SEBRING — Kids ruled the Heartland Idol stage on Thursday night. About 350 fans, the largest audience yet this year, saw two new 2007 Idol champions crowned. Stacy Jingst, 17, took the teen idol title with a rousing rendition of "God Bless the USA" and 12-year-old Christopher Hawthorne picked up the top Junior Idol spot after singing the Stevie Wonder tune, "Superstition." Judge Rooter Rush told lead-off teen singer Lindsey Varis, 16, that none of the following four finalists could top her perfect score and said he happily anticipated the upcoming attempts. Judges gushed often about quality of entertainment as 10 finalists performed for the huge crowd. ...more

September 29, 2007

SEBRING — An audience of more than 300 Heartland Idol fans on Thursday enjoyed performances by "Elvis," a woman in a silk wedding dress with full veil, a teenager likely accustomed to jeans wearing a polka-dotted dress and a 7-year-old girl with purple ribbons in her hair. But while the wardrobe choices were dazzling and appreciated, it was the music that won the crowd's loudest applause. Twenty-eight performers sang for an enthusiastic audience, with spectators seated around the entire Historic Downtown Circle. Five contestants from both the Idol Junior and Teen Idol categories won the right to perform in next week's finals, while adults took part in the third of four qualifying rounds. ...more

September 22, 2007