A key court hearing is scheduled Friday in the ongoing effort to recall three Avon Park elected officials. A Highlands County judge will hear an emergency motion seeking to stop the August 4th recall election involving Mayor Garrett Anderson, Deputy Mayor Jim Barnard, and Councilwoman Brittany McGuire. The motion argues the recall petitions are legally insufficient. A decision is not expected Friday but is anticipated before the scheduled election.
The search for a missing Frostproof man has ended tragically. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says 31-year-old William "Bill" Murphy was found dead Tuesday in a grove near Lost Grove Road, not far from where he was last seen. Investigators say there are no signs of foul play, and an autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing.
The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office is collecting school supply donations to help local students start the school year prepared. Donations of backpacks and classroom essentials can be dropped off weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sheriff’s Office, 400 South Eucalyptus Street in Sebring. The supplies will be distributed at a backpack giveaway on August 1st at the Avon Park Recreation Center, and during the Back to School Community Event on August 8th at 749 Booker Avenue in Sebring.
Six people are facing narcotics charges following a drug enforcement operation in DeSoto County. Sheriff’s deputies say "Operation: Spring Cleaning" involved multiple controlled drug purchases, leading to the arrests. Investigators also recovered more than 25 pounds of methamphetamine, four pounds of cocaine, and a half-pound of marijuana with an estimated street value of more than $156,000.