Highlands County News

Today, Governor Rick Scott announced the appointments of John David Hawthorne Jr.

Phase III of the Sebring Parkway again will be a topic of discussion Tuesday as Highlands County commissioners meet in regular session.

Artist Linda Kegley paints as Jimmy Gilbreath, wearing his Florida Santa costume, watches in Circle Park Friday morning.

Governor Rick Scott today announced the 2012 Annual Uniform Crime Report. The report shows Florida's crime rate dropped 6.5 percent compared to 2011.

Levon Stukes, manager of the Boys and Girls Club Emporium, helps customer Maria Cordero at the store in downtown Sebring Wednesday.

Courtesy photo Briana Cox, Hannah Farr, Toryana Jones, Logan Lowery, Koy McGrath, Jerrian Perry, Ashlee Robitaille, Traci Reschke, Tanya Carlisle, Lance Feagley, Thomas Henderson, Ashley Royce, Robbye Teal, Ariel Bauer, Ben Collins, Kaylon Johnson, Hunter Livingston, Katie Stoll and Hannah Tucker are all recent graduates from the Youth Leadership ... (more)

As general manager of Westby Corporation in Lake Placid, Wayne Godwin is in charge of a large citrus and cattle operation, and he's thankful for it.

Downtown Sebring will play host to a live morning show on Fox 13 Friday morning from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. SEBRING If New York City is too far a destination to become part of an audience for a television morning show, Sebring's downtown circle will provide an alternative Friday.

AVON PARK An Avon Park man apparently thwarted a burglary, according to an arrest report released Tuesday.

Highlands County reported 31 HIV cases from 2009-11. That's 10.5 per 100,000. If there's good news in that report, it's that the Florida rate is 27.7. 'Those are newly reported cases,' said Barbara Moore, an RN with Highlands County Health Department.

The Florida Forest Service urges drivers to stear clear of County Road 635 because of a fire inside Highlands Hammock State Park.

For the fourth time in three years, Lisa Celentano, Dirty Dozen founder and owner of Crossfit Sebring, is bringing the obstacle race to Highlands County.

Kris Rose, an Army veteran, fills out a job application for Rent King during a "Paychecks for Patriots" job fair for veterans at Heartland Workforce Friday morning.

An Avon Park man on probation was incarcerated again Thursday after a search of his residence discovered the presence of marijuana, a weapon and other items, an arrest report said.

Jonny F. Tanner, born April 4, 1971, was lifted to Heaven on angels' wings on May 5, 2013.

Fred Wild Elementary School teacher Krytsal Griffin took her advanced academics fifth-grade students on a field trip to South Florida State College and the Highlands Regional Medical Center Wednesday.

A cell phone audit of Highlands County employees revealed that some are still making extensive personal calls, an unknown employee, and a retired employee who still used the county cell phone.

It's hiring time for the School Board of Highlands County, which has a large group of retirees coupled with the addition of nearly 40 new teaching positions to bring back the teacher planning period to the middle and high schools.

An Avon Park man was arrested after a woman told authorities he threw a metal crow bar through the window of a vehicle while she and two friends were inside the car, an arrest report released Wednesday said.

UPDATE: Highlands County Sheriff's officials say they have located Trevor Weeks, missing from Avon Park since Monday, May 6, 2013.