The Latest Local News

Early morning fog claimed some victims north of Avon Park today. An accident in the Northbound lane of Highway 27 near Lake Glenada, and another near the entrance to River Greens were reported. It’s unclear as to the extent of injuries. Motorists are urged to slow down, use their low beams and exercise caution until Continue reading

It’s a New Year – but no New Year’s babies in Highlands County. At Highlands Regional Medical Center, their birthing facility officially closed its doors as of midnight last night. They say there were no last minute Highlands countians to report. Florida Hospital also had no new year’s arrivals – and no candidates to report. Continue reading

One of the two unidentified victims in that fiery crash north of Brighton last Sunday has been identified, and the final name is being held pending notification of kin. The head-on wreck killed four people, and one of the two vehicles was so badly wrecked and burned that the only thing Troopers could tell at Continue reading

Another fatal traffic accident in the County. This one happened yesterday just after 11am on Lake June Road at Piney Point Drive west of Highway 27. A 2003 Ford driven by 76 year old Joanne Hill of Lake Placid was negotiating one of the turns on Lake June Road and drove onto the shoulder. At Continue reading

Another shooting last night in Avon Park. Deputies were called to the area of Hal MacRoae Boulevard and Delaney before midnight last night, where they located a male gunshot wound victim who required flight-for-life transportation out of town, in stable condition. Detectives are investigating; as always, if you know something, detectives would appreciate a call. Continue reading

It’s been a crummy Holiday traffic weekend on our roads in the area. A two-vehicle accident claimed four lives at the intersection of Highway 70 and County Road 721 near Brighton in Eastern Highlands County about 12:30 yesteday. Positive ID of the driver and passenger in an unknown vintage Buick are still pending after the Continue reading

Avon Park has its next City Manager. After listening to the six finalists last night, council members chose David Flowers for the job. Flowers knows his way around a government building; he was on the city council in the early 1990s, and has served as a Highlands County commissioner and Sheriff’s deputy. Flowers will be Continue reading

It’s a day of unsettled weather in our neck of the woods. There’s a squall line pushing across Florida’s peninsula, followed by a front carrying even more rain with it – that combination could get us some strong winds and maybe a severe thunderstorm or two between now and late tonight. There’s a Tornado WATCH Continue reading

Sebring police are investigating another shooting incident. It occurred shortly after 8:30 last night at the intersection of Lemon Street and Martin Luther King jr Boulevard in the city’s Washington Heights neighborhood. A woman was struck in the lower back by a bullet. She was airlifted to Lakeland Regional Medical Center. Authorities are asking anyone Continue reading

Highlands County Commissioners received the first quarterly update from the newly-created Highlands County Fire/Rescue division when they meet this morning. Highlands County Public Services Director Mark Bashoor told commissioners how much money has been collected from the new fire assessment, then outlined plans on what to do with the cash That included the repair of Continue reading