SEBRING — Two Highlands County commissioners, Don Bates and Guy Maxcy, launched negotiations through a designated county spokesman to obtain one acre of prime, white-sand-beach lakefront on troubled Lake Denton. Maxcy and Bates asked Ken Melvin, one of the seven people on the commissioner-appointed Lake Denton Citizens Advisory Committee, to informally negotiate the county's obtaining that one-acre of Lake Denton lakefront with the president and CEO of a fifth-generation Highlands County citrus/ranch family. ...more

January 10, 2008

SEBRING — Highlands County voters will have lots of decisions to make in 2008. On Jan. 29, the primary will give Democrats and Republicans the opportunity to choose their presidential nominee. At the same time, voters can decide whether to lower their own taxes. The deadline to register to vote in the primary is Dec. 31, said Norma Stokes, assistant supervisor of elections. Early voting for the primary starts on Jan. 14. Voters can go to the libraries in Lake Placid and Avon Park, or at the Highlands County Government Center in Sebring. The last day to call for an absentee ballot to be mailed to the voter's home is Jan. 23, Stokes said. ...more

December 28, 2007

SEBRING –– Bud and Hilda Speaks, ages 85 and 84, will celebrate their 66th wedding anniversary on Feb. 13. ...more

December 18, 2007

SEBRING — One big question was raised Tuesday as Highlands County commissioners began discussions on a proposal to provide financial aid to the county's military personnel serving in combat zones in the war on terrorism. That question: Should this proposed county grant — up to a maximum $900 per year — be awarded only to homesteaded home owners, or to all service personnel from the county in harm's way overseas? Two of the five commissioners, Don Bates and Edgar Stokes, supported making the grant available to all men and women from the county serving in combat zones, whether they own or rent. "Their exposure to harm really doesn't depend on whether or not they own property," Bates said. He added, "Who serves right now? Mostly it's the young people, 21- 22-, 23-years old, who are the ones out on the front line." Few people at that age own a home, he said. If the intent is to support troops fighting the war on terrorism, he said, the aid should not depend on a person's status as a homeowner or renter. "They're both taking the same chances when they're out there," Bates said. ...more

November 14, 2007

LJ Ministries, Inc. would like to thank the following for making Worship in the Heartland and the Kidz Zone possible this year. ...more

October 21, 2007

SEBRING — The state Legislature's new plan for property tax relief — doubling the homestead exemption — would cost Highlands County government more in lost revenue than the lawmakers' original super exemption plan. ...more

October 10, 2007

A lot of angry senior citizens want to know why potential property tax breaks were not known to them until an article appeared in the paper telling them about it. They have a right to be upset. Information about these tax breaks should be well known and not a surprise to so many people. Besides being cranky about not knowing about the tax breaks, many seniors are upset that the county only offers 1/10th of the tax break that state law allows under Save Our Seniors. The breaks could be as much as $50,000, but in Highlands County the maximum qualified homeowners can get is $5,000 off the taxable value. ...more

September 21, 2007

SEBRING — Highlands County government is going into the asphalt production and paving business. In a 3-2 vote Tuesday, county commissioners decided to build the first government owned and operated asphalt plant in Florida. ...more

September 19, 2007