SEBRING – The land acquisition manager for the Highlands County Engineer's office was fired for what county officials described as inappropriate use of her county e-mail account. Kathy Avirett, 32, a county employee since November 2003, was fired June 30 by her boss, county Engineer Ramon Gavarrete. ...more

July 7, 2008

Firefighters saved a downtown Sebring home from a fire early Tuesday morning. ...more

July 2, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY – A Pasco Sheriff's Office spokesman has been honored by his professional peers. ...more

July 1, 2008

An arson suspect who State Fire Marshal investigators say was badly burned at the Rancher's Restaurant fire remained in the Falkenburg Road Jail in Hillsborough County on Thursday, awaiting extradition to Highlands County. Rancher's Restaurant was located at 15765 State Road 70 E., about a quarter mile from the Okeechobee County border. The 40-foot wide by 120-foot long structure was destroyed and the damage was estimated at $178,000, according to the State Fire Marshal's Office. ...more

June 26, 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 – The appeals of the firings of ex-county employees Treasa Handley and Jarod Lee will be heard by new Highlands County Administrator Michael Wright. But the informal hearing process won't be scheduled until after Handley's and Lee's attorney takes depositions from at least four and possibly more county employees. Attorney Jim McCollum, representing the two Office of Management and Budget employees who were fired for sending thousands of personal and inappropriate instant messages on their county computers, has not yet requested a hearing date. Their firings go back more than three months, but McCollum is not rushing to schedule the appeals hearing in front of Wright. Before any hearing is scheduled, McCollum said, he needs to get sworn statements in depositions from several high-ranking county managers and from one ex-county employee, Carl Cool. ...more

June 6, 2008

SEBRING — A new physician is treating patients at the Highlands County Health Department. Dr. Priyamvada Gujjar has been a Highlands County resident since 2003. She started working full time for the health department in March, after a six-month-long search. About 15 patients a day, five days a week, visit with the new doctor. Fees are charged on a sliding scale. All ages may schedule an appointment. Patients with Medicare and private insurance may also visit Gujjar at no charge if they are unable to afford it. ...more

May 23, 2008

CLEARWATER - Even at the most wrenching of moments, as Hulk Hogan testified for his son, his trademark bandana covered his head. ...more

May 10, 2008

SARASOTA - For some local "American Idol" watchers, there is no question Booker High School graduate Syesha Mercado will make the final three tonight. "She will be coming home on Friday for a celebration," declared Mayor Lou Ann Palmer late Tuesday night after watching Syesha sing "Proud Mary" and "A Change Is Gonna Come." ...more

May 7, 2008

Suncoast Parkway users can soon say goodbye to those clunky electronic boxes on their car's windshield. ...more

February 20, 2008