News Cast 11/28

ByTaylor

November 28, 2023

News Cast for November 28th:

The annual city of Okeechobee lighting ceremony will be held tonight in city hall park at about 5:30 pm.

The annual event includes an elementary school choir singing Christmas carols, the arrival of Santa Claus and the turning on of all the downtown Christmas lights.

School Board reorganizes

Malissa Morgan was elected chair of the Okeechobee County School Board. 

She praised the district for handling the Okeechobee High school construction well so that it is not disrupting school functions or classes.

She also points out the district has been finding ways to save money on the project.

They saved $420,000 in sales taxes for purchasing directly the metal building for career and technical education.  They also saved $138,000 on building materials and concrete.

The board approved the purchase of three school buses from Blue Bird for just under 4 hundred and 21 thousand dollars.  They also tabled action on a bid to resurface the high school track for 1 hundred and 18 thousand dollars.

Jill Holcomb was elected vice chair of the board.

The board honored 12 elementary school students who earned perfect scores on various state assessments in the spring, 2023.

The board approved the purchase of three new school buses for $421,000 from Blue Bird.  They tabled action on a bid to resurface the OHS track for $118,000.

Okeechobee Commissioner Terry Burroughs is among those lobbyist Tallahassee for support and funding to widen State Road 70.

Burroughs said he has talked to at least three legislators and plans to talk to more.

“We have the project on the long-range transportation plan for a cost of $5.5 million.  We are starting about the engineering and design work we need about $55 million.”

Burroughs said he has gotten support from rep. Kaylee Tuck and Spencer Roach of Arcadia as well as Senator Erin Grall.

A Glades County woman entered into pre-trial diversion for her role in a brutal attack on three people at Chalo Nitka on March 6th.

Jacee Jumper will pay court costs and fees of 5 hundred and 27 dollars.  The law arrested six suspects on charges that range from felony battery to aggravated child abuse.  Jumper originally was charged with aggravated battery but the charge will be dropped.

The video, posted online, showed the beating of a 17 year old boy from Palmdale, a 19 year old man from Palmdale and a 29 year old woman from Sebring that were later treated at the hospital.

Glades County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Beth Barfield decided she would take over at Moore Haven Elementary School.

The superintendent fired former principal Kristi Durrance.  She could not comment on the termination.

She told the school board though that she won’t be getting two salaries.

“I don’t even know who would ask that question, I will not be getting paid for both jobs and if the board offered I would not take that money.”

ByTaylor