Highlands County

The more than 1,200 acres along Fisheating Creek in Highlands County is surrounded on all sides by previously preserved lands.

Florida residents own rights to decide if 5,000 acres of farmland in Charlotte, Hardee, and Highlands counties will ever be developed as part of the Rural and Family Lands program.

They will receive nearly $28.9 million to lay fiber optic cable and improve their broadband infrastructure. Highlands County is getting more than $17.3 million.

The Hendrie Ranch in Highlands County sold a 661-acre conservation easement along the Florida Wildlife Corridor, which will benefit the Florida panther.

Roads neighboring waterways throughout Polk, Highlands, Hardee and DeSoto counties require emergency repair following Hurricane Ian.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, swaths of standing water are creating access issues in rural Highlands, Hardee and DeSoto counties.

Rural areas — including Highlands, DeSoto and Hardee counties — have been hit especially hard, with nearly 100% of customers losing power.

A trio of conservationists trotted off on horseback into the woods of a state park near Sebring Sunday. It was the first leg of a seven-day journey to…

Nearly every part of Florida was affected by Hurricane Irma, including rural Highlands County, where more than 80 percent of the roughly 100,000 residents…