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A former youth softball coach has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after being convicted of sexual battery involving a minor in Highlands County. Judge David Ward sentenced 58-year-old Michael Charles Pack to prison, followed by 10 years of sexual offender probation, and designated him a sexual predator. Investigators say Pack abused a young Continue reading

A woman is facing charges after deputies say she stole a company truck in Frostproof. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the white Ford F-150 was taken March 2nd near Scenic Highway and Fort Meade Road after the owner briefly left the running vehicle while meeting with a road crew. The truck was found Continue reading

Harrison Havery, David Leidel, and Joshua Stewart have been elected to the Sebring City Council following Tuesday’s municipal election. Stewart and Havery secured second terms, while David Leidel will join the council as a newcomer after finishing among the top three vote-getters. Incumbent Lenard Carlisle Jr. finished fourth, ending his 12-year tenure on the council. Continue reading

An 18-year-old is facing a first-degree murder charge following a shooting after the Avon Park Christmas Parade. Investigators with the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office say Joseph Devon White allegedly shot 17-year-old Tureal Anderson in the back while he was walking along South Delaney Avenue in Avon Park on December first. Detectives say surveillance video shows Continue reading

The Florida Highway Patrol has arrested Jorge Luis Pujol, charging him with DUI manslaughter following a deadly motorcycle crash in Highlands County. Troopers say the crash happened just before midnight February 25th on U.S. Highway 98 when a passenger, identified as Jasmine Gomez of Avon Park, fell from the motorcycle after Pujol accelerated following a Continue reading

Race fans will have a front-row seat to the action this Saturday during Sebring SportsCar Week at Seven Sebring Raceway Hotel. The hotel is offering free lawn admission overlooking Turn 7, one of the most famous corners of the track. After the day’s racing, fans are invited to an after-party with drivers and teams, featuring Continue reading

Five women have filed a civil lawsuit against Sebring physician Dr. Jorge Zeledon, accusing him of inappropriate and non-consensual sexual touching during medical exams. The suit, filed in Highlands County, also names his wife and their practice as defendants, alleging they failed to protect patients. Zeledon was previously arrested by the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office Continue reading

A 21-year-old Avon Park woman is in custody after repeatedly fleeing deputies in Polk County early Monday morning. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says deputies stopped to assist a disabled car on U.S. 17 near the Bartow Executive Airport when the driver, Cheyenne Melody Williams, sped off — not once, but three times. During one Continue reading

Recall petitions involving three members of the Avon Park City Council have reached the first required step. The Highlands County Supervisor of Elections verified enough signatures to meet the 10 percent threshold needed to begin the process against Mayor Garrett Anderson, Deputy Mayor Jim Barnard, and Councilmember Brittany McGuire. The officials now have an opportunity Continue reading

Half of the former Wachovia building parking lot on North Ridgewood Drive in Sebring will temporarily open to the public. Mayor John Shoop says the Blackmon family will provide 25 to 30 spaces while the building is converted into a business office center. The city is finalizing a lease and liability coverage before the lot Continue reading