Highlands County Fire crews were dispatched Thursday afternoon to a reported brush fire in the 400 block of Catfish Creek Road in Lake Placid. After crews investigated the scene, it was determined to be a structure fire and called for aid from the Sebring Fire department in order to have the ability to bring an aerial attack to the fire. Catfish Creek Road at the bridge remained closed for several hours as crews worked to battle the blaze and clear the scene. Shortly before 11PM the road was reported to have been cleared and back open. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Sebring Fire department responded to a reported structure fire at Red Lobster around 8:55PM Thursday night. Reports stated that there was smoke in the building and a strong smell of gas. The restaurant evacuated as crews arrive to investigate. After an interior search of the property and a roof-top search of the A/C units, crews determined that no immediate threat was present at the building. The Sebring Fire Department ventilated the area and cut power to the A/C units so that the structure could be inspected by an electrician and an A/C company before operating hours today.
The Community Redevelopment Agency Selection Committee has agreed to recommend a dance studio project planned for Downtown Sebring to the CRA Board. The proposal will now go before the CRA Board at its Nov. 18th meeting. The proposal, brought by Camille Shaffer, impressed the Selection Committee with the concept and building design. Shaffer plans on returning Dance Unlimited to the downtown area, to the empty lot where the former Nan-Ces-O-Wee Hotel was located. A one-story building is proposed for the CRA owned property at 139 N. Ridgewood Drive. There will be two possible retail spaces in addition to the dance studio. The project has an estimated cost of 1.95 million, and would be funded by a Small Business Administration loan provided by Shaffer’s bank.
Polk County police are looking for a second suspect tied to a deadly overnight shooting. The sheriff’s office says Joshua Clark and Jose Coronado, who are members of rival gangs, got into an argument during an alleged meth deal in the Willow Oak area near Mulberry early this morning. Sheriff Grady Judd says the situation escalated into a shootout, which led to 28-year-old Mary Dino being shot in the chest. She later died from her injuries. Coronado was eventually arrested following a brief police chase on Highway 17. Meanwhile, Clark is still at-large.
A head on collision on Catfish Creek Road in Lake Placid caused multiple injuries Thursday evening. Preliminary information indicates that 6 people were flown out for emergency medical care, and a total of 9 injuries occurred. Several emergency vehicles were on scene and staged at the Lake Placid High School Football field in response. The investigation has been turned over to the Florida Highway Patrol. The cause of the crash remains under investigation and further details are pending.
A Wauchula man was tased recently after an apparent meltdown at a local gas station. 31 year old Shawn Murphy was arrested by the Wauchula Police Department on Oct. 18th, after fleeing lawmen and then being tased. The suspect reportedly entered a Speedway Gas station on U.S. 17 and caused a scene prompting an employee to notify law enforcement. Murphy entered the business, opened an alcoholic beverage and then threw items onto the ground. Murphy, who had an active arrest warrant from Polk County for failure to appear, decided to flee officers before eventually being detained. When Murphy was booked into Hardee County Jail, officers also found a baggie in his jacket that tested positive for methamphetamine which resulted in additional charges.
A prescribed burn is taking place today off SR 70 and Placid Lakes Blvd in Lake Placid. There will be heavy smoke in the area so motorists are urged to proceed with caution.
It’s the last weekend to vote before the presidential election. Florida Politics-dot-com’s Peter Schorsch says October saw Republicans enjoying an almost seven-percentage-point advantage over registered Democrats in Florida in terms of voter registration numbers. Florida is no longer considered a swing state. The latest Florida Atlantic University poll shows Donald Trump has 53-percent of the vote compared to Kamala Harris’ 44-percent. Hillary Clinton will be campaigning for Harris tomorrow in Tampa.