Highlands County still doesn't have the $1.65 million asphalt plant grant that was promised by Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and county commissioners were furious because they just found out during a meeting Tuesday. ...more

November 4, 2009

After Bob Germaine was elected Highlands County Clerk of Courts, he retired in December from his old job, senior director of court services. For the rest of his life, he'll get a check from the Florida Retirement System. ...more

April 2, 2009

At their first meeting of the new year on Tuesday, the Highlands County commissioners will discuss possible recommendations to the county's three-member delegation to the Florida Legislature. ...more

January 5, 2009

SEBRING –– Some Highlands County roads may sit a while longer before they're repaved, and other proposed projects may be pushed back due to an anticipated shortfall in sales tax revenues. The local one-cent sales tax that shoppers pay is used to build and maintain many of the roads, bridges and some other buildings throughout the county. For this fiscal year, County Budget Manager Tim Mechling said he expects only $7.8 million of the $9.1 million in sales tax revenue to come his way. The 15-percent anticipated drop in revenues mean that the county's infrastructure fund will have to do with less. . Though Mechling declined to mention specific projects that could be on the chopping block because the the county commissioners have not decided yet, Mechling said the county may delay several planned road resurfacing and some new construction. "It's something we're still working out," he said. ...more

July 6, 2008

SEBRING — The formal legal process for the appeals of two county employees for exchanging inappropriate and often sexually explicit instant-messages will begin in six days, on Monday. Jim McCollum, the attorney for ex-county employees Jared Lee and Treasa Handley, will take sworn statements, recorded verbatim by a legal stenographer, from four people, starting at 9 a.m. in a conference room at the Highlands County Government Center. Handley and Lee were dismissed more than five months ago for sending thousands of personal instant messages to each other, and others, on their county computers during working hours. Many of the messages were sexually explicit, and all of them are public record, accessible to anyone, with a request to either the county's public information officer or the Highlands County Clerk of Courts office. ...more

June 16, 2008

SEBRING — It appears Highlands County will be taking in about $300,000 less than last year, according to calculations provided by Highlands County Budget Manager Tim Mechling. Voters decided Tuesday to cut their own property taxes, which will cost Highlands County an additional $4.7 million. At the school board office, Mike Averyt, director of business and operations, is estimating shortfalls of as high as $4 million. ...more

February 3, 2008