South Central Florida Life
Featured

Corps might consider removing most expensive piece of Lake Okeechobee Watershed Restoration Project

More Featured

Current conditions
Observed from: Okeechobee County Airport
Fair, 72 °F
Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. South southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight. Get the full forecast
Read Lake Okeechobee News

E-edition

Read the latest print edition here.

View this issue

Browse other issues

Coronavirus

More Coronavirus

Community

Free electronic filing options for military members and their families

Active duty military personnel have multiple options for free federal tax preparation
Edna Pearce Lockett

Highlands County Heritage Festival planned at Lockett Estate

BASSINGER  -- The historic Edna Pearce Lockett Estate will be the site for the 2021 Highlands County Heritage Festival.

Counties impacted by tropical storm Eta granted a Secretarial disaster declaration

The Secretarial disaster declaration names Collier, Hendry, Lee, and Miami-Dade Counties as primary disaster areas, as well as Glades...

More Community

Weather

Eta was rare November surprise for South & SW Florida and the Keys

Now that the water has receded and the cleanup is underway, let’s take a closer look at Eta’s track as well as how rare of an event...

Okeechobee County closes emergency shelters; flood watch in effect

Okeechobee County opened emergency shelters on Sunday due to the approach of Tropical Storm Eta. On Monday morning, shelters were closed. No one used the shelters. A flood watch is still in effect.

Glades County Schools closed Monday, Nov. 9 due to tropical storm

Glades County schools will be closed Monday, Nov. 9.

More Weather

Human Interest
On Feb. 25, the Florida Forest Service announced the launch of a wildfire prevention initiative aimed at educating residents
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, this year’s Alzheimer’s “Rally in Tally” – March 9-11 – will be in a virtual format

More Human Interest

Find Us On Facebook
Facebook
Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee holding stable around 15.4 feet
Lake coalition meets Friday
FWC to conduct aquatic plant control on Lake Okeechobee

More Lake Okeechobee

School News

Florida soars on Advanced Placement performance

Florida vaulted to #2 in the nation for successful Advanced Placement (AP) performance, with 34.2% of the graduating class of 2020 scoring a 3 or higher...

Moore Haven Middle High School congratulates staff

On Feb. 12, Moore Haven Middle High School congratulates Jennifer Price, Orpha Hernandez, Tom Gaskins, Betty Tills and Calinda Chapman for being recognized for their hard work...

Virtual series to educate on septic, well water systems

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will host a webinar series about wells and septic

More Schools

Police/Fire
MOORE HAVEN – The speed limit on County Road 721, from north of Brighton Seminole Reservation to the county line, is now 40 mph. At their Feb. 22 meeting Glades County Commission voted to...
FWC Division of Law Enforcement received recognition Feb. 18
As home fires continue to surge throughout the South Florida Region, the Red Cross urges residents to test their smoke alarms and practice...
Sheriff Steve Whidden and the Hendry Country Sheriff’s Office will host the Ride Around the Lake Motorcycle Rally...
On Jan. 13, police released new photos to mark 25 years since 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas...

More Police/Fire

Government

People should be on the lookout for identity theft involving unemployment benefits

The IRS urges taxpayers whose identities may have been used by thieves to steal unemployment benefits to file a tax return In 2020, millions of …

Glades County Commission meets Feb. 22

Water conservation will be a topic of discussion at the Glades County Commission meeting on Monday, Feb. 22
GLADES COUNTY – Glades County commissioners plan to lower the speed limit on County Road 721, also known as Reservation Road, until the road base is stabilized and the road repaired.

Speed limit change on County Road 721 to be temporary

Glades County Commissioners discussed an amendment to the county’s comprehensive land use plan.

More Government

Sports
The annual Chalo Nitka Big Bass Tournament is set for Saturday, Feb. 27 at Alvin Ward Park, Moore Haven, FL 33471, from safelight until 1 p.m. Pictured is a lighter bass caught by one of the contestants from a previous year.

Chalo Nitka Big Bass Tournament takes place Feb. 27

The annual Chalo Nitka Big Bass Tournament is set for Saturday, Feb. 27 at Alvin Ward Park in Moore Haven

Teen takes rodeo honors

Moore Haven presents rodeo winners who competed in rodeos all the way in Oklahoma!

Rodeo week kicks off with 10th Monster Bulls and 145th Silver Spurs Rodeo

The Silver Spurs Riding Club announces its 10th Annual Monster Bulls event on Feb. 13

More Sports

Traffic & Road Work
Crews will be making improvements to SR 78 from US 27 to the Herbert Hoover Bridge
The following column is the road watch report for Glades County for the week beginning Sunday, Feb. 14, provided by FDOT.

More Traffic

Health
We know her now as a One Blood recruiter, but Linda Hazellief has had many unusual occupations.
Each year, Through With Chew Week raises awareness about the dangers of smokeless tobacco use
New Year's resolutions do not always go according to plan.

More Health News

Veterans
Today, February 25, 2021, at 11:00am, MIAP – Florida, in cooperation with Van Orsdel Family Funeral Chapels in Miami-Dade County, and the...
The VA has vaccinated 1 million veterans.
WEST PALM BEACH — The West Palm Beach VA Medical Center will host a Veteran Enrollment Event on Saturday, Jan. 30

More Veterans

Agriculture
Cultivars planted indigo for field trial on Dec 12, 2018.

UF/IFAS indigo field trials yield success as synthetic dyes lose appeal

Synthetic dyes are taking a back seat as consumers and manufacturers are driving increased demand for natural dyes
Molting is the annual process through which hens cease to lay eggs and, instead, divert their energy toward replacing their feathers.

Hen Molting: What To Egg-spect

Molting is the annual process through which hens cease to lay eggs and, divert their energy toward replacing their feathers.

USDA announces signup for Conservation Stewardship Program

Through CSP, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service helps agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for expanding conservation...

More Agriculture

Business

Okeechobee KOA is under new ownership

Okeechobee KOA is under new ownership.

FPL ends coal-fired power generation in Florida

After the clock struck midnight on Dec. 31, Florida Power & Light Company formally closed its last coal-fired plant in Florida...

More Business

Opinion
National Social Security Advisor at the AMAC Foundation Russell Gloor answers questions about Social Security.
Dear Rusty: I am a retired Texas teacher receiving my State pension. I retired in February 2009
When we developed the dry season water management strategy for Lake Okeechobee ..

More Opinion

State News

Officials: 1 dead in Florida single-engine plane crash

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — One person died when a single-engine plane crashed into the brush near a South Florida airport on Sunday, according to authorities. The Luscombe 8A went down toward the end …

Trump calls for GOP unity, says he won't start another party

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Taking the stage for the first time since leaving office, former President Donald Trump on Sunday called for Republican Party unity in a speech at a conservative political …

NTSB to investigate missing plane in Florida

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday that it is investigating the crash of a single-engine plane off the coast of Boca Raton. The NTSB tweeted that …

More State News

Nation & World

UN Human Rights Office says 18 killed in Myanmar crackdown

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Security forces in Myanmar opened fire and made mass arrests Sunday as they sought to break up protests against the military’s seizure of power, and a U.N. human rights …

Purim celebrations threaten fresh virus outbreak in Israel

JERUSALEM (AP) — Mass gatherings took place in Jerusalem on Sunday as Israelis celebrated the Jewish holiday of Purim in violation of coronavirus restrictions. Authorities had been concerned …

More Nation & World

Top Trending Stories
The Florida Housing Coalition, the state’s leading nonprofit provider of training and technical assistance dedicated to affordable...
The FWC has updated the “Panther Pulse” page with mortality information through February 15, at 1:15 p.m.
The Chalo Nitka Ranch Rodeo which kicks off Friday, March 5 and continues following the festival itself Saturday, March 6. Rodeo action, featuring bull riding, barrel racing and...
Special Sections