WOKC Local News – December 18, 2025, 7:40 AM
Transcript
WOKC News. Deputies investigate death with WOKC News. I’m Charles Murphy. Okeechobee County Sheriff Deputies say a tractor ran over a man in the southeast part of the county last night. It was reported just after 5 p.m. They continue to investigate. The Florida Cabinet, including the Governor, will vote today to add O.L. Rollerson, the former Okeechobee Sheriff, to the Law Enforcement Hall of Fame of Florida. Okeechobee City will install more crosswalks. They’re trying to slow motorists down on South Park Street. Council member David McCauley says often the speed limit is ignored. A week or so, I’ve been trying to drive the street more. If you’re anywhere close to speed limit, there’s somebody right on you. So we need to do something to slow traffic down. Businesswoman Angie Griffin says it’s been a problem for a long time and something needs to be done. The crosswalks, stop signs, speed bumps, something. Somebody needs to do something because somebody’s going to get hurt. And they just, they fly through there. And I know you said that it was like 23 miles an hour was the average, and I don’t believe that without that speed trailer there. These cool nights lead many Okeechobee residents to like to sit outside and build a fire. Fire Rescue doesn’t want you or any young kids burned this season. They ask you to keep the pits at least 10 to 12 feet away from your home and be careful what you burn if you don’t want any kind of smoke inhalation. Fire Marshal Keith Burgault says keeping it away from your home and sheds cuts down on the fire risk. We like to see a garden hose close, but if it’s contained fire, then we’re a little more lenient. And also there’s no burn ban right now, so people can burn and they can have a warming fire as long as it’s within those parameters of being X amount of feet, they have a hose. Okeechobee County Commissioners continue to discuss impact fees with the new growth coming. Commissioner Terry Burroughs says the county doesn’t have money right now for infrastructure improvements and he predicts county revenue will continue to decrease. And we’re not flush with money right now, but you’re not going to have as much money today, tomorrow to do the things that we need to do for our community. So somebody has to pay for it. County Commission Chairman David Hayslie says he thinks impact fees might hurt first-time home buyers. I guess I just have sympathy for the new people starting out, the first-time home buyer. You know as well as I do, they’re priced out of the market today already, and you add another $11,939 to it, they don’t even have the money for the down payment unless they get a SHIP loan, so they’re totally out. Florida Department of Transportation going ahead with a $2.7 billion plan to widen the six lanes from the Florida Turnpike exit at Yeehaw Junction to St. Cloud. The FDOT says it has to be built to meet the traffic demands. An increase in capacity is needed to accommodate projected traffic volumes. In the rural segment, three lanes in each direction will be needed by 2045, and in the urban segment, four lanes in each direction will be needed by 2045 to meet traffic demands. The no-action or no-build alternative does not meet the project’s purpose and need. They’re also widening the Turnpike to six lanes from Fort Pierce to Yeehaw Junction. I’m Charles Murphy, WOKC News.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).