News Cast for December 13th:
Tribe expands gaming in Brighton
Seminole Casino Brighton was lit up as they officially expanded gaming in Glades County.
The new compact with the state allows for craps and roulette and sports betting.
There are some pending court cases against the sports book.
The tribal council has been making the rounds to all five casinos in the state and this week was Brighton’s turn.
Chairman Marcellus Osceola wants people to be entertained in Brighton. He noted Brighton has a lot of potential as it has shown the fastest growth among tribal casinos.
He thanked the tribal members, emphasized the tribe will continue to grow and prosper and never give up and remembered the sacrifices of his ancestors on how they survived so they could get to this point.
Brighton Tribal Council Member Larry Howard said the day was a long time coming. He remembered the little red barn and the dirt road, 721, that is now a modern casino.
“Look at the land the state has given us and what we are doing with it. It has been a challenge, but we have overcome and conquered a lot of stuff.”
Howard said the tribe remains one big family that works together and is a winning team.
General Manager Marty Johns called it a milestone day. He also provided an update on the construction of the new casino. They want to open it in January, 2025. He noted they are making progress on a daily basis.
He thanked his staff and his wife for her support over the years.
The gaming expansion could create up to 1,000 new jobs in Florida.
CEO of Seminole Gaming Jim Allen said Brighton is their most successful casino. He noted nearly 50 percent of gaming revenue in the US today comes from native American tribes.
“It is really something special for this kind of turnout in a remote location like this. It is a legendary day and the last chapter for us in gaming.”
The mailing deadlines are out for your Christmas packages and cards.
Spokesperson Debbie Fetterly said first class mailing deadlines are December 16, priority mail deadlines are December 18 and express mail deadlines for most locations is December 20. They are seeing an increase in packages this year.
They hired staff throughout the year and have expanded lobby hours.
Most postal supplies and mailing needs can be done online these days.
They also provide services to keep your packages safe like keeping them at the post office if you are visiting for the holidays.
She invited readers to visit usps.com to find out more about post office services.
A 27-year-old Lorida man was tased twice and led deputies on a high speed chase.
Michael Hayes also had a dog in the vehicle. He is on probation for animal cruelty charges and can’t own a dog.
No one was injured in the chase that ended with a disabled vehicle in a yard.
Deputies said they found Hayes slumped over the driver’s seat with drugs in the car starting the chase.
Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman decided not to create a traffic division this year.
Instead they are hiring new deputies and giving them more traffic duties as time allows.
Blackman said even his agency can be the victim of scams noting the scammers are now acting like they are law enforcement. The callers identified him, a Lieutenant and other staff members stating they had a warrant for the arrest of the person called and were coming to get them unless they paid a fee.