The latest Coronavirus test numbers released by the Florida Department of Health show that there have been 14 additional positive tests returned and 80 new negatives conducted in Highlands County.
Of the 16.091 tests administered locally over the past five months – 14,629 tests have been negative with 1,449 positive cases recorded.
There have been 160 people hospitalized at some point during their illness and 40 deaths have been tied to the corona virus since numbers started being kept.
Highlands County Sheriff’s detectives are looking into the circumstances surrounding a shooting at Sun ‘N Lakes South last night. The incident reportedly happened in an area off Concert and Fairfield streets about 7:30.
Reportedly, one person was taken to an out-of-county trauma center. No names or other details have yet been released.
Fire destroyed a double-wide mobile home last night off State Road 66. Units from Desoto City, West Sebring and Sun ‘N Lake responded to the address on Maxanna Street about 11:30. There were no injuries in the incident.
Damage was set at $80,000 to the home with another $5,000 to an adjoining building. Authorities say the cause was electrical. It was the third fire in Highlands over the weekend.
Yesterday afternoon units from Highlands Lakes and Avon Park station 5 battled the heat and the flames. The small but difficult brush fire, harred a half acre in the old “dump” area behind the gun range off of SR-17.
The hot under-carriage of a car driving through tall grass started the blaze.
Early yesterday morning units from Lake Placid, Sun n Lakes, Highlands Park and Placid Lakes responded to a Taylor Street address near Lake Placid.
Arriving units found a mobile home with fire showing from all windows. Eleven occupants including 7 children escaped.
Cause of that fire was determined to be from a candle burning and is listed as accidental. Loss there has been set at $40,000.
It appears that Highlands County voters are mailing it in. Statistics released by the Highlands County Supervisor office show that of the 9,081 early votes cast 7,496 were mailed in.So far, only 1,561 people have come in to mark their ballots in person.
The latest figures show just over 14-percent of Highlands 63,654 voters have turned out to make their voices heard.
Polls will be open again today from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm and then again each day until this coming Saturday.
Ballots may be cast at the Kenilworth Operations Center on Kenilworth Blvd in Sebring, the Avon Park City Council Chambers at the Avon Park City Hall and at the Lake Placid Town Government Center.