News Cast October 30th:
Improving lake health
Some 1,000 acres of marsh around Lake Okeechobee is being sprayed this week by the Florida Fish and Wildlife conservation commission.
Helicopters will spray for 700 acres of cattails on Moore Haven Marsh and 315 acres of common reed on Kings Bar at the north end of the lake.
The point is to help native vegetation and improve access for hunters and anglers.
A man charged with looting at Twin Palms in Lakeport. The park was destroyed by a tornado earlier this month.
33-year-old Jose Galvan said he thought a chain saw at the park was in the trash and took it be mistake.
Glades County Sheriff Deputies charged him with grand theft.
An eye witness watched the theft and followed Galvan to a residence in Moore Haven and called the law.
A serious car crash occurred this morning in Palmdale on State Road 29 near Chapparal Avenue. The highway patrol said the road was closed in both directions.
Okeechobee County Schools have liked the new LED lights at Brahman Stadium this year. They will add new LED lights at the baseball field and the softball field in this budget year.
They also plan to improve drainage around the softball field.
The school board also learned Everglades Elementary is at capacity.
An Okeechobee man resists arrest and gets into a wrestling match with a deputy trained in Ju Jitsu.
Okeechobee deputies had gone to arrest the suspect on a warrant, but he hid in a shed.
28-year-old Quinton Hamner was wanted for a drug trafficking charge that stemmed from a July 26th search of a home on SE 26th Court.
The Okeechobee Narcotics Task force said they found three guns, 13.5 grams of methamphetamines, liquid methamphetamine, scales, drug paraphernalia, and small amounts of other controlled substances.
A local man Jose Slone was charged with animal cruelty and violation of a court order. Jose Slone allegedly got mad at his dog for chewing on a box spring. The dog ended up with eye and facial injuries. Slone was not supposed to be living at the home due to an earlier domestic violence charge.
An Okeechobee man damaged a BMW after fleeing Lock 7. He was reported doing donuts in the parking lot. When deputies showed up he fled, narrowly missing the cruisers. He damaged the vehicle striking a curb. Michael Bussiere was the alleged driver of the vehicle.
Deputies said there were juveniles and alcohol involved.
The chase reached 75 miles per hour before he pulled over due to damage to the vehicle on state road 78.
Charges include aggravated assault on law enforcement, DUI, reckless driving and fleeing and eluding police.
A 24-year-old Okeechobee man wanted for fleeing deputies in Glades County in a motor vehicle also is accused of running from Okeechobee deputies too, with his legs in Whispering Pines.
Robert Futch was tracked by K-9s and was found trying to hide in a barn on NW 4th Avenue.
A 17-year-old High school student in Osceola county charged with making a threat to shoot up a school.
Deputies went to the youth’s home and located a Glock 19 handgun and ammunition. The gun had been reported stolen
out of Orlando. A tip was phoned into the Fortify Florida tip line.