News Cast for August 17th:
Watch the school buses
Okeechobee is among school districts that will be installing cameras on bus stop arms to crack down on reckless driving.
The fine for passing a stopped school bus is $225.
It is more common than you might think.
Assistant Superintendent Dylan Tedders said motorists need to slow down and use caution around school buses.
“Maybe those drivers don’t have kids. Maybe they don’t understand what’s at risk when they fly through. Be cautious. There are more buses on the road. Young drivers at the high school will be on the roads.”
They will also be installing cameras in school zones to stop speeding.
Okeechobee Sheriff Noel Stephen is on board with the school bus cameras.
“My deputies will be concentrating on school zone and school bus safety this year. There are cameras we can buy to put in the school zones and on the school bus arms.”
They would have to do investigations in certain cases and make sure they have the right driver, and not necessarily the registered owner of the vehicle.
The video from the cameras are admissible in court should a driver contest the ticket.
Prosecutors said video will certainly help them get convictions for these traffic charges.
A high speed chase reached over 100 miles an hour between Clewiston and Lakeport.
Hendry and Glades County deputies took part and the suspect stops on route 78 after somebody threw a large bag of marijuana out the passenger window.
34 bags were found near the traffic stop that weighed 644 grams.
19-year-old Carlos Bedolla of Winter Garden faces charges that include fleeing and attempting to elude, driving without a license, and tampering with evidence.
His bond was $25,500.
The US Army Corp of Engineers didn’t change the summer time policy with Lake Okeechobee releases this week. They likely aren’t going to until the lake reaches 16.5 feet.
Col. Jamie Booth said the lake is about 30 inches higher this year than it was last August.
“We are not in a great place but were not as bad as a lot of people thought. We have a heavy hurricane season and will have more. We are doing okay with the current strategy and I’m comfortable where we are at, but we are going to keep watching it.”
He said there are few places to send water south this summer due to heavy rains south of the lake.
Aldi’s is buying out Winn-Dixie.
Some 4 hundred stores will be bought in Florida and the Southeast.
It is not expected that any stores will close. Some could continue to use the Winn-Dixie brand.