News Cast 11/11
News Cast for November 11th:
The City Commission meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday, November 16, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers located at 481 W. Hickpochee Avenue, LaBelle, FL.
Commission says pick up the pace
The Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners are not thrilled with the pace of picking up storm debris from Ian.
About 85 percent of the county has been picked up.
Kelly Owens said many of the complaints she receives are from residents impatient with the schedule.
“I understand the situation but I understand their frustration. Larkee Lakes residents see the trucks going by them and not pick up the debris. The more than occurs, the harder it is to keep residents patient. If we could have a presence sooner rather than later that would be good.”
Another complaint is residents seeing the trucks as half full or not completely full when they go to the landfill.
The county says the hauler has picked up 87,000 cubic yards of debris in the county and another 28,000 cubic yards in the city in the past 30 days.
Schools went back to session on Veterans Day.
They will hold a number of events at schools to honor veterans including ones at the First Baptist Church Recreation Outreach Center at 9:30 am and at Okeechobee High School at 1:30 pm.
Glades County has their annual Veteran’s Day ceremony at 11 am at the Ortona Cemetery.
The Indiantown Village Council.
Accepted a $342,000 grant from the state to do a sidewalk and pedestrian master plan for the village.
Village Manager Howard Brown said this will allow the village to plan out where sidewalks need to go, what sidewalks need to be fixed, and find a way to connect parks and the greenway trail plan.
Indiantown will also host a turkey giveaway at the village offices on November 20th at 4 pm.
They also will have a float in the annual village Christmas Parade.
They also decided not to sell land adjacent to the water and sewer plant.
The state released more details in a murder case at Okeechobee Correctional Institution.
Michael Powell is accused of killing his cell mate at OCI in February.
He’s back in court on November 16th.
Prosecutors said cameras showed Powell and Rolando Otero were the only ones in the cell all night and the medical examiner claims the victim died from a brutal beating.
Powell was serving a 35 year prison sentence out of Seminole County for armed robbery.
Otero, 78, had been serving time since 1975 for various things like arson, fraud and attempted murder.
Crews were out on Martin Grade cleaning up damage to the canopy of trees by Hurricane Nicole.
Martin County Administrator Don Donaldson said they are being respectful to how the work is done.
“We had crews working west of 609. Those trees are of value to our community. We will trim them and keep them healthy. We will be respectful. We are not just out there cutting down trees indiscriminately.”
Okeechobee County agreed to a 10 year lease extension to use the parking lot at the Methodist Church.
It will cost the county $3,500 per year.
The previous deal was for $1 per year.
The county is also allowed to reseal and restripe the parking lot and must leave 10 spaces for the church to use.
