Lake Placid Middle and High School will soon merge and operate as a single campus. One consideration for the merger, is the history of numerous changes in leadership at Lake Placid Middle School. The campus has seen 5 principals over the last decade alone. The Highlands County School Board has approved the plan which will be effective February 3rd. Lake Placid High School Principal Kevin Tunning is expected to oversee the combined schools, and the district plans on retaining the current assistant principals at both campuses. They will also hire an additional assistant prinicipal to help support operations and the leadership team.
The Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute is closing its Lake Wales office today. The clinic says the change is necessary and will allow it to provide patients with the most significant impact and benefit. Patients will have the option of continuing care at either their Sebring or Davenport offices.
The Florida Highway Patrol is releasing more details about a vehicle believed to have been involved in a deadly hit-and-run crash. It happened around 8:15 on Friday night on southbound I-275 in St. Petersburg. The FHP says a 37-year-old Lakeland man was killed when he was struck by a vehicle while changing a flat tire on the shoulder. Troopers are looking for a 2021 or newer Tesla Model X with gull wing doors. They believe it is black or gray in color, and should have damage to the front and/or passenger side of the car.
A federal trial is getting underway in Maryland for a Central Florida man who allegedly plotted an attack to destroy the Baltimore region’s power grid. Jury selection began Monday in the trial of Brandon Russell. The Orlando man is accused of collaborating with Sarah Clendaniel of Maryland to attack electrical substations to further his neo-Nazi beliefs. Clendaniel pleaded guilty to the conspiracy last year and was sentenced to 18-years behind bars.
An elderly Sarasota County man is accused of killing his wife and staging it to look like a suicide. Police in North Port say 88-year-old Miroslav Maksic killed 76-year-old Miljka Maksic and tried to make it look like she took her own life. Police and the Medical Examiner’s Office determined the woman’s death was not the result of a self-inflicted injury. Maksic is charged with one count of homicide and was booked into the Sarasota County Jail without bond late Monday night.
Legoland Florida is planning mass layoffs. According to a notice to the state, the Winter Haven theme park says 234 workers will lose their jobs. The layoffs are permanent and are expected to begin on March 25th and continue through April 7th. Most of the cuts are in the entertainment department.
Several Central Florida-based chefs and restaurants are semifinalists of the James Beard Awards. Sue and Jason Chin of Good Salt Restaurant Group in Orlando are up for Outstanding Restauranteur, while Yohann Le Bescond of Emma’s Patisserie at World Equestrian Hotel in Ocala is nominated for Outstanding Pastry Chef. Lordfer Lalicon of Kaya in Orlando and Sean "Sonny" Nyuyen of Domu in Orlando are both vying for Best Chef. The James Beard Awards recognize exceptional talent and achievement in culinary arts and hospitality. Nominees will be announced on April 2nd, and winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 16th.
Some Central Florida students want lawmakers to know what they think of a bill that’ll affect some of their classmates. State lawmakers yesterday passed a bill that forces illegal immigrants who live in Florida to pay out-of-state tuition rates at state colleges and universities. A law passed over a decade ago allowed some illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates, and students in Apopka held a mock graduation ceremony Monday to protest the change. One girl says it’s a step in the wrong direction. The Hope Community Center hosted the event. The executive director tells Channel 9 this is a movement fueled by hope, solidarity and action.