It was back to school today for thousands of Highlands County students. Classes resumed after three days off. The regular Labor Day holiday was extended due to the threat of Hurricane Dorian.
Motorists are reminded to exercise additional caution around school zones – and to watch for children riding bicycles or walking home from schools.
South Florida State College also resumed classes today.
Not everything is back to normal. A College & Career Fair scheduled for tonight at Sebring High School has been canceled. That, due to storm related travel issues for the colleges and universities who were to have attended.
Firefighters were busy during the early morning hours. A mobile home reportedly caught fire shortly before 4:00 down at Sun ‘N Lakes South. Units from Sun ‘N Lake South, Lake Placid and Highlands Park responded to the scene. Reportedly, the trailer house was “on the ground” when units arrived.
No injuries have been reported. Cause still is under investigation. At this time, authorities say it appears to have been a vacant dwelling.
One person was killed and another seriously injured when a car and a truck collided north of Lake Placid yesterday afternoon. Florida Highway Patrol reports say 47-year-old Frances Honaker was southbound on Highway 27 and lost control of her Chevy station wagon.
The car spun, went into the median, then into the path of a northbound pickup driven by Kathy Jean Hofmeyer. Honaker was killed, Hofmeyer was taken to Lakeland Regional. Both victims are from Lake Placid.
Charges in the incident are pending.
Highlands County commissioners will have a meeting this afternoon. That session was postponed from Tuesday morning, due to the threat of Hurricane Dorian.
Among other things, the commission is set to get an update on the Lebbeck Mealybug that is threatening the local citrus crop. They also will look at final action bumping up the local fire assessment to businesses and residents by another 7-percent.
Following their regular meeting, commissioners will hold a special session to adopt the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.