South Central Florida Life
Featured

More Featured

More Lake Okeechobee

health
The COVID-19 map for July 31, 2022 from the CDC shows most of Florida high risk. Only Glades, Collier and Franklin counties are at medium risk.

Florida at high risk for COVID-19

Florida’s COVID-19 new case positivity rate remains high, at 20.7% for July 22-28, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Over the next few days we'll be recognizing a few of our colleagues who have won an HCA Healthcare Award of Distinction. First up is our Frist Humanitarian Award volunteer winner, Bob Groth!

Volunteer recognized for years of service to hospital

Over the next few days we'll be recognizing a few of our colleagues who have won an HCA Healthcare Award of Distinction.
This July 17 map from the Centers for Disease Control shows counties at low, medium and high risk for COVID-19 transmission. Okeechobee County (highlighted) is at high risk, as our Highlands, Hendry, Palm Beach and Martin counties. Glades and Collier counties are at medium risk. [Art courtesy CDC]

New covid variant blamed for increased positive cases

Most of Florida is at high risk for COVID-19 according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

More Health

Current conditions
Observed from: Okeechobee County Airport
Fair, 75 °F
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Calm wind. Get the full forecast
Read Lake Okeechobee News

E-edition

Read the latest print edition here.

View this issue

Browse other issues

Lake Okeechobee Real Estate
Lake levels
13.97 feet
Last year: 13.50 feet
Depth given in feet above sea level.
Water Flow Chart
Community

Healthy Start buys a new building

Okeechobee Healthy Start purchased a 3,200 square foot building after spending over a quarter of a century renting...

National Electric Vehicle Consortium to hold first-ever meeting at IRSC

On Aug. 4 and 5, 50 national leaders, representing education, government and industry will convene at the IRSC Pruitt Campus...

Cattle drive ends at Cattleman's Square Park

Okeechobee Mainstreet's Cattle Drive Sculpture project is nearing completing, with all sculptures...

Okeechobee Main Street honored with state awards

Kathy Scott was honored as an Outstanding Local Main Street Supporter ...

Kiwanis learns about Chobee Nation Travel Basketball program

Jovanny Torres spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Okeechobee representing the Chobee Nation Travel Basketball program.

More Community

Human Interest

Adopt a pet: Meet Dugg

Looking for a true love bug? Well, look no further! 

Barefoot beekeeper has no fear

While most 9-year-olds are playing ball or playing with Hot Wheels, Levi English is learning how to care for bees.

Inspiring Okeechobee: Starving artists can be inspiring too

Usually, when you hear the term “starving artist,” you kind of know what it means, but don’t really take it literally.

Adopt a pet: Meet Traci

Hi all my friends out there in Doggo land! My name is Traci...

More Human Interest

Find Us On Facebook
Facebook
Police/Fire

Body found off U.S. 441 S.E.; OCSO investigating

OKEECHOBEE -- The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office is currently working on a death investigation in the 800 block of 441 SE. Deputies were called to the area around 9 a.m.  on Sunday, …

True Okee episode 7: Crush

True Okee is a podcast featuring true crime and weird stories from the forgotten heartland of South Florida.

Okeechobee Arrest Report

The following individuals were arrested on felony or DUI charges by OCSO, OCPD, FHP, FWC, DOC, ONTF.

More Police/Fire

Weather
A new study reveals how historic building trends on U.S. coastlines overlap with sea level rise projections...
A tropical wave is coming off the coast of Africa.

More Weather

Schools
Traffic in both directions must stop for school buses. The only exception is a highway divided by a median.
Christine Bishop and Leslie Maynor are both candidates running for the Okeechobee County School Board District 1 seat.
Mr. C's fundraising hike around Lake Okeechobee ended with a bang when he was able to donate 168 filled backpacks to students in Okeechobee who needed them.
Daryl Roehm has been hired as the coordinator of Career and Technical Education for the Okeechobee County Schools

More Schools

Sports

More Sports

Wildlife & Environment
On July 22, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) added the migratory monarch butterfly...
As new residents move to Florida at the rate of 1,000 people a day, an effort is underway to preserve green spaces ...
Manatee deaths in 2022 are on track to be even worse than in 2021.

More Wildlife & Environment

Government
City of Okeechobee residents will pay $30.50 per month for garbage collection starting Oct. 1.
The Okeechobee City Council opted to roll back the property tax millage at their Aug. 2 meeting.
City residents and business owners received a flyer last week urging them to attend Tuesday’s city council budget meeting.

More Government

Veterans

Veteran Fite served his country in the Navy

Navy veteran Clarence Fite recently celebrated his 99th birthday. Looking back on his life, you might be surprised to learn that he originally planned on being a horse jockey.

Friends of Army Aviation to host event at Okeechobee Airport

Friends of Army Aviation will be coming to the Okeechobee County Airport on Thursday November 10...
Subscriber exclusive

Veteran struggles after botched surgeries

Veteran Christopher Stephens thought things were going to get better after he had surgery on his shoulder, but instead, they were exponentially worse.

June is PTSD Awareness month

June is PTSD Awareness month, and local veteran Gregg Maynard shared his thoughts on the subject.

More Veterans

Opinion
Two years after the pandemic scrapped many people’s vacation plans, travelers are seeking new experiences...
Air conditioning systems are complex machines filled with wires, coils, fans and electrical components.

More Opinion

Agriculture
They may be called “aromatic” blueberries, but they don’t just smell nice -- they taste good.
The National Day of the Cowboy, celebrated each year on the third Saturday in July, honors the hard working pioneers who helped establish the American west.

More Agriculture

Health

HCA Florida Raulerson Hospital hosts students

IRSC - Indian River State College’s Intro to Healthcare students visited HCA Florida Raulerson Hospital...

Our Village Okeechobee partners with Compass Health

Our Village Okeechobee is helping patients obtain insurance.

FDOH issues safety alert for fentanyl overdoses

The State of Florida has seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl.

Listeria cases linked to Sarasota creamery

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released information regarding the outbreak of ...

More Health

Business
You don’t want to miss being one of the first to tour the new facility and congratulate them on providing the various services...
During the July 18 Clewiston Board of Commissioners meeting, Vice Mayor Greg Thompson urged officials to look into installing …
Patti Suarez, who owns and operates Parrott Island Restaurant, was completely blown away when she realized her restaurant...

More Business

Traffic & Road Work

Notice of road closure

Okeechobee County has scheduled a road closure at westbound NW 144th Drive (Potter Road) to install...
Subscriber exclusive

City public works department hires first female 'in the field' employee

The city of Okeechobee hired its first "in the field" female employee in March of this year. 

One lane access at N.W. 344th Trail during drainage work

Okeechobee County has scheduled a partial road closure (one-lane access will be provided) at N.W. 344th Trail...

Temporary road closure today and tomorrow

Okeechobee has issued a traffic advisory for a temporary road closure.

More Traffic

State

Florida prosecutor vows to fight Gov. DeSantis suspension

ST. PETERSURG, Fla. (AP) — A Florida prosecutor vowed Sunday to fight his suspension from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis over his promise not to enforce the state's 15-week abortion ban and support …

Parkland shooter's prosecutor had bloody facts on his side

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The prosecutor seeking to sentence Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz to death let the facts speak for themselves as he presented his case: terrifying witness …

More State

National & World

Asian stocks mixed after US job gain paves way for rate hike

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stocks were mixed on Monday after strong U.S. jobs data cleared the way for more interest rate hikes and China reported its exports rose by double digits. Shanghai and …

Firefighters battle big blaze at Cuba tank farm for 2nd day

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban firefighters were joined by special teams sent by Mexico and Venezuela on Sunday as they battled for a second day to control a fire blazing at a big oil tank farm in the western …

More Nation & World

Top Trending Stories
Special Sections
X