WOKC Local News – March 06, 2026, 7:40 AM
Transcript
WOKC News. Bus crash will result in court case. With WOKC News, I’m Charles Murphy. Progressive Insurance has filed litigation over an October school bus crash on 70 West and Okeechobee. They named the bus driver and students on the bus who were injured. They’re arguing the driver they insured, the at-fault driver, had minimal coverage that pays out only $50,000 per incident. Some students have significant injuries and thus high medical costs. Superintendent Dylan Tedder says he’s not surprised by the litigation. When you get insurance companies involved and their legal teams get involved, they could throw anything out. And then you know how those things, they end up settled somehow, some way. He does urge parents to buy extra insurance for their kids. The 525-acre Lakefront Estates Project, looking for $5 million from the State Department of Commerce, they’ve received $1 million so far to help with infrastructure. Idael Perlstein, one of the developers, says phase one is already done and phase two is underway. And the current grant is for phase three, which is the biggest of all. It’s $8 to $10 million, just that phase alone. They’ve completed about 70 homes. The developer predicts over 3,300 permanent jobs from the project near Buckhead Ridge. The Lake Istopoga Management Committee has been eliminated by Highlands County Commissioners. Friends of Lake Istopoga pushed Highlands County to remain active in helping manage the lake. Laura Milton says they don’t need to cut the public out from these discussions. There is a constant need to hear what the public has to say and to be the source of accurate information on how problems are being met that consider the desires and needs of all the lake users. Highlands County also mourned the loss of former county administrator Rick Helms. He was in that job from 2010 to 2012. He served over 38 years in Highlands County government. Previously, he served as director of Office of Management and Budget and as an assistant county administrator. City police say a domestic violence incident occurred when a man was upset about his dirt bike being impounded. The victim first said he had a handgun. Later, she changed her story to say it was only a cell phone. The suspect also allegedly violated an injunction for protection. City police say a domestic incident ended up in a traffic incident with an infant going to the hospital. It happened in the area of Southwest 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street. The victim, a female, took the infant to Rollerson Hospital to be checked out after slamming on the brakes. The suspect has been arrested in Fort Pierce for allegedly striking the victim. He will face new charges of domestic violence, battery, and violating a pretrial release order of no contact. His bond was $30,000.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).