News Cast for 8/2:

The Okeechobee High School Swim Team will be holding an informational meeting for returning and prospective swimmers and parents on Monday, August 7 at 4pm in the OHS media center. The first day of practice for the OHS swim team will be Wednesday, August 9 from 3-5pm. Practice for the swim team will be held after school at the sports complex this year. People should email Jennifer at Jennifer.Szentmartoni @okee.k12.fl.us or call 863-462-5025 with any questions.

Salary hike for chief educator

Okeechobee School Superintendent Ken Kenworthy received a raise to mirror what paid superintendents are getting.

Kenworthy to be paid $122,862 per year.

Kenworthy said he also enjoys the relationship with the school board members.

He said other districts are often fighting but not Okeechobee.

“In many districts the superintendent and the board are at odds over many topics.  We don’t have that here.  We talk it out, we work it out and make the best decision for the community, the students and the district.  I think our board is serving for the right reasons and it makes my job so much easier.” 

Kenworthy now has 34 years of service to the district.

He said he intends to keep working until at least the new Okeechobee High School is constructed.

Okeechobee County agreed to rename field 1 at the Darrell Enfinger Sports Complex after coach Tony Chapman.

He coached four generations of Okeechobee kids in baseball and two generations in football.  He also worked 38 years for the county.

Community Services Director Denise Whitehead said Chapman had a long record of service to our youth and deserved the honor.

“His family said Coach Tony believed in keeping kids off the streets and active in sports to keep them out of trouble.  He would pick up kids himself to make sure they could get to practice if parents were not available.”

He also served as a volunteer on the board of the Okeechobee Citizens Recreation Association.

Glades County Schools spent $402,000 paying substitute teachers last year.

Superintendent Dr. Beth Barfield would like to reduce personal days given to teachers.

The school board decided to let principals have more discretion over these requests.

Board member Crystal Drake told colleagues she knows when the issue began.

Drake said many teachers took spring break trips out of state and Christmas vacation doing ski trips, and vacations where they left a day or two early, and got back to work a day or two after school started again.

“It turned into a problem because what was a one week spring break turned into two weeks and it was multiple teachers out.”

Florida Community Health Centers will provide backpacks and school supplies for Glades County students today from 4 to 6 pm at the Doyle Conner Building at 9 hundred US 27 in Moore Haven.

A chase in western Indian River County resulted in the seizure of 30 pounds of methamphetamine.

Two suspects fled into the woods on State Road 60 but were caught by K-9 units.

Indian River County deputies and the Florida highway patrol said they arrested Normanda Grenion, 19 and Romario Black, 28 on drug trafficking and other charges.

ByTaylor