Two Okeechobee residents died in a crash on Berman Road Monday afternoon.
The Florida Highway Patrol said rain and wet roads might have played a role in the factor.
The deaths were a 44-year-old Okeechobee man and a 22-year-old Okeechobee woman.
The driver of a west bound Chevrolet SUV lost control and entered into the east bound lane where it collided with a 2003 Freightliner driven by a 27 year old Okeechobee man.
Troopers said both vehicles went on fire after impact. The truck driver was not injured.
Senator Erin Grall plans to support the Rural Renaissance plan that is likely to be reintroduced by Senate President Ben Albritton.
Grall said she would like to see an expansion in rural health care.
“We try to work on partnerships and be very creative. We’d like to see some access (to health care) maybe not a 24 hour walk in clinic, but we need to help people connect people to services available.”
There still is no doctors office in Glades County.
Grall said there are opportunities for doctors in Florida and there is a shortage of them.
“There are so many more opportunities for doctor residency in Florida. It does take the public a few years sometimes for programs to ramp up.”
Okeechobee County unemployment rates grew from 4.8 percent in July to 5.1 percent in August. Last August the rate was 4.6 percent.
The Department of Commerce said Okeechobee’s labor force grew from 16,254 in July to 16,401 in August. The number of employed people increased from 15,466 in July to 15,559 in August. The report said there were 788 residents who collected jobless benefits in July compared to 842 in August.
Around the region Glades County had 6.5 percent, Highlands County 6.5 percent, Indian River 5.6 percent, St. Lucie 5.1 percent, Martin County 4.7 percent, and Osceola County 4.4 percent.
The Okeechobee Utility Authority Board approved their annual budget. It calls for four percent rate hikes for water and sewer this year.
The utility said it had a projected shortfall of $29 million in capital projects over the next five years. They include projects like the SW 5th Avenue sewer project and Treasure Island sewer.
They intend to seek grants for these projects.
A former employee at Everglades Youth Academy is charged with having a sexual relationship with a juvenile serving his sentence at the facility.
The child was 16 years old at the time and the employee was 32 years old.
Marisela Robollar Carrillo Millan faces one charge of sexual activity with a minor.
The arrest affidavit said the facility provided camera footage where the employee constantly entered into unit 4 where the child was, even after being ordered not to do so by superiors.
The Okeechobee sheriff’s office detective also got leads and evidence from a cell phone that was introduced into the facility illegally.
The victim was cooperating with the investigation.
The woman became pregnant with the teenager’s child after he was released from the facility.
The Bluefield Ranch Preserve in western St. Lucie County is closed through Thursday for a prescribed fire.
St. Lucie County’s Environmental Resources Department, and the St. Lucie County Fire District plan to burn 150 acres as a way to help train new firefighters.
The 3,285 acre facility is popular for wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts and offers more than 20 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.
The burns improve habitat and reduce vegetation to reduce the risk of large wildfires in the future.
The preserve is scheduled to reopen on Friday.