Memorial Drive south of Avon Park was closed for a time this morning due to what was termed “a significant fuel spill.” Early reports indicate a pick-up truch rear ended a tanker at the railroad tracks just north of College Drive.
The accident occurred shortly before 9am. There were no injuries, but Avon Park fire department crews along with Highlands County Road & Bridge Department workers were dispatched to help clean up “hundreds of gallons” of deisel fuel.
This past Friday there were Controlled Campus events at Sebring High School, Fred Wild Elementary and the Academy at Youth Care Lane. Highlands district school officials now are explaining why.
Highlands County Sheriff’s deputies searched for and found a number of suspects in the area. Turns out that they were Sebring High School students. One reportedly was in possesion of an unloaded weapon.
At least one has been charged with “Possession of a Firearm on a School Campus.” No names or other details have been released. There were no on-campus incidents during the Friday lock-downs.
It was a short-handed city council in Avon Park last night as Maria Sutherland was not in attendance. The board kicked a number of issues down the road. They held off on proposed job descriptions for the city’s Director of Finance and financial analyst. They also put off discussion of the step pay program.
The council did approve a buy back program for employees. Workers there are given 80 hours to use as vacation days. sick days or personal days.
NEWS 10/29/19 BF
FIRE
It’s getting to be that time of year again. Units from Sun ‘N Lake of Lake Placid and the Florida Forest Service were called out yesterday afternoon to put out a brush fire. This one happened off Sunflower Road in the Sun ‘N Lake South community.
One resident got a bit close to the flames but was not seriously injured. Cause of the fire remains under investigation.
A Polk County man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for fatally stabbing another man during a fight. 32-year-old Daniel Ponce was sentenced after pleading no contest to manslaughter with a weapon. He had been facing a second-degree murder charge and a possible life sentence.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office officials say Ponce got into an argument with 38-year-old Brandon Burchett in a Poinciana neighborhood in January 2017. The argument turned into a fight that ended with Ponce stabbing the other man in the abdomen and arm.