WOKC Local News – March 16, 2026, 7:40 AM
Transcript
WOKC News. Celebrating 75 years with WOKC News, I’m Charles Murphy. The Spring PRCA Rodeo this weekend in Okeechobee. They began the tradition back in Labor Day in 1951. Okeechobee County Commissioners thanked the Cattlemen’s Association for all their support of rodeo and what they do in the community. John Williams accepted the proclamation, calling it an important milestone and a long tradition for Okeechobee. The whole idea of this came about from the Cattlemen, you know, as part of what they did on their ranches, and the history of rodeo, and most people know it, came about that way. But in Okeechobee, it’s been a partnership with everybody else, the commissioners, the city council, all the other entities in town that are non-profits. The Speckled Perch Festival begins this weekend as well. We’ll have a parade tomorrow morning, and the county fair is beginning tonight at 5. 18th District Congressman Scott Franklin admits he’s a bit amazed at the interest in the Jeffrey Epstein case. He says it is a court issue that must be decided by the courts and not the court of public opinion. He says some unfairly have been accused of wrongdoing. But, you know, now we have people being tried in the court of public opinion, even if there was never any real evidence to show that they had done anything wrong. A slaughterhouse being considered near Port Myakka is gaining the attention of guardians of Martin County. They want the county to take more of an active role in fighting this. Greg Braun says Martin County agreed to host a public hearing in February on the project. He’s worried it’ll impact the water that’s discharged around Lake Okeechobee. Highlands County voters may be considering land conservation on this year’s ballot. The North Florida Land Trust was given approval to do a poll on conservation. The county currently has 36% of its land in conservation. The trust would like to see 56%. Alicia Dietrich spoke in favor of the conservation program. At the very least, let the process continue and put it to the people. Let the whole county come out and vote. Those that aren’t able to come out during a workday, that can’t miss it, that need to be out there taking care of what just happened with this cold front. Allow them the chance to express their opinion. Ken Keck says things are changing rapidly in rural Florida and this might be a way to stop unnecessary growth. What we do know is that landscapes in Highlands County, important landscapes, are disappearing and the citizens know that and the citizens see that every day. Another data center has been proposed in western St. Lucie County. Atlas Compute, a Miami-based startup business, would like to build the facility in the Midway Industrial Park. Sources say the project is so big and would demand so much electricity, it would have to build their own power plant. I’m Charles Murphy, WOKC News.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).