Four more candidates have qualified for Avon Park’s Aug. 4th special recall election. Former Deputy Mayor Brenda Gray Snell filed to run for mayor if Mayor Garrett Anderson is recalled, while former Councilmember Maria Sutherland, CRA board member Chris Downie, and CRA Vice Chair Gerald Snell qualified for potential council vacancies. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Avon Park Community Center, with voting available in person or by mail.
Highlands County officials are inviting residents to attend two upcoming budget town hall meetings to learn more about the proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget and share their input. Meetings begin at 6 p.m. on July 14 at the South Florida State College University Center in Avon Park and July 23 at the Lake Placid Government Center. Officials say the meetings are an opportunity for the public to ask questions and participate in the county’s budget planning process.
The School Board of Highlands County is considering major changes to its employee health insurance plan as costs continue to climb. Proposed changes include higher deductibles, increased out-of-pocket expenses, and adjustments to prescription coverage, while employee premiums would remain unchanged for two years. Board members and employee representatives voiced concerns about the impact on lower-paid staff, with a final decision expected in early August.
If you’re headed to the beach, a new law could soon help keep you safer. President Trump has signed Lulu’s Law, creating a system to send emergency alerts to cell phones after a shark attack or when there’s an immediate shark threat nearby. The law is named for Lulu Gribbin, who survived a devastating shark attack off Florida’s Gulf Coast in 2024. Supporters say quick alerts could help clear beaches and prevent additional attacks by warning people before they enter the water.