News Cast for April 30th:
Okeechobee County Commissioners are working on a trespass ordinance to finally end the circus over first amendment speech rights during Commission meetings.
For the past several meetings many of the unruly, vulgar, and disrespectful people have been removed by deputies from the commission chambers.
Chairman David Hazellief has objected to the vulgar language and disrespect.
“I want to apologize to the people that we have these uncivilized people coming into our community and using this kind of language.”
The commission discussed how long the trespass orders could be and supported up to two years.
“I think they should have to come back and appear and ask for forgiveness,” he added.
In essence, they film the footage and distort the facts to make the commission and county look bad so they can make money on social media.
In one video they lambasted unfairly a sheriff’s detective merely during her job and standing next to a veteran lawman minding his own business.
NFL star Warren Sapp who sued the county for false arrest claims spoke at the last meeting about first-amendment rights during public comment and was also ejected.
Sapp told the commission the first amendment core principal is to protect free and robust discussion of public affairs, hold government officials accountable and check for abuse of power.
He addressed chairman Hazellief for ejecting residents.
“Sir you are the very definition of abuse of power. The people of Okeechobee pay you to listen to public comment for 180 seconds and you won’t do it. Its amazing to me, no discipline, no nothing, except yelling and screaming and putting people out.”
A Highlands County man allegedly shoplifted from the Spring Lake Market and got into a chase with deputies.
Richard Smith, 39, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement, battery on law enforcement, fleeing and attempting to elude police, two counts of resisting arrest without violence, DUI, and petit theft.
The clerk said Smith placed multiple items in a green bag and said he wasn’t going to pay for anything and walked out.
The theft was caught on store surveillance video.
Instead of leaving the parking lot the vehicle drove around in circles in the lot. When deputies tried to pull him over he refused to get out of the vehicle, grabbed a can of Vodka spritz on the console and drove off saying he had ‘somewhere to be.’
He later yelled I was just trying to give you a drink.
Deputies deployed stop sticks that flattened several tires and finally got the vehicle to stop after several miles near Birch Road in an industrial area of Spring Lake.
The Rivers Coalition urged the state to purchase more land south of Lake Okeechobee.
They would like to revisit the purchase of 102,000 acres the state tried to purchase from U.S Sugar and other cane fields and use the land to store water.
The group has long advocated sending more water south rather than out the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers.
They said the Everglades Agriculture Area reservoir won’t provide enough storage to end discharges.
The estimated price tag of the land is up to $1.6 billion.
Several top Okeechobee School Officials took the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for mental health programs.
Among those that shivered were Superintendent Dylan Tedders, Assistant Superintendent Joseph Stanley, and Director of Mental Health Kathy Williams.
A bicyclist was struck and injured at the intersection of SW 28th Street and 441 Tuesday afternoon around 2:30 pm.
Details were not released. An SUV attempting to turn right into the northbound lane was involved in the crash.
The Okeechobee Sheriff released details about an jail inmates death this morning.
On April 20, 2025, Corrections Deputies at Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office were alerted that a female inmate, Tammy Boswell was in medical distress. Deputies immediately responded and initiated life-saving measures, including CPR and use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), while awaiting emergency medical services.
Upon arrival, paramedics assumed care but unfortunately pronounced the inmate deceased at the scene.
Preliminary findings indicate the death was the result of self-inflicted harm.
A detective and crime scene technician have been assigned to the case, and a full investigation is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Additional information will be released as it becomes available and in accordance with the ongoing investigation.
A 28 year old Okeechobee man faces boating and other charges after an inspection at Nubbin Slough.
Noah Osborne was charged with tampering with evidence, violation of probation, having an unregistered boat and molesting game during a closed season.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife report also said Osborne was cited for hunting in prohibited lands owned by the South Florida Water Management District.
The affidavit said Osborne used hunting dogs illegally and appeared to be impaired by alcohol.
The boat also had a number of violations like improper lights.
Osborne allegedly admitted during an interview with a wildlife officer that he threw a hog into the water and drowned it when he saw state wildlife officers at the boat ramp.