SEBRING — The attorney for a Moore Haven correctional officer announced Thursday that the case against his client in the shooting of her pit-bull dog in late March, was dropped by the state's attorney's office. The charge was dropped on April 15 and the attorney received notice on April 24, according to information received from the court. Dawn Marie Thomas, 31, of Sebring, was arrested by Highlands County sheriff's deputies on March 25, and charged with causing cruel death, pain or suffering to an animal, after sheriff's investigators said she shot and killed her pit bull dog in its cage after it started to show aggressive tendencies. Had the case been brought forward, the charge would have been a third-degree felony. ...more

May 30, 2008

Terriers Chew Up Green Dragons MOORE HAVEN — Maribel Garza scored on a fielder's choice to give the visiting Green Dragons a two-run advantage, but the Moore Haven Terriers responded with a flurry of runs over the next four innings to pummel Lake Placid 12-2 in the 10-run mercy-rule, five-inning affair. ...more

February 22, 2008

SEBRING – Senior second baseman Sami Lower and pitcher Melissa Luke smiled and exchanged hi-fives with the sort of exuberance that carried across the field. "I love coming out to the field every day," Lower said. "There is a bond on this team that I believe gives us an edge over a lot of teams. We're always there to lift the other teammate up and give them that boost when they need it." ...more

February 6, 2008

SEBRING — Three Blue Streaks scored in double figures on Friday night to lead the Sebring boys basketball team to a 73-42 victory over LaBelle in the Streaks' final regular season game. Chris Grubb had 14 points, T.J. Williams had 13 and Sam Robinson added 11 in Sebring's final tune-up before the district tournament, which begins Tuesday at Palmetto. "We didn't play well at first, but we switched some things up and forced some turnovers," said Sebring coach Princeton Harris. "Our biggest thing now is staying humble — we haven't won anything yet." ...more

February 2, 2008

LAKE PLACID — Installation of more than 50 miles of new railroad track – stretching from Moore Haven to Sebring – will cause daytime road delays through Tuesday. South Central Florida Express, Inc. is upgrading with new 2007 American-made track to allow for heavier trainloads and increased safety for both company staff and the public, according to Sam Mello, director of roadway maintenance for South Central Florida Express. By press time Friday, work was under way or already completed at five roadway train crossings. The remainder of repairs should be completed by Tuesday. Work was scheduled with road closures at railroad crossings on Sunset Drive, Harris Drive, Lake Mirror Drive, Payson Avenue and Lake Drive East. ...more

January 21, 2008

LAKE PLACID — After coming back from the Christmas break with a disappointing effort in an 18-point loss to Mulberry, the Lake Placid boys basketball team bounced back with a convincing 78-45 win over Moore Haven on Thursday night. Senior forward Conlin Veley led the way with a game-high 23 points to go along with nine rebounds as the Class 3A Green Dragons improved to 7-8 on the season. "This was a nice win for us," said Veley. "We played a lot better as a team after not playing very well at Mulberry on Tuesday. We got the ball down the floor, hit some outside shots and didn't make a lot of mental mistakes. "We need to play smart and together because the district race is wide open, and we still have a chance to make this a good season." Lake Placid came out strong in the opening minutes as K.J. Delbert scored four of his 11 points, Marcus Waugh netted four and Veley added nine — including a 3-pointer — as the Green Dragons jumped out to a 17-11 lead heading into the second stanza. ...more

January 12, 2008

Local prep scores from Thursday, Jan. 10. ...more

January 11, 2008

SEBRING –– The game was all but over at halftime, but the memories from the ninth annual South-Central Florida All-Star Football Classic will last much longer for the players involved. The Central team –– made up of seniors from Avon Park, Bartow, Fort Meade, Haines City, Hardee, Lake Placid, Lake Wales, Okeechobee and Sebring –– went up by four touchdowns at the half and cruised to a 42-6 victory over the South squad in a game filled with turnovers, penalties, and –– perhaps most of all –– smiles. "Our big concept from day one was 'Hey fellas, you might have been enemies before, but we're all on the same team this weekend,' " said Lake Placid coach Tim Grant, who led the Central squad. "But this was still our home turf, and we wanted to protect it." The Central team did just that, getting touchdowns from Sebring's Sam Robinson and T.J. Williams and holding the South team's stars –– made up of seniors from Charlotte, DeSoto, LaBelle, Lemon Bay, Moore Haven, North Port and Port Charlotte –– to less than 70 yards of offense at the half. Sebring's Isaac Fernandez, one of seven Blue Streaks on the field, said the win was satisfying in more ways than one. ...more

December 24, 2007

SEBRING — It's quite a sight to behold, watching football players from rival schools Avon Park and Sebring on the same side of the ball. Red Devils and Blue Streaks playing side by side with some Wildcats and a few Bulldogs for good measure — it must be the ninth annual South-Central All-Star game. The event, which is sponsored by the Sebring Firemen, is known for assembling the best talent of senior football players from the region. The All-Star contest has always drawn a contingent of college recruiters, who get one last look at local seniors before signing day in January. First-year Lake Placid head coach Tim Grant has been chosen to lead the Central squad, which features many kids from the Heartland. ...more

December 21, 2007

SEBRING — Balanced scoring and a tenacious defense paced Lake Placid to a 65-33 win over Moore Haven in boys basketball on Tuesday night in the Terrier's gym. Senior forward Conlin Veley scored a game-high 16 points, center Travalier Sholtz added 14 points and 10 rebounds and Josh Hickey chipped in with 10 points and six boards as the Class 3A Green Dragons improved to 1-0. ...more

November 24, 2007