All eyes are on Avon Park after City Manager Dr. Danielle Kelly suddenly resigned, citing what she called “a divergence in values” and concerns over “integrity in governance.” Her final day will be November 21st. The move comes amid fallout from a law firm’s investigation into the city’s sale of the Brickell Building, which alleges Mayor Garrett Anderson and Councilmember Brittany McGuire abused their power and failed to disclose business ties — potential ethics and conflict-of-interest violations. The City Council will hold a special meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. to discuss Kelly’s resignation and “related matters.” With tensions rising and residents demanding accountability, all eyes will be on how city leaders respond.
Habitat for Humanity of Highlands County is gearing up for its annual Women Build 2025 event, November 6th and 7th at 1349 Inspiration Drive in Sebring. More than 100 volunteers will unite to build affordable housing and strengthen the community. The event begins Thursday at 8 a.m. with a tribute to Legacy Team Leaders and continues through Friday, wrapping up with a sponsor appreciation lunch at 11:30 a.m. Duke Energy leads as presenting sponsor, alongside local community partners MidFlorida Credit Union, Crews Bank, and REMAX Realty Plus. You can learn more at HabitatHighlands.org.
A Polk County mother is facing charges after deputies say she caused multiple disturbances at her children’s school. Latanya Rowe was arrested Monday after allegedly boarding a school bus in Davenport, verbally assaulting a student and the driver over an earlier incident involving her kids. Authorities say Rowe then went to Davenport High School, where she caused another disruption before being taken into custody by deputies.
Could artificial intelligence be the future of public safety communication? One Central Florida Sheriff’s Office thinks so. For the past few months, The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office has been using an AI system named Ava to manage non-emergency calls — and the results are impressive. Ava greets callers, asks the same screening questions a dispatcher would, and instantly redirects any true emergencies to 9-1-1. So far, Sheriff Mike Chitwood says the system has handled more than 98% of non-emergency calls without issue.