WOKC Local News – May 04, 2026, 7:40 AM
Transcript
WOKC News. No criminal case with WOKC News. I’m Charles Murphy, the state attorney in the 19 judicial circuit will not file charges in the shooting of a four year old child in a home in Okeechobee March 31st. Assistant state attorney Ashley Albright said after consultant with police detectives and a thorough review of the facts, statutory requirements and relevant case law, it’s concluded both parents were negligent, but the evidence is insufficient to establish culpable negligence as required under Florida law. The child had gotten access to a handgun that had been unsecured in the home and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Martin County continues to debate what to do about off-road vehicles. They’ve been damaging Palmar and creating some hazards there. There are some in the commission that would like to create some acreage for ATV and other off-road vehicle use in the county. Commission chair Sarah Hurd says there still are many dangerous confrontation in Palmar, which is southeast of Indian Town. A lot of armed conflict there. We’ve heard from trailside people about guns being used there, target practice, bullets hitting barns and fences in trailside. So we need armed enforcement. Hurd would like more code enforcement and armed deputies patrolling the area. Okeechobee County honored Gabriel Gonzalez, commander of the Public Safety Cadet Program with Fire Rescue, the Sheriff at Okeechobee High School. He earned a trip to Washington, D.C. thanks to Glades Electric. And honestly, just all the experiences with the Fire CT program with the cadets, it’s really helped build character and really just opened my eyes to what the real world is. Alligator mating season is in full bloom. The mating season actually begins in May or June. This is kind of the courtship for alligators. Female alligators are capable of laying dozens of eggs by late June or early July. It means that alligators will be more active, making it especially important for residents and visitors to remain alert when they are near water. A Palm Beach County woman, Corinne Blue, is charged with vehicular homicide in the Southern Boulevard crash 18 months ago that killed three Palm Beach County Sheriff deputies. He’s facing three counts of vehicular homicide. The owner of an Okeechobee boat business is in trouble with the law in Highlands County. Fifty-eight-year-old James McKay was charged with organized fraud and three counts of grand theft this week. The 10 Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office said he agreed to produce three custom boats valued at between $65,000 and $80,000 in the last two or three years, but never delivered those boats to the customer. Okeechobee County Commissioners are porting Bowtech as they want to lease eight additional lots in the industrial park. The proposed Silver Fox 606 data center was scrapped in Indiantown yesterday. It’s the second data center scrapped in the last week, as we know in Okeechobee. One was scrapped here a week ago by the state at the former boys’ school. I’m Charles Murphy, WKC News.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).