WOKC Local News – November 14, 2025, 7:40 AM
Transcript
W.O.K.C. News. County talks growth with W.O.K.C. News. I’m Charles Murphy. The Okeechobee County Comprehensive Plan and Future Growth discussed at a county commission workshop. Commissioner Mike Sumner says the county has been talking about growth for years. Let’s allow some opportunity for some people that are a little further out to still be able to to enjoy this boom, for lack of a better way of putting it, if they’ve got a mindset to sell. Consultant Kimberly Horn surprisingly said there’s no more capacity as far as roads are needed right now. We’re not seeing the roadways reaching a level of service where DOT or or the county would likely need any sort of additional lanes on those roads. Okeechobee commissioners were claiming Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Martha’s House reported over 4,300 shelter nights used last year and 650 law enforcement calls. Edna Maligone told commissioners a lot of people are impacted by this problem in Okeechobee. Martha is the lady at the teller at the bank, at the drive through at McDonald’s. Martha could be in this room. Martha is the teacher, the school bus driver. And Martha’s not always even a woman. So I would encourage us all to remember that as well. We do serve men and a lot more than you would think. The super speeder law impacting rural counties like Highlands County. They’ve had three criminal cases in one week. Okeechobee’s also made arrests for people going 100 miles an hour or more or 50 miles over the speed limit. Highlands County Sheriff’s spokesperson Scott Dressel wonders what these drivers are thinking. It’s easy to kind of lose track of how fast you’re going on those rural roads. But those rural roads are also a lot of times very narrow. There’s trees and things very close to the road. And it doesn’t take much of a distraction if you’re going 100 miles an hour. You don’t have to distract it very long until you run off the road. And it’s very hard to recover. A convicted killer from central Florida is scheduled to die this week. Sixty six year old Brian Jennings kidnapped, raped and murdered a six year old girl in Brevard County in 1979. He was a 20 year old Marine at the time and home on leave from Japan. Jennings is set to die tonight at Florida State Prison. And a misdemeanor battery charge continues against former Okeechobee County Commissioner Brian Culpepper this week. He’s being represented by attorney Robert Ascona. The state presented two witnesses yesterday before arresting the victim, George Nathanson and Deputy Sheriff Matthew Grumbling. The defense expected to state their case today, and it’s possible a verdict will be rendered in the case. It’s over an incident at the county commission meeting when Culpepper allegedly shoved a First Amendment advocate. Professional bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee today as the 2025 Nitro Bassmaster Elite Qualifier began at Ecclewiston. They’ll have weigh ins each day at 3 p.m. through Saturday. I’m Charles Murphy, WOKC News.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).