It will be a challenge driving around Avon Park today. Officials at CSX have announced they will be shutting down all the railroad crossings but one in the City of Charm, for repairs.
That means crossings at West Bell, Main, Pleasant streets and West Lake Isis Avenue will be shut down. The only one open will be on the truck route – County Road 17A.
They say when the Main Street crossing is repaired, they will open that – and shut the 17A crossing to work on it. Repairs are expected to take a couple days to complete.
Crews reportedly will start in Frostproof tomorrow.
It’s going to be no more Mr.Nice Guy when it comes to code enforcement in Avon Park. Council members in the City of Charm last night agreed to step up both enforcement and action against violators.
They are looking to add another code enforcement officer and move to twice a month magistrate hearings to get cases solved.
Code Enforcement Supervisor Randy Labelle told the council in his first seven months he’s had to deal with over 800 cases and outlined plans to deal with illegal dumping and a citation program for violators.
Brush fires made some work for firefighters here in Highlands County yesterday. Units from Desoto City and West Sebring firefighters were called to an incident off Moon Ranch Road east of Sebring yesterday afternoon.
The blaze in tall grass reportedly was fanned by a 20-mph wind. They kept it to a quarter acre and protected a nearby orange grove from being burned.
Later. units from Sun ‘N Lakes South and Highlands Park were called out to extinguish a brush fire in a remote area south of State Road 70 near Turner Road.
It was tough going in the remote location. It took two hours to get it under control. The flames charred about a half acre. The cause remains undetermined.
A couple of car crashes kept first responders busy yesterday in the south end of the county. Two vehicles came together near the intersection of County Road 29 and Highway 27. Some injuries were reported.
Later, a car reportedly hit a cow out on State Road 70 near County Road 721. No word on the extent of injuries there.