The Latest Local News

A May 15 accident that cost the life of an Avon Park Middle School student is spawning changes in railroad crossings in the City of Charm. 13-year-old Malik Pearson was struck by an Amtrak passenger train as he walked home from school. Avon Park City Manager Mark Schrader has since met with officials of the Continue reading

Avon Park city council members got an update on state legislation that will affect the city when they met in regular session last night. Attorney Gerald Buhr gave the board an overview, ranging from council members’ financial disclosure forms to a new statute that says any municipal legislation now will need to have a "business Continue reading

Friends have identified a Sebring man who reportedly died yesterday in a Hardee County traffic accident as Dennis Mallen. Florida Highway Patrol reports indicate the 53-year-old motorist was westbound on State Road 64 near Bennett Road, when his car crossed the center line and ran head-on into an oncoming pickup. The driver of the truck, Continue reading

It’s official – there will not be a Super Sebring this year. The world Endurance Championship series has released their schedule for the 2024 racing season and Sebring is not on it. Instead, they will host round one in Quatar. There’s no indication as to what races will support next year’s Mobil One 12 Hours Continue reading

You may be hearing some increased air traffic in the area today. Officials at the Avon Air Force range say they will host training exercises until very late tonight. They did not indicate what entity is using the facility, or what kind of aircraft might be involved. Tomorrow, crews are scheduled to detonate old ordnance Continue reading

Members of the South Florida State College Board of Trustees got together this morning and selected Fred Hawkins as the new president for the school. Hawkins, a former Florida House Representative, became the only candidate for the post after three previous candidates pulled their resumes from consideration. He already has toured the campus and met Continue reading

It’s a double-header for the Highlands County commission today. This afternoon, commissioners will convene for a workshop on the county’s budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. There they’ll hear presentations from the directors of the county’s business services, community programs, development services, parks & facilities, engineering, critical infrastructure, road & bridge and public safety divisions. Continue reading

It appears the dry season may be over. The Keech-Byrum drought index has dropped to about 200 out of a maximum 800. Both Hardee and Polk Counties already have rescinded their burn bans. Highlands County commissioners may take up the issue at their meeting tomorrow. Rain is expected again today. That’s part of Tropical Storm Continue reading

It appears when it comes to new construction value, the Avon Park/Sebring metro area is above the national average. A new report by Construction Coverage, looking at the US locations investing the most in affordable housing, found that locally, the average construction value was $230,000 per unit. That’s slightly over the national average of $226,000 Continue reading

Today begins the 2023 Hurricane Season and Highlands County officials say they are ready for what that may bring. They say the county’s emergency management officials have made strides over the past year getting prepared. Better organization and clearer communication have been the focus of their efforts. Among other things, they have been holding preparedness Continue reading