Sebring’s municipal golf course lease may be back on the City Council agenda June 17 or in July, as talks continue with the Harder Hall redevelopment team. A revised agreement could include a five-year lease and tie progress to securing a certificate of occupancy for the historic hotel. City officials stress that golf course staff can’t remain city employees or receive state retirement if working under private management. The lease would also require the course to be properly maintained. Council members say if the course is well-run and locals still play, it could reduce the $225,000 annual cost to the city—freeing funds for services like parks, without raising taxes.
Drivers in Sebring should prepare for delays this week due to two major utility projects. Sebring Parkway will be closed Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. between Gardenview Road and Avalon Road for sewer smoke testing. Crews are checking for leaks, and smoke may appear from manholes or even inside buildings—this is normal, but call 911 if you suspect a fire. Meanwhile, lane closures on Lakeview Drive between South Pine Street and Mellow Lane began Monday for a two-week power pole replacement project by Duke Energy and Pike Electric. Use caution or take alternate routes.
In Polk County, a 44-year-old Eagle Lake resident, Alex Outten, was arrested Friday after failing to clean up a hazardous oil spill that threatened nearby Lake McLeod. Authorities say used motor oil from his property flowed 150 feet into storm drains. Outten, whose work visa had expired, initially agreed to clean up the spill but took no action. He now faces three felony charges for failing to obtain proper environmental permits. Because of his undocumented status, ICE has also been notified.
A new law makes it easier to kick out squatters in Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis signed an anti-squatting bill into law yesterday. SB 322 makes it easier for commercial property owners to regain possession of their property by quickly removing those with no authority to stay there. DeSantis says Florida doesn’t tolerate squatters, and stands with property owners. The governor also signed another bill that makes it easier to evict hotel or motel guests who don’t pay their bills.
Highlands County deputies made two drug trafficking arrests this past week. In the first case, a traffic stop in Sebring led to the arrest of 45-year-old Derick Demon Hammonds, who was found with nearly 24 grams of meth and drug paraphernalia. The meth was discovered in a cooler on the front seat of his pickup truck. In a separate case, 46-year-old Dederrian Williams was arrested after an undercover sting linked him to a December cocaine sale. Deputies say he sold nearly 29 grams of medical-grade cocaine to a confidential informant. Both suspects face multiple felony charges.
A deputy-involved shooting in Winter Haven Monday led to the arrest of 39-year-old Tonyo Evans, a documented gang member from Eagle Lake. Deputies say Evans had a trafficking amount of meth outside a Sunoco on Recker Highway. When they tried to arrest him, he fled, crashing into law enforcement vehicles and injuring a deputy. Shots were fired, but only Evans’ vehicle was struck. He kept driving and later sideswiped another car, sending two people to the hospital. Evans now faces multiple felony charges, including attempted murder of law enforcement. Investigations are ongoing.
Florida officials say dozens of contraband cellphones have been seized from three state prisons as part of a crackdown on scams targeting seniors. At a news conference in Tampa, investigators say the inmates used the phones, and even cryptocurrency, to trick victims into paying fake fines or entering fraudulent relationships. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister says one 92-year-old man lost more than 800-thousand dollars. Attorney General James Uthmeier said the scammers are becoming more sophisticated, with charges against the suspects to be announced soon.
Toxic heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury are being found in popular rice brands across the U.S. A study by Healthy Babies, Bright Futures tested 145 rice samples from various stores in 20 metropolitan areas, including New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. Arsenic was found in all samples and the study highlighted that brown rice showed the highest levels of heavy metals. Researchers note long-term exposure to arsenic could lead to serious health risks, including cancer and developmental harm.