© 2026 WGCU News
PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Communities in Collier, DeSoto, Okeechobee, Peace River Watershed, other sites awarded $311M for infrastructure repair

WGCU | By WGCU Staff
Published December 18, 2025 at 2:07 PM EST
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced funding earmarked for infrastructure repair in 37 Florida communities at a briefing at the Sebring Airport Thursday.
Facebook
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced funding earmarked for infrastructure repair in 37 Florida communities at a briefing at the Sebring Airport Thursday.

A number of projects across Florida, including several in Southwest and South regions, will share in $311 million disbursed by the state Thursday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the funding, earmarked for infrastructure repair in 37 Florida communities at a briefing at the Sebring Airport Thursday.

Among the awards going to communities in Southwest and South Florida were:

  • City of Arcadia 
    $14,233,044 – to widen the main stormwater channel in the city, providing additional storage during storms.
    $8,514,000 – to construct and expand the wastewater treatment plant.
  • DeSoto County Board of County Commissioners ($8,000,000) – to construct and install wells and a pumping system to connect the wastewater treatment plant to the disposal wells—providing a more secure, underground disposal method for treated wastewater.  
  • Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners ($2,720,000) – to rehabilitate, preserve and harden five critical county-owned bridges.  
  • Peace River Watershed Project ($70,000,000) – to support the water infrastructure repair project in Polk County—ensuring restoration and resiliency that manages flood risk and water quality impairment through habitat restoration.  
  • City of Okeechobee ($1,200,000) – to support a construction project aimed at improving public infrastructure, facilitating expansion within an existing industrial site, including the resurfacing of two major roads that provide access to the Okeechobee Commerce Center
  • Okeechobee Utility Authority ($1,000,000) – to install pipe and corresponding water mains to connect previously completed water infrastructure. 
  • Sebring Airport Authority ($3,044,630) – to demolish and replace the existing stormwater system and associated infrastructure at Sebring Regional Airport and Multimodal Logistics Center. 

WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.

Tags
Government & Politics WGCU NewsOkeechobee CountyDeSoto CountyImmokalee
WGCU Staff
See stories by WGCU Staff
Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • The W.P. Franklin Lock on the Caloosahatchee River in Alva will be closed for one day to support maintenance on Jan. 18.
    Transportation
    Planned electrical upgrades will close Franklin Lock all of Tuesday
    WGCU Staff
    Boaters on the Caloosahatchee River should be aware that the Franklin Lock will likely be closed for the entire day on Tuesday this week.
  • Cape Coral sign stands near one of the city’s main corridors. New registration requirements and annual fees for long- and short- term rental properties took effect Jan. 1, aimed at improving oversight and funding code enforcement.
    Housing
    Cape Coral rental registration fees and enforcement now in effect
    Juan Diego Montana
    New registration requirements, annual fees and stricter enforcement for residential rental properties in Cape Coral took effect Jan. 1 aimed at increasing accountability and funding code enforcement.The changes, adopted under Ordinance 53-25 and Resolution 279-25 and approved by a City Council vote last year, require all residential rental properties — both long-term and short-term — to register annually with the city. Officials say the updated program allows Cape Coral to better track rental properties, respond to complaints and recover enforcement-related costs.
  • Environment
    Introduction to Snowy Egrets
    Dr. Jerry Jackson
    With its all-white plumage, black bill, black legs, and bright yellow face and feet, the Snowy Egret is a stunning and easily recognized bird – one that I often refer to as the “bird with the golden slippers.”So why does the Snowy Egret have yellow feet? Perhaps to keep it from stabbing its own feet as it searches for the small creatures it eats. The intensity of the yellow on both its face and its feet becomes brightest during the breeding season, thus it probably also plays a role in courtship – perhaps serving as an indicator of the health of the bird.