Samaritan's Touch Care Center held its first annual fundraising dinner last Saturday night. The primary and specialized care clinic provides free medical care to area families who have no medical insurance of any kind, including Medicare and Medicaid, and whose income is at or below 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines. ...more

March 31, 2009

For the first time since I took this job in 1997, I didn't compile a Top 10 albums list this year. ...more

January 29, 2009

After considering various options for new classrooms at the middle school and high school in Lake Placid, the School Board of Highlands County decided to construct two single-story buildings - one at each school. ...more

December 3, 2008

REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS The address shown is the property address listed by the buyer. Most of the sales took place during the past six weeks. This isn't a complete list of real estate transactions. Sales are listed by city, in ascending value. ...more

November 30, 2008

A faith-based health clinic is preparing to open a free dental office for the uninsured "working poor," according to its executive director. ...more

August 28, 2008

Locke Takes Second At Nike Nationals

June 21, 2008

AVON PARK — Verbal barbs were hurled around the chamber during Monday's council meeting after negotiations stalled on plans to rezone a former nursery located near the Avon Park Executive Airport. It culminated into Airport Community Development Agency Advisory Board member Jim Renfro leaving the meeting after he was interrupted by attorney Warwick "Bud" Furr, who represents Roland Dilley. Dilley has been trying unsuccessfully to develop a plot of land that lies inside the airport's runway protection zone. ...more

June 10, 2008

AVON PARK — A property owner that has been at odds with the Avon Park Executive Airport for years over his development plans is pushing forward with a new plan for a 43-acre, 346-unit working-class housing project. Roland Dilley's attorney Warwick "Bud" Furr said the plan for the property, located across State Road 64 from the airport, would not conflict with the city-owned airport's runway protection zones. "We've done everything that they asked us to do," Furr said. "We really think it's inappropriate for the city or the county to object." ...more

May 28, 2008

AVON PARK — Gary Reeder, a self-described professional bass fisherman, was shocked Jan. 9 when the Bonnet Lake RV Park's management gave him and at least two other tenants eviction notices. According to the notices Reeder and two other residents supplied to Highlands Today, they received a three-day notice to vacate for not complying with the RV park's rules. Specifically, Reeder and fellow residents Eugene Walp and Bobby Green said that they and at least three others were all given the notices because they had their fishing boats parked in their lots rather than in a storage area the park recently built. ...more

January 17, 2008

SEBRING –– Dr. Luis Peña took pride in his successful three-decade medical practice where he was known for taking care of people. And because the people of Highlands County showed faith in him, he's passing it on. Born in Colombia, South America, Peña attended medical school in Spain. He trained at Ravenna and Cleveland, Ohio, and then specialized in internal medicine at Tulane in New Orleans. After graduation in 1976, he explored different areas to decide where to start his practice. While at Tulane, he'd suffered from sinus and allergy problems, and his doctor suggested he find a better climate. On vacation in Florida, he stopped and visited a fellow doctor in Sebring. Peña discovered his sinuses had cleared and that he felt better. "This place is what I'm looking for," he said. ...more

October 29, 2007