WOKC Local News – November 19, 2025, 7:40 AM
Transcript
WOKC News. Schools honor employees with WOKC News. I’m Charles Murphy. The annual Night of the Stars banquet at More to Life Ministries this month honored Okeechobee Teacher of the Year, Lauren Shockley of South Elementary School. The school employee of the year was Destiny Suarez of Everglades. Nancy Boyer was Manager of the Year. And Lindsay Yates at Yearling Middle School was the first year Teacher of the Year. Renee Suarez with Gilbert Family of Companies wanted to salute the incredible people that shape our future. To every teacher and staff member, thank you for your dedication, your passion, and the difference you make in the lives of our students and families each day. Jennifer Fulwider, who is Teacher of the Year for 2025, says it’s important for the Teacher of the Year to be an advocate for students and staff. You’ve reminded me that teaching is more than a profession. It’s a calling, rooted in service, compassion, and hope. This experience has empowered me to see myself not just as a teacher, but as an advocate for our future. Okeechobee County approving a round of impact fees. They’re still considering the amounts, but have approved them in concept. They’re talking about implementing a percentage of the suggestions from their consultant, Kimley Horn. County Commission Chairman David Haisley says they’re also considering some comprehensive plan changes. He notes a good portion of the acreage in Okeechobee cannot be developed. Okeechobee County contains 496,082.41 acres total. Okay, 168,000 is already in some kind of preservation, whether it’s owned by the state, the USA, the East Florida’s easements, conservation easements. That does not include the most recent purchases. More than 120 missing children rescued in a Florida operation. Several adults charged with abuse and exploitation. It’s called Operation Home for the Holidays and involved the Tampa US Marshals and other law enforcement agencies. John Walsh with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says these survivors have been through a lot. These cases involve children missing from care, victims of child sex trafficking, children battling significant mental health challenges, and others facing serious endangerments. Floridians now receive more than 200 million spam calls and texts monthly. Only Texans receive more spam than Floridians. That’s according to data from spam-blocking app Truecaller. These communications could be on the rise in coming days, according to cyber security expert Alan Krowitz. Anything that gives a sense of urgency, like tax time or end of year or Christmas or whatever, anything that sounds alarming is a great way to trick somebody. He recommends not acting immediately if it sounds too good to be true or anyone is threatening you. I’m Charles Murphy, WOKC News.
Recorded from the WOKC daily newscast (Glades Media).