WAFC Local News – May 19, 2026, 8:32 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. Henry County deputies working a shooting in LaBelle. It happened about 7.45 p.m. Monday night in the Mira Verde community. Deputies who only say they took a suspect into custody and detained him. And the investigation is ongoing. They haven’t released the name of the victim or his or her condition. The LaBelle City Commission meeting as the Planning Commission approved the annexation of 74 acres in the city for a housing project for Alico. 331 housing units could be developed on State Road 80, just north of Helms Road. They also approved a small scale comprehensive plan for 84 total acres. The main issue was who maintains Benmore Road. It’s the road next to Walmart. Commissioner Bobby Spratt says it’ll cost the city to maintain Benmore Road. We’re having enough trouble taking care of the roads we have now. So to add another one, even as short as it is, we need to think about that. Developer Representative Dan Delisi says they want to list about 300 units or so. Because this property in total would be around 84 acres. It lists our density as six units an acre. We have no intent of ever developing that. I think in our pre-op, the city said don’t ever expect to get that kind of density. It is too much for the property. The property is heavily wooded. The Clewiston Police Department wants the community aware that they’ve had a lot of complaints at night of individuals riding electric bikes and gas powered bikes on the city golf course. Reports indicate damage has been caused to the greens and the fairways through reckless riding, burnouts and other destructive behavior. That’s going to cost the city and ultimately you and I. The city wants to remind everyone that the golf course is considered private property after operating hours. Anyone found trespassing could be facing charges. The city wants parents to talk to their children about respecting other people’s property and obeying the law while operating these scooters, golf carts, motorized bikes and e-bikes. Palm Beach County commissioners want to install cameras in school zones and unincorporated areas, including at K.E. Cunningham Canal Point Elementary. But they’re going to wait on a fourth court of appeals ruling on a Broward County case challenging these school zone cameras as unconstitutional. Commissioner Bobby Powell says he wants to protect kids and wants to know, does the camera work? We don’t want people speeding through those zones because at some point the kids do have to cross the road. And as we know, kids don’t necessarily follow the rules all the time. Commissioner Maria Sacks supports this wait on the court system before implementing things. Put it on the record that anything we can do to protect our kids is we’re in for it pending constitutionality of 4th D.C.A. on this issue. A new ranking system called NIT channelized our local schools using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Glades County schools earned a C plus earning that grade for academics, a B minus for teachers, C for clubs and activities, B minus for sports, C minus for resources and facilities and A for diversity, a B for college prep rates, a C plus for administration and a B minus for cafeteria food. Pima Yeta-Yamaha Charter School earned a B plus, West Glades a B minus and Morehaven Junior Senior High School a B minus. Forty two percent of students were proficient in reading and 47 percent proficient in math, according to NITCH. The average graduation rate was 85 percent and the average SAT score 1010. Thirty point seven percent of kids had a free or reduced lunch. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).