Tim Ruskell resigned as president and general manager of the Seattle Seahawks and was replaced by Ruston Webster, the team's vice president of player personnel. Both previously served as executives together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. ...more

December 3, 2009

Investigations into marijuana grow houses discovered and dismantled in Highlands County in 2007 took one step forward when authorities announced the arrest of four Miami suspects alleged to be the owners of the homes. ...more

October 28, 2009

The drying room at the Highlands County Sheriff's Office is filled with 62 seven-foot tall marijuana plants with an estimated weight of 550 pounds and a value of $420,000. ...more

October 10, 2008

The Florida Department of Corrections plans to add 80 beds to the Avon Park Correctional Institute's work camp, a spokeswoman said. ...more

July 29, 2008

MANATEE COUNTY — Sheriff's officials arrested 11 people in a raid Thursday night that they say broke up a loose-knit but active drug gang. ...more

May 9, 2008

LAKE PLACID — Six Lake Placid residents of Cuban citizenship were arrested Thursday in three separate growhouse busts by the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. ...more

February 23, 2008

Columbia Restaurant owner Richard Gonzmart thought he was blessed in 2006 when someone returned a stolen bronze bust of his mother about a month after it vanished from outside the landmark Ybor City restaurant. ...more

February 5, 2008

When she closes her eyes, college sophomore Courtney Ioane can visualize the statue of Bruce Lee that she wants erected on the University of Washington campus. ...more

December 30, 2007

SEBRING — Highlands County Animal Control is looking a bit like Old McDonald's Farm these days, due to the recent series of marijuana growhouse busts. Animal control recently picked up 15 sheep following a growhouse raid by the sheriff's office. The day after the sheep were impounded, workers at animal control discovered they had a 16th sheep in their care. "Overnight, one of the sheep gave birth, and we have a baby lamb here now, too," said Darryl Scott, animal control director. Pens and pasture areas at the county facility are also sheltering three horses, three large hogs, four rabbits, a chicken, two yearling cows, and an 8-foot-long Burmese python. Many, but far from all, of these animals came into the county's care from growhouse raids. ...more

December 7, 2007

SEBRING — Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton is excited to talk about her office's new $11.1 million law enforcement facility that is scheduled to begin construction next year off of West George Boulevard, just west of U.S. 27, in south Sebring. "(The new facility) will be an important development, which will help with the health and safety of our staff," said Benton. On Wednesday afternoon, Benton, along with several employees from the sheriff's office, were present for a meeting in front of new site-facility designer Architects Design Group Inc., of Winter Park, at the DeSoto City Volunteer Fire Department station. ...more

December 6, 2007