tourists visiting the area and patronizing local businesses. It should also result in cyclists moving to the trails and biking less on the roads. This is why we are forecasting a decrease in bike accidents. It is possible that the increase in cyclists will offset the possible decrease that resulted from cyclists moving to the trails, but we like to stay positive.
We are prognosticating that the number of drug related arrests will decrease in 2025. Fentanyl and Methamphetamine have been devastating to the country and Hernando County. It appears that these drugs are seeing slowing growth and hopefully a decrease in usage.
While I was having a filling fixed, Dr. Jason Ledger speculated that people will have more disposable income this year. Since the Covid-19 pandemic people have been struggling. There was massive inflation where income did not keep pace with rising prices, so many people’s ability to purchase items has decreased since 2020. We are predicting that in 2025 people’s purchasing power will increase and the economy will recover.
Bonus: We are speculating that the Hernando Sun will add to its trophy case this year with at least two awards. Hanna Fox Maglio wrote an amazing human interest story highlighting some of the challenges that Mike Steele had faced growing up and his positive attitude. There has been talk about that article possibly being in the running for national awards. Hernando Sun discovered that the ransomware attack on Hernando County had led to leaked data. Without our reporting, this data leak would not have come to light. Knowing that data has been leaked helps the county government and residents, because they know that they have to be on the defensive.
The Hernando Sun will be checking back in the last week of 2025 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. Last year we did not beat a coin flip. 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.
