Government

Soto wins election in Okeechobee’s new redrawn district

U.S. Rep. Darren Soto has won in Florida's newly redrawn 9th Congressional District, narrowly defeating Republican Dan Green in a seat Republicans reshaped this spring to unseat him

Flood damages in Okeechobee County exceed $10 million

Flood damages in Okeechobee exceed $10 million, and about half the county has not yet been surveyed.

U.S. Postal Service to observe Veterans Day Holiday, Nov. 11

The U.S. Postal Service will observe Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11.
HURRICANE NEWS
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Hurricane expected to make landfall in Florida Panhandle

While rain is expected this week, it's not from Hurricane Isaias, according to information shared at the Oct. 8...
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Newspaper accounts chronicle 1926 hurricane that wiped out Moore Haven

On Sept. 18, 1926, a hurricane devastated what had been the thriving and growing town of Moore Haven.
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A record-breaking hurricane season? Reasons to stay prepared with FPL

With the Atlantic on track to potentially set a new record for the latest first hurricane of the season ...
Current conditions
Observed from: Okeechobee County Airport
A Few Clouds, 77 °F
A 20 percent chance of showers between 9pm and midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Get the full forecast
Lake levels
14.33 feet
Last year: 13.92 feet
Depth given in feet above sea level.
Human Interest
USPS Operation Santa adoption registration is officially open!
Kissimmee Prairie State Park will soon celebrate its 10th anniversary as an International Dark Sky State Park.
Darlene Bass is a fighter and describes herself as an overachiever. Unfortunately, her body is overachieving in the wrong direction.
Schools
Collaboratory is now accepting scholarship applications for its 2027 funding cycle, providing financial support to students at every stage of their educational ...
Indian River State College will expand its Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning/Refrigeration (HVAC-R) I program to the Mueller Campus in Vero Beach ...
FSW has earned the Purple Star Campus designation, recognizing the college's commitment to supporting veterans ...
Wildlife & Environment
Construction of the foundation and cutoff wall for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, a major project....
The South Florida Water Management District is postponing the public meeting on the Lower Kissimmee Basin...
Community
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LHSMV and FHP Ask motorists not to ‘Wing It’ and Arrive Alive this holiday season

Thanksgiving is a cherished tradition that brings families and friends together around the table.
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American Indigenous Arts Celebration showcases dancers

BIG CYPRESS --  The American Indigenous Arts Celebration (AIAC)  began Friday, Nov. 6 at the  Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum festival grounds on the Big …
Marty Johns (left), General Manager, and Aaron Mollura (right), Director of Marketing and Promotions at Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino, present a $5,000 Hard Rock Heals Foundation grant to Kenya Reinhardt, Community Relations Coordinator at 4KIDS Treasure Coast, to support the nonprofit’s mission of providing hope and healing to children and families in crisis.

Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino awards $5K grant to 4KIDS Treasure Coast

Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino is proud to announce that 4KIDS Treasure Coast has been...
Police/Fire
What began as a disorderly intoxication investigation ended with a felony battery on a law enforcement officer charge.
Early on a Sunday morning, an Okeechobee man was awakened to find an uninvited guest in his home.
Opinion
Administration should stop conflicts that harm our troops as much as our perceived enemies.
Every school year brings the same routine: New shoes and backpacks. Shopping for new supplies. Nerves the night before the first day of school.
I don’t like absolutes. Words like, always or never come back and haunt me every time I use them...
At “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918, guns officially fell silent...
A map of Okeechobee County can make distance look almost effortless.
Veterans

Buxton Funeral Home is the place to bring your worn out flags

Matt Buxton from Buxton Funeral Home and Crematory has been disposing of worn-out flags for the community for many years.

Benefit planned to help the family of a local veteran

The family of an Okeechobee veteran needs help from the community. The benefit has been moved from Veterans Park to Speckled Perch Park (Park #2).
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Agriculture
The Florida Cattlemen’s Association and Florida Cattlemen’s Foundation distributed emergency relief supplies of hay and cattle on feed at the Okeechobee Agri-Civic Center, using the …
Heavy rainfall from a ‘one-in-200-years’ storm left South Central Florida pastures flooded, cattle swimming in search of higher ground and ranchers scrambling to save their herds and help each …
As flooding continues to impact farm families across Florida's east coast, Treasure Coast...
Health

Gastro opens monthly free consultation appointments for patients facing financial hardship in Okeechobee

Gastro in Florida, the practice of board-certified gastroenterologist Vikram Tarugu, MD...

10 things you should know about mold

Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposures include allergic...

Flooding can lead to mold problems in your home

Flood water can make the air in your home unhealthy. Mold can grow on wood, drywall, carpet and furniture if they remain wet for more than 24 hours.

Flood waters may bring hidden health hazards

OKEECHOBEE – Okeechobee County was under flood watch most of Sunday as some parts of the county received more than 8 inches of rainfall in less than 24 hours. As the flood waters recede, …
Business
There has been quite a bit of buzz in recent years surrounding mushroom based coffees...
Continuing its practice of public involvement, The Florida Bar seeks a new nonlawyer to serve on its governing board.
The Internal Revenue Service today announced the tax year 2027 annual inflation adjustments...
Traffic & Road Work

Hendry County Road Watch Report

The following column is the Road Watch report for Hendry County for the week beginning Sunday, Nov 8.

Glades County Road Watch Report for week beginning Nov. 8

The following column is the Road Watch report for Glades County for the week beginning Sunday, Nov 8.

Okeechobee County Road Watch Report for week beginning Nov. 8

The following column is the Road Watch report for Okeechobee County for the week beginning Sunday, Nov 8.

Portion of SR 78 closed while water pumped over roadway

OKEECHOBEE – The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office closed SR 78 from U.S. 441 S to S.W. 16 th Avenue at 5 p.m. on Nov. 2.
National & World

Nurses fight conspiracy theories along with coronavirus

Los Angeles emergency room nurse Sandra Younan spent the last year juggling long hours as she watched many patients struggle with the coronavirus and some die. Then there were the patients who …
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