WAFC Local News – January 05, 2026, 8:32 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. Henry County Commissioners will consider a $25,000 grant to help the nonprofit Joseph Project. They try and help the homeless and needy in the Henry County community. The county had offered to try and help them get grants in the past. County Commissioner Raymond Iglesias says he didn’t think tax money would work here. I just have a hard time taking tax dollars to help towards donations and whatnot. Marlon Vaughn with the Joseph Project encouraged the commissioners to spend some money. We don’t get the funding that I think we should get from our community, especially from our major employers here. I don’t know what the issue has been, but we have done nothing but serve this community from day one. LaBelle City Commissioners delayed approval of a $90,000 paralegal position. Their attorney, Derek Rooney, says the city currently pays him to do jobs and paperwork he’s overly qualified for. He thinks they could save money by hiring the paralegal. I can do it, but at $300 an hour, I don’t think that’s fair. City Commissioner Hugo Vargas questioned the expenditure, saying the city may be spending too much. We shouldn’t be paying this amount. And the fact that we’re saying, that he’s saying, that we’re costing the taxpayers twice the amount, more money than a city that’s twice the size of us, is concerning. Commissioner Bobbie Spratt says there are too many unknowns about the position to make a decision. And it’s unfair for y’all to ask us to approve this position if you don’t really know what the scope of the services it’s gonna be. A Henry County woman is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Paola Salas is accused of abusing a man at a LaBelle residence back in July. She also allegedly threatened him with a knife during an argument. In June, the man says the woman pointed a gun at him and said she was going to kill him. He did present some video footage to investigators of the woman when he asked her why she pointed the gun at him and made threats. He later filed a restraining order. A 60-year-old Henry County man is charged with looting a civvies battery on a child under 12. Raul Ruiz is charged with inappropriately touching a girl when she was seven or eight years old. Palm Beach school board member Edwin Ferguson thanked those that recently threatened his life after he called conservative activist Charlie Kirk a racist. Ferguson claims those threats have backfired. I also want to recognize those persons who felt the need to subject me to violent, noxious sentiments and threats. You are helping, I hope, to create policies and procedures that will increase the protection afforded to current board members of the school board and to those who will follow us. The negative energy that you have expended and continue to expend in an effort to harass, bully, and possibly harm me only enhance my resolve. The Moorhaven City Council voted two to two not to pursue amending an ordinance that would allow shipping containers in yards. One of the members was absent at the December meeting. They do allow pods for up to five days for people moving. Commissioner Roshandra Crosky says some shipping containers she thinks would be all right. This one is located, like, it’s not even like an eyesore, to be honest. It’s not gonna look like Montour. The issue could be revisited in January. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).