The future of Hyde Park Village might be cloudier than ever. A day after Tampa City Council members failed to vote conclusively after 6 1/2 hours of debate about plans to revitalize the 20-year-old shopping area, it still was unclear what would happen next. ...more

December 15, 2007

Neighbors packed city hall Thursday night to once again debate a $100 million makeover for Hyde Park Village, a project touted as the kiss of life for the struggling shopping area. ...more

December 14, 2007

AVON PARK — Anyone needing some Christmas cheer needn't look further than their own neighbors. Two Avon Park residents have welcomed the public to their front yards to enjoy lighting displays, with show times from now until the holiday. Rob Jordan's display, at the corner of East Winthrop Street and North Lake Verona Boulevard, has shows nightly at 7, 7:30, 8 and 8:30 p.m. Richard Reinhardt's display, at the corner of North Bowden Road and Tyler Avenue, has shows nightly at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Jordan used to help his mother put up lights every year but his year, he decided to step up the effort in her large corner lot. "I definitely took it to the extreme this year," Jordan said about his 20,000-light display. ...more

December 4, 2007

Residents aren't willing to take no for an answer. They want speed tables on 21st Avenue. ...more

November 24, 2007

The war over Ward Street has ended. A portion of the road between Kennedy Boulevard and Cleveland Street will be closed when Porter Development redevelops the Brazzeal Goodyear Tire shop into a four-story office and retail project that will include a Publix grocery store and fitness center. ...more

November 17, 2007

AVON PARK — Residents throughout Avon Park and Sebring have probably noticed more noise than usual in the sky this week. Troops ended a large-scale training exercise Monday at Avon Park Air Force Range for air-to-ground missions. Although this exercise involved bomb replicas, live bombs will be dropped at the range in less than a year. Jim Brantley, spokesman for U.S. Fleet Forces Command, said a bid for a contractor to construct the infrastructure for dropping live bombs will be awarded in about five weeks. Land clearing and construction on towers and instrumentation will start in January 2008. ...more

October 31, 2007

All three incorporated areas in Highlands County will celebrate Halloween trick or treat tonight. Sebring residents should expect guests from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday. Lake Placid ghosts, ghouls and goblins will be on the streets from 5 to 8:30 p.m. The Fall Festival in DeVane Park will attract elementary aged children from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Avon Park residents will experience more super heroes than usual on Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. ...more

October 27, 2007

Trick-Or-Treat Set For Saturday All three incorporated areas in Highlands County will celebrate Halloween trick-or-treat on Saturday, Oct. 27. Sebring residents should expect guests from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday. Lake Placid ghosts, ghouls and goblins will be on the streets from 5 to 8:30 p.m. The Fall Festival in DeVane Park will attract elementary-aged children from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Avon Park residents will experience more super heroes than usual on Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. Harvest of Treats In The Downtown SEBRING — Downtown merchants will celebrate Harvest of Treats on Friday, Oct. 26. Preschoolers will be able to trick-or-treat from 10 a.m. to noon and elementary school students will collect candy from 2 to 4 p.m. ...more

October 25, 2007

Many Tiki Village mobile home park residents in Holiday no longer will be left twisting in the wind. ...more

October 11, 2007

How to make Avon Park grow has been the single biggest issue city leaders have grappled with for a while. That it will continue to be as important was evident at a recent Avon Park City Council candidate forum organized by a civil rights group –– the League of United Latin American Citizens. Those who expected race issues and the landlord ordinance to be discussed were surprised to instead find candidates being asked their opinion on growth matters. One of the organizers, who is Hispanic, emphasized to Highlands Today that fostering "unity" and growth are two of Avon Park's biggest challenges. He said he wanted to live in a vibrant, growing community where his kids wouldn't have to leave to look for jobs. Another member said he didn't want Avon Park to become another low-income community. ...more

October 8, 2007