Tensions rose in Sebring after businessman Jeff Carlson questioned City Council candidate Terry Mendel over six campaign signs placed on City-owned property leased to the Sebring Historical Society. Carlson claims the signs may violate city rules and IRS guidelines tied to the nonprofit’s tax-exempt status. Mendel said it was a mistake and removed the signs immediately. Carlson says he plans to forward his concerns to state election and ethics officials as the City Clerk awaits clarification on a formal complaint.
A 65-year-old Palatka man is behind bars after police say he intentionally set fire to a bale of hay in the back of a pickup truck at AdventHealth Lake Placid Friday afternoon. Officers responded to the parking lot on U.S. 27 North around 3:40 p.m., where they found a Ford truck engulfed in flames. Surveillance video reportedly shows the suspect approaching the vehicle and igniting the hay bale, which quickly caught fire. The Bureau of Fire, Arson and Explosives ruled the blaze intentional, and the suspect was taken into custody.
Highlands County Commissioners are considering the proposed Ridge to River Land Conservation Program, also known as the “Greenprint for Success.” The voluntary plan would allow the county to purchase conservation easements on qualifying properties, scoring land based on factors like drinking water protection, wildlife corridors, endangered species habitat, and working farms. The proposal was developed by the North Florida Land Trust after more than a year of public input. If approved by commissioners, voters could see a funding referendum on the November ballot
A Winter Haven man learned the hard way that dressing the part doesn’t make you the part. Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office say a lieutenant spotted 31-year-old Danny Bermea Jr. in a grocery store wearing a shirt marked “SHERIFF” with an official-style star emblem. He first claimed a deputy gave it to him at a community event — but later admitted he found it over a year ago. Authorities say he’d worn the law-enforcement gear in public before. He was arrested and charged with unlawfully using official law enforcement symbols, a first-degree misdemeanor.