News Cast for February 5th:
A woman who was caught with a body in the trunk of her car in Okeechobee County has been charged with another murder in Mississippi.
Jerri Gaither was charged in Gulfport, Mississippi with the murder of her own son, James.
Gaither had been convicted of a 1993 homicide in Palm Beach County.
She was arrested after a standoff with Okeechobee County Sheriff Deputies near Fort Drum. She later was sentenced to 17 years for killing Christina Racey, 44. She served eight years in prison for the crime and was released in 2001.
Gaither allegedly had the body in her vehicle from July until December, 1993.
Gulfport Police said Gaither is accused of shooting her son to death. She placed his body in a wooded box and placed the box inside a false wall in her home.
Gaither has had several marriages and last names and authorities said two of her husbands died under suspicious circumstances.
After being released on bond in the Florida homicide, she absconded and wasn’t located for nearly two years until a traffic stop in Indian River County.
A trial date on the new homicide in Harrisson County, Mississippi has not yet been set.
A chase in western Martin County reached 106 miles per hour Tuesday.
Martin County Sheriff Deputies caught up to Matias Andres Pascual of Guatemala, who is an undocumented immigrant.
He allegedly fled deputies working speed enforcement on 710 after several serious traffic crashes near Indiantown in recent days.
The vehicle clocked at 106 in a 45 mile per hour speed zone.
Charges include reckless driving and fleeing and attempting to elude police.
He now faces deportation.
Florida emergency officials made sure residents are prepared for any natural disaster during Severe Weather Awareness Week. A statewide tornado drill was held this morning. Schools practiced safety measures during the training exercise.
An absentee problem continues to worsen in Florida Public Schools.
A new report from the Florida Department of Education said close to one in five students, missed 21 days or more of instruction during the 2023-2024 school year.
Over 31 percent of students missed more than 10 percent of instruction time.
Okeechobee schools had 35.4 percent of students miss more than 21 days of instruction. 50.2 percent missed more than 10 percent of instruction days.
That means 2,522 students missed 21 days or more and 3,526 students missed more than 10 percent of instruction days.
Dr. Joseph Stanley said the schools are doing all they can to keep students coming to school.
“We are trying to find the barriers that are keeping kids from coming to school and are trying to alleviate those.”
Dr. Stanely said attendance factors into everything involved in education including graduation rates, and academic success across the board.
“We are looking hard at truancy and attendance through our student services office.”
There is talk the state legislature this session may propose legislation to try and increase penalties for parents who don’t make their children go to school.
The Glades County list of requests for the Florida State Legislature this year includes $5 million to dredge sections of the Moore Haven canal.
They are researching a $20 million request for the Lakefront Estates Sewer Plant.
The commission last year approved a limited development order for the project on SR 78 south of Buckhead Ridge. It allows the first phase and a model home display center.
The county said the contractor hired to improve 721 through the reservation won’t begin work until April.
The casino celebrates a ground breaking on Feb. 6 at 10:30 am.
Tim Stanley was selected board chairman again and Hattie Taylor was selected vice chairman.