Okeechobee County Commissioners continue to discuss the need for affordable housing.
They hosted representatives of Lennar Homes and Habitat for Humanity of the Treasure Coast who both have interest in developing affordable homes on the county surplus lots on SE 10th Avenue.
Commissioner Mike Sumner said the county should sell all the surplus property they can.
He said he would support using lots in the Viking Property for affordable housing.
County Planner Bill Royce said the Viking land would not be considered affordable because of the transportation costs from home to most employment opportunities.
A 26 year old Okeechobee man faces charges he solicited a minor with explicit material in an attempt to have a sexual relationship with a child.
Elmer Ponce was held on $205,000 bond. The charges include promoting a sexual performance by a child, transmission of material harmful to a minor, online solicitation of a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a child.
Detectives said they learned that upon arrest Ponce used the jail phone system to contact a family member and instructed them to access his social media accounts and delete or destroy potential evidence.
He was also charged with tampering with evidence.
No one was injured after a school bus and vehicle collided on 441 north Thursday.
The school district said there were no students on board the bus at the time.
Florida has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation. It ranked third for foreclosures in August, behind Nevada and South Carolina.
The state has nearly double the national average of foreclosures. Miami is among the top metropolitan areas with high foreclosure rates.
Its up to law enforcement now on whether they will enforce a ban on open carry of firearms.
The Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office will not prosecute anyone who has a legally owned handgun in a holster in public.
This follows a First District Court of Appeals ruling this week that found the open carry ban was unconstitutional.
Indian River County Commissioners finalized the budget on Wednesday after a dispute with Sheriff Eric Flowers.
He wanted $14.6 million more, reduced that to $12.2 million and will receive $6.85 million more this year.
The total budget over $87 million will include a $9,000 increase in starting pay for deputies and an average of $3,500 raises for veteran personnel.
The sheriff could still go to the governor to try and get more funding.
Commissioners said they funded all the salary hikes the sheriff requested.
Environmentalists told the South Florida Water Management District to tighten regulations and the basin management plans around Lake Okeechobee.
They want to reduce further the alleged loading of nutrients and nitrogen from agriculture.
They are funding a study on nutrients in the Everglades Agriculture Area.
The district learned they were able to plant 40,000 plants in Lake Okeechobee this summer when the lake levels were down with help from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.