News Update for 06/19/26

The School Board of Highlands County unanimously approved the 2026-27 Code of Student Conduct while raising concerns about plans to move the District’s alternative Academy program to a virtual format. Several board members questioned whether students facing expulsion would receive the structure and accountability they need at home. The Board plans to continue discussions on the program and is also considering a new name for the Academy before the upcoming school year.

A man was arrested after deputies say he crashed a side-by-side off-road vehicle on the grounds of AdventHealth Sebring while a small child was riding with him. The child was not injured, but deputies charged Nicholas Smith with child neglect, trespassing, driving on a suspended license, and failing to use a child safety seat. Investigators say Smith had previously been trespassed from the hospital property after an earlier crash.

A Lake Wales man is facing numerous felony charges after the Polk County Sheriff’s Office says he crawled through the same bedroom window twice in one day. Deputies say 28-year-old Eddie Roberson Jr. returned to the home a second time, armed himself with a handgun inside, threatened a woman, and demanded she drop pending charges against him. He was arrested after a neighbor reported hearing screams, and deputies say they also found methamphetamine in his possession.

A Lithia man is facing multiple felony charges after the Polk County Sheriff’s Office says he traveled to Polk County expecting to meet a 14-year-old during an undercover operation. Perry Olson was arrested on charges including human trafficking after deputies say he arrived at the predetermined meeting location. The arrest is part of the sheriff’s office’s ongoing crackdown on human trafficking and child predators, following a major multi-agency operation in May that resulted in 266 arrests.