News Update for 7/30/25
Two women have been sentenced to 15 years’ probation each after stealing over $100,000 from the Avon Park Community Child Development Center. 56-year-old Tikia Melissa Robertson and her daughter Wilneisha Gammage, pleaded no contest to grand theft and credit card fraud. A judge ordered them to repay the full $112,556.81 they stole and write an apology letter to the center. The probation may end early if restitution is paid in full. Prosecutors say the center prioritized recovery over punishment, calling it a non-violent crime.
A former citrus grove near Lake Placid is being transformed back into natural Florida thanks to conservationist Charlie Lykes. Lykes partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Florida Conservation Group to place his 135-acre property into a permanent conservation easement, protecting it from development. The land, bordering the Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife Area and the Everglades Headwaters, is being “rewilded” with native plants and grasslands to support wildlife and restore natural water flow. Lykes hopes the restored habitat will be a legacy for future generations.
A Florida handyman is accused of stealing $16,000 in jewelry from a woman recovering from surgery in her Lake Wales home. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the 48-year-old suspect was the only person with access to the valuables besides the victim. The theft occurred in May, but deputies didn’t locate the suspect until July 20, when they arrested him in Lake Wales. He’s now charged with grand theft from a person over 65. The stolen jewelry has not yet been recovered.
You may get a lower car insurance bill this year. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation announced yesterday rates are dropping. Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworksy says the top five auto writer insurance groups are indicating an average 6-and-a-half percent drop. He says those five groups represent almost 80 percent of the Florida auto market. Governor Ron DeSantis says this is yet another sign Florida’s reforms are working.