News Cast February 6th:
The Okeechobee County School Board
Voted to expel an 8th grade student for making at threat at Okeechobee Achievement Academy.
Appointed Melisa Jahner to represent them on the Treasure Coast Council of Local Governments.
Approved a $370,000 contract with the Morganti Group to rehabilitate the OHS softball fields.
Appointed Jonathan Schrock as dean at Okeechobee High School.
The board also honored teachers with 15, 25 and 35 years of service to the district.
Those with 25 years of service included Melissa Brewer, Kenny Buckner, Nicole Coker, Lori Howard, Janet Pritchard, Rebecca Rivera and Daryl Roehm.
Teachers with 35 years of service included Sandra Arnold, Marcie Ferrell and Ida Garcia.
The ground breaking of the Brighton Bay casino was held this morning at the Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation.
The $158 million facility includes a hotel, 38,000 square feet of gaming space, a bowling alley, fine dining and an event center.
The first major event will be a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert at 8 pm tonight.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said he will continue to ask the legislature for more funding for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program.
Simpson told the Senate Agriculture Committee that there has been a 23 percent increase in the number of farms that have signed up for best management practices.
The FDACS recently released a report that estimated that agriculture damage from the hurricanes in 2024 ranged between $402 million and $975 million.
Simpson said the state is helping to provide some funding to help ranchers and farmers recover from the storm.
Simpson insists that millions of dollars are available from the federal government but can’t be released unless the congress passes a federal farm bill this year.