News Cast for March 18th:
Okeechobee County saw an increase in unemployment in January according to the monthly report of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
The unemployment rate went from 3.6 percent in December, 2024, to 4.4 percent in January, officials said.
707 Okeechobee workers were without jobs in January compared to 577 in December.
The labor force grew from 15,965 in December to 16,120 in January.
Last January, the unemployment rate was 3.7 percent.
The state saw a slight increase in jobless levels from 3.4 percent in December to 3.5 percent in January, the report added.
Around the region Martin had 3.9 percent, St. Lucie 4.4 percent, Glades 5.4 percent, Highlands 5.6 percent, Osceola 3.8 percent, and Indian River County 4.6 percent.
The Okeechobee City Council voted to rezone a 1-3 acre parcel at 406 NW 4th Street.
It will allow a commercial professional office to continue to operate as the zoning had been residential. The land use map classifies it as commercial professional office.
The council approved the final plat of Mallard Landing. Just under 32 acres in north west Okeechobee will be developed between NW 3-7th Avenues and NW 11-14 Street.
The project expects to include 103 residential housing units.
The biggest discussion on the application was no mail boxes on the street and the need for a mail kiosk or community mail box.
Vice Mayor Monica Clark said the city needed to make sure the facility was maintained noting she has seen many of these mail stations go unmaintained.
“In a development this big why wouldn’t there be a homeowner’s association. We keep running into problems throughout Okeechobee because no one is maintaining certain aspects of the project.”
Engineer Jeff Sumner said the application, Holiday Builders, is anxious to get building.
“These guys have spent nearly $4 million in infrastructure improvements. They are really anxious to start building model homes, building homes and selling homes, that they cannot do until this passes.”
A child sexual battery charge against 31 year old Marshall George of Palm City has been dismissed in Okeechobee Circuit Court.
Judge William Wallace granted a motion to dismiss the charges after the defendant was ruled mentally incompetent.
Geroge successfully completed mental health court programs.
The judge ruled there was no substantial probability that George would be mentally competent to stand trial in the foreseeable future.
He had been charged with two counts of sexual battery on a child under 12 in a case that dated back to April 1, 2021.
One victim said the alleged improper activity lasted for two years.
The charging affidavit said George also allegedly made threats to one of the children.
George later denied all of the allegations in an interview with Okeechobee detectives.
Highlands County Commissioners changed the date for a workshop to discuss speed and traffic control and calming devices in residential neighborhoods from today until April 1.
Commissioner Don Elwell said he has gotten a lot of comments of concern from his constituents about speeding in residential areas.
“We are not going to consider this unless a majority of residents and people want this. If it is just one person it doesn’t make a lot of sense. It does make a lot more sense if it is something the community or neighborhood at large views this as a hazardous situation.”
The county expects to use any state transportation grants they receive this year to pave shell rock roads in the county.
The commission listed Shepherd Road in Venus as their number one priority for state road money this year.
A 42 year old Fort Pierce man was charged with making written threats to kill or do bodily harm against President Donald Trump.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team and U.S. Secret Service executed a search warrant at 3508 Metzger Road in Fort Pierce.
Todd is accused of posting threatening messages on his public social media page.
The investigation remains active, Sheriff Richard Del Toro said.
A Fort Pierce man is behind bard after police said he hung two dogs from a tree on his property.
Salmon Cruz Perez is accused of animal cruelty after the animals were found dead in his backyard on Sunday.
The dogs had been hung from the branches of a tree with chains and other devices, authorities added.
The Florida Highway Patrol released the names of the three people killed north of Kenansville Sunday in a head on collision.
Pragathi Reddy Velivarthi 34, Sunitha Purumandla 56, and Harveen Purumandila, 5, were killed on 441 near Yates Ranch Road by a wrong way driver.
Troopers said they don’t know why the other driver, a 30 year old man from Jensen Beach, was in the wrong lane.
There have been no charges filed but the crash remains under investigation.