WAFC Local News – March 12, 2026, 8:32 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. A 33-year-old Bill Glade man faces aggravated battery and a host of other charges after an armed domestic disturbance this week. The female victim and her small child went to Mount Calvary Baptist Church to get help. At one point, the suspect and pastor battled over a handgun. The victim claimed Michael Davis held her against her will and threatened to shoot her. She was also pistol whipped. She was able to grab the gun and flee the residence. Davis was arrested after a chase with law enforcement in Royal Palm Beach. It included driving through a public’s parking lot. A K-9 unit helped the regional U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force bring the man into custody. He struck and kicked at officers multiple times. Five kids under the age of 10 were found inside the vehicle. Glades County holding their annual Household Hazardous Waste Day this Saturday. It’ll be at the Doyle-Conner Building from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s at 900 U.S. 27. You can get rid of items such as old paint, chemicals, batteries, electronics, and other household hazardous materials. A disturbance at the Brighton-Seminoe Indian Reservation in Glades County results in an Okeechobee woman’s arrest. Amanda Madison faces charges of aggravated assault and burglary with an assault, felony criminal mischief, and resisting arrest without violence. Seminoe Police say a Park Chrysler 300 sustained extensive damage, about $5,000 worth. Officers say they also found broken pots, a broken screen, and a broken window. Madison allegedly broke the vehicle headlights with a shovel and the window with the pot. Alcohol was said to be a factor. She also allegedly threatened a man with a shovel. Madison reportedly resisted arrest and kicked at officers and tried to damage the inside of the patrol car. She had to be pepper sprayed and was treated at Rollerson Hospital. Department of Agriculture declared a disaster for the Florida freeze. Every member of the Florida delegation urged for the unreasonable cold weather to be declared a disaster. The freeze costs about $3.1 billion in agriculture losses to crops including sugarcane, citrus, strawberries, sweet corn, and nurseries. Congresswoman Kat Kamak says the freeze will be felt for a while. These are not one-year losses. For perennial crops like citrus trees, you lose decades of work overnight. And recovery is not quick. It takes time, flexibility, and a safety net that actually reflects how farming works today. The House Agriculture Committee on Capitol Hill has approved the Farm Bill in a 34 to 17 vote. Seven Democrats joined every Republican in support. The main complaints have been cut to SNAP benefits or food stamps and the ongoing tariff debate. Congresswoman Jill Takuda says there’s been a lot of sales of farmland. Ranchers are thinking about selling off their cattle and closing their businesses. Families are struggling to afford groceries and hunger is growing, whether Washington chooses to acknowledge it or not. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).