Your cell phone can now lead you to where your loved ones are buried in Okeechobee County cemeteries.
The county started this year with a new system at Evergreen and Basinger and plan to add Fort Drum in the near future.
They launched the cemetery digitization project in June and invited public officials and residents to come out and try out the new system.
Assistant County Administrator Justin Nelson said the effort has taken years to implement and perfect.
He explained that ground surveys and aerial photos were used to cross reference the data and the physical location and written records the county had.
All were placed in a new system called Chronicle.
They have a website where you can search for the grave by using the loved ones name. Chronicle then uses the GPS on your phones to guide you to the grave site.
He said in the past it was not always easy to find the graves.
“There is a very hard task when it comes to explaining to the public, what sites are available, what things are out there, and how to find those sites.”
Cemetery Director Shellie Mitchell predicts this will help a lot of people as she noted she or her staff gets inquiries every day with a person wanting directions to certain graves.
“I believe it will be a great thing for the community for those to come and those that have passed. Finding their loved ones and being able to access that information will be great.”
A former Okeechobee Correctional Inmate will turn states evidence and testify in a murder trial in a cold case homicide that dates back to 1983.
Abron Scott recently pled guilty to first degree murder and avoided the death penalty. Instead he will serve life in prison for two homicides committed in Hillsborough County in 1983.
Linda Lansen, 41 and Barbara Grams, 19 were murdered.
Robert DuBoise, was originally convicted of the crime and sentenced to life in prison. He was exonerated in 2020 by DNA evidence after serving 37 years behind bars.
Scott also agreed to testify against co-defendant Amos Robinson in the homicides. Robinson is due to go on trial in March, 2026.
Highlands County Commissioners are building three new fire stations in the next few years. They also need to repair and upgrade some existing facilities.
The Spring Lake fire station would help eastern Highlands residents who now rely on Okeechobee and the Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation.
The $5 million station would be built in Spring Lake and help serve Lorida, Kissimmee River Estates and Brighton.
Deputy Fire Chief Dustin Fitch said the fire stations are definitely needed. He said right now they need three stations. He encouraged the county to have a long-range plan for funding.
“Set a plan in motion that every five to six years we would have the money set aside to build a fire station.”
At least one of the stations could have a training element.
“We are not building a classroom or a school. This is a fire training tower building that our crews can perform training exercises at.”