The Latest Local News

Highlands County commissioners got some good news today from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Nearly $7 million dollars is a step closer to arriving. The $6.945,000 is re-imbursement for monies spent in recovery from Hurricane Irma. Signing the so-called “sub-grant agreements” means the cash could be in hand in as few as four week. Commissioners Continue reading

Today is April 15th – income tax day. To mark the occaision, members of the Highlands County Tea Party will be holding a flag and sign wave. The group is slated to gather at the intersection of Highway 27 & Sparta Road and stand at the sidewalk there. Many people do not know that “TEA” Continue reading

Daniel Luis Galarza has been returned to the Highlands County. Galarza, a fugitive, was captured earlier this month by police in Wilson, North Carolina in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Galarza faces counts of robbery and attempted murder in connection with an incident in Avon Park last December. A second suspect, 16-year-old Sebastian Continue reading

The Avon Park Chamber of Commerce may have to wait until the next budget year before the city can help them out. Chamber officials had been looking for a $14,000 donation to help them hire some staff to answer phones and augment volunteers who also help out at the office. Avon Park City Manager David Continue reading

Sebring police believe that a couple of bomb threats at Wal-Mart last month may have been an inside job. Detectives there reportedly have arrested a 29-year-old Wal-Mart employee in connection with the false alarms that emptied the Sebring location for several hours and brought in the State Fire Marshal’s Office and bomb-sniffing dogs from Polk Continue reading

An off campus incident this morning caused a lock down at the Sebring High School. According to reports, Highlands County Sheriff’s deputies were assisting Sebring police in the Penny Avenue area, when an aggressive dog apparently attacked a Sherri’s K-9. The attacking dog subsequently was shot. An SHS resource officer heard the shots and enacted Continue reading

Highlands County Sheriff’s deputies last night arrested two people follwing the pursuit of a dozen All Terrain Vehicles and dirt bikes that had been speeding around Avon Park on public streets and through private property. According to reports, deputies first attempted a stop at North Lake Avenue in Jackson Street but the vehicles fled – Continue reading

Highlands County Sheriff’s officials are thanking the FBI and the Wilson Police Department in North Carolina for picking up a fugitive. Daniel Luis Galarza was charged with attempted first degree murder in connection with a December robbery and shooting in Avon Park. He is being held in the Wilson County jail awaiting extradition. During that Continue reading

Highlands County Commissioner Arlene Tuck continued to call for accountability from the Economic Development Department about the work they are doing to increase business in the county. At this week’s meeting, Tuck asked when the next economic development update was slated before the commission. At a meeting yesterday, local ED officials said they were reviewing Continue reading

Five people were injured, one of them seriously yesterday, when two vehicles came together on Highway 27 and Lakeview Drive just north of Lake Placid. Early reports indicate a sport utility vehicle was coming onto 27 when it collided with a pickup truck. Again, rescue workers had to cut open one of the vehicles to Continue reading