— The city of Pahokee can’t account for nearly $2 million in taxpayer spending after an audit from the Inspector General in Palm Beach County which found overpayments to contractors and evidence that suggests fraud and abuse by a former city manager A copy of the report was sent to the State Attorney’s Office for possible criminal charges Inspector General John Carey said the audit’s findings show unprecedented widespread and systematic mismanagement of taxpayer funds “I have not found any city that we have audited or have been involved in with problems to this degree,” Carey told WPTV’s Ethan Stein Carey’s office said the issues identified in this audit and in past financial statement audits and OIG reports show a pattern of mismanagement and lack of accountability that has continued for at least 10 years The issues include overpayments to contractors city staff spending money without receiving required permission from elected officials and hundreds of purchases without purchase orders or proper paperwork according to the report published on Tuesday The report also found city staff did not fill out paperwork to exempt their purchases of sales tax then would reimburse employees for paying the state tax Auditors also found the city didn’t follow their travel policy requirements which included inappropriate credit card charges The report also said the city didn’t follow the recommendations in past audits, which found then-City Manager Chandler Williamson spent city money traveling to homecoming weekends at Benedict College in South Carolina the city said it would either seek outside services to implement and create policy or work with legal counsel to fix problems found inside the report "These reports by themselves are not enough to proceed with active prosecutions," a spokesperson from the State Attorney's Office told WPTV "If we get a complete filing packet from law enforcement that contains evidence that is usable and provable in court then we would be able to file charges in these matters City administration didn’t respond to WPTV’s request for comment on Tuesday afternoon (CBS12) — A Pahokee woman is accused of striking her ex-boyfriend with a crowbar and attempting to run him over with her car Deputies with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) say they responded to a domestic dispute and vehicle hit-and-run call in Belle Glade around 2 p.m Deputies reported meeting with the victim at the scene had struck him several times with a crowbar before attempting to hit him with her car Bell had attempted to gain access to his residence When he tried to prevent her from entering she struck him in the head with the crowbar After hitting him with the crowbar a second time she allegedly got in her car and attempted to run over him before crashing into his parked vehicle instead A witness statement and ring doorbell footage confirmed the victim's story When deputies caught up with Bell at her Pahokee residence they searched her vehicle and found a small crowbar and a black semi-automatic pistol PBSO deputies found probable cause to book Bell on counts of domestic aggravated battery and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony (CBS12) — The city of Pahokee can't account for nearly $2 million in taxpayer money after an audit from the Palm Beach County Inspector General The report found overpayments to contractors and suggests ‘fraud and abuse’ by a former city manager the Inspector General’s office said they found ‘widespread systemic noncompliance’ due to a lack of documentation for city expenses and unveiled a pattern of mismanagement and a lack of accountability “The city that we found the most widespread problems,” said John Carey “This is not the norm in Palm Beach County.” He told CBS12 News officials from the city of Pahokee requested the audit of its financial accounts in 2021 But that investigation was put on pause several times “Over the past number of years – even during the audit — they've had a number of city managers come and go and people they were dealing with,” said Carey the OIG uncovered nearly $2 million in funds that were “not properly accounted for.” See also: Waste Watch: WPB spends over $500K tracking city contracts The audit highlighted several financial management issues including excessive payments to contractors city staff making purchases without proper authorization from elected officials and numerous purchases without correct documentation some of those funds were used to purchase a bounce house for Cinco de Mayo and fireworks for the 4th of July Another $378,000 was spent without proper approval The report also found former City Manager Chandler Williamson used the city credit card to pay for travel to his alma mater in South Carolina and to pay for satellite radio we suggested that they seek an outside consulting company There’s a number of companies that help cities get on a solid base so they can move on,” said Carey is receptive to these recommendations and has implemented some changes during the audit The OID says they will check in with the city of Pahokee in 6 months to see how they are fairing The audit report was also sent to the state attorney’s office to look into allegations of fraud or misconduct by the former city manager a spokesperson for the State Attorney’s office said our office received a copy of the audit report from the Office of the Inspector General concerning the City of Pahokee While the report was sent to us for informational purposes we will be reviewing the findings to determine whether any further action is warranted.” Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day's top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can't miss video Inspector General John Carey has again found evidence of waste in Pahokee as well as alleging fraud on the part of a former city manager who had taxpayers pay for weekend homecoming trips to his alma mater in South Carolina In question is nearly $2 million in taxpayer spending according to the recent Palm Beach County audit Carey’s team says it found "widespread and systemic mismanagement" of taxpayer funds during the audit period of Oct The current city manager, Michael Jackson, was hired 10 months ago, and his administration was not a subject of the audit. Jackson told The Palm Beach Post the city has accepted the recommendations made and has already put many of them in place Workforce housing: Subsidies approved for two projects, but can workers afford the rents? The report has been referred to the State Attorney’s Office “Given the frequent change of city managers and finance directors we suggest the city consider hiring outside assistance to help implement policies outlined in the audit,” said Carey noting that the mismanagement in Pahokee has occurred for at least 10 years Previous audits also cited the city for a lack of accountability as well Audit faults Pahokee for lack of control over taxpayer dollarsSince April 2021 some of them appointed on an interim basis The city had the opportunity to challenge the report's findings but did not contest any of them There was such a lack of accountability during the audit period that the report concluded that it could not determine that the nearly $2 million in questionable costs “were for a valid purpose,” adding: “We cannot assure that the city received the goods and services it paid for.” While those costs were labeled “questioned,” the audit accused former City Manager Chandler Williamson of fraud He was the city manager from February 2015 to May 2021 An attempt to reach Williamson for comment was not immediately successful but he was given the opportunity to respond to the report's findings city commissioners requested the inspector general to do the audit Williamson used a city-issued credit card to purchase a flight totaling $1,721 to attend the annual convention of the Southern Municipal Conference and Williamson failed to submit any documentation that his trip to South Carolina was city-related has a history of using his city-issued credit card to pay for transportation and lodging for his attendance at homecoming weekends at his alma mater according to the inspector general's office Williamson also had the city pay for a Sirius XM radio subscription The city also could not locate a $1,300 laptop that it had issued to him fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars,” the audit alleged Murvin and commissioners Benny Everett and Felisia Hill of conspiring with one another to award Williamson $67,000 in severance pay The lawsuit alleged that the four commissioners manipulated a meeting agenda to allow Williamson “to steal” the money by refusing to swear in new commissioners who would have fired him until after Williamson had resigned The lawsuit also alleged that Williamson paid an engineering company $150,000 for work that was never performed It called on Williamson to repay the city more than $250,000 The lawsuit was settled out of court in November 2021 The Post has filed a public records request with the city to obtain the terms of the settlement Carey said he was unaware of the litigation but added that it was something that is office would review — I spent the day at an apartment complex in western Palm Beach County where dozens of residents were without electricity Florida Power and Light told me they shut off the power due to safety concerns after finding cut wires at the complex in Pahokee WATCH: Residents without power for hours after safety concerns There are 60 units in the Pahokee apartment complex but all are were without power for hours as FPL shut off the electricity Wednesday afternoon I showed up here after getting calls from tenants who were livid. They were living without electricity I reached out to FPL and I asked the utility why it suddenly shut down power FPL spokesman Kamrel Eppinger gave me this statement: who identified himself as the property manager showed me a fourth of the meters had been removed “You see them right there that’s uncovered We still have not been able to confirm who removed the meters and I'm working to learn if the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office is involved in the vandalism case were exposed and FPL said they carry an electrical charge WATCH: Residents tell WPTV how they managed without power “I worry about fire,” Megan Mastowski said whatever could possibly happen with that type of situation.” Some tenants tell me there is plenty to worry about Danielle Warford showed me an evacuation notice posted in February 2023 they should have been made at this time,” Warford said “We’ve been dealing with this since February 24 Pahokee’s city manager told me he’s working with both the landlord and FPL to restore power as soon as possible (CBS12) — A dog was found in an abandoned Pahokee apartment surrounded by waste and lacking food or water The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) said that deputies responded to the apartment on Rardin Avenue where they reported being met immediately with the smell of ammonia and feces The probable cause affidavit states that as deputies walked further into the apartment they found a dog named Bella locked in a cage without any food or water An Animal Care and Control officer arrived on the scene and took Bella to their facility in West Palm Beach for evaluation and care Further investigation led to the owner of Bella identified as 26-year-old Christopher Butler The report states that during a call with Animal Care and Control Butler shared that he had left Bella in the apartment because it had become unlivable due to black mold He admitted that he did not check on Bella regularly sometimes going as long as two days without visiting her Butler confirmed with deputies that Bella had been padlocked in the cage with no means to escape he expressed their desire to surrender Bella to Animal Care and Control Butler has been accused of animal cruelty and abandonment of an animal Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day's top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can't miss video — Residents at a 60-unit apartment complex on Rardin Avenue in Pahokee went without electricity for nearly 24 hours Florida Power & Light (FPL) disconnected the power after discovering broken power meters but were able to get the lights back on Thursday afternoon using a flashlight to navigate his apartment estimated losses of over $200 in spoiled groceries due to the outage My kids can have an asthma attack any day,” said Cheryl Davis a mother of three who is particularly stressed due to the reliance of her children on ventilators that require electricity Davis mentioned she had to send her children to another city to escape the conditions stated that some tenants vandalized the power meters in an effort to avoid paying for electricity leading to the shutdown of power to the entire complex impacted residents will be reimbursed for their losses But tenants like Jerkayla Fitzgerald expressed concern about ongoing issues at the complex bugs keep coming in from drains," Fitzgerald said Residents also voiced frustration about delayed maintenance with Arnold noting a leaking hot water issue that has persisted for months being this way to me or anybody else,” he added During a phone conversation with the landlord he indicated he is hiring a maintenance crew to help resolve the ongoing issues residents are facing and plans to up security they hope for a swift resolution to all of their issues and return to normal living conditions which he believed they had hidden on purpose A small knife with a black handle and video footage showing Cruz holding two knives were submitted as evidence (CBS12) — A migrant worker from Guatemala is accused of stabbing a coworker over a missing phone on Christmas Eve in Pahokee The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO) said on December 25 flagged down deputies to report a violent incident that occurred the night before Christmas at a nearby migrant camp at 1401 Joe Louis Avenue the alleged stabbing took place around 9:30 p.m and other migrants living at the facility informed him of a stabbing involving multiple people directed authorities to the people involved One of the victims reported that Gelser Ivan Ramirez Cruz confronted him about a missing phone Despite the victim's offer to help locate the phone was convinced his coworkers were playing a trick on him and allegedly began slashing away at several of his coworkers while another victim received a lower back laceration See also: Christmas Eve hit-and-run in Lake Clarke Shores under investigation The second victim told deputies during his interview that Cruz became irate during the search for his phone and — without warning — began slashing at him and the first victim the second victim chose not to pursue prosecution while the first victim expressed he did not feel safe and wanted to press charges PBSO said the 23-year-old suspect was arrested and booked into the PBSO West Region Detention Center for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon — Two men are recovering from slash wounds after deputies said they were attacked on Christmas Eve Investigators in Palm Beach County say a migrant farm worker got angry at his co-workers and pulled out several knives Deputies call the complex where this happened along Joe Louis Avenue in Pahokee a migrant camp They say not being able to find his phone is what set off Gelser Ivan Ramirez Cruz who is in Florida on a work visa from Guatemala told his co-workers about his missing phone Two of his coworkers told Cruz they didn't know where his phone was But deputies say Cruz "was convinced his co-workers were playing a trick on him and became upset." grabbed two small knives and began slashing Deputies confirmed the two men who were helping Cruz were slashed with the knife — one was cut on his stomach The migrants at the camp were able to stop Cruz and take his knives which deputies say are the same ones he uses at work alongside the victims at a local farm Cruz is facing a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon Cruz told investigators he never intended to hurt anyone he just wanted to scare them into giving his phone back (CBS12) — Over 350 gallons of raw sewage spilled near an elementary school in Pahokee last week after a wastewater main broke The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) said the spill occurred on the roadway of 560 E Main Place near Pahokee Elementary IB World School on January 25 at 11:39 a.m but around 356 gallons of raw sewage spilled onto the roadway The FDEP said the affected area was washed down and treated with hydrated lime to lessen potential hazards See also: Local group home parent advocates for more nurturing caretakers in foster system The FDEP said the spill impacted Palm Beach County but no further updates on the environmental impact have been provided — A Pahokee woman who lost her home in a fire last week and has been sleeping in her car Holiday gifts can come in boxes or wrapped in bows a district chief for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue WPTV shared a story about Jennette Fernandez a breast cancer survivor who lost her mobile home and two cats in a fire and was forced to live out of her car “It's like being in heaven,” said Fernandez “This is like my new 2024 house,” she said The new house was donated by Skip Herbert from West Palm Beach. After seeing our report on Friday “I've been trying to sell the motor home for a long The community spent all morning clearing and moving her old burned home for the new one like Sirforina Marshall thankful she has a place to live “I’m very grateful that God saved her,” said Marshall said she couldn’t rest until Fernandez had a place to live “I don't need anything for Christmas anymore Herbert said its easy to call this time of year the season of giving but what matters is what one does during this time “You have to actually do it,” said Herbert — A toddler shot himself in the hand Monday after a loaded gun was left on a couch resulting in the arrest of a 24-year-old Pahokee man According to a heavily redacted probable cause affidavit the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office responded to Lakeside Medical Center in Belle Glade where the 2-year-old boy was taken for treatment An investigator with the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) interviewed the child at the hospital about what happened to his hand according to the sheriff's office incident report The boy went on to tell the DCF investigator that "The gun was on the couch!" Detectives said they went to the apartment where the shooting took place and found a single shell casing in the living room and blood droplets on the floor They also spoke to a neighbor who told them that they heard one gunshot and then heard a child screaming for protection because there was a shooting recently and he believed that someone might want to harm him to get to a family member The report said that Mathis told investigators that typically he puts the firearm in a snap-sealed box and places it on top of the kitchen's cabinet." he "accidentally left the handgun on the couch" when he was outside talking to others Deputies found the handgun with a loaded magazine and an empty round in the chamber in the kitchen cabinet of the home Mathis was taken to the Palm Beach County jail and faces charges of child neglect with great bodily harm and culpable negligence — Neighbors and a first responder lent a helping hand to a Pahokee woman who lost nearly everything to a fire this week Jeanette Fernandez lost her mobile home from a fire on Monday at Pahokee Beach RV Resort she showers and uses the bathroom in a tent behind her burned home Two of her cats survived the fire and she now lives in a temporary home Fernendez is a breast cancer survivor—her medication and oxygen tanks lost in the rubble I need like my more than 20 in the morning a district chief with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue responded to the fire and is also a breast cancer survivor When Jaramillo saw Fernandez’s desperation she knew she needed to help “But we all need that one person that says you're strong enough the Retired Firefighters of Palm Beach County donated a $500 check to Fernandez “[I’m] thankful and happy,” said Fernandez Lammons was a team captain on the 2008 state championship team the illustrious program's most recent title He was part of three state championships with Pahokee and played collegiately at Buffalo “I was born and raised to bleed big blue,” Lammons said in the announcement I’m honored to lead the Blue Devils into the future.”  Watch the best high school football games in Florida Under the lights: An essential guide to Palm Beach County high school football Lammons has worked as a teacher in Palm Beach County over the past decade He serves as president of the City of Pahokee football program and is a board member of the Mid-Florida Football and Cheer Conference the Blue Devil football program is poised to continue to be one of the elite scholar athletic programs in the District and state,” said Pahokee Middle-Senior High School Principal Dwayne Dennard “The hard work of the coaches and scholar athletes is progressing as the school is committed to creating and supporting a highly successful athletic program.”  Pahokee football will enter the season with its fourth head coach in the past two calendar years Pahokee finished 6-5 and lost to Williston in the second round of the playoffs Javier Beard was listed as the Pahokee football head coach on MaxPreps on Thursday afternoon but will not lead the team into the 2024 regular season after Lammons' promotion The 2024 high school football regular season is scheduled to begin on Aug Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post He can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com We occasionally recommend interesting products and services If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently — The Pahokee Blue Devils are sitting 6-2 heading into the biggest game of the season for them The "Muck Bowl" is the unofficial state championships for Glades Central and Pahokee     It's practice time for the Pahokee Blue Devils At 6-2 this season's much more gratifying than last year's 6-5 campaign we have our two losses," head coach Carlos Lammons said "Those losses we see where we could've made the game very different so we're proud of where our boys are right now." Lammons said he views Friday as an unofficial championship game between his Blue Devils and long-standing rival Glades Central "I'm expecting a win but we're expecting our guys to go out and give it their all," he said One of those guys Lammons plans to depend on heavily is Kani Smith "Kani Smith has been a leader for us this year He's been flying around making plays all over the field," he said 190-pound defensive end and outside linebacker said his season has been so-so "It's been going good but not the season I expected Still on pace for the numbers I want to put up," Smith said Smith is confident the Blue Devils are ready for the "Muck Bowl." "Because of the preparation that we put in out here on the field and practice I'm totally confident in the team," Smith said Lammons said Smith is considered the heartbeat of the team      "I'm looking for this kid somewhere on Saturday's performing well," he said The list includes only those players who have played in an NFL game See where it ranks among other top schools in Florida here Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com Writes about football and basketball as a Senior Writer and hosts "The Nick Bartlett S.. Aidin Ebrahimi covers the NBA for SuperWest Sports Spencer McLaughlin contributes videos to SuperWest Sports and is the host of "Locke.. Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formu.. Writes about track and field and Oregon football as a columnist for Super.. writes about various topics for SuperWest sports (CBS12) — A Pahokee man faces fraud allegations after he received tens of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief loans despite the fact he reportedly never had a business in his name nor was there a business at the address he used on the application The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) filed its probable cause affidavit against Malik Hall in late May; however he was not taken into custody until Wednesday morning was booked on a single count of organized scheme to defraud between $20,000 and $50,000 the amount Hall reportedly borrowed cleared the $20,000 threshold by less than $1,000 He is accused of accepting $20,832 for the business he claimed to have – a business that did not have a name His applications for loans from the Paycheck Protection Program listed a Pahokee address that matched the home address listed in the affidavit he reportedly listed himself as an independent contractor of Habbo Cleaning Investigators indicated they could not find evidence that the money obtained was used to purchase products from that account and only listed multiple money transfers he made See Also:Boynton Beach commissioners appeal recommendation to rehire former police officer The affidavit lists Hall’s income during the two years that COVID-19 related restrictions were at their highest as well as the three years leading up to that time Only once did his annual income top $11,000 and it fell to less than $5,000 in the subsequent years Hall’s combined income for 2020 and 2021 was reportedly less than $500 The affidavit goes on to detail the tax information he claimed to acquire the loans as well as several accounts balance in the months following the loan being issued in May 2021 by Prestamos CDFI A Pahokee man died Friday afternoon after his car veered into oncoming traffic on a two-lane road west of Belle Glade and hit another vehicle according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office was driving his 2005 Scion xB southbound on State Road 715 around noon on Friday when his car veered into the northbound lane and hit a 2019 Ford F-150 truck traveling the opposite direction according to a sheriff's office crash report Investigators do not yet know why Thornton's car veered into oncoming traffic The report said the 27-year-old driver of the F-150 was unable to avoid colliding with the Scion a small city on the west side of Lake Okeechobee He sustained minor injuries during the crash Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work; subscribe today Pahokee, which has won six state championships, has hired Carlos Lammons as head coach Lammons was a defensive back and team captain on the Blue Devils' last championship team in 2008 "It's a blessing to be in this position in the community where I was born and raised," he said Glades Central also has won six state championships, but none since 2006. Omar Haugabook takes over as head coach after serving as an assistant the past four years at Pahokee "We're trying to rebuild everything when it comes to a football program," Haugabook said Neither first-year head coach expects an immediate return to state prominence Glades Central is coming off its worst two-year stretch in recent memory Pahokee finished 6-5 and beat Glades Central in the annual Muck Bowl last season but a lopsided loss to Williston in the Class 1R playoffs showed how far the Blue Devils still have to go Here's a look at the teams' prospects for the 2024 season: Other than the four years he spent playing football at the University of Buffalo where his father was defensive coordinator He coached defensive backs on the 2017 team that was stripped of the state Class 1A title because of an ineligible player he has overseen the city's youth football program trying to build it back up to an elite level "We all came up as champions at the youth level," Lammons says of his playing days but football has to become a priority again wide receiver/cornerback Hardley Gilmore and running back/linebacker Jenorris Wilcher who passed for 609 yards and seven touchdowns before an injury sidelined him for the last three games who backed up Wilcher and averaged 5.1 yards per carry last year "can do a little bit of everything," Lammons said "He's probably the most talented player on the team." Pahokee will take on some the county's biggest schools – including Palm Beach Central Cardinal Newman and Palm Beach Gardens – in preparing for the small-school playoffs "I know there's a lot of doubters," Lammons said talks about culture and tradition when he recalls his playing days He was tutored by former Glades Central quarterbacks Brad Banks who played on three state championship teams "There was very rich tradition," Haugabook said they saved me from a lot of stuff that I could have gotten into and I'm trying to show these kids the bigger picture." Haugabook played for Dodge City (Kansas) Community College and Troy University where he began his career in law enforcement he spent school days at Glades Central as a Palm Beach County School District officer then drove 13 miles to join the coaching staff at Pahokee for afternoon practice "I have nothing bad to say about Pahokee," Haugabook said "They will always have a special place in my heart I'll be rooting for them until we get to the Muck Bowl." he's Officer Haugabook during the school day and coach Haugabook on the practice field He knows he has to instill a winning attitude with the Raiders it's about doing what we need to be doing," he said Haugabook has an experienced quarterback in Taj Barnes who "reminds me so much of myself," and a core of seniors who are "tired of losing." The Raiders join Clewiston and Fort Myers-Bishop Verot in District 10-2A this season "We've still got some questions to be answered," Haugabook said "I feel like we're getting to the point where those questions will be answered We've got a lot of guys who have something to prove a lot of guys who have a chip on their shoulder Those guys want to put a stamp on the program."        The coaching carousel keeps revolving in Pahokee but the speed-burning playmakers remain the same This isn’t the usual Pahokee roster filled with Division I commits, but it was athletic enough to overwhelm visiting Seminole Ridge 28-3 Friday at Anquan Boldin Stadium in Week 3 “We got weapons all over the board," star junior quarterback Xavier Mitchell said It’s about putting them in the right spot." scored easily on its first two possessions including opening up a lovely evening in “The Muck” with a 91-yard drive “We came out expecting to dominate and we did,” elite senior running back Rashon Brown said Four Pahokee players had touched the ball on the drive for sizable gains before senior receiver Herbert Crawford put the finishing touches on it made two exquisite cuts and ran it home for a 59-yard touchdown reception with 5:30 left in the first quarter Mitchell racked up more than 200 passing yards with three TD passes and Brown electrified out of the backfield Mitchell was saluted by the coaching staff in the postgame speeches “I got my guys the ball and into the end zone," Mitchell said took over in August for Matthew Sparrowhawk who decided he couldn’t coach into his second season after major back surgery had taken over for the fired and flamboyant Emmanuel Hendrix After losing to Palm Beach Central in a nail-biter and crushing Inlet Grove to start the year Pahokee is now 2-1 and looking more dangerous and deep than some predicted collective effort and everyone stepped up (when) their number was called," Lammons said we want to be undefeated but we’re getting better every week Only one coach remains from last year’s staff as Lammons brought over a handful of guys from the football-rich city’s youth programs on which he had been working All the coaches gave a talk to the players after the rout Lammons made a point of telling the group to walk around campus “as if you’re a starter," showing the bravado that will help the program overall What makes Lammons’ start even more impressive is that he didn’t have a spring season with the team to ease his transition “I’m not going to have any excuses," Lammons said “I have a great staff and support with administration Everything’s coming along the way it should." “He always going to tell me what’s right and what’s wrong Pahokee took an early 15-0 lead against Seminole Ridge Pahokee scored after Cyril Boyce recovered a fumble It gave Pahokee possession at Seminole Ridge’s 48 Brown took a pitch and went 37 yards for the score early in the second quarter and was a menace all night He finished the scoring with 7:45 left in the fourth quarter on a 23-yard screen pass that came after Kamari Foreman’s 44-yard catch-and-run On a two-point conversion after the second touchdown Pahokee used Uzarus Boswell at quarterback we don’t have anyone committed to a school But we’re getting a lot of great looks from good colleges another Pahokee player made a big play as receiver Ja’vorian Jones caught a 47-yard touchdown bomb from Mitchell with 1:43 left in the third quarter for a 21-3 lead “Mitchell played a great game," Lammons said Pahokee will be tested next week when it travels to face powerful Cardinal Newman “We respect them and it will be a battle to the end," Lammons said Seminole Ridge (0-3) will be searching for its first win when it goes against West Boca but will have star linebacker Ty Jackson back Jackson missed Friday’s game with a hamstring strain the team believes is minor Seminole Ridge had fallen behind 13-0 before storming back to take the lead Seminole Ridge didn’t manage any big comeback it drove from its own 16 to the Pahokee 6 behind some stout running by Willie Brown But the Hawks couldn’t punch it in and settled for a 23-yard field goal with six seconds left by Evan Holowecky Seminole Ridge coach Chad Chieffalo lamented “We have to learn how to start games the way we finish them."  His Hawks still haven’t accomplished his mission Sheldon Miles previously faced a first-degree murder charge after Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office investigators alleged he shot a man early on the morning of Feb The victim was identified in court as Carl Martin Miles pleaded to the lesser offense of manslaughter with a firearm during a hearing on Tuesday The judge credited Miles with one year and two months of time served in the Palm Beach County Jail meaning that he is expected to be released from prison in less than three years When asked why the state's offer was for only four years Assistant State Attorney Chrichet Mixon told the court many witnesses were reluctant to testify because of concern for their safety School police arrest: Officers say aide had off-campus sexual relationship with Palm Beach County student One witness told sheriff's investigators Miles and Martin had argued on the evening prior to the shooting outside the Muck Tavern a Pahokee restaurant near Lake Okeechobee that is less than a mile from the shooting scene "You're going to die tonight," according to PBSO accounts A second witness described hearing gunshots and seeing Miles run away a short time later The witness said they learned of his identity when a friend showed the witness his Instagram page 'Ma'am, I will shoot you': Men stormed grandmother's home, stole $70,000. How they'll pay. Further investigation linked Miles to a BMW that a license-plate reader detected at State Road 80 and State Road 715 about 30 minutes after the homicide Deputies estimated it to be about a 25-minute drive from the homicide scene to the license-plate reader's location Miles and the vehicle were tracked to an address in Orlando where he was taken into custody at a relative's home one of them a standout football player at Pahokee High School Circuit Judge Sherri Collins sentenced Milton Miller of Pahokee to 10 years in prison on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide in the April 3 Miller could spend less time in prison if he complies with a court order Collins said she will reduce his sentence to five years in prison and five of probation if he returns to court for a scheduled hearing on Aug 15 and avoids incurring any new criminal charges before then 2024 hurricane season: Forecasts all point to a busy season with La Niña and warm ocean temps The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office charged Miller who was a juvenile at the time of the fatal crash Investigators with the county sheriff's office said Dukes and Honeycutt were passengers in a Dodge Challenger sports car driven by Miller that afternoon Miller drove recklessly along the 3500 block of northbound State Road 715 when he lost control of the Dodge and collided with a southbound Ford F-150 pickup injuring that vehicle's 78-year-old driver A report from the Dodge's event-data recorder indicated that the vehicle was traveling at 109 mph — nearly double the posted speed limit of 55 mph — just seconds before an airbag was deployed Wide open races: Three Palm Beach County school board incumbents won't seek another term Dukes and Honeycutt both attended Pahokee High School and administrators there posted public condolences on social media in the days after the crash was expected to be a key contributor this past fall as a senior on the Blue Devils' football team Miller recently graduated from the Pahokee campus of the Everglades Preparatory Academy charter school He has been on in-house arrest since being taken into custody but was permitted to attend the school's commencement ceremonies on Tuesday Congratulations, class of 2024 It's that time again for the sound of "Pomp and Circumstance" as high school seniors at Pahokee High School collect their diplomas at the school's graduation ceremony This is the third year that graduations are back to normal since the COVID-19 pandemic began COVID canceled ceremonies in 2020 and caused curbs in 2021 on the immensely popular festivities To see graduation galleries of other Palm Beach County schools, please go here we trudged through the high school football season there were many great games and memorable moments It’s Regional Semifinal (for Class 2A and 6A) and Regional Final (Class 1R) week in the Gainesville-area Fourteen teams last week shrunk to eight surviving teams – five in 1R The number is guaranteed to fizzle to five as three of five matchups see local teams battle each other Let’s pick some games after my 8-3 record last campaign The potential of this matchup has been discussed so much for the last six weeks that there isn’t much to say anymore All I’ll say is: If you are in Bradford County Friday night It’ll be a special night at Bradford's David Hurse Stadium The Panthers have two losses and are the visitors. But are they the underdogs? I don’t think so. Newberry dismantled Bradford 21-7 in Alachua County on October 11 for the district title The Panthers figured out the Tornadoes in a way no other team has having three Division I players on defense helps in that endeavor Newberry’s offense moved just enough in the third quarter to pull away It will also have the home-field advantage with a fervent fanbase but Newberry has the talent and the special something No game in the area will have as much talent on display as this one to Buchholz and Wisconsin commit Nick Clayton the quality of football at Citizens Field will be superb The Bobcats know the feeling of battling top talent Their strength of schedule has been much discussed did about as well as it could for being on one end of the state there is more to football than strength of schedule who can give the ‘Cats at-time shaky defense some trouble Whittemore has built the team for this moment and their offense is peaking at just the right time but they know they got to get through Pace first The Blue Devils are the class’s best program historically and have won five of their last six this isn’t the same Pahokee team of years past This also isn’t the same Fightin’ Tigers team of years past — Union County is better which allowed 20 points or more in back-to-back games only scored over 30 points twice this season It won’t do enough to take advantage and keep up with UCH The Fightin’ Tigers will meet Madison County – again Few people had this matchup on their bingo card Both Williston and Fort White deserve massive props for their wins last week and the Indians weathered a long drive to stifle Jay Demetric Jackson’s squad underperformed with injuries and a tough schedule and I have concerns about their poise on the road after an emotional upset The legend proved he’s still got his fastball last week vs He’ll fire it one more time in Columbia County on Friday night The Lafayette Hornets are another team that deserves some respect They scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to overcome a 13-point deficit and win 43-42 scoring 43 will be a little bit more arduous vs Hawthorne didn’t break a sweat against Branford last week Noah Ram covers Gainesville-area high school sports and University of Florida athletics for The Gainesville Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him by email at Nram@gannett.com and follow him @Noah_ram1 on X/Twitter This community and the surrounding area around the southern shores of Lake Okeechobee but the people of Pahokee’s past has often been skipped over McKinley and Suchak spoke over Zoom to tell us why this story has resonance for Americans far beyond “the Muck.” Filmmakers Bhawin Suchak and Ira McKinley (l-r) Bhawin: We thought it was going to be more of an ESPN 30 for 30-type football story but then realized that narrative has been done before What was really powerful was you have a family in a community where everyone wants to leave and get out the community connections with the cookouts and with Alvin being a football coach—him just really providing so much grounding and love to these young men A post shared by Independent Lens | PBS (@independentlens) Ira: “The muck” has always been about survival Even though the people didn’t have money they have food and sources to eat so why do I need money and then migrant workers were no longer as involved because [farms] went from using labor to using machines That’s what we’re trying to explain in the film and now there’s a bigger Mexican population in the area because those are the ones [working] in the field and the level of pride and resilience and fortitude that [was] built in those people who suffered all these different tragedies and have so much collaboration in just the most basic survival skills of going fishing and hunting and sharing resources You’ll see people sharing their catch or sharing the rabbits and the fruits and vegetables It was a counter-narrative to all these films about rural communities where people always want to get out and maintains those family histories?” Like Ira says in the opening of the film “I had to tell this story because if I don’t it’s going to disappear.” An important part of this film is the spirit going through that town about connecting to the history and the ancestors I was interested in doing a film that wasn’t just about a social issue from a more traditional standpoint but about showing you something you may have never seen before when it comes to a community like Pahokee You haven’t seen the stories of the people that remain Bhawin: Ira gave me the book Muck City [Winning and Losing in Football’s Forgotten Town] He told me about his family’s history Zora Neale Hurston [who wrote her important novel in nearby Belle Glade]—all of it—and I said “This is an incredible story.” It was going down [to Pahokee] and meeting Ira’s family that sold me I started to build that relationship with the family and get a sense of what the community stories were and some of the history I didn’t want to just go in there and start filming I wanted to make sure I had people’s trust and a level of understanding of what we were trying to do Ira: When I first came down there before Bhawin did I had a chance to tour it and reconnect because I hadn’t been there for 35 years The first year we really filmed we had to do a GoFundMe We had to raise like $10,000 and Bhawin’s parents helped put money in But we had a season [where] we went in before we even got really big funding We filmed [Pahokee High’s football team] during their undefeated season and that’s what really connected us to the people We didn’t know they were going to win and we really cobbled it together: the GoFundMe Ira: Stories have been told [about Pahokee] throughout [its] 100 years of history That’s when my family came up north [as migrant farmworkers] I left Florida in ’79 and ’80 and went back in 2015 I used to go there two times a year but never lived in that type of setting things would come back to me with déjà vu about a place There’s more people that don’t play in the NFL and that’s why you see the poverty That’s why you see all those just trying to bring resources a lot of the women are doing better because a lot of them are going out and getting educations Bridgett is getting an RN [registered nursing] degree She is the “mother” to many people there We tried to tell the stories of Alvin and some NFL players as family-oriented There’s got to be more hope for the youth and others than playing football Everybody can’t be a football player There’s people that have other talents The reason why they go catch rabbits is to help the family eat All the kids are doing is trying to help the family eat Bhawin: I work with young people across different genders one of the things they’re craving is people in their lives to hold them accountable in a way also backed by care and love Allowing them to grow into who they are and not judge them That’s something I really admired about Alvin while we’re filming that you don’t see a lot One story unfortunately we had to cut was about a young man they call “B Man.” You see him in the film but his story goes really deep: he was 14 and got arrested for armed robbery Alvin took him under his wing and mentored him gave him a shot at being a football player he’s got a baby and a job and lives down there still But Alvin did that with so much care for these young men not judging them and not casting them away it’s football—aren’t you talking about how dangerous it is?” That’s part of it but I want to show there’s also a level of love and community and camaraderie here that is so critical to the life of these young men they may not have someone in their life looking out for them The way Alvin mentored and cared about these young men was important to show—that masculinity can be expressed in many different ways When everyone’s telling each other how much they love each other Everyone talks about how Black families are broken and men don’t do anything—and it’s like That’s just because that’s what you choose to show the public There’s another side to this story that you were not showing.” All Alvin does is spend time with his kids and his family He doesn’t party and do any of that stuff He’s just with his family and those boys on the football team Ira: Bhawin has another organization he’s running they’re being used and they’ve been used for hundreds of years We’re coming down using our money to try to build and help them but they’re so beat up by what’s been going on I’m glad my people got me out of there I still got family members—my bloodline starts there and feel like I’m being shut out even though I have support These are the barriers we’ve got to break down Ira: We are trying to do a workshop right now for youth media [in Pahokee] and the pushback we get on trying to do it is crazy But [there’s] red tape with the political stuff because they don’t want us to bring this down there for people’s benefit Bhawin: It’s part of our impact project with Outta the Muck A lot of young people down there have so much talent so many ideas and ways they want to express themselves It seems the only way they can get that energy out is through sports and football We had all these things they don’t even have anymore.” Part of what Ira and I are trying to do is use my resources through Youth FX to bring training to young people to be able to tell their own stories without folks like us coming down there Bhawin: There’s also documentaries coming out that in some form weave in the story of Zora Neal Hurston, which has really not been told in a broad scope. Executive Producer Sam [Pollard] did a documentary about Hurston [2008’s Zora Neal Hurston: Jump at the Sun for PBS’s American Masters], but there’s other films like After Sherman and Descendant that also talk about this When Ira was down there doing all that preliminary research he had already known about this aspect of the town you couldn’t find people who know who Zora Neal Hurston is We feel PBS supporting these types of films with this history and community culture from the perspective of the actual people are so important because not everyone responds to a straight historical documentary “How are they not teaching this in our own schools?”  They’re like we live in this incredible historic town but some of that is even obscured from us.” That’s what Ira was talking about He’s going down there trying to help educate people and bring this history to the town but it’s hard because there’s a lot of structural issues there They’re so marginalized and underfunded that they don’t have access to that Help bring programs like Independent Lens to your PBS station Web Design by Gravitate Around 20 families are being forced out of their homes in Pahokee with nowhere to go after they say the city condemned three apartment buildings (CBS12) — Around 20 families are being forced out of their homes in Pahokee with nowhere to go after they say the city condemned three apartment buildings Residents say they were given four days to get out of their homes and that is unacceptable Kristina Bryant has been living in the Parker apartments along Rardin and Adams streets for six years "The landlord doesn’t want to work with anyone to give them a place to live or help give them any expenses to move we are just stuck," said Bryant The letter from the city was posted on the walls of the three buildings after an inspection found the property was no longer safe See also: Gov. DeSantis: "There's a new sheriff in town" "When COVID-19 started things started going downhill and they promised to renovate the apartments and make some changes," said Bryant Residents say the landlord never keep those promises instead he continued moving tenants in without fixing and of the existing problems "I haven’t even been here a month he took the security deposit and the first month's rent it wasn’t even ready there was glass in my window Danyelle moved to Pahokee from Broward County at the beginning of the month because the rent was more affordable We don’t have money to pay for a U-Haul," said Warford CBS12 News reached out the landlord Harry Segal who owns WPB Holdings LLC to find out why no efforts were taken to fix up the building and why tenants aren't being given their security deposits back we have not been able to get a hold of anyone Your browser is not supported for this experience.We recommend using Chrome Welcome to Florida's rural areas of vacation opportunities There is an abundance of things to do from the Florida Caverns in the northwest Panhandle to Lake Okeechobee in the south Copyright © document.write(new Date().getFullYear())2021 VISIT FLORIDA. All rights reserved. VISIT FLORIDA® is a service mark of the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation, d/b/a VISIT FLORIDA, registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. | Contact Us (CBS12) — Investigators captured a suspect in Orlando for a murder in Pahokee is charged with first-degree murder with a firearm and discharging a firearm in public The shooting happened just after midnight on Feb The first deputies on scene found a 28-year-old man dead with a gunshot wound to the head Investigators learned the shooting stemmed from an altercation at the Muck Tavern about a mile away.Surveillance video from the area picked up the commotion after the shooting and a man wearing dark-colored clothing running from the scene a witness told deputies that Miles told the victim "you're gonna die tonight."A second witness said he saw the shooter approach the victim from behind before the shooting The witness said he saw a muzzle flash and the same man run past him The witness said he could identify the shooter's face because he wasn't wearing a mask A third witness told investigators "TJ" drove a gray BMW The witness also said the shooter used "TJ" as an alias and gave investigators the man's Instagram account that information led to a search of phone records The BMW turned out to be registered to the murder suspect's mother Investigators used License Plate Reader technology to track its movement on the day of the killing around Loxahatchee and Royal Palm Beach investigators detected the car in the Orlando area A fourth witness told investigators he met the victim at the Muck Tavern on the night of the shooting The victim told the witness that "TJ" was "laying on" him The witness said Miles was at the Muck Tavern in an orange sweater but later changed his clothing to all-black The witness said they saw "TJ" shoot the victim and run past the Blue Store after the shooting investigators met with the suspect's mother in Orlando She told investigators that she lends her car to her son and his girlfriend and that he often goes by "TJ." She said her son had her car on the day of the shooting and that she met her son and his girlfriend in Riviera Beach to retake possession of the car authorities found a live round of ammunition in the front driver-side door with markings that matched the spent shell casing at the crime scene See also: Man killed, woman wounded in shooting in Loxahatchee Groves Authorities arrested Miles in Orlando on March 17 He was extradited to Palm Beach County on March 24 Miles is being held at the Palm Beach County Jail on a $10,000 bond (CBS12) — Even after hours of pumping the Pahokee City Marina New water sample findings reveal that the water within the marina is more toxic than some residents expected The levels of toxins are more than 100 times higher than the health advisory limit according to theFlorida Department of Environmental Protection The video that was taken Wednesday morning shows clumps of the highly toxic cyanobacteria caked-up and clinging to the docks of the marina where several houseboats are kept "They don’t want this here in Pahokee," said Congressman Brian Mast "They don’t want it the Lake Worth Lagoon I don't care if I should have to anchor myself in my rowboat to our lock and dam If they try to dump this into our community at any point I will do everything that I physically can to prevent them from doing that I don't care if they lock me up and put me behind bars." FDEP is reporting on its dashboard that Pahokee's microcystis which is freshwater cyanobacteria also known as blue-green algae Congressman Mast visited the Pahokee Marina Wednesday after residents complained of a recent toxic algae bloom READ:Pahokee residents want answers after recent algae bloom on Lake O Residents living near Pahokee Marina & Campground worry that nothing is being done to prevent another possible outbreak Mast said he planned to do everything physically possible to prevent the water from being dumped in the community Crews were at the Marina Tuesday trying to pump the marina clean of algae The Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County has issued a Health Alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in Lake Okeechobee near the Pahokee Marina located in the City of Pahokee This is in response to a water sample taken on April 26 The public is encouraged to exercise caution in and around Lake Okeechobee near the Pahokee Marina located in the City of Pahokee Blue-green algae are a type of bacteria that occur frequently in Florida’s freshwater environments A bloom occurs when rapid growth of algae leads to an accumulation of individual cells that discolor water and often produce floating mats that emit unpleasant odors Blooms may negatively impact fish and other aquatic animals Some environmental factors that contribute to blue-green algae blooms are sunny days still water conditions and a plentiful supply of nutrients Blooms can appear year-round but are more frequent in summer and fall Many types of blue-green algae can produce toxins Algal blooms can result in high toxin concentrations you cannot tell if blue-green algae are producing toxins just by looking at a bloom Blue-green algae blooms can impact your health Direct contact or breathing airborne droplets (such as those created by pond/lake fountains or irrigation/sprinklers) containing high levels of algal toxins can cause irritation of the skin Other symptoms include nausea and vomiting There is not sufficient information available yet on potential long-term health impacts from exposure but we are actively supporting research to find some of these answers and those who are immunocompromised may be at risk even at low concentrations and should avoid any exposure Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions: water ski or boat in waters where there are toxic algae blooms Wash your skin and clothing with soap and water if you have contact with algae or discolored or smelly water Waters where there are algae blooms are not safe for animals Pets and livestock should have a different source of water when algae blooms are present Do not cook or clean dishes with water contaminated by algae blooms Boiling the water will not eliminate the toxins Eating fillets from healthy fish caught in freshwater lakes experiencing blooms is safe Rinse fish fillets with tap or bottled water Do not eat shellfish in waters with algae blooms The Pahokee mayor said the city's municipal power is limited and there is no money set aside for algae clean-up Four people had to be airlifted after a major crash in Pahokee on Tuesday (CBS12) — Four people had to be airlifted to the hospital after a major crash in Pahokee on Tuesday Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said four trauma alerts were issued and all four were transported by Trauma Hawks in less than 16 minutes to St Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach A fifth patient was transported by ground to St No word on the current conditions of the victims the brother of former NFL standout Anquan Boldin The former Pahokee High School head football coach announced on Tuesday afternoon that he resigned from his position of head coach at Lake Erie College in Ohio “I want to thank all of the student athletes I have had the opportunity to coach and mentor The last 3 years have been nothing short of amazing “Looking forward to the next chapter and the next opportunity that will help me to continue to give kids the chance to better their lives and chase their dreams.” their only win coming at North Michigan the second game of the season after being defeated who had been the team's interim coach in 2022 Boldin’s bio did not appear on Lake Erie’s athletic website as early as November 15, according to Mark Podolski of the News-Herald who has previously served as an offensive assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers as head coach after a stint as the team's interim coach who stepped down as the Storm's coach in November 2021 Boldin originally resigned from Pahokee to be LEC’s wide receivers coach his time was filled with the success that was tough to find up north His journey with Pahokee began in 2019. The Blue Devils finished 6-6, but advanced to the final four of the state football playoffs. That thrilling season was captured in the HBO docuseries “4th and Forever: Muck City.” When the Palm Beach County School District opted out of the Florida High School Athletic Association’s state series the following year during the pandemic Pahokee made the makeshift Class 1A-6A tri-county gold playoffs The following February, Boldin stepped down from his position at Pahokee, leaving then-defensive coordinator Emmanuel Hendrix in charge. Hendrix, who led the Blue Devils to 9-2 and 9-3 records, was fired in March 2023 which resulted in the promotion of assistant coach Matthew Sparrowhawk The Blue Devils finished the 2023 season 6-5 with a region semifinal run in Class 1R Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post she can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.