Highlands County officials are reminding residents to protect their pets as colder temperatures settle into the area. Emergency Management officials say pets should be brought indoors whenever possible, especially overnight, since cold conditions can be dangerous for animals. For pets that must stay outside, officials recommend providing a warm, dry, and draft-free shelter, using insulated bedding, and checking water bowls often to prevent freezing. Older pets, puppies, kittens, and short-haired animals are especially at risk in cold weather.
A Pennsylvania man charged with DUI manslaughter in a deadly Highlands County crash will now be allowed bond. Prosecutors and defense attorneys jointly agreed to release 57-year-old David Pischke on a total bond of one hundred thousand dollars, reversing an earlier decision to hold him without bond. The January 23rd crash on U.S. 27 near State Road 66 killed a 73-year-old Lake Placid man and seriously injured multiple others. As conditions of release, Pischke must surrender his passport, avoid alcohol and non-prescribed drugs, and is prohibited from driving unless cleared by a physician.
Highlands County residents now have access to a new treatment option for chronic, non-healing wounds. HCA Florida Highlands Hospital has added Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at its Wound Care Center, a non-invasive treatment that increases oxygen levels in the body to help wounds heal faster and fight infection. Hospital officials say the therapy may benefit patients with conditions such as diabetic ulcers, radiation injuries, and other complex wounds. Residents can learn more about the treatment at a community open house Wednesday, February fourth, from four to six p.m. at the Wound Care Center in Sebring.
A Polk County substitute teacher is behind bars after deputies say he showed up to school intoxicated. The sheriff’s office says 44-year-old Micha Alan Dyal was confronted in the parking lot of Lake Alfred Polytech and showed clear signs of impairment during a sobriety test. Sheriff Grady Judd didn’t mince words, saying the substitute was “drunker than Cooter Brown” and got an unexpected lesson—this time in jail. Polk County Public Schools says the substitute will no longer be allowed on district campuses.