Barry Foster

Highlands County will be shutting down the online portal for coronavirus inoculation appointments for frontline healthcare workers and individuals 65 and older starting today. Instead, they will be refereed to the statewide per-registration system. County officials say they will continue to schedule appointments for the vaccine from the waiting list the county has compiled, until Continue reading

NEWS 1/27/21 BF AP//SCHRADER Avon Park City Manager Mark Schrader has finally recieved his first evaluation. It was supposed to have come at the six month mark, but was put off due to the coronavirus. At their meeting Monday evening, the city council gave him an average 80-percent ranking which is considered “very good.” While Continue reading

It will be a challenge driving around Avon Park today. Officials at CSX have announced they will be shutting down all the railroad crossings but one in the City of Charm, for repairs. That means crossings at West Bell, Main, Pleasant streets and West Lake Isis Avenue will be shut down. The only one open Continue reading

Officials at the Sebring International Raceway have received some bad news. Officials of the World Endurance Challenge have announced that they are pulling the plug on the WEC 1,000 mile race slated for here as part of the March 12 Hours of Sebring – inasmuch as travel from Europe to the United States has become Continue reading

Highlands County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating a shooting incident. It happened last night on E.O. Douglas Street in the Washington Heights neighborhood east of Sebring. They are releasing few details, save that the victim had to be airlifted to a trauma center. No names have been released and it is unclear what prompted the incident. Continue reading

Local fire officials now say that early morning blaze at a home on Brynwood Lane out in the Kissimmee River Estates has a fatality involved. The call came in shortly after 2:00 this morning. Units from Sun ‘N Lakes South, Highlands Park, Lorida and Lake Placid worked the blaze. The fire was in a remote Continue reading

Today is the government observance of the birthday of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King jr. That means banks, governmental offices and some businesses will be closed. There also are no classes in the Highlands County schools. Observances are planned for today in Sebring and in Lake Placid. In Sebring, a parade is Continue reading

Highlands County school board members have been briefed about an effort to honor one of their longtime employees. Representatives of the Highlands County Education Support Personnel Association have revealed plans to name one of their facilities after Israel “Izzy” Santiago. Santiago passed away last year, after driving a bus for the district for three decades. Continue reading

A couple of accidents overnight have kept local first responders busy. Highway 27 was tied up in front of the Advent Hospital Sebring around 7:PM, when a car and an ambulance collided at Highway 27 & Valerie Blvd. Highlands County Sheriff’s officials say they have no details on the mishap – but apparently nobody was Continue reading

Highlands County Superintendent of Schools Brenda Longshore says local youngsters are beginning to filter back into the classroom, following the suspension of the “Innovative Learning Environment.” That program provided the opportunity for youngsters to take classes via computer. However, it was discontinued after reports that a third of students were failing at least one class Continue reading