A young manatee released into the Alafia River Aug. 13 is lucky to have survived her injuries, a Lowry Park Zoo veterinarian said. ...more

August 20, 2008

The modifications to the Memorial Elementary School roof have successfully solved the expansion problem, engineers told the School Board of Highlands County on Wednesday. ...more

July 18, 2008

A review of the engineering report on the Memorial Elementary School roof prompted the School Board of Highlands County to call a special meeting to discuss concerns noted in the report. ...more

July 10, 2008

SEBRING — The forensic investigation and assessment report released Friday on the Memorial Elementary School roof states minor concerns, but gives an overall approval to the roof design changes and repairs. The school board hired Principle Design and Development, Inc. to inspect the school's roof system and review documents related to its design and construction. The engineering review was called for after a number of factors apparently caused cement blocks to crack in February at the school on Memorial Drive. The school is currently under construction and scheduled to open in August. ...more

June 28, 2008

As buildings go, 511 N. Franklin St. hasn't presented its best face in some time. A makeover for Lerner Shops, which operated there from the 1930s to the 1970s, saw the upstairs windows covered by cement blocks. ...more

June 14, 2008

AVON PARK — After receiving a preliminary engineering report on the roof concerns at Memorial Elementary School, Highlands County School Board members toured the school's construction site Tuesday for a first-hand look. Prior to the walk-through at the construction site, School Board Member Donna Howerton noted that the report stated there were no immediate concerns, but then the next paragraph indicated there does indeed appear to have been notable issues with improper expansion and contraction mechanisms. Expansion in the metal roof caused cracks a few months ago in cement blocks at the school. Expansion joints were added to the roof system to correct the problem. ...more

June 10, 2008

SEBRING — The School Board of Highlands County hired an engineering firm to inspect Memorial Elementary School to determine if design changes to the school's roof have affected its integrity. A number of factors apparently caused cement blocks to crack at the school on Memorial Drive, which is currently under construction and scheduled to open in August. The problem was fixed with expansion joints and a different type of fastener, but the school board wanted assurances that the redesign will not cause problems in the future. ...more

May 22, 2008

It is probably safe to assume that during a major construction project like a school there will be a glitch or two come up and that's understandable. A structural problem with a building is much more than that as in the case of Highlands County's newest school being built between Avon Park and Sebring. Expansion in the metal roof of Memorial Elementary School caused cracks in cement blocks a few weeks ago. The problem at Memorial has been fixed, according to a school official. ...more

May 3, 2008

LAKE PLACID — It all depends on who you talk to. Some call the vendors who hawk fresh vegetables along the roadside "squatters," while regular customers talk about bargains. As the local growing seasons change, the fare varies from strawberries to oranges and melons. A pair of longtime produce vendors along U.S. 27 – just north of the Lake Placid town border – don't know whose property they sell from. ...more

November 12, 2007