WAFC Local News – September 10, 2026, 8:06 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. The Clewiston City Commission yet to resolve the issue of RVs parking in front yards. Commissioner Molly Gardner asked for another workshop to iron out the issues. They agree the RVs should be parked on asphalt or concrete. Some want them only in backyards. RVs for people visiting will be allowed up to 14 days, but there are people living in RVs in backyards in the city. Building official Chris Cooper says not many RVs would be impacted by the ordinance change. There’s only 29 RVs parked in residential lots in the city of Clewiston. And of those 29, probably 80 to 85 percent of them would not be affected by any ordinance that we write. He had this recommendation for parked RVs. I would like to see them behind the front of the house, just like any accessory structure. It’s not allowed to be out in front of the front of the house unless it’s on a solid surface. City Administrator Danny Williams also is studying the issue. We need to get strict and it is what it is and do it. He’d like to limit RVs in residential areas. State Representative Meg Weinberger continues to stress funding for career and technical education programs. Her staff says Pahokee did not get funding for demucking work in the city, despite it getting to the governor’s desk this year. Belle Glade got most of the regional funding this year. Kat Medeiros says some progress was made on local appropriations. Belle Glade saw some real wins this session. $4 million for the SeraWave microwave plasma waste reduction project. $2.26 million for H1 Basin stormwater improvements. $372,867 for the Glade’s workforce expansion program. The LaBelle City Commission approved a change in the deposit and user fee at the Civic Center. There have been reports of costly damage from certain events. They decided on a $2,000 deposit and $2,500 rental fee. Our Mayor, Julie Wilkins, wants people to stop damaging the Civic Center. Almost every event there is damage. People are not complying with the rules. They’re taping, nailing, doing things to the walls and causing damage that our staff needs to fix, which takes time. A recent event caused about $2,000 in damage and cleanup costs. The Henry County man is charged with leaving the scene of an accident and road rage in Collier County, the incident in Naples. He was allegedly in a Ford F-150 pickup truck that followed another vehicle, a Kia SUV, causing a crash at Oilwell Road in Mystic River Drive. The driver, the Kia, and passengers say the pickup driver brandished a knife or hook and threatened them. Jose Solano then drove off at a high rate of speed. The victim suffered a hand injury. The victim said that Solano caused the victim to be blocked in and he kept waving the hook and knife at the victims and threatened them verbally, saying he’ll hit them and cut them. A Clewiston man arrested this week on several felony charges, including attempted felony murder and kidnapping. Thirty-six-year-old James Carlos Melton was held on no bond for the arrest on Tuesday, also charged with tampering with evidence and obstructing justice by allegedly hindering the communication of information to a law enforcement officer or a judge. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).