The Okeechobee City Council heard from the Heartland Coalition for the Homeless who provide rental assistance for those in danger of becoming homeless and facing evictions or foreclosure.
Brenda Gray told the council that the coalition spent $72,000 in 2024, and $100,000 in 2023 in Okeechobee County.
Ann Gaines told the council they should consider allowing tiny homes to solve the housing shortage.
“Everybody can get into a tiny home for $30,000-$40,000. It is better than nothing.”
Mayor Dowling Watford said he was happy they helped 99 people last year and 85 people the year before.
US Senator Ashley Moody would like more federal support and collaboration to fight the growing problem of elder abuse and elder fraud.
One in 10 Florida seniors will experience elder abuse and only about seven percent of those cases ever get reported to law enforcement and or the department of children and families.
The senior population is now over 5 million in Florida.
Moody spoke about creating a senior protection team at the federal level like she did in Florida in 2019.
Moody spoke before the Senate Ageing Special Committee.
“We started working with elder organizations across the state of Florida and tried to come up with new ways to not only identify the bad actors but actually hold them accountable and put them in jail. Many times, we recognize there’s victimization, but we never do the follow-up or the follow-through, and those people go on to victimize many other people.”
Florida plans to further restrict SNAP purchases.
They want to stop allowing the purchase of unnecessary food items that can be purchased with food stamps. The items to be cut include sodas, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts.
Supporters said the move promotes healthier choices and better use of taxpayer dollars.
A Kenansville man is charged with drunk driving after he allegedly caused a crash on the Norfolk Parkway in West Melbourne.
West Melbourne Police said Tucker May, 23, was found at fault in the crash and admitted to consuming alcohol.
His blood alcohol level was over three times the legal limit at .25.
The arrest report said May also made verbal threats to kill the other driver.
Police said May was transported to Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital for treatment of non life-threatening injuries.
An investigation is underway after a small boy got his hands on marijuana gummies in an Okeechobee residence.
Okeechobee County Sheriff Deputies said the uncle of the boy was visiting the home and left his marijuana gummies on the couch.
The boys father saw the gummies and opted to place them in the cabinets over the counter so the son could not reach them.
He was distracted by cleaning another area of the home and returned to find the cabinet door open and a chair moved next to the counter.
The son became unresponsive and Okeechobee County Fire Rescue responded. Deputies said the child was alert and breathing and being treated by EMS when they arrived.
Paramedics were able to assist the boy and transported him to HCA Raulerson Hospital.
Okeechobee County Sheriff Deputies were tipped off about a large fight about to happen behind the Brim Room at 105 US 98 north on August 2.
An incident report from Okeechobee County Sheriff Deputies said they responded with seven deputies to handle the situation.
They found 10-20 individuals both male and female involved in a physical altercation in the parking lot.
The group ignored direction from lawmen to cease and disperse. Deputies had armed themselves with pepper ball launchers and deployed four to five rounds of pepper ball ammunition into the area.
After deployment deputies said the individuals ceased fighting and rapidly dispersed from the area.
Deputies said they did not make any arrests or identify who was fighting and did not pursue the suspects.
They note the pepper balls was appropriate and ended the altercation without any injuries.