WAFC Local News – May 12, 2026, 8:32 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. Henry County Commissioners define derelict vehicles as they prepare to start citing violators. Attorney Matt Rollerson says they’ve been waiting for citation books and are ready to get started. Currently, they can go, well, there’s no definition for an honorable vehicle, and that puts us in a bad spot legally to uphold those notice of violation or citation in the future. County Commissioner Mitchell Wills thinks it’ll be on a case-by-case basis. If you’re working on your own vehicles, that’s one thing, but if you’re running a business or a shop out of your residential home, different animal. Rowdy Howard says they needed a strong definition on derelict vehicles before they could act. Derelict vehicles typically end up holding rainwater, which breeds mosquitoes. You’ve got feral cats and other animals that breed inside those vehicles, and so at some point, it becomes a hazard to the community. A Moorhaven man pled no contest to two counts of vehicular homicide in Lee County. 36-year-old Jimmy Roberts pled to two charges of reckless driving causing bodily injury, driving while licensed suspended, habitual, and possession of a weapon as a convicted felon. He’ll be sentenced next week. The Florida Highway Patrol says the charges stem from a crash on State Road 82 at Sunshine Boulevard in Lehigh Acres on May 25, 2024. The crash killed one of his passengers and the other driver, a 35-year-old Lehigh Acres woman. Roberts’ vehicle were seriously injured, ages 15, 19, and 34. Roberts had eight prior felony convictions. Blood tests came back negative for alcohol, but positive for amphetamines, cannabinoids, and opioids. The speedometer was stuck at 110 miles per hour on Roberts’ car. A Palm Beach County jury acquitted Shannon Atkins of charges he threatened to kill President Donald Trump. He had been arrested on January 24th of last year after an Okishoa man reported social media posts. The post included photos of assassinated presidents in U.S. history, a post stating January 20th is the day of mourning for the USA, and another post saying, “‘Bullets, please. Please, Jesus, save America.'” Atkins admitted to stating on X, “‘I hope and pray someone kills him.’ History is supposed to repeat itself. We haven’t had an assassination in years.” West Palm Beach police investigated the case. Atkins told them he was regretful for the comments and met them openly as a joke. The jury found he was not guilty of making written or electronic threats to kill or do bodily harm. He was found guilty of possessing cocaine. That case was referred to the pretrial diversion program at a sentence hearing in April. He also will pay $300 in fines. A Pahokee man is facing a host of charges after he wouldn’t leave deputies alone on Southwest 5th Street in Belle Glade. James Salisbury is charged with disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest, trafficking oxycodone, tampering with evidence, and possession of controlled substances. The incident happened on Saturday early in the morning. He’d been walking in the roadway and was told to use the sidewalk. He refused, and a struggle ensued. He was taken to the hospital after complaining of an arm injury, and the nurse found a lot of drugs that he had left inside the examining room, according to Palm Beach deputies. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).