SEBRING — Sheriff's detectives needed a keen sense of smell and sharp ears Wednesday to locate a marijuana growhouse operation, the 60th growhouse raided in the county since November 2006. A strong marijuana smell and the sound of growhouse electrical equipment led to the arrest of a Sebring man and woman in connection with the alleged operation at 8460 Tubbs Ranch Road, in Sebring, off of U.S. 98. ...more

December 14, 2007

SEBRING — Facing the same Palmetto squad that started the Sebring girls basketball team's season off on a sour note, Blue Streak coach Mike Lee was looking for a little senior leadership. And it showed up just in time. Sebring scored eight of the game's final 10 points and got key buckets from seniors Chelsea Davis and Brenita Grant late on Tuesday to escape with a 50-44 Class 4A-District 10 victory over Palmetto. "We talked at halftime about the seniors stepping up and taking control," said Davis, who finished with 10 points. "We came together as a team in the last few minutes and really pushed it." ...more

December 13, 2007

SEBRING — The Highlands County Sheriff's Office and other local officials decided Thursday to call off the landfill search for a baby or fetus disposed of into the trash by a Lake Placid woman. ...more

December 6, 2007

AVON PARK — Four men remained in Highlands County Jail in lieu of $101,500 bail each Wednesday, after they were arrested Tuesday morning in a raid on 205 Ballard Road, in Avon Park. ...more

December 6, 2007

AVON PARK — It was about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, when members of the sheriff's drug task force descended upon a house at 205 Ballard Road, arresting four men on felony marijuana charges. This is the 58th bust of a growhouse since November 2006. Sheriff's Lt. Randy LaBelle reported, the house which is near the Highlands County border on State Road 64 West, was about 95 percent restored and while evidence of a growhouse operation remained, it was nearly dismantled. LaBelle said it appeared the four men, whose names have not yet been released, were at the house when sheriff's detectives Dewayne Proctor and Ernie Gelinas along with task force officer Dan Schneider with the Avon Park Police Department knocked at the door to investigate. ...more

December 5, 2007

The Highlands County Sheriff's Office with a multi-agency contingent of help resumed its search at the county landfill Thursday morning for a discarded baby. ...more

November 29, 2007

SEBRING — Two more grow houses, numbers 56 and 57, were raided by the Highlands County Drug Task Force this week. The first was in Venus and was obvious it was inactive for some time, according to Sheriff's Capt. Randy LaBelle, who didn't have the exact address in front of him late Wednesday afternoon. ...more

November 24, 2007

Weekend burglaries on each end of Highlands County ended the same way; with the arrest of two suspects in Sun 'n Lake of Sebring and one suspect in Sun 'n Lakes South. ...more

November 20, 2007

AVON PARK –– After an unexpected turn of events left the Sebring wrestling team without a head coach before the SFCC Shootout was set to begin, the Blue Streaks refused to use that as an excuse and made an impressive showing against some of the top talent in the state. Dave Cunningham stepped down Friday as head coach of the wrestling team after three seasons with the Blue Streaks. Dressing only five wrestlers on the final day of the eight-team meet on Saturday, Sebring finished the day on a strong note, with Shaanan Spiegel pinning Joseph Jusino of Lake Wales, as the Blue Streaks went 4-1 in its final matches of the meet. ...more

November 19, 2007

SEBRING — Taking out a week's worth of frustration, the Sebring girls basketball team, led by junior forward Hannah Shoop's 18 points and 14 rebounds, pounded LaBelle 52-34 on Friday night. The non-district win improved the Class 4A Blue Streaks to 1-1 on the season and eased some of the sting from losing their District-10 opener to Palmetto on Tuesday night. ...more

November 18, 2007