County 9-1-1 calls coming from some cellular phones got rerouted to the Sheriff’s Department’s main business number for a while yesterday afternoon and early evening – given that it was only one cellular carrier, officials were pretty sure it wasn’t on their end and worked with the company to clear it up. For the record, if that happens to you and you get the recorded greeting from Sheriff Blackman, punching “1” will get you straight to dispatch personnel.
U.S. Marshals have captured a man in Mexico wanted in connection with a crash that killed a couple just north of Avon Park back in 2007. Marshals arrested Brian Dale Andrews in Mexico City and brought him back to the United States to face felony charges stemming from the double-fatal car crash on Highway 27 just over the Polk County line. Andrews was 29 at the time, and had a blood alcohol content nearly four times the legal limit, according to the charges. The crash killed Danny and Patricia McCowan on June 30, 2007.
We’re getting some pretty good rains this week and last – and while we need the moisture, that moisture often comes with lightning. When conditions aren’t safe due to lightning, the County closes the landfill until conditions clear – that means you can’t get in, but neither can trash haulers, so don’t be surprised if there are delays in trash pickups again this week.
Curriculum could be where underwear used to be if the numbers add up – the Highlands County School Board voted this week to get two appraisals of the former JC Penney Building at Lakeshore Mall as they explore options to move the District’s main offices to a more central location.
Trash pickup fees in the County have been at the top of the news lately – Lake Placid residents may be joining their out of town neighbors in paying more if proposed rates take effect in August. Under the current plan on the table, rates could jump from $200 to $220 per year – AND with a reduction in acceptable bag size from 32 gallon to 13 gallon bags.