It appears that Avon Park has a new city manager. According to reports, Mark Schrader has accepted the job. City officials say that a contract now has been forwarded to him, for his consideration.
Avon Park city council members last month voted by a 3-2 margn to dispense with the process of interviewing hopefulls, and simply offer Schrader the post.
Once all the paperwork is completed, Interim City Manager Kimberly Gay reportedly will return to her post as Avon Park city clerk.
Highlands County Sheriff’s officials swooped down on the Avon Park Bombing Range Saturday. There divers found the Chevy Colorado last driven by Margaret Becker. It was submerged in the Kissemmee River.
Authorities say it appears Becker was in the vehicle when it went into the water, however, she herself has not been located. According to a gate guard at the bombing range, Becker drove the truck through the checkpoint on January 16th without stopping. The last time she was reported alive.
Sheriff’s officials say the incident remains under investigation.
Highlands County firefighters were called out to Neibert’s Fish Camp overnight. According to reports, an outbuilding there caught fire around midnight. The structure was located next to a travel trailer. The occupants of the trailer evacuated without incident.
They have been temporarily re-located. The State Fire Marshal’s office has been called in to determine the cause of the blaze. No injuries or damage estimate has been reported.
The city of Avon Park now owns the Brickell Building. City council members voted to take the building off the hands of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency – and keep the $383,000 the CRA already had paid on an original $983,000 loan.
Council members say the city now will work on selling the structure. The original idea had been to turn it into low income housing. However, that plan was scrapped when it was met with significant citizen pushback.
“See Something Say Something” paid off for police in Lake Wales. Authorities in the Crown Jewel of the Ridge say they received a call from a resident reporting suspicious activity in his Crescent Drive neighborhood.
Responding officers found four suspects running in the area of “E” Street. An investigation found a number of objects stolen from homes in the area. Authorities say at least two of the suspects were 17-year-olds and were supposed to have been in school.
They say charges in the incident are pending further investigation.