WOKC Local News – January 08, 2026, 7:40 AM
Transcript
WOKC News. More focus on traffic with WOKC News. I’m Charles Murphy. 12 people died in Okeechobee Roads last year. 11 died in 2024. Traffic crashes actually went down 690 in 2024, 648 last year. Sheriff Noel Stevens says traffic problems are pretty persistent around Okeechobee now, even traffic volumes. We’re trying to put 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound sack constantly and with people driving fast, falling too close, distractions, it’s just not a good mix. They noted the increase in traffic and all this construction has hurt deputy response times for calls. Highlands County commissioners extend their burn ban until February 18th. The drought index is over 600 for 79% of the county. The city of Pahokee, working with the new interim manager Tammy Busey, a native and businesswoman of Pahokee. Commissioner James Scott says the community believes in her and he thinks she will do great things for Pahokee. Red light and school bus cameras have been busy in Florida. Larry Gowan with the Florida Department of Transportation says 42 jurisdictions have now installed red light cameras at various intersections. Kristen Arrington told a Senate committee that she supports red light cameras. I love this and I’ve seen that behaviors change in my community because of this now. In politics, gubernatorial candidate and former House Speaker Paul Renner says he will support the property tax reform efforts, but only for Floridians. He says insurance costs are going up for health insurance due to Democratic priorities. That’s Obamacare. It’s got so much regulation. It’s making people pay for things they don’t really want or need in their health insurance on occasion. And so that’s causing everybody’s insurance to go up. Okeechoee Police, Fire, Rescue and the Sheriff’s Office responding after a report of a missing two-year-old child in the 600 block of Southwest 9th Street on Monday night. Turns out the two-year-old was picked up by relatives. The woman says she had knocked on the door, waited, and then for 10 minutes did not get a response and then drove away with the child. The child was returned and DCF and local law enforcement is investigating. There’s been a massive spike in flu cases in Florida in recent weeks. It’s now one of 30 states Florida is to have very high flu activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Updated data showed a 33 percent increase in positive flu cases across the country in just one week in December. Experts say the best ways to prevent contracting or spreading the flu is getting vaccinated and practicing good personal hygiene. Florida is no longer the lightning capital of the U.S. According to a new report, Oklahoma surpassed the Sunshine State, which had dominated the rankings for decades. Experts use new technology involving 1,800 sensors across the U.S., which registered 73 lightning strikes per square mile last year in Oklahoma. Florida still leads the nation in fatal lightning strikes. They had four deaths last year. I’m Charles Murphy, WOKC News.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).