The Latest Local News

For decades, the Salvation Army has been handling probation and social services for Highlands County. That all will come to a close this November, when those duties will be handed back to the county. By state statute, counties are required to provide those functions. Apparently, Highlands county officials say they no longer will contract it Continue reading

Avon Park city council members will gather this evening for a special workshop session to look at the problem of homelessness in the City of Charm. They called the meeting after repeated complaints about the issue, most notably people taking up residence in the historic gazebo on the mall. Representatives of local charities and the Continue reading

Many people have heard the news that Aldi is acquiring nearly 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys supermarkets across the Southeast. What that means locally remains unclear. There’s one Aldi location west of Sebring with Winn-Dixie locations in Avon Park, Sebring and Lake Placid. Corporate officials say some of the Winn-Dixie locations will keep their red and Continue reading

Highlands county parent Jesse Sapp came before the Highlands county school board last night to discuss the use of Chromebooks in the classrooms. He maintained that the computers are causing students to lose skills such as writing and spelling. He noted that Highlands County school accountability numbers appear to have suffered since the introduction of Continue reading

Sebring police are investigating a morning shooting incident. It occurres shortly after 8:30 this morning. According to early reports, someone was either shooting from or at a moving vehicle. There were no injuries reported, but at least one parked car was hit by a round. The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked Continue reading

If you’ve had an ambulance ride in Highlands County, your data may have been compromised. Officials from EMS Management & Consultants say that Highlands County Fire Rescue was one of a number of entities that may have been affected by a data breach at the North Carolina-based firm. More than 7,000 residents locally and almost Continue reading

It continues to be quite warm outside with the National Weather Service issuing another Excessive Heat Warning for Highlands County and across the Sunshine State. Again, Heat index values of over 100-degrees are expected here. Officials advise residents to take precautions if they plan to be outside, and know the symptoms of heat exhaustion and Continue reading

Today was the first day back in the classroom for Highlands County students in the 2023-24 academic year. School officials say there were no incidents to report on the first day back, and things so far have gone smoothly. Motorists are reminded that this afternoon school busses will be out again and school zones will Continue reading

When it comes to construction, it appears that the Sebring/Avon Park metro area is above the national average. A new study by Construction Coverage shows that 6.8-percent of the jobs here are in the construction industry – that’s nearly two percent above the national average. In fact, there’s been better than a 13-percent uptick in Continue reading

It’s not global warming – it’s August in Florida. Officials of the National Weather Service say there’s a heat wave and it’s going to be a scorcher in Highlands County and throughout the Sunshine State today. Weather service authorities have issued a Heat Advisory, which will be in effect until 7:00 this evening. Heat index Continue reading