NewsTalk 730

The 32nd Annual Caladium Festival got underway today in Lake Placid. Over the past three decades, the event has grown into one of the largest in Highlands County. Some 150 booths, exhibits and displays from arts & crafts and other vendors are drawing tourists from all over. Today also marks the inaugural Little Miss Caladium…

Avon Park Mayor Garrett Anderson continues to work on sculpting the City of Charm. He has called for a joint session between the Community Redevelopment Agency and the CRA Advisory Board to create a “grand vision” for Donaldson Park. At issue will be objectives for the city-owned facility, with a special look at the shuffleboard…

While county health officials continue to warn residents about the plethora of mosquitos this year, Avon Park officials say they won’t be doing any spraying in the City of Charm. Avon Park City Manager Mark Schrader told the council that in order to apply the spray, staff members would have to go through a licensure…

A gruesome discovery this morning in Leisure Lakes. Highlands County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating the circumstances around the head of a calf, left atop a set of mailboxes at the end of Country Lane. So far, there’s no indication as to who left the remains of the young beef cow, or where the rest of…

There will be a triple header for the Avon Park city council this evening. At 4:00, they’ll get together for a special budget session. At issue there will be expenditures for the airport, sanitation services as well as the water & sewer funds. At 5:30 the council convenes as the Avon Park Community Redevelopment Agency,…

Highlands County Teacher of the Year Kayla Jackson was up for statewide honors at the Florida Department of Education convention in Orlando last night, but lost out to Addriana Sweringen of Bay County for the top honors. In all, there were five finalists in the statewide competition. Jackson was the first educator from Highlands to…

The search for Domonique Rakeem Graham is over. He was reportedly apprehended in Orange County yesterday by agents of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The 30-year-old Graham was being sought in connection with a shooting incident on Sturgeon Avenue west of Sebring Monday night. One youngster inside the vehicle was hit by a bullet…

Highlands County commissioners today approved a raise in the garbage collection fees for county residents. It will jump from $216 to $222 annually. The increase will bring in more than a quarter million dollars. About half the increase will go to the hauler, with the rest to go to the county. Commissioner Scott Kirouac called…

A Highlands County commissioner has received a prestigious award. District 4 Commissioner Arlene Tuck was presented with the Florida Association of Counties’ “Presidential Advocacy Award” at the FAC Annual conference. During the conference, Tuck was re-appointed to a number of committees, including; the Finance & Audit Committee, the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee, the Community…

Pretty good thunderstorm we had last night around 7pm. Quite a few of us lost power – a family on Oxford Road in Sebring lost a bit more. Highlands Fire-Rescue crews were called to put a blaze out at a manufactured home on Oxford where flames and smoke were visible upon arrival. No injuries –…