SEBRING — It felt like beach weather last week, but as you're picking up this newspaper from your doorstep or out of the rack, you'll wish you had a skull cap, gloves and a scarf to go along with that jacket. The National Weather Service in Ruskin predicts temperatures to dip into upper 20s by tonight until Thursday morning, bringing in the coldest weather seen in Highlands County this season, and possibly a hard freeze that's rarely seen south of Polk County's so-called "frost line." ...more

January 2, 2008

As Cargill shuts down its juice plants in Avon Park and Frostproof, it's a reminder that Highlands County is changing. Fewer and fewer citrus farms exist. Farms that are more valuable as housing developments or shopping malls than they can possibly produce in orange juice. Slowly, the citrus groves along U.S. 27 are disappearing. So are the groves on U.S. 98, between U.S. 27 and Spring Lake. They will remain along our country roads. Cargill Juice North America is laying off an additional 20 to 25 workers at Avon Park and Frostproof by Jan. 31. The company is getting out of the citrus processing business in Florida. Imagine saying that in the days of Ben Hill Griffin Jr., when oranges were king. ...more

December 23, 2007

LAKE PLACID — Eight grove owners north of town have banded together in a bid to trade oranges for homes. At Monday's meeting, a professional urban planner presented town council with preliminary plans that call for the eventual construction of 4,600 homes on 1,500 acres. Ground breaking for the proposed development, which stretches from the railroad bridge northeast to the shores of Lake Apthorpe, and on both sides of U.S. 27, is at least four years away, according to planner Augie Fragala, of Powell, Fragala & Associates Inc. ...more

December 17, 2007

Florida's citrus industry was just about given up for dead in recent years. Sure, the annual crop brought in $1.4 billion to growers last year. But plagued by hurricanes, freezes, labor shortages, imports, deadly diseases and sky-high land prices that caused landowners to turn groves into subdivisions, the long-term outlook for Florida's most identifiable crop appeared bleak. ...more

November 3, 2007

City residents will have expanded dining options in the next few months. ...more

October 30, 2007

There seem to be more tractors tearing up St. Lucie County's old citrus groves than tending them these days. ...more

October 19, 2007

Every Friday, the man would set down his cane, pick up his harmonica and climb on stage with Jenny Leet when she belted out 'How Great Thou Art.' ...more

September 30, 2007

LAND O' LAKES - As more land is developed in central Pasco County, some people fear that memories of the area's history of railroads, citrus groves and ranches will be buried under asphalt, concrete and big-box retailers. ...more

September 27, 2007