News Update for 12/16/25

A new apartment complex could be coming to north Sebring.City Council is set to review a proposal for Freedom Lake Apartments, a 30-unit development planned for State Road 17 North, between the Sebring Parkway and the highway. The project would require zoning and land-use changes and lists proposed rents starting around $1,375 a month. Access to the complex would be built through Hawthorne Drive at the developer’s expense.Council takes up the item tonight at 5:30 at Sebring City Hall.

A key decision is coming up for a major downtown Sebring property. The Sebring Community Redevelopment Agency selection committee meets Wednesday at noon to review an incentive agreement for the former Bank of America building on South Ridgewood Drive. The proposal comes from Marmer Construction and the Racing Hall of Fame, with plans to transform the building into a race museum, historical exhibit space, and corporate offices. If approved, the recommendation heads to the CRA Board for final action. The meeting takes place at Sebring City Hall.

A late-night stop at a Fort Meade Circle K turned into a fight card nobody ordered. Polk County deputies say 38-year-old Kevin Oxendine didn’t just refuse to leave — he squared up, kicked at deputies, and tried to slip his cuffs like he was auditioning for the WWE. The struggle was caught on body cam, deputies weren’t seriously hurt, and Oxendine now faces multiple felony charges as the investigation continues.

Three Polk County residents are among those charged in a sweeping federal COVID relief fraud case. Prosecutors say Jessie Perlado of Lakeland and Tameshia Roberson of Winter Haven are accused of helping steal more than two million dollars through fraudulent pandemic loan applications. A third Polk resident, Neil Bryant of Winter Haven, faces a separate wire fraud charge. If convicted, all face lengthy federal prison sentences and millions in forfeiture.