News Update for 2/19/25
Highlands County has issued a burn ban effective immediately due to ongoing dry conditions and a rising drought index. The ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including yard waste, bonfires, campfires, and open cooking fires. Cooking with gas or charcoal grills is still allowed. The burn ban applies countywide, including Avon Park, Lake Placid, Sebring, and surrounding areas. It will remain in effect through March 20th unless extended or lifted by officials. Violations could result in fines up to $500 or jail time.
Highlands County School Board has named Rubie Kauffman as the new Director of Exceptional Student Education. Kauffman, who was most recently serving as the principal of Karen M. Seigel Academy in Polk County, is set to begin her new role today. Kauffman has led the special needs school since January of 2024 and previously served as its assistant principal from 2018 to 2024. Her career includes assistant principal roles and teaching positions at various schools in Polk County. She replaces Pam Lanier, who held the position starting in 2017, before accepting a director position with the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS) Heartland.
Polk County is making an effort to address a staffing shortage in the fire department. The county commission voted yesterday to spend nine million dollars to hire 75 more firefighters, paramedics and EMTs. The goal is to get them onboard by the end of the year. Starting next year, the county hopes to increase staffing levels by 10 percent every year. County Manager Bill Beasley says this will address population growth and burnout that has led to almost 300 firefighter resignations in the last four years.
A man who killed two people in Central Florida is set to be executed. Governor Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant yesterday for Edward James. He was sentenced to death in 1995 for killing a Seminole County woman and her eight-year-old granddaughter in 1993. The 63-year-old James is set to die March 20th at Florida State Prison in Bradford County.
A Lake Wales man is behind bars after allegedly stabbing another person over $4 used to buy crack cocaine. Police say 49-year-old Jamie Lyndell Bibbs attacked the victim on Feb. 11 near Washington Avenue and Jewel Street. Officers found the victim with severe stab wounds to the throat and torso. EMS rushed them to the hospital, where doctors were able to save their life. Detectives say the argument turned violent when Bibbs punched the victim before pulling out a knife. He was later arrested and charged with second-degree attempted murder.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri have been appointed to Florida’s newly created State Immigration Enforcement Council. The council, established by Senate Bill 2C and signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis, will advise the Florida Cabinet on immigration enforcement. Judd and Gualtieri will work with law enforcement leaders statewide to coordinate with federal authorities, including ICE, on immigration policies and enforcement strategies. Their focus will be on individuals with existing deportation warrants, enhancing information sharing, and increasing detention capacity. Both sheriffs say their experience on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Commission proves complex issues can be tackled with data-driven solutions.
A traffic stop in Davenport turned into a chase when 29-year-old Kevin Abreu tried to evade Florida Highway Patrol troopers on a moped. Officers say Abreu was seen running a red light and tossing a pill bottle near a sewer before attempting to flee on foot. A good Samaritan helped troopers take him down at an apartment complex. Authorities recovered 174 blue M30 pills, testing positive for fentanyl, along with cash hidden in his socks. Abreu was also found to have a suspended license and is now in custody at the Polk County Jail.
The University of Central Florida is cracking down on the resale of its football game tickets. UCF Athletics department sent out an email to ten-percent of its season ticket holders yesterday, saying their seats would not be available for relocation for the 2025 season. Officials blamed account holders that use a secondary site to transfer or resell their tickets. The university says tickets should only be handled through the UCF Athletics Account Manager page. The Orlando Sentinel says fans who violate the school’s rules are at risk of losing their season passes.