News Update for 2/12/21

The 2021 edition of the Highlands County Fair begins today. Gates will swing open this evening at 5:00 and plenty of activities already are planned. In addition to the rides, exhibits and displays, there will be poultry judging and showmanship in the Livestock Arena and the Junior Miss Highlands County Pageant will be held in the Alan Jay Center.
The fair runs through next Saturday.

Small businesses are the backbone of America, and a new survey shows that more than half of the residents employed in Sebring work for small businesses. The new report by Construction Coverage shows that more than 11,500 of those employed locally – work for small businesses. that’s an average of 55.4-percent. Those numbers are higher than both the state average of 41.7-percent and the national average of 47-percent.
Nevertheless, the average paycheck of those employees is $30,462 – well below the national average of $44,777.

A Polk County man has been arrested in connection with an alleged Highlands County ballot scam. 21-year-old Derrell Gregory Crumedy has been charged with multiple counts of false swearing with regard to voting activites here.
According to reports, the case came to light when an employee of the Highlands County Elections office noticed that her name bad been forged onto a petition.
Crumedy reportedly told officers he was being paid between $2-$4 apiece for signatures on various petitions. The Winter Haven man also has been charged with forgery, submitting false voter information and scheming to defraud.

Units from Venus, Sun ‘N Lakes South, Lake Placid, Highway Park and Placid Lakes were joined by the Florida Forest Service yesterday in putting down a brush fire. The flames reportedly charred 20 acres before they brought it under control.
Authorities say it was a controlled burn that got out of control. No injuries were reported and no structures apparently were damaged in the incident.