WOKC Local News – February 18, 2026, 7:40 AM
Transcript
WOKC News. Too charged after a drug investigation. With WOKC News, I’m Charles Murphy. The Ukechubi Narcotics Task Force jailed two out-of-towners for apparently trying to distribute illegal narcotics on Saturday. Thirty-seven-year-old Maurice Latham is known to have distributed illegal narcotics in other communities in Florida. He is not an Ukechubi resident. Saturday, narcotics officers said they intercepted a shipment and found 32 grams of ecstasy, some cocaine and amphetamine pills. Latham allegedly was coming to Ukechubi to sell illegal narcotics to an undercover detective. His passenger in the vehicle was also arrested. Forty-one-year-old Anthony Gordon is facing charges of possession. Latham is facing charges that include trafficking in ecstasy over 10 grams and possession with intent to sell cocaine. Ukechubi County and the Department of Transportation continue to work together to make changes to the 70 West plan. Commissioners were concerned about a lack of access points as more medians would be put in. They also were against a pedestrian crosswalk light at the King’s Trailer Park. Commissioner Terry Burroughs says it’s a great theory the DOT has come up with, but it is not in line with reality. Reality is when I’ve got horse trailers and larger vehicles trying to make turns to go over to a business and I have the emergency vehicles would have to go out of their way in order to get someplace. I said you’re not supposed to be cutting off traffic. The DOT says it would make 70 West safer and perhaps slow down traffic with narrower lanes. The Ukechubi County Commission got a lease done with AMS at the industrial park. They are an aircraft maintenance facility. They’ve been operating out of the North County Airport in Palm Beach County. The owners say they plan to expand facilities into Central Florida and fix planes here in Ukechubi. Jim Stinson is one of those owners. He says they want to move here out of Palm Beach. Excited about the opportunities in Ukechubi and the airport and the growth and just great potential. The Lake Placid Town Board has pooh-poohed recent talk of a Walmart Supercenter coming to town. The town debated whether to give a contract to Administrator Charlotte Rodriguez, but did relent with a $119,000 annual salary. She’s eligible for a 5% salary hike if she gets a good job evaluation from the mayor. She says the salary is in line with other administrators. Town Attorney Bert Harris III, who is retiring, has not gotten along with Rodriguez. He told the council that Rodriguez has lied to him repeatedly. He doesn’t like the successor they’re looking at either in the town attorney position. He said the contract did not have any increase in salary, although she did get an $11,000 raise after being hired. I don’t recall a discussion regarding an increase in salary. What was buried in the budget I cannot address. I’m Charles Murphy, WOKC News.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).