WAFC Local News – September 24, 2026, 8:06 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. The effort to return more deer and turkey to Big Cypress Preserve and the Everglades continue. They’ve lost population due to high water at times and more predators like panthers and pythons. The Seminole and Miccosukee Indian tribes and private ranchers are contributing to the effort. They’ve reintroduced over 40 deer in the past year and hope to do the same in the next five years. Dr. Marcel Bozas says deer are not using the underpasses that have been constructed. The wildlife are functionally disconnected. They cannot get across effectively. So how can we better account for that and improve that dispersal is something we hope to learn about a little bit more with this project. Mike Elfenbein says they should add more hogs to remove the pressure on deer from predators. Panthers were the number one predator of deer in southwest Florida. Obviously there’s no shortage of information indicating that pythons are taking deer. And historically before panthers and pythons, bobcats were identified as the number one predators of deer in the system and of course alligators and bears. These studies showed hundreds of deer in these areas in the 2000s but only a few in a recent count. The highway patrol put out more on the arrest of Christian Miguel Leone of Winterhaven. The 31-year-old allegedly struck a pedestrian at Francisco Street and US 27 on June 28th and fled the scene. The pedestrian died at the scene. Investigation determined Leone traveled to Polk County and parked his 1999 Ford Ranger at RV Park and posted it for sale on Facebook Marketplace. The vehicle was impounded a day later. Emory County unemployment dropped from 6% in July to 5.7% in August. The number of unemployed went from 1,335 to 1,278. In the region, Charlotte at 5.9%, Broward 4.4%, Collier 5%, Glades County 5.8%, Lee County 5.2% and Palm Beach 4.6%. South Bay Commissioners approved their budget of close to $9.7 million. The millage is $6.3089. Capital projects total $5.3 million this year. They’re holding a final hearing this week. Councilmember Barbara King voted against the proposed budget. She questioned a new vehicle for the city manager, some new lawnmowers and $20,000 to repair potholes. King objected to being singled out when she asked questions. This is the time that I had available to ask those questions because I have that right. This is what this meeting is for. Buckhead Ridge and other mosquito control districts would be hit hard if property tax reform is approved. Buckhead Ridge collects about $35,000 per year to spray for mosquitoes from taxes. 37.5% of the property in Buckhead is already homesteaded. It is going to be a significant impact to mosquito control. That’s Sherry Burrows, who’s vice president of the Florida Mosquito Control Association. She says mosquitoes on Lake Okeechobee aren’t half as bad as they could be. Most of our permanent water bodies, such as the lake, will have fish and other organisms that will feed on the immature mosquito larvae. So the lake itself is not too much of a problem. It’s just those surrounding areas that might get flooded from time to time depend on increased water levels from rainfall or from runoff. She says people often create the mosquito problems at home with water containers. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).