WAFC Local News – August 28, 2026, 8:06 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. The city of LaBelle discussed impact fees on new development. South LaBelle Village alone is expected one day to house some 15,000 homes. There are other large projects planned in the city limits. Attorney Derek Rooney warned that impact fees are not the panacea this city might think they are. Impact fees generally can’t cover everything anyway. The people who are owning those properties, they’ve been paying taxes sometimes for decades without even using the properties. The Glades County School Board gave tentative approval to a tax hike. They set the millage at 5.232 mills, which would raise revenue by just under 2.5% this year. The tax base for schools is up 5.16% this year. Superintendent Dr. Beth Barfield honored educators Sonny Hughes and Wayne Reese. They renamed the high school gym after the former coaches. She said both of them had a standard of excellence. Through their leadership as educators, coaches, mentors, and role models, they inspired generations of students to pursue excellence, demonstrate integrity, and embody the values of teamwork, perseverance, and sportsmanship. Chairperson of the school board, Gene Proant, called Hughes and Reese wonderful educators and examples. We’re remembering them for their coaching time, their experience, their skills, and the impact that they had on students on the court. But to me, what is way more important than that is the impact that they had on students in the classroom. Hughes was in attendance at the school board meeting and had this as reaction. I am truly honored by this award, and especially to receive it alongside this man. Iwohoki City Commission will be hosting a Martin Luther King Park beautification project on Saturday, September 5th. They’ll be having volunteers, non-profits, and concerned citizens there to clean up, paint, pressure wash, plant trees, and make other improvements. City Commissioner Everett McPherson urges people to come out and help. He notes that donations are also accepted. We welcome all volunteers, community service, non-profit organizations, and any concerned citizens that want to help us beautify Martin Luther King. We’re going to be painting, pressure washing, and getting some things done. Three Moorhaven residents under arrest in Highlands County after an incident of harvesting palmetto berries without a permit facing charges are 43-year-old Jennifer St. Hilaire, 49-year-old Joseph Taylor, and 53-year-old Tammy Billings. A traffic stop in Sebring resulted in the arrest. They found between 250 and 300 pounds of the berries and they had no proper permit. Taylor was facing charges that included possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of controlled substances. A sheriff’s canine alerted to the odor of narcotics and they allegedly found six grams of methamphetamine. Billings was also facing drug charges due to that discovery of methamphetamine. A 60-year-old LaBelle man, Smiley Hendry, is facing charges of drug possession. Hendry County deputies were on patrol near a laundromat on Hickpatchee Avenue. They recognized the suspect from previous encounters. And a canine was called to the scene to inspect the vehicle and they found a small amount of crystal methamphetamine. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).