SEBRING — At 4:22 p.m. on Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a severe weather statement for the county and an official response to notify residents and deal with the aftermath of a severe storm was already well under way. ...more

July 5, 2008

LAKE PLACID — Two Highlands County employees were treated in what appeared to be an Africanized bee attack Monday afternoon, multiple county officials said. Parks and recreation maintenance workers Jason Gonzalez and Tim Neese ran nearly half a mile from a tree at 1501 Lake Clay Drive, Lake Placid, crossing a bridge and a canal to escape the swarm, Highlands County Emergency Management Director Bill Nichols said. After they escaped the bees, Gonzalez and Neese tried to return for their lawn mowers, but the bees went after them again, stinging Gonzalez three or four times. Neese couldn't count how many of them hit him. ...more

June 16, 2008

A special section on hurricane preparedness is included in today's newspaper, as June 1 marks the official start of the Atlantic season. We hope the section is read and will not be tossed in the recycle bins — at least not right away. It contains a lot of useful information that will come in handy in preparing for a storm. Another way to prepare is to be informed, and the Highlands County Emergency Management staff is doing its part by sponsoring the annual Highlands County Hurricane Seminar this Tuesday. It will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Agri-Civic Center, located at the corner of George Boulevard and U.S. 27, in Sebring. As Bill Nichols, director of the Highlands County Emergency Operations Center, said, "I don't think you need to be afraid. The more you prepare, the less you're afraid. The more you know, the less you fear." ...more

May 31, 2008

SEBRING — It's just a refrigerated trailer, but for one Desoto City civic group, it's a brand spanking-new humanitarian effort they're trying out in Florida. The Fraternal Order of Eagles' Disaster Relief Trailer, parked in front of the club's hall, already has several pallets full of emergency ration bars and water. Joe Waters of the Eagles in Sebring said this was one of two stationed in Florida, with the other one in the Ocala area. The trailer would go wherever the county's Emergency Operations Center tells them to go. "If they were in need of it ... we would take it anywhere they want," Waters said. ...more

May 19, 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