WAFC Local News – April 22, 2026, 8:32 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. The LaBelle City Commission agreed to consider a duplex project on Elm Street. This is Mayor Julie Wilkins. I think it’s a logical transition there. I know we’re not all psyched about duplexes, but we do need housing and this is the perfect location for duplexes. Stella Luckey with the Arts on the Island requested funding to help with their facility maintenance and improvements. No action was taken. The commission approved the removal of three oak trees at the residents at Grand Oaks project. City of Moorhaven learned the school board is interested in selling off the ball fields. The city currently leases three of those fields. The council gave direction to look into what the school board actually plans on doing with the ball field or get the real facts, so to speak. Mayor Clay Browning doesn’t want to lose those ball fields for the public. They’re not getting $800,000, but keep in mind, we lease three out of those, well, three out of the five fields. If we lose that property, because whoever buys it may not have to honor the lease. A Pahokee City Commission hired Brenda Bryant to be their permanent city manager after interviewing three candidates. She previously was office head for Senator Lori Berman in western Palm Beach County. Everett McPherson broke the 2-2 deadlock. Brenda Bryant, 43. Isabel McDonald and James Scott wanted Tammy Bussey to continue. Bryant says she knows Pahokee and is in tune with the issues there. I have earned as well as already known from living in Pahokee, both the challenges and the opportunities that exist in my hometown. From economic development and workforce readiness to infrastructure and community trust to demarking for safe, stable housing and issues facing road restructuring. She also has management experience and has worked for the senator for the past eight years. The city also wants to set up a town meeting to address some displaced residents from the Parker building and other dilapidated housing. Congressman Scott Franklin says he’s optimistic Republicans will retain their seats in Congress, the Senate, Florida legislature and in the governor’s mansion this year. Franklin speaks about the man he’s endorsing for Governor Byron Donalds. I think he could do a good job. He has Tallahassee experience. He knows how to work things in D.C. to get things that are good for the state. And he has a national platform. He says rural farm areas need to stay Republican. Ninety two percent of all of the agriculture land in the United States is represented by Republicans. The South Florida Water Management District closed four locks around Lake Okeechobee last night, two of them in Glades County in Lakeport and Buckhead Ridge. They’re doing it for safety purposes as the levels in the lake are now below 12 feet. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).