U.S. Sugar Profile Founded in 1931 by Charles Stewart Mott, U.S. Sugar is one of the largest producers of sugar and citrus in the country. The privately held company employs 1,700 people and owns and farms more than 187,000 acres in Hendry, Glades and Palm Beach counties. In addition to sugar and citrus, the company owns a short-line railroad called the South Central Florida Express. The railroad includes 159 miles of track and 14 locomotives that transport lumber, paper, citrus and sugar. ...more

June 25, 2008

The Fourth of July is by far our favorite summertime holiday. We may not be wearing red, white and blue bobby socks on a daily basis, or even flying the American flag from our porch, but we are very patriotic. ...more

June 24, 2008

SEBRING – The search for an executive director for Florida's Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative will contine Monday, June 2 when the selection committee meets in Sebring. Six candidates for the position are scheduled to be interviewed, according to Roger Hood, who is a member of the committee. The FHREDI board of directors' regular meeting will be held Monday, June 16 at the Agri-Civic Center in Sebring. A recommendation will likely be made from the committee to the board at that time. Following the retirement of Lynn Topel earlier this year, the board advertised the position. The committee chose three candidates to be interviewed and offered the position to the top two, but both declined. Salary might have been an issue with those two individuals, according to Hood, who is also a member of the board. ...more

May 31, 2008

Jaimie Hendry was standing on a downtown corner, waiting to cross the street, when she caught a glimpse of the vehicle that would change the course of her trip. ...more

May 27, 2008

Jaimie Hendry was standing on the corner, waiting to cross the street, when she caught a glimpse of the vehicle that would change the course of her trip. ...more

May 25, 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

SEBRING – Before last weekend, it had been four years since Lynn Topel had taken a bike ride. Topel also loves gardening but there has been no time for that either. However, that will soon change for the executive director of Florida's Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative (FHREDI). Topel will be leaving her position after four years in leading the organization that covers six counties – Highlands, Okeechobee, Glades, Hendry, DeSoto and Hardee – as well as communities in Palm Beach and Collier counties. In the first two years on the job, 80-hour weeks were the norm for Topel because of the devastating impact from the hurricanes – especially Charley – had on the region. "I can tell you that those weeks were long," she said. "Now it's gotten much better. This past year has been much more normal – 40 to 50-hour weeks. But it also took those two years to create those relationships all through the state that are important to the region." ...more

January 13, 2008

A 6-year-old in Lake Wales was accidentally shot in the abdomen by his 12-year-old brother who was unloading a .22-caliber rifle Wednesday night, Polk County Sheriff's Office said. ...more

January 9, 2008

SEBRING — David Poteat is proud of his family's Southern heritage, and he and other local people have formed a group to research and tell stories of their Confederate roots. He also understands that some people have preconceived notions about his group that are far from the truth. Poteat is quick to point out that a new Highlands County chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans is "in no way a hate organization." In fact, the group has fought alleged hate groups in court who have used Confederate themes to spread their agenda, he adds. ...more

December 13, 2007

SEBRING — The Florida Department of Environmental Protection plans to open a Highlands County office early next year. The space at 2812 Kenilworth Blvd., the former Christians in Action Center, has already been leased, said spokesman Elijah Fleishauer. The office will be open in January or February. Seven people, including clerks and specialists, will be hired or moved to Sebring, Fleishauer said. Specialists will work in three DEP areas: waste, water and air. "We're working on hiring right now," Fleishauer said. Some positions have already been filled. To fund the Sebring office, the Fort Myers district saved more than 4 percent of its budget last year, and didn't fill positions in that office. ...more

December 10, 2007