CRIME REPORT This is a partial list of crimes and service calls reported Feb. 26 to Mar. 4 to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Questions should be directed to the sheriff's office at (813) 247-0455. ...more

March 18, 2009

SEBRING — Of Highlands County's nine baby deaths in 2007, three are a result of mothers sleeping with their babies. It's called co-sleeping, and officials say it's a big problem in Highlands County. Deborah Hadley, program manager of Healthy Families for Highlands County, said family support workers with Healthy Families, who visit mothers in the home, are reporting many teen mothers sleeping with babies in their bed. "We have a huge problem with co-sleeping," Hadley said. "Some of our parents use drugs or alcohol, and it concerns us greatly that that have babies in the bed with them." Hadley said some mothers say co-sleeping is a cultural habit they don't want to change and others say they cannot afford cribs for their babies. ...more

June 2, 2008

SEBRING — The Children's Advocacy Center could be doubling in size in the next 18 months. Jeff Roth, director of the center, announced plans for the 8,300-square-foot, $1.2 million expansion at Wednesday's Children Ser-vices Council meeting. The space, which would be added to the rear of the existing building, would allow the Department of Children and Families and Guardian Ad Litem to move their operations in the building. Roth said the centralization of services not only leads better communication between the agencies but also the economy of time due to central record keeping. ...more

May 29, 2008

SEBRING — Every Thursday, representatives from all aspects of child abuse sit around the conference room of the Children's Advocacy Center to discuss open cases and devise plans of action. It's a far cry from when the Children's Services Council was created in 1990. "We couldn't get any questions answered because everything was confidential and secret," said Ruth Handley, a founding member of the council. Things started to change when the Children's Advocacy Center opened in 1997 and things became increasingly better coordinated. With the Highlands County Sheriff's Office Special Victims Unit moving in Dec. 1, even more services will be centralized in the building that helps about 500 children per year. ...more

November 16, 2007