WAFC Local News – March 30, 2026, 8:32 AM
Transcript
I’m Charles Murphy reporting. Henry County commissioners heard an update from the University of Florida Extension Office on the damage done by the freeze earlier this month. Craig Fry, director of the Extension Office, says beans saw 100% loss, young tomatoes were hit hard, and peppers, sugarcane and citrus were also heavily impacted, and pasture grass was killed. Sugar lost over one billion, and while they’re trying to salvage some of the harvest, the higher temperatures in March didn’t help. Curtis Fry say it may be a once in a lifetime freeze. On the pasture side, I mean, as you drive along the grass, I mean, around the county, you see a lot of pastures that have died back, and then you all know that we’re in a drought too. So that doesn’t give us any hope, really. You know, if we had some good rains coming through here, that would help accelerate the regrowth, but that obviously hasn’t happened. He says some were able to pick early, and others took steps to slow the damage. Growers are out there all night trying to elevate the water, trying to get a couple of extra degrees, sometimes covering things. New transplants are covered with everything from hay to plastic plates to plastic cups and soil even, which sometimes helps. Sometimes they get beat up when they’re windy. Clues in police say a man is facing felony charges after he confronted Popeye’s Chicken restaurant workers with a knife. 37-year-old Carlos Benavidez was also charged with trespassing. There was a short confrontation as the suspect entered his home and barricaded himself in. The alleged incident at the restaurant occurred just after 12 a.m. Benavidez was originally treated at Henry Regional Medical Center for evaluation and then taken to the Henry County Jail. Charges again include aggravated assault, armed trespass, and resisting arrest with violence. 67 new homes are being considered in the city of Moorhaven. The project is in the Ranch Lake Estate section northeast. City Manager Larry Tibbs says it only erodes water and sewer as there is nothing out there right now. The city will have the engineers look at the project to see if it’s feasible to do and then come up with rough estimates of cost and timetable. The city may look at a special assessment on the properties there to fund it. City officials do say the project is very early in the process and is just a concept right now. The Belgrade City Commission honored the Hard Knocks Foundation, helping send 15 Belgrade youth to Los Angeles, California. They competed in a seven-on-seven football tournament at UCLA. They honored Derek Lester and local coaches, Aaron Davis and Coach Hendrick, for this experience. Zeytek Marin read part of the honor. Fifteen students from Belgrade were afforded the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles, California. During the visit, the students toured the University of California, UCLA, engaging with coaches and academic advisors. The students participated in a highly competitive seven-on-seven football tournament. The city also wishes to acknowledge the dedication of Coach Aaron Davis and Coach Hendrick, whose tireless fundraising efforts were instrumental in providing these students with its enriching experience. We express our gratitude for their investment and the future of our youth. Aaron Davis says his mother helped change his life. It keeps him going. It keeps him motivated into being that I can still be someone after what happened to me, even though I didn’t live my dreams on going to the next level, I can motivate the next generation to go. The commission approved the annexation of 7.6 acres near East Canal Street into the city limits, and they also applauded some students and others who created promotional videos for the city to lead to economic development and growth. A South Bay man, Artavius Warren, is charged with raping a woman in West Palm Beach. Police there have charged him with sexual assault, kidnapping, or false imprisonment and battery. The victim says she was raped in the backseat of a car and had been punched in the face during an argument with the suspect. I’m Charles Murphy, WAFC News.
Recorded from the WAFC daily newscast (Glades Media).