News Cast 4/10
News Cast for April 10th:
More protests over Lake Okeechobee water
The Rivers Coalition held another rally at the locks in Port Mayaca.
They are upset about an estimated 10 billion gallons of lake water headed out the St. Lucie Canal this winter.
South Florida Water Management District Governing Board member Jackie Thurlough Lippisch called it 100 years of hell caused by Lake Okeechobee.
“I can tell you as hard as things are we are making tremendous progress. Most of that progress is due to the Army Corps of Engineers. I can tell you the culture is changing.”
General Daniel Hibner is commander of the Southeast Region of the Army Corps of Engineers.
He said they place the protection of natural resources as one of their top priorities.
“We are better appreciating that we have a national treasure down here in South Florida. All of the water resources, the economic benefits from proper water management, the tourism, all of that speaks about national security.”
The group wants more water sent south into the Everglades with some going to West Palm, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
The new owner of the Edna Pearce Lockett Estate in Fort Basinger is making tremendous improvements to the historic ranch home.
They have put a new roof on the home and refurbished the inside. They are also building a new pole barn and restoring the school.
The pole barn will host events like weddings and family gatherings.
Butch Thompson said there is also something special about the trees on the property.
“This tree is 450 years old. We had the sons and daughters of the American Revolution determined the age of it. The tree qualified as a Liberty Tree because it was here during the American Revolution. They sent us a marker for the Liberty Tree. As far as I know it’s the only one in the state.”
You can see the improvements this weekend as the Estate hosts the annual Heritage Festival on Saturday and Sunday.
There will be live bands and entertainment, many presentations from historians, pontoon boat rides on the Kissimmee River, food trucks, and arts and crafts,
The estate includes the remains of Fort Basinger, named after Lieutenant William E. Basinger who died at the Dade massacre. The fort served as a supply facility for foot soldiers in the US Army.
Palm Beach Fire Rescue responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash on the shores of Lake Okeechobee on Sunday.
The accident on 441 just inside Palm Beach County north of Sand Cut on Sunday.
One person died and two people were hospitalized.
The crash was reported in the 34000 block of Connors Highway at 6:54 am, fire rescue said.
176 new housing units including single family homes were approved in Indiantown.
The project is called River Oak. It will be developed off South West Famel Blvd.
Residents were concerned about additional traffic in the neighborhood but also the potential of being blocked off by the CSX railroad track for lengthy periods.
Gail Stewart said trains continue to stack up regardless of the laws.
“They continue to rack and stack the train cars. They have to move in one hour. But within that hour all they have to do is move forward or backward one or two inches and the clock starts all over again.”
In Pahokee a $13,000 reward offered for the person who shot at a deputy on routine patrol Friday night.
Palm Beach Deputies saod the incident occurred in the 1400 block of Joe Louis Boulevard around 9:20 pm.
The patrol car was struck but the deputy was not hit.
You can call 1-800-458 TIPS if you have information about this incident.