Highlands County commissioners today heard a report from the Tourist Development Committee. They outlined their budget for the upcoming fiscal year and gave an overview of their strategic plan.
Commissioners took aim at the county’s website, noting the content was week and that the amount of time spent on the site was less than a minute. TDC officials also were unable to quantify how many tourists they have been able to draw for all of their promotional efforts.
The numbers now are in, and Highlands County Sheriff’s officials say the “Pieces 4 Peace” gun buy-back program was a success. Residents surrendered 117 guns – 25 in Lake Placid, 19 in Avon Park and 73 in Sebring.
One of them was identified has having been stolen back in 1998. Some are being sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for ballistics testing to determine if they have been used in an unsolved crime.
The rest will be destroyed.
Apparently some residents of the Little Red Water Lake area south of Avon Park are feeling the effects of Phase III of the Sebring Parkway. They say that they are getting much higher water levels this year.
They say it appears the extra run off is coming from the parkway extension. Reportedly the plan was to divert it into Little Red Water so that the nearby Crystal Lake Mobile Home Park would not get too much water.
Some residents now are asking if the lake’s ecosystem is being affected, due to the action. Authorities say water clarity and turbidity is monitored monthly and recently checked out as OK.