Motorists driving though Sebring tomorrow will have to budget some extra time. Ridgewood Drive from the Parkway to NE Lakeview Drive will be shut down from 7am until 7pm.
The closure will include the Historic Circle and all the spoke streets to Wall Street.
There is a similar road closure planned for next Monday, February 19th.
The Highlands County Sheriff’s office will be launching a body cam pilot program tomorrow. There will be 15 deputies involved. There will be five each from the patrol, detention and school resource divisions that will be wearing the cameras.
In all, the Sheriff’s Office has purchased 180 of the Axon units and the associated hardware at just over $1.4 million dollars.
The pilot program is slated to run about a month.
The Highlands County School Board will meet tonight in regular session. Among other things, they are slated to look at a number of different policies – including one regarding public participation in their meetings and workshops. The new policy apparently involves sweeping changes on how citizens will be allowed to address the board and issues of concern.
In other action, they will look at a data privacy agreement with the Amplify Education company.
After a lengthy discussion, Avon Park city council members last night decided NOT to revivie a rental inspection process. The policy was enacted nearly 20 years ago, to help with the problem of illicit camps for fruit harvesters that were established in R-1 zoning.
The idea was inspectors could find bunking facilities that would provide for more than legal occupancy.
In turning back the idea, council members heard advice from their attorney Gerald Buhr, who called it a "minefield of liability."
You can run, but you cannot hide from the Highlands County Sheriff’s office K-9 Corps. This time it was K-9 Gentry that made the collar. Authorities say it all started yesterday with an attempted traffic stop in Lake Placid.
The driver of the car, identified as 26-year-old Devin Austin Donnelly first took his time before stopping, then fled the scene near Highway 27 & County Road 29.
The track led along the shore of Lake Placid, then into the water. Gentry followed the trail, then swam to a patch of thick vegetation, when deputies heard a voice shout "He got me!"
Donnely was extricated and charged with fleeing to elude, driving without a license and resisting arrest. He was booked into the Highlands County jail.
The Sebring track test for cars registered in this year’s Mobil One 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Cadillac will continue today. Yesterday, a number of GT cars tried the historic circuit, today, the GTP cars are slated for some trial runs – including the new Lamborghini SC-63.
The track is not open to the public, however fans taking lunch at Seven- The Sebring Raceway Hotel – may see some of the action at the famous Hairpin Turn.
One person has been killed in a Polk County mobile home fire.
Crews were called out to the Lake View RV Park in Lake Alfred during the early morning hours. Firefighters say they weren’t able to get inside the home until the situation was under control.
The victim was found dead at the scene. The state fire marshal is investigating the cause.