News Update for 6/27/23
Avon Park city council members, sitting as the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency board, have called for a special meeting with their advisory board to discuss how to disperse Tax Increment Financing money in the wake of the Florida Legislature’s action restricting how that money can be spent.
Because the state has cracked down on financing special events, the city is looking at building playgrounds, parks and perhaps even an amphitheater for public use.
Avon Park Mayor Garrett Anderson noted that CRA’s also are allowed to spend the money on maintenance of such facilities.
A Fort Meyers man wanted for taking money from a Sebring woman’s estate, has been located and arrested – in Nevada. According to reports, 61-year-old Gary Gene Campbell had been given power of attorney in the affairs of the victim. However, sheriff’s detectives say Campbell continued to transfer money from her accounts into his, even after her death.
In all, he’s accused of taking nearly $450,000.
Campbell has been charged with counts of grand theft, fraud and exploitation of the elderly.
A Highlands County resident found the benefits of having a home fire extinguisher yesterday, when their dryer caught fire. Units from Desoto City responded to the call on Hampshire drive. There they found the homeowner already had extinguished the flames.
Local fire officials urge residents to have an ABC Dry Powder extingusher handy in the house in case of a dryer or other kind of fire.
A family described as “a cancer” in their community is facing drug trafficking charges in Winter Haven.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced yesterday that 12 people were arrested in a drug sweep. The ages of those arrested range from 15 to 69.
Investigators say they seized enough fentanyl to kill over 95-thousand people. The alleged leader of the drug ring and several other suspects are members of the Rogers family.
Judd says they have been a cancer in the Inwood community since the 1980s, and they have exposed families there to unwanted drug activity, gangs, violence and more.