News Cast 1/26

ByTaylor

January 25, 2024

News Cast for January 26th:

A St. Lucie jury convicted Arianna Colon of Okeechobee in the traffic death of 10-year-old Yazeny Rodriguez.

She faces up to 45 years in prison for vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident involving death.

The 25-year-old admitted she drove recklessly but claimed she didn’t see the child strike her vehicle and windshield that morning.

She blamed the dark for the lack of visibility.

Prosecutors said she did make a call to a boyfriend 30 seconds after the crash and never slowed down.

She also called a mechanic she knew.

She thought she hit a pothole. She said she panicked and became emotionally distraught after learning on social media that the child had died.

She later turned herself in and cooperated with law enforcement.

Among arrests..

Samuel Clarke was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.

Campers in Viking claim a truck was doing donuts and tried to run over the tent they were camping in and a verbal altercation took place at a four-mile mudhole off NW 304th Street.

Clarke allegedly got out of the vehicle and fired shots at the victim.

The victims fled and a chase ensued. A Glock pistol was seized by deputies after a traffic stop.

There were no injuries reported.

Bond was $10,000.

Okeechobee County Commissioners approved 187 new homes on Charles Harvey Highway.

They approved over 600 homes across the street last year.

They also will allow some neighborhood commercial on land between Home Depot and Palm Creek Estates.

Chairman David Hazellief continues to push for a 4 lane road from 441 south to South East 18th Terrace.

He had some reservations about the rezoning without getting some concessions from the developer on this road and other impacts the development will have.

The county will also look at drafting restrictions on pan handling.

197 pros and 197 co anglers took to Lake Okeechobee for the Toyota Series tournament.

Defending champion Hessie Mizell caught 24 pounds 8 ounces to hold a small lead after day one.

Kyle Wieczork of Nokomis was just two ounces behind.

The top locals on the leader board are Rafe Sexton in 11th place with 18 pounds.

Justin Morgan was in 22nd place with 15 pounds 9 ounces of bass.

Sexton and Morgan reside in Okeechobee.

The cleaning of the water from the Everglades Agriculture Area reservoir is coming into focus.

State officials and dignitaries celebrated a ribbon cutting on one of three cells for the storm water treatment area on Thursday.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the Everglades restoration has come a long way in the past 10 years. He recounted how many people didn’t think these improvements were possible.

Water treatment has been a priority for the DeSantis administration. He has budgeted another $1.6 billion for the Everglades in this year’s state budget proposal.

ByTaylor