WAFC Local News – August 31, 2026, 8:06 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. Henry County deputies involved in a shooting Saturday around 5 p.m. The shooting during a traffic stop in the area of South State Road 29 and Case Road. The victim of the shooting identified as 34-year-old Edward Young of Lehigh Acres who died at the hospital. The investigation is being handled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. A fell to man behind bars after lastly getting into a chase with the Florida Highway Patrol, 47-year-old Israel Martinez, facing charges related to fleeing and eluding police, driving on a suspended license, and drug possession. Troopers and the United States Border Patrol were working an operation on State Road 29 when a border agent reported a vehicle was failing to stop. Speeds ranged between 85 and 98 miles an hour. It turned onto South Loop Road and ended at the Barnett Parton Plants, Incorporated on County Road 830A. The driver drove through the business property in the van in a reckless manner. The chase ended when the van collided with a utility pole. The suspect was transported to Henry Regional Medical Center for evaluation. A 37-year-old LeBel man is facing charges of harassing phone calls and cyber-stalking. 37-year-old Gorgino Matias Francisco allegedly called county staff several times harassing them in August. One employee said they received more than 20 phone calls. The calls included vulgar, racist, threatening music, but no conversation. Deputies note there had been a recent bomb threat at the Henry County Courthouse, putting employees on edge. The phone number was also under investigation for similar calls in Collier and Lee County, where there were more than 7,000 calls allegedly made. The suspect said he thought the FBI was watching him and he wanted to complain. He also harassed the Lee County Mosquito Control and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. Another arrest for illegal harvesting of pomelo berries, the latest 56-year-old Jean Riffin of LeBel. This incident in the area of Wheeler Road. As Henry County deputies noted a vehicle parked behind some bushes. A black Nissan pickup property owner said they did not give permission for anyone to be on the property. Deputies say they seized about 300 pounds of berries. A Belgrade man facing charges related to a shooting, Miguel Rodriguez of Northwest Avenue L, charged with resisting arrest and interference with first responders. Deputies were investigating a shooting at an apartment complex on Northwest Avenue L. Someone was shooting at an apartment door. Rodriguez allegedly repeatedly obstructed the investigation as they checked for victims and damage that had been done and refused to comply with commands. He allegedly resisted their attempts to handcuff him. South Florida Water Management Executive Director Drew Bartlett told the governing board they continue to burn and remove muck from the lake with waters below 11 feet. He cited two boat locks that were recently cleaned out. But if you compare it to 2007, we’re about double the amount of muck and vegetation that grows out of the muck in the removal effort this time in 2026 than what happened in 2007. They were ready. They got to it and got a lot of muck out of the lake. Activist Newton Cook says there isn’t enough money in Washington, D.C. to clean up Lake Okeechobee. We may see some improvement in 20 years. You can’t fix it until you stop the junk coming into the lake. You just can’t. It’s impossible. Governor Ron DeSantis is against flock cameras. But I don’t want to have this become a surveillance state. He says they’re used by law enforcement in a productive manner sometimes and help solve crimes, but they’re out of control. He says he doesn’t want tech companies to know everything about you and where you’re going. He says he’s worried it’s going to get a lot worse unless we have some protections. He’s calling on lawmakers to do something at a special session. These cameras, the license plate readers, I think it’s out of control. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).