Cattle drive planned at Brighton -...

Wednesday, January 24, 2018 50¢ plus taxVol. 109 No. 10

15.31 feetLast Year: 13.95 feet

Lake Levels

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

Don’t text and drive ... 1

Vietnam vets honored ... Page 10

FLW tourney this weekend ... Page 5

OCSO honors outstanding employees ... Page 8

Source: South Florida Water Management District. Depth given in feet above sea level

GeraldLefebvre

Law Offices of Lefebvre & Dixon

763.3333Okeechobee, Florida

Okeechobee News/Richard MarionMidFlorida representative Amy Daniels (left) present-ed a check to Okeechobee Teacher of the Year Lindsey Borcherding (center). At right is Okeechobee Superinten-dent of Schools Ken Kenworthy.

By Richard MarionOkeechobee News

Seventh grade teacher Lind-sey Borcherding was awarded Okeechobee Teacher of the Year at the annual Okeechobee teachers banquet held at KOA on Jan. 19.

Mrs. Borcherding was awarded $5,000, which was generously donated by MidFlorida Credit Union, and will go on to represent Okeechobee in the running for Teacher of the Year for the state of Florida.

Mrs. Borcherding teaches sev-enth grade math at Yearling Middle School.

“I’ve been nervous for the entire week leading up to the banquet,” said Mrs. Borcherding. “My students have been really excited and they’ve been asking me ‘Did you win yet? Do you know how it’s going to go?’

So I can’t want to tell them on Mon-day. It was an exciting and emotion-al moment. I’m so honored.”

While accepting the award Mrs. Borcherding thanked everyone who had supported and helped her, es-pecially her students.

Seminole Elementary’s Jamie Bigford was named School Related Employee of the Year at the banquet and awarded $2,500, also donated by MidFlorida Credit Union.

Mrs. Bigford, who is a cafeteria manager, says she was excited and honored to receive the award.

Outstanding School Volunteerof the year went to Steve Dobbs aswell as Wendy Watts in the senior category for their many hours spent helping students in Okeechobee.Mr. Watts helps his wife, JudyWatts, operate My Aunt’s House

Borcherding named Teacher of the Year

By Richard MarionOkeechobee News

The sixth annual Smith Family Cattle Drive and Ranch Rodeo is scheduled take place at Fred Smith Arena at Brighton Seminole Reservation on Jan. 27-28.

The cattle drive will begin on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 8 a.m. Lunch will be provided at noon for cattle drive participants.

The first round of the ranch rodeo begins at 5 p.m.Around $6,000 in prize money is scheduled to be

Cattle drive planned at Brighton

Photo courtesy Beverly Bidney/Seminole TribuneIn this photo taken at the 2015 event, the annual Smith Family Cattle Driveand Ranch Rodeo starts with a cattle drive from the Brighton marsh pens tothe Fred Smith Rodeo Arena.See BRIGHTON — Page 5

See SCHOOL — Page 7

2 Okeechobee News January 24, 2018

Today: Mainly cloudy. High 72F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 48F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.

Extended ForecastThursday: Partly cloudy. High around

70F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.Thursday Night: Partly cloudy during

the evening followed by cloudy skies over-night. Low 54F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.

Friday: Cloudy. High near 70F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph.

Friday Night: Cloudy. Low near 60F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph.

Saturday: Cloudy skies. High 74F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph.

Okeechobee Forecast

By Matteo TullioOkeechobee News

OKEECHOBEE — An Okeechobee Coun-ty Sheriff ’s Office (OCSO) investigation con-tinued Monday, Jan. 22, for a Sarasota man reported missing back in August 2012.

Newton Whidden has been missing since Aug. 20, 2012, when he was last seen in the area of 4800 10th Street in Sarasota. Mr. Whidden’s 2000 white Dodge Caravan was found Aug. 22, 2012 on Northeast 128th Avenue in Okeechobee County. The vehicle appeared to be stuck in a ditch.

In 2012, personnel from OCSO spent days combing the vast pastures in the north-west section of the county where Mr. Whid-

den’s vehicle was found. They even walked small ponds or had divers search the deeper ponds, according to reports from the time.

Mr. Whidden was reported as being 5-feet-9-inches tall, weighed approximately 130 pounds, had gray hair and hazel eyes. Mr. Whidden, also a World War II veteran, was described as a very active man who practiced yoga.

In 2014, a cash reward was offered for information leading to the whereabouts and recovery of Mr. Whidden.

On Jan. 22, 2018, family, friends and Peace River K-9 Search and Rescue con-ducted a search. As of press time, no new information has become available.

Search for missing man continues

Special to the Okeechobee NewsPeace River K-9 search and rescue conducted a search on Monday, Jan. 22.

Special to the Okeechobee News

Chamber After HoursMira Realty was really crowded as it welcomed the January After Hours on Thursday, Jan. 11, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. These public gatherings, open to all, help both chamber members and the community meet and learn about different area businesses in a relaxed environment. If you would like to showcase your business, please call the chamber. Febru-ary’s After Hours will be at New American Physical Therapy on Feb. 22, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Please come and join the fun.


SEBRING — Florida folk musician Brian Smalley will take center stage at the Music in the Park concert on Jan. 27. Mr. Smalley, a favorite at the Florida Folk Festival, also plays regu-larly in Key West. Having acquired his first guitar at the age of nine, he crisscrossed the country with his fam-ily in more than 20 moves by the time he turned 18. Absorbing many regional musical influences along the way, Smalley is a highly original singer songwriter and balladeer. Blending a soulful voice with high-energy acoustical guitar, he spins tales that engage and enthrall his audience. Florida is a great inspiration and he has written both humor-

ously and movingly of it covering the Civil

War era to contemporary times in Key West.

Known for his lively performances, Mr.

Smalley always plays full out from the heart.

Visit www.reverbnation.com/briansmalley.

Bring lawn chairs, blankets, and flash-

lights and enjoy a concert under the stars in

the picnic area from 7 to 9 p.m. Food ven-

dors will be present and the Hammock Inn

Concession will be open. Admission is $10

per person. Accompanied children ten years

of age and younger are free. Park entry fees

of $6 per vehicle (up to eight people) are

waived on concert nights. The Music in the

Park concerts are sponsored by the Friends

of Highlands Hammock State Park, Inc. All

proceeds benefit park improvements via the

Friends. Highlands Hammock is located at

5931 Hammock Road in Sebring.

Highlands Hammock hosts ‘Music in the Park’

BrianSmalley


At the Jan. 16 City Council Regular Meet-ing, the council approved the request by Okeechobee Main Street’s (OKMS) Art & Culture Director, Bridgette Waldau, for the installation of a butterfly sculpture display in the Hamrick Butterfly Garden.

For the past 13 years, OKMS Arts & Cul-ture Committee has dedicated itself to pro-mote and bring the arts to the community.

The current project by the Arts Commit-tee is to bring butterfly sculptures into the Hamrick Butterfly Garden, the beginning stage of bringing more art into the Flagler Park area. This project is to install eight, large metal butterfly sculptures in the but-terfly garden park. The Hamrick Butterfly Garden is recognized by the North American Butterfly Association as a Certified Butterfly

Garden, meaning that it provides necessary resources that increase the world’s butterfly population.

The project will utilize Mill Iron Metal from Okeechobee to create, cut and clean the templates and have them ready for paint. Once the templates are ready, they will be distributed to the artists to be painted and sealed. The artists will include professionals and students working with elderly groups from two local assisted living facilities. All designs by the artists will get a final approval from the committee before painting.

The vision of the project according to the request is to bring into the Hamrick Butterfly Garden colorful metal butterflies sculptures, positioned in and around the garden at vari-ous heights to give the illusion of flying. Each butterfly will have an approximate wingspan of four feet, mounted on poles of different heights and secured safely to the ground.

The templates will include a mounting piece that will be secured to a 4” x 4” weather-treated post. All butterflies will be different in styles and color.

The request stated that in 2013, OKMS partnered with Waste Management (WM), University of Florida’s Okeechobee Exten-sion Office’s Florida Yards & Neighborhood Program to take park six in Flagler Park from barren to beautiful. Through a grant awarded to OKMS from WM and the nation-al non-profit Keep America Beautiful, the Master Gardeners of the University of Florida Okeechobee Extension Office designed a four-sectioned butterfly garden.

The protected parks run along State Road 70, a highway that is the gateway from the east to the west of the State of Florida.

Once painted and sealed, the butterflies will be mounted on the posts and secured within the Butterfly Garden.

A community dedication ceremony willbe held when completed. OKMS plans to keep the installation up for a period of one year. If well received, OKMS will approach the City of Okeechobee to continue the in-stallation on an annual basis or make it per-manent.

The request also stated that there will be a strong promotional effort to encourage and invite students, as well as adults, to the Hamrick Butterfly Garden featuring the but-terfly sculptures. There will be direct contact to all the schools and advertisement through print media, local radio, and social media.

Hamrick Butterfly Garden to receive butterfly sculptures


Okeechobee County School District be-came involved with the Florida Partnership for Minority and Underrepresented Student Achievement after passage of the act by the same name in 2004 at the Freshman Cam-pus. The partnership later began work with the high school and the two middle schools. The partnership has provided multiple train-ings and many of the teachers have attended a week-long training in the summer for AP classes. The partnership now provides PSAT testing for all 8th, 9th and 11th graders. They also provide SAT school day for all juniors. All of these services are at no cost to the dis-

trict. There are twenty-four targeted districts included in the Florida Partnership.

The Evaluation Report has been released by the Florida Partnership and Okeechobee has several areas of success.

• Okeechobee was ranked #1 in Florida Partnership districts for demonstrating a significant increase (42 percent) in minori-ties who scored a three or higher on an AP Exam. There are 24 school districts in the program.

• Okeechobee was ranked #2 in Florida Partnership districts for the percentage of students (50 percent) who scored a three or higher on the AP exam.

• Okeechobee was ranked #4 in Florida

Partnership Districts for demonstrating a sig-nificant gain (10 percent) in the percentage of students who completed an advanced level math course.

• Okeechobee showed a significant in-crease (18 percent) in the percentage of students who took an SAT exam between 2011-2012 and 2016-2017. When compar-ing the number of test takers, Okeechobee increased from 202 in 2011-2012 to 355 in 2016-2017.

These areas of success are a direct re-sult of the commitment to the Brahman Way. The staff, parents, students and com-munity work diligently to move forward toward the goal of every student crossing

the stage ready to begin his or her career

or enroll in an post-secondary institution.

Congratulations to all the students and staff

who worked to achieve excellence on the

Advanced Placement (AP) exams and Scho-

lastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

The targeted school districts who are cur-

rently in the Florida Partnership include Ala-

chua, Bradford, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie,

Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Hamilton, Hen-

dry, Highlands, Lake, Levy, Liberty, Madison,

Marion, Nassau, Okeechobee, Putnam, St.

Lucie, Sumter, Taylor, Walton and Washing-

ton.

Okeechobee school board recognized for success

Now In StockYour Winter Supplement Feeds

for Cattle

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School Information Guide

OKEECHOBEE

Superintendent Letter

School Calendar

School Bus Schedule

School Listings

Progress Report and

Report Card Schedule"Achieving Excellence"

Open House- Tuesday- August 8, 2017

School Starts - Thursday - August 10, 2017

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3Okeechobee NewsJanuary 24, 2018


The public is invited to a meeting with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to discuss various man-agement programs for aquatic plants, fish and wildlife on Lake Okeechobee on Feb. 8. The meeting will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the South Florida Water Manage-ment District Service Center, 3800 N.W. 16th

Blvd., Suite A, Okeechobee, FL 34972. FWC habitat, fisheries and wildlife biolo-

gists will provide brief updates on manage-ment activities on Lake Okeechobee, and the public will have the opportunity to offer comments following the presentations. Af-ter the public comment period, biologists will be available to meet one-on-one with attendees during the open house period of the meeting.

The FWC is a member of the Lake Okeechobee Aquatic Plant Management Interagency Task Force, which includes staff members from the South Florida Water Management District, University of Florida, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Additional staff from the Task Force will be present to an-swer questions.

FWC hosts aquatic plant management meeting

Live feed• I am pleasantly surprised that the city is

putting a live feed video camera at the main intersection in town. Welcome to the 21st Century, Okeechobee.

• San Francisco had the first live stream webcam in 1994.

• I am surprised they aren’t going to re-cord it. I would think this would be a tool for law enforcement that they could go back and check the video after something like a car chase.

• An enterprising attorney could set up a computer to record the live stream video every day in case there are car crashes.

• I wish the county would put a live stream video on the Cliff Betts Jr. Lakeside Recreation Area — better known as Lock 7. Then the cops could watch what is going on when they are not there.

EAA reservoir• So, the water management district

has a plan to build an EAA reservoir, on the Talisman Sugar land which was originally purchased for just such a reservoir. Back in 2007, they were building that reservoir when it was stopped by a lawsuit by the Ev-erglades Foundation folks. So what will hap-pen now? Déjà vu all over again?

• I am sick and tired of the so-called en-vironmentalists wanting to spend millions of dollars, or even billions of tax dollars, on projects that are not based on science. SFWMD says they can meet all of the goals of the reservoir with the land they already have. The Everglades Coalition is insisting the state buy more farmland. I want the best ‘bang for my buck.’ Those tax dollars come out of my pocket.

• It is starting to sound like the Ever-glades Foundation does not want the res-ervoir built, because then they will have nothing to complain about. So even though there is a workable plan that the state can afford, they are coming up with reasons not to complain.

• I agree with Senator Bradley who said, “It is foolish to wait for something that might happen decades from now in the meantime allowing damage to our estuaries and coast-al communities when we have a project to-day that will make a significant difference.”

• It won’t matter what the state does if the federal government does not come up with their share of the funding for the Ev-erglades projects. The Comprehensive Ev-erglades Restoration Plan is already years behind schedule because the federal gov-ernment has not provided their half of the funding. And if the state moves ahead and pays for something up front, the feds will never chip in their half.

• Before the dike was built around the lake, water flowed south from the lake only during the peak of the wet season when the lake got high enough to overflow the banks. Most of the year there was no flow from the lake to the Everglades. So they should not blame all of Florida Bay’s problems on the Herbert Hoover Dike.

Drug court• Thanks to those who make the Drug

Court possible.• Drug Court gives folks a second chance.

I am glad to see this community has some compassion for drug addicts. These are our neighbors, our relatives, our friends. They have made bad choices, but we should help them do better if they are willing to change. It is less costly for the taxpayers if we can get them into rehab and keep them out of jail.

• Some of those who go through Drug Court will wind up back in jail. It won’t save everyone. But at least it gives them a chance to change their own lives.

• This is the way to help those with ad-diction problems, not mass incarceration. Thanks to those who make the Drug Court possible and their dedication to community service.

Fashions is so fashionableWords cannot simply describe the joy all

the ladies felt as we took part in the lovely fashion show put together for our enjoyment, on Jan. 13, in the Silver Palms Resort commu-nity center.

Paulette Wise and her super cute Mariah Parriott, did such a stupendous job of finding just the right decorations, so girly and femi-nine.

Just the right vendors for ladies to enjoy, spend a few dollars in support of our com-munity businesses, while we all mixed and mingled with old and new friends.

The food! Oh my goodness, how delicious it was, and displayed so attractively.

The choice of venue, the Silver Palm with its stage, lighting, sound system, music, as we could all observe the gorgeous swimming pool area. What a sight it is. The weather was warm, the sun shining, as God provided this for us.

All of the local models, were just the cutest to watch, some nervous, some confident, all-having such a great time, “showing off” the clothes from right here in our little town of Okeechobee.

The absolute most endearing was the dancing children, putting on a performance for all of us to enjoy to the fullest. Little bal-lerinas, all in pink, fluff and ballet shoes. The expertise, the movements, the courage, the grace, along with stature of each dancer made me so proud of them all. I looked very closely into each ones eyes as they performed, notic-ing how confident they were, all coming from literally many hours of training and practice.

Madeleine’s Dance Art studio has certainly changed the lives of the children in this com-munity by introducing the art of dance to them. A huge thank you for this.

Thank you, Chamber of Commerce for an extraordinary afternoon filled with happiness. We are all looking forward to another fashion show next year.

Blessings,Bobbi Poole

Digital divide Despite the potential for broadband to

modernize the economy in rural America, ac-cess and availability continue to lag. The Pres-ident’s recent executive order affirmed thislimitation and the need to commit resourcesto close rural America’s digital divide.

Yet, the ability to pinpoint where service isand is not available is fundamental to closingthe digital divide in rural areas.

Under the American Recovery and Rein-vestment Act of 2009, funding was allocatedto establish a comprehensive nationwidemap of existing broadband capability andavailability. Funding for this program endedin 2014.

Some states, like Minnesota, have adoptedlegislation or maintained this degree of regu-lation which require Internet service provid-ers to provide access and speed availabilitydata at a granular level.

However, reporting standards vary andoften allow for telecommunication servicesto be reported at the census block level. Inmany rural areas, census blocks span entirecounties, leaving room for error in reportingservice availability.

The accuracy of data collected from In-ternet service providers is an important toolused to determine where broadband access issufficient and where it can be improved. Thisdata is invaluable to state agencies and localentities to identify where public resourcesshould be invested.

For the 23 million rural Americans whodo not have broadband speed access, censusblock data is not sufficient to recognize andaddress the broadband gap. As federal andstate governments seek to close rural Amer-ica’s digital divide, it is imperative that gap is

closed at the granular level, where it exists.

Jordan RasmussenCenter for Rural Affairs

January 24, 20184 OPINION Okeechobee News

Public Forum/Speak Out Letters to the editor

Publisher/Editor: Circulation Manager:

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

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.

Speak Out comments can be shared in several ways. Comments on local issues are welcome on the Okeecho-bee News Facebook page. You can also leave your opinions in the com-ment box found under each story at okeechobeenews.net. We also accept comments via email to [email protected] or via U.S. Mail at the Okeechobee address below. Thanks for participating!

Domestic violence hotline available 7 days a weekIf you or someone you know is in danger of domestic violence please reach out

to Martha’s House. The office is located at 4134 U.S. 441 N. and the office number is

863-763-2893.

The 24 hour hotline is 863-763-0202. For more on Martha’s House visit the web-

site at http://www.marthashouse.org/ or visit their Facebook page.

Break the silence, end the violence.

CLEWISTON — When Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) co-angler Nik Kayler lost his life in an unexpected tragedy in an event in early January, it saddened the entire bass-fishing industry. Now, FLW is tasked with moving forward through the grief and get-ting back to competition on the water next week in their return to Lake Okeechobee.

“We’ve had thorough and thoughtful internal discussions as a company and the decision was made that we need to get back on the water,” said FLW President of Opera-tions Kathy Fennel. “We are still grieving as an organization, but fishing tournaments are what we do. It is what Nik loved, too. Getting back on the water, at Lake Okeechobee, is a way to help with the grieving process. Nik and his family will be on the minds of every single angler and staff member throughout the tournament.

“We will honor and remember Nik and his family throughout the weekend, as well as encourage our staff, anglers and fans to donate to the GoFundMe campaign that has been organized for Nik’s family. We will honor Nik by continuing to pursue the sport that we all love.”

The FLW Tour, the most competitive tour in professional bass-fishing, will launch its 23rd season next week, Jan. 25-28, with the FLW Tour at Lake Okeechobee presented by Evinrude. Hosted by Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort and the Hen-dry County Tourism Development Coun-cil, the tournament will feature 374 of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division.

The FLW Tour has visited Lake Okeechobee 20 times previously, with 2018 marking the 21st visit in FLW’s 23-year histo-ry. The total purse for the FLW Tour at Lake Okeechobee presented by Evinrude is more

than $930,000, including $10,000 through 60th place in the Pro Division.

“Lake Okeechobee is fishing quite a bit differently than the last six or seven times that the FLW Tour has been here,” said lo-cal FLW Tour pro Scott Martin of Clewiston, a 17-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier with more than $2.7 million in career earnings in FLW competition. “The water levels are much higher this year, and we lost a good amount of our vegetation in some of the more traditional places due to the hurricane last fall. The wind and water clarity are going to play a big role in this tournament and a lot of guys that have been coming here for years are going to have to approach this tourna-ment quite a bit different than they normally would.

“The good news is that the fish didn’t leave, and they still have to eat,” Martin con-tinued. “Some of the traditional areas will still be good, but there will definitely be a few new wildcard areas. Somebody is go-ing to figure out a way to catch them in the stained water.”

Martin said that due to stained water and lost vegetation, he expects moving baits to play a larger role than normal this time around.

“I think moving baits like Rat-L-Traps and ChatterBaits will be pretty good,” he said. “Flipping will also play a big factor this year. We’re fishing a little earlier than we nor-mally do, and January is still prime flipping season. With some stable weather being forecast, I could also see another wave of bass moving up to spawn and sight-fishing playing a role as well. It’s going to be an in-teresting tournament.

“The weights may be down just a little bit, but it’s still Lake Okeechobee and the potential is always there for a mega-bag, especially if you can find a wildcard area to yourself,” Martin went on to say. “I think

the winner will likely have a four-day total around 74 to 76 pounds, but if a guy can find the mega-juice flipping or out in open water, the potential is always there to challenge 100 pounds.”

Anglers will take off at 7:30 a.m. EST each day from Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Ma-rina and Resort, located at 920 E. Del Monte, Ave., in Clewiston. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins, Jan. 25-26, will be held at the re-sort beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sun-day’s weigh-ins, Jan. 27-28, will also be held at the resort, but will begin at 4 p.m.

Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Okeechobee presented by Evinrude will premiere in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) March 28 from noon-1 p.m. EST. The Emmy-nominat-ed “FLW” television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide.

Prior to the weigh-ins Saturday and Sun-day, Jan. 27-28, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort from noon to 4 p.m. each day. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.

Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at the ma-rina on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 9 to 11 a.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour an-glers, and is free and open to anyone under the age of 18 and Special Olympics athletes. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The first and second-place anglers that catch the biggest fish will be

recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.

As part of the FLW Tour’s community outreach initiative, FLW Tour anglers will vis-it patients, guests and staff at the Hendry Re-gional Medical Center, located at 524 W. Sag-amore Avenue, in Clewiston on Wednesday,Jan. 24, from 8:30-10 a.m. to interact withguests, snap photos and sign autographs for patients, give away some goodie bags andshare fishing stories.

In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boatmovement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deckagainst other co-anglers. The full field of 374 anglers competes in the two-day open-ing round. Co-angler competition concludes following Friday’s weigh-in, while the top 30pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10pros continue competition Sunday, with thewinner determined by the heaviest accumu-lated weight from the four days of competi-tion.

Throughout the season, anglers are alsovying for valuable points in hopes of quali-fying for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2018 Forrest Wood Cup will be on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark., Aug. 10-12 and is hosted by the Arkansas Depart-ment of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.

For complete details and updated infor-mation visitFLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news andmore, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.

FLW tour kicks off season on Lake Okeechobee5Okeechobee NewsJanuary 24, 2018

• Our first Rise Up with the Chamber in the New Year 2018 will be held on Thursday, Jan. 25, at TrueCore Behavioral Solutions at 7200 U.S. 441 N. from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. Just 45 minutes of light morning refreshments mixed with three great businesses giving a 2-to-3 minute informative talk, all on Face-book Live and video. Savannah Thacker and her team are inviting everyone to come out and learn more about our community and just enjoy our brief time together.

• Wednesday, Jan. 31, is the deadline for receiving applications for our 2018 Leader-ship Okeechobee Class. The purpose of the program is to cultivate and prepare future/potential leaders through education, expo-sure to the community and interaction be-tween class members. Enrollees will meet the third Wednesday of each month and will visit various businesses, local govern-ment representatives, farms and dairies, to gain a better knowledge of behind-the-scene workings of each. You will participate in other activities to better understand the forces which impact our community as a whole. It is a learning experience that is like none other. Once accepted for the program,

a fee of $425 is required to cover all meals, transportation and other program expenses. If you’re looking for more information, we’ll be happy to help you and give you the name of some that have completed the program recently. If you have any questions, please call the chamber at 863-467-6246. Classes will begin soon.

• A grand opening for Bee Line Beads will be held on Friday, Feb. 2, at noon. Come out and celebrate one of our newest businesses in town, Bee Line Beads located at 103 S.W. Third Ave. You’ll certainly want to check out all the beautiful beads in so many different shapes and colors that can be made into your very own custom jewelry. Come join in the celebration.

• The grand opening of The Purple Or-chid, specializing in therapeutic bodywork including massage therapy with stretching, myofascial release and essential oils to pro-mote relaxation, will be held Tuesday, Feb. 13, at noon. The Purple Orchid is located at 609 S.W. Park Street. Be sure to stop by and meet owner Marci Lookabill and her amaz-ing staff to celebrate and maybe book your-self a relaxing day!

Chamber of Commerce News

awarded during the ranch rodeo.A ranch rodeo differs from the more

widespread “professional rodeo” style in a few ways, the most obvious being that the competitors are not professional rodeo cowboys; instead they are full-time ranch hands and workers. Instead of competing as individuals, the competitors in ranch rodeos compete as a team representing the ranch they work for.

The cattle drive began in 2013 as a way to pay tribute to the accomplished Seminole cattleman Roger Smith, who passed away in 2012 after a long and successful career that saw him win Cattleman Of The Year three times. He served as a Brighton Board and Council representative, as well as being one of the first Native Americans to ring the opening bell on Wall Street.

Mr. Roger’s horse, Goldie, led the first cattle drive while riderless in 2013, with Mr. Roger’s boots sitting backwards in the stir-rup.

Although the Smith Family Cattle Drive and Ranch rodeo got its start after Roger Smith passed away, it has evolved to also

honor and pay tribute to four other excep-tional Seminole cattlemen: Jack Smith Sr., Fred Smith, Richard Smith and Jack SmithJr. All five men were cattle owners and in-volved in the cattle industry in some aspect.

Roger Smith’s widow, Diane Smith, had the idea of honoring Roger’s brothers and father with the annual event.

“On the second year, we added the ranch rodeo to the cattle drive,” said Mrs. Smith. “But in the third year, I felt like although my-self and my kids loved Roger and wanted tokeep honoring him, I wanted to also honor his brothers and dad who all owned cattle and played a huge role in shaping both the Seminole tribe itself and the cattle industry.”

Fred Smith, the namesake of the rodeoarena in Brighton, was crucial in diversifying Seminole gaming revenue into citrus, cattle and other business pursuits. Fred Smith alsoplayed a major role in helping the SeminoleTribe of Florida become the third largest calfproducer in the United States.

“It should be a fun and exciting day ofwatching the cowboys,” said Mrs. Smith.“It’s not your typical rodeo. These are ranch workers, and this is what they do every day. It can get a little wild and crazy.”

BRIGHTONContinued From Page 1

Georgia Geraldine Jones, 74CANAL POINT — Georgia Geraldine Jones

died Jan. 22, 2018. She was born May 5, 1943 in Live Oak to Avner and Mamie (Bryant) Griffis. A resident of Canal Point since 1975, she was a member of Lakeside Baptist Church. She worked hard all of her life and enjoyed spend- ing time with her family and especially her grandchildren.

Mrs. Jones was preceded in death by her hus- band, James J. Jones.

She is survived by her son, James G. Jones (Lasonda), of Canal Point; daughters, Pam Due- nas and Alicia Burney (Timmy), all of Okeecho- bee; nine grandchildren; sixteen great- grandchildren; and sisters, Virginia Story (JL), of Tennessee and Trudy Fleming (Virgil), of Texas.

Graveside services will be 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018 at Kenansville Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Trustbridge Hos- pice, 5300 East AVE, West Palm Beach, FL 33407.

Those wishing to leave a message of condo- lence may sign the register book at www.Okee- chobeeFuneralHome.com

All arrangements are entrusted to the direction and care of the Buxton & Bass Okeechobee Fu- neral Home, 400 North Parrott Avenue, Okee- chobee, Florida 34972.

Mildred Frances Altobello, 64OKEECHOBEE — Mildred Frances Altobello

died Jan. 19, 2018. She was born March 3, 1953 in West Palm Beach to the late Frank Al- tobello, Jr. and Ethel (Mankin) Altobello. She graduated high school from Ro- sarian Academy in 1972. She attended the University of Ala- bama and Samford University. Ms. Alto- bello was a licensed real estate sales person. She worked for several years in south Flori- da before returning to Okeechobee to help her parents care for her grandmother, Pearl Martin.

Ms. Altobello is survived by her maternal cousins, Larry Ratliff, Hazel Caldwell, Darlene Mo- ses, Sharon Shortridge, and David Fox, all of West Virginia; paternal cousins, Thomas Alto- bello, Joseph Altobello, Frank Altobello, all of New York, and Joella Altobello Baird (Dane), of Jacksonville.

Visitation will be 9:30 a.m. until 10:45 a.m., Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 at Buxton & Bass Okeecho- bee Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be 11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Interment will follow at Ever- green Cemetery.

Those wishing to leave a message of condo- lence may sign the register book at www.Okee- chobeeFuneralHome.com

All arrangements are entrusted to the direction and care of the Buxton & Bass Okeechobee Fu- neral Home, 400 North Parrott Avenue, Okee- chobee, Florida 34972.

Obituaries


Obituaries should be submitted to the Okeechobee News by emailing [email protected]. Customers may also request photos and links to online guestbooks. A link to the obituaries is available at okeechobeenews.net.

Healthy Start to meetOkeechobee County Healthy Start Coali-

tion Board of Directors will meet Wednes-day, Jan. 24, at noon, at their office in the White House Plaza, 1132 S. Parrott Ave. The meeting is open to the public. The coalition is part of a statewide network responsible for planning and implementing services for pregnant women and infants. The coalition is made up of citizens interested in promot-ing healthy pregnancies and healthy birth outcomes for Okeechobee County Resi-dents. For information, contact Kay Begin at 863-462-5877.

Hospice hosts yard salesHospice of Okeechobee, 317 S.E. Third

Ave., will host yard sales on the following dates: Wednesday, Jan. 24 and Wednes-day, Jan. 31. Each yard sale is from 8 a.m. to noon.

Legion will serve tacosAmerican Legion Post 64, 501 S.E. Sec-

ond St., will serve margaritas and tacos from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24. The grill will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entertainment by Jay runs from 3 until 6 p.m.

Republicans will meetCome have an interesting time of food,

fun and fellowship at the weekly, informal breakfast meetings of the Republican Club of Okeechobee at Lakeside Grill, 1111 S. Par-rott Ave., Thursday, Jan. 25, at 8 a.m.

Yard Sale set for RanchReal Life Children’s Ranch, 7777 U.S. 441

S.E., will host a yard sale through Friday, Jan. 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come on out for great bargains.

Legion will host dinnerOn Friday, Jan. 26, come and enjoy din-

ner at the American Legion, 501 S.E. Second St. Everyone is welcome. Dinner will be fish, shrimp or chicken and french fry baskets, for a $6 donation and is served from 5 until 8 p.m., with music from 6 to 9 p.m. For infor-mation, call 863-763-5309.

Martha’s House sale is setMartha’s House will host a yard sale at

4134 U.S. 441 N., Friday, Jan. 26, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Items for sale will include clothes, shoes, handbags, toys, games and more. For information, call 863-763-2893.

Community Events Church hosts dinnerThe Okeechobee Presbyterian Church,

312 N. Parrott Ave. will host a fundraising dinner on Saturday, Jan. 27, to help with roof repairs from the hurricane. The dinner will be a pork loin meal with all the fixings and two seating times are available 4:30 and 5:15 p.m. Tickets are $10 for an adult and $5 for children. For information, call 863-357-3537.

Health Expo will be heldThe 11th annual Okeechobee Family

Health and Safety Expo will be held on Sat-urday, Jan. 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Agri-Civic Center, 4601 U.S. 710. There will be free health screenings, drawings, prizes, face painting, food and more. For informa-tion, call 863-462-5000 EXT 257 or 863-634-6464.

Wild game dinner setRotary Club of Okeechobee will host a

wild game dinner on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 6 p.m. at Silver Palms RV Resort, 4143 U.S. 441 S. Tickets are $50 each. There will be great food, an open bar, entertainment and more! For information, call 863-697-2139.

BHR catfish festival setBuckhead Ridge Catfish Festival will be

held on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Buckhead Ridge Fire Depart-ment, 30076 E S.R. 78. There will be a bake sale, drawings, prizes, craft booths and din-ners for a $7 donation.

Legion will host triviaAmerican Legion Post #64, 501 S.E. Sec-

ond St., will host Trivia by Lisa on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 2 to 4 p.m. For information, call 863-763-5309.

Church serves chicken dinnerKnights of Columbus will hold a baked

chicken dinner at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, U.S. 78 W and Chobee Loop in Buck-head, on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 4 to 6 p.m. Donations are $9 for adults and $3 for chil-dren. Take out is available.

VFW serves breakfastThe VFW Auxiliary will serve a French

toast breakfast on Sunday, Jan. 28, at VFW Post 9528, 29012 S.R. 78 W., from 8:30 to 11 a.m. All benefits go for veterans services. For information, call 863-467-2882.

Legion opens Sunday bingoAmerican Legion 64, 501 S.E. Second St.,

will host Sunday night bingo on Jan. 28, at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. in the bingo area. All proceeds will benefit the American Legion veterans’ programs. The event is open to the public.

Masonic Lodge breakfast setThe Masonic Lodge, 107 N.W. Fifth St.,

will host a breakfast with all the fixin’s on Sunday, Jan. 28, for $7 per plate. The pub-lic is welcomed and carry out is available. Breakfast will be served from 8 to 11 a.m. All proceeds go to local Mason giving.

Church hosting bingoSacred Heart Church, 901 S.W. Sixth St., will

host bingo on Monday, Jan. 29. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the fun will begin at 7 p.m.

Legion hosts five-card bingoAmerican Legion Post #64, 501 S.E. Sec-

ond St., will host five-card bingo on Monday, Jan. 29, from 1 to 3 p.m. with lunch served at 12:30 p.m. For information, call 863-763-5309.

Raulerson hosts ER classJoin Raulerson Hospital for everything

you need to know about the ER, featuringER Medical Director Dr. Anglin on Mon-day, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m. at IRSC, 2229 N.W. Ninth Ave., with a continental breakfast. ToR.S.V.P. call 863-763-9228 or at Raulerson-Hospital.com.

Auxiliary will serve dinnerThe VFW Auxiliary will serve a Cuban

sandwich and pub mix dinner on Wednes-day, Jan. 31, at Post 9528, 29012 S.R. 78 W.All proceeds to benefit Florida military vet-erans in distress. For information, call 863-467-2882.

Valentine’s Day photos setTrail of Hope Animal Rescue will hold

Valentine’s Day photos at Love on a Leash, 218 S.W. Seventh Ave., on Saturday, Feb. 3,from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The $25 photo pack-age includes prints. For information, call 863-357-1104.

Multi-family sale set for Feb. 3Palm Village Ranch, 1200 S.W. 44th

Blvd., will hold a multi-family yard sale onSaturday, Feb. 3, from 8 a.m. until noon.Look for household items and clothing, plus loads of surprises. PVR is off Southwest 16th Avenue.

Community-wide sale setSeminole Cove, 1799 S.W. 35th Circle,

will host a community yard sale on Satur-day, Feb. 3, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Blues Brothers come to townArnolds Wildlife Rehabilitation will host

a charity concert with The Blues Brothersstraight from Universal Studios on Saturday, Feb. 3, at KOA, 4276 U.S. 441 S. at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 per person. Call 863-634-6804.

in Okeechobee and teaches woodworking classes during the summer. Mr. Dobbs is the outgoing president of the Band Boosters, re-cently donating his building to be used by the drama, art and band departments to use

as a haunted house to raise funds.“I don’t do things like this to get awards,”

explained Mr. Dobbs. “I do it to help kids. We have one of the best band directors around in Clint LaFlam and I’d do whatever I can to help him and the students in band. I appreciate the honor and I thank you.”

OHS senior Artha Jonassaint, who has already received an early action offer from Yale University, spoke briefly at the begin-ning of the award ceremony.

“I’m where I’m at today because of all the teachers who have helped me,” said Miss Jonassaint. “I just want everyone in this room to know that whether you’re serving a warm meal, staying after school to help, or working the a.m. bus shift, you’re a hero to many students.”

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Okeechobee News/Richard MarionFrom left to right are Okeechobee Superintendent of Schools Ken Kenworthy, Steven Dobbs, and Wendy Watts.

Okeechobee News/Richard MarionLeft to right are MidFlorida representative Amy Daniels, Okeechobee School Related Employee of the Year Jamie Bigford, and Okeechobee Superintendent of Schools Ken Kenworthy.

SCHOOLContinued From Page 1

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County Fair seeks contestantsThe Okeechobee County Fair Asso-

ciation is seeking adult and youth contest participants for the upcoming fair March 13-18, 2018. The contests consist of quilt-ing, sewing, leatherwork, painting, draw-ing, photography, horticulture, wood-working and more. There will also be food competitions such as home baking and canned goods, as well as a vegetable competition featuring garden vegetable, fruit and vegetable and largest vegetable categories. New for this year will be a Painted Rocks Division. Individual youths may enter the educational poster contest and 4-H Clubs or FFA Chapters may en-ter the educational display contest. The top three club/chapter displays will win awards of $150, $100 and $75 for their programs. You may download the entry forms and rules at the Okeechobee Coun-ty Fair Web site, www.okeechobeecoun-tyfair.com. Or pick up copies of the 2018 Premium Book at the Okeechobee Coun-ty Extension Office at 458 U.S. 98 North. The deadline for entries is March 2, 2018. If you have questions, please contact Di-anne Spann at 863-634-3327.

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The Okeechobee County Sheriff ’s Office (OCSO) recognized employees at an awards ceremony held outside the sheriff ’s office building Friday, Jan. 19, at 11 a.m.

OCSO distinguishes employees from all four sectors comprising the sheriff ’s office; administration, detention, law enforcement and volunteer; for the acknowledgment of the importance each field brings to facilitate smooth operation.

The following individuals were recog-

nized as the Employee of the Quarter for OCSO’s fourth quarter; Maggie Williams from administration, Detention Deputy Jose Garcia, Deputy Corporal Bryan Lowe of law enforcement and volunteer Auxiliary Deputy Lieutenant Jason Egger.

The sheriff ’s office also identified their four Employees of the Year from the same sectors; Debbie Deloney from administra-tion, Detention Deputy Gary Cashwell, law enforcement officer Deputy Cpl. Bryan Lowe and volunteer Auxiliary Deputy Ser-geant Crispin Bottari.

Deputy Cpl. Lowe’s nomination came

from Deputy Sergeant Michael Hazellief. Deputy Sgt. Hazellief stated in an awards nomination form, that his actions at a traffic crash that occurred Nov. 5, 2017, saved an individual’s life by applying a department is-sued tourniquet to the leg that was severely damaged with multiple compound fractures and that bled uncontrollably. Deputy Jona-than Kemp was on scene during the incident and agreed that Deputy Cpl. Lowe’s tourni-quet stopped the bleeding and potentially saved the victim’s life.

Deputy Lieutenant Chris Hans also nomi-nated recipient Deputy Joann Henderson for

a life saving award. Deputy Lt. Hans stated in the awards nomination form, that on June 23, 2017, a child was reported choking and being transported to Raulerson Hospital by a privately owned vehicle, and while en route Deputy Henderson was able to make contact with the vehicle. Deputy Henderson then began to administer CPR to the child, as well as attempted to identify/remove air-way obstructions plaguing the child. Deputy Henderson continued to perform CPR until the arrival of EMS, where the child was then transported to a trauma center for further treatment.

Okeechobee Sheriff’s Office honors outstanding employees

Special to the Okeechobee NewsOCSO honored the detention deputy employee of the year, Gary Cashwell.

Special to the Okeechobee NewsOCSO honored the administration employee of the year, Debbie Deloney.

Special to the Okeechobee NewsOCSO honored the Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) employee of the year, BryanLowe.

Special to the Okeechobee NewsOCSO honored the volunteer employee of the year, Crispin Bottari.

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OCSO 15 years of serviceThe Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office honored the following employees for their 15 years of dedication of service; Martin Crawford, Stacey Ellerbee, Kristin Gray, Mary Roberts, Joyce Russell and Jim Norfork.


OCSO 25 years of serviceThe Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office honored the following employees for their 25 years of dedication of service; Shannon Peterson, Fred Bradley and Tye Bass.

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Vietnam veterans honored at luncheon at American Legion Post #64The Okeechobee American Legion Post #64, located at 501 S.E. Second St., hosted a Vietnam-era veterans luncheon and awards ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 6, as part of the 50-year Vietnam War Commemoration. All Vietnam-era veterans and their families were invited to attend free of charge. (Photo at left) Retired Col. Laurence Saucier spoke at the luncheon. (Photo at right) JROTC cadets at the event included Cayetana Ortega, Kimberley Marquis, Justin Rogers, Chris-tian Precisdo, Babrina Malunas and Ruben Rosales.



TALLAHASSEE — The FL DNT TXT N DRV Coalition, consisting of numerous law enforcement organizations, local govern-ments, and Florida-based businesses and individuals, today called on the Senate Ap-propriations Subcommittee on Transporta-tion, Tourism, and Economic Development to take up and pass Senate Bill 90 out of its committee. SB 90, by Senator Keith Perry (R-Gainesville), would make texting while driv-ing a primary offense.

“Distracted driving is an epidemic, a pub-lic safety and public health issue, and must be addressed as such,” said Gwendolyn Reese, whose loved one was killed in Tal-lahassee in 2015 by a young woman who was texting while driving at 89 mph. “This epidemic is affecting everyone across gen-der, age and ethnicity. By making the law a

primary offense you will have taken a major step toward making Florida’s roads safe for everyone.”

According to the National Safety Council, more than 100,000 crashes a year involve drivers who are texting, causing life-chang-ing injuries and deaths.

“On behalf of the many families who have been negatively impacted by Florida drivers who use wireless communications devices while driving, our coalition asks members of the Senate Appropriations Sub-committee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development to pass SB 90,” said Keyna Cory, coordinator of the FL DNT TXT N DRV Coalition. “Millions of Floridians want texting while driving to be a primary offense, and this good bill goes a long way in allowing law enforcement to stop this bad behavior in its tracks.”

Individuals who use text messaging in-crease the risk of a crash or near-crash by two times and results in drivers taking their eyes off the road for an average of 23 sec-onds total, according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Research.

“PCI joins the FL DNT TXT N DRV Coali-tion in urging the Senate to continue to ad-vance strong auto safety legislation, which would make texting while driving a primary offense in Florida,” said Logan McFaddin, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) regional manager. “We all witness this bad habit occurring daily as we go about our routine activities, and those that choose to text and drive aren’t only putting themselves in harm’s way, they are also putting everyone else who shares the roads in danger. It is time for Florida to step up and pass this meaningful legislation that

would reduce this hazardous behavior andsave lives.”

SB 90, would strengthen the current banon using wireless devices while driving byrevising current law to allow law enforce-ment officers to stop motor vehicles and issue citations to people who are texting while driving. SB 90 is ready to be taken up by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development, its third committee of refer-ence.

The FL DNT TXT N DRV Coalition in-cludes Florida businesses, associations, lawenforcement, local governments, trade andmedical organizations as well as the AARP, AAA and the Florida PTA. For more informa-tion about the FL DNT TXT N DRV Coalition,please visit FLDontTextandDrive.com.

Bill would make texting while driving a primary offense


A 45-year-old Okeechobee man was arrested Monday after a complainant informed law enforcement of a reckless driver.

Orlando Santa Ana-Garcia, Northwest 264th Street, was arrested Jan. 21 on a felony charge of possession of a con-trolled substance (cocaine) without a valid prescription and misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence, refusal to sub-mit to a chemical or physical test of breath, blood, or urine and whose driving privilege was previously suspended for a prior refusal to submit to a lawful test, and driving while license suspended, revoked, canceled, or disqualified.

His bond was set at $8,000. Jail records indicate he has since been released on bond.

According to an arrest report by Officer Ryan Holroyd, of the Okeechobee City Po-lice Department (OCPD), at approximately 2:24 a.m. on Jan. 21, he responded to State Road 70 East in regards to a reckless driver complaint. Dispatch informed Officer Hol-royd that the vehicle in question was as a red Saturn that traveled westbound on State Road 70 East at a slow rate of speed and in the eastbound lane.

Upon his arrival Officer Holroyd located a blue 2002 Saturn SL that traveled west on State Road 70 East and through the inter-section of Northeast Third Avenue. Officer Holroyd reportedly witnessed the Saturn drift and cross the lane divider before it re-turned to it’s lane. The Saturn also appar-ently slowed and stopped for a green light at the intersection of State Road 15 for ap-

proximately three to four seconds before the traffic light turned to yellow.

Officer Holroyd also reported that when the vehicle was stopped, it was a car length past the stop bar and was in a marked cross-walk. The vehicle was reported to have crossed the lane divider in the 100, 200 and 300 blocks of State Road 15 North before Of-ficer Holroyd turned on his emergency lights in the 400 block to perform a traffic stop on the vehicle, which occurred in the 100 block of Northwest Eighth Street.

Officer Holroyd then made contact with the driver, Santa Ana-Garcia, who was iden-tified by his expired Florida driver’s license. Apparently while Santa Ana-Garcia removed his driver’s license from his wallet, a light blue small plastic bag fell onto his lap. Of-ficer Holroyd reported that the bag appeared to have a white powdery substance suspect-ed to be cocaine.

The report continued that while OfficerHolroyd spoke with Santa Ana-Garcia, hesaw that his eyes were red and watery, heardthat his speech was “extremely slurred” anddetected a strong odor of alcohol came from the vehicle. Officer Holroyd also reportedlysaw an open Bud Light beer can in the cen-ter cup holder. The odor of alcohol also was detected from Santa Ana-Garcia after he ex-ited the vehicle.

The report concluded that the suspectedcocaine field tested positive for the presenceof cocaine and weighed approximately .215grams. Santa Ana-Garcia also had a prior DUI conviction in Nov. 2004 and his driver’s license was suspended back in Nov. 28, 2017. Some 13 photographs of the scene, cocaine and the Intoxilyzer room video were submitted into evidence. The vehicle wasturned over to John’s Towing Inc.

Alleged reckless driver charged with DUI and possession

OrlandoAna-Garcia

The following individuals were ar-rested on felony or driving under the influence (DUI) charges by the Okeechobee County Sheriff ’s Office (OCSO), the Okeechobee City Police Department (OCPD), the Florida High-way Patrol (FHP), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) or the Department of Correc-tions (DOC).

• Reba Lynn Bailey, 28, Madisyn Trail, Okeechobee, was arrested Jan. 19 by Dep-uty Sergeant Aric Majere on a felony charge of violation of probation - possession of a controlled substance (oxycodone) without a valid prescription. She is being held with-out bond.

• Rakheem Dontaivious McCloud, 20, Av-enue Q, Fort Pierce, was arrested Jan. 20 by Deputy Robert Feldman on a felony charge of battery on detention or commitment fa-cility staff or a juvenile probation officer. His bond was set at $2,500.

• Phillip Hawkins Hoy, 36, Northwest 115th Drive, Okeechobee was arrested Jan.

21 by Deputy Robbie Lamb on a felony charge of lewd and lascivious battery on a person older than 12 years of age but less than 16 years of age. His bond was set at $25,000.

• Tyler Devon Lytle, 18, Boston Street, Se-bring, was arrested Jan. 22 by Deputy Brian Cross on an Okeechobee County felony war-rant charging him with burglary of a dwell-ing and a misdemeanor charge of petit theft. He also was arrested on an Okeechobee County warrant for resisting officer without violence. He is being held without bond.

• Karla Jean Mosakowski, 33, South-west 19th Street, Okeechobee, was arrested Jan. 22 by Deputy Steven Pollock on an Okeechobee County warrant charging her with driving under the influence and dam-age to property. Her bond was set at $1,000.

• Alanda Meikale Hunsinger, Northwest 17th Avenue, Okeechobee, was arrested Jan. 22 by Deputy Sergeant Aric Majere on an Okeechobee County felony warrant charging her with attempted burglary of an occupied dwelling and a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief with damage

more than $200 but less than $1,000. She is being held without bond.

• Aaron Thomas, 18, Northeast 168th Street, Okeechobee, was arrested Jan. 23 by Deputy Quinton Speed on a felony charge of battery by a person who is being detained in a prison, jail, or other detention facility

upon other detainee. He is being held with-out bond.

This column lists arrests and not con-victions, unless otherwise stated. Anyone listed here who is later found innocent orhas had the charges against them dropped is welcome to inform this newspaper. The information will be confirmed and printed.

Arrest Report

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are reg-ularly scheduled in the Okeechobee:

• Monday through Friday: noon open meetings at First United Methodist Church. 200 N.W. Second St.;

• Monday, 6:30 a.m., closed meeting at Okeechobee Christian Church 3055 S.E. 18th Terrace (Wolff Road);

• Monday at 6:30 p.m. open meeting at, Presbyterian Church, 312 N. Parrott;

• Tuesday at 8 p.m. closed discussion meeting at Church of Our Saviour, 200 N.W. Third St.

• Wednesday at 8 p.m. closed men’s meeting at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 901 S.W. Sixth St.; and,

• Wednesday, at 7 p.m., a speakers meet-

ing at Detox of South Florida, 608 N.E. Sec-ond Ave.;

• Thursday, noon, closed Step Study, at Okeechobee Christian Church, 3055 S.E. 18th Terrace.

• Thursday at 8 p.m., Big Book meeting at Church of Our Saviour, 200 N.W. Third St.;

• Thursday at 6 p.m., open women’s meeting at Church of Our Saviour, 200 N.W. Third St.

• Friday at 8 p.m., speaker meeting at Church of Our Saviour 200 N.W. Third St.;

• Saturday at 7:30 p.m., closed meeting at Okeechobee Presbyterian Church, 312 N. Parrott;

• Sunday at 7:30 p.m., open meeting, Step Study, at Church of Our Saviour.

AA meetings scheduled in Okeechobee County

Important Information:Please read your ad care-fully the first day itappears. In case of aninadvertent error, pleasenotify us prior to the dead-line listed. We will not beresponsible for more than1 incorrect insertion, or formore than the extent ofthe ad rendered valuelessby such errors. Advertiserassumes responsibility forall statements, names andcontent of an ad, andassumes responsibility forany claims against the INIUSA. All advertising is sub-ject to publisher’sapproval. The publisherreserves the right to acceptor reject any or all copy,and to insert above thecopy the word “advertise-ment”. All ads accepted aresubject to credit approval.All ads must conform toINI USA style and arerestricted to their properclassifications. Some clas-sified categories requireadvance payment. Theseclassifications are denotedwith an asterisk *.

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

Garage/Yard Sales

OKEECHOBEE - 2910 SE 23rd St., Treasure Island, Fri. Jan. 26th - one day

tools, 100’s of books, name brand clothes, knives, kitchen items,

items, weed eater, much more.

We Buy Estates

Household, Tools, Jewelry and etc.

Call 863-697-8906

Garage/Yard SalesYARD SALE-SAT.1/27, 8AM-12, BLUE CYPRESS

RV COMMUNITY. HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, SMALL APPLIANCES,

ANTIQUES, FURNITURE, TOOLS. 13801 HWY

441 SE, (1)MILE SOUTH OF 15B ON 441

INFO-863-634-1552

Services

DAY’S CLEANING1-863-448-1054 (local)

HOUSE CLEANING, $5 WINDOWS, CARPETS,

PAINTING, PRESSURE CLEANING, MOVE IN/ MOVE OUTS & TREE

TRIMMING. CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION

MOHAWK CONSTRUCTION INC. FILL SHELL, ASPHALT

MILLINGS, SAND, STONE, MULCH, TOP

SOIL. LARGE OR SMALL QUANTITIES DELIVERED

OR PICK-UP, NEAR TOWN.

OFFICE 863-623-5274

EmploymentFull Time

ACCEPTINGAPPLICATIONSService Technicians/

InstallersFull Time,

Experience RequiredApply within

312 SW 2nd St. Okeechobee EOE/DFWP

EmploymentFull Time

Hand Crew Laborer - Temporary, full-time

chobee Group, Okeechobee, FL & job sites in Broward, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, High- lands, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, St. Lucie & Sarasota cntys. Use hand

machete to chop vegetation prior to treatment. Spray herbicides using backpack sprayer. May apply on foot or ride in moving vehicle to spray along canal banks. Dig, rake; replant as part of land reclamation/weed mgmt.

types of bee stings. Work will be performed outdoors in a variety of weather conditions, including high heat & hu- midity.35 hr/wk 7:00 AM-2:30 PM M-F. Sat./Sun. work

ies @ $19.70/hr). Transport (incl. meals &, as nec, lodging) to place of employ provided or pd to wkrs residing outside normal commute distance by completion of 50% of job period. Return transport provided or pd to same wkrs if wkr completes job period or is dismissed early. Wkrs are guaranteed offer of 3/4 of work hrs each 12-wk

wksite from central loc provided at no cost. Potential de- duct for advances, reasonable cost of lodging, reasonable

health insurance may apply. Emplr assists to secure wkr- pd lodging if needed. Emplr provides incidental transport

(863) 324-2762 or apply at: CareerSource Heartland- Okeechobee, 207 SW Park Street, Okeechobee, FL 34974, (863) 610-6000. JO# 10605782 .

Help WantedA/C Service Tech/

Installer

preferred. On job training available. Apply in person at:

5351 SW 16th Ave.

EmploymentFull Time

WANTED Class A CDL Driver must have

DOT medical card, 2yr tanker endorse- ment, We furnish Uniforms and

Health insurance Call 863-447-6165

Time to clean out theattic, basement and/orgarage? Advertise youryard sale in the classi-fieds and make yourclean up a breeze!

Reading a newspaperhelps you understandthe world around you.No wonder newspaperreaders are more suc-cessful people!

Need a few more bucksto purchase somethingdeer? Pick up someextra bucks when yousell your used items inthe classifeids.

Shop here first!The classified ads

EmploymentFull Time

Cyber Electric of Central Fl. Inc. has been servicing the needs of Central and South Fl, Residential, commercial and industrial clients for over 18 years.Our Construction Department provides electrical solutions to Industrial and government clients.

We would like to hire a Florida licensed Journeymen Electri- cian. We also have several openings for Electrical Helpers on upcoming projects that will run through 2020.

The responsibilities of the successful applicant will include: Onsite work and management of commercial and industrial facilities

• Water and waste water process plants and their

• Labor management including other electricians, apprentices and subcontractors• Ordering and receiving of materials• Quality control and daily time documentation of crew• Liaising with builders, foremen and project managers during contract works• Dealing with a wide range of people in all levels of the

building/sub-contracting/Engineering/public entities• Creating As built drawings of completed work as the project progresses

The successful candidate must have the right to work in this country and must possess:

• Current Florida Journeymen’s license • Current Drivers license•

The successful candidate will possess:• • Ability to perform electrical maintenance of commercial

and industrial facilities• • Be committed and self-motivated, with very good

• panels

• Good working knowledge of current National Electrical Code and regulations

This position includes vehicle, and $50/monthly for mobile phone. We pay “one way ride time” on the way to job site and you will be back in Okeechobee by 5 PM daily. Our work week is Monday thru Thursday 4/10 hr days a week.

The successful applicant will enjoy working to deadlines, must be passionate about their work and have the ability to

by applicants. Helpers starting rate is 13/hr. and Cyber pays for IRSC classes and books related to their Electrical

Please email resume to [email protected] or call 863-467-2127 to hand deliver resume.

EmploymentPart Time

NOW HIRING MIDNIGHT SHIFT.

Must be a hard worker, dependable, computer

skills a plus. Apply in person

at Flamingo Motel 4101 Hwy 441 S.

Okeechobee, Fl.34974

How fast can your cargo? It can go evenfaster when you sellit in the classifieds.

EmploymentFull Time

READING ANEWSPAPERMAKES YOU AMORE INFORMEDAND INTERESTING PERSON.

No wonder newspaper readers are more popular!

BusinessOpportunities

NOTICEIndependent Newspapers will never accept any advertisement that is illegal or considered fraudulent.

tionable value, such as promises of guaranteed income from work-at- home programs - if it sounds too good to be true, chances are that it

or doubts about any ad on these pages, we ad- vise that before respond- ing or sending money ahead of time, you check with the Better Business Bureau at 772-878-2010 for previous complaints.

Some 800 and 900 telephone numbers may re-

well as long distance toll costs. We will do our best to alert our reader of these charges in the ads, but occasionally we may not be aware of the charges. Therefore, if you call a number out of your area, use caution.

Antiques

*WANTED FLORIDA* ART, A.E. BACKUS, JAMES HUTCHINSON. HIGHWAYMEN ROBERT BUTLER, H. NEWTON, A. HAIR, G. & E. BUCK- NER, R.A. MCCLENDON, L. ROBERTS. BIG BUCKS CALL RAY 772-562-5567

One man’s trash isanother man’s treas-ure. Turn your trashto treasure with anad in the classifieds.

Golf Clubs/Equipment

PALMER TEERLASS GOLF CLUBS w/hats,

mens shoes. Great shape. $125 (772)284-2722

Wanted To Buy

LOOKING TO BUY: Used PARK MODEL

HOMES & RV’s. To put in my Mobile Home Park...

ANY condition. CASH PAID. Call Paul 863-763-3241

Farm Equipment

Massey Ferguson Model #231 2WD Tractor Perkins 3-Cylinder Diesel

Engine with newer front-end loader.

blade & bush hog.

$5,295.00 Call M-F 813-956-5150

Apartments

Beautiful Samantha’s Garden Apartments

2BR/2BA, in town, W&D, $850 mo. + $600 sec.

863-634-5780

OKEECHOBEEAVAILABLE February/

March 2BD/1BA “Beautiful unit must see”

$795.00/MO. Utilities included.

Very Clean and well maintained. Situated

12 min. outside of town off Hwy 70 East.

service, onsite management, pest control included,

w/d hook-up. Sorry, NO PETS.

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


Condos/TownhousesRent

OAK LAKE VILLA #5, 2/2, w/all appliances. $850/mo. 1st, last, and $500 security required. (863) 228-0073 lv. msg.

Real Estate Wanted

LOOKING TO BUY:Small Mobile Home Parks

in Okeechobee. Any condition, Fast Closing. Looking for Owner Fi-

nancing, $50-100K DownCALL PAUL

863-763-3241

Mobile HomeRent

2/1 Rent To OwnRemodeled; No money

down. Low Monthly Payments. Adult park.

Background CheckRequired.

Call 863-763-3241 (Paul)

3BD/2BA DWMH ON POND, LARGE YARD,

FLORIDA RM., DOUBLE CARPORT, CENTRAL

AIR, LAUNDRY ROOM AND EXTRA STORAGE ROOM. $1,200.00/MO., 863-697-8644 AFTER

5:30 OR 863-633-9249

FOR RENTFULLY FURNISHED

1BD/1BA PARK MODEL SHORT TERM, VACATION RENTAL OR

LONG TERM -WITH OR W/OUT

UTILITIES, BOAT SLIP INCLUDED. LO-

CATED ON KISSIMMEE RIVER AT RIVER BLUFF FISHING

RESORT (863) 467-4371

MOBILE HOME PARK, TAYLOR CREEK WA- TERFRONT 1BD/2BA FOR RENT. RV SITES

ALSO AVAILABLECALL 772-579-1989

QUIET COUNTRY LIV- ING 2BD MOBILE HOME, PARTLY FUR- NISHED. RETIRED COUPLE ONLY. NON- SMOKING, INDOOR PET ONLY $600.00/MONTHLY IN- CLUDES WATER & ELECTRIC. MORE INFO CALL 863-697-1168

SEASONAL, YEARLY RENTALS OR RENT TO OWN. NICELY REMOD- ELED TRAILERS WITH FURNISHED FLORIDA ROOMS AT BROTHERS

R.V. RESORT. WATERFRONT, FULL FACILITIES PARK ON 441 IN OKEECHOBEE

CALL ALAN 561-246-9864 FOR INFO.

Mobile Home Sale2/1 Owner Finance Remodeled; No money

down. Low Monthly Payments. Adult park.

Background CheckRequired.

Call 863-763-3241 (Paul)

Boats

25’ CREST PONTOON BOAT. TANDEM TRAIL- ER. HONDA EU2000 GENERATOR. 575 HUM- MINGBIRD FISH FIND- ER- $3,500.00 CALL 863-484-0011

Campers/RVs

1999 BOUNDER 39FT MOTOR HOME, ONE OWNER, 56,000 MILES, EXTRA CLEAN AT TAY- LOR CREEK RV PARK, LOT #102 $38,500 CALL 828-429-3648

2005 WINNABAGO Sun Cruiser, 39 Ft., 53K mls. No pets. No smoking. New tires. Electric awning. Custom paint job. Gas. New radios. New TV’s. $77,500. (772)284-2722

2006 PILGRIM - 28 Ft., Super clean! Like new. Ready to go camping. Asking $8,795. Call Lar- ry (954)257-5741

Wanted all Travel Trailers, Motor Homes and Fifth Wheels. Any Condition, Cash paid

on the spot Call 954-789-7530

RV Space RentBIG O RV RESORT

LOT#196 NEXT TO POOL AND CLUBHOUSE CLOSE TO ALL THAT IS GOING ON, 55 AND OLDER CALL JERRY 24/7 863-697-2191

Automobiles

1999 CHRYSLER CON- CORD, 4 DOOR SEDAN, POWER SEATS & WIN- DOWS, GOOD TIRES, INSIDE LIKE NEW. ASKING $1,000 CASH CALL 863-467-9575 ASK FOR PHYLLIS

2008 CHRYSLER SE- BRING WHITE WITH BLACK CONVERTIBLE

TOP $3,000.00 CALL 231-258-5479

Get a quick response toany item you may be sell-ing with a classified ad.

One man’s trash isanother man’s treas-ure. Turn your trashto treasure with anad in the classifieds.

Autos Wanted

AAA Auto Analysis- All makes, all price ranges.

We buy cars, trucks, and motorcycles.

Established 1981. 772-260-9707

Public NoticeIN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE NINETEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT,

IN AND FOR OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA. CASE NO.: 2017-CA-08

JUDGE: LAURIE E. BUCHANAN

JOSEPH ZACHARY GAZZA, Plaintiffv.NICHOLAS ROLLINS; and UNKNOWN TENANT(S) IN POSSESSION, IF ANY, Defendants

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated January 4, 2018, and entered in 472017CA000008CAAXMX of the Cir- cuit Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Okeechobee County, Florida, wherein JOSEPH ZACHARY GAZZA is the Plaintiff and NICHOLAS ROLLINS is the Defendant. Sharon Robertson as the Clerk of the Circuit Court will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash at the Okeechobee County Judicial Center; Jury Assembly Room, 2nd Floor, 312 Northwest 3rd Street, Okeechobee, Florida 34972 at 11:00 a.m., on February 21, 2018, the following described property as set forth in the Final Judgment of Foreclosure, to wit: Lot J of Tract 22; The West 1/2 of the East 1/2 of the North 1/2 of the South 1/2 of Tract 22, Section 26 as to the Southern Colonization Company Plat of Township 34 South, Range 33 East, according to the Plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 4, Pages 3-3E Inclusive, Public Records of Okeechobee County, Florida. Parcel ID: 1-26-34-33-0A00-00022-J000 Property Address: 17072 NW 262nd Street, Okeechobee, Florida 34972 ANY PERSON CLAIMING AN INTEREST IN THE SURPLUS FROM THE SALE, IF ANY, OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY OWNER AS OF THE DATE OF THE LIS PENDENS MUST FILE A CLAIM WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER THE SALE. Dated on January 5, 2018.

Sharon RobertsonClerk of Court

BY: Sandra L. CreechAs Deputy Clerk

Submitted By: Rene S. IoscoBe A Man Buy Land, LLCAttorney for Plaintiff4260 SE Federal Highway Stuart, Florida 34997 (772) 546-4101483793 ON 1/24,31/2018

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE NINETEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL ACTION

CIVIL ACTION Case #: 47-2009-CA-000535-CAXX-XX GREEN TREE SERVICING LLC F/K/A CONSECO FINANCE SERVICING CORP. F/K/A GREEN TREE FINANCIAL SERVICING CORPORATION Plantiff-vs-DAVID BRAGUE A/K/A DAVID L. BRAGUE; UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF DAVID BRAGUE A/K/A REBECCA SUE BRAGUE; DISCOVERY MARKETING AND DIS- TRIBUTING, INC.; UNKNOWN TENANT# 1; UNKNOWN TENANT #2 Defendants

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to order rescheduling foreclosure sale or Final Judgment, entered in Civil Case No. 47-2009-CA-000535-CAXX- XX of the Circuit Court of the 19th Judicial Circuit in and for Okeechobee County, Florida, wherein GREEN TREE SERVICING LLC F/K/A CONSECO FI- NANCE SERVICING CORP. F/K/A GREEN TREE FINANCIAL SERVICING COR- PORATION, Plaintiff and DAVID BRAGUE A/K/A DAVID L. BRAGUE are defendant(s), I, Clerk of Court, Sharon Robertson, will sell to the highest and best bidder for cash in the Jury Assembly Room, on the Second Floor, of the Okeechobee County Judicial Center, 312 N.W. Third Street, Okeechobee, FL 34972, beginning at 11:00 A.M. on Febru- ary 14, 2018, the following described property as set forth in said Final Judgment, to-wit: LOT 2, OTTER CREEK ESTATES UNIT 1, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT

THEREOF, AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 6, PAGE 29, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA.

TO INCLUDE A: MOBILE HOME 1995 FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES VIN FLFLR70A22958SJK31 1995 FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES VIN FLFLR 70B22958SJK31

ANY PERSON CLAIMING AN INTEREST IN THE SURPLUS FROM THE SALE, IF ANY, OTHER THAN THE PROPERTY OWNER AS OF THE DATE OF THE LIS PENDENS MUST FILE A CLAIM WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER THE SALE.

Sharon RobertsonCLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT

Okeechobee County, FloridaSandra L. Creech

DEPUTY CLERK OF COURTFlorida Rules of Judicial Administration Rule 2.540 Notices toPersons With DisabilitiesIf you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact Corrie Johnson, ADA Coordinator, 250 NW Country Club Drive, Suite 217, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986, (772) 807-4370 at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this no-

days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.SPANISH: Si usted es una persona discapacitada que necesita al- guna adaptacion para poder participar de este procedimiento o evento; usted tiene derecho, sin costo alguno a que se le provea cierta ayuda. Favor de comunicarse con Corrie Johnson, Coordina- dora de A.D.A., 250 NW Country Club Drive, Suite 217, Port St. Lu- cie, Fl. 34986, (772) 807-4370 por lo menos 7 dias antes de que tenga que comparecer en corte o inmediatamente despues de ha-

su comparecencia. Si tiene una discapacidad auditiva ó de habla, llame al 711.KREYOL: Si ou se yon moun ki kokobe ki bezwen asistans ou apar- ey pou ou ka patisipe nan prosedu sa-a, ou gen dwa san ou pa bezwen peye anyen pou ou jwen on seri de ed. Tanpri kontakte Corrie Johnson, Co-ordinator ADA, 250 NW Country Club Drive, suite 217, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986, (772) 807-4370 O’mwen 7 jou avan ke ou gen pou-ou paret nan tribunal, ou imediatman ke ou resevwa avis sa-a ou si le ke ou gen pou-ou ale nan tribunal-la mwens ke 7 jou; Si ou pa ka tande ou pale byen, rele 711.483789 ON 1/17,24/2018

Public Notice

Public NoticeOKEECHOBEE COUNTYAGRI-CIVIC CENTER

ADDITIONS TO HORSE ARENAPROJECT NO. 2018-05

INVITATION TO BID

Sealed BIDS will be received by Okeechobee County Board of County Com- missioners at the Okeechobee County Historic Courthouse, 304 NW 2nd Street, Room 123. Okeechobee, FL 34972 until 3:00 p.m. on February 23, 2018. Bids will be publicly opened in room 222 and read

The BIDS shall be based on the following:Scope of work includes, but is not limited to, Additions to the existing Horse Arena at the Okeechobee Agri-Civic Center & Fairgrounds. The Additions will be constructed at the two west corners or quadrants of the arena and consist of extensions of the low canopy roofs which cover the north and south concourses. The additions will provide for lighting to match existing,

be no disruption of existing exit access pathways. Total area of the two quadrant additions is approximately 5,400 square feet. See bid documents for complete requirements. Coordination with all other work being per-

ments of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Administration State Financial Assistance Recipient Agreement No. 023590 dated August 25, 2016.

All materials furnished and all work performed shall be in accordance with

which may be examined at or obtained from:

Okeechobee County, Donnie Oden, Director, Facilities Maintenance & Development Services (FMDS) - Capital Projects

1700 NW 9th Avenue, Ste. C, Okeechobee, FL 34972 (863) 763-0805Email:

A PRE-BID MEETING shall be held at 10:00 a.m. on January 31, 2018 at the Okeechobee County Historic Courthouse located at 304 NW 2nd Street, Second Floor Conference Room, Okeechobee, FL 34972 The purpose of the mandatory pre-bid meeting is to provide site conditions and to receive questions from respondents on any issues considered relevant to the requirements of the project.

Any questions be addressed to the Okeechobee County FMDS, Capital Projects, Donnie Oden, in writing via email at or fax at (863) 763-5529 no later than February 12, 2018, 5:00 pm.

Each Contractor who has made a written request will be furnished with one (1) electronic version of the Bid Documents via email at no cost by sending a request via email to: or fax to (863) 763-5529. Only Bid documents obtained from Okeechobee County are acceptable for bidding.

Each bid must be accompanied by an acceptable Bid Security in the form of

of the total Bid Amount. The Bidder, if awarded the Contract and the bid

endar days after written notice of the award of contract. No bidder may withdraw their bid for a period of ninety (90) calendar days after the date set for opening of bids.

Okeechobee County accepts no responsibility for any expense related to preparation or delivery of proposals. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all Bids, accept Bids in any order or combination, accept or reject

any informality in the Bids if they deem it in their best interest to do so.

The Bidder will provide additional information including, but not limited to, a

nancial references deemed appropriate to Contract Award.

signability clause that allows for the assignment of all or part of the speci-

Okeechobee County has a local vendor preference which is contained within

emptions can be found in this policy. You are encouraged to review the lat- est version to ensure compliance with and exceptions to the local vendor preference policy. The County’s vendor preference policy can be found on the County’s website at

not be accepted.

Each bidder will submit with this bid, evidence that the bidder complies with all state and local requirements, to perform the work described in said Bid.

chobee County Facilities Maintenance. Additionally, it is incumbent upon all bidders to conduct a personal investigation as to requirements of the County.

The Board of County Commissioners has the right to accept or reject any or all bids. Bids must be sealed and the outside of the envelope MUST be

na, County Project No. 2018-05”.

BIDDER MUST SUBMIT (1) ORIGINAL AND (2) COPIES OF THE BID. Sharon Robertson, Clerk of Court Terry W. Burroughs, ChairmanOkeechobee County, FL Board of County Commissioners Okeechobee County, FL483985 ON 1/24/2018

Public Notice Public NoticeIN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR

OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDAPROBATE DIVISION

File No.: 17000187CPAXMX

IN RE: ESTATE OF ROBERT JOSEPH HOLLETT Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The administration of the estate of ROBERT JOSEPH HOLLETT deceased, whose date of death was Au- gust 10, 2017; File Number 17000187CPAXMX is pending in the Circuit Court for Okeechobee County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 312 N. W. Third Street, Okeechobee, FL 34972. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, on whom a copy of this notice is re-

claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate

WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIOD SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

notice is: January 17, 2018.

PHYLLIS ANN HOLLETTPersonal Representative42-8 S. Meadow Village

Carver, MA 02330Derek B. Alvarez, EsquireFBN: [email protected] F. Diecidue, EsquireFBN: [email protected] C. Miranda, EsquireFBN [email protected]/ALVAREZ/DIECIDUE, P.A.2307 West Cleveland StreetTampa, Florida 33609Phone: (813) 254-4744Fax: (813) 254-5222Eservice for all attorneys listed above:[email protected] ON 1/17,24/2018

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE NINETEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR

OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDACase No.: 2017DR525

Division: PROBATE RELATIONS

SEBASTIAN F. SIMON, PetitionerandTAMMY L. SIMON, Respondent

NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE

(NO CHILD OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT)

TO: TAMMY L. SIMONLast known address: Unknown

YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for dissolution of marriage has been

quired to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on SEBASTIAN F. SIMON whose address is 877 NE 28TH TERRACE on or be-

original with the clerk of this Court at 312 NW 3rd Street, Okeechobee, FL 34972 before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s of-

ments upon request.

You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit

Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future pa- pers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record

WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Fami- ly Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.

DATED: 01/4/2018SHARON ROBERTSON, CLERK

CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURTBY: Becky Altiman

Deputy Clerk483761 ON 1/10,17,24,31/2018

Public NoticeIN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE NINETEENTH JUDICIAL

CIRCUIT, IN AND FOROKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA.

PROBATE DIVISIONCASE NO.: 472017CP000189

IN RE: THE ESTATE OF BETTY ANN GRANT, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate BETTY ANN GRANT, deceased, whose date of death is July 28, 2016, is pending in the Circuit Court for Okeechobee County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is Okeechobee County Judicial Center, Clerk of Court, Probate Division, 312 N.W. 3rd Street, Okeechobee, Florida 34972. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is served

WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SER- VICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate

WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WITH- IN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORI- DA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREV- ER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECE- DENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. notice is January 17th, 2018.

Personal Representatives:Lynn Atkinson728 Ely Road

Hixson, TN 37343Dena Ubillos

15934 Ternglade DriveLithia, FL 33547

Attorney for personal representatives:ROONEY & ROONEY, P.A. 1517 20th StreetVero Beach, Florida 32960(772) 778-5400(772) 778-5290 (fax) By: Elizabeth McHughFBN: 638196483824 ON 1/17,24/2018

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE NINETEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

IN AND FOR OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA

Case No.: 2017-CP-203Division: Probate

IN RE: THE ESTATE OF: KENNETH DALE ADKINS Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of KENNETH DALE ADKINS, De- ceased, whose date of death was November 4, 2017, is pending in the Circuit Court for Okeechobee County, Florida, Probate Division, the address of which is 312 North West 3rd Street, Okeechobee, Florida 34972. The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below. All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate on whom a copy of this notice is re-

claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF 3 MONTHS AFTER THE TIME OF THE FIRST PUBLICA- TION OF THIS NOTICE OR 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SER- VICE OF A COPY OF THIS NO- TICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate

WITHIN 3 MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICA- TION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT FILED WITH- IN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN SECTION 733.702 OF THE FLORIDA PROBATE CODE WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DE- CEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

notice is January 12th, 2018.

PetitionerVivian C. Adkins

1623 SW 35th CircleOkeechobee, Florida 34974

Attorney for PetitionerJEFFREY A. FADLEY, P.A. Fla. Bar No. 035667Attorney for Petitioner180 NW 3rd Avenue, Suite AOkeechobee, Florida 34972 Telephone: (863) 763-5733 Facsimile (863) 763-6199 483806 ON 1/17,24/2018


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BUSINESS & SERVICE DIRECTORYAIR CONDITIONING ATTORNEYS

WANTED TO BUY

FURNITURE

EMORY WALKER CO. INC.Air Conditioning & Refrigeration

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Elliott’s Pawn Shop419 W.S. Park St. • 863.763-5553

We Buy Scrap Gold,Silver and Coins

Rebecca Boldt Hamilton, P.A.REBECCA H. BOLDT, Esq.

RICHARD W. SEYMOUR, Esq.

863-467-1894

Public Notice Public NoticeIN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE NINETEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

IN AND FOR OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA

PROBATE DIVISIONCASE NO.: 2018CP000002

Uniform Case No. 472018CP000002CPAXMX

IN RE: the Estate of LOIS DEAN MARCRUM ALSO

KNOW AS DEAN MARCRUM, Deceased,

NOTICE TO CREDITORS(Summary Administration)

TO ALL PERSONS HAVING CLAIMS OR DEMANDS AGAINST THE ABOVE ESTATE:

der of Summary Administration has been entered in the estate of LOIS

tober 31, 2017 by the Circuit Court

vision File No. 2018CP000002, the

nue, Okeechobee, FL 34972; that the total value of the estate is $47,553.00 and that the names and address of those to whom it has been assigned by such order are:

Name William Eugene MarcrumCharles Emery Marcrum

Address7084 Swallow Rd., Cannelton,

IN 4 7520 2603 Underhill Court, Thompsons Station, TN 37179

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE NOTIFIED THAT: All creditors of the decedent and persons having claims or demands against the decedent’s estate other than those for whom provision for full payment was made in the Order

plicate with this Court WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH IN FLA STAT.733.702.ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER APPLICABLE TIME PERIOD, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED.

notice is: January 24th, 2018.

Person Giving Notice:WILLIAM EUGENE MARCRUM

7084 Swallow RoadCannelton, IN 47520

CHARLES EMERY MARCRUM2603 Underhill Court

Thompsons Station, TN 37179Attorney for Personal Representative:COLIN M. CAMERON, ESQ.200 N.E. 4th AvenueOkeechobee, FL 34972

Fla. Bar No. [email protected] 483984 ON 1/24,31/2018

LEGAL NOTICEA public auction will be held at

TOTAL ROADSIDE SERVICES, located at 3176 Hwy 710 E, Okeechobee 34974 at 9:00 a.m.

ant to Florida statute 713.78 for unpaid towing and storage.

lows:

AUCTION 02/5/18 2006 CHEVROLET

VIN: 1G1ZT51F66F117532

AUCTION 02/09/182014 DODGE RAM

VIN: 3C6JR6AT0EG331421

Terms of sale are CASH ONLY, no

checks will be accepted. The

mobile will be sold “as is” with no guarantees.

Location: 3176 Hwy 710 E863-357-8772

483785 ON 01/24/2018

NOTICE OF SALERainbow Title & Lien, Inc. will sell

suant to Chapter 713.78 of the Florida Statutes on February 08, 2018 at 10 A.M.

*AUCTION WILL OCCUR WHERE VEHICLE IS

LOCATED*2007 DODGE

VIN#1D7HA16K27J572650Located at 3565 US HWY 441 N,

OKEECHOBEE, FL. 34972

tact: Rainbow Title & Lien, Inc.,

*ALL AUCTIONS AREHELD WITH RESERVE*

Some vehicles may have been released prior to auction

LIC # AB-0001256

483927 ON 1/24/2018

Public Notice Public NoticePUBLIC NOTICE

A public auction will be held at BMJ Towing, Inc.

at 414 South Parrott Avenue, Okeechobee, Florida 34974 on FRIDAY THE 9th DAY OF

A.M. Pursuant to Florida statute

713.78 for unpaid towing and storage.

Year, Make, Model & Vin’s as follows

1995 NISSAN PICKUP 1N6SD16S2SC459122

2001 HYUNDAI ACCENT KMHCF35G11U114114

2007 CHEVY IMPALA 2G1WB58K679232599

1995 NISSAN SENTRA3N1AB41D8SL005527

Terms of sale are cash, and no checks will be accepted. The seller

made. Said automobiles will be sold in “AS IS” with no guarantees.

483988 ON 1/24/2018


Fun By The Numbers:Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test!

Here’s How It Works:Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided. The more num-bers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

No wonder newspaper readers have more fun!

READING ANEWSPAPERHELPS YOUGET INVOLVEDIN THECOMMUNITY.

Reading a newspaperhelps you understandthe world around you.No wonder newspaperreaders are more suc-cessful people!

Grab a bargain from yourneighbor’s garage, attic,basement or closet intoday’s classifieds.

When you want some-thing sold, advertise inthe classifieds.

Seventh Day Christian Church, across from Eli’s Western Wear will host Ron and Sharon Frazier for a gospel sing on Friday, Jan. 26 at 6:30 p.m.

The public is invited to a gospel sing fea-turing the Gulf State Quartet at the Red Barn on Friday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. The barn is located on the left after the U.S. 80 bridge between Moore Haven and Clewiston, and it is lighted at the fence. The event will have an intermission and an add-a-dish supper, so take some-thing to share. For informa-tion, call Judy Swindle at 863-228-0090.

New Testament Bap-tist Church, 535 N.E. 28th Ave., will host the Brady Rockester Family on Sun-day, Jan. 28, at the 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. services. All are invited to hear this family in concert.

Okeechobee Church of the Nazarene, 425 S.W. 28th St., will host the Mark Dubbeld Family on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 10:30 a.m.

North Okeechobee Church of God, 15949 N.W. 30th Terrace, will host the many hats of Ronny Hinson on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 11 a.m. For information, call 863-634-0344.

Fountain of Life Church. A new con-versational-style series entitled, “Passion” will meet on Monday, Jan. 29, and on through Feb. 5, 2018. There is no charge for materials. Please call the church office to reg-ister at 863-763-8945, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to noon. This is an internationally known group study by author Christine Caine and will continue on the first Monday of each month until February. All ladies, middle school age and up are welcome. Come, join

the conversation. Fountain of Life Church is at 1302 S.W. 32nd St. Regular Sunday service is at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday’s Bible study is at 6:30 p.m. Children’s church and nursery are available. All are welcome. For informa-tion, visit their website at folifechurch.net, their Facebook or call 863-763-8945.

Okeechobee Missionary Baptist Church, at 4212 U.S. 441 N., would like to invite all to worship in church services. Sunday School is at 9:45 a.m., with Sunday

morning worship at 10:45 a.m. Sunday night Baptist Training Course (BTC) is at 5:30 p.m., followed by Sunday evening worship at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday evening Bible Study is at 7 p.m., with Wednesday eve-ning Youth Discovery Bible clubs at 7 p.m. For more in-formation call Pastor Don-ny Raney at 863-763-3681.

Pastor Douglas T. Ryan, Treasure Island Baptist Church, at 4209 Hwy. 441 S.E., comes with an excit-ing message of hope, and a vision to reach out to all people in Okeechobee and

the surrounding area. Douglas Ryan gradu-ated from Hobe Sound Bible College. Be looking out for him in your community as he boldly encourages people everywhere to start a new exciting life with Jesus Christ as their guide. We welcome all to our fam-ily of friendly people who just seek to show you an outpouring of Gods love. Our service on Sunday starts at 10:30 a.m. with Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. We also invite all to our Wednesday or Sunday evening gathering at 6:30 p.m.

The Okeechobee News welcomes news from area churches for this weekly column. E-mail [email protected].

Area churches host special events

Cirque Zuma ZumaFebruary 1, 2018

Box Office 561-993-1160Buy tickets @ www.dollyhand.org

All dates, artists and programs subject to change.

1977 College Drive, Belle Glade, FL 33430

Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts

3 Redneck Tenors January 18, 2018

The Glenn Miller Orchestra January 23, 2018


Crossword PuzzleBrought to you by: Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center

ACROSS1 __ appeal5 “The Girls Next

Door” co-creator,for short

8 Torus-shapedgaskets

14 Lift one’s spirits?15 Pay dirt16 Secure again17 Big name in

chocolate19 Against20 Crème de __21 Savage22 NATO member

since 200923 Says “y’all,” say26 Time of one’s life27 Reunion group29 Beats

Electronics co-founder

30 Danube tributary32 Early 20th-

century poet __Crane

33 Layer34 The Beatles, e.g.35 Loot38 IQ test name40 Abu Dhabi is its

cap.41 Sounds from

toys45 “__ run!”46 AC/DC song with

the words “I’mdynamite”

47 Road challenge48 Pharm. drop-offs49 “WarGames”

computer51 Muscle mag

subject52 Lay waste to55 Biblical escape

obstacle57 Get hot under

the collar58 What four puzzle

answers need tobe written in

60 March61 Big heart62 Bluster63 Treat badly64 El __65 Energy units

DOWN1 Acid producer2 “Breakfast at

Tiffany’s,” for one3 Spot for free

spirits4 Friend of Mary

Poppins5 Monopoly buy6 Big time7 Early 2000s

“SNL” standout8 “Blackfish”

creatures9 Model T

contemporaries10 “__ that

special?!”11 Court surprise12 Parking places13 Buffy, for one18 Tom Jones’ “__

a Lady”21 Shoebox letters24 Between jobs25 Rehearsals28 Double’s job30 Wash. neighbor31 Steadfast33 Wash. hours34 Key for

Debussy?36 Teachers’ org.

37 Buddha’s NobleEightfold __

38 Choice ballparklocation

39 “I found whatyou’re lookingfor!”

42 Drake or Nelly43 Letting go44 Cosine

reciprocals45 Comprehends

46 Stocking stuffer47 Certain Celt49 Will Smith’s

second son50 Goaded53 Sting, perhaps54 Modernize56 Have the

gumption58 __-Man59 In this

emplacement

By Robin Stears©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 12/18/15

12/18/15

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

[email protected]

Contact a sales representative

today:

[email protected] place to be and be seen!

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For the health of it!

For the health of it!Now featured weekly in the Wednesday edition of the

Okeechobee News: articles pretaining

to health-related topics

To run your medical field-related adon this weekly, informative page,

call our sales staff at 863.763.3134


The 11th Annual Okeechobee Family Health and Safety Expo, planned for Satur-day, Jan. 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Okeechobee Agri-Civic Center, will include an Autism Safety Fest.

Autism learning events will include:• 10 a.m. - Preventing an autism emer-

gency: Families will learn how to prevent the most likely emergencies that can happen

to individuals on the autism spectrum and prepare for how to deal with emergencies when they come up. Wandering, identifica-tion methods, emergency documentation and more will be covered in the training.

• 11:15 a.m. - Safety tools for young chil-dren (6 and under) with ASD: The presenta-tion will be an overview of how to use the items in the FAU CARD’s Safety Box. Partici-pants will receive a safety box ($40 value) to take home.

• Noon - Showing of the ‘Be Safe’ movie: “Be Safe, the movie,” is an instructional DVD that teaches teens and adults how to interact safely with the police. Seven realistic scenar-ios with real officers show what to do and say in a variety of everyday situations rang-ing from an innocent mistake to an arrest.

The Health and Safety Fair will include programs for all ages with free health screenings, free lunch, toy giveaways, en-tertainment by a D.J., raffle prizes, rock

painting classes, face painting, a firefighting

demonstration and a visit from the Crash

Test Dummies. There will be more than 100

vendor booths.

The annual expo is hosted by the Shared

Services Network of Okeechobee.

The Health and Safety Fair is free and

open to the public. Entrance to the Agri-Civic

Center is at 4601 State Road 710.

Health & Safety Expo includes autism safety


CHICAGO — The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and its 24 Mem-ber Boards have joined the fight against the growing opioid crisis in the United States and throughout the state of Florida. Official-ly recognizing Addiction Medicine as a sub-specialty in October 2015, the designation allows physicians certified by any of the 24 ABMS Member Boards to apply for the new certificate through the ABMS sponsoring Board – the American Board of Preventive Medicine.

“Substance use and addiction are seri-ous health problems of enormous propor-tion and impact in this country and on our society,” stated ABMS President and Chief Executive Officer Richard Hawkins, MD. “By offering certification in this important sub-specialty, we continue in our role to assure patients and their families that their physi-cians meet the high standards of practice and clinical knowledge and have completed an approved educational program in this emerging medical field.” In addition to the establishment of the Addiction Medicine subspecialty, the boards are integrating ac-credited safe opioid education initiatives into their Maintenance of Certification (MOC) programs to educate the more than 47,000 Board Certified Florida physicians about opi-oid abuse, misuse, and responsible prescrib-

ing protocols. Examples of the educational offerings include:

Many boards have approved Opioid Prescriber Education Programs that are indexed in the ABMS Continuing Certifi-cation Directory, an online repository of competency-based continuing certification activities. These activities include Federal Drug Administration Opioid REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy) compli-ant activities, such as Safe and Competent Opioid Prescribing Education (SCOPE of Pain) – an online, case-based educational program designed to improve safety with prescribing opioids offered in collaboration with the Council of Medical Specialty Societ-ies and Federation of State Medical Boards. The American Boards of Anesthesiology, Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics have more than 30 opioid-based approved educational activities on their CMEFinder platform. The American Board of Anesthesiology’s (ABA) MOCA Minute continuing certification pro-gram now includes questions that address topics related to the opioid crisis, includ-ing questions about multi-modal analgesia and enhanced recovery pathways to reduce postoperative pain and opiate dosing. The program also includes questions about sub-stance abuse and recognition of impaired providers in an effort to inform and educate anesthesiologists about this critical health is-

sue and ways in which they can intervene. The American Board of Obstetrics and Gyne-cology has created a new “Emerging Topics” category as part of its MOC program. Two articles covering clinically relevant informa-tion concerning opioid use will be included in the “Emerging Topics” release of articles to Diplomates in January 2018. Addition-ally, two more articles on the opioid topic will be released in January in the generalist obstetrics category. More article releases are planned for May and August 2018. The ar-ticle topics for January cover various issues including postdischarge opioid use after

cesarean delivery; opioid use in pregnancy, neonatal abstinence syndrome and child-hood outcomes; and shared decision-mak-ing interventions to guide opioid prescribing after cesarean delivery.

Additional programming and coopera-tive efforts are in the planning stages as the ABMS Boards Community continues to ex-plore and assess further ways of using their continuing certification programs to make certain that Board Certified physicians arecurrent on the most up-to-date prescribingguidelines and other evidence-based pain management strategies.

Medical specialties address opioid crisis in Florida


VERO BEACH — Join Cathy LaCroix, Pat Savino and the Board of Directors at Sun-coast Mental Health Center as they present DJ Jerry and The Dolls at the Heritage Center Friday, Feb. 16, from 7 to 10 p.m. Kick up your heels and dance the night away with your sweetheart while enjoying refresh-ments, drawings and prizes, and live music featuring the one and only DJ Jerry. This event is open to individuals 18 and older with tickets available for $15 each or two for $25. All proceeds raised from this fun-filled night will benefit area mental health services.

Mrs. LaCroix, a long time board member at the mental health non-profit, wanted to raise spirits surrounding the tough issue of mental health and illnesses by bringing this fundraiser to her local community.

Suncoast Mental Health Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving the behavioral and mental health needs of residents of Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee counties for 19 years. Sun-coast Mental Health Center is accredited by the Joint Commission. For more informa-tion, contact Janiece George at 772-489-4726 extension 2008 or Debra Engle, CEO, at [email protected].

Sweetheart dance benefits Heritage Center

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