The election season is heating up and Highlands County residents will have an opportunity tonight to hear candidates for the District 17 Congressional seat being vacated by Tom Rooney. Bill Akins and and Julio Gonzales will be at American Legion Post 69 in Avon Park tonight to speak with the public on issues ranging from veterans affairs and the economy.
A third candidate, Greg Steube, apparently was invited but will be in Okechobee this evening to speak with voters there.
Tonight’s session here will be at American Legion Post 69 on West Bell street and will commence at 6pm.
When it comes to the poorest of the poor in the state of Florida, a USA Today report says the city of Sebring is the hardest hit.
The report shows a 5-year window from 2010 to 2016.
Statistics cited in the report show that while Florida’s poverty rate fell from 16.5 to 14.7% in that time period, the poverty rate in the Sebring metro area rose from 16.9% to 19.4%.
Two neighborhoods in Sebring reportedly moved into extreme poverty. The report shows 27.2% of the city’s poor population, making it the highest concentrated poverty rate in the state.
Sebring’s jump in concentrated poverty from Zero to 27.2% is said to be the largest increase of any metro area nationwide and more than 10 times the percentage point increase in concentrated poverty for Florida as a whole.
Law enforcement officials are on the lookout for a suspect, wanted in connection with a June 2017 fatal car crash. Reportedly, it was Samuel Joseph Tucker that was at the wheel of a new Maserati that went out of control on State Road 17, hit a power pole and a chain link fence before overturning several times.
Killed in the mishap was his passenger 22-year-old Alyssia Kay Vice. Tucker reportedly fled to Ireland to avoid prosecution but may have been spotted recently in the Lorida area.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers are looking for the driver of a big, white Ford F-350 pickup, that clipped a kid on a bike and just kept on going. According to witnesses, the incident occurred Saturday afternoon about 2:00 near the intersection of Highway 27 and Lake Henry Drive here in Highlands County. The truck was southbound, towing a gooseneck trailer with a big green tractor and a field disc plow, which was hanging over the right side to the trailer.
The plow reportedly hit the 14 year old, knocking him off his bike. The youngster was taken to Florida Hospital Lake Placid.