WOKC Local News – June 22, 2026, 7:40 AM
Transcript
WOKC News. Prison possible for manslaughter case with WOKC News, I’m Charles Murphy. Next Thursday, a sentencing hearing set for Cameron Runyon of Okeechobee. He pled no contest to charges of DUI manslaughter, fleeing from law enforcement and leaving the scene of a fatal crash. Erica Smith was struck and killed allegedly by Runyon on December 11th, 2022 at 485 Southeast 16th Avenue. Okeechobee deputies say they chased after Runyon and speeds reached 106 miles an hour up 441. He stopped near the boys school. They say his blood alcohol was .136. Congressman Scott Franklin wanting help from the USDA. He says Florida producers lost over $3 billion in crops due to the freeze. Many don’t have insurance. He’d also like to see the Farm Service Agency staffing restored. He says there’s been a lot of job cuts and the current budget proposes an 18% decrease in staffing. In the courts, an Okeechobee man pled no contest to charges he molested a child. Victor Gomez was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of sex offender probation. The one felony charge he pled to was lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim under 12. He scored eight years in prison and had no prior record. The city may sit down and review the procedures and paperwork they require for citizens and entities who want to abandon city streets, alleys and right-of-way. Sandra McCauley during public comment at a recent city council meeting says she wanted to get approval for a right-of-way abandonment and connect to properties she owns, but it was a ridiculous and endless line of paperwork and too much hassle. Local governments have been on edge wondering how the property tax reform referendum would impact their operations and services, Highlands County among those concerned. Attorney Sherry Sutphin says it’s probably not going into effect until the 27-28 budget year, if approved. No one has the ability to, I mean, we can’t just stop taking care of the things that we have a duty to take care of. So if anything is going to happen, I think it’s very possible that it is going to be reformed. I just, it’s not going to probably affect it this year. An Oogachoo man arrested on charges of false imprisonment and battery claimed his victim was the devil and demon possessed. Kevin Hyme says she was messing with chickens and she had lifted him up, pushing him and launched him into the air. His sister called him a prophet. The Florida Board of Governors could vote to ban undocumented students from public universities at an upcoming meeting. The Florida Board will meet next Wednesday to discuss banning the students. It would be an exception, though, if the school has already accepted all academically qualified applicants. This would apply to all 12 public universities in the state.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).