WAFC Local News – January 30, 2026, 8:32 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. Temperatures could go below freezing in Clueston, Hendry County, and Glades County Saturday and Sunday night. The forecast lows for Clueston 31 Saturday night and 33 on Sunday. In LaBelle 31 on Saturday and 30 on Sunday. Moorhaven expected to get to 31 degrees both nights. Belle Glade 33 on Saturday and 36 on Sunday. Shelters sure to be open in Clueston, LaBelle and Belle Glade. Law enforcement wrote more tickets last year. They were up 12% in 2024, according to the latest report from the Florida Department of Transportation. In 2023, Hendry County lawmen wrote a total of 5277 citations that rose to 5,915 in 2024. The sheriff writing 3,785 tickets and Clueston police saw a decline from 2023 412 tickets to 135 in 2024. The most common violation criminally in Hendry County included DUIRS 123, 302 cited for no driver’s license, 290 for a suspended license, 82 for no tag, and there were 37 chases. 25 were charged with reckless driving and 25 with leaving the scene of an accident. Pahokee Mayor Keith Babbs says developers have wanted to bring a hotel to Pahokee in the past. One proposal was an amusement park in South Bay and a hotel in Belle Glade. A new report asked the city to contribute half for a $10,000 feasibility study to bring a choice motel to Pahokee. Mayor Babbs says they don’t have $5,000 for this study. Of course we want the hotel and hope that it come, but this study of that nature should be whoever developing that they’re doing the study to see it’s feasible for them to embark in that endeavor. And so I wouldn’t suggest we come out of our parking and pay even half of it. An 83 year old Belle Glade resident has been helped by Palm Beach deputies. Her walker was taken from her front porch and later was found damaged behind repair. Palm Beach deputies stepped in and provided her with a new walker. They were helped by Clinics Can Help which donated the walker. City of Moorhaven has decided to advertise for the sailing of surplus lands of two lots at 615 Avenue C. They plan to advertise it for a month and it will be by competitive bid. They did not set a low bid amount. The county requesting from the state in 2026 almost $6 million for Washington Park Septic to Sewer projects, $3 million for a Glades Northeast Wastewater Treatment Plant feasibility study up in Buckhead, $2.2 million for Countryside Meadows Sewer project, $5 million to improve the Indian Prairie Boat Canal and $12 million for dredging the Moorhaven Canal. City Council discussed returning to a five-day workweek. They have been working four 10-hour shifts. There have been complaints about mowing and roadwork being delayed. The Senate Transportation Committee approved a bill that would regulate utility vehicles on roadways for the first time or UTVs. It would require a driver’s license or learner’s permit, require helmets be worn and the UTV could not travel in their states of four-lane highways. It would also require proper insurance and require the UTV to be registered. Senator Tom Wright says there’s nothing that law enforcement can do right now to crack down on these UTVs. That’s part of the issue. There’s no statute that allows them or disallows them so we need to come up with a statute that our law enforcement can use. If law enforcement pulled one of these people over they would more than likely give them a ticket for operating an illegal vehicle on the highway? No sir. They’re having a tendency to just avoid them. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).