Fire wracked a duplex in Avon Park overnight. Avon Park firefighters were joined by units from West Sebring and Highlands Lakes in responding to the blaze on Geese Avenue shortly after 3AM.
Authorities say the home was significantly involved when units arrived at the scene. Damage is said to have been extensive. No injuries were reported. The Fire Marshal has been called in to determine the cause of the blaze.
Highlands County crews removed the barriers and the 2-lane traffic circle on the Sebring Parkway now is opened. No traffic crashes have been reported there, so far – although apparently there was at least one traffic stop in the area. It’s the second of the so-called three “roundabouts” that will be part of the Sebring Parkway. Another circle has been constructed on Memorial Drive.
Polk County Sheriff’s officials say a municipal worker in Fort Meade appeared to be under the influence of drugs when he crashed a city truck into the office of a state lawmaker.
21-year-old Waylon Skinner initially was hospitalized after the crash. Now, sheriff’s officials say Skinner – who works for the city’s streets department – had been smoking K2, a synthetic marijuana.
The city truck hit the office of state Rep. Melony Bell. She says the truck slammed into the desk belonging to her assistant, but the woman had left the office moments before the crash.
No one inside the building was injured.
Yesterday we told you about the Duke Energy Christmas light calculator. This year they also have a Holiday Cooking Calculator. The calculator can tell you per hour what it will cost to run an average oven, cooktop, microwave, toaster oven, crockpot, deep fryer, broiler – even your blender, mixer and coffee maker.
To check yours – go to the Duke Energy website and click on the Holiday Cooking Calculator.
A former Polk County Sheriff’s detective is facing more charges of falsifying records after investigators looked deeper into his work record.
Dennis Jones Jr. was initially arrested in September on four counts of falsifying official records, forgery and uttering false instrument.
He was again arrested yesterday by sheriff’s officials, this time on 26 more similar counts after detectives evaluated every case assigned to him.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says he is “extremely disappointed” and “embarrassed” by the situation. The 31-year-old former detective resigned his post when he was first arrested.
The sheriff’s office says the misconduct did not result in any unlawful arrests or failure to arrest a suspect.
Sheriff’s officials accuse Jones of taking shortcuts to reduce his workload.