In a workshop on Tuesday, the Highlands County Commissioners will discuss a request for mandatory use of two federal programs to check the legal employment status of people hired by the county and by companies with a county contract. ...more

February 6, 2009

At their first meeting of the new year on Tuesday, the Highlands County commissioners will discuss possible recommendations to the county's three-member delegation to the Florida Legislature. ...more

January 5, 2009

A Hillsborough County official, a Florida Department of Transportation planner and a retired state lawmaker are among 28 applicants for the top job at the region's transportation authority. ...more

September 25, 2008

After doing weeks of research on the state law, legal issues and complaints of residents at Sun 'n Lake of Sebring, Highlands County Assistant Administrator Ricky Helms recommended Tuesday that the board of county commissioners do nothing about the battle there between homeowners and the large, absentee landowners. ...more

August 13, 2008

If you have been looking for good economic news locally, you'll like the new Highlands County government budget for fiscal year 2008-09, which begins Oct. 1. ...more

July 11, 2008

With demand for irrigation water outstripping supplies, Pasco County will be allowed to tap three new wells to supplement the county's reclaimed water reserves, the Southwest Florida Water Management District said Tuesday. ...more

May 28, 2008

Tornadoes tore across Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Mississippi on Tuesday, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens in a rare midwinter outbreak of violent weather. ...more

February 6, 2008

Highlands County commissioners have the right idea in asking whether the county really needs another level of administration. The costs are high to implement such a plan, and the payoff is difficult to deduce. Tommy Todd is serving as facilitator for the county on this project, which would make new positions as division directors. Department heads would report to them, while they report to the county administrator. The plan is to make the administrator less of a day-to-day manager and more of a public figure who keeps the commission informed of what's going on in the county. We understand what Todd is saying, but wonder if it's necessary for Highlands County. Granted, our county government has a lot of employees and departments, but it doesn't seem like that's been an issue until now. Can't department heads serve as that level of manager to report to the administrator, or assistant administrator. It's also true that a county manager should not be bogged down in work that keeps him or her away from the most important facets of the job. It's difficult to be an effective leader if you're buried in minutiae that could be better handled by someone else. ...more

February 5, 2008

SEBRING — Highlands County commissioners expect to have people filling all four of the new, top-level administrative positions that they created by March 15. Within two months, the county's top echelon of administrators will go from two to six. In addition to the current top two – the administrator and assistant administrator – Highlands County also will have four division directors, each reporting directly either to the administrator or assistant administrator. ...more

January 24, 2008

City officials have been scratching their heads for weeks trying to figure out how this small municipality has been losing millions of gallons of water every month. ...more

December 17, 2007