The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wants to take action on Lake Okeechobee.
Board member Josh Kellam supported a halt on chemical spraying in the lake but opted to wait until February so the commission can put together a committee that solely considers Lake Okeechobee issues and projects.
The commission meeting in Belle Glade, heard from 15 public speakers including professional fisherman Scott Martin, former chair of the Lake Okeechobee Coalition Karson Turner, fishing guides, and environmentalists on the need to improve Lake Okeechobee’s water quality.
The committee would include many stakeholders including the Seminole and Miccosukee Indian Tribes.
The state said they were able to have a successful drawdown of the lake this year. They added 24,000 acres of submerged vegetation this summer.
Okeechobee County Commissioners have been following the O’Bannon case over the issue of access to private property.
Chairman David Hazellief contends the case has the potential to impact a lot of county roads and access to private properties.
He said the county wants to help a constituent maintain legal access to property they own which is a legal right in Florida.
The commission held an executive session last month to discuss strategies and responses.
The Martin County Commission approved a list of 16 properties to purchase for conservation.
On the list is the former Turnpike Dairy property located on Fox Brown Road. The dairy measures 488 acres and is primarily used for cattle pasture today.
The county would like to work with the Florida Department of Agriculture Rural and Family Lands program to conserve the property with some state funding.
The federal government shutdown may continue to affect operations at Orlando International Airport. The FAA announced it will reduce the number of flights at 40 airports by about 10 percent starting today.
ABC News reported OIA officials had not been notified and couldn’t confirm the move.
The FAA said the reductions will ease pressure on airports dealing with a shortage of air traffic controllers.
Travel experts agree it will be a nightmare to travel by airplane for Thanksgiving if the federal government has not been reopened.
Morgan and Morgan attorneys announced a $3.7 million jury verdict in Highlands County in a traffic crash negligence case.
The plaintiff was a 65-year-old Florida man who was injured in a tractor trailer crash near 721 and State Road 70 on June 23, 2021.
The litigation claimed the defendant fell asleep at the wheel and caused a near head on collision.
The plaintiff suffered nerve damage to his arm and also neck and back injuries and required multiple surgeries.
The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad were able to safely collect and remove grenades found at a residence in Douglas Park Wednesday.
A brief from the sheriffs office said they investigated the incident at noon on a lost and found property complaint.
A person hired to clean the home after an eviction said they located a grenade and left it on a table behind the home.
Three grenades were ultimately collected and safely disposed of.