WOKC Local News – March 18, 2026, 7:40 AM
Transcript
WOKC News. Child alleges abuse. With WOKC News, I’m Charles Murphy. A 40-year-old Ukachubi man held in a $1.1 million bond accused of sexually battering a child. The suspect abused him between the ages of 8 and 17. The alleged abuse begins in 2015 in Ukachubi. The suspect was also charged with sexual battery of a child 16 or 17 years old. The suspect denied the allegation, saying he just wrestled a horse plate around. The victim claimed the suspect paid him $20 for four or five nude photos after he turned 16. The suspect was also accused of providing vapes and alcohol to the child. Many school districts in Florida have decided to install cameras in school zones. They’re trying to make it safer and slow motorists down. Sheriff Noel Stephen in Ukachubi has been reluctant to do so, saying he’s not convinced about the benefits of these cameras. He does have cameras that look at license plates now to help solve crimes. He says it’ll help them capture wanted felons from time to time. We aren’t using that to spy on anybody. You know, we’re targeting certain areas, trying to find people that are thieving, praying, need help. You know, those kind of things is what we’re utilizing this tool for. A motorist was injured when a falling tree pierced the truck’s windshield on the Martin Grade. The Martin County Sheriff’s deputies say the accident happened near Sala Drive over the weekend. Heavy winds caused a gust and a large rotted oak tree fell directly onto the car. The motorist was taken to Longwood Regional Medical Center with minor injury. Glades County Manager Paul Carlisle says a small county won’t have the extra money lying around and can’t survive losing tax revenues. The county has no grocery stores, no hospitals, and sales tax revenues are among the lowest in the state. Carlisle told a House committee that residents want more services, not less. We survive in a 750 square mile county with 29 employees in my public works department. There is no extra money. We don’t have grocery stores. We don’t have hospitals. We don’t have any way to make up money. You can raise a tax, sales tax, 100%. It won’t affect us at all. He noted the tax rate has not changed in Glades County for over 10 years. Martin County Commissioner is excited about the Lake Oogachobee muck removal plan. Sarah Hurd represents the county on the Lake Coalition. She says she’s looking forward to seeing the results, calling it a competition. Five companies are vying for $20 million by using their process to remove nutrients from the water. Martin County may also opt to help Fort Pierce with those trash trains coming up from Miami Dade to Fort Pierce and then being trucked out to Oogachobee. The bail bond fraud gets a victim in Oogachobee. The sheriff’s office says they never call anyone in this manner. A man pretending to be a deputy that didn’t exist was able to con the local man at $600. Turns out that man’s son had recently been arrested. I’m Charles Murphy, WOKC News.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).