Okeechobee County Fire Crews responded Tuesday evening to reports of a fully involved structure fire in a log cabin.
Firemen said upon arrival they encountered heavy fire conditions with 100% involvement of an abandoned building. A tank shuttle operation was quickly established, supplying several thousand gallons of water to support suppression efforts.
The fire was thought to be electrical in origin. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, and no extension of damage beyond the structure.
An undocumented immigrant from Russia is charged with having sex with a 13 year old in a vehicle in Indiantown.
Igor Ravinski, 40, allegedly met the girl on Snapchat and then drove to Indiantown to meet her in person.
A deputy on routine patrol noticed a suspicious vehicle on SW Seminole Drive, checked the vehicle and found the pair.
Ravinski is charged with sexual battery of a minor.
Sheriff John Budensiek said this case serves as a powerful reminder how important it is for parents and guardians to closely monitor their children’s social-media use and online interactions.
Predators often use these platforms to gain trust and make contact.
St. Lucie county is purchasing a ranch near Okeechobee.
The agreement between the county and the Oak Ridge Ranches developers required 125 acres for mitigation. The county instead accepted a one-time payment of $1.25 million or $15,000 per acre for mitigation.
Oak Ridge is a large development of 3,230 acres off Glades Cut off Road.
The funds from this project are being used to purchase the Junior Louis Ranch just east of the Okeechobee County line. It measures 400 acres and the purchase price is just over $6 million.
Okeechobee County proclaimed Operation Green Light for Veterans from November 4-11.
By shining a green light in your window, residents and business owners will let veterans know that they are seen, appreciated and supported.
Veterans Service Officer Paul Hiott said they have secured $8.7 million in veterans benefits so far this year. They also have transported 289 veterans to the VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach.
They also have expanded services with help from Mission United, Our Village and the Heartland Homeless Coalition to assist veterans.
Okeechobee County Sheriff Noel Stephen asked our state delegation to support $5 million toward the cost of renovating the existing jail space and the sheriffs administrative offices.
This part of the jail was first opened in 1986.
“We have an aging facility that is at a catastrophic failure mode.”
The county has spent about $60 million on county jail improvements. The state has provided $8.5 million.
The capacity of the jail with the new pod is now increased from 300 to 500 inmates.
An Okeechobee man pled guilty to a felony charge related to child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell sentenced Rodney Hortman, 59, to five years in prison for possession accessing with intent to view images depicting the sexual abuse of children.
He was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender.
FDLE, Glades County Sheriff Detectives, the FBI and the Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force all took part in the investigation.
The Indiantown Village Council supported writing a letter to Martin County to support their effort to bring a Brightline Train Station to Stuart.
Mayor Carmine DiPaolo said the train station would be helpful to Indiantown as it would connect them to South Florida and points north.
Village Manager Taryn Kryzda said Stuart business owners would be greatly benefited by the train station.
A Kenansville woman is charged with striking a pedestrian and then fleeing the scene.
St. Cloud Police arrested Lindsay Collins, 32, for a traffic death of Jason Gordon on 13th Street at 3 am on Sept. 27.
A second vehicle also ran over the man but stopped.
Police received some valuable evidence from dashboard cameras from two eye witnesses.