News 2/2/22

NEWS 2/2/22 BF AIR FORCE RANGE

You may be seeing – and hearing – more air traffic around the area today. Officials from the Avon Park Bombing Range say they will have exercises running for the balance of the week The training is slated to commence in the mid-morning and run until late into the evening.
So far there’s no word on who’s involved in such activities.

NEWS 2/2/22 BF
CAR THEFT

A Sebring man has been arrested following the theft of a couple of vehicles and a chase through the area. It all began when a man, wearing a shirt from a local car dealer, scammed a woman out of the keys of her car – saying it was set for maintenance.
The car was taken and driven around for a while, before it was abandoned. A Jeep then was taken from the Alan Jay Automotive Network.
The driver was pursued by Sebring Police, Highlands County Sheriff’s Deputies – even the Polk County Sheriff’s helicopter and Highlands County K-9s were involved.
38-year-old Robert Wallace was arrested and charged with numerous counts. He’s been booked into the Highlands County jail.

NEWS 2/22/22 BF
NO $116

Highlands County commissioners yesterday stopped short of hiring a $116,000 consultant to advise them on the re-institution of impact fees in the county.
Highlands already has the fees, but there has been a moratorium on collecting them for better than a decade.
A recent letter to the board from Duncan Associates and Kimley Horne has offered to update the local impact fees for transportation, schools, parks, libraries, fire rescue, EMS, law enforcement, and correctional facilities.
Instead, commissioners instructed county staff to do set up a meeting with realtors, contractors, builders and developers – as well as the Highlands School Board and other officials to discuss the implementation of such fees.

NEWS 2/2/22 BF
KLC GOING OUT

The move of kindergarten students into their respective schools is moving along. Highlands School Board members last year voted to move the students out of the Kindergarten Learning Center, where all the kindergarten-aged students had been kept – in favor of sending them to kindergarten classes in elementary schools in their districts.
There have been meetings involving officials from transportation, food service, finance, migrant services and others involve in the pending move. It’s expected to be completed in time for the next school year.