Highlands County residents will have an opportunity to pay their last respects to Highlands County Supervisor of Elections Penny Ogg today. Visitation will be held this evening from 4-7 at the Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home in Sebring. Ogg died suddenly this past weekend following a brief hospital stay.
Services are set for Thursday morning at 11am. Anticipating a large turn-out, officials say her services will be available on the internet. They will be live streamed through the Stephenson-Nelson Facebook page.
Highlands County commissioners yesterday gave tentative approval to create a large mural celebrating the establishment of Highlands County. The project is part of the county’s centennial celebration – marking Highlands’ 100th birthday.
As presented, it would be a massive painting, that would be hung in the county government center. The artist, the design and the price for the piece has yet to be determined.
Highlands State Representative Kaylee Tuck will have a bit more work at the upcoming legislative session. She has been appointed as the Vice Chair for the Congressional Redistricting Subcommittee.
Using the data provided by the U.S. Census, state lawmakers come together every decade to draw new district lines.
Ensuring that elected leaders draw political maps fairly has been an ongoing challenge since the early days of this country.
Polk County Sheriff’s deputies reportedly arrested a Bartow man after they found him with items pilfered from a crash scene. The incident occurred on Highway 60 east of Bartow. Reportedly, a car hit a motorcyclist just outside the community of Connersville.
The accident resulted in the death of the motorcyclist – 21-year-old Blake Gilmore of Winter Haven. Following the incident deputies reportedly found a man identified as Christopher Moore walking from the scene with a backpack belonging to Gilmore. Moore was charged with theft and tampering with evidence.
A man who lives near the Lakeland home where three adults and a baby died in mass shooting says he believes the killer pounded on his door first. Miguel Rivera said that he heard someone banging on his sliding glass door early Sunday, but when he looked, the person was gone. Minutes later, gunfire erupted at his neighbor’s home.
Polk County Sheriff’s deputies say Marine vet Bryan Riley fatally killed a couple, their 3-month-old son and the woman’s mother. An 11-year-old girl was also shot, but she is recovering after multiple surgeries.
The 33-year-old Riley told investigators he was high on methamphetamine.