News Update for 4/27/22

Avon Park city officials are looking for citizens willing to serve on some municipal boards and committees – hopefully, with an eye toward growing the City of Charm.
In a discussion about appointing new members to the city’s Planning and Zoning Board, Mayor Garrett Anderson called for committees to be more business friendly and discussed areas in the downtown, south side and along both Memorial Drive and Highway 27 where there could be more high-end commercial and light industrial development.

Units from West Sebring were dispatched yesterday to put down a brush fire off Villabella Drive. Although it was kept to just a quarter acre, authorities say the flames were threatening structures in the area before they were put down.
In the end, there were no injuries and no property damage was reported. Cause remains under investigation.

Members of the Highlands County Tourist Development Commission will hold a public session to discuss what kinds of facilities might be needed to help with local tourism, and possibly, how existing facilities, such as the county’s sports complex, might better be utilized.
The visioning session is designed to brainstorm about the kinds of things certain groups would like to see constructed to facilitate their particular events.
That meeting will commence at 5:30 in the Sebring Civic Center.

The Hotel Jacaranda has been awarded a $105,000 dollar grant from the Avon Park Community Redevelopment Agency. Hotel officials say the money will be used for restoration of the historic lodging facility.

The unusually large amount of money comes as the hotel applied for individual grants for each of the addresses on the property. Among other things, the money would be used for window replacement as part of their ongoing effort.