News Cast 4/17:
A man on a mini motorcycle allegedly led deputies on an over five-mile chase in the Four Seasons neighborhood.
Deputies spotted a man on NE 64th Avenue. Deputies tried to pull over the bike but the operator refused going onto several streets, including NE 5th Street, NE 70th Avenue, NE 1st Street, NE 60th Avenue, NE 62nd Avenue, and NE 8th Lane.
The chase ended in the grass median in the 6300 block of SR 70.
Okeechobee deputies finally boxed in Evi Serrano Mojica and upon a search found over 16 grams of methamphetamine.
He faces charges of fleeing and attempting to elude and methamphetamine trafficking.
Bond was set at $107,000.
Another Okeechobee ranch could be protected from development by the state.
The acquisition and restoration council of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection voted to add the Dark Hammock Ranch to the Florida Forever List for 2025.
The projected price is $18.5 million.
The ranch measures over 2,160 hundred acres. The ranch is a hunt camp stocked with axis deer, wild hogs and white tail deer.
It also has threatened species that include the Florida Black Bear, gopher tortoises, and certain snakes.
A Pahokee church fire is under investigation.
Palm Beach Sheriff deputies found smoke and flames coming out of the Missionary Baptist Church on Bacom Point Road on Sunday morning around 3:30 am.
Deputies got one report of a suspect seen running from the church building.
They quickly checked nearby structures but found no occupants.
There were no injuries. The fire is considered suspicious.
Okeechobee County Commissioners will allow overnight parking on portions of the Scott Driver Boat Ramp by permit.
The sheriff was okay with the overnight parking as he was asked about the security of these vehicles.
The parking would be allowed for up to 7 days.
Denise Whitehead said they get requests for overnight parking from time to time, many time fishermen going out on the lake at night.
She limited the permits to personal types of vehicles and not campers or RVs.
The policy would also allow the sheriff to collect fees for towing vehicles and would also allow for trespassing of those found to have violated the policy.
Florida 18th District Congressman Scott Franklin said he supported the recent releases out of Lake Okeechobee in an effort to get the lake levels lower.
Franklin said he sees progress being made with our water problems and thinks we will continue to see improvements.
“Eventually as we continue the Everglades restoration and enable more of the flow down south, I think we will get to the right equilibrium eventually. Obviously, it is a long and expensive process.”