News Update for 8/13/21

An Avon Park teen reportedly has been arrested in New Jersey. Highlands County Sheriff’s officials say 18-year-old Elijah James Worsley was picked up yesterday by a United States Marshal Service Task Force Worsely is wanted in connection with a shooting incident at Hal MacRae Blvd and Delaney Avenue in Avon Park that injured a 21-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy.
Among other things, Worsley reportedly faces counts of Attempted First Degree Murder. He is slated to be returned to Highlands County.

Avon Park city council members have cleared the way to what may be a new housing development in the City of Charm. They voted to reduce liens on a couple of properties from $75,000 to $7500.
New owner Pablo Suarez told the council his plan is to subdivide the properties into 20-to-30 lots for single family residential homes. He gave no timeline for the development.

A new study has found that the Sebring-Avon Park metro area has a smaller than average renter wage gap. Officials from Smartest Dollar say that’s the difference between the average wage, and what it takes to rent a single bedroom residence in the market area.
Here locally, the wage gap was set at 24.4-percent. Surveyors figure the average renter needs just over $14 an hour to rent a unit priced at $733 monthly. That compares to 37.7-percent nationally, where renters need $20 an hour to get a unit priced at just over $1,000 per month.

The storm known as Fred has moved over Cuba and is looking to make a swipe at Florida. Forecasters say the system is slowly strengthening and could regain tropical storm status today.
Currently, maximum sustained winds are around 35 mph with higher gusts. A tropical storm watch has been issued for the Florida Keys and the southwest coast of Florida.
Because this is expected to be a significant rain event, sandbags are available at Highlands County Road & Bridge offices in Sebring, Lake Placid and Avon Park. Sand to fill them is available at nearby sand piles.