Gainswave Therapy in Lake Worth Beach, FL

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The Lake Worth Utility District on Saturday successfully stopped that flow of millions of gallons of wastewater, four days after the sewer line ruptured.

A 36-inch line was damaged Tuesday night when a contractor working with AT&T hit the sewer line near Florida Mango Road between Waterside Drive and the L-10 Canal. An estimated 3 million to 5 million gallons dispersed.

"However, thanks to the swift and coordinated response efforts of the city of Lake Worth Beach Utilities and several local municipalities and adjacent utility companies, we were able to contain and transport the discharged wastewater, mitigating further environmental impact," Sam Heady, the district's utility director, wrote in an email to WPTV.

Heady noted they are in a cleanup phase.

"Last night's and this morning's operational efforts marked a crucial milestone in this challenging endeavor, as the leak has been effectively stopped," Heady wrote. "Now, our focus shifts to the vital clean-up efforts in the affected canals and lakes."

Crews used vacuum trucks to remove contamination from the affected canals and aerators to add oxygen back to the water and reduce odors. Crews installed a bypass around the site of the leak so that sewage can move freely.

Booms were placed both up and downstream from the break to aid in the temporary containment of the spilled wastewater, which is being pumped out and recovered into the wastewater treatment system.

"I want to express my deepest appreciation for the exemplary dedication and tireless commitment demonstrated by our Utility staff and all involved parties throughout this emergency response," Heady said. "Their unwavering resolve and collective efforts have been nothing short of phenomenal. In just three days, we have accomplished what would typically require over a two weeks’ worth of work."

He noted there was a "long week of 24-hour workdays, culminating in a nerve-racking final 12 hours. However, amidst the challenges, the resilience and professionalism displayed by our team have been truly commendable."

Earlier this week, Palm Beach County spokesman John Jamason said Florida Mango Road would be closed between Waterside Drive and Garden Road before Tuesday.

Drinking water is safe.

Staff from the Department of Environmental Protect and the Florida Department of Health have been onsite to provide technical assistance and oversee response activities.

On Wednesday night, the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County issued a health alert, no swim advisory and no irrigation to residents and visitors in the area. Drinking water is not affected.

Water sampling efforts are being conducted.

The affected areas are Lake Clarke and Lake Clarke Shores, L-10 canal, L-9 canal, Grassy Saw Lake, Lake Osborne, C-51/West Palm Beach canal, the canal between Waterway Drive and West Lake Drive, the canal between West Lake Drive and Pine Tree Lane, Keller canal, other nearby surface water bodies connected to those water bodies.

"Anyone who comes into contact with the water in this area should wash thoroughly, especially before eating or drinking," spokesman Alex Shaw said in a news release. "Children and older adults, as well as people with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to disease, so every precaution should be taken if needed."

"Protecting Florida's environment and the health and safety of our residents and visitors is DEP's top priority, DEP spokesman Jon Moore wrote to WPTV on Saturday. "Once first response efforts are complete, DEP will conduct its regulatory review. "

In the area in February, about 336,000 gallons of untreated wastewater was released into a waterway after a 16-inch force main break in Palm Springs.

Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — When you put exercise instructor Rey Iaz in a room, the women hit the dance floor.

This is the Mid-County Senior Center in Lake Worth Beach for individuals ages 55 to 105. Iaz said his exercise class is once a week.

"I think that seniors they need more attention. Sometimes the mother and the father, they become the grandmother, the family doesn't have time because life is hard and there's an opportunity here to show them that we love them," Iaz said.

Iaz left Cuba many years ago and missed out on spending time with his grandmother.

"I didn't have time to enjoy my grandmother. So I'm helping other grandmothers that we have here," Iaz.

Hilda Darkins, 77, is a part of the class.

"As you get older, you get stiff. And it helps me to not get stiff in the morning and throughout the day," Darkins said.

Faith Manfa, the Palm Beach County senior services director, said there's more than exercise at this senior center.

"The senior center offers quite a bit of activities. We have wood carving, we have poetry classes. We really look to the seniors to see what their interest is, and then we go out into the community and bring people in to facilitate those classes," Manfa said.

Manfa said the instructors are all volunteers. There are only two paid staff members.

"The seniors, they love art classes. They also love life learning classes. They enjoy physical as we saw today. So yoga, taichi. balance is very important. So we would love classes like that," Manfa said. "Meeting in a senior center really helps prevent isolation. They make friends. Overall a great way to feel a part of their community and they love coming. As you age, not only does your mobility become more challenging, but you do lose loved ones and you lose friends. And many times, seniors don't want to get dressed. They don't want to come out.”

The Mid-County Senior Center is located at 3680 Lake Worth Road in Lake Worth Beach. For more information, call 561-357-7101.

Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

People against development worked to elect in a runoff two candidates who they believed didn't want more development in Wellington after land was removed from the Equestrian Preserve Area.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Betty Resch was reelected to a second three-year term as Lake Worth Beach mayor in a runoff Tuesday night as voters in Palm Beach County also elected Wellington Village Council and Pahokee City Commission members.

Resch received 60.77% of the 2,572 votes, defeating challenger Andy Amoroso, a former city commissioner, with 39.23%, according to unofficial results.

During the election in March, Resch received 48% of the vote while Amoroso had 31%. Since Resch won by less than 50% of the vote, the outcome automatically triggered a runoff. Two other candidates combined for 20% of the vote.

Wellington

In seat 4, Maria Antuña had 51.75% of the 5,003 votes cast with Shelly Lariz Albright getting 48.25%. They were both vying to become the first Hispanic council member elected.

Antuña received 31.17% of the ballots cast in the five-candidate field in March, earning 33 more votes than Albright at 30.7%.

In seat 1, Amanda Silvestri received 51.79% of the 4,987 votes cast as former Mayor Bob Margolis earned 48.21%. Silvestri was a candidate for the Palm Beach County School Board last year.

In the March 19 election, Silvestri received 31.3% of the vote in the four-candidate field. Margolis had 26.3%.

The election came after the Village of Wellington Council approved a proposal, which removed about 90 acres of land reserved for equestrian activities called the equestrian preserve area. Some people, who supported Sivestri and Atuna, wanted to vote for candidates against development.

Lauren Brody moved to Wellington to ride her horse.

"We're absolutely thrilled," Brody told WPTV reporter Ethan Stein. "We see this as a big turning point in the village of Wellington. We sent out texts. We called people."

Pahokee

In group 1, Everett D. McPherson Sr. captured 53.47% of the 505 votes compared to Monique Gordon with 46.53% in a battle of two newcomers.

McPherson will replace Juan "Johnny" Gonzalez, who failed to advance to the runoff.

In group 2, newcomer Sanquetta Cowan-Williams won with 63.03% of the 522 votes cast, defeating incumbent Sara Perez at 36.97%.

Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

'When the state is doing well financially, we should make sure the resources we got are helping people live in an affordable Florida,' Patronis says

Looking for answers to Florida's home insurance crisis, a top Florida official visited Palm Beach County to say help is on the way. However, many homeowners still wonder when relief will come.

LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — Florida's chief financial officer visited Lake Worth Beach to promote the My Safe Florida Home program and to say more money for homeowners is on the way.

"When the state is doing well financially, we should make sure the resources we got are helping people live in an affordable Florida," CFO Jimmy Patronis said at Royal Palm Aluminum, a business that installs impact windows and doors.

Patronis said he's hoping for $200 million to go into the program this year for home inspections and grants of up to $10,000 to harden homes against storms.

It has been touted as one of the best ways for homeowners to lower insurance premiums.

Lawmakers are currently looking at putting $100 million into the program, which ran out of money late last year due to its popularity.

Heather Mattadeen, a homeowner who attended Wednesday's event, said she managed to get into the program early last year and secure money for new doors.

"My premium went down about $400, which is better than nothing," Mattadeen said.

Across town in a neighborhood east of Interstate 95, many said there is no relief from rising insurance.

Homeowner Wade Hitchcock said he sunk thousands of dollars into a new roof and windows and his insurance still went up.

"All they keep saying, 'It's coming. It's coming,'" Hitchcock said. "I'm almost 63. Will I see it before I croak? I don't know."

However, Patronis insists Florida is on a path to better days with litigation reforms and is positioned better than other states also having insurance issues.

"People are hurting right now, and so we start making some changes from a state perspective that forces their hand," Patronis said

If you have any questions or issues with homeowners insurance, email reporter Matt Sczesny at matt.sczesny@wptv.com

Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida ordered a man to remove a shipping container and floating docks on which it rested from Lake Worth Lagoon near Palm Beach, Florida.

A 2021 complaint alleged that Fane Lozman violated the Rivers and Harbors Act (RHA) by placing the shipping container – which Lozman modified to include windows, doors, stairs, a rooftop deck and other additions – on floating docks in navigable waters of the United States without authorization. Since the United States commenced the action, Lozman removed several pieces of floating docks from Lake Worth Lagoon, but two floating docks and the modified shipping container remained.

Lozman moved the floating docks and shipping container to different areas in Lake Worth Lagoon and anchored them. One of the floating docks split apart. And Lozman’s floating docks became unmoored on several occasions including once when the dock with the shipping container on it floated across Lake Worth Lagoon and beached at a public park. The floating docks together weigh over 100,000 pounds.

Lake Worth Lagoon is Palm Beach County’s largest estuary at up to a mile wide and running approximately 21 miles from North Palm Beach to Ocean Ridge, with two inlets connecting it to the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway cuts through Lake Worth Lagoon.

“Building or placing structures in navigable U.S. waters without authorization is a violation of the Rivers and Harbors Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Unlawful structures can pose increased risks of harm to others, as in this case. We’re committed to enforcing the law.”

“The Rivers and Harbors Act provides for the safety of navigable U.S. waters,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Prompt enforcement action to remove unauthorized structures is needed to protect persons and commerce in navigable U.S. waters.”

“USACE Jacksonville greatly appreciates the expertise and support that the Justice Department brought to resolving this matter,” said District Commander Col. James Booth of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) Jacksonville District.

“The USACE Jacksonville regulatory enforcement program is working to deter unauthorized activities such as this, while continuously maintaining the integrity of the nation's waterways and aquatic resources,” said Compliance and Enforcement Chief Bobby Halbert of USACE’s Jacksonville District.

The USACE’s Jacksonville District referred the case to the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). The Jacksonville District Enforcement Section is often aided by state and federal agencies, as well as groups and individuals who report suspected violations. To report suspected violations of the Rivers and Harbors Act, contact the Jacksonville District's enforcement program at SAJ-RD-Enforcement@usace.army.mil.

Trial Attorneys Brandon N. Adkins and Rachel Martinez of ENRD’s Environmental Defense Section and Civil Section Chief Dexter Lee of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida handled the case.