WOKC Local News – November 27, 2025, 7:40 AM
Transcript
WOKC News. Helping small business with WOKC News. I’m Charles Murphy. Okeechobee City Council proclaimed this Saturday, November 29th, as Small Business Saturday. It features downtown businesses. Of course, today is Black Friday. Small Business Saturday is a national program encouraging people to shop local and support their small businesses and economy. Rollins University economics professor Mark Johnson says this time of year is very important to small retail business. He says small businesses rely on these campaigns. So for them, that last two months of the year, the last six weeks of the year are very important to their overall profitability for the entire year. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeyer is urging state lawmakers to increase penalties for operating illegal gambling businesses from a misdemeanor to a felony. Uthmeyer says illegal gambling often brings other crimes. It’s time to ensure that the consequences for this illicit behavior correspond with the dangers it brings into our communities. Over the last year, we’ve taken down numerous large-scale gambling operations that have spanned in the tens of millions of dollars. A heightened penalty will give us and law enforcement the tools to hold these wrongdoers accountable. Okeechobee itself has had several illegal gambling operations this year. One was shut down in August, leading to one arrest and the seizure of six gaming machines. In April, six gas stations were sighted in Okeechobee and over a dozen illegal machines seized. The Okeechobee City Council honored the Okeechobee Brahmin FFA Chapter for community service. They worked to improve the Butterfly Square Garden in Okeechobee and a butler among those that was honored. For the past couple years now, the Okeechobee FFA alumni has now been putting on the Blue and Gold Ball, which helps raise money for trips, whether it’s help provide jackets for members that can’t afford it, to helping us provide money to be able to go to these competitions. One hundred and five homes are now under construction at Mallard Landing in northwest Okeechobee City, and the city continues to churn out permits. The price tag are near $300,000 per home. City Administrator Gary Ritter says it’s been a good thing for the city. That provides more housing for folks in our community, and you know we’ve always said we have a housing crisis here. The city also expects to see 40 apartment units built at Glenwood Apartments on two city blocks in the northeast section before long. The village of Indiantown has asked for more financial support from the state. They want to upgrade and replace their water plant to meet the needs of new growth. Carmine DiPaolo is mayor in Indiantown. We’ve got some yellow water, and we also need to start working on our infrastructure. There’s going to be an ask to finish the water plant and to get started on replacing our deteriorating infrastructure. Martin County also asking their state lawmakers for more state funding to widen 710-4 lanes between Indiantown and Okeechobee. I’m Charles Murphy, WOKC News.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).