WAFC Local News – December 09, 2025, 8:32 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. It’s been over a month since the Clewiston City Commission requested the FDLE and Attorney General investigate City Hall and the raid that was made in the city October 1st since there’s been another search warrant on November 21st at the building department. Commissioner Mally Gartner says she wants to get to the bottom of what really happened, and that might mean bring in outside law enforcement. I don’t know if we could make a request on behalf of the city to contact Tallahassee FDLE or the Attorney General because I want it. You know, we talked about transparency. I think Mr. Gonzalez mentioned that. I want transparency. All that’s happened and all the things that we’ve had to go through. I’m just concerned. And I want somebody, another set of eyes looking at what’s happening here. He says she’d like to have another set of eyes looking at the situation. And currently there is little trust in government in America’s sweetest town. To me, what happened here has eroded our public, the public trust of our community. I’ve had comments saying, my gosh, what is going on? I heard the pastor talk about corruption. You know, he didn’t point the finger at us, but that’s what everybody’s thinking. This wouldn’t have happened if there wasn’t corruption or if there’s something going on. City Attorney Kaylee Tuck was given the power to contact FDLE and the AG with a phone call or letter to see if they would look into this matter. The city of Moorhaven asking their state delegation for funding for automated meter reading for electric and utility customers. The school board is asking for state funding to help their air handlers at certain schools. This facility director, Dan Thomas. They are on their last legs. And so to replace those is a fairly massive overhaul. It’s going to be a huge burden. Palm Beach’s vice mayor this year, Marcy Woodward, is concerned about e-bikes and the community concerns about sharing the sidewalks with bikes that can go up to 25 miles an hour. She’d like to see the public educated about these e-bikes. Some of these bikes get up to 25, 30 miles an hour. And if it’s on a sidewalk, you know, that’s not what people are expecting. Prosecutor Richard Clossie heads up the county court division. He says e-bikes are allowed on the roads, but must follow all traffic laws similar to a regular pedal bicycle. They are, in essence, treated the same way under Florida law as bicycles are. OK, so basically any rules of the road that people need to follow when they’re riding on a bicycle, you can do that on an electric bicycle. Another high speed chase in Hendry County lands a person in jail. Deputies chased after 24 year old Xavier Edwards. One deputy was doing a traffic stop when the vehicle approached him at 100 miles an hour on State Road 80, not far from Hendry Isles Boulevard. They chased him and speeds reached over 130 miles an hour. The suspect, apparently in a sedan, made a U-turn and headed eastbound. They used license plate readers to find the vehicle and stop sticks later to stop it on Hendry Isles Boulevard. The driver first claimed the passenger was driving the Hyundai sedan, but the passenger was one step ahead of him. She had videoed the entire chase on her cell phone, which clearly showed who was driving. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).