News Cast for September 26th:
Two men and two dogs were killed by apparent lightning strike in southeast Highlands County near Rucks Dairy Road Monday.
Deputies were called to the area of Rucks Dairy Road in the far southeast corner of the county around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24, by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers. The FWC had been searching for two men who had gone hunting and not returned, and had discovered their car parked in the area. Their bodies were found on the levee next to Canal C-41A.
The two men, ages 38 and 31, are both from the Miami area. The initial investigation indicates that they died from a lightning strike sometime on Monday evening. T
he District 10 Medical Examiner will determine the official cause and time of death.
“Our area gets more lightning than just about anywhere else in the country, especially in the summer. If you can hear thunder, that means lightning is close enough to strike, even if the sky doesn’t look too bad yet,” Sheriff Paul Blackman said. “It is essential to pay attention and plan ahead when storms approach.”
The best place to be during a storm is always indoors. If you’re caught outside and hear thunder, get inside a solid building or a car with a hard roof right away. Don’t stand under trees, in open fields, or go near bodies of water, as those spots are lightning magnets.
If you’re inside, it’s a good idea to stay away from windows, skip the corded electronics, and hold off on taking a shower until the storm passes. These small steps can go a long way in keeping you safe.
The Lake Okeechobee Coalition supported looking at dredging the inside of Lake Okeechobee to remove sediment.
Glades County Commissioner Tim Stanley made the suggestion that was also supported by chairman Ken Doherty of Charlotte County.
They expect to get a report from the SFWMD and the US Army Corps of Engineers at a future meeting.
The biggest issue is the costs and where to place the sediment after its removed from the Lake.
The Okeechobee County School Board approved a $162 million budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.
Spending is down $55 million mostly due to decreased spending on the later stages of the OHS construction.
The millage went up slightly to 5.384 mills which represents a 4.55 percent property tax hike.
Superintendent Dylan Tedders said the costs of education remains expensive and they had a shortfall in student enrollment last year that cost the district over $1 million.
He noted there are more education options in Okeechobee these days with some private schools and online schools.
Osceola County Deputies are warning parents to be careful what they put-on bumper stickers.
Some stickers put their child’s name and school and even sport they play. That can tip off burglars to when the family might not be home.
Deputies said if you put your child’s name out there that makes it easier for sexual predators to approach them by knowing their name.
They recommend parents to use less specific bumper stickers and to consider what information are you advertising to the community as you drive around.