WOKC Local News – July 10, 2026, 7:40 AM
Transcript
WOKC News. Sentence could be cut in half. With WOKC News, I’m Charles Murphy. A judge will determine Friday if Shannon Vinson can get out of prison. He was behind the wheel in 2003, killing two people in a motorcycle in a violent crash on 441 Southeast. Carl Pethybridge and Robin Rollerson of Indian Town died instantly. Vinson is serving a 45-year prison sentence, but he wants out after 22 years. Vinson was drunk and fled the scene. He admitted in court that he destroyed three families. My children lost their father. My mother died while I was in prison. I couldn’t be there for her. These are burdens I carry with me daily. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of Carl and Robin. I beg God to bring them back, even ask him to take me instead. State Representative David Smith is in Vinson’s corner. He met him in prison. Smith says Vinson is remorseful and has been punished. With the 22 years he’s served already. It wasn’t an accident. He took two people’s lives. Nobody knows that better than him. The prosecution had just one witness. Karen Wine, a friend of the victim, says they should not forget the loss of these two people. Deputy Sheriff Randy Thomas’ testimony at the original trial was played at the hearing, where he heard Vinson confess. Jim started crossing over the fence, and he said, it’s me, it’s my truck, I did it. Vinson fled the scene and also resisted arrest. Okeechobee County Commissioner Terry Burroughs upset with the criticism Indian River State College has taken over the data center that was pulled at the boys school. Burroughs says we need to stop the division in Okeechobee. This community is probably one of the best communities around. We pull together. We don’t go apart. And until we start learning to have open mind about issues like data centers and like Indian River State College and this board and what we do and what we don’t do up here, everybody has a right to their opinion. There’s no doubt about that. But when you start crucifying people, it’s got to stop. He noted, IRSC has done a lot for the community, with 450 residents receiving diplomas with free tuition over the years. Highlands County commissioners will not approve impact fees at least this year. The realtors were opposed, worried that the mortgages would be too high. A lengthy public hearing also heard support from Leitz brothers. Jared Eddy is a citrus grower. He says he’s just trying to grow fruit. I’m surviving. It’s not easy. Owning your own, nothing is easy in this world right now, on this earth, nothing. Whatever job we have, inflation’s hit everybody, right? But you got to survive. You got to keep pushing. He doesn’t want the county to prevent farms from developing if they want to. City of Pahokee is looking at three ways to solve the hog problem at Port Myakka Cemetery. The city administrator, Brenda Bryant. Bigger ditch around the cemetery so that the hogs will not get to the cemetery. And then the person that will come, will come and take the hogs away once they fall into the ditch. I’m Charles Murphy, WOKC News.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).