The Latest Local News

It looks like the new Church Service Center building in Avon Park may be getting a second story. After hearing a presentation on plans for the new structure and its apparent lack of space, Avon Park city council members suggested they might go up another floor to provide needed room for the service. The current Continue reading

Highlands County Sheriff’s detectives are looking into reports that somebody was going to “shoot up” the Lake Placid Middle School. Authorities say the post popped up on social media last night, but so far, there’s been no indication there was anything to it, other than words. Highlands County School Board officials have not said what Continue reading

Avon Park city council members will have quite a bit of business to take care of when they meet tonight for their first session of March. They first will add to their lexicon of names, by designating the City of Charm also as a Purple Heart City. Additionally, the council will hear another proposal to Continue reading

Governor Ron Desantis made a whistle stop appearance in Highlands County yesterday. In a press conference held outside the Coronavirus Vaccine POD at the old JC Penny store in the Lakeshore Mall, Desantis said he has been working with new Florida House Representative Kaylee Tuck. He promised a “surge” of an additional 3,700 doses of Continue reading

Highlands County officials say some residents may have received a false notification about registering for the local coronavirus vaccine program at the Lakeshore Mall. Authorities say if you got a text or email from the “Corona Patient Portal” saying to report to the nearest vaccine site – that is for a federal site next week Continue reading

Once again a good portion of Lake Placid is unable to call 9-1-1 if they have an emergency. Officials of the Highlands County Sheriff’s office say they were notified last night by Centurylink authorities that some 780 customers in and around the Caladium Capital were without service. It remains unclear whether they still could call Continue reading

State Road 17 south of Avon Park was closed for a time this morning due to a fatal traffic crash. Reportedly, a pickup and a car collided head-on shortly before 7:20. One person was killed, another was taken to the hospital. Florida Highway Patrol officials have released no other information on the incident. Avon Park Continue reading

Traffic accidents were the order of the day yesterday, with no fewer than three incidents bringing out first responders. A pickup reportedly hit a power pole off Highway 66 near McCoy Road south of Sebring yesterday afternoon. The force of the impact caused an electrical arc – which started nearby brush afire. Earlier, one person Continue reading

A Frostproof woman reportedly died in a traffic accident yesterday in the north end of Highlands County. Florida Highway Patrol officials have not identified the 79-year-old driver. Reports say the woman was northbound on Highway 27 near the Polk County line, when her car veered across the southbound lanes and went off the road. The Continue reading

Highlands County sheriff’s deputies are working a bad traffic accident. Reportedly it happened this morning on the northbound lanes of Highway 27 north of Avon Park. Early reports are the mishap involves a fatality. No other details have been released. Wearing a Kente Cloth and a facemask, longtime Avon Park activist Shirley Johnson has been Continue reading