Parents air concerns - UFDC Image Array 2

transcript

November 3, 2019 Lake Okeechobee News – merger of Okeechobee News, Clewiston News, Glades County Democrat, and The Sun 1

LIC NO. CAC058675

863-467-1545MillersCentralAir.com

100% Customer Satisfaction is Our

Mission!

13.45 feetLast Year: 13.65 feet

Lake Levels

See Page 4 for information about how to contact this newspaper.

Source: South Florida Water Management District.

Depth given in feet above sea level

Vol. 110 No. 132 Sunday, November 3, 2019 $1.00 plus tax

13 Elks Lodge hostsExtravaganza

2 Halloween weddingincludes message

Special to the Lake Okeechobee NewsIn September, Andrew McKillop was presented with honorary life member-ship by the Florida Health Care Association in recognition of his 59 years of dedicated and devoted service to the health profession.

By Cathy WombleLake Okeechobee News

OKEECHOBEE — Andy McKillop believes we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Until last year when he was injured in a car accident, Mr. McKillop was the admin-istrator of the Okeechobee Health Care

Facility (OHCF). He always told the ladies taking care of the residents at OHCF that he believed the way they took care of the elderly would be the way someone would take care of them someday.

“Always treat them like they are your

Inspiring Okeechobee...

McKillop practices what he preaches

See MCKILLOP — Page 5

By Richard MarionLake Okeechobee News

OKEECHOBEE — The Okeechobee County School Board had its fi rst-ever town hall on Oct. 27.

Following a presentation on the state of the school district, residents of Okeechobee were given the chance to address the school board with their concerns.

Common themes brought up by those in at-tendance were bullying in schools, Common Core math, spelling in grade school and drugs in the high school.

Parents air concerns

See SCHOOL — Page 5

By Katrina ElskenLake Okeechobee News

OKEECHOBEE — The South Florida Water Man-agement District has started the process to change Chapter 40E-61 of the Florida Administrative Code, also known as Lake Okeechobee Works of the District rules.

The fi rst workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 10 a.m. at the Indian River State College Dixon Hendry Campus, 2229 N.W. Ninth Avenue, Okeechobee. More public workshops will be held from November through February 2020 in Stuart, Fort Myers, Kissimmee and West Palm Beach. A second round of workshops will take place after the proposed rule changes are drafted. The legislature could approve the changes in April 2021.

At the Oct. 10 SFWMD Governing Board meet-ing, Stephany Olson, SFWMD science supervisor, said there are large gaps between the restoration

SFWMD workshop here Nov. 5

See SFWMD — Page 5

Advocate uses wedding as opportunity to speak

for abuse victims

OKEECHOBEE — Since he’s spent most of his adult life as an advocate for those who were victims of sexual abuse as children, it should come as no surprise that John Nettle and his fiancée used their wedding as an opportunity to speak on the subject again.

When Mr. Nettle was a boy, he was placed in the St. Michael School for Boys in Scranton, Pa., after some bad decisions on his part, he said. After his father died, his mother had to work hard to support him and his siblings and was not always around to keep tabs on him, and he found himself doing a lot of things he shouldn’t have.

At St. Michael’s, the boys in the school did receive discipline and education, but they also found themselves under the control of a teacher named Mark Maroni, who took pleasure in cornering them in the shower by themselves, said Mr. Nettle. He reportedly abused the boys sexually and then attempted to control them by allowing them to bring contraband from home as a reward for their silence and their compliance. When Mr. Nettle could take it no longer, he finally told his housemother, and she believed him. She immediate-ly reported it to the administration but, strangely enough, they fired her, he said.

They did begin an investigation, though, and Mr. Nettle spoke to the state police, but nothing ever came of it, and he was left to deal with the teacher for years. Then he be-gan showing behavior problems and was sent to an 18-month residential treatment program. He completed that program with no problem and went back to public high school. When he was 16, he was notified two other boys had come forward accusing his former teacher of abuse, and they were ready to take him to trial. He was sen-tenced to 30 to 60 years in prison with no chance for parole. Maroni was convicted in October 1996 of multiple counts of involun-tary deviate sexual intercourse, corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children for sexually abusing three boys at St. Michael’s between December 1992 and February 1994. Maroni died of cancer in prison in August 2018. He was 55.

Although he hoped the trial and sen-tence would bring him closure, it did not. Mr. Nettle still felt a burning rage inside. He got into drugs and abused alcohol, anything to dull the pain, he said.

He has turned his life around and is the father of six beautiful children, three boys and three girls. Mr. Nettle is working with lawmakers throughout the country to abolish the statute of

limitation on cases like his so victims can seek compensation from the Catholic Church. “At the time the abuse took place, I was a ward of the state. My mom was in prison. My dad was dead. The state was responsible for me, and with the statute of limitations, they can’t be held accountable for their lack of care,” he said. “That’s not right.”

On Halloween, Mr. Nettle and Angela Cash arrived at the Okeechobee Court-house, where they exchanged their vows, accompanied by some of their closest friends. The most unusual aspect of the ceremony was their wedding attire. Mr. Nettle was wearing a striped prison jump-suit. His new bride was wearing a nurse costume. Their witnesses were dressed as two voluptuous police sergeants, Michele Fox and Brittney Chandler and an officer, Thad Chandler, apparently there to keep the prisoner in line. The bride and groom have been together for 15 years, but have never slowed down long enough to tie the knot. His family has history in Okeechobee, he said. His family is a Gold Star family. His brother, Shawn Michael Suzch, was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq, and his name is on the war memorial in Flagler Park.

“It is my hope that together we can bring all darkness to light,” said

Mr. Nettle.

2 Lake Okeechobee News November 3, 2019

“Always on Top of the Job”

Re-Roofing Specialists• Metal & Shingle Roofs • Flats & Leaks Repair

FREE ESTIMATES

863-357-3838State Lic.#CCC1327338

I’m here to help you find more ways to save. Apply for a new, eligible Consumer Money Market Savings1 account with an opening deposit as little as $1,000 and you could earn a higher yield for your first twelve statement cycles.

Let’s talk today or go to statefarm.com/bankingbenefits.

1708052.1

*Introductory APY as of 08/13/19. Advertised rates are subject to change at the Bank’s discretion.1 The Banking Benefits – Deposit Introductory Program offers a high yield fixed Introductory Rate during the first 12 statement cycles after opening a new Consumer Money Market Savings account with State Farm Bank®. A new Consumer Money Market Savings account means you cannot have an existing Money Market Savings with the same ownership currently open or which closed within the last 12 months. Your Benefit account balance must remain below $5,000,000 to earn the Introductory Rate. If the account balance is $5,000,000 or above, you will earn the Standard Rate on your entire balance. The new Money Market Savings must be a Personal or Trust account. IRA Money Market, Estate, Uniform Transfer to Minors and Business accounts are NOT eligible.

State Farm Bank, F.S.B., Bloomington, Illinois (“Bank”), is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. NMLS ID 139716. The other products offered by affiliate companies of State Farm Bank are not FDIC insured, not a State Farm Bank obligation or guaranteed by State Farm Bank, and may be subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal invested. The Bank encourages any interested individual(s) to submit an application for any product(s) offered by the Bank. We also encourage you to obtain information regarding the Bank’s underwriting standards for each type of credit or service offered by visiting statefarm.com® or by contacting the Bank at 877-SF4-BANK (877-734-2265). If you are deaf, hard of hearing or do not use your voice to communicate, you may contact us via 711 or other relay services.

Save smarter.2.00%

Money Market SavingsBanking Benefits – Deposit Introductory

Annual Percentage Yield*1

Gretchen Robertson, AgentState Farm Agent309 NE 2ND STOkeechobee, FL 34972Bus: 863-763-5561

Chili, Cheese & Kraut Hot DogsSmoked Sausage • Cold Drinks

Snacks • Papa John’s Boiled Peanuts

Hot Dog Wagon

441 & 78At the Top of the Lake!

Hot Dogs Make America

Great!

OkeechobeeWeather Forecast

Today: A 20% chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight: A 20% chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. East-northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Monday: A 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. North-northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Monday night: A 20% chance of show-ers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. East wind around 5 mph.

Tuesday: A 30% chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. East wind around 5 mph.

Tuesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. East-northeast wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday: A 20% chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. East-north-east wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Courthouse hosts Halloween wedding

Lake Okeechobee News/Cathy WombleJohn Nettle and Angela Cash were married at the Okeechobee County Courthouse on Halloween Day.

Lake Okeechobee News/Cathy WomblePictured (from left to right) are Madalyn Pinon, who works at the courthouse and performed the ceremony, Thad Chandler, John Nettle, Angela Cash Nettle, Brittney Chandler and Michele Fox.

November 3, 2019 Lake Okeechobee News 3

ROOFING & REPAIRS

Don’t make a Mistake!Call Big Lake

863-763-ROOF (7663)

Wild Caught East Coast Shrimp

Lake Okeechobee

Fillets

Lg. Snow CrabClusters

7841 Hwy 78 West • Okeechobee, FLOPEN MONDAY - SATURDAY 9am -5pm

863-357-7500

$325 lb.

$999 lb.

Price per lb.

Market

Special to the Lake Okeechobee News

SES presents Students of the WeekOKEECHOBEE — South Elementary School would like to congratulate its Students of the Week for the week of Oct. 21. They are, in no particular order: Leah Small, Chase Hardman, Carter Tinajero, Amya Seder, Isabella Wimer, Juan Flores, Kaydyn Frank, Victoria Dixon, Tyshawn Edison, John David Lan-daverde, Tahja Cooper, Elayna Comfort, Mia Lauterbach, Pyper Hancock and Austin Miller.

Congratulations to Kase Myers, Vanessa Johnson, Alex-andria Boon, Amy Trent and Gracie Gamiotea for qualify-ing for regionals. Kase will be swimming the 50 Freestyle.

Vanessa will be swimming the 100 Butterfly, as well as joining Alexandria, Amy and Gracie in the girls 400 Free-style Relay. OHS is very proud of these young people.

OHS swim team members qualify for regionals

Kiwanis welcomes Dr. Ramesh KumarOKEECHOBEE — The Rotary Club of Okeechobee was honored to have Dr. Ramesh Kumar as their guest speaker at the Oct. 15 meet-ing. He spoke of the positive ef-fects of medical marijuana in can-cer treatment. Pictured are District Governor Donna Gaiser and Rotar-ian Dr. Kumar. Rotary meets every Tuesday at Golden Corral at noon.

FORT PIERCE — The Indian River State College (IRSC) men’s basketball team invites the community to come sit courtside and enjoy a weekend of exhilarating hoops action in support of local veterans during its fourth Annual Men’s Basketball Veterans Classic tournament Nov. 8 and 9 in the gym at the IRSC Main Campus in Fort Pierce.

Friday, Nov. 8, at 5 p.m., Daytona State College competes against USC-Salkehatchie followed by IRSC vs. State College of Flor-ida-Manatee at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m., Daytona State College plays against State College of Florida-Manatee

followed by the IRSC vs. USC-Salkehatchie matchup at 7 p.m. All Veterans and active duty military will be recognized and hon-ored between the two games on both days.

Admission is $5 per person and free for all veterans, children five years and under, and students and faculty with an IRSC ID. All event proceeds and donations will go towards supporting local veteran orga-nizations. The event is sponsored by the VanDuzer Foundation.

For more information, contact IRSC men’s basketball Coach Charlie Wilson at 772-462-7766 or email at cfwilson@irsc.edu.

IRSC hosts Veterans Classic

City Hall closes Nov. 11Okeechobee City Hall offices will be

closed on Monday, Nov. 11, in obser-vance of Veterans Day. Their website, cityofokeechobee.com allows you access 24/7. City Hall will reopen on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 8 a.m.

By AMAC Certified Social Security Advisor Russell GloorAssociation of Mature American Citizens

Ask Rusty – How Does My Hus-band’s Federal Pension Affect Bene-fits?

Dear Rusty: My husband retired at his full retirement age of 66. He qualified for Social Security but also qualified for Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Being so, he falls under the Windfall Offset Provision, and subsequently had his Social Security benefit reduced from around $900 to $450. His full CSRS benefit is $3,400. I have not claimed my Social Security bene-fit, but I expect it to be around $2,000 at my full retirement age of 66 in November. At my full retirement age could I collect half of his benefit and let mine grow until age 70? Or upon filing, am I forced to take my full benefit instead? If I can take half of his benefit, would it be half of his full benefit or half of the reduced benefit? Also, upon claiming my benefit, would my husband be entitled to claim half, and thus increase what he is currently receiving on his own benefit? Signed: Confused About SS.

Dear Confused: Because of your husband’s CSRS pension, his own Social

Security benefit is reduced by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), and any spousal benefit he may be entitled to will be affected by the Government Pension Offset (GPO).

GPO is the more severe of these two provisions, because it reduces any spou-sal (or survivor) benefit your husband might be entitled to by 2/3rds of his CSRS pension, which means that he will not be able to get a spousal benefit from you when you apply. You, on the other hand, will be eligible to file a “Restricted Applica-tion for Spousal Benefits Only,” which will give you half of his WEP-reduced Social Security benefit. Those born after Jan. 1, 1954 cannot use this option. By doing so, you can collect a spousal benefit from your husband while allowing your own SS retirement benefit to grow up until you are 70 years of age. But when you claim your benefit at age 70 your husband’s spousal benefit won’t be based on your increased amount, but rather upon your FRA benefit amount of $2000, which means he still won’t get a spousal benefit.

If you should predecease your husband, the GPO will also affect his survivor’s bene-fit, which is based upon 100% of what you were receiving at your death.

To Reach UsAddress: 107 S.W. 17th Street, Suite D Okeechobee, FL 34974Website: lakeokeechobeenews.comPhone: (863) 763-3134

To Submit NewsThe Lake Okeechobee News welcomes submissions from its readers. Opinion, calendar items, story ideas, and photographs are welcome. Call (863) 763-3134 to reach our newsroom. Items may be mailed or emailed.Email: okeenews@newszap.com

To Place a Display AdPhone: (863) 763-3134Email: okeeadsales@newszap.com

Call: (877) 353-2424 to place a classified advertisement from homeFax: (877) 354-2424Email: classads@newszap.com

Billing DepartmentEmail: billteam@newszap.com

Lake Okeechobee News (USPS # 406-160) is published 3 times a week: Sunday, Wednesday and Friday by Independent Newsmedia, Inc.107 S.W. 17th Street, Suite DOkeechobee, FL 34974Periodicals Postage paid at Okeechobee, FL 34974 and additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Okeechobee News Circulation Administration 110 Galaxy Road • Dover, DE 19901

Additional copies may be purchased for $1.00 each.

StaffPublisher/Editor: Katrina ElskenCirculation Manager: Cynthia EckertAdvertising Manager: Jaime Limoges

Our Purpose...The Okeechobee News is published by Independent NewsMedia Inc, USA. Independent is owned by a unique trust that enables this newspaper to pursue a mission of journalistic service to the citizens of the community. Since no dividends are paid, the company is able to thrive on profit margins below industry standards. All after-tax surpluses are reinvested in Independent’s mission of journalistic service, commitment to the ideals of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and support of the community’s deliberation of public issues.

We Pledge...• To operate the newspaper as a public trust• To help our community become a better place to live and work, through our dedication to conscientious journalism• To provide the information citizens need to make their own intelligent decisions

about public issues• To report the news with honesty, accuracy, purposeful neutrality, fairness, objectivity, fearlessness, and compassion• To use our opinion pages to facilitate community debate, not to dominate it with our own opinions• To disclose our own conflicts of interest or potential conflicts to our readers• To correct our errors and to give each correction the prominence it deserves.• To provide a right to reply to those we write about.• To treat people with courtesy, respect, and compassion

MEMBEROF:

Crossword Puzzle AnswerCorrectionThe Nov. 1

letter to the editor, “Donate blood if you are able” featured a photo that was incorrect-ly identified. The letter was about Emily’s Peterson’s mother, Sabrina, who needed blood transfusions during a surgery. The photo printed with the letter was of Sabrina, but was incorrectly identified as Emily. We regret the error and any confusion it may have caused.

SabrinaPeterson

Letter to the Editor Social Security Matters

Speak Out

Chamber not working with CGI Communications

Please be aware that we have discov-ered that many of our businesses have been contacted by a video production company called CGI Communications and have been told they are working with the Chamber of Commerce of Okeechobee County. They have gone so far as to give Mariah’s name as the one that they’ve been working with. Not true!

Please know that we ARE NOT working with CGI Communications in any way, nor have we spoken with them about updating a video that was done several years ago. If you receive a call and the chamber’s name

is used, please get that person’s name and we can report.

Should you decide to have a video done, be aware that it will never show up on our website as they are describing, in that we do not and will not have a contract with them.

They are working with Okeechobee County and any questions can be directed to the Tourist Development Office should you require any further information.

Thank you for always checking with us when any questions arise from any outside marketing groups.

Paulette Wise,executive directorChamber of Commerce of

Okeechobee County

Speak Out is a reader response col-umn. Comments may be posted on the newspaper’s website or Facebook pages, emailed to okeenews@newszap.com or mailed to the newspaper office, 107 S.W. 17th St., Suite D, Okeechobee, FL 34974.

BHR reservoir • “Seems like both the cowboys and the

Indians think the shallow reservoir planned on State Road 78 near Buckhead Ridge is a bad idea. Maybe the Corps of Engineers should listen to the people who have been here for generations. They know how the water flows. The pioneers knew and built their homes on high ground. If the homes have been here since before flood control, then Mother Nature intends that land to be dry and trying to hold water on it is not go-ing to work. And the Seminoles have been pushed off so much of their land, they have nowhere else to go. I don’t blame them for being worried about that big project so close to their homes.” — M. Smith

Teacher pay hike• “It will never happen. It has the same

chance as Trump saving the coal industry.” — Jerry Mayernik

• “Raising the base salary for new teachers will not help unless they increase the entire pay schedule, and I doubt the State of Florida is going to cough up enough money to do that. But you can’t expect a teacher who has been on the job for 15 years to be happy making the same money as a first-year teacher.” — Anony-mous

Breast cancer awareness• “I am a volunteer driver for the Amer-

ican Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery Program. We provide transportation to and from treatment for cancer patients who do not have a ride or are unable to drive themselves. Please call the American Cancer Society for further information or e-mail me susanhendershot@yahoo.com.” — Susan Hendershot

Naked man at Lock 7• “I’ve had some crazy nights at Nubbin

Slough back in the day...” — Norman Barney

• “Why does Okeechobee always have to take away all the good fun?” — Melissa Hulett

loved ones, and you can’t go wrong,” he said. “Serving the frail elderly is one of the greatest challenges you can ever face. I did it on the basis of religious commit-ment, ‘whatever you do unto these, you do unto me.’ I spent my life doing that and now I am on the other end. I am learning what it is to have limited mobility thanks to someone who hit me in the rear of my automobile.”

Mr. McKillop got into the healthcare field many years ago when he went into the service. He began as a combat medic, and he is proud to say he is one of nine in his family to have served his country. Of the six brothers, two boys served during World War II, three, including Mr. McKillop, during the Korean Conflict and one during Vietnam. His father served during WWI. Mr. McKillop’s youngest son was a member of the Airborne Special Forces, and his neph-ew was a Green Beret, wounded in Iraq.

After he got out of the service, he thought about becoming a doctor, but it was very expensive, he said. He went to undergraduate school and majored in chemistry and biology. He worked nights in a foundry, left there at about 1 a.m., got home at about 2 and had to be up at 6 to be at class by 8 for four years. One morning he walked in, and his Organic Chemistry teacher was sick. The substitute decided to have a quiz which he said would count as 50% of their grade for the semester. He had an A average going in and was so tired and hadn’t studied. He left that day with a D for the semester. Back in those days you had no recourse. The professor was king of the classroom, he said.

He considered going to work for an oil company, but they gave him a crazy inter-view with a psychological test, and after the test, the results suggested he would make a good hospital superintendent or social worker. He had a very high score relative to caring for people and a low monetary score. He got a copy of the test so he could learn some things about himself, he said, and afterward decided a career in hospital administration might actually suit him.

He did his internship at John Hopkins. Then went to Jackson Memorial in Miami for a year. “A little old nurse who was the night administrator taught me everything I know about administration,” he said. He went around with her at night, and she would walk up to a nursing unit, and a nurse would tell her about a problem. I admired her greatly. Her name was Ethel

Hood.” Because he was single, he lived in Doctors’ Hall, and his next door roommate was the chief surgical resident, who later went on to become president of the Florida Medical Association. “I thought he was a brilliant surgeon,” he said. All the men he went to school with went on to become the medical leaders of his generation.

When he left school, Mr. McKillop first ran hospitals and then switched over into long-term care which was in desperate need of leadership at that time, he said. A little over 20 years ago, he was doing what he called clean up, where he went into a building and did problem solving and got it up to standards, and he had just completed an assignment. A friend called him and told him the OHCF needed an administrator, and he came to see the owner. She hired him, and he fell in love with the facility and the town of Okeechobee.

When Mr. McKillop was administrator, he always made a point of using the skills taught to him by Ms. Hood. He took the time to listen to his staff, and every time a survey team came through and said anything good about the nurses or the aides or any of the staff, Mr. McKillop always took the time to go back and tell them immedi-ately. He wanted them to know they were the ones winning the awards. They were the ones doing a good job, and he appre-ciated it. When he was administrator, he got the credit for it, and yes he knew the regulations and Wayne Allen is an excellent nurse and they make sure they do every-thing humanly possible but he wanted to let the staff know he appreciated their part too, he said. “They come to work every day taking care of the frail, elderly and the sick, or as scripture calls them, the halt, lame and blind,” he said. “That is a commitment we have in our building that many build-ings don’t have, and that’s why we have such superior care.” He always stressed to the people who worked under him to think about how they would want to be treated, and use that as their guide. “Would you want someone jerking you around and yell-ing at you? Of course not.” Well, he would not tolerate that either. That was the fastest way to get in his bad books, he said.

Mr. McKillop has received many awards over the years. He said he has a wall full of them, but he received one recently that meant the world to him. “Not many people have gotten this one,” he said. Alex Terentv, President of the Florida Health Care Asso-ciation, at its annual meeting, in Orlando, presented him honorary life membership, recognition of his 59 years of dedicated and devoted service to the health profession. The board of directors voted to present the award in recognition of his outstand-

ing dedication to the profession and because of the many previous awards he has received. He has received the Caring for Seniors Award (the only adminis-trator to have ever received it), one of the most prestigious awards given by FHCA, the Arthur H. Harris Government

Service Award, Administrator of the Year, and others.

Last year, things changed a lot for Mr. McKillop. When he was rear ended in a car accident, his spine was fractured in two places and they can’t operate. Now he has to walk with a cane. He loses his balance sometimes, and it’s frustrating. He misses working at the nursing home. He loved his job, and it’s hard not to have a place to go after more than 20 years. “I remember when Medicare came into being 51 or 52 years ago. Now I’m receiving it. I am learn-ing what it is to transition.”

OHCF is now rated number one in the

region out of 80 by the Agency for Health Care Administration, the state licensure agency. US News and World Report recent-ly listed OHCF as the best nursing home in Florida, he said. Under Wayne S. Allen, the current administrator and staff, they have received three years accreditation from the Joint Commission (the agency that accred-its hospitals and health care facilities). Mr. McKillop is not surprised at all that they are rated number one. He said the staff shows great care and devotion for the residents. “I don’t know of anywhere else that they show so much compassion. Did you know that we provide two choices for each meal, and if they don’t like those choices, they can ask for something else, and if we have it, we will do our best to make it?” he said. “We always did our best to make it like home, and we wanted them to be happy there.”

“I think my beliefs shaped my 20 years of service at OHCF. I’m convinced if you’ve got your reservation made upstairs, God has a special place in Heaven for those whotake care of the sick, elderly. I’m very happy with what we accomplished there, and I miss it every single day.”

Two members of the local government in Okeechobee were also in attendance, City Councilman Bobby Keefe and County Commissioner Bryant Culpepper. Both spoke to the school board as well.

“I’m so thankful that you’re engaging the citizens here this evening,” said Council-men Keefe. “I appreciate that. Hopefully the city council can take note and start en-gaging with our citizens at our town halls. Have to start teaching social and emotional learning. We heard a lot about bullying this evening, that’s social and emotional right there. I’m currently a long-term sub for an English teacher who is on maternity leave. Spelling is atrocious among the students. Horrendous. I think it has a lot to do with things like texting.”

Councilmen Keefe spoke about bad spelling following another parent who also brought up the issue to the school board.

“I’m reading some of the stories my son writes and while they’re amusing, his spell-ing is atrocious,” said Steve Bandi. “And we’re not working on it. My thought was I’d work with him on his spelling at home. But I’m finding that I’m spending so much time helping him with the new math curriculum that we just don’t have time. Maybe it’s new or maybe it has been around for a few years, but this is my first experience with it. I was in shock when he brought that home. I went to the University of Florida, and I’m looking at the new math and I can’t explain it or help my 7-year-old. I think there’s so much time being spent on this new math that some things like spelling aren’t covered as much.”

Common Core math has been contro-versial since its initial rollout in 2009. In the new math curriculum, students no longer are taught to “borrow” numbers when subtracting. Instead students are taught to add to the small number in the equation to

make it a round, even number. Then stu-dents keep adding numbers to that smaller number until they reach the largest number in the original equation. Finally students add up all the numbers they added to the original smaller number in the equation to get the difference between the two numbers and the answer to the subtraction equation.

Needless to say, it hasn’t exactly been a smooth rollout for the program in the last ten years.

Common Core math has been ridiculed by parents for being more concerned about kids going through and understanding the steps than getting the right answer.

“There was a lot of federal money tied to Common Core when it came out,” ex-plained school board member Joe Arnold in response to the comments the board re-ceived. “I agree with you on the processes of math. But we have to follow what we’re given. This goes beyond us, I encourage you to reach out to your state representative and let them hear your voice.”

School board chairwoman Jill Holcomb backed up Mr. Arnold’s comments.

“I’m all for different ways to do things,” said Mrs. Holcomb. “But I agree, if kids can find the right answer, then that’s all that should matter.”

The school board also received some compliments at the town hall on how they’ve handled security in their schools.

“We’re still relatively new here,” said Adam Cohen. “But things have been awesome for us. There are still issues, but things look good here compared to the school district we’re coming from. Com-mend you all on the safety measures the board has taken throughout the year, espe-cially expanding the guardian program.”

No formal actions or votes were sched-uled to be taken at the town hall.

The Okeechobee County School Board will meet next at its Nov. 12 meeting at 6 p.m. in the board room.

SCHOOLContinued From Page 1

MCKILLOPContinued From Page 1

Andy McKillop

goal and the current water quality condi-tions for Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosa-hatchee River and the St. Lucie River. She said the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program (NEEPP) requires the district to revise the rules. She said the draft concept could: establish nutrient levels in contributing areas; provide data to evaluate effectiveness of nutrient reduction technol-ogies; provide requirements for monitor-

ing in lieu of best management practices (BMPs); establish methods to evaluate and assess data to track progress; and, take ac-tion where the data shows more reduction is needed.

Meetings are also planned on Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. at the Fort Myers Regional Library, 1651 Lee Street in Fort Myers; on Nov. 19, at 10:30 a.m. at the UF/IFAS Extension Os-ceola County office, 1921 Kissimmee Valley Lane, Kissimmee; Nov. 19 at 4 p.m. at the Indian River State College Chastain Cam-pus, 2400 S.E. Salerno Road in Stuart; and, Nov. 20 at 10 a.m. at the SFWMD office, 3301 Gun Club Road in West Palm Beach.

SFWMDContinued From Page 1

James “Jim” C. Waters, 68OKEECHOBEE — Jim Waters slipped peace-

fully into the arms of his Lord, Jesus Christ, on Friday, Oct. 11, 2019. He was born Feb. 17, 1951 in Savannah, Ga. to the late William and Marian Waters. He was raised in Boynton Beach. He proudly served our country in the United States Navy.

He was a Master Wood Craftsman, owned Waters Cabinetry and Wood Works inPalm Beach County, and an Ordained Minister.He served at First Baptist Church of Wellingtonand Life Community Church in Okeechobee.He was the founder and President of Anchor-point Ministries, Inc.

Among his interests were auto restorations, Christian writer and author of Yes! It All BeganWith Love, musician, songwriter, and record-ing artist.

Mr. Waters is survived by his wife of 32 years, Elaine Waters; sons, Jon Waters (Melissa), Tony Waters (Leigh), and David Jennings;daughter, Debbie Massa; nine grandchildren; twelve great grandchildren; brother, Bill Wa-ters; and sister, Trudy Glover (Sid).

The family will hold services 10:30 a.m. Sat-urday, Nov. 9, 2019 at First Baptist Church ofWellington, 12700 Forest Hills BLVD W, Wel-lington, Fla. 33414.

Those wishing to leave a message of con-dolence may sign the register book at, www.OkeechobeeFuneralHome.com

All arrangements are entrusted to the di-rection and care of the Buxton & BassOkeechobee Funeral Home, 400 North Parrott Avenue, Okeechobee, Florida 34972.

Obituary Obituaries should be submitted tothe Lake Okeechobee News by emailing obits@newszap.com. Customers mayalso request photos and links to onlineguestbooks. A link to the obituaries is available at lakeokeechobeenews.com.

Moose Lodge holds eventsMoose Lodge 1753, 159 N.W. 36th St.,

will host the following events: On Sunday, Nov. 3, a yard sale will be held from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Breakfast will be served from 8 to 9:45 a.m. Three-card bingo will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

VFW Post 9528 hosts eventsThe VFW Post 9528, 29012 State Road 78

East in Buckhead Ridge will host the follow-ing events: A full breakfast will be served on Sunday, Nov. 3. from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. by the Ladies AMVETS. The AMVETS will serve a wet burritos dinner on Wednes-day, Nov. 6, at 5 p.m. The Post will serve dinner on Friday, Nov. 8, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Menu includes grilled boneless rib eye steak, grilled pork tenderloin, fried fi sh and shrimp, baked and french fried potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, onion rings, salad, and dessert. Music by Karaoke Kop from 6 to 10 p.m. The VFW Riders will serve a full breakfast from 8:30 to 11 a.m. and dinner at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9. Proceeds benefi t veteran services.

Salesmanship course setDixon-Hendry Campus will be offering a

\two-day salesmanship course on Wednes-day, Nov. 6 and Thursday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is a one credit course. If you are interested in registering for the course, you can contact the Dixon-Hendry campus at 863-824-6000 for further infor-mation on the admissions process. Regis-tration deadline is Monday, Nov. 4.

Elks Lodge hosts eventsOkeechobee Elks lodge, a smoke free

facility, 131 N.W. 36th St., will host the following events: Quarter bingo will be held on Monday, Nov. 4, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Hamburgers and french fries will be sold for $1 each from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Food and drinks will be served, during lodge hours, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday Open to the public. For information, call 863-623-5738.

Church to hold bingo Nov. 4Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 901 S.W.

6th St., will hold bingo on Monday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The kitchen will serve sandwiches, snacks, drinks and desserts.

Amvets Post 200 hosts eventsAmvets Post 200, 3651 U.S. 441 S.E. #6,

will host fi ve-card bingo on Sunday, Nov. 3, and Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 2 to 4 p.m., open to members and guests.

Legion to host eventsAmerican Legion Post 64, 501 S.E. Sec-

ond St., will host the following events: On Sunday, Nov. 3, there is wing specials and $1 drafts. NASCAR is at the Texas Speed-way. Evening bingo is at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 and the kitchen will be open too. On Monday, Nov. 4, fi ve-card bingo is from 1 to 3 p.m. and lunch begins serving at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, is meeting day and you can purchase bloody Marys for $1.50 and food is available all day.

Aerie to hold meetingThe Fraternal Order of the Eagles Aerie,

will meet on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m. at the Cypress Hut Eagles building, 4509 U.S. 441 S.E. This meeting is to approve proposed bylaw changes concerning elect-ed offi cers, duties of offi cers, and employee salaries.

Ranch hosts yard saleThe Real Life Children’s Ranch, 7777

U.S. 441 S.E., will be hosting a yard sale from Wednesday, Nov. 6 to Friday, Nov. 8, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. Come on out and fi nd lots of bargains!

Veterans invited to VVA meetingU.S. military veterans of all branches are

invited to join the monthly meeting of the Okeechobee Chapter of the Vietnam Vet-erans of America (VVA) on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m., at Cowboys BBQ & Steak, 202 N.E. Seventh Ave. If you are placing a food order, be there at 6 p.m.

Dinner served to veteransThe Gathering Church, 1735 S.W. 24th

Ave., will hold a Veteran Appreciation Dinner on Friday, Nov. 8, at 5:30 p.m. A free spaghetti dinner will be served to veterans and their spouses.

Salute to Veterans scheduledMOORE HAVEN — The ninth annual

Glades Salute to Veterans will be held Sat-urday, Nov. 9, at the Doyle Conner Center, 900 N. U.S. 27. Opening ceremonies will begin at 5 p.m. with presentation of colors. There will be patriotic music during a ca-tered buffet dinner, and a ceremony of spe-cial recognition to our U.S. military veterans of all branches. The event/dinner is free to all veterans. For more information, call 863-612-0806 or email gladesrepublicans@gmail.com. For tickets, call 863-675-8850.

Run to benefi t Open HandsOn Saturday, Nov. 9, join “Finger Lickin’

5K Kickin’” to benefi t Open Hands Health Center, Inc. Sign in is at 7 a.m. and the run starts at 8 a.m. at Oakview Baptist Church, 677 S.W. 32nd St. All age groups are wel-come to join. Register at www.active.com. For information, email openhandsrx@gmail.com. First three runners in each age group win a turkey and a medal. Cost is $25 if you pre-register and $30 if you register the day of the race. Children under fi ve are free.

Remember the RideThe Okeechobee Cattlemen’s Arena,

1885 U.S. 441 N., will host a fundraising event on Saturday, Nov. 9, in memory of Charlie Ford, Dustin Chapman and Easton Moss. Silent and live auctions will be from 1 to 3 p.m. An Iron Man event will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. In this one-man event, up to 30 contestants will pen one yearling and tie one calf. This event will benefi t the fam-ilies of Charlie Ford and Easton Moss. From 5 to 7 p.m., there will be a Cowboy Chal-lenge, four-man teams will work with three yearlings: tie one, load one, brand one. This event will benefi t the Chapman family. Donations are sought for the auctions. For more information, contact Ty Bennett at 817-901-7205 or McKenzie Bennett at 863-801-8060.

Church hosts yard/bake salePeace Lutheran Church, 750 N.W. 23rd

Lane in the Fellowship Hall, will host a craft, bake and indoor yard sale on Satur-day, Nov. 9, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

OHS to have yard sale Nov. 9Okeechobee High School will hold a

community yard sale on Saturday, Nov. 9, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the parking lots north of the Okeechobee High School cam-pus. Reserve your spot by contacting Janet Faulkner at janet.faulkner@okee.ki12.fl .us or 863-462-5025 ext. 1025 or Jennifer Szeni-marioni at jennifer.szenimarioni@okee.k12.fl .us or 863-462-5025 ext 1006.

‘See How They Run’ show setOkeechobee Community Theatre’s

production of “See How They Run” is at the Okeechobee auditorium, 610 S W Second Avenue, just west of Golden Corral. Tickets are available anytime at okeechobeecom-munitytheatre.com or at the door — one hour prior to performances. Performances will be at 8 p.m. on Nov. 8 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 9.

Church holds yard salePeace Lutheran Church, 750 N.W. 23rd

Lane. will hold a Craft, Bake and Indoor Yard Sale on Saturday, Nov. 9, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Event features quilts, crafts, deco-rations, bake sale and coffee. Lunch will be served by the Youth Group.

Search obituaries nationally athttp://www.legacy.com

Okeechobee Livestock MarketCattle Auction Monday & Tuesday

Restaurant Open Monday - Wednesday“Best Burgers in South Florida!”

863.763.3127

Finally, we saw signs of improvement

in the feeder calf market this week.

Number one good, quality calves were $3

to $5 higher. Still not much demand for

plainer type calves which we’re seeing a

lot of so don’t expect to see any change

there. Slaughter cows and bulls were

a little higher this week too at $2 to $3

higher.

Jeffrey Patterson, Moore Haven,

topped the calf market with a high of

$1.94/315#, bought by D&S Cattle.

Southport Ranch, Kissimmee, topped

the slaughter cow market with a high of

$0.54/1425#, bought by Florida Beef.

OKEECHOBEE — An Okeechobee man allegedly went on a rampage in his mother’s home on Tuesday, Oct. 29, and chopped up her furniture with two axes, reportedly telling her if she called police, he would kill her. Lemmie Chad Prescott, 35, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.

When Okeechobee County Sheriff ’s Deputy Shane Bogner arrived, the woman told him she was able to get one of the axes away from her son before the deputy arrived, and she said she hid it in her house and then left her residence to call for help. Deputy Bogner located her son on North-west 246th Street and 192nd Avenue.

Prescott’s mother told Dep-uty Bogner her son suffers from psychological issues and had been drinking vodka, which she believed caused more of a chemical imbal-ance in his brain. She said she lived in fear for her life on a day-to-day basis and believed her son would one day kill her.

Deputy Bogner, Deputy William Jolly and Deputy Quintin Speed attempted to make contact with Prescott via the public address system on Deputy Jolly’s vehicle, because they were unsure if he still had an ax in his possession, and he would reportedly stick his head out of the door of the residence and yell at them to leave the property and go home. The team

established a perimeter around the house and eventually notified the crisis intervention team which was dispatched to the scene.

The crisis intervention team persuaded Prescott to leave the residence, but he would only come as far as the porch, the report notes. Sergeant Matt Hurst arrived on the scene along with Deputy Hernan-dez, and Sgt. Hurst utilized his taser.

At that point, they were able to get Prescott in wrist restraints.

The report notes, Prescott said he was willing to talk but claimed he did not remember anything of the incident. He was

medically cleared and transported to the Okeechobee County Jail without further incident.

Assault charges are not new to Prescott. In 2017, he was charged with two counts of assault, one count abuse of the elderly and two counts tampering with a witness, but the charges were dropped. In 2015, he was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery. He was sen-tenced to state prison for one year. In 2012, he was charged with battery, but again, the charge was dropped.

His bond in the incident this month was set at $25,000.

Ax-wielding son, disarmed by mom, now jailed

By Detective Bill SaumOkeechobee City Police Department

OKEECHOBEE — The Okeechobee Police Department is warning people about individuals posing as Dish Net-work, DirecTV and Comcast workers. On Thursday, Oct. 31, there were people going door to door claiming to work for Comcast, Dish Network and DirecTV.

They have been going door to door in Okeechobee in an attempt to get inside homes. Authorities say if you have not requested services through Comcast, DirecTV, Dish Network or any other type of service provider, do not let them inside and call law enforcement. You can also call your service provider to make sure they have sent a legitimate technician.

OPD issues warning of posers

Lemmie Prescott

Okeechobee Livestock Market

OCSO InvestigationsOCSO InvestigationsThe Okeechobee County Sheriff ’s Office

investigated reports of the following crimes last week:

ASSAULT• 4800 block U.S. 441 Southeast• 3300 block Southwest Ninth Street• 3700 block Northwest 37th Avenue• 1700 block U.S. 441 North• 900 block Northwest 23rd Lane

BURGLARY• 3700 block Northwest First Street• 2300 block Northeast 138th Street• 0-100 Northeast 98th Street

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF• 5000 block Southeast 44th Street• 900 block Northwest 23rd Lane

FRAUD• 500 block Northwest Fourth Street x 3• 4600 block State Road 710• 3200 block Southeast 24th Street

• 12500 block State Road 70 East• 3700 block U.S. 441 North

HIT AND RUN• 3500 block U.S. 441 South

NARCOTICS USE• State Road 70 West• 600 block Southwest Second Avenue• 3100 block Southeast 28th Street• Park Street

OVERDOSE• 400 block Southeast 12th Avenue

THEFT• 600 block State Road 78 West• 2800 block U.S. 441 North• 12600 block Northwest 160th Street• 4800 block Northeast 122nd Drive• 1900 block U.S. 441 Southeast• 2200 block U.S. 441 Southeast• 2600 block Northwest Third Street• 11500 block U.S. 441 Southeast• 3500 block Southeast 25th Street

Road WatchMotorists are reminded to wear safety

belts and drive with caution, courtesy, common sense, and patience as they travel through work zones. Remember, speeding fines are doubled in work zones. Travelers can visit www.FL511.com or dial “511” from their phone to learn about traf-fic conditions on major roadways across the state. Roadwork planned this week

includes the following:• U.S. 441 S.E. between canal 59

and S.E. 66th Avenue. Maintenance per-mit project: Crews are constructing a new pumping station including a new driveway connection to U.S. 441 S.E. Watch for workers close to the roadway with shoulder closures. Watch for trucks and equipment entering and leaving the roadway.

Lake Okeechobee News/Okeechobee High School

Goggans honored by school districtOKEECHOBEE — Congratulations to Okeechobee High School’s Vicki Goggans, who was named the Okeechobee County School District’s Assistant Principal of the Year! Mrs. Goggans will go on to represent Okeechobee in the state competition in February. She is a Brahman alumni and has worked in the district as a teacher and in administration for 25 years.

Okeechobee LeuCe NewsThe Gift That Keeps Giving

: Give the : gift of a : • subscription •'

Order Today! 863.763.3134

Local News & So Much More

Lake Okeechobee NewsIn Print & Online • 863.763.3134 • lakeokeechobeenews.com

The winning entry ̂ will be featured in >

our HolidayTraditions special :^ section! h

Enter at lakeokeechobee

news.com/contests

Recipe Swap & Cookie Contest presented by:

Vicki S. Anderson \ 863.634.4106Lie. Real Estate Broker

Past President, Okeechobee Board of RealtorsFax: 863.467.7822

30034 E. SR 781 Okeechobee, FL 34974

Vic Anderson@earthlink.ne1

RELIABILITY.IT’S NOT JUST GETTING THE JOB DONE.

IT’S GETTING THE JOB DONE RIGHT.

10% OFF CLEAN AND CHECK.***

(863) 763-6742www.emorywalker.com

208 SW 5th Avenue, Okeechobee, FL 34974Okeechobee’s Longest-Established Lennox

Dealer Since 1975

RECEIVE UP TO

$1,600when you purchase

the Lennox® Ultimate Comfort System*

Enjoy no payments for the first 3 months when you finance a new Lennox® system

for as little as

$116 A MONTH.**

CAC057219Offer expires 11/22/2019.*Rebate requires purchase of qualifying items between September 2, 2019 to November 22, 2019. Qualifying items must be installed by November 29, 2019. Rebate claims (with proof of purchase) must be submitted (with proof of purchase) to www.lennoxconsumerrebates.com no later than December 14, 2019. Rebate is paid in the form of a Lennox Visa® prepaid debit card. Card is subject to terms and conditions found or referenced on card and expires 12 months after issuance. Conditions apply. See www.lennox.com/terms-and-conditions for complete terms and conditions. **Offer available September 2, 2019 to November 22, 2019. Offer based on a retail price of $10,000. Requires purchase of qualifying system. Financing available to well-qualified buyers on approved credit. No down payment required. No monthly payment required and no interest is accrued during the 3 month deferral period. After deferral period, the loan is rolled into 6.99% APR for 120 Months with equal monthly payments of $116 a month. Normal late charges apply. Cannot be combined with any other promotional offer. Minimum loan amount $3,000. Maximum loan amount $100,000. You may prepay your account at any time without penalty. Financing is subject to credit requirements and satisfactory completion of finance documents. Any finance terms advertised are estimates only. See Truth in Lending disclosures available from lender for more information. ***See your local dealer for details.© 2019 Lennox Industries Inc. Lennox Dealers are independently owned and operated businesses.

OMS presents Students of the WeekOKEECHOBEE — Osceola Middle School would like to congratulate its Stu-dents of the Week for the week of Oct. 21. They are, in no particular order: Jackeline Escalante, Luis Ucaranza, Jessica Forrester, Daniel Gil, Irene Car-rillo-Huerta, Macallister Roby, Shyla English, Augi Tijerina, Lexie Holthouser, Melvin Rosas, Ethan Hawk and Liyael Carranza-Jimenez. Paisley Norman and Colton Collins were absent during the last Student of the Week so they are also featured in this photo.

NES presents Students of the WeekOKEECHOBEE — North Elementary School would like to congratulate its Students of the Week for the week of Oct. 28. They are, in no particular order: German Ruiz-Cinto, Alayna Cooper, Justin Ramirez, Jackie Rediker, Moises Ahumada-Medoza, Kylenia Chandler, Franklin Ramos Mendez, Kai Gunter, Angel Contreras, Gavin Pabst, Harper Harwas, Levi Bryan, Adrian Hernan-dez, Juan Ramos, Michael Grzech-Smith, Kazi Islam, Kenya Robles, Landen Pankey, Justin Jordan, Christian Rogers, Allie Love, Jose Bautista, Jaedon Rivera and Ajayi Williams.

Gospel concert to be heldBig Lake Highlands Men’s Chorale

concert will be held on Monday, Nov. 11, at First United Methodist Church, 200 N.W. Second St. at 7 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 863-763-4600.

BHR VFW recognizes veterans VFW Post 9528, 29012 State Road 78

E. in Buckhead Ridge, will recognize mili-tary veterans on Monday, Nov. 11. Grilled chicken with sides served at 3 p.m. and a flag retirement ceremony at dusk. The public is invited to attend.

VOTE for your

favorite photoNow throughNovember 4!

Winners will be announced in

Plus contest winners will win Palm Beach Zoo admission!

Statewide License #CAC058675

863-467-1545MillersCentralAir.com

100% Customer Satisfaction is Our Mission!

*The Wells Fargo Home Projects credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., an Equal Housing Lender. Special terms apply to qualifying purchases charged with approved credit. The special terms APR will continue to apply until all qualifying purchases are paid in full. The monthly payment for this purchase will be the amount that will pay for the purchase in full in equal payments during the promotional (special terms) period. The APR for Purchases will apply to certain fees such as a late payment fee or if you use the card for other transactions. For new accounts, the APR for Purchases is 28.99%. If you are charged interest in any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. This information is accurate as of 8/1/2019 and is subject to change. For current information, call us at 1-800-431-5921. Offer expires 12/31/2019.**See your independent Trane Dealer for complete program eligibility, dates, details and restrictions. Special financing offers and instant rebates up to $500 valid on Qualifying Equipment only. Offers vary by equipment. All sales must be to homeowners in the United States. Void where prohibited. Special financing offer expires 12/31/2019. Instant Rebate offer expires 11/15/2019.

Special to the Lake Okeechobee News/Col. Gary Bell

CenterState and OCSO send out challengeCenterState Bank and the sheriff’s office are sending out a challenge to all businesses regarding showing appreciation to veterans. Sheriff Stephen and staff, along with several of their trustees, were instrumental in providing di-rection for this project. The sheriff’s office started the movement and Cen-terState Bank along with Pogey’s Restaurant have met the challenge. Who is next in line? If you dare to accept the challenge, please send photos of a veteran-dedicated parking space to the chamber office by Nov. 11. Can we count on you to have this done before Veterans Day? Back row: Cpl. Jack Nash, U.S. Marine veteran; Robert Keefe, U.S. Marine veteran; Bianca Keefe, chamber ambassador; Sheriff Noel Stephen; Tabitha Trent, vice president and bank manager; Paulette Wise, executive director; Gary Cashwell, de-tention deputy/trustee work crew; Mariah Parriott, chamber office manager. Front row: Trustee work crew, R. Palmer, F. Dickson, J. Moore and R. Davis.

NEW MEMBERSSPIN TO WIN

UP TO $5,000WIN COMP DOLLARS & FREE PLAY!

30 MINUTESFROM OKEECHOBEEseminolebrightoncasino.com

THE ONLYGAME INTOWN.

SLOTS • LIVE TABLE GAMES • HIGH STAKES BINGO • ENTERTAINMENT

CONVENIENCE. EXCLUSIVITY.

STATUS.

Excludes video poker and electronic table games. Must be 21 or older to participate. Offer valid for new Seminole Wild Card members only. Cannot be applied to previous signups. See Player’s Club for complete details. Management reserves all rights. Must be 21 years old to play Slots and Table Games. Must be 18 years old to play Bingo. If you or someone

you know has a gambling problem, please call 1.888.ADMIT.IT.

NOW SAVE50%

OVER NEWSSTAND

Subscribe to home delivery 3 days a week,

and we’ll deliver it to your home!

$6.42/mo.107 SW 17th Street, Ste DOkeechobee, FL 34974 863-763-3134lakeokeechobeenews.comOffi ce Hours: M-F 9am to 4pm

3 Mo. - $19.266 Mo - $38.521 Year - $77.04

Rate available in existing home delivery areas. Mail & Online subscriptions available.

DOH helps children stay healthyOKEECHOBEE — The Florida Department of Health in Okeechobee Coun-ty partnered with County Parks and Recreation, Senior Services and Indian River State College to provide healthy trick-or-treating to over 100 east coast migrant Head Start children on the morning of Halloween, Thursday, Oct. 31. Children and their parents were shown that making healthy choices on Halloween is not only possible but also can be fun!

VERO BEACH — The American Red Cross is seeking volunteers in Okeechobee to help respond to and provide relief to families impacted by local disasters such as home fires, floods, tornadoes and hurri-canes.

Volunteers carry out 90 percent of the humanitarian work of the Red Cross. Each day, they help thousands of disaster victims, provide care and comfort to service mem-bers and veterans, teach others lifesaving skills such as first aid and CPR and educate the community on disaster preparedness and safety.

How you can helpBe a part of the lifesaving work of the

Red Cross by signing up to volunteer. The Coast to Heartland Chapter needs your help to fulfill volunteer positions supporting the following areas:

Disaster response — Disaster Action Team members are trained, dedicated volunteers who respond to emergencies at a moment’s notice. They provide 24-hour immediate support and assistance to individuals who have been impacted by a home fire or other local disasters. From offering a shoulder to cry on, to meeting any immediate need and connecting peo-ple with long term recovery services — our volunteers ensure that families don’t have to face difficult times alone.

Preparedness — Red Cross Disaster Preparedness volunteers teach people how

to reduce the risk of disaster, prepare to respond effectively, and cope with disasters when they happen. Opportunities include educating youth on disaster safety, install-ing smoke alarms, educating families on fire safety, and engaging with community organizations to spread public awareness about disaster preparedness.

Sheltering — Sheltering is a key piece of disaster services within the American Red Cross. Our shelter volunteers are trained to help provide shelter for people displaced as a result of a disaster, such as a hurricane. Alongside other Red Cross shel-ter volunteers, you will help operate and maintain shelters, and assist the shelter’s residents by supporting their needs during a disaster.

“More than 90% of our national work-force is volunteers and we are looking to expand it here in Okeechobee,” says Sarah Ruwe, executive director for Florida’s Coast to Heartland Chapter. “No experience is necessary, just the willingness to help your community be a better place.”

Locally, the Red Cross has been serving Okeechobee County since 1917. Currently, the Coast to Heartland Chapter serves over 565,000 residents in Indian River, St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Highlands counties.

The Red Cross is always looking for people with various backgrounds, talents and skill levels to make a difference and help people in need. To learn more about volunteer opportunities and how to get involved, call 863-763-2488 (option 5) or visit redcross.org/sflvolunt.

American Red Cross calls for disaster volunteers

OKEECHOBEE — The Okeechobee County code enforcement special magis-trate hearing was held Oct. 15 in the Health Department Auditorium.

New business• The 2431 S.E. 23rd Terrace property

owned by the Edward McConnell Family Trust and Shannon Scribner, was found to be in violation of county code. The owners were ordered to bring the property into compliance including repair of roof and skirting, with all applicable permits, fees and inspections by Dec. 12.

• The 1531 N.E. 14th St. property owned by Freddie Porter and Jeanie Porter was found in violation of county code. The property owners were ordered to remove junk, trash, debris and household goods and mow and trim all overgrown grass and weeds by Dec. 12.

• Unit 59 at 7950 State Road W., owned by Ronnie N Smith and Donna C. Smith, was found in violation of county code. The owners were ordered to remove the unper-mitted structure or obtain permits including all fees and inspections by Dec. 12.

• The case in regard to the 7595 N.W. 81st Court property owned by Jaydee F Wolf and Jessique Wolf was dismissed because the respondent had satisfactorily corrected the violations prior to the hearing.

Old business• The case involving the 1112 N.E. 15th

Ave. property owned by Charlie Henderson and Eva V. Henderson was dismissed. The property owners corrected the violations prior to the hearing.

• The 808 N.E. 15th Ave. property owned by Annette Sheppard was found in violation of county code. The property owner was ordered to repair the roof, with all fees, permits and inspections by Dec. 12.

• The 27555 N.W. 208th St. property owned by Corona Holdings was found in violation of code. The property owners were ordered to bring the property into full compliance, including inspections and certificates of occupancy by Dec. 12.

• The case involving the 1694 N.W. Sixth St. property owned by Fred and Sheila A Votino was dismissed. The violations were corrected before the hearing.

• The case involving the property at 11555 Highway 441 S.E. Unit 2, owned by Brown Shoe Management Group Inc., was tabled until Dec. 17.

• Property at 7930 S.E. 57th Drive owned by Shirley A. Upthegrove was found to be in violation of county code. The property owner was ordered to bring the property into compliance by Dec. 12.

• Property at 8857 S.E. 67th Way owned by Donald Howard Trent Monique Alise Trent was found to be in violation. The property owners were ordered to obtain permits as required, with all applicable fees and inspections on both unpermitted structures by Dec. 12.

• Property at 3140 S.E. 23rd St. owned by James R Conroy was found to be in violation of code. The property owner was

ordered to bring property into compliance by completing demolition and removing all debris by Dec. 12.

• The case involving the property at 2815 S.E. 20th Court owned by Carroll Thomas Sr. Patricia Thomas and Carroll Thomas Jr. was tabled until Dec. 17.

• The 3290 N.W. 6th St. property owned by Ana Lilia Gomez was found to be in violation of code. The property owner was ordered to remove the unlicensed, derelict vehicles and disabled vehicles and remove two sheds by Dec. 12.

• The 3964 N.W. 4th St. property

owned by Christopher Aguilar was found

to be in violation of code. The property

owners were ordered to bring the prop-

erty into compliance including removal

of junk, trash and debris, to close the

business by Dec. 12.

• The 3966 N.W. 4th St. property

owned by Juan Aguilar was found in

violation of code. The property owner

was ordered to bring the property into

compliance including removal of old

junk, trash, debris,etc. and to close the business by Dec. 12.

• The 1037 N.E. 30th Ave. property owned by Mark C Kramer was found in violation of code. The property owner was ordered to remove any remaining junk, trash, debris and complete con-struction of shed, if a permit can be obtained, and if not, to remove the shed by Dec. 12.

• The case involving the 21662 N.W. 260th St. property owned by William and Crystal Griffin was tabled until Dec. 17.

Special magistrate rules on code violations12 Lake Okeechobee News November 3, 2019

863-410-2860

319 N Parrott Ave, Okeechobee, FL 34972

Additional Offices: Stuart | Port St. Lucie West | Port St. Lucie

An affordable solution to advertising

your business Call 863-763-3134

EVERSAFE METAL BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTIONINCLUDES DELIVERY AND INSTALLATIONFROM $11.00 PSF

UP TO 180 MPHBBB A+ RATED MEETS FL HURRICANE CODE

FARM BUILDINGSWAREHOUSESWORKSHOPS GARAGES

LICENSED & INSURED • LOCAL FL OFFICES • LOCAL FL CREWS

Concrete work additional cost

EVERSAFEBUILDINGS.COMCALL FOR FREE QUOTE863-301-4452

Tree Trimming & RemovalDebris Removal & Hauling • Bobcat Services

Danielle Email: Mike@xpsinc.com

PROPERTY SERVICES, INC.

863.634.9104

HossHossCARPORTS,

SCREEN ROOMS & MORE!

ALUMINUMLLC

(863) 634-7442(863) 634-7442 Lic# OCSL 1583-01 INSURED

Johnny Trent1677 SW 8th StreetOkeechobee, FL 34974

Office: (863) 763-7704Mobile: (863) 634-7125

Email: 4gutter@gmail.com

JT GutteringSystems Inc.

Aluminum Seamless GutteringInstallations & Repair

“Serving Okeechobee since 1999”

AFFORDABLE ALUMINUM SERVICESAssistance in Owner Builder Permits

EXPERIENCE ~ PRIDE ~ QUALITYAT AFFORDABLE PRICES

Screen Room - Carport - Patio Covers Wood Deck ~ Sheds ~Fla Rooms ~ Repair Work

All Phases of Aluminum Construction

PROJECT MANAGERMICHAEL D.

(863) 697-1447PRESTIGE #OCSL 1746-01/#01129/#11291

Restoring New Look Repair work and more.Piecework & Day Labor

for Licensed ContractorsOWNER BUILDER PERMITS

DISCOUNT ALUMINUM SCREEN ROOM, CARPORT & PATIO KITS

Elks Lodge hosts Halloween Extravaganza The Okeechobee Elks Lodge Halloween Ex-travaganza Oct. 31 at the Okeechobee Agri-Civic Center attracted large crowds from 6 to 8 p.m. Young and old came out in costumes ranging from Iron Man (left) to a dino-saur (far right). Eight-year-old Wyatt Hankey (at right), dressed as a rodeo clown, showed off his roping skills. Wyatt and his brother Landen participate in junior ro-deo and are headed for the national finals in bull-riding in Las Vegas in De-cember.

Lake Okeechobee News/ Katrina Elsken)

TALLAHASSEE — The nonprofit Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida is celebrating its 25th birthday this fall. Since its founding, the foundation has raised and donated nearly $40 million to conserve Florida’s best lands, waters and wildlife, working closely with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and many other partners.

The breadth of the foundation’s work is staggering. Florida panthers, manatees, black bears, turkeys, wood storks and red snapper are just a few of the species it has helped conserve. Few habitats and native species, in fact, haven’t benefited from

its work. North America’s rarest bird, the Florida grasshopper sparrow, has a new lease on life thanks to a captive breed-ing-and-release program funded in large part by foundation donors. And with The Nature Conservancy, the foundation invest-ed $120,000 this year into restoring critical manatee freshwater springs habitat.

Increasing public access to and enjoy-ment of traditional outdoor pastimes — birding, fishing, boating, hunting, archery, etc. — is a foundation priority, and many of its outdoor programs benefit returning veterans, women and at-risk youth. The foundation is Florida’s largest private funder of outdoor youth programs, which benefit

230,000 children and teens annually.The foundation also responds to emergen-

cies, whether it’s hurricane disaster relief for FWC employees, identifying technologies for mitigating red tide or helping fund rescue of corals from “stony coral tissue-loss disease,” which is killing off 22 of Florida’s 45 species of stony corals. It’s also working with partners to increase capture of Burmese pythons and lionfish to reduce the threat to the Everglades and our fisheries.

“For 25 years, we’ve worked to conserve nature and our outdoor heritage, thanks to help from the public and many partners,” said foundation president and CEO Andrew Walker. “We are honored and excited to

continue our work for many more decades to come.

About the Fish & Wildlife Founda-tion of Florida

The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Flor-ida is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and oth-er public and private partners to conserve Florida’s native animals and plants and the lands and waters they need to survive. Since its founding in 1994, the foundation has raised and donated more than $36 mil-lion to conservation and outdoor recreation and education. More information can be found at wildlifeflorida.org.”

Foundation conserves nature and outdoor heritage

OKEECHOBEE — On Oct. 31, at approx-imately 9:11 a.m., deputies responded to the 2100 block of Southeast 40th Avenue in reference to a domestic situation. Prior to their arrival, the complainant advised that his 23-year old son had taken one of his firearms and was walking down S.E. 40th.

A nearby school was placed on lock-down for precautionary reasons.

Deputies subsequently found the man, who brandished a handgun. The deputies tried to negotiate with him and persuade him to put the weapon down. He ignored the deputies’ instructions and their offers of help throughout their interaction.

After unresponsive negotiations, the man shot himself. Deputies immediate-ly rendered medical aid to the mortally wounded man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Young man takes own life despite deputies’ negotiations By Cathy Womble

Lake Okeechobee News

Two teens were arrested at Okeechobee High School on Tuesday, Oct. 29, after an off-duty Okeechobee County Sheriff ’s depu-ty received a video depicting a teen holding a gun inside a vehicle on school property.

Mario Curbelo, 17, Northwest 43rd Avenue, was arrested by OCSO Deputy Donnie Holmes and charged with improper exhibition of a weapon on school property and possession of a weapon on school property. He was transferred to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Richard Ayala, 17, Southwest 10th Avenue, was arrested by Deputy Holmes and charged with possession of a weapon on school property. He was transferred to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Deputy Holmes reportedly received a text message, picture and short video from guidance counselor Tracy Sills, who said she received them via SnapChat and that she did not know who the person in the video was. The picture was a screenshot of the video. When the video was zoomed in on, the arrest report notes, a Hispanic male can be seen sitting in the passenger seat of a black four-door Nissan holding a rifle. A bus is visible in the background, and there

is a street sign read-ing Lots C-D-E in the picture.

It did not take him long to figure out who normally drove the ve-hicle in the video, and he spoke to Richard Ayala about the inci-dent. Richard report-edly told him the gun was a BB gun and that it was at home. After searching the vehicle and finding nothing, Deputy Holmes asked him who was holding the gun in the picture and then took him to the dean’s office until they had everything straightened out.

They found Ma-rio Curbelo in the school’s computer lab, and got him out of class. Richard report-edly identified him as the boy holding the gun. The gun was retrieved from Rich-ard’s home.

Two teens arrested at OHS

RichardAyala

MarioCurbelo

To reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease spreading into Florida, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commis-sion (FWC) has issued an executive order establishing special regulations related to importing deer carcasses, as directed by the commission at their October meet-ing in Cape Canaveral. Under Executive Order 19-41, carcasses of deer, elk, moose, caribou and all other members of the deer family may not be imported into Florida from anywhere, except for legally harvested white-tailed deer originating from Georgia or Alabama, provided they meet certain requirements.

Executive Order 19-41, which takes effect Nov. 1, prohibits importing deer

carcasses and parts thereof except for de-boned meat; finished taxidermy mounts; antlers; and hides, skulls, skull caps, and teeth if all soft tissue has been removed. The executive order allows exceptions for white-tailed deer legally harvested in Georgia or Alabama provided the person possesses an FWC Georgia/Alabama Carcass Importation Permit prior to the carcass being imported into Florida; reports the carcass importation within 24 hours of entering Florida using the FWC’s online Georgia/Alabama Carcass Importation Re-porting Form; and disposes of any remains using FWC-approved deer carcass disposal options. Learn more about how to com-ply with the new requirements related to importing deer carcasses.

In addition, white-tailed deer legally har-vested from Georgia or Alabama properties that are bisected by the Florida state line and under the same ownership are exempt from importation permit, reporting and disposal requirements.

If CWD is detected in Georgia or Ala-bama, importing a carcass from that state would be prohibited.

CWD is a transmissible disease of the nervous system that is fatal to deer, elk, moose, caribou and other members of the deer family. It remains undetected in Florida since surveillance measures were initiated in 2002 but is currently found in 26 states. It was most recently detected in Mississippi and Tennessee. The trans-portation of infected deer, elk, moose and

caribou carcasses is one of the known risks for introducing CWD to new areas.

The FWC has been working to protect Florida deer from CWD for years. In 2002, the FWC prohibited importing carcasses of deer, elk, moose, caribou and all other members of the deer family from CWD-af-fected states and Canadian provinces. In addition, importing live deer, elk, moose, caribou and other members of the deer family into Florida was banned in 2013.

As part of its ongoing CWD surveillance program, the FWC is asking anyone who sees a sick, abnormally thin deer or finds a deer dead from unknown causes to call the CWD hotline, 866-CWD-WATCH (866-293-9282) and report the animal’s location.

FWC trying to stop spread of chronic deer disease

AA meetings scheduled in Okeechobee CountyOKEECHOBEE — Area churches host AA meetings each week.• United Methodist Church, 200 N.W. Second St., hosts open meetings at noon,

Monday through Friday.• Okeechobee Christian church, 3055 S.E. 18th Terrace hosts a closed “Wake up

group” on Mondays at 6:30 a.m. and a closed meeting at noon on Thursdays.• Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 901 S.W. Sixth St., hosts a closed men’s meeting

on Wednesdays at 8 p.m.• Presbyterian Church, 312 N. Parrott Ave., hosts a “Heard it through the grapevine”

open meeting on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. On Saturdays a closed “Keep it simple group” meeting is held at 7:30 p.m.

• Church of our Savior, 200 N.W. Third St., hosts a closed meeting at 8 p.m on Tuesdays. On Thursdays there is an open women’s group at 6 p.m. and a closed Big Book Study at 8 p.m. On Fridays there is an open speaker meeting at 8 p.m. Then on Sundays there is an open Step Study at 7:30 p.m.

OKEECHOBEE — Work on the Ev-erglades Agricultural Area reservoir and stormwater treatment area (STA) could be delayed, not by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but due to opposition from a native tribe.

In an Oct. 23 letter to Lt. Gen. Semonite of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rep. Brian Mast and Sen. Marco Rubio accused the corps of “bureaucratic delays” stalling progress on the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) reservoir and storm water treatment area (STA). In the letter, Rep. Mast and Sen. Rubio asked for the matter to be addressed at the Oct. 29 South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force meeting in Washington D.C.

Col. Andrew Kelly and some corps staff members were at the task force meeting on Oct. 29, with an update of the Integrat-ed Delivery Schedule (IDS) for the Com-prehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), which includes the EAA reservoir project.

Rep. Mast was also at the Oct. 29 meeting, but when given the opportunity to speak, he did not mention the timeline for the EAA reservoir. He praised the corps for working with the state agencies to move CERP projects ahead. Then he launched into a commentary promoting lower levels for Lake Okeechobee. Rep. Mast promotes lowering the lake level to 10.5 feet by the start of the rainy season to ensure there is capacity in the lake to hold enough water in the wet season to prevent the need for discharges to the coastal estuaries.

At that same meeting, a representative of the Miccosukee Tribe again expressed the tribe’s opposition to the EAA reservoir project.

Truman “Gene” Duncan, water resourc-es director for the Miccosukee Tribe, said

the tribe objected to Florida Senate Bill 10 (which authorized the reservoir) and objects to the EAA reservoir plan.

“We believe it is in the wrong place. We need more storage but north of the lake. Second, it is 23 feet deep. That entire footprint was supposed to be three or four feet. You get water quality treatment from vegetation when you have shallow reser-voirs. You get no water quality treatment in 23-feet-deep reservoirs. No plants can grow their roots that far,” he said.

Mr. Duncan said the corps analysis indicates 43% more water will come down into the conservation area. Even treated, that water will bring with it a 36% increase in phosphorus going onto tribal lands in Conservation Area 3, he said. “We have all been fighting phosphorus for decades, trying to stop the phosphorus, but the EAA reservoir results in more phosphorus on tribal lands. This is a big issue.

“Another issue is tribal graveyards,” he continued. “There are gravesites right in the middle of the footprint and they will be buried under 23 feet of water. That is a big cultural violation for the tribe.”

He said with some of the smaller STAs, the corps or SFWMD were able to make accommodations by going around a burial ground or making containments to keep the burial grounds dry. “There will not be any way to do that under 23 feet of water,” he said.

Mr. Duncan said the analysis of predict-ed water levels, based on the past 41 years of data, shows another concern. “There will be more water distributed over here into Shark River Slough, but at the expense of Conservation Area 3A. We won’t be able to get the airboats out of the canal,” he explained. “You cannot visit your islands. You cannot go to your homes. You cannot grow corn for your ceremonies. You cannot practice your religion.”

“They say there will be more water com-ing in — in eight to 10 years, so I think I’m supposed to tell my chairman, ‘Don’t worry about going to visit your land for eight to 10 years.’ We have a serious concern with how the system is going to be operated. This comes about because we built these big bridges to pass the water into Shark River Slough, but have not supplied the water that will come down to supply that water yet. They took Conservation Area 3B out of the program, so the water instead of flowing from 3A to 3B and following the natural flow, it flows down south to the Tamiami Trail where the S-12 gates are closed to prevent this — to protect the spar-row — makes a 90-degree turn to the east, makes another 90-degree turn to go to the Shark River Slough. There is nothing natural about what we are doing to the Everglades today.”

Mr. Duncan also addressed the question of proposed changes to the lake schedule.

“When it is 15.5 feet to 12.5 feet, we are in the Goldilocks zone, best for the ecology, the fish, the aquatic life. It keeps the STAs hydrated,” said Mr. Duncan. “When you are down to 12.5 to 10 feet, you are in the water shortage band. When you are below that, down at a 10.5 or 9.5, we have severe water restrictions, risk of damage, water shortage restrictions, wildlife deaths, per-manent soil loss, fires, saltwater intrusion if we go further.

“That lake is the liquid heart of the entire South Florida,” he said. “We cannot manage Lake Okeechobee for one group of people — it has to be a balanced approach ... Instead of just asking to keep the lake at an artificially low level, we have to look at all of the factors.”

The permitting process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) required for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects, usually takes an average of three

and a half years. For the federal permits for the Everglades Agricultural Area reser-voir and STA project, the corps started an expedited process last year with the goal of completing all of the requirements in just 19 months. If there are no delays, the permits will be complete in May 2020.

However, one of the NEPA requirements involves addressing concerns for impact on tribal lands, and Mr. Duncan has been vocal about the Miccosukees’ concerns, which have not been addressed.

In a media conference call on Nov. 1, Col. Andrew Kelly of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said they are having “govern-ment to government” discussions with the Miccosukee Tribe. “We will take all of their concerns into consideration,” he explained. “We have to listen to and address all of the concerns,” he said. “I don’t anticipate any show stoppers.”

Col. Kelly said the corps is on track to complete the permits by May 2020. In regard to the accusations in the letter from Rep. Mast and Sen. Rubio, Col. Kelly said when Florida Senate Bill 10, which changed the timeline for the EAA reservoir, was passed in 2017, the corps immediately responded to all of the elected officials involved and explained the various steps required for a corps project and the time line required to complete the studies and reports, including the NEPA requirements. “We are not delaying,” he said. “The overall project is not delayed. We are expediting this.”

On average, NEPA, which involves specified public comment periods by each federal agency impacted by a project, and addressing those comments, takes about three and half years. The corps is on track to expedite the process and complete it in 19 months.

Miccosukee Tribe opposes EAA reservoir

Florida’s Zone C general gun deer season began Saturday, Nov. 2, providing hunters the opportunity to get back to na-ture. And if knowledge, skill and luck come together for a successful hunt, there’s also healthy and delicious wild game to share and enjoy.

Zone C is Florida’s largest hunting zone, encompassing the central and northern part of the state. The general gun season for deer runs Nov. 2 to Jan. 19 on lands outside of the wildlife management area system and gives hunters the chance to carve out time from their busy schedules to go afield. It’s also a good opportunity to introduce someone to deer hunting. Taking a friend, family member, co-worker or neighbor hunting makes the experience even more special.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conser-vation Commission (FWC) has developed online resources to make it easier for mentors and new hunters to get started

deer hunting. Plus, the FWC’s new WMA Finder allows users to locate public hunting opportunities based on species, season, lo-cation and more. If you plan on hunting at a WMA, check WMA regulations brochures for each area you’re interested in because season dates and other regulations may vary.

Those new to hunting can learn about conservation and how to be safe, respon-sible hunters by taking a free FWC hunter safety course. Hunting is a safe activity, and hunter safety courses help make it even safer by teaching students about firearms safety, hunting laws and regulations, outdoor skills, knowledge about wildlife and habitats, and the importance of being a conservationist.

The FWC offers other programs and op-portunities for youth and families to learn about and experience hunting, including the Youth Hunting Program. This program offers safe, educational, mentored hunts for youth who have successfully completed a hunter safety course. Participants accom-

panied by a parent or guardian can learn about conservation and gain new outdoor skills during these organized weekend hunts. Sign up for a hunt by checking out the Youth Hunting Program event calendar.

Youth throughout the state also are learning a variety of outdoors skills through the FWC’s Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network. Through this program, staff work with more than 350 partners to introduce kids throughout Florida to archery, hunting, boating, fishing, wildlife discovery and more. The FYCCN’s partners engage youth in outdoor adventure while igniting their interest in conservation.

The FWC’s wildlife professionals use sci-entific data to conserve game wildlife popu-lations and provide sustainable hunting opportunities. Florida is home to healthy game wildlife populations, along with a wide variety of other wildlife species, as a result. Hunters and target shooters are im-portant partners in this conservation effort. They provide wildlife management funding through the purchase of hunting licenses

that bring more dollars back to Florida through the Wildlife Restoration Program. This program provides grant funds to state wildlife management agencies, such as the FWC, from the sporting arms and archery industries and the people of Florida who participate in these outdoor activities. The funding supports research, education, access to public lands, and habitat man-agement and conservation to benefit many wildlife species, including those that aren’t hunted.

To take part in the Zone C general gun season for deer, hunters need a Florida hunting license and a deer permit (unless exempt). In addition, those planning to hunt one of Florida’s many wildlife man-agement areas will need a management area permit. In addition, there is a new an-nual statewide bag limit for deer and new requirements to log and report harvested deer. Get more information about these and other statewide hunting rules taking effect in 2019-2020 at MyFWC.com/Deer.

FWC offers opportunities to learn about conservation

Employment - Full Time

NOW HIRINGCLASS A CDL

DRIVERSfor local deliveries.

Must know the area, have clean driving record

and pass a drug test.

apply at: Walpole Feed & Supply Co.

2595 NW 8th St.

Medical Receptionist/Insurance Verification Clerk for Busy Medical Office.

Full Time, Experience in Medical Billing/Insurance Authorization Preferred.

Fax Resume to 863-467-5148.

Employment - Full Time

NOW HIRINGCLASS A CDL DRIVERS

Must have DOT medical, drug free,

clean driving history & tanker endorsement.

Call M-S(863)467-9800

Auctions

AUCTIONEvery Friday &

Saturday nights at 5:30 917 SW Park St.

(Behind Eli’s Western Wear) Quality Consignments

Accepted. Watford Auction

10% BP863-697-8906

AU1843 AB1583

We Buy EstatesAntiques, Collectibles,

Household, Tools, Jewelry and etc.

Call 863-697-8906

Garage/ Yard Sales

OKEECHOBEE- YARD SALE AT

1020 US HWY 441 SE, NOVEMBER 9TH ONLY, POTENTIAL 17 HOMES,

FLYING G ESTATES, ONE MILE SOUTH

OF 15-B

Seasonal

CDL-A Drivers: It’s Getting Juicy – Citrus Season

At Oakley! NEW: $1500 Sign

On For New Drivers. $1000 Referral

Bonus. Earn Big $$$ + Bonuses & Get Home Nightly! 6 mos. Exp. in last 3 yrs. Req.

Call Oakley Today! (888) 598-9408

Business Opportunities

NOTICE

Independent Newspa-pers will never acceptany advertisement that is illegal or consid-ered fraudulent. In allcases of questionablevalue, such as prom-ises of guaranteed income from work-at-home programs - if itsounds too good to be true, chances are that it is. If you have questions or doubtsabout any ad on thesepages, we advise that before responding orsending money aheadof time, you check with the Better Busi-ness Bureau at 772-878-2010 for previouscomplaints.

Some 800 and 900telephone numbersmay require an extracharge, as well as longdistance toll costs. We will do our best to alert our reader ofthese charges in the ads, but occasionallywe may not be awareof the charges. There-fore, if you call a num-ber out of your area,use caution.

LAKEPORT- 1BD/1BA CABIN, $600.00/MO PLUS

DEPOSIT, ALSO1BD/1BA PARK MODEL $650.00/MO. INCLUDES LIGHTS, WATER, GAR-

BAGE, 50+, REFERENCES REQ. CALL 502-803-1876

OR 502-682-2403

Apartments2/1 APARTMENT FOR RENT@407 NW 11TH AVE. $700.00/MONTHLY, 1ST, LAST AND $500.00 SEC.

DEP., TOTAL MOVE IN $1,900.00 NO PETS.

CALL DAWN OR KAY 863-763-3173

LAKEPORT APART-MENT, 1ST FLOOR,FURNISHED 2BD/1BA, SCREENED IN FRONT PORCH, YARD. $800.00MONTHLY, 1ST & SECU-RITY. $100 WATER AND$300 ELEC. DEPOSIT.SORRY NO PETS. CALL863-532-5073 PRIVATE UPSCALE STUDIO IN THE CITY, ELECTRIC AND WATER INCLUDED $700/MO. ONE PERSON ONLY

CALL JOHN AT 305-922-7645

Condos/Town- houses - Rent TAYLOR CREEK 1/1

fully furnished, utilities included. Available now. $975/mo plus sec dep. No pets. Background and credit chk reqd. 863-634-0663.

Houses - Rent FOR RENT CLEAN, 2BR/

1BA, 10003 NW 64TH AVE. $675.00/MO. INCLUDES WATER & LAWN MAINTENANCE. $600 SECURITY, PETS UPON APPROVAL

CALL 863-610-0001

Houses - Rent

**OKEECHOBEE ** FULLY UPGRADED2BD/1BA $690.00

PER MONTH, 1ST Month, Last Month & Security Deposit.

Very Clean and well maintained. 12 min. outside of town off

Hwy 70 East. Great setting, lawn

service, on-site management, pest

control included, w/d hook-up.

Sorry, NO PETS. Credit, background

check & references.

Call M-S 9am-6pm 813-956-5150

FOR RENT OFFICE/WAREHOUSE,

APPROXIMATELY 5000 SQUARE FEET. 109 NW 7TH AVE. CALL 863-634-5207

Mobile Homes - Rent LAKEPORT- 2BD/2BA

TRAILER, NOT FUR-NISHED $550.00/MO. PLUS DEPOSIT, 50+, REFERENCES REQ. CALL 502-803-1876 OR 502-682-2403

NICELY REMODELED, FURNISHED TRAILERS W/FLORIDA ROOMS AT BROTHER’S RV, A FULL SERVICE WATERFRONTPARK. $550 TO $600/MO. CALL ALAN 561-246-9864, 8190 US HWY 441.

Mobile Homes - Rent

SEASONAL RENTAL: PRESIDENTIAL MODEL 5TH WHEEL. TRIPLE

SLIDES AT BROTHERS R.V. RESORT. VOTED #1 FULL SERVICE

WATERFRONT PARK FOR 2019. 2000 S.F.,

FENCED IN, SEASONAL OR YEARLY. 3 MONTH MINIMUM, DISCOUNT

FOR ADDT’L STAY ALAN 561-246-9864

TIRED OF STAYING IN A MOTEL !?

NICELY FURNISHED

1 BDRM RENTALSON KISSIMMEE RIVER. RENT

NIGHTLY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY.

SMALL PETS WELCOME (20LBS)Call (863) 467-4371 FOR MORE DETAILS

TREASURE ISLAND Deluxe RV, oversized lot facing canal, fully fur-nished, W/D, plus spacefor boat. Ideal for couple. Welcome Snowbirds!Call Larry 954-257-5741.

Mobile Homes - Sale

FOR SALE OR RENT 1BR/1BA HOME, FULLY FURNISHED, NEW AC, CARPORT AND 10’X10’ UTILITY BUILDING W/WASHER & DRYER, A BREEZEWAY LEADS

FROM THE FRONT TO A PRIVATE BACK YARD. LOCATED CLOSE TO POOL & CLUBHOUSE. 55+ GATED COMMU-NITY. RENT FULL TIME

FOR $800/MO IN-CLUDES ELEC/WATER/GARBAGE. BUY FOR $65,000 CALL BETTY AT 863-801-3162

leads you to the best productsand services.

READING A NEWSPAPER...

How do you find a jobin today’s competi-tive market? In theemployment sectionof the classifieds

Public Notice Public Notice

GLADES COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERSREQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

DEMOLITION OF ONE (1) TRAILER & REHABILITATION OF ONE (1) HOME,

The Glades County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) requests that interested parties submit formal sealed proposals for the above-referenced project. This project will be undertaken as part of the Glades County SHIP Program. Contractors must be qualified to bid on SHIP projects. If not pre-qual-ified, the Contractor’s Application Documents may be obtained from the SHIP Administrator or http://www.myglades.com/departments/communityservices/ship.php

A mandatory meeting and contractor review of these projects will be held on Wednesday November 06th, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at Conference Room, Court House, 500 Avenue J, Moore Haven, FL 33471. Any firm not represented at this meeting will not be able to bid. All potential bidders must be in meeting no later than 10:15 a.m. in order to participate in these RFP’s.

The specifications and requirements informational package must be obtained from Cindy Ricker, SHIP Administrator 863-946-6124, cricker@myglades.com

Due date/time: November 22nd, 2019, 2:00 p.m. EST. All responses (6 copies and 1 original ) shall be placed in a sealed envelope with the title clear-ly indicated on the outside: GLADES COUNTY SHIP PROGRAM – RFP #2019-DEMO/REHABILITATION-DIXON-1, ATTEN: Cindy Ricker, with delivery to the Clerk of Courts office at Court House, Moore Haven, no later than deadline time of 2:00 p.m.. RFP’s received after such time will not be accepted and will be returned unopened. Responses delayed for any reason shall not be considered. Faxed and electronically mailed responses will not be accepted.

All prospective respondents are cautioned not to contact any member of the BoCC. All questions should be directed to Cindy Ricker, SHIP Administrator, 500 Avenue J, (P.O. Box 1527) Moore Haven FL 33471 Phone 863-946-6124. EMAIL cricker@myglades.com.

It is anticipated that the qualified responses to this RFP will be considered and a decision on the selection of a qualified responder will be made by the BoCC. The County reserves the right to reject any or all responses in its sole discretion. The County also reserves the right to waive irregularities and technicalities, to re-advertise for additional responses, and to select the responder, who, in the BoCCs’ sole opinion, is in the best interests of Glades County.

Glades County does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or marital status. Glades County is an Equal Opportunity Employer, actively seeking Minority Contractor Participation and promotes Fair Housing.371701 GCD 10/30 LO 11/3/2019

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETINGHENDRY COUNTY RANKING COMMITTEE

Notice is hereby given that a Hendry County ranking committee will hold a

meeting on November 7, 2019, at 11:00AM, for the ranking of the submittals for RFQ #2019-25, Request for Qualifications for Architectural and Structural Engineering Services along with Engineering Design and Permitting for Building Improvements to the Hendry County Jail and Jail Annex Facility in Hendry Coun-ty, Florida. The meeting will be held at the Hendry County Administration Build-ing, 640 South Main Street, LaBelle, Florida. The meeting is open to the public.If a person decides to appeal any decision made with respect to any matter

considered at this meeting, he/she will need a record of the proceedings, and that, for such purpose, he/she may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. Please note that matters may be discussed at the meeting which is not on the prepared agenda for the meeting.If you have a disability that will require special assistance or accommodation

for your attendance at the meeting, please contact Hendry County Engineer-ing Department at (863) 612-4727; Hearing Impaired: Florida Relay 7-1-1; or e-mail konan@hendryfla.net. Hendry County is an equal opportunity provider and employer.Si necesita la assistencia de un interprete que hable espanol para participar un

esta reunion, por favor pongase en contacto con Veronica Gonzalez al (863) 675-5324.372230 LO 11/3,6/2019

EXTENSION OF EXISTING LEASE TERMLEASING OF DISTRICT LAND

OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA

The South Florida Water Management District, 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach, Florida 33406, may be extending the term of an existing land lease known as Encumbrance ID HF10E-009 or Contract 4600002051 with 441 Cattle, LLC for the purpose of cattle grazing on approximately 4,466.34 acres, located in Okeechobee County.362111 ON 10/27,11/3,10/2019

Mobile Homes - Sale PARK MODEL TRAILER,

$12,000.00, NEW AC/HEAT PUMP UNIT, ELECTRIC RANGE, FURNISHED, CARPET-ED, FLORIDA ROOM, WASHER/DRYER, KITCHEN VENT FAN, FLAT-SCREEN TV. 55+ PARK, PET FRIENDLY 585-633-0149

Autos Wanted

AAA Auto Analysis- All makes, all price ranges. We buy cars, trucks, and motorcycles.

Established 1981. 772-260-9707

Crossword Puzzle

10/26/19

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

10/26/19

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

ACROSS1 Tablets that

shouldn’t be used with water

6 Mandela’s org.9 Actress

Andersson of “The Seventh Seal”

13 Officers-to-be15 “Just asking”17 Put on the

throne18 Israeli self-

defense system19 Longest note?20 What some

goggles may enhance

22 Notre Dame legend

24 Sci-fi antagonist25 Had a bite26 Palm tree starch27 Piece of advice29 Original

Monopoly token still in use

31 Microsoft line33 Tormentor’s

retort35 Language group

that includes Swahili

36 Poet’s preposition

37 Beethoven’s “Bagatelle in A Minor” honoree

41 “Good enough”43 Acknowledge

quietly44 Jerry or Cherry47 Meditative

sounds49 Poses50 Corrida support51 H, to Hercules53 Expects55 “Hold that

thought”58 Blackjack need60 Spokane and

Omaha61 Christie creation63 Faux elixir64 First name on

the original “Get Shorty” movie poster

65 Uses roofing material, say

66 Get it67 Valuable veins

DOWN1 Finishes in the

bakery2 Wide view3 31-Across, e.g.4 It’s barely

passable5 Got booed,

maybe6 Egyptian life

symbol7 True __8 Fancy neckwear9 Mah-jongg suit,

familiarly10 “Swords into

plowshares” source

11 El Museo del Oro city

12 Caught, perhaps14 Tour of duty16 It’s a bad sign21 Theodor whose

middle name was Seuss

23 Like some Egyptian churches

26 Member of the fam

28 Longtime “SNL” announcer

30 House speaker after Ryan

32 Toots34 Royal

attendant38 Annual Alaskan

sporting event39 1600 is a perfect

one40 UFO personnel,

it’s said42 Some Spanish

speakers44 Overshoot45 Smith grad

46 Injure again, as a ligament

48 Run through a reader

52 Actress MacDowell

54 Coral Sea sight56 Bulky boats57 Canaries

component59 Saint-Tropez

seasons62 Texter’s qualifier

Crossword Puzzle Answer on Page 4

TRAFFICC INFOO

A toll-free service of the Florida Department of Transportation. Standard mobile phone minute,

text message and data charges may apply.

DOOR-TO-DOOR DIRECTIONSTRAVEL TIMES

PERSONALIZED ALERTSTRAFFIC CAMERA VIEWS

Contact a Sales Representative today:

863.763.3134okeeadsales@newszap.com

These business card sized ads are an affordable way to advertise!

Publishes Sunday and Wednesday

Great Branding &

Image Building

Opportunity

READING ANEWSPAPERHELPS YOUUNDERSTANDTHE WORLDAROUND YOU.

Real Estate Directory

OPEN HOUSE November 9~ 11 am to 3 pm

Taylor Creek Isles

Monica Quinn Lic. RE Broker

Pristine condition!! Darling, single family

home-built 1983 , 1512 sq. ft. living area, 2069 sq. ft. total sq. ft., - new roof in

March 2019- 2 bedroom, 2 bath, carport, front porch,

brick front, huge tiled enclosed, florida room with separate entrance

-interior, newly painted, all tile, separate dining room. Cathedral ceilings, central a/c, reverse heat, on pond

with dock. Fenced on 3 sides, separate shed on

90x150 ( 0.309 AC) home is immaculate and in move

in condition. MLS #:OK218545

$160,000 Call Monica 305-942-9971

2361 SE 27th St. Okeechobee

YOUR FAMILY WILL LOVE THIS SPACIOUS 2007 2-STORY HOME featuring 5 beds/2½ baths, offi ce, loft, 2 int laundry spaces, lighted book nook wired for cable/gaming, a secret passage bookshelf door to downstairs bedrm, full size 2 car garage w/ 3,572 TLA. Wood laminate fl ooring, porcelain tile, tankless water heater, custom offi ce cabinetry, master en suite remodel: double vanities, lighted vanity mirror, custom walk in shower w/ jetted Jacuzzi tub, upstairs washer/dryer connection added and much more. Fully fenced rear yard w/ trash receptacle storage, & concrete patio. $265,500

Sharon Prevatt, 863-634-7069David Hazellief, 863-610-1553

SE HABLA ESPAÑOL

1200 S. Parrott Ave. • Office: 863-763-2104 Visit our website to view more listings | www.Century21okeechobee.com | admin@c21okee.com

5039-H: INDIAN HAMMOCK~ 2-Story 4/2 Log home on 2.79± acres! Open great room with stone

-$450,000 MLS OK218569

5051-M: OTTER CREEK~ 3BD/2BA DW on 1± acre. 1,712 total SqFt/1,512 under air. Beautifully remodeled with tile

$139,000 MLS OK218614

NEW LISTING NEW LISTING

Lori Mixon Lic. Real Estate Broker

(863)634-1457LMixon@MixonGroup.com

~My Priorities are simple.. They’re Yours!

HALF ACRE! Family friendly, spacious 4 Bd/ 2.5 Ba - 28x66 DWMH. 1848 Sf under air-

walk-in closet. 10x33 screened porch. 10x12 attached storage/workshop. Detached 10x16 Bldg. Newer roof and A/C. Fenced, gated yard, nice oak trees. HURRY-your Home is HERE!

MLS# OK218609 $94,000

BERMAN ROAD. Concrete 3 Bd/ 2 Ba home on 3 Acres. Open concept, split plan, 8X16 galley kitchen. Nice large utility room. 12x24 Living room. 17x17 Screened patio and extra porch. Metal/concrete roof. Safe Haven! The barn is 24x53, has two stalls, storage room,

tack room and porch area. Fenced and cross fenced - two pastures. Bonus: Outside--Feline friendly enclosure.

ANIMAL LOVERS PARADISE! MLS # OK218667 $222,000

GREEN HILLS PIONEER ESTATES

Location MattersReach your maximum potential with

an ad in this directory.

Advertise here! 863.763.3134okeeadsales@newszap.com

30034 E. SR 78, Okeechobee, FL 34974

Vicki Anderson, Lic. RE Broker

863.634.4106

$1,350 - 1/1 rental available. Includes water, electric and lawn maintenance. Fully furnished and ready to go. Minimum 3 month lease. Available year round or seasonally.

$800 - 2/2 rental available. Please call Vicki at 863-634-4106 for more information or to schedule a showing.

BERGER REAL ESTATE

www.cbbergerrealestate.comPhilip Y. Berger • Lic. RE Broker

SW SECTION POOL HOME situated in Eagle Point Subdivision! 3 BD 2 BA, well maintained with one owner. Beautifully landscaped half acre lot. New HWH, refrigerator and microwave all in 2018. Full yard irrigation system including a new well pump in 2018. Split fl oor plan with attached 2 car garage. Pool was completely diamond brite resurfaced and pump replaced in 2017. Phone jacks and all cable jacks in bedrooms and living room replaced in 2018. Interior and Exterior paint all repainted in 2019. An entertainer’s dream. MLS# OK218060 $289,000 Call Cristie Schmidt 863-634-3604

REDUCED

Cristie Schmidt, Lic. Realtor

863.634.3604 • cristieschmidt@gmail.com

863-763-5335425 SW Park Street

20 Lake Okeechobee News November 3, 2019311147 Hwy 441 SE• Okeechobee• 863-467-5243

Lake Okeechobee

Lake Motors

1 WE BUY CARSHwy 441 SE

*Plus Tax, Tag and Dealer Fees

2005 HONDA CIVICAUTO, AC, GAS SAVER

2004 VW TOUAREGV8, AUTO, A/C, TRAILER TOW PKG

2002 CHEVY TAHOE AUTO, A/C V8

2010 NISSAN ROGUE AUTO A/C, LOADED

2007 LINCOLN TOWNCARAUTO, A/C, LOADED

2002 TOYOTA CAMRY LEV6, LEATHER, A/C, MOON ROOF

Hwy 78

2003 LINCOLN TOWNCARAUTO, A/C, LOADED

#U4119

2010 NISSAN ALTIMA2.5S, AUTO, A/C, LOADED

$5,995ONLY

$4,995 $8,995

2006 CHRYSLER SEBRING CONV. AUTO, AC

$4,695ONLY

2007 TOYOTACOROLLA AUTO, A/C, GAS SAVER

2013 VW CCA/C, AUTO, LOADED

2010 VW BEETLEA/C, AUTO, MOON ROOF, LOADED

#U1311

ONLYONLY

2007 MERCEDESE350AUTO, A/C, LOW, MILES, LOADEDNICEST ONE AROUND

2010 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE, AUTO, AC

#U5611

$5,995

2002 GMC ENVOYAUTO, AC, LOADED

$3,995 $5,695

$4,995 $3,695

$6,995 $4,995 $5,995

$5,995

2008 CADILLAC CTS SPORT20” WHEEL,

#U3643

$7,495

#U1389 $2,995 #U5164

MANAGER SPECIAL

#U4611

#U2918

2001 JEEP CHEROKEEAUTO, A/C, LOW MILES

2002 FORD SPORT TRAC AUTO, A/C, LOADED

2003 FORD SPORT TRACAUTO, A/C

#U5288

ONLY $3,495ONLY

#U1312

$5,695

$6,495#U2929

#U2126

#U1311

$6,995 $4,495 $8,995

$8,995

#U1611#U1399

#U1211 #U1811 #U1811

#U0818