News Cast for November 15th:
Three people die in head on collision
Two sedans collided near the ‘Buzzard Bridge’ on US 98 about a mile south of Basinger, killing both drivers and one passenger.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the crash occurred at 5:24 AM Thursday and closed the road for several hours.
The dead included a 23 year old man from Zolfo Springs, a 34 year old man from Lorida, and a 36 year old woman from Lorida.
A south bound sedan failed to negotiate the curve north of the bridge and entered into the north bound lane striking the second sedan.
All three were dead at the scene. Two of the dead did not wear seat belts.
A third vehicle was headed north bound and struck the sedan which caused the crash after it flipped over into the road.
The 62-year-old man from Apollo Beach was not hurt.
Okeechobee school officials said a handgun was found in a restroom at Yearling Middle School Thursday.
They did not say whether it was loaded.
A student found the handgun and alerted school officials, who alerted the sheriff.
The weapon was immediately secured.
School officials note there were no threats reported to Fortify Florida, on Facebook, or by any other means.
Officials said they were in the process of reviewing surveillance footage to try and determine who left the handgun in the restroom.
Okeechobee County approved a lease with Tango Fox Services to use the taxiway and ultimately build a facility at the airport.
There was a discussion about the ongoing work on a South Florida Water Management District drainage master plan and if that might hold up future permits in the airport.
Commissioner Brad Goodbread said he wanted to see more aviation related business at the airport.
He said this lease shows the county that all the work and money they have put into the airport is starting to pay off.
“It was a heavy lift to get this airport to where it is today. To wrestle control of the FBO back, all the things we have done to get the airport back in our control and being proactive.”
Goodbread added that the airport is like a puzzle.
“You want a flight school, hangar rent, a restaurant and all this. An aviation-based industry coming in and building at the airport is kind of the beginning to a comeback. “
The Highlands County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval of a planned unit development that includes a private school campus on US 98 just north of Lorida.
The 17-acre development is on the north side of the highway about seven miles east of US 27.
The project includes three parcels that are zoned agriculture.
The plans include a new school campus with a multipurpose building with five classrooms, a lounge, storage building, a covered deck and outdoor kitchen, two playgrounds, an office, a skateboard ramp, storage building and chicken coop.
A possible second phase would add eight additional classrooms, cabins, more parking, another school building and a marketplace.
A total of 11 cabins would be built and used as classrooms.
The property could be used as a summer camp.