On Friday, March 14th, West State Street in Avon Park will be closed between South Anoka Avenue and South Florida Avenue for a concrete pour by Marmer Construction. The closure will last through early morning and daytime hours only. Meanwhile, a reminder to motorists that between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. today, Grand Prix Drive in Sebring will be closed between Ferrari Drive and Osca Street for culvert replacement by Highlands County Road & Bridge. Local traffic will be allowed, but all others must follow detours. Schedules may change due to weather or other conditions. Drive carefully and avoid the area if possible.
A Sarasota woman is not allowed to drive and must wear a GPS monitor after she was arrested for a deadly hit-and-run. That’s what a judge ordered when June Fenton made her first court appearance on Tuesday. The 72-year-old Fenton was arrested on Monday and charged in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed two young children and critically injured their mother three weeks earlier in Sarasota. Fenton posted a 650-thousand bond on Tuesday and was released. She was also ordered to stay away from the victims. She is due back in court on April 4th.
A man in Orlando is accused of stealing nearly 770-thousand dollars’ worth of jewelry from Tiffany & Co., and then swallowing the loot. Authorities say Jaythan Glider pretended to represent an Orlando Magic player to gain access to a private viewing area. He fled the scene and was stopped in Washington County where he allegedly swallowed the expensive earrings. Glider was arrested on multiple charges, including grand theft and larceny. Authorities planned to collect the jewelry once it passed through his system.
Central Florida’s Wekiwa Springs State Park will soon require day-use reservations. The popular spot will become the first Florida state park utilizing a reservation program. Under the pilot program, which starts March 12th, anyone planning to visit the park will have to connect to a Florida State Parks website, schedule a day and pay the entry fee. Officials say the program is intended to reduce entrance lines at Wekiwa Springs. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the program will be assessed to see if it should be continued or expanded.
A Polk County resident is leading an effort to preserve Bartow’s small-town feel. Marie Carvajal started a Change.org petition last month to stop plans for a new development off US 60. Emilie at Bartow would add over two thousand single-family homes on 900 acres near Peace Creek. Carvajal has lived in Bartow for almost 35 years, and she says she has been witnessing how her beloved city has lost its small-town charm. She’s calling for residents to resist further urban sprawl that threatens the community’s unique character. Almost 900 people have signed her petition. Carvajal tells ABC Action News they shouldn’t be adding more people into this small city before addressing current issues.
A Lyft ride in Lakeland took a disturbing turn when a passenger exposed himself in the backseat.35-year-old Justin Cole was picked up from a Walmart and asked to be taken to his home. But when the driver stopped at a stop sign, she saw him in the backseat with his pants down. Cole claimed he was just adjusting for comfort, but Polk County deputies weren’t buying it. He was arrested and charged with exposure of sexual organs. Cole has a criminal past, previously serving prison time for child abuse.
State leaders in Florida are calling for an investigation into property insurance companies. According to a recent report, some insurance companies funneled billions-of-dollars in profits to shareholders while claiming to be struggling financially. House Speaker Daniel Perez says the Banking and Insurance Subcommittee will look into the report.
Rick Scott wants to know what happened to the billions of dollars spent on broadband expansion. Senator Scott yesterday introduced the Broadband Buildout Accountability Act. He says it’ll increase accountability and transparency for the billions of dollars spent on broadband expansion. Scott says 42 billion dollars in grants were meant to bring internet to rural communities, but it has not connected a single American to high-speed internet in the last four years. He adds Americans deserve to know exactly how the government is spending their money.