News Update for 3/25/24
It will be double duty for the Avon Park city council tonight. At 5:00 they will sit as the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency Board. Among other things, they will learn about the progress of municipal pickleball courts, the development of a splash pad at Donaldson Park, and the leasing of an office for CRA Cordinator Shawn Holiday at the Avon Park Chamber of Commerce.
At 6:00, the council will commence their regular meeting. They will hear from developer Emilio Garabaldi on his proposal to put a “parkette” in the space formerly occupied by the Wilde Building.
They also will discuss investigation findings reference a complaint filed against City Manager Mark Schrader, and will look at an evaluation form, to rate his first year on the job.
City Councilwoman Bernice Taylor also wants to discuss a request to produce public records. The city clerk has asked for the packet Taylor said she had recieved prior to the last council meeting. Taylor says she wants to know why, and for what the information will be used.
A hit and run accident reportedly has claimed the life of a Sebring man. Florida Highway Patrol reports indicate the 63-year-old cyclist was riding south on Ponce DeLeon Blvd. yesterday morning when he was hit from behind by a car. The cyclist was pronounded dead at the scene.
Troopers say the driver did not stop. However, they later found a suspect vehicle at a nearby condominium. Subsequently, 19-year-old Tavarrius D. Hilton was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident with death.
He was booked into the Highlands County jail.
State Road 64 near the Hardee County line was closed for a time over the weekend due to smoke caused by a brush fire. Local firefighters with the help of the Florida Forestry Service, have been able to contain the flames, which started near Lone Bay Blvd, then jumped the road.
Forestry crews reportedly did some back burns and cut trenches to help contain the flames. Witness reports indicate as much as 60 acres may have been charred in the incident.
No official cause has been listed, but citizen reports say it may have been a burn pile that got away. No injuries were reported, no buildings apparently were damaged.
Motorists be aware, the City of Sebring is implementing a local road closure on East Center Avenue from Circle Park Drive to Wall Street today and tomorrow afternoon.
Today it will run 3:00pm to 6:00pm, while tomorrow it will be shut down from 1:00pm to 7:30pm.
Both closures will include parking restrictions as well as the area from Circle Park Drive to Wall Street being closed.
Drivers will need to take an alternate route.