The first of Highlands County’s Christmas parades will step off tonight in Avon Park. More than 80 units including floats, bands, marching groups and others will make their way down Main Street starting a 7:00.
Beginning at 2:00 this afternoon there will be free photos available with Santa & Mrs. Claus at the Jacaranda hotel.
Starting at 4pm, the Avon Park Chamber will host facepainting at their headquarters with food trucks and vendors set up at various locations along Main Street.
Motorists are reminded that Main Street will be closed to traffic starting at 5:30 this evening.
Highlands County commissioners will meet tomorrow morning in a session that was pushed back a week, due to the Thanksgiving holiday season.
To start the meeting, the commission will get a new chair and vice chair for the upcoming year.
One of the big items on the agenda will be an Aguaculture Work Plan for Lake Istokpoga. The program will see muck removed brom the big lake in an effort to improve water quality.
Proponents say it will be a test program for other parts of the state.
In other action, commissioners will look at an asphalt binder for the county’s asphalt plant and consider a pay hike for the county’s Parks & Faclities Director.
The Sebring Community Redevelopment Agency and the Sebring city council will get together tomorrow evening for a special session. At issue will be the proposed Pedestrian Safety and Lighting program.
They’ll look at a plan that could cost between a half and three-quarters of a million dollars. The session will commence at 5:30pm tomorrow in the Jack Stroup Civic Center.
A Winter Haven youth was injured in an all-terrain vehicle crash in Lake Wales. According to reports, the 13-year-old was riding the ATV at Indian Lakes Estates when the accident occurred.
Authorities have not indicated how it happened, but said the teen was not wearing a helmet at the time. He was airlifted to the hospital with facial injuries and a brain bleed.
There’s no word as to his condition.
A child is dead after a crash involving a police truck in Auburndale. Polk County sheriff’s officials say a police officer was responding to an emergency when they crashed into a car that entered its path.
Deputies say the officer had their lights and siren activated.
A five-year-old girl in the backseat of the car was killed in the mishap.
The driver broke her wrist, but the police officer apparently was not hurt. Investigators have not confirmed if the child was wearing a seatbelt.
The sheriff’s office says no charges are expected. Family members say the girl’s name was Jalina Anglin, and she died of head trauma.