News Cast for August 7th:
Schools earn C
Okeechobee Schools remained a C district for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Central Elementary, Okeechobee High, Everglades Elementary, North, Seminole, and Osceola Middle School all remained C schools this year.
South Elementary was the only B school in the district.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Joseph Stanley said the district ranked third in the Heartland region.
He noted there are things to be proud of including the virtual school. The district was able to test enough students to get a grade for the virtual program.
He said the data is important for parents and also to help construct school improvement plans.
Glades County deputies investigating a missing persons case. 51-year-old Eric Palazolo was last seen walking on foot in Moore Haven on Monday, July 29th.
He is now the subject of a purple alert. Authorities said Palazolo has health issues and is on medication.
The family and friends have not heard from him since July 29.
He told a friend he was getting a ride to Okeechobee with someone named Joe and perhaps head to the Douglas Park neighborhood.
SW Florida Crime Stoppers accepts tips and can offer cash rewards. The number is 1-800-780-TIPS (8477).
Six of the nine people who died in a single vehicle crash east of Belle Glade were children, ages 22 months to 14 years old. The accident on Hatton Highway the worst in years in the Glades.
Palm Beach sheriff deputies said none of the occupants in the vehicle wore any kind of safety equipment.
The group was down here for a relative’s 80th birthday party and were on their way to the airport when the accident occurred.
In politics, the district 5 commission seat features a republican primary this year.
Political newcomers Billy McCullers and Mike Sumner are on the ballot.
Both men participated in a recent political forum to discuss issues impacting Okeechobee County.
Sumner supported the jail expansion saying the old facility had to be replaced.
“A jail is something you have to have. You can’t stop all crime. He’d like to keep the 7.9 millage rate. It’s a tough pill.”
McCullers answered a question about storing more water in the county. He said Okeechobee is not the cause of South Florida’s water issues.
“It has surprised me to hear the rhetoric over the years related to the lake condition and how it pertains to Okeechobee. As a pilot I have flown many times to Kissimmee and it is very clear to me that the water quality issues don’t center around Okeechobee but begin further north than where we are.”