By placing 88 small crosses on lockers in their school's main hallway on Thursday, a few Lake Placid High School students want to illustrate the message that 88 people die each day in Florida from smoking-related causes. ...more

November 17, 2009

The board of trustees of Glades Electric Cooperative (GEC) has unanimously voted at their August and September meetings to immediately pass along to members 100 percent of the fuel savings from GEC's power provider - Seminole Electric. ...more

September 27, 2009

Highlands County will receive $302,000 to help the homeless. The grant comes from a $1.5 billion federal stimulus fund, said Richard Reinhardt, executive director of Highlands County Coalition for the Homeless. ...more

March 27, 2009

Democrat Scott K. Thompson decided to run for state Senate when he saw friends leaving Central Florida for better jobs in Tennessee and the Carolinas. ...more

October 19, 2008

Frank Gibbs, executor director of the Heartland Educational Consortium (HEC), has received the Lamp of Knowledge Award, given each year to one person in the state who has made an outstanding contribution to public education. ...more

August 18, 2008

Riverside Bank has announced a sweepstakes in which one person will win $5,000 in free gas. The contest was started in response to high gas prices and a slumping economy. ...more

July 27, 2008

HIGHLANDS COUNTY — A burn victim was charged Tuesday in connection with an arson fire that burned down the Rancher's Restaurant early Sunday morning, said Lt. Brandon Ball, with the State Fire Marshal's Office. Robert Lee Marcum, 34, of Okeechobee, was arrested after a warrant was issued for his arrest, prior to Marcum's release from a Tampa General Hospital burn unit and being charged with arson and burglary, Ball said. ...more

June 24, 2008

HIGHLANDS COUNTY — A fire that burned down the Rancher restaurant early Sunday morning was set deliberately, according to Sam Venzeio, State Fire Marshal spokesman. The 40-foot-wide-by-120-foot-long eatery was located at 15765 State Road 70, on the border of Highlands and Okeechobee counties, he said. The fire was called in at 1:12 a.m. Sunday. "We have developed a person of interest," Venzeio said Monday. "But, we're not releasing any name." One man, who is not a firefighter, was hospitalized at Okeechobee Hospital with serious burns and later was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital. His condition was unknown. ...more

June 23, 2008

SEBRING — Sebring resident Cynthia Hearn picked up a free month's rent courtesy of Riverside Bank. A presentation to the winner of Riverside Bank's "Live One Month Free on Us" sweepstakes was held recently at Riverside's Sebring office. "I can't believe it," said Hearn. "I can really use the additional funds this month." "All of us at Riverside Bank are excited about helping out Ms. Hearn and her two puppies," said Sophia Peavy, Riverside's Sebring office manager. "By eliminating the responsibility of a month's rent payment, Cynthia can use her funds toward paying off other bills or whatever else she wishes to use the money for. It's Riverside's way of showing we care about the citizens in our home towns, especially in this economy. " ...more

February 23, 2008

Highlands County officials have every right to be upset with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. That's because he's apparently broke his promise to Highlands County and every other "fiscally constrained" county in Florida that will take a big tax hit. The citizens of Highlands County should be just as upset and make sure the governor's office knows about it. ...more

February 21, 2008