Dave Onsted

Just a reminder – today is Thursday if you speak “Trash Talk.” Highlands County serviced trash collections from yesterday will be picked up today. If you’re on a normal Friday route, your trash pickup will come tomorrow. Highlands County Fire and Rescue crews were kept busy yesterday – one in Lake Placid where the house Continue reading

Happy Thanksgiving! If you’re cooking that southern delicacy and frying your turkey today, your local firefighters want to remind you to enjoy – but be careful! When using a turkey fryer outdoors, never use it on a wooden deck or in a garage. Make sure the fryer is used on a flat surface to reduce Continue reading

If you’re in the habit of putting your trash out on Wednesday evening, the County’s trash hauler wants you to know Thanksgiving Day is one of the days they DO take off. Rural County trash, lawn waste and recycling pickups get moved back a day starting tomorrow – Thursday pickups will come Friday, Friday’s will Continue reading

Florida State Troopers have released some information but not yet the names of those involved in an accident last night that claimed a pedestrian’s life just west of the Highlands-Hardee County line. FHP units were dispatched a little after 7pm to a site near the intersection of State Road 17 and Warfield Road, where a Continue reading

Florida State Troopers are investigating an accident last night that claimed a life just west of the Highlands-Hardee County line. FHP units were dispatched a little after 7pm to the scene near the intersection of Mel Smith Road and Highway 64. Highway traffic was blocked most of the might all the way up to Olivia Continue reading

Highlands County Sheriff’s deputies were involved in a shooting in the Hammock Road area last night. A 911 call came in a bit before 1am from 46 year old Julio Garcia, who said he’d been involved in a domestic situation where he battered his girlfriend. He told dispatchers he had a gun and was going Continue reading

The first episode of Thanksgiving in The Heartland was a good one yesterday … WWOJ and Lite FM spent eight hours asking you to give food, money, warm blankets and jackets to the New Testament Mission, and when the day ended the bank bag had an even $1,000 in cash and a truck full of Continue reading

Just a reminder – the old adage to spring forward and fall back comes into play this weekend. We leave Daylight Saving time and go back on Standard time Sunday morning at 2am. The fall time change always gets fewer complaints than in spring – even from opponents of the twice yearly time warp. Maybe Continue reading

After one day of early voting, turnout for the November 3 General Election in Highlands County looks already like the final tally in some elections. As of last night’s closing, almost 28 percent of eligible voters in Highlands County had cast ballots. First-day early voters in person totalled 3,374 … 15,083 mail-in ballots had been Continue reading

Highlands County recorded another death from the Covid-19 infection yesterday – state reports now record 11 deaths in the County. The most recent passing was listed by the state as a 67-year old female resident who had known contact with another Covid-19 patient. The current state dashboard numbers are delayed for today, but as of Continue reading