News 2/12/19

Officials at the Avon Park Air Force Range say there will be increased activity in the skies here – both day and night. Apparently, the range will be hosting what is described as a “large force exercise” for the next couple weeks.

There were some tense moments on Highway 27 last night when a driver was travelling northbound in the southbound lanes. Highlands County Sheriff’s officials say the elderly woman apparently became disoriented and drove from Lake Placid to the intersection of US 98 and State Road 66 where other motorists finally got her stopped.
There were no collisions during the incident, and deputies say she was given a citation for careless driving and remanded into the custody of her family.

After a tour of the Brickell Building, new Avon Park City Manager David Flowers will be wasting no time in remediating the municipally-owned structure.
Inmates, with respirators and protective gear will be in the Main Street address today, removing drywall from the first floor, in an effort to get rid of mold problems. Upstairs, Flowers says all that is needed is some basic carpentry work.
He said that getting things accomplished should take about two weeks.

A couple of Highlands County Sheriff’s Offce K-9 teams have accounted for themselves well in competion. Reportedly Deputy Chris Bates and K-9 Kylo Ren and Sgt. Scott Williams and K-9 Kevlar were the grand champions in the two-man team challenge at the United States Police K-9 Association Trials in Lakeland.
The victory now qualifies them for the nationals.

State Road 66 was closed in Hardee County for several hours yesterday when a Semi-Truck and a pickup came together. The mishap occurred between Clifton Bryan and Merle Langford Road.
The Florida Highway Patrol has released no information on injuries in the mishap.