News Update for 3/29/23

Highlands County firefighters were called to a housefire at Sun ‘N’ Lakes South last night. According to reports, the mobile home on Sarasota Street was totally involved in flames when units arrived at the scene.
There were no injuries to report, but the place apparently was a total loss. Three people and their two dogs were displaced. Cause said to have been a dryer fire.

Units from West Sebring, the city of Sebring and Florida Forest Service crews were called to a brush fire at Sun ‘N Lake North yesterday. There’s no indication on how much ground was charred in the blaze near the intersection of Granada and Cortez Boulevards.
There was a 3.5 acre brush fire off Hallmark Avenue in Lake Placid last night as well. Units from Placid Lakes, Highlands Park, Leisure Lakes, Lake Placid and Florida Forest Service responded to that one.
No structures were threatened in either incident. There were no injuries reported and the cause of each of those fires is under investigation.
Officials remind residents that we are in the dry season – be cautious with all combustibles and open burning is discouraged.

A broken hip didn’t stop a local couple from getting hitched. According to reports, Linda Cuniff and Joe Clark were set to exchange vows, when just hours before the ceremony, she fell in the shower and fractured her hip.
With all the paperwork signed, they contacted their pastor from the Highlands Regional Hospital emergency room by phone. He then pronounced the vows remotely and maiird the pair.
Hospital staff stood as witnesses and presented the pair with their first meal as a married couple.

A wildfire in Polk County is causing damage. The Right Gate Fire near Lake Wales covered 500 acres as of last night and was 50 percent contained. The Florida Forest Service says multiple outbuildings have been lost. Many camps at the River Ranch have been destroyed.
Apparently one edge of the fire is approaching Canopy Oaks off C. R. 630 E.
No injuries have been reported, and there’s no word on a cause. River Ranch park has been closed until further notice.

An elderly man on a bicycle was killed in a traffic accident yesterday southeast of Lake Wales. According to reports, 90-year-old David Lynne had left Uncle Joe’s Fish Camp and was attempting to cross Walk-in-Water Road, when he pulled into the path of an oncoming work truck.
The driver took evasive action, but the truck’s mirror hit the man. Linne was taken to the hospital where he expired.
No charges have been filed.