News Cast 5/4
News Cast for May 4th:
Sheriff deputies are looking for information in a death investigation.
A man found dead by the railroad tracks in the 700 block of NE 14th Avenue on Tuesday night.
They said it appeared the man was hit by a train.
They are actively working the case.
You can contact the Sheriffs Detective Bureau at 763-3117 and ask for Detective Wenrick.
Today is national OJ Day.
Neighboring Highlands County remains one of the top citrus producing counties in the state.
Ray Royce with the Highlands Citrus Growers Association said Florida remains the number two producer of orange juice in the world.
The industry has a $6.5 billion economic impact and directly supports 37,000 jobs in Florida.
The industry has seen a dramatic decline in production in recent years due to hurricane damage, citrus canker, and poor trade deals.
County Commissioner Don Elwell said OJ should have more than one day in Highlands County.
He suggested a proclamation with May deemed OJ Month in Highlands County.
The S-127 lock in Buckhead Ridge to be closed for maintenance for just over a month.
The South Florida Water Management District said repairs are scheduled between May 15th and June 19th.
Glades County Sheriff David Hardin with an atta boy for Okeechobee lawmen.
The narcotics task force helped his agency shut down an alleged drug house on route 78 in Lakeport.
Hardin said he thinks drugs are getting more and more dangerous.
He noted some of the drugs in the county, specifically methamphetamine, are cooked by dealers inside the county.
Five people were facing felony charges in the latest drug investigation.
A public meeting was held from 10 to noon at the Okeechobee Service Center of South Florida water management.
They are looking at a reservoir to store up to 200,000 acre feet of water.
They are looking at sites south and east of Lake Istokpoga in Highlands County.
Bert Galloway of Highlands County said they need to clean up that lake too as the TMDL, total maximum daily load, of nutrients, has been a problem.
Liz Cornejo with the US Army Corps of Engineers said the idea is to help store water to help Lake Okeechobee when there are droughts and low water levels.
Some would like to see more emphasis on below ground storage in the form of ASR, aquifer storage wells.