A 65-year-old man was found dead Thursday morning inside a parked Buick Encore on Main Avenue in Avon Park. A business owner noticed the man slumped over in the driver’s seat and called for help. The Avon Park Fire Department determined he died at 8:14 a.m. Authorities say the man had late-stage lung cancer and died in the vehicle. His identity has not been released.
A quick-thinking school bus driver is being credited with preventing a disaster in Wauchula Friday afternoon. A school bus crashed near Ed Wells Road and Rhynn Road around 5 p.m. and caught fire, sparking a brush fire. Five secondary students were on board, but the driver safely evacuated everyone and moved them away from the flames. No one was injured, and another bus was sent to take the students home.
Highlands County officials are clarifying that residents will not be charged for new garbage carts being provided through the county’s residential solid waste contract extension. The carts will be replaced in phases, with at least 8,500 replaced each year at no cost to residents. Officials also say the contract does not lock in 10 years of solid waste assessments. Those assessments will continue to be considered and approved annually through the required public hearing process. The next hearing is Tuesday, August 18.
Construction is moving along at Sadie’s Place in downtown Sebring, with developer Ken LeBlanc now targeting a first-quarter 2027 opening. The retail and dining plaza on North Ridgewood Drive will feature several restaurants and shops, plus a splash pad for families. Construction on the splash pad is expected to begin in September. Tenants include Brasa Negra Mexican Cuisine, Barley’s Hideaway, Mamma Mia Italian Market, Hickory & Honey Mercantile and Candle Scentral.