WOKC Local News – February 06, 2026, 7:40 AM
Transcript
WOKC News. Be arrested for drug trafficking? With WOKC News, I’m Charles Murphy. A traffic stop on 710 results in three arrests after a trafficking amount of mushrooms were found in the vehicle. Okeechobee County Sheriff deputies are charging Brittany Stephens, Christopher Ernest, and Isaiahs Mohica Jr. on a couple of felonies, including trafficking in controlled substances. The deputy pulled over the vehicle for too dark window tint. They found some $2,102 in the vehicle. They also seized a .45 caliber Glock handgun. A five-acre property on Mitchell Road tried to get agriculture exempt. The owner has four brood cows and one bull on the property, does not have a residence on the property. The Okeechobee County Value Adjustment Board upheld a decision to deny the proposed exemption. The landowner, John Ever, complained his property taxes have gone up considerably. County Commissioner Brad Goodbred says the county has tried to lower the tax burden. Always try to err to the side of ag, being from an ag background. But what I don’t want to do is open up your office to scrutiny from the Department of Revenue. Property appraiser Mickey Bandy says if it was a 10-acre property, Mr. Everett could get an ag exemption. Islands County attorneys are asked to move quicker and work harder. The commission chair, Don Elwell, says he’s getting words from county departments that things are sitting in legal too long. County attorney Sherry Sutphin says that complaint is disconcerting. It’s not a big deal until it’s your department, but I can certainly ask for another attorney. But I don’t know that we have the capacity for that. So we’ve been trying to deal with what we have, but we absolutely will work on our speed. Highlands commissioners approved a rezoning for a single-family home on agriculture land. It’s on five-plus acres near the Kissimmee River on Butler Buff Road. Okeechobee is watching the state legislature as they deal with bills dealing with data centers. County commission chair David Hazelief says they need to get Florida Power and Light to support this because it would benefit them with more revenue. And we have people willing to cost share. This is not people saying we want anything for nothing. And we’re not talking about small dollars. We’re talking about a billion dollars to bring in the amount of electric needed. It’s mind-boggling the amount that it is there. So we have people interested in that, but I would like the commission’s support to say, look, if Penn-Hill, you need to do something for Okeechobee County, you need to participate in this. Clays County commissioners agreeing to spend more than three-quarters of a million dollars this year to reconstruct and resurface several Buckhead Ridge streets. Asphalt paving systems of Zephyr Hills plans to start the work early this year. County Commissioner Tim Stanley says about half of Buckhead Ridge lives on the streets they’re going to improve. You’re not like you’re paving the county road. There’s houses every 50 feet on these roads. There’s probably 3000 homes in these, or not 3000, there’s only 1300 homes in Buckhead Ridge. I would say there’s probably five to 600 homes on these streets that are paying taxes. I’m Charles Murphy, WOKC News.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).