Hendry County Sheriff Arrests - Drugs, Failure To Appear

Arrest Blotter

01/26/2026 – 02/01/2026

FELONY – DUI

Miguel Angel Medina, 18, Hialeah was arrested on January 26, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff D. Givans on charges of Felony Failure to Appear

Jayden Albert Thelusma, 23, Lehigh Acres was arrested on January 26, 2026, by Deputy Sheirff R. Gosa on charges of Felony Probation Violation and Possession of Marijuana under 20 grams

Fanice Roseanne Thomas, 18, LaBelle was arrested on January 27, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff E. Vasquez on charges of Battery by Strangulation

Max Alan Dye, 38, LaBelle was arrested on January 27, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff G. Hull on charges of Fleeing & Eluding Deputies

Orestes Sanchez, 58, Clewiston was arrested on January 28, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff R. Gosa on charges of Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon without Intent to Kill

Jody Lee Winn, 33. Clewiston was arrested on January 28, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff G. Camacho on charges of Felony Probation Violation

Christina Marie Gore, 45, Okeechobee was arrested on January 28, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff D. Givans on charges of Felony Failure to Appear

David Lee Chapman Buhlmair, 20, LaBelle was arrested on January 29, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff D. Givans on charges of Felony Failure to Appear

Yeilis Viera Varona, 34, Miami, was arrested on January 29, 2026, by Det. K. Negron on charges of Felony Out of State Fugitive

Humberto Perez, 29, LaBelle was arrested on January 31, 2026, by Deputy R. Angelo on charges of Kidnapping and Battery

Daniesky Morales, 35, Davie was arrested on February 1, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff N. Garza on charges of Possession of Controlled Substance without Prescription

Stephen Anthony Bivona, 32, Ft. Myers was arrested on February 1, 2026, by Deputy Sheriff R. Angelo on charges of Possession of Methamphetamine

Alva W P Franklin Lock Closed February 3

ALVA, FL. -- The W.P Franklin Lock will likely be closed for the entire day on 3 February 2026 for electrical upgrades. Please plan accordingly.

For the current Lake Okeechobee water levels, please see: https://w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/currentLL.shtml

For up-to-date Lock information, contact the shift operator 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at:

St Lucie Lock & Dam 772-287-2665 or 863-662-9148
Port Mayaca Lock & Dam 561-924-2858 or 863-662-9424
Julian Keen, Jr. Lock & Dam 863-946-0414 or 863-662-9533
Ortona Lock & Dam 863-675-0616 or 863- 662-9846
W.P. Franklin Lock & Dam 239-694-5451 or 863-662-9908
Canaveral Lock 321-783-5421 or 863-662-0298 (6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.)

A Lodge Called Folkestone by Bob Kranich

A Lodge Called Folkestone

The Dream, The Challenge, The People

by Bob Kranich

This is a new book. It is about the Lodge I built in the Smoky Mountains, near Bryson City, and Deep Creek campground, North Carolina. Having been from Florida, I know that a lot of Floridians love to visit the Smoky Mountains National Park. Therefore hopefully you will enjoy my story of the building of “A Lodge Called Folkestone”.

(Excerpt 15)

“The Lodge Called Folkestone”. You may wonder why the first half of the book is about my many adventures throughout the USA. Well, this first part explains just why my interests changed from hot rodding cars to backpacking. How the idea of a lodge came about, and just how the lodge came to be in North Carolina and next to the Smoky Mountain National Park, Deep Campground to be exact.

They thought that it would be a fun activity. We must have gotten at least ten cousins and friends, and a couple of adults who we needed to drive us and chaperone. Everyone got their school backpacks, sketch pads, water carriers, and snacks, and off we went on a nice summer day. We drove to a point with road access about a couple miles from the converging point of the two railroad tracks. Then we headed down the tracks. There were lots of different railroad bridges we walked across. A trestle, a steel girder bridge. We stopped to cool off in a stream. The kids took tracings off of some old tomb stones we found at a church, and one fellow did some sketching.

After that adventure, I began working on another. This time it would be a combination bike and hike trip. I went down to the Waukesha library, and looked around at the Wisconsin travel literature. Then I found it, the Elroy To Sparta rail-trail, a Wisconsin State trail. The state of Wisconsin had bought the right-of-way shortly after the Chicago and North Western Railway discontinued its freight service in 1964. They opened the trail in 1967. Since this was the summer of 1968, it had been open just a year. In fact, when we went on our bike and hike adventure, we didn’t see anyone else on the trail. Today, it is one of the most used rail-to-trails in the United States. Over 60 thousand people use it every year.
This trail is 32 and one half miles long running through three towns, Kendall, Wilton, and Norwalk. There are three tunnels, one between each of the five towns. Two of the tunnels are 1,600 feet long, and the other is 3,800 feet long. The Chicago and North Western Railway ran this route between St. Paul and Chicago. In its heyday, it ran six passenger trains and 45 plus freight trains a day along this route.

I figured that to get everyone organized, drive up there, do a round hiker/biker trip, and come back all in one day, I would have to plan carefully. I studied the maps and found out that the most spectacular tunnel is No. 3, being 3,800 feet long. I decided that we would leave our bikes on highway 71 at the trail. Then, we all would drive to Norwalk and hike the three miles on the trail through the tunnel. After that, we would take our bikes and bike back to Norwalk on highway 71. This was a total of about seven miles. I could tell by the type of road that it more than likely was not a busy highway.

It seemed like a good plan, and everyone liked it. This time, we got a couple of dads, in addition to the moms that had come before. We had to transport a lot of bikes. There were about fifteen of us. We went this time on a Saturday, when the dads with the pickup trucks to carry our bikes were off work.

It was about 160 miles to Norwalk from Waukesha. We got everyone organized, and left at nine. We went right through Norwalk, and locked up the bikes on highway 71 near tunnel No. 3. We then went back to Norwalk, parked the cars, and since everyone had their own lunch, we started our hike. It was very interesting walking along the old railroad roadbed. But it got exciting when we approached the tunnel portal. It was dark in there, and it was a good thing we all brought our flashlights.

The hike went off perfect. Not only did the kids have a good time, but the adults were impressed also!

My time in Wisconsin was about over. I had visited a couple of months, and my money was almost gone. It was September, and I needed a job. I had my resume printed up, and sent some off from Waukesha. I got a quick answer from a contract company. I was to be an electrical technician working in Rochester, New York, for General Dynamics. It was the same job experience and description I had earned from the U S Army. They were building ground support test equipment for the F-111 Fighter-bomber.

I said my goodbyes to my uncle, aunt, and their family, and headed out to Rochester, New York, in my trusty Ranchero. When I got there, they put me right to work. It was exciting being an electronics technician. After I had been there for a month, my supervisor told me that they had a different job for me. They had read my resume, and saw that I had been a draftsman. They needed draftsmen more than they needed electrical technicians. So here I was, back on the drafting board.

In the middle of December, I got caught up in the annual Christmas layoff. They laid me off, and I headed south. Soon I was back home in Florida, living in my parents’ camping trailer. I knew for sure that I had been caught up in the annual Christmas layoff. After the first of the new year, the contract company called me and said that General Dynamics wanted to hire me back. I said no.

Florida Parks Free February 13-16 For Washington Birthday

Photo: Lake Kissimmee State Park, Lake Wales

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – As the nation begins commemorating America’s 250th anniversary, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection invites residents and visitors to explore the places where history unfolded. In honor of George Washington’s birthday, Florida State Parks will offer free admission from Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, through Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, encouraging visitors to experience the landscapes that shaped the nation’s earliest chapters.

Florida’s state parks are more than destinations for outdoor recreation. They are living connections to the people, places and events that helped define America long before it became a nation. From barrier islands and riverbanks to forts and frontier settlements, these sites offer visitors a chance to walk the same ground where history was made.

Florida played a complex and often overlooked role during the Revolutionary period. At the time, British West Florida was sometimes described as the “fourteenth colony,” and several present-day state parks preserve sites connected to that era.

Visitors can explore Revolutionary War-era connections at parks including:

Big Talbot Island State Park and Fort George Island Cultural State Park, where plantations once produced indigo and Sea Island cotton that helped support the British cause.

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, where a frontier trading post facilitated commerce between Native Americans and British settlers.

Tomoka State Park, the site of a British indigo plantation along the Tomoka River.

San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park, where control of the fort shifted during periods of British rule.

Fernandina Plaza Historic State Park, Amelia Island State Park and Fort Clinch State Park, which were connected to small military conflicts and border tensions with the neighboring colony of Georgia.

Free admission applies to day-use only and excludes Skyway Fishing Pier State Park and Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park. All other fees, including overnight accommodations, special events, concessions and rentals from park vendors, will remain in effect.   

Find your park and plan your visit at FloridaStateParks.org. To learn more about Florida’s role in America’s 250th anniversary, visit America250FL.com.

Cold-Stunned Iguanas May Be Removed Without Permit Says FWC

FWC issues executive order regarding cold-stunned green iguanas

On Jan. 30, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) issued a new executive order outlining special regulations designed to temporarily allow people to remove live, cold-stunned green iguanas from the wild without a permit and bring them directly to five designated FWC offices in the South and Southwest Regions on Sunday, Feb. 1 and Monday, Feb. 2. Green iguanas are an invasive lizard in Florida that have adverse impacts on Florida’s environment and economy.

When temperatures drop and sustain to near-freezing or below, reptiles and amphibians, including nonnative green iguanas, can go into a state of torpor, where they temporarily lose muscle control and appear “frozen” — sometimes even falling out of trees. The FWC reminds the public that if you encounter a cold-stunned green iguana, you should never bring it into your home or building to warm up and never put it into your vehicle unless specifically transporting to the FWC under the regulations of EO 26-03. Iguanas can recover from cold-stunning more quickly than you might expect and, once recovered, can act defensively, with long tails that whip and sharp teeth and claws.

The special regulations under Executive Order 26-03 provide a unique opportunity for members of the public to remove green iguanas from their property during this unusual cold-weather event and bring them to the FWC, no permit required, to be humanely killed or, in some cases, transferred to permittees for live animal sales. Green iguanas are a Prohibited species in Florida, and other than during the dates listed within EO 26-03, may not be possessed without a permit — including temporarily, such as during transport. EO 26-03 allows people without a permit to be in temporary possession of Prohibited green iguanas so they may collect and transport cold-stunned iguanas to the FWC.

Special regulations under EO 26-03 include:

Staff at five FWC locations will be receiving wild, cold-stunned iguanas collected by the public on Sunday, Feb. 1 from 9 a.m.-noon, and on Monday, Feb. 2 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Drop-off locations include:

FWC South Florida Regional Lab, 2796 Overseas Highway 119, Marathon, FL 33050
FWC Office, 10052 NW 53rd Street , Sunrise, FL 33351
FWC Tequesta Field Lab, 19100 SE Federal Highway (US 1), Tequesta, FL 33469
FWC Law Enforcement Office, 2423 Edwards Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33901
FWC Southwest Regional Office, 3900 Drane Field Road, Lakeland, FL 33811.

People without a permit may only be in possession of live green iguanas for the purpose of transport to the FWC and under the regulations of the executive order.

Removal of green iguanas may be done by property owners or by members of the public with landowner permission. The regulations also apply to any Commission-managed property in the South and Southwest regions.

When collecting live, cold stunned green iguanas for removal, members of the public should wear protective gloves, pants and long-sleeved shirts to protect themselves from potential scratches. The iguanas must be contained in a secure, escape-proof, cloth sack or bag. Only cloth sacks or bags may be used for primary containment to ensure breathability, and they must be securely closed shut. Once collected and prior to transport in your vehicle to an FWC office, the secured collection bags should be placed into a second secure, locked transport container labeled “Prohibited Reptiles.” Collected iguanas should be transported to the FWC immediately to limit the likelihood of the iguanas regaining their ability to move freely.

Once transport has begun, collection bags or sacks must remain closed or sealed until they are transferred to FWC staff. This is to both keep the iguanas from escaping into a new location and to prevent the iguanas from getting loose in your vehicle if they start to recover from torpor.

Invasive green iguanas are not protected in Florida except by state anti-cruelty laws, and members of the public may humanely kill green iguanas year-round on their property or with landowner permission. EO 26-03 provides people wishing to remove green iguanas from their property – but unable to safely or humanely kill iguanas themselves – the opportunity to remove them during this unusual, sustained cold weather event and bring them to the FWC. Outside of the conditions under this executive order, people needing assistance with safe and humane removal of iguanas can contact a professional wildlife control operator. Landowners wanting to discourage iguanas from frequenting their property can find more information at MyFWC.com/Nonnatives.

More than 600 nonnative fish and wildlife species have been reported in Florida. Eighty percent of these have been introduced via the live animal trade, with 139 species established in Florida, meaning they are reproducing in the wild. Invasive species management is a high priority for the FWC because these animals negatively impact native fish and wildlife, cause damage that is costly to repair, and can pose a threat to human health and safety.

To view Executive Order 26-03 visit MyFWC.com/About, and click on “Office of the Executive Director.”