Sunday, December 12, 2010
Christmas Time In Port LaBelle
LABELLE, FL. -- You can tell it's Christmas in LaBelle. Residents in Port LaBelle's Laruel Oaks traditionally put up some large light displays at Holiday time. The video above shows only a few of the decorations this year on Springview Circle in the community.
At nearby Healing Waters Family Life Center on Birchwood Parkway and State Road 80, an elaborate "drive-through" live nativity display took place this weekend. (Video: Brendon Banda played "Joseph" and Rachel Wimberly "Mary" in the live nativity scene.)
Got some nice Christmas video we can publish here? Send your Youtube link to us!
8 Homes Sold In LaBelle Area
LABELLE, FL. -- From 11/16/2010 to 12/7/2010, there were 8 homes sold in the LaBelle area for an average price of $102,625.
The properties sold included:
1) $30,000 onBennett Ave
2) $40,000 onDolphin Cir
3) $69,000 onFort Simmons Ave
4) $25,000 onSena Ln
5) $31,000 onTeak Ln
6) $485,000 onE Fort Thompson Ave
7) $120,000 onN Riverview St
8) $21,000 onW Palomar Cir
Friday, December 10, 2010
Belle Glade Woman Farmer Honored
Woman Of The Year In Agriculure - Ann Holt
BELLE GLADE, FL. -- Ann Holt, a partner in Twin H Farms of Belle Glade, has been selected to receive the "Woman of the Year in Agriculture Award" for 2010. The award, now in its 26th year, recognizes women who have made outstanding contributions to Florida agriculture.
It is sponsored by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida State Fair Authority. The award will be presented on February 10, 2011, during the opening-day luncheon at the Florida State Fair in Tampa.
Ann Holt was born in Lake City in 1947. For more than 40 years, she and her husband, Tommy, have been raising sweet corn, with Ann taking care of the business side of the farm and Tommy managing the growing operation. Today, Ann and Tommy harvest nearly 2,000 acres of sweet corn in Belle Glade. They also grow cotton, peanuts, and sweet corn on 3,000 acres in South Georgia.
Despite the daily demands of running the family business, Ann Holt is active in numerous agricultural associations and non-profit groups. She's a leader in the agricultural community. Her mission is to educate Florida's urban residents about the benefits farming brings to the state.
Holt was the first woman ever elected president of the Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau. Under her leadership, the Farm Bureau began regularly hosting farm tours for visiting legislators and other government leaders. These tours emphasize growers' contributions to the local economy and the environment.
In 2007, as president of the Farm Bureau, Holt initiated Palm Beach County's annual Farm-City Week Luncheon and Farm Tour. Farm-City Week emphasizes the value of the rural-urban partnership and the interdependence of farmers and consumers. The annual luncheon and farm tour are great opportunities for agricultural and business leaders to meet and discover common ground.
Holt is a tireless ambassador for Florida agriculture. For years she has promoted the sweet corn industry at such events as the South Florida Fair and the Produce Marketing Association Annual Meeting. She has spearheaded many events in her community to help "city folks" get to know area farmers and their products.
By far the most popular is the annual Florida Sweet Corn Fiesta, which Holt launched in 2001. A public festival celebrating the spring growing season, the event takes place at the South Florida Fairgrounds and features live music, food, and corn-shucking and -eating contests. Managed and run entirely by volunteers, the festival educates Palm Beach County residents about the quality of the area's sweet corn. It also raises money for agriculture education and local food banks.
Holt is an outspoken advocate for agriculture and the rural way of life. She has organized and participated in countless meetings and trips to Tallahassee and Washington to present the views of farmers and ranchers to legislators. She was a longtime member of the Ladies of the Lake, an organization created by farmwomen around Lake Okeechobee for the purpose of giving voice to the concerns of area farming families. She was also a charter member of Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE), a national non-profit organization dedicated to helping farmers attain profitability in farming.
Holt is a strong supporter of agriculture education and serves on the South Florida Fair's Scholarship Committee. She has worked with FFA and 4-H and is an Agriculture Literacy Day volunteer.
During the holidays, Holt helps organize food and toy drives to benefit the underserved farming communities around Lake Okeechobee. She is the driving force behind the annual Hungry for Golf Tournament, which benefits the area's food banks. In addition, she organized the West Palm Beach County Farm Bureau to help raise funds for the new state-of-the-art hospital that opened in Belle Glade in 2009.
In recognition of her years of service, Holt has received many awards and honors. In 2008 she was named Woman of the Year by the Florida Agri-Women. In 2004 her family was named Farm Family of the Year by the Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau.
Ann Holt and her husband, Tommy, live in Wellington and continue to farm in the Belle Glade area. They have two grown children, Thomas Holt Jr. and Karina Holt Rothenberg.
BELLE GLADE, FL. -- Ann Holt, a partner in Twin H Farms of Belle Glade, has been selected to receive the "Woman of the Year in Agriculture Award" for 2010. The award, now in its 26th year, recognizes women who have made outstanding contributions to Florida agriculture.
It is sponsored by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida State Fair Authority. The award will be presented on February 10, 2011, during the opening-day luncheon at the Florida State Fair in Tampa.
Ann Holt was born in Lake City in 1947. For more than 40 years, she and her husband, Tommy, have been raising sweet corn, with Ann taking care of the business side of the farm and Tommy managing the growing operation. Today, Ann and Tommy harvest nearly 2,000 acres of sweet corn in Belle Glade. They also grow cotton, peanuts, and sweet corn on 3,000 acres in South Georgia.
Despite the daily demands of running the family business, Ann Holt is active in numerous agricultural associations and non-profit groups. She's a leader in the agricultural community. Her mission is to educate Florida's urban residents about the benefits farming brings to the state.
Holt was the first woman ever elected president of the Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau. Under her leadership, the Farm Bureau began regularly hosting farm tours for visiting legislators and other government leaders. These tours emphasize growers' contributions to the local economy and the environment.
In 2007, as president of the Farm Bureau, Holt initiated Palm Beach County's annual Farm-City Week Luncheon and Farm Tour. Farm-City Week emphasizes the value of the rural-urban partnership and the interdependence of farmers and consumers. The annual luncheon and farm tour are great opportunities for agricultural and business leaders to meet and discover common ground.
Holt is a tireless ambassador for Florida agriculture. For years she has promoted the sweet corn industry at such events as the South Florida Fair and the Produce Marketing Association Annual Meeting. She has spearheaded many events in her community to help "city folks" get to know area farmers and their products.
By far the most popular is the annual Florida Sweet Corn Fiesta, which Holt launched in 2001. A public festival celebrating the spring growing season, the event takes place at the South Florida Fairgrounds and features live music, food, and corn-shucking and -eating contests. Managed and run entirely by volunteers, the festival educates Palm Beach County residents about the quality of the area's sweet corn. It also raises money for agriculture education and local food banks.
Holt is an outspoken advocate for agriculture and the rural way of life. She has organized and participated in countless meetings and trips to Tallahassee and Washington to present the views of farmers and ranchers to legislators. She was a longtime member of the Ladies of the Lake, an organization created by farmwomen around Lake Okeechobee for the purpose of giving voice to the concerns of area farming families. She was also a charter member of Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE), a national non-profit organization dedicated to helping farmers attain profitability in farming.
Holt is a strong supporter of agriculture education and serves on the South Florida Fair's Scholarship Committee. She has worked with FFA and 4-H and is an Agriculture Literacy Day volunteer.
During the holidays, Holt helps organize food and toy drives to benefit the underserved farming communities around Lake Okeechobee. She is the driving force behind the annual Hungry for Golf Tournament, which benefits the area's food banks. In addition, she organized the West Palm Beach County Farm Bureau to help raise funds for the new state-of-the-art hospital that opened in Belle Glade in 2009.
In recognition of her years of service, Holt has received many awards and honors. In 2008 she was named Woman of the Year by the Florida Agri-Women. In 2004 her family was named Farm Family of the Year by the Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau.
Ann Holt and her husband, Tommy, live in Wellington and continue to farm in the Belle Glade area. They have two grown children, Thomas Holt Jr. and Karina Holt Rothenberg.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Hendry Former Deputy - 4 Year Prison Sentence
Henry Jail Administrator Forced To Pay Back $120,343.35 To Sheriff's Office
LABELLE, FL. -- Former Hendry County Sheriff's Deputy and Hendry jail administrator, Susan Russe Sibbald English appeared before Circuit Judge Christine Greider Thursday morning, pleading no contest to two felonies and asked for a delay until after Christmas for sentencing.
Appearing with her attorney Amira Dajani Fox, the judge accepted English's plea deal with the state today after an earlier deal was denied by the Judge. English said she wanted a sentencing delay in order to see her ailing father who was to visit Florida for Christmas. Judge Greider denied the delay.
English was found guilty today by Judge Greider of a 1st degree felony grand theft over $100,000 and falsifying a public document by a public servant. Greider admonished English during sentencing saying English violated her position of trust and authority as a officer of the law and Hendry jail administrator.
English cashed checks from the Hendry County Jail canteen account, taking over $120,000 between March 2006 and October 2008. She had earlier told investigators she took the money because her husband lost his job and to help take care of two grandchildren. She said all the money was already spent.
She was sentenced to 48 months in state prison, and restitution to the Hendry Sheriff's office of the money she stole plus $395 in court costs. 20 years of probation is to follow the prison term, and she is to pay $500 a month to the Hendry Sheriff's office for 20 years. If she pays restitution sooner, her probation may end earlier.
The maximum sentence English could have received was 30 years in prison on the Grand Theft charges, and 5 years on the Misconduct Felony charge, said Judge Greider.
The state's prosecutor, Mr. Plattner, declined to ask for restitution of monies spent by the state to investigate and prosecute English. Platter also told the court he had "no position whatsoever" about the court granting a delay in sentencing until after Christmas as requested by English.
At a previous hearing the Judge refused a proposed plea deal, for which English and state Prosecutor Plattner agreed for her to serve 23 months in prison, and be on probation for 20 years, paying back $120,343.35 at $500 a month for 20 years. English also asked the judge at that hearing to delay sentencing until after the holidays.
English. until today out on bond, was fingerprinted and taken into custody by Hendry county deputies at the conclusion of the 20 minute plea and sentencing hearing.
More stories on Susan English: http://swflorida.blogspot.com/search?q=susan+english
(Video above: Susan English Questioned By Judge, Sentenced And Taken Into Custody - 15 min.)
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
12 Hendry Arrests In Traffic Stops On SR29
1 In 33 Drivers Arrested In Friday Night Stops
LABELLE, FL. -- On Friday night, December 3, 2010 between the hours of 11:00 pm and 3:00 am Saturday morning, December 4, 2010 Sheriff Steve Whidden, and Hendry County Sheriff's Office Deputies assisted by the Department of Transportation conducted a DUI Sobriety Checkpoint near the intersection of Case Road and State Road 29 South in LaBelle.
According to the Sheriff's office 208 vehicles were stopped. Arrests were made to 6 drivers without a valid driver's license, 2 for possession of over 20 grams of marijuana, 2 for possession of alcohol by a minor, 1 for driving with a suspended or revoked license, and 1 for possession of a forged license.
More traffic checks will be made during December says the Sheriff's office.
LABELLE, FL. -- On Friday night, December 3, 2010 between the hours of 11:00 pm and 3:00 am Saturday morning, December 4, 2010 Sheriff Steve Whidden, and Hendry County Sheriff's Office Deputies assisted by the Department of Transportation conducted a DUI Sobriety Checkpoint near the intersection of Case Road and State Road 29 South in LaBelle.
According to the Sheriff's office 208 vehicles were stopped. Arrests were made to 6 drivers without a valid driver's license, 2 for possession of over 20 grams of marijuana, 2 for possession of alcohol by a minor, 1 for driving with a suspended or revoked license, and 1 for possession of a forged license.
More traffic checks will be made during December says the Sheriff's office.
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