News Update for 11/05/26

NU-HOPE Elder Care Services is inviting Highlands County seniors to a free Thanksgiving celebration Tuesday, November 17th, at the Jack Stroup Sebring Civic Center.Doors open at 10:30, with dinner served at 11:30. The traditional holiday meal will include turkey, ham and all the fixings, along with live entertainment by Rick Arnold. The event is open to adults 60 and older, but reservations are required. Registration has been extended through November 10th. Call 863-382-2134 to reserve your seat.

Highlands County will be represented by incumbent Congressman Darren Soto after he narrowly defeated Republican Dan Green in Florida’s newly redrawn 9th Congressional District. Soto won with 50.3 percent of the vote, beating Green by just 1,477 votes. During his campaign, Soto visited Highlands County agricultural operations, including Lykes Ranch and farms in Avon Park, to hear concerns from local growers and business leaders.

Walker Memorial Academy will honor America’s heroes during a Veterans Day program at 10 a.m. Wednesday, November 11th. The free ceremony will feature patriotic music, student presentations and a band corps performance. Veterans, military families and the community are invited to attend at the Gordon Chip Davis Gymnasium, located on West Avon Boulevard in Avon Park.

A Winter Haven man is facing a first-degree felony charge after deputies say he stormed into a restaurant kitchen and assaulted an employee over an unpaid takeout order. Authorities say 49-year-old John Joseph Sarlo became upset over his food, pushed past the counter, grabbed the order and shoved a worker who tried to stop him. He later threw the food onto the pavement. Sarlo was arrested and charged with burglary with battery and misdemeanor petit theft.