WAFC Local News – December 19, 2025, 8:32 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. There’s some opposition to the U.S. 27 plan. Local businessman Jimmy Carlson spoke out at a hearing against the plans to add concrete medians and limited access on 27. He says it will prevent large gas trucks from delivering fuel to his business, and every business in Clewiston will be impacted. A lot of these businesses in this town, they’re already struggling. There will be more empty buildings on 27. And the town already looks like hell. And it’s going to look a lot worse in two or three years after you do this. But I think we deserve some answers. Carlson says he’s upset he was not notified about the project by the state or city. All this started, if I’m not mistaken, in 2021. How did a business owner in this town never know nothing about it until last month? And I’ve called about 20 businesses today in town, good people, been here all their life, worked hard. None of them know nothing about it. The gas station has been in operation since 1954. Henry County Schools also had some concerns. Curtis Clay says the district needs to know the details of the improvements because it’ll impact school buses. Brian Wilson with the FDOT says there will be no disruption during construction. The work will be supposed to be done in phases to reduce the effects of construction on the local community. Temporary lane closures will take place during non-peak hours to reduce impact to the traveling public. Access to businesses and residences will be maintained at all times. No detours will be necessary and lane closures will be limited to one travel room at a time. The total project would last 12 to 14 months and cost $5.7 million. It would start construction next fall. Palm Beach County Mayor Sarah Baxter intended a meeting on the Transportation Master Plan in Belgrade. Baxter says it’s important to know what the public wants and she supports improving the roads in the Glades. Glades County Commissioners will consider selling six lots on Avenue C in Moorhaven to a local church. Glades County Code Enforcement has opened 210 cases as of last month. 49 cases have been closed. 34 came into compliance. 32 cases were not substantiated. 64 cases have been opened in the past month. No abandoned vehicles are allowed on agriculture property. 60 vehicles will be removed at a property on Kirby Thompson Road. Another 20 vehicles need to be removed from ag property on US 27 near the KOA. A man who’s been living in a tent in Buckhead Ridge was ordered to remove the tent RV and debris in the property recently. He had been accruing $25 per day fines. Code Enforcement Officer Darian Lopez says the fines may get something done. And our owner is currently accruing $25 a day fine as ordered by the judge on July 14 for non-compliance. I was also just made aware that additional violations were brought onto the property and we will be investigating it for criminal offenses. The remains of a nine-month-old male Florida panther collected this week on Tuesday in Henry County. They suspect the cause of death is a vehicle collision. It’s believed 18 panthers have died this year, 16 in motor vehicle collisions. Three have occurred this month including one in Henry County and one in Glades County. The latest remains were found near County Road 833 about five miles east of County Road 846. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).