News Update for 10/30/23

It appears to have been a safe and sane Haloween weekend, there were many trunk-or-treat events, a couple of scary Halloween Mazes and the traditional Beggars night. All apparently went off without incident. Law enforcement had no traffic accidents, structure fires, significant disputes or other such incidents to report.
But Halloween’s not over yet. The Lake Placid Halloween Block Party will be held tomorrow evening on the traditional October 31 Halloween date. There also will be a trunk-or-treat tomorrow evening in Highway Park.

Area law enforcement officials are warning people to be aware that scammers again are working the phones. In fact, they say, it never seems to stop.
Highlands County Sheriff’s officials say someone is calling people claiming to be one of their sergeants and saying people need to call about an “urgent” matter.
This is not true and you can ignore the call if you get one.
Lake Wales police say they are dealing with a similar scam, aimed at local businesses. In this one, they pressure employees to get money from the register or safe, to send to the caller to correct a so-called problem.
In all those instances, the money heads overseas and disappears.

A Polk County man is accused of pointing a gun at a state trooper. Auburndale’s Matthew Reiter was arrested yesterday. FHP says the 32-year-old was driving on SR 570 when he became agitated that traffic was moving slowly.
At one point, he allegedly pulled a gun and pointed it a driver in another car.
The other driver turned out to be an off-duty FHP trooper in his personal car with his family. Reiter was later arrested at his home. He’s facing charges that include aggravated assault with a weapon.