A major commercial structure fire in Avon Park brought multiple agencies together Wednesday night. Just before 9 p.m., the Sebring Fire Department responded to a mutual aid request on West Garrett Road alongside Highlands County Fire Rescue and Avon Park Fire Department. Crews established a water supply by deploying nearly 1,500 feet of large-diameter hose to a nearby hydrant. Crews spent several hours using elevated master streams to bring the blaze under control and remained on scene until the fire was fully extinguished.
Highlands County Habitat for Humanity has begun planning for its Women Build 2026 campaign. Organizers met this week to discuss fundraising, sponsorships, volunteer recruitment, and upcoming events aimed at supporting affordable housing in the community. The first Women Build kickoff event is scheduled for July 14th in Lake Placid. Construction week is planned for November, and Habitat officials are encouraging volunteers and sponsors to get involved.
A Polk County Sheriff’s Office detention deputy who served at the South County Jail in Frostproof was killed Tuesday night in a crash on Interstate 4 near Haines City. Investigators say 32-year-old Jonathan Morales Pabon was riding in an SUV that suddenly crossed multiple lanes in an attempt to make an exit when it was struck by a pickup truck traveling at highway speed. Morales Pabon suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased. Sheriff Grady Judd praised his service and asked the community to keep his family in their prayers.
A Winter Haven man learned this week that playing cop can land you in real trouble. Deputies arrested 20-year-old Misael Guerrero-Ramirez after reports that he used red and blue flashing lights on his truck to pull over another driver in the Wahneta area. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Guerrero-Ramirez admitted he used the lights to get drivers who brake-check him to move out of the way. Instead, the lights helped earn him a felony charge for impersonating a law enforcement officer.