Highlands County commissioners this morning voted a nearly $1.8 million dollar agreement that will start expansion on the county landfill. Reportedly, the design and permitting phase will take around nine months, with another year to build the new cell.
County officials say the current landfill already is 85-percent full and more trash is coming in daily. When completed, the new cell could cost more than $12 million dollars to complete.
Commissioner Scott Kerouac, noting that landfill operations come from the solid waste assessment, urged the board to begin looking for funds to finance the project.
A program that was set to make some water brown for businesses and residences throughout the city of Sebring has been pushed back a week. Utilities Director Bob Boggus says the contractor hired to do the hydrant flushing program has postponed the start date until September 12.
R&M Solutions is set to do the flow testing and color code the hydrants throughout the City on the Circle to make certain firefighters have enough pressure should they need it.
The process puts iron in the water, causing it to temporarily turn brown.
Due to redistricting, Highlands County has a new state Senator. Her name is Erin Grall and she will be making her first local appearance tonight at the Highlands Tea Party.
Grall filed to run for the new Senate District 29 seat under the new Florida redistricting map. The newly formed and newly numbered district had no incumbents or other challengers – giving Grall a clear path into the Senate.
The Highlands Tea Party meets at the Vietnam Veterans Hall, 33565 Grand Prix Drive behind the Sebring Wal-Mart. Meetings commence at 6pm.
Students and sex will again be a topic of discussion at tonights Highlands County School Board meeting. At issue is a policy that deals with which students will be allowed to participate on which school sports teams.
Florida already has a law mandating biological boys compete against biological boys with similar rules for girls’ sports.
Traffic was tied up and power was knocked out in an area south of Sebring yesterday afternoon when a car hit a pole, According to reports, the black sport utility vehicle careened off the road, hit a sign then a utility pole.
There were no serious injuries in the mishap, but it took crews a while to fix and right the electric lines.
A teenager is wanted for issuing a death threat in Polk County. The sheriff’s office says 18-year-old Maxx Draughn yelled the threat at someone last week in Lakeland in the Combee Settlement, fired a gun and drove off.
He’s wanted on charges that include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Anyone who may know where Draughn can be found is asked to contact the sheriff’s office.