NewsTalk 730

When it comes to retiring, it appears that Highlands County gets pretty high marks. A new report put Highlands third in a list of the Top-25 places in Florida to spend the golden years. The firm Stacker compiled a list of the best counties to retire in Florida using data from Niche. Niche ranks counties…

Early voting started yesterday here in Highlands County, and although thousands of mail-ins already have been received at the supervisor of elections office, only a few hundred showed up yesterday to cast their ballots in person. To be exact, 301 people showed up at the three locations open in Avon Park, Lake Placid and Sebring.…

Today begins early voting in Highlands County. Polls open at 8:30 this morning and will run until 4:30 this afternoon for the next 10 days. In Avon Park voters in the City of Charm can go to the council chambers behind city hall. Those in the Caladium Capital can cast their ballots at the Lake…

It was back to the classroom today for youngsters in the Highlands County School system. School officials say they are expecting the rolls to increase a couple hundred students over last year, but it will take a while before they can get an official count. Motorists are reminded to watch out for youngsters walking or…

One man is dead and another arrested after an early morning shooting incident yesterday in Sebring. Police in the City on the Circle say the incident happened shortly after midnight at the Park Crest Apartment complex. The victim was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Acting on information from witnesses, Highlands County…

There was bittersweet ceremony this morning as the Highlands County Supervisor of Elections Operation Center was officially named in honor of the late Penny Ogg. Ogg passed away suddenly last year following a brief illness. The official unveiling of the marquee was held this morning at the operations center on Kenilworth Blvd. It will be…

Wonder why the cost of housing is going up in Highlands County? It could be rental units. A survey released by Stressa shows that 8.5-percent of home loans in the Sebring-Avon Park area have been for investment properties. The analysis that Highlands matches national numbers, however, the median property value here is about $150,000 –…

A call to establish a committee in Highlands County to help direct the spending of federal funds in the ESSER program has been pushed back. Better known as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, the federal relief monies have been distributed to schools to deal with problems created by last year’s Coronavirus situation.…

An Avon Park man reportedly was involved in a Hardee County traffic crash that claimed a life. Florida Highway Patrol reports indicate the 62-year-old driver failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Lake Branch Road and County Road 664A. His sport Utility vehicle collided with another SUV – driven by a…

Highlands County commissioners this morning approved the re-imposition of the fire assessment for all home, business and other property owners in the county. The action comes with a seven percent increase over the current fiscal year. That will bring and additional $700,000 in tax money for the operation of the fire services here. Commissioners also…