News Cast for February 13th:
The Okeechobee Utility Authority Board extended a deadline for residents to sign up for payment plans when they are required to tie onto water and sewer service.
The deadline was extended until April 30.
Two Okeechobee County Commissioners Brad Goodbread and Frank DeCarlo attended the meeting and asked for the extension.
They said the economy is tough and this hits families hard financially.
OUA Board Chairman Steve Nelson agreed. He said as an owner of a retail business he knows this is a tough economy in Okeechobee and people need a break.
He said the utility continues to seek after any grant funding that is available to help offset these costs.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson could have as much as $300 million to spend toward the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program this year.
They have $100 million already available. They have asked the state for $200 million in this year’s spending plan. They are also working with the federal government and the department of defense to see if they would provide funding for farms and ranches near military facilities.
So far the program has conserved 254,000 acres in Florida at a cost of $891 million.
They have 254 new projects proposed this year that would cover another 314,000 acres and cost $1.1 billion.
New President Donald Trump will be able to move forward with a lawsuit he filed in Okeechobee in 2022 against the Pulitzer Prize Board.
Trump sued the board for defamation when they refused to take back the Pulitzer Prize awarded in 2018 to news outlet that reported that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections.
The board has asked that the suit be dismissed against 19 members who do not live in Florida.
The Pulitzer ranch is located in Okeechobee County.
A Florida Appeals Court upheld a ruling this week that allowed the suit to proceed.
In a statement, the Pulitzer Board said the lawsuit was filed to intimidate the press and they will continue to defend journalism.
Boaters in Buckhead Ridge will have it easier as the S-127 lock is now back open.
The lock had been closed for routine maintenance.
The lock hours will be 5:30 am until 8:00 pm daily.