News Cast for August 27th:
County sets assessments
Assessments for solid waste, EMS And Fire are likely to rise this year in Okeechobee County.
The current proposals will mean
Solid waste will increase per residence by $16.08.
This will collect just over $4.5 million.
Fire assessment would go up by $8.15.
EMS assessments would go up by $12.21 per residence.
These assessments will raise just over $8 million for the county.
The Board of County Commissioners accepted a check of $1.6 million from waste management for their host fees.
The company has finished the delivery of all garbage cans to residential areas. They are still swapping out yard debris cans for garbage if a resident so chooses.
Debby Perez with Waste Management said they will pick up unlimited garbage carts and carts can still be purchased at the landfill.
The new garbage trucks are expected to be in service in October.
Former President Donald Trumps libel lawsuit filed in Okeechobee against the Pulitzer Prize board will continue into the discovery phase.
Senior Judge Robert Pegg refused to dismiss the lawsuit after a recent hearing in circuit court.
Trump sued over the 2018 Pulitzer Prize awarded to the New York Times and Washington Post for the Russian hoax series of articles.
The board said the award was merely opinion and not news when they honored the newspapers.
Other defendants tried to be removed from the litigation on grounds they have no ties to Florida and that motion was also dismissed.
Highlands County has a new chief Kelly Duppenthaler, he was promoted and Dustin Fitch was also promoted to Assistant Chief.
Both worked their way up through the ranks.
Fitch said when he started his career he didn’t see this kind of role in his future.
Duppenthaler said he has worked nearly every job available in fire rescue during his career.
He said those experiences has helped prepare him for the chief’s job.
“I welcome the challenge. I know it will be very difficult. I have worked several skill sets. I have prepared myself over the years for this job.”
The county also honored several EMTs and paramedics who saved the life of Ed Crouch, who collapsed while playing pickle ball in the spring.
Glades County was named the highest performing school in the Heartland region for the 2023-2024 school year. They were the only B district this year. All the other counties including Okeechobee earned C grades.
Superintendent Dr. Beth Barfield was proud of the distinction.
She said when she took over six years ago the district was the lowest ranking school in the Heartland region.
Moore Haven Elementary and Moore Haven Junior Senior High School were C schools again. West Glades School improved from a B to a C grade. Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School remained an A school.