News Update for 9/30/21

Highlands County firefighters had their hands full last night with a brush fire. The flames charred about an acre of land off Blue Skies Drive in the Sun ‘N Lakes south community. Units from Sun ‘N Lakes and the Division of Forestry were able to get the fire under control in the largely wooded area.
Reportedly. no homes or other structures were endangered and there were no injuries. Authorities say a pallet left burning in the middle of the road appears to have sparked the flames.

Plans are being made for the upcoming Halloween celebrations in Avon Park. Gaylin Thomas of the Heartland Cultural Alliance has received permission from the Avon Park city council to close Museum Avenue on Saturday, October 30th for a series of spooky events.
On tap are a Halloween costume parade, a haunted train car at the depot museum and a make it & take it craft at the Avon Park Library. That will run from 4-6pm.
Council set Tricker-Treat night to run from 6-9pm on Saturday, October 30th.

Blue Streak Fever will hit the streets of Sebring this morning as the annual Homecoming Parade is held. Plans are to run from Sebring Senior High School, up Commerce Street. around the Circle then down Ridgewood to Lemon Street – then back the same way they came.
Kickoff will be at 9:30 this morning. The entire processional will take about an hour with floats and marching units.

A car and a semi-track collided yesterday at the intersection of US 17 and R-E-A Road in Wauchula. The force of the impact caused the car to flip over onto its roof. Both the driver of the car and a child passenger were injured and airlifted out to Tampa General.
Charges in the incident are pending further investigation.

A Florida Highway Patrol trooper’s driving maneuver may have saved a Polk County Sheriff’s deputy’s life.
The incident reportedly occurred at the County Road 557 exit westbound on I-4. A Polk County deputy was putting down stop sticks to catch a driver during a police chase.
As the suspect evaded law enforcement, he lost control, which sent him careening into the grassy median between the ramps.
The vehicle reportedly then towards the deputy standing by a guardrail when a cruiser being driven by an FHP trooper crashed into the out-of-control vehicle to stop it.
The accused driver, 20-year-old Nain Nolasco of Mulberry, and a 16-year-old boy were taken into custody at the scene. nobody was seriously injured in the incident.