01

The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office began promoting the 9 p.m. Routine in August of 2017. One year later, it seems to be working. A comparison of vehicle burglaries from Aug. 15, 2016 to July 31, 2017 (the year before the 9 p.m. Routine began locally) with the same time frame in 2017-18 shows a decrease in vehicle burglaries from 517 to 318 -- a 38.5 percent drop after the 9 p.m. Routine posts began. “The 9 p.m. Routine has been successful, but it is just part of what has led to the decrease

August

2018

01

La palma enana americana, que crece en abundancia en el Condado de Highlands y es un remedio natural popular para problemas de próstata, ha sido durante mucho tiempo el centro de controversia ya que los recolectores a menudo acceden ilegalmente a tierras para cosechar las bayas. Una nueva ley establece que es un delito menor cosechar las bayas sin un permiso, incluso en su propia tierra, si planea transportar o vender las bayas, que son una parte clave de la dieta del oso negro de Florida. No

August

2018

01

The saw palmetto berry, which grows in abundance in Highlands County and is a popular natural remedy for prostate issues, has long been the center of controversy as harvesters often illegally access lands to harvest the berries. A new law makes it a misdemeanor to harvest the berries without a permit -- even on your own land -- if you plan on transporting or selling the berries, which are a key part of the diet of the Florida black bear. There is no fee associated with the application or the

August

2018

24

We are less than a month before the end of summer break for students, but we are still quite a ways off from the end what is known as the 100 Deadliest Days for teen drivers. The 100 Deadliest Days begin on Memorial Day and last until Labor Day (Sept. 3 this year). According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), deadly crashes involving a teen driver go up by 14 percent during these 100 days. We Save Lives, another highway safety advocate group, says the increase is actually 26 percent.

July

2018

24

Highlands County Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating Robert James “Jimmy” Wells, owner of Wells Roofing in Lake Placid, and so far have filed seven felony charges against him in relation to his business practices, but believe there could be more victims. Florida statute makes it a crime for a contractor to accept more than 10 percent as a deposit and not pull a permit within 30 days of taking the deposit. The contractor then has 90 days from the date the permit is pulled to begin

July

2018