News Headlines 6-29-18

The report cards are in for the Highlands County Schools from the past year, and … we’re average – most schools scored a "C" in the Florida Accountability scores from the state Department of Education. All three public High Schools scored a "C" – same as last year, Hill Gustat Middle School imrpoved from a "C" to a "B," and Lake Placid Elementary School slipped to a "D" grade this year. Overall, the District rated a "C" grade … 53 of Florida’s 74 rated school distrcts rated an "A" or "B" according to the press release from the Governor’s office, and nobody got a Districtwide "D" or an "F" grade ths year.

It’s been wet around here, and with the extended Independence Day Holiday ahead, traffic on the roads will be heavier than normal for the next few days. We’ve had our share of fender-benders around here, but maybe the best cautionary tale happened just to some neighbors to our north where a Davenport woman went to the hospital in serious condition after the SUV she and her husband were driving slipped right off I-4, took the ditch and rolled just outside Lakeland yesterday. Under the posted speed, no sign of distraction or impairment. One puddle hit wrong, and you could be in the ditch.