An Okeechobee man was accused of leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury and property damage.
Joel Alaniz was also charged with resisting arrest without violence and driving a vehicle without registration.
Okeechobee Police reports said a van rolled onto its side after being struck by Alaniz pickup truck in the area of 1700 South Parrott Avenue.
The report said the driver of the van, Aiden Christensen was seriously injured when he was ejected through the front windshield.
Police said Alaniz told them he panicked and didn’t want to go to jail. He said he had a family and didn’t have the money to register the vehicle.
A manager at a Dollar General store was charged with stealing nearly $5,700 from the store on 441 south next to Publix.
Megan Jones faces charges that include grand theft, tampering with evidence and organized fraud.
The arrest report said Jones tampered with the daily deposits from the store and took some money for her personal use.
An Okeechobee man was charged with aggravated battery after an alleged violent fight inside a local bar.
Jose Guadalupe Romero Jr. allegedly walked up to the male victim and struck him several times, leaving him bloodied and injured.
The victim was taken to HCA/Raulerson hospital for treatment of a large gash to the right side of his head and another above his right eye.
When deputies learned the name of the suspect and went to his residence, he denied leaving the home and refused to come out of the home.
Deputies contacted his lawyer who advised Romero to surrender to the charge.
A 49-year-old Okeechobee man was charged with picking palmetto berries without a proper permit.
The incident near Basinger on Lofton Road.
An officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported seeing an SUV hauling a trailer with no brake lights and no tag on the trailer.
The officer learned the vehicle had not been registered for one year.
Christopher Lamb said he was only delivering berries from one pasture to another.
He presented an alleged fake permit from the Florida Department of Agriculture.
Charges will include trespass.
Senator Erin Grall said she will continue to fight for dollars to widen state road 70 in Okeechobee and Highlands County.
She said the Rural Renaissance bill proposed by Senate President Ben Albritton that failed to make it to the governor this year included funding for route 70.
She said there are various studies and design work going on for several segments of the road between US 27 and US 98 in Okeechobee.
“It continues to be a priority and I am cautiously optimistic that we will get the funding to push this forward in a more expeditious way.”
She said everyone who drives the road realizes it needs improvements.
“We should be prioritizing these infrastructure projects like route 70. Hopefully we will see some additional funding this year that will expedite that.”
The Okeechobee City Council has been working on the proposed city budget.
The original plan called for a five percent property tax hike with total ad valorem taxes at $3.18 million.
The operating budget or general fund was proposed at $8.8 million, an increase of 3.4 percent.
The police department requested $3.8 million, fire service $1 million, and public works $1.8 million.
They also budgeted a three percent salary hike and $1 million for street improvements.
Vice Mayor Monica Clark and councilmember Bob Jarriel wanted to see a reduction in taxes. They have complained that businesses take on too much of the tax burden in the city.
Jarriel said businesses can’t continue to carry the city.
“When you look at the businesses you are looking at 10 percent more. I think we would be doing something for our citizens to do a roll back rate on taxes.”
Vice Mayor Monica Clark said the city is not reducing the budget at all.
“We are just taking money out of savings and that will catch up with us someday.”
Glades County Sheriff David Hardin said the Brighton Bay Caino hasn’t been that much of an impact on his agency so far.
He said it has been a welcome addition and a positive thing for the county.
He admits he thought it would bring more traffic and perhaps some more accidents but that has not been the case.
“That has been better handled than I expected. I thought it might be a bigger issue. We may see a problem in the winter time. So far so good.”
He said he is looking at some growth in staff as the county adds new homes.
“With the growth of the Jewish community in Buckhead we are looking at putting on more staff when that comes along so we can cover the additional residents as they start moving in.”