Saturday May 25, 2013
Updated 9:30 am
Daily News for Florida's Treasure Coast including Stuart, Port St Lucie, Ft Pierce, Jensen Beach, Palm City, Tradition, Hutchinson Island, Hobe Sound & Indiantown.
by
Tom Teter
TCNewsFL.Com is owned, written and produced by Tom Teter WSTU AM 1450 News Director, recognized multiple times by the Associated Press and United Press International for excellence in journalism.  Tom Teter has covered news in Martin & St. Lucie Counties for 30 years.

email news tips: misternews2000@yahoo.com 

(c) copyright 1999-2013 Thomas W Teter.  All rights reserved. So there.

One Nation Under God, Indivisible, with Liberty & Justice for All.

A government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Listen to Steven Mehlman & Tom Teter 6am to 9am Weekdays on WSTU AM 1450 & www.WSTU1450.com.

Treasure Coast Weather
 
  Treasure Coast Radar, 

This is the official National Weather Service Forecast for the Treasure Coast as issued by the Melbourne, FL office.

NWS forecast
 

Short Term Forecast


Today: Partly cloudy with isolated showers and storms through sunrise...then becoming mostly sunny. Breezy. Highs in the mid 80s. northeast winds 15 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 60s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph becoming east 5 to 10 mph after midnight.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. East winds 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 60s. East winds 10 to 15 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight.

Memorial Day: Partly sunny. Breezy. Highs in the mid 80s. East winds 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon.

Tropic Watch

 

The annual Governor's Hurricane Conference is this week in Ft Lauderdale.  Experts told attendees which include emergency officials from the Treasure Coast there is no way to predict how many or even if a hurricane will hit Florida.  Scientists can predict where a storm is headed days before it hits, but they have to wait until after a storm to determine what steering currents were at work.  It's been seven years since a hurricane hit Florida.

There was a stabbing at SunFest Sunday.  West Palm Beach Police have no suspect and the Chief told city commissioners today he has a lot of safety concerns with the festival and wants to discuss them with organizers.

4,500 FPL customers lost power this morning in Port St Lucie.  There was a problem at a substation and the outage primarily effected customers from Prima Vista to the south.  A few dozen customers were still without power as of 11:30am.

An injury crash closed the northbound off-ramp at the Kanner Highway interchange during the lunch hour today.  Lifestar was called in to transport some of the injured.  The crash was reported at 11:24am.

A Port St Lucie veterinarian is treating an injured raccoon a concern citizen saw with an illegal trap on its front paw.  Animal control caught the raccoon which was in considerable pain and took it to the Animal Kindness Hospital.  It isn't known who set the illegal trap.

Weather on the Treasure Coast will be a lot different this week than it was the end of last week. It will be cooler and a lot drier this week. The area is drying out after last week’s rains. The South Florida Water Management District’s Gabe Margasak the rain was a mixed blessing.  We need it as the area is below normal rainfall since the dry season began. The rains all at one time is not so good for some of the wildlife, especially wading birds in the Everglades.  Most of the Treasure Coast got 1 to 3 inches last week.

FRIDAY MAY 3

Investors are buying Florida homes at low prices, renting them, and seeing the value of the properties increase making big profits when they flip.  RealtyTrac says the average investor made $51 thousand profit house flipping when the value went up this past year.  The average home flipper is making 16% profit.

Port St Lucie Police say they found horrible conditions when they went to check a home on SW Franklin St.  The home was filthy with cockroaches and trash, urine and feces throughout.  A 50 year old woman who is a hoarder was Baker Acted and her 93 year old mother who owns and lives in the home was hospitalized.

A rabid raccoon has been confirmed in Jupiter Farms.  It was found foaming at the mouth last Saturday.  A dog that was exposed to it will be monitored for 45 days to be on the safe side.

A crash closed the Pomeroy-Willoughby Blvd intersection in Stuart for a time around 11am.  At least one person was seriously injured when two trucks collided.

Parts of the Treasure Coast has gotten a good soaking yesterday. CBS 12 reported Jensen Beach got more than 5 inches. Most of the Martin-St Lucie County area had 2 to 4 inches of rain.. Vero Beach set a new record with almost 2 ½ inches of rain. There were traffic crashes in Stuart, Palm City and Jensen Beach.　 While there was standing water on the side of some roads, there were no reports of street flooding 100 FPL customers lost power.　

THURSDAY MAY 2

Parts of the Treasure Coast has gotten a good soaking from today's rain. CBS 12 reported Jensen Beach got more than 5 inches. There has been a rash of traffic crashes in Stuart, Palm City and Jensen Beach.  100 FPL customers lost power. 
    It rained even more in parts of Palm Beach County.  The Delray Beach Medical Center had to move patients when part of the first floor flooded.  Many vehicles stalled in flooded roads in the south county area. A tornado may have touched down in Boca Raton.

Florida Power & Light is holding a hurricane drill today at their new storm center in Riviera Beach.  They are testing their response to an imaginary category 3 storm and testing their new mobile command vehicle.  FPL's president also announced today they are speeding up the hardening of their power grid over the next three years.

Parkway Elementary went on lockdown and the SWAT team called in this morning around 10am after students said they saw a man in a mask run down the hall.  Nobody was found and the lockdown was lifted about 40 minutes later.

Today is the 2nd Annual Treasure Coast Day of Prayer, and several events emphasizing the end of abortions held in St Lucie and Martin County.  Protesters were out this morning at 12th St & Delaware in Ft Pierce and at 2410 SE Westmoreland in Port St Lucie.  At noon they were at the downtown Ft Pierce Gazebo and the downtown Stuart Gazebo praying for an end of abortion.  Tonight they will be at US One & Bridge Rd in Hobe Sound at 6:30.

Florida’s US Senator Marco Rubio spoke at last night’s St Lucie County Lincoln Day Dinner in Port St Lucie. He said the party needs to define itself to voters telling them what they stand for, not let the Democrats do it. Rubio said Republicans are the party that wants individuals to succeed and the party of opportunity. He also pushed for immigration reform but noted America isn’t going to round up 11 million illegal aliens.  About a dozen protesters on Rubio’s immigration ideas picketed outside the Port St Lucie Civic Center last night.

WEDNESDAY MAY 1

A new report says south Florida home prices are up from a year ago.  The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index says prices are up 14.5%, the highest price increase since 2006.

A judge says a new hospital isn't needed in northern Palm Beach County across from the Scripps Research.  Tenant Healthcare had gotten permission from the state and Gov Scott supported the plan to build a 200 bed hospital.  A Palm Beach Circuit Judge disagreed saying more hospitals are not needed in the area.  Jupiter Medical Center and Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center are both just a few miles away.

Port St Lucie Police have caught some more  burglary suspects.  A neighbor saw several young men break a rear window of a home on SW Escarole St Tuesday and called 911.  Police say they dropped stolen items and ran and jumped into a canal and into a heavily wooded area where a K9 tracked them down.  They arrested a 19 year old Ft Lauderdale man and two teens from Port St Lucie.  Police say one of them served as a lookout and they do not believe they are part of the pillow case burglary ring.

Ft Pierce Police tasered a woman who had thrown a brick at a man during an argument over who owned some puppies.  Reports say 33 year old Damaris Hernandez was headed to the kitchen sink of the home on North 13th St where there was a knife.  They had to wrestle her to the floor and finally tasered her twice to subdue her.

The Florida high school baseball playoffs continue tonight.  Labelle plays Lincoln Park at the Bob Gladwin Complex in Ft Pierce while Winter Park plays St Lucie West Centennial at Tradition Field.  Both quarter regional games start at 7pm.  South Fork and Jensen Beach play their games Thursday.

The number of pillow case burglaries has dropped off since Martin County Sheriff William Snyder has been holding town hall meetings about it. He held another last night in Hobe Sound. Sheriff Snyder says people have really been keeping a close eye on neighbors homes for pillow case bandits.  There has been a big increase in the calls about suspicious activities and vehicles. The pillowcase bandits used to hit homes close to I-95, but the pressure has forced them further inland. Two of the pillow case suspects caught by Port St Lucie Police last week have already made bail. On finding the Port Salerno rapist, Sheriff Snyder says just because they haven’t made an arrest yet, it doesn’t mean they’re not close to finding the suspect.

TUESDAY APRIL 30

A Port St Lucie woman has been arrested for a fatal crash on I-95 last year in Martin County.  Investigators say 41 year old Carolyn Ramos was drunk and driving the wrong way last May when she hit another vehicle killing 4 members of a Tennessee family. Their pickup burst into flames after the crash about a mile north of 714 Martin Hwy.  US Marshalls arrested Ramos in Lake Worth this morning. She is expected to be booked into the Martin County jail.

Martin County Commissioner John Haddox has resigned from the Business Development Board.  Haddox and Commissioner Doug Smith voted last week not to end payments to the BDB saying there were honorable people on it that the county could negotiate a new contract with.  In an email to fellow commissioners, Haddox said he was resigning to be able to talk with BDB members without breaking the state's Sunshine Law.  He also does not believe the BDB can keep any unspent county funds.  The commission majority voted to demand any unspent county funds be given back. Martin County Commissioners have the right to a board seat under the current contract.  The BDB gets $625,000 a year in county funds to attract new business and help current business expand.

Florida Power and Light's profits were up 20% the first quarter of this year compared to a year ago.  FPL's parent company NextEra Energy saw a 12.5% increase in profits.  FPL credits the use of more energy efficient power plants in Cape Canaveral and the upgrades at the St Lucie & Turkey Point nuclear plants.

A Port St Lucie teen was arrested Monday for allegedly pointing a BB gun at cars in traffic.  Police at first thought they were looking for someone with a real gun.  They found the teen walking along SW Leisure Lane.

In Tallahassee House and Senate negotiators have agreed on a new $74 billion state budget. Treasure Coast State Senator Joe Negron says while not everybody may be happy with the details, the budget process was fair. There is money in the new budget to give every teacher a $2 thousand raise with the best teachers getting $3,500. There is also $2 million in the budget so Indian River State College can rennovate the FAU part of the St Lucie West campus in time for the 2014-15 school year.

MONDAY APRIL 29

A 76 year old Hobe Sound man has reportedly died after being bit by a diamondback rattle snake last Thursday.  He was trying to hit the snake with a brick near his front door.  His arm was black by time he was taken to Jupiter Medical Center.  He suffered from Alzheimer's.

A Ft Pierce man drowned Sunday afternoon at Pepper Park.  56 year old Jose Duran Castanon was swimming with friends when a big wave hit him and a friend and pulled them away from shore.  A passing boat stopped and Castanon tried to climb aboard but fell back into the water.  A swimmer brought him to shore, but he was pronounced dead at Lawnwood Regional.

Port St Lucie Police have a clear photo of the SUV used by two men who robbed a Radio Shack last Friday.  Two gunmen held several employees and customers hostage for an hour as they waited for the manager to get back from lunch with the keys.  The SUV is a black Nissan with a Florida tag of BGFF95.

Martin County's Business Development Board is going out for bids for an audit of their books.  This comes after last week's Martin County Commission vote to suspend monthly payments to the BDB and a demand to get all unspent taxpayer money back.  The BDB is funded partly by private money but mostly by the county.

The building housing Florida's Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles in Tallahassee has reopened after being evacuated this morning.  They got a letter claiming to contain a biological weapon this morning.  Security did a sweep and found nothing.

Treasure Coast law enforcement agencies say Saturday's old prescription drug take back was successful.  St Lucie County sheriff's office says 10 boxes of old drugs were collected and 320 gallons of old syringes.  Port St Lucie police say almost 239 pounds of old drugs and needles were turned in.  Martin County sheriff and Sewalls Point police have not yet released information on how much was turned in.

Port St Lucie Police need your help finding two gunmen who held several employees and customers hostage at a Radio Shack store Friday afternoon. They waited in the store at 10941 S US One for an hour for a manager to get back from lunch with keys to a cabinet that had pricey merchandise they wanted.　 As a customer came in, they'd jump them and force them back to a storage room.　 They emptied the cabinet, stuffing merchandise into a pillow case, once the manager came back and got away in a black SUV.　 The suspects were black males between 25-30.　 One was 5-6 the other 5-9.　 Both wore cloth or shirts across their face.　 One even talked with customers about how tough economic times are.

SUNDAY APRIL 28

8 swimmers had to be rescued from the high surf and rip currents at Jupiter's Ocean Cay Park today.   There were two incidents, one around 2pm and the other before 5pm.  One swimmer was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Port St Lucie Police are looking for two gunmen who held several employees and customers at a Radio Shack store Friday afternoon.  They waited in the store at 10941 S US One for an hour for a manager to get back from lunch with keys to a cabinet that had pricey merchandise they wanted.  As a customer came in, they'd jump them and force them back to a storage room.  They emptied the cabinet, stuffing merchandise into a pillow case, once the manager came back and got away in a black SUV.  The suspects were black males between 25-30.  One was 5-6 the other 5-9.  Both wore cloth or shirts across their face.  One even talked with customers about how tough economic times are.


 
FRIDAY APRIL 26

The courts have thrown out a $1.6 million fine against a Jupiter couple who illegally cut down mangroves to improve their view of the Loxahatchee River.  A Palm Beach Circuit Court Judge says the town of Jupiter does not have jurisdiction to levy a penalty.  Roger and Myrna Byrd rejected a $109,000 compromise with Jupiter.  They will still have to pay a $15,000 fine for putting sand down without a permit.  The town of Jupiter could appeal.

Harbor Community Bank will merge with the Bank of St Augustine.  Harbor Community is the old First Bank of Indiantown that was bought by Mike Brown and Hal Roberts.  They have been buying small banks since then.  This is their 4th bank acquisition.  Roberts says there's a great opportunity for community banking in Florida. 

The Florida House has changed Treasure Coast State Senator Joe Negron's bill that would have reduced vehicle tag fees back to $12 by eliminating a $230 million tax break insurance companies get to pay their executives.  The House plan does reduce tag fees $2.40 a year each year until it gets back down to $12 by 2018.  Negron says there is no justification to give the insurance industry a quarter-billion a year to help them meet payroll.

Lawyers for Tyler Hadley intend to use the insanity defense when he is tried for murdering his own parents and throwing a party later that night in their Port St Lucie home.  Paperwork filed in St Lucie Circuit Court say Hadley was suffering under a mental illness and depression and under the influence of ecstasy at the time.　 A trial date of October 21st has been set.　 He was 17 when the murders occurred in July 2011. If convicted Hadley faces life in prison with no parole
　
No charges will be filed against a St Lucie County teacher who is alleged to have told students at Northport K-8 to beat a 13 year old student who had mouthed off.　The Sheriff's office says they can't tell from a security video if she did or did not.　 6 other students face charges for assault.  The lawyer for the beaten boy and his mother have not said if they intend to sue the St Lucie County School District.  The teacher has been reassigned to other duties while the district investigates.　

THURSDAY APRIL 25

Lawyers for Tyler Hadley intend to use the insanity defense when he is tried for murdering his own parents and throwing a party later that night in their Port St Lucie home.  Paperwork filed in St Lucie Circuit Court say Hadley was suffering under a mental illness and depression and under the influence of ecstasy at the time.  A trial date of October 21st has been set.  He was 17 when the murders occurred in July 2011.

No charges will be filed against a St Lucie County teacher who is alleged to have told students at Northport K-8 to beat a 13 year old student who had mouthed off.  The Sheriff's office says they can't tell from a security video if she did or did not.  6 other students face charges for assault. 

Gov Rick Scott today signed Treasure Coast State Senator Joe Negron's bill banning the use of drones by law enforcement except in special cases. Florida is the first state to do this.  Senator Negron says he is trying to keep the government from spying on people by using drones.

Indian River State College is celebrating its Power Plant Technology Institute being named one of the nation's best public-private partnerships.  The Institute helps train power plant operators with the help of FPL and the IBEW union.  The Institute has trained nuclear and non-nuclear power plant operators who have found jobs across the nation.

Martin County is replanting oysters in the St Lucie River.  They began replanting 4 acres of oyster beds near the Roosevelt Bridges this week, replacing ones that died off last fall when the Army Corps of Engineers released more fresh water out of Lake Okeechobee.  Oysters prefer salty water and many of them died during the month-long discharges.  Oysters naturally filter pollution from the River water.

A traffic stop in Martin County has led to the discover of a big marijuana grow house & gun manufacturing operation in Port St Lucie.　 Martin County deputies stopped Antoine Sparks for speeding Tuesday and found 4 ounces of pot inside his vehicle.　 He told them he had more growing at home.　 Port St Lucie Police then searched his home and several warehouse bays finding marijuana growing upstairs and gun manufacturing on the first floor at the warehouse near PGA. Martin County Sheriff William Snyder says it was a dangerous mix of guns, drugs and cash.  Port St Lucie Police Lt Scott Beck says it was a sophisticated grow house operation  Lt Scott Beck says the gun manufacturing was like a professional gun smith operation.  Sparks wife was also arrested.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 24

A traffic stop in Martin County has led to the discover of two marijuana grow houses & weapons charges in Port St Lucie.  Martin County deputies stopped Antoine Sparks for speeding and found 4 ounces of pot inside his vehicle.  He told them he had more growing at home.  Port St Lucie Police then searched his home and warehouse bays finding grow houses upstairs and what officials say was a weapons manufacturing operation on the ground floor.  It was set up like a professional gunsmith shop where Sparks allegedly was making parts for AK 47s.  The serial numbers on several guns had been filed off.  $7,000 cash was also found.  Sparks wife was also arrested.

There was a weekend fire at the Ft Pierce Kmart store Saturday night.  Officials say it did $250,000 damage including water damage to merchandise.  Officials say it was arson.

A Ft Pierce apartment fire sent two people to the hospital early this morning.  The fire started around 1am in a laundry room of the one of the units in the 400 block of south 32^nd Street. Two dogs died in the fire.

Two pillowcase burglary suspects have been arrested in Palm City and the search is on for a third.　 Around 4pm, a woman living along Wood Creek in Crane Creek saw them coming out of a window of her home.　 He hopped in a car, but she got a description of their get-a-way vehicle and called 911.　 Lbee Jonah Evans, 22, and Emil Solomon Porter, 21, were arrested. Port St Lucie had 11 home burglaries on Monday, all of them matching the pillowcase-style burglaries. There have been 106 pillowcase burglaries on the Treasure Coast this year.

TUESDAY APRIL 23

The northbound I-95 lanes north of Orange Avenue have reopened after being closed for about an hour due to a semi tractor trailer fire.  The northbound exit ramp to the St Lucie County rest area is still closed as of 5pm. The fire was reported around 2pm.

Two pillowcase burglary suspects have been arrested in Palm City.  Around 4pm, a woman along Wood Creek saw them coming out of a window of her home.  She got a description of their get-a-way vehicle and called 911.  There have been 106 pillowcase burglaries on the Treasure Coast this year.

The brush fire in northern St Lucie County that's been smoldering for three weeks is finally out.  The recent rains did it.  The fire started with a lightning strike at the airport and flared up three days later into a brush fire that forced evacuations and threatened homes.  They had been putting out flare-ups ever since.

Martin County Commissioners voted today to end payments to the Business Development Board.  They will also demand the BDB give back any unspent county funding.  Commissioners also want reimbursed for the money the county spent fighting a Sunshine Law lawsuit the county and the BDB lost. 

A Vero Beach man who sped away from Port St Lucie Police over the weekend was finally caught.  Early Saturday morning police checked out a suspicious car on SW Consolada Ave where the driver was asleep or pretending to be.  He drove off when officers tried to wake him.  They called off their pursuit.  Police then heard a shot in the SW Calder St area and found a resident had fired a warning shot in the air after seeing a man dressed only in his underwear in the back yard.  34 year old Torey Howard was finally caught along SW Dania St near Gatlin & Savona.  He was charged with burglary.

MONDAY APRIL 22

Treasure Coast home sales were up in March.  Florida Realtors say sales were up 15% in March from the year before.  Condo sales were up almost 29% in the Martin-St Lucie County area.

Picketers were out at the Martin County Courthouse during lunch today in support of Victim Rights Week.  They carried signs that read Commit the Crime, Do the Time and other messages of support for making criminals do as much time in jail and prison as possible.

Port St Lucie Police say they've broken up a shoplifting ring with the arrest of 5 people last Friday afternoon.  Wal-mart security called them about a group of shoplifters who had gotten away with $1,800 worth of merchandise.  Police stopped their vehicle and arrested 3 men and two women out of Merritt Island and Rocklege.  They are also suspected of shoplifting in Martin, St Lucie, Indian River & Brevard County recently.

A Port St Lucie man went to jail after allegedly getting into a fight with police last Friday.  They responded to a 911 call from a woman who said 35 year old Adam L Janocha hit her in the face with a beer bottle.  He refused to answer the door, but officers saw him go to a back room and feared he had armed himself.  When he did answer the door, police say he refused to take his hand out of his pocket.  He allegedly began punching and kicking the four officers and even grabbed one of their batons and hit one officer in the face.  They had to taser him.  Bond was set at $75,000.

The Stuart Sailfish Regatta went well over the weekend. Some races were canceled Saturday due to the winds, but they were able to run those on Sunday when the winds died down. They had to stop the races briefly for manatees and for green sea turtles. Some local power boat racers won their heats. Palm City’s Duff Daily won the Pro Stock while 19 year old Phil Marney of Jensen Beach won his very first race, the Jersey Skiff class. Other racers followed a long-time power boat tradition and tossed him in the water. Organizers were pleased with how it all went. They were hoping 10 to 12 thousand in attendance.

Volunteers cleared out the brush around Manatee Creek community park Sunday. It was in the brush where a 10 year old girl was raped two weeks ago. Several dozen volunteers showed up hoping to make sure nobody can ever sexually assault a child at or near the park. Meanwhile the investigation into the assault continues with Martin County Sheriff’s investigators working to catch the suspect.

Treasure Coast unemployment continues to drop. The state says the St Lucie County rate fell almost a full percentage point, going from 9.6% in February to just 8.8% in March. The Martin County rate dropped a half point to just 7% in March. A year ago St Lucie County had an unemployment rate of almost 11% while Martin County had a rate of almost 9%. The Florida rate was also lower in March.

SUNDAY APRIL 21

Sunday is day two of the Stuart Sailfish Regatta power boat races at the Stuart Causeway.  Some of the races Saturday were canceled due to the winds but other heats were held.

FRIDAY APRIL 19

The FDIC is suing a group of former Riverside National Bank executives for losses when they took the bank over in 2010.  The FDIC alleges former CEO Vernon Smith and 7 others at the bank approved bad loans that should not have been made.  The FDIC wants $8 million.  The FDIC took the bank over and eventually sold its assets to TD Bank.

A Port St Lucie woman is being called a Good Samaritan for stopping to help a 2 year old girl wandering the street.  Deneen Colosi stopped her car Thursday morning after noticing the little girl standing in a swale along SW Devera Ave.  Police searched the area and after an hour found the grandmother.  Police are investigating to see if child neglect charges are warranted.

Two Port St Lucie teens were arrested for a home burglary Thursday morning.  A man woke up to find them inside his Addie St home.  They took off and he chased, but lost them.  He found one of their cell phones left behind and went thru the photos and contacts finding one labeled "Mom".  Police contacted the mother and they were able to track down and arrest Jerome Moss and Ronald Beabout.

There was a bad crash late last night on the Florida Turnpike near the Stuart-Palm City toll plaza. Two semi trucks were involved in the crash that happened around 11 pm.  A semi parked along side the highway pulled back out into traffic and was hit by a truck from behind.  The passenger in that truck was seriously injured. The southbound lanes were closed overnight, finally reopening just before 5am.

Six Martin County schools are being honored by Florida Atlantic University for being green.  The schools have worked to conserve energy, made campus enhancements, been involved in the community promoting green, been innovative in being energy efficiency.  The six school are:  Hobe Sound, Port Salerno, Jensen Beach, Felix Williams, Citrus Grove and Warfield Elementaries. 

There were two bad crashes on I-95 in the Ft Pierce area in less than 12 hours this week.　 At least one of them fatal. Tuesday night a 65 year old Ft Pierce man was hit and killed while riding his bicycle on the highway.　 The FHP says Terry Melton was in one of the northbound lanes when hit from behind by a car just south of the Okeechobee Road interchange.　 Then at 8 Wednesday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol’s website indicated there was a fatal crash on I-95 near the Orange Avenue interchange.　
　
Treasure Coast runners gathered at Stuart Beach last night to honor those killed and wounded in the Boston Marathon Monday.　 The Runners United to Remember began a short run on Hutchinson Island with 26.2 seconds of silence.　 The Boston Marathon was 26.2 miles long.　

The Burt Reynolds Ranch in Jupiter will be sold. The Palm Beach County School Board approved the sale of the 153 acre ranch to K Hovnanian Homes for $5 million. The sale depends on the builder getting Palm Beach County to rezone the site to allow them to build more homes per acre. If they can’t get rezoned, the land goes back to the Palm Beach County School District. The district bought the ranch in 1999 and planned to build a new middle school there. But school enrollment in Jupiter has declined in recent years, so a new school isn’t needed now.

THURSDAY APRIL 18

A 65 year old Ft Pierce man was hit and killed on I-95 Wednesday night.  The FHP says Terry Melton was riding a bicycle on the highway and was in one of the northbound lanes when hit from behind by a car just south of the Okeechobee Road interchange. 

Treasure Coast runners will gather at Stuart Beach tonight to honor those killed and wounded in the Boston Marathon Monday.  The Runners United to Remember Facebook page says a run will begin after 26.2 seconds of silence.  The Boston Marathon was 26.2 miles long.  They will meet at 6:30.

A new non-profit is taking over the annual 4th of July fireworks show in Stuart.　 Star Spangled Stuart, LLC is headed by CPA Mark Brechbill who is a former President of Stuart Main Street which has handled the fireworks festival and show for years. Brechbill says the 4^th of July fireworks just took up too much time for Main Street and the Downtown Business Association.  Main Street and the Downtown Business Association will continue to help with fundraising and manpower, but Star Spangled Stuart is looking for your help.  Brechbill says they hope to raise enough money the next couple months to have the 4^th of July fireworks this year, but if they cannot they will definitely hold it next year.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 17

A new non-profit is taking over the annual 4th of July fireworks show in Stuart.  Star Spangled Stuart, LLC is headed by CPA Mark Brechbill who is a former President of Stuart Main Street which has handled the fireworks festival and show for years.  Main Street and the Downtown Business Association will continue to help with fundraising and manpower.

Tips from a neighbor this morning led to the arrest of two burglary suspects wanted in Martin County.  The neighbor heard the home's alarm system and saw a suspicious car in the driveway of the Coral Garden's home and took down the tag number.  Martin County put out an area-wide Be On The Lookout alert and the car was stopped on I-95 near Gatlin Blvd in Port St Lucie.  Gloves, a window punch tool and mask were found.   Two suspects from Broward County were arrested.  Sheriff William Snyder & Port St Lucie Police believe they are part of the pillowcase burglary ring.

Martin Health Systems has a new Chairman of the Board.  Dwight Denny has been involved in community causes for years and was first elected Martin Health System's Board in 2004.  He has been an executive with Ryder Systems and was on the FIU Board of Trustees.  He was a naval officer during Vietnam.  Denny and his wife live in Palm City.

A student at the Pines school in Hobe Sound is one of just 24 student athletes named to the Florida High School Activities Association Academic All-State Team.  Matthew Edwards carries a 4.0 GPA and is valedictorian of this year's graduating class.  He runs track and cross country.  His parents are Michael and Laurie Edwards. 

The Treasure Coast has had another jackpot-winning Fantasy 5 ticket.  A ticket sold at the Chevron Station near Kanner Hwy & I-95 is one of seven sold across Florida that matched all five numbers in last night's drawing.  It's worth less than $31,000.  Three of the other winning tickets were sold in Palm Beach County.

The search for the suspect in the rape of a 10 year old Port Salerno girl continues. It’s been ten days since it happened. Sheriff William Snyder tells CBS 12 they have interviewed potential suspects and continue to work the case. Detectives have narrowed the list of potential suspects and forensic test results on DNA and other evidence found at the scene should be back the end of the week. People in the area are still on edge knowing a rapist is still on the loose.

TUESDAY APRIL 16

Martin County Commissioners approved a series of Comprehensive Plan changes today designed to protect the environment and prevent urban sprawl by making it harder to build big developments.  Former County Commissioner Maggie Hurchella headed the effort to strengthen the plan by being more specific about what can and cannot be done.  She says none of the changes were arbitrary and capricious and there was nothing that had not been in the comp plan before.  Commissioner Doug Smith voted against the changes saying property owners did not know the effects of the changes.

The Florida Senate today voted to ban texting while driving.  It would be a secondary traffic offense meaning a driver would have to be pulled over for some other violation before getting a $30 ticket for texting.  Treasure Coast State Senator Joe Negron missed today's vote being busy with the budget but says he will enter a NO vote on this.  The Florida House may vote on it Wednesday.

Martin Health Systems has received a high rating for its electronic record keeping.  HIMSS Analytics, a not-for-profit organization, has named them a Stage 6 hospital system for advances made in implementing electronic medical record keeping.  This, the say, gives MHS a competitive advantage.  Less than 10% of all US hospitals have attained a Stage 6 recognition.  There are 8 stages that can be attained.

Port St Lucie police caught 3 teenagers who they say burglarized the concession stand at Sportsman's Park last Saturday.  They saw 4 teens walking nearby after somebody reported the burglary.  They took off running in different directions.  Three of them, including 18 year old Jnodrick Strobridge were caught.  Police say they took Gatorade, Skittles and Pixy Stix candies.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder quickly commented on the Boston Marathon attack. Within two hours of the bombings, Sheriff Snyder posted onn the sheriff’s Facebook page that his thoughts and prayers go out to those affected. He says it shows the importance of public safety and community awareness. Sheriff Snyder says our spirit must never be broken. There were also two dozen Treasure Coast residents who ran in the Boston Marathon. None of them are believed to be injured and some returned late last night to Palm Beach International.

A new brush fire broke out in northern St Lucie County.　 It was only 4 acres near the the earlier fire that’s been burning for several weeks. It was near the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall on Kings Hwy.  Forestry’s Melissa Yunas says earlier fire that started with a lightning strike at the St Lucie International airport the end of March still isn’t completely out.  Yunas says the weekend rains failed to penetrate deep enough reach the roots of the burning vegetation

The search for a new St Lucie County school superintendent has begun. The search committee met for the first time Monday night. Members say they want a visionary and effective person with experience and good communication skills. One committee member said they want someone who can leap tall buildings. They want your input on what sort of school superintendent you’d like. You can fill out an on-line survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/stluciesupe

MONDAY APRIL 15

A new brush fire has broken out in northern St Lucie County.  It's only a couple of acres near the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall on Kings Hwy.  St Lucie County firefighters are defending several homes and the church from the flames.  It is close to the earlier Heather fire that's been burning for more than two weeks.  That fire continues to smolder since the weekend rains failed to penetrate deep enough into the soil to put the fire out that's been burning in the roots of vegetation.

Weather permitting, they plan a prescribed burn at Jonathan Dickenson State Park tomorrow.  They plan to burn 278 acres east of the power lines and north of Park Drive to prevent a real brush fire later.

Felt like summer.  The temperature was 90 degrees in Stuart as of 2 this afternoon.  But when the humidity is figured in, the heat index made it feel like 96.  Then strong afternoon thunderstorms developed over Ft Pierce and the Hobe Sound area.  Pea-sized hail was reported in Hobe Sound along with 60 mph winds.  60 mph winds were also reported in the Midway Road/I-95 area. 

Hundreds of law enforcement officers are riding bicycles today to the Treasure Coast.  The annual Tour de Force fundraising bike ride started Sunday in North Miami Beach.  They will finish today's leg at the Martin County Sheriff's office around 5pm.  Tuesday, they ride from Port St Lucie to Palm Bay.  They will finish up Thursday in Daytona Beach.  Money raised will benefit the families of fallen law officers.  Over the years, the Tour de Force has raised $200,000.

Treasure Coast students start taking the FCATs this week. Students in third grade up to 10 grade will take them. First is the reading and math tests. 5^th and 8^th grades also take the science FCATs. 3^rd graders that don’t pass the FCAT risk repeating the 3^rd grade next year. The FCAT is being replaced by the on-line CORE Curriculum tests that will be used by most states in two years. The FCATs aren’t the only big tests. In a few weeks high school & middle school students take the end of the year tests in geometry, algebra, biology, history and civics. Students have to pass them to get credit to graduate.

WEEKEND EDITION APRIL 13 &14

A fatal plane crash west of Port St Lucie around 9 this morning.  The small plane nose-dived into the ground near the entrance to the Treasure Coast Air Park west of Range Line Road killing the pilot.  He is 62 year old John D Schoonover of Davie.

Fire damaged a home in Port St Lucie Saturday afternoon.  The fire on Airoso Blvd damaged the home enough to bring in the Red Cross to help the family of five.

Martin County Fire Rescue was called to Dr David Anderson Middle School where a gas leak was reported just before 9am.  10 units were initially sent to the scene including the HazMat unit.  By 10am they had cleared the scene. 

Port St Lucie woke up this morning to a thunderstorm.  A narrow band of rain, thunder and lightning formed around 7am and swept west to east.  Friday as much as 6 inches of rain fell in the Hobe Sound area.  A flood advisory was even issued by the weather service.

Five people died in a crash on Blue Heron Blvd in Riviera Beach early this morning.  A Lexus involved in the crash rolled, ejecting 4 people inside.

A raccoon has tested positive for rabies in Stuart.  It attacked a dog on Bay Colony Drive this week.  The dog had been vaccinated but will be quarantined for 45 days. 

FRIDAY APRIL 12

There were two attempted child abduction's in Okeechobee County Thursday.  An Hispanic man tried to lure a 4 year old boy into his van in the morning, and followed an 11 year old girl from her bus stop to her home in the afternoon.  He even pulled his blue van into the driveway.   Okeechobee County authorities are checking with Martin County authorities who are looking for a man who raped a 10 year old girl to see if there's a connection.

Martin County deputies had to run a burglary suspect down this morning.  They responded to a burglary in progress on Salerno Road call to 911.  A man ran from the scene and was caught after a brief foot chase.  He may be responsible for several other home breakins recently.

A disabled Port St Lucie veteran is getting a new house thanks to the Florida Association of Realtors.  Retired Army Sgt Michael Burke was wounded in Baghdad in 2006 and despite trying to continue after healing, was unable to because of seizures.  This week the Realtors, Chase Bank and the Military Warriors Support Foundation presented Burke, a Ft Pierce native, his wife and two small children a newly remodeled, mortgage free home.

On-line ticket sales for next week's Stuart Sailfish Regatta power boat races have already surpassed last year's sales.  At least 75 boats will compete and a group from Canada will attend to see how the races are organized and run.  Organizers also say at least 3 Martin County hotels are completely booked for the races.  A group on Hutchinson Island has formed to oppose the races and commissioners Sarah Heard and Ed Fielding have expressed reservations about the boat races in recent months.  Word is that commissioners will discuss the races at Tuesday's meeting, though there is nothing specific about the races on their meeting agenda.  It could come up during commissioner comments.

In earlier Treasure Coast news.....

Martin County deputies are going door to door passing out flyers of the artists sketch of the man suspected of raping a ten year old Port Salerno girl.  Port St Lucie Police have helping.  They came up with the sketch using their state-of-the-art software and talking with the girl and other witnesses.

THURSDAY APRIL 11

CBS 12's Jana Eschbach reports new details in the rape of a 10 year old Port Salerno girl.  She did not go into the woods to help look for a lost dog.  The suspect asked her to, but she refused.  He lured her in with promises of $50 if he could take pictures.  Port St Lucie Police have helped by using their state-of-the-art software to develop the sketches of the man they're after.  Martin County deputies will be going door-to-door tonight passing out flyers of the sketch.

The pillowcase burglars have struck again.  There were two of them this morning in Port St Lucie.  Martin County Sheriff William Snyder is warning people living close to I-95 to be on the lookout for anything suspicious.  The pillowcase bandits target homes close to I-95.  They break in if nobody is home, grab a pillowcase and stuff it full of what ever valuables they can find and leave after just minutes.

48 arrests were made during a 5 week long operation to protect youth from alcohol, tobacco and drugs in St Lucie County.   Sheriff Ken Mascara says 28% of the convenience stores, gas stations and bars sold alcohol to minors during Operation Dry Spring.  Just 5% sold tobacco.  None of the businesses checked sold synthetic marijuana.

It's been a windy, warm day on the Treasure Coast so far.  As of noon, the winds had gusted to 32 mph in Ft Pierce and 27 mph in Stuart.  Temperatures had reached the lower 80s.

Betty Mulligan, a volunteer at Stuart's JD Paker School, has been named the Regional winner of the state school volunteer of the year award award.  The competition included the Treasure Coast, Brevard, Orange, Osceola and Lake County.  Mulligan implemented a literacy tutoring program and supervises 50 volunteers at JD Parker.

The experts at Colorado State University expect an above average hurricane season.  They think there will be 18 named storms, 9 hurricanes and 4 major ones.  They average season has 12 named storms, 7 hurricanes and just 2 major ones.  They don't think el Nino will develop this year.  El Nino winds from the Pacific blow the tops off storms in the Atlantic stifling hurricane development.  Caribbean water temperatures are already warm enough to support hurricane development.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 10

Storm experts are predicting another above-average hurricane season.  Doctors Phil Klotzbach and William Gray from Colorado State University estimate 18 named storms will form in the Atlantic this year with nine of them reaching hurricane strength.  Of those nine, Klotzbach and Gray believe four will become major storms of Category 3 strength or higher with maximum sustained winds topping 111 miles-per-hour.  The six-month hurricane season starts on June 1st.

A child fell off a roof of a home in Martin Downs this afternoon.  The child was airlifted to St Mary's Trauma Center.  The home is on Crane Creek Avenue.

A composite artist sketch of the suspect in Sunday's rape of a 10 year old girl in Port Salerno has been released to the public.  He's described as a white male in his 20s with a buzz-style haircut and wearing a cast of splint on one hand.  Anyone with information should call the Martin County Sheriff's office.

 

Governor Rick Scott today signed the bill outlawing internet cafes into law.  That outlaws internet hot spots used for casino slot machine gambling.  It may also ban arcade centers, which use slot machine type gaming devices but do not allow gambling per se.  It may end up forcing arcades, popular with Florida seniors, to close which would eliminated hundreds of Treasure Coast jobs.

The Florida Senate passed one of Treasure Coast State Senator Joe Negron's bills today.  It limits how and when unmanned aerial drones are used by law enforcement.  Negron does not want the government to be able to spy on people from above.  Some, but not all law enforcement officials are against limits on drones.

Palm City accounting firm owner Joseph Rizzuti has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges he interfered with a federal investigation and defrauded clients out of $265,000 they thought was going to pay the IRS.   The money was sent out of country thru a New Mexico company that listed him as a manager.  Rizzuti will be sentenced in Ft Pierce federal court in May.  He owned Beacon Accounting Services in Palm City and was once involved in trying to get Treasure Coast citrus concentrate into China.  That company went bust and dozens of local investors lost millions.  The founder of that company, Henry Clements was forced out by Rizzuti and the board before it failed.  Clements said at the time and ever since he thought the money was stolen by Rizzuti.

NEW:  One of the four jackpot-winning Fantasy 5 tickets sold for last night's drawing was sold in Stuart.  It was bought at the Sunoco station on south US 1 and is worth more than $54,000.  The only jackpot-winning Mega Money ticket for Tuesday night's drawing was sold in Okeechobee and is worth $880,000.

The door to door search for the suspect in the rape of a ten year old Port Salerno girl continues. Deputies have been canvassing the neighborhood and beyond looking for clues to the suspect’s identity. They hope to get a composite sketch out today.  Meanwhile we are hearing the 911 call tape made Sunday night by the girl’s mother.  Deputies were on scene within minutes and detectives have been working overtime ever since trying to identify the suspect.

The start of the school year could move up to early August under legislation now being debated in Tallahassee. The proposed law would allow school districts to start school three weeks before Labor Day. If passed, the law would reverse an earlier law that was meant to protect the traditional summer vacation schedule. St Lucie County school officials want to start school earlier this next fall. Martin County schools are already permitted to start school earlier than most because of high student performance.

TUESDAY APRIL 9

Florida Power & Light will be allowed to buy electricity from a company that plans to build biomass facilities in Martin & Okeechobee County.  The state Public Service Commission today approved the contract between FPL and US EcoGen which plans facilities that will produce 180 megawatts of power by 2019.  The will grow eucalyptus trees, turning them into fuel pellets that will be burned to create heat to turn water into steam that will generate power.  Eucalyptus trees can be planted and harvested in two years.

A Port St Lucie man was arrested after pulling a gun during road rage.  Police say 46 year old Dean Bair pulled a gun and yelled a racial slur at two black males who admit they accidentally cut him off in traffic on Port St Lucie Blvd.  The argument continues to the parking lot of a bar.  A customer at the bar came out and started fighting with one of the two men.  He was charged too.

Martin County, the city of Stuart and the School district today kicked around the idea of building a joint fleet maintenance and repair facility on Monterey Road near the sheriff's office.  The 62 acre site was once an old landfill and has been leased for a mini golf course in the past.  Building a joint fleet maintenance facility would free up land in the city and along Old Dixie Hwy that could be sold for private development or used for something else.  How to fund it is the big problem.  They agreed to continue studying the idea.  The idea came up at today's joint meeting of Martin County commissioners, Stuart city commissioners and Martin County school board.

They are still searching for a rapist who attacked a 10 year old girl in a park near the Manatee Creek community in Port Salerno Sunday afternoon.　 The girl was at the community park with her 3 and 5 year old sisters when the suspect asked her to help find his lost dog. Because of the brazen nature of the attack, Sheriff William Snyder says the girl is lucky to be alive and he fears he may strike again.　
    Martin County Sheriff William Snyder says the attack lasted 5 minutes and ended when the girl started to fight back. The suspect was last seen running along the railroad tracks toward Port Salerno.
    Sheriff Snyder says they’ve been working non-stop since it happened. They are interviewing homeless people who live in the area and known sex offenders. There are about 15 sex offenders who live within a mile of the park. Sheriff Snyder says they will catch this rapist.  He says parents have got to teach personal safety to their children, that they should never go with anyone they don't know.
    The suspect is a man in his 20s with short dirty blonde buzz cut hair wearing a two colored blue striped shirt. He had a cast, splint or a brace on one hand.

Martin County will hold a public meeting Thursday night on the Witham Field control tower. Various options on funding the control tower operations will be discussed. It’s from 6 to 8pm at the Airport Maintenance Conference Room, 1895 Flying Fortress Way

MONDAY APRIL 8

The search continues for a rapist who attacked a 10 year old girl in a park near the Manatee Creek community in Port Salerno Sunday afternoon.  Because of the brazen nature of the attack, Sheriff William Snyder says the girl is lucky to be alive and he fears he may strike again.  The attacker was last seen running along the railroad tracks.  There are extra patrols, undercover deputies and deputies on bicycles combing the area.  Port Salerno Elementary and Murray Middle schools are not affected by the search.  Sheriff Snyder says they will not rest until they have the rapist under arrest.  The suspect is a man in his 20s with short dirty blonde buzz cut hair wearing a two colored blue striped shirt. He had a cast or a brace on one hand.

There are 1,155 brush fires burning in Florida today.  More than 22,000 acres has burned state-wide since the first of the year.

Port St Lucie City Council members will get a presentation on the city's financial condition as of the end of the last budget year tonight.  The report says the city is seeing an increase in revenues as the economy improves.  The report does not address the Digital Domain bankruptcy and its effects on the city finances since that happened after the 2012 Fiscal Year ended.  The meeting starts at 7pm at city hall.

Martin county deputies are looking for a man who assaulted a ten year old girl Sunday afternoon. Around 5pm the girl says the man asked her to help look for his dog in a woods in the Manatee Creek area near Cove Road and Dixie Hwy where the assault took place. At least 3 people saw the suspect running northeast from the scene. The suspect is a man in his 20s with short dirty blonde buzz cut hair wearing a two colored blue striped shirt. He had a cast or a brace on one hand.

A 50 year old man got bit on the hand last week by a shark at Jensen Beach. It happened at the south end of the beach and lifeguards helped get him to shore. It’s the 7^th shark bite at Treasure Coast Beaches since last year. 5 of them have been in Martin County

SUNDAY APRIL 7

There were two shootings overnight north of Ft Pierce.  The St Lucie County sheriff's office says two men and a woman were standing in the driveway of a home on Kingsley Drive Saturday night when shoots were fired from two vehicles that drove by.  All three were hit, but with non life-threatening wounds.  In the second shooting early Sunday morning, a house on North 42nd St, about a mile away from the first shooting, was hit by gunfire.

The Elliott Museum has its 17th annual Classics at the Beach car show today.  It features classic Corvettes on display.  People should park at Witham Field and ride the free shuttle busses.  It's from 10am to 3pm.  Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children.

Sailfish Brewing Co has opened in Ft Pierce.  The company was started three years ago by three friends who brewed beer in the garage.  They thought it was tasty enough to go commercial.  Saturday they opened on Second St.  Their brand will be available at the brewery itself and at local outlets soon.

Two men were arrested in Palm City Friday and may be involved in the pillow case burglaries.  Deputies found stolen credit cards, stolen checkbooks and stolen IDs in their vehicle during a traffic stop.  Ingram Harper, 25, and Charleston Williams were taken to the Martin County jail.  Both are from Ft Lauderdale.  The pillow case burglar ring is believed to be operating out of Broward County.


FRIDAY APRIL 5

Stuart's Witham Field's control tower will remain open until at least mid-June.  The FAA announced today it was postponing the closing of 149 smaller airport control towers that was supposed to begin Sunday. The FAA says a number of the airports want to fund operations and the delay gives them that chance to come up with a plan.  Martin County Commissioners want the Witham Field tower to stay operational and are looking into ways to fund it if the FAA follows through with budget cuts.  Witham Field's tower was scheduled to close May 5th.

As many as a thousand people showed up at a fundraiser for St Lucie County Sheriff's Sgt Gary Morales' family in Port St Lucie today.  The event featured meals and the sale of Tshirts and other items to help the family of the murdered law officer at the Civic Center.  It continues a string of special benefits for Sgt Morales' wife and two little daughters. 

Florida's US Senator Bill Nelson now supports gay marriage.  He opposed it last fall while he was up for reelection.  Nelson says "to discriminate against one class and not another is wrong."  Nelson had previously supported gay civil unions.

The Federal government says Florida owes Uncle Sam more than $12 million in overpayments to the Medicaid program.  The Feds say they reimbursed DCF $22 million between 2007 & 2010 but the state has not provided the proof required to verify the payments were justified.  Last year DCF said Martin & St Lucie County owed them tens of millions for Medicaid claims.  Both counties fought that and settled for a fraction of the original amount.

Port St Lucie Mayor JoAnn Fiaella presented a Golden Apple Award to West Gate K-8 today.  The award is given to schools who show excellence or significant improvement in academics.  Mayor Faiella plans to present the Golden Apple to three more Port St Lucie schools in coming weeks.

The Treasure Coast and Palm Beaches had to deal with some rough weather Thursday afternoon. There were gusty winds, lightning, heavy rains and hail. A Tornado warning was issued after radar spotted on near Jonathan Dickenson State Park. The Martin County Sheriff’s office’s Steve Leighton says the weather was worse in Hobe Sound which had hail and Jensen Beach which had 50-60 mph winds.  Port St Lucie also had some bad weather.  Rainfall at backyard on-line weather stations showed many received more than an inch of rain in a short time. More than a dozen after-school events and sports were canceled by the weather. Several flights to Palm Beach International were diverted to Ft Myers and other airports during the worst of the weather Thursday afternoon.

THURSDAY APRIL 4

A tornado watch has now been dropped for the Martin-St Lucie County area as the worst of severe weather appears to have blown out to sea.  More storms are expected tonight and Friday, but the worst is over.    
    Earlier this afternoon a tornado warning was issued for eastern Martin County after radar indicated one near Jonathan Dickenson State Park around 3:38.  It was moving east at 25 mph and it has since moved out to sea.  There are numerous reports of pea to dime-size hail in the Hobe Sound area this afternoon.  The worst weather was from Bridge Rd to JD State Park.  The Jensen Beach area had 50-60 mph winds.  No damage reported.  Palm Beach County experienced severe weather with lots of lightning and heavy rains during the afternoon rush hour.

Hunter Henry died this morning of injuries he received when a car hit him while he was riding his bicycle to school.  The 16 year old Port St Lucie High School student had reportedly been on life support for the past few days.

A Port St Lucie couple was terrorized overnight by two men.  Police say the male victim was ambushed in the parking lot of his apartment on SE Wild Meadow Circle, forced inside at gunpoint.  The gunman was joined by a second man who tied up the wife.  A 2 year old child was sleeping in a bedroom.  The victim was ordered to the The Dollar Store on Old Dixie in Stuart and get money.  One gunman followed in a second vehicle.  After getting money from the store, the gunman ordered him to go to an employee's home to get more cash.  The victim intentionally crashed his vehicle on the way there to get a Martin County deputy's attention.  The deputy immediately notified Port St Lucie Police.  They found the wife still tied up and her 2 year old child still asleep and unharmed.  The second gunman was not there.  The other gunman escaped.

Treasure Coast Congressman Patrick Murphy is giving 5% of his pay to a variety of worthy causes while the budget  sequestration mess continues in Washington.  His first $8,700 donation will be to Sgt Gary Morales' family.

A teenager was hit and killed on Hutchinson Island last night. The preliminary report is that the 13 year old from Georgia and a friend were trying to cross A-1-A at South Ocean and Aqua Ra Drive across from the Courtyard by Mariott Inn at 7:25 last night where the family was staying. The friend made it across, he did not. He was airlifted to Martin Memorial North where he was pronounced dead.

16 year old Hunter Henry remains on life support after being hit by a car while riding his bicycle to Port St Lucie High. His friends have set up an impromptu memorial along Lennard Road where he was hit. Henry is a member of JROTC and his mother says he’s always wanted to join the military. Students at PSLHS will wear orange today as a tribute to Henry. Orange was his favorite color.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 3

Martin County school financial reserves are in worse shape than first thought.  School officials first told the school board last month reserves have dropped below the 3% required by state law.  They were told last night reserves are even smaller than first thought.   Martin County Schools still have $3.5 million even though that's just 2.64%.  Officials blame mistakes by the previous administration.   

Treasure Coast Congressman Patrick Murphy has raised $550,000 during the first quarter of the year for his reelection campaign.  That brings his total campaign fund to $660,000.  Republicans are expected to spend a lot of money to try and take the seat in the 2014 elections.

A year old Port St Lucie boy hit by a car Tuesday morning is on life-support to give doctors time to harvest his organs.  Hunter Henry was hit from behind while riding his bicycle to school near Lennard Road and Tiffany.  The 82 year driver told news partner CBS 12 he had been praying for the boy and would trade places if he could. 

The Martin County School Board held a public workshop on the new Common CORE curriculum last night at Stuart Middle School.  It will replace the Florida Sunshine State testing standards and the FCATs.  Some parents had serious doubts about the new program. They worry about the collection of personal student information on-line and a loss of local control over education. Parents also wondered why there was no local input before the new plan was approved.  Meanwhile, protesters were at Palm Beach Road near JD Parker school Tuesday morning objecting to the Common CORE Curriculum.　 One sign read "Keep Bill Gates Out of our Schools", and apparent reference to the on-line testing CORE requires.　

A Stuart woman will be going on a shopping spree downtown. Christie Donn won a $500 shopping spree during the recent Stuart Main Street, Downtown Business Association’s Spring Stroll thru the downtown last month.

TUESDAY APRIL 2

Florida Gulf Coast University basketball coach Andy Enfield has taken the head coaching job at Southern California. 

A 16 year old boy was hit by a car in Port St Lucie earlier this morning.  He was riding his bicycle to PSLHS when hit from behind by an 82 year old driver around 7am at Tiffany and Lennard.  The boy was knocked off his bike and across the hood of the car.  He was transported in critical condition to Lawnwood's Trauma Center.

Protesters were at Palm Beach Road near JD Parker school this morning objecting to the CORE Curriculum Florida is moving to replacing the state education and FCAT testing.  One sign read "Keep Bill Gates Out of our Schools", and apparent reference to the on-line testing CORE requires.  The Martin County School Board holds a public workshop on CORE tonight at Stuart Middle School.

Martin County airport and legal staff will meet with residents, groups and airport interests to see if they want to keep the control tower at Witham Field open after the FAA shuts it down in May.  Should the control tower be under county or state control and how it should be funded are two questions to be answered before County Commissioners decide what they want to do.  The public's wishes will be presented at a county commission meeting later this month.

Martin County Commissioners voted today  not to buy the old Rio Village Mobile Home Park after all.  The Commission majority felt they had accomplished their main goal to clean the park up during the pending sale by demolishing and removing the old trailers.  Commissioners were warned by staff if they back out of the purchase, which they have to right to do, they may be sued which would cost Martin County much more than just buying the 20 acres.  Doug Smith and Anne Scott voted against canceling the deal.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the St Lucie Nuclear Power Plant operated in a safe manner during 2012.  Unit 1 was watched more closely the first 9 months of last year after several shutdowns the year before.  The NRC was satisfied with the corrective measures taken by FPL and the entire plant returned to normal oversight the end of last year.

They were out all day Monday putting out hot spots from the northern St Lucie County brush fire that just won’t go out. About 480 acres have burned. It’s been burning for more than a week. Officials says there’s a 2 inch buildup of dead pine needles on the ground that makes for perfect brush fire fuel. Every time they think it’s out, it flares back up thanks to the winds. The Florida Forest Service’s Melissa Yunas says with the winds picking up each afternoon, they’re not confident they have the fire out.  9 homes have been damaged and several buildings like sheds have been destroyed. Smoke has been a health concern for people living in the area.

MONDAY APRIL 1

Firefighters spent the day trying to contain the brush fire that flared up again on Sunday in northern St Lucie County.  It has now burned 480 acres since starting with a lightning strike ten days ago.

The FAU football stadium won't be named after the GEO company.  The GEO Foundation today withdrew its $6 million offer for the naming rights saying it was best for the university.  A few students had objected because GEO runs prisons nationwide, and have had allegations of civil rights violations at some of them.

St Lucie County's Rick Ankiel made the Houston Astro's roster during spring training.  Sunday night he belted a 3 run home run late in the game to win it.  Martin County's Scott Proctor tried out for the San Francisco Giants.  He was sold to the Baltimore Orioles and will start the season with their AAA ball team in Norfolk. 

That big brush fire in northern St Lucie County a week ago rekindled Sunday due to strong gusting winds.　 80 acres in the Indrio Road-Kings Hwy burned and is almost contained this morning.　 At one point the winds pushed the flames toward some mobile homes, but they were stopped in time　 Roads in the area were closed Sunday but are now open. The only road still closed is the Turnpike Feeder Road. Forestry brought in a helicopter that made 49 water drops.　 St Lucie County had ten brush trucks and fire engines on scene while Forestry had also had a fire truck and 7 bulldozers there cutting fire lines. Crews stayed on scene overnight and will be there again today watching for hot spots. It’s still smoky in the area. 200 acres burned in this same area last Sunday.

WEEKEND EDITION MARCH 30 & 31

7:30 pm BRUSH FIRE UPDATE:  Last weekend's brush fire in northern St Lucie County rekindled today due to strong gusting winds.  80 acres in the Indrio Road-Kings Hwy are burning and 50% contained as of 7pm.  At one point some mobile homes were threatened, but not so much now.  Roads in the area are closed.  200 acres burned in this same area last Sunday.

A warming trend begins this weekend.  After an unusually cool Spring Break week for local students, temperatures will begin to rise to the mid to upper 80s early next week.

Dozens of Easter egg hunts are being held this weekend on the Treasure Coast.  Two of the biggest are at Port St Lucie's Whispering Pines Park and another at Pineapple Park in Jensen Beach Saturday.

Two Palm City burglary suspects were caught after a short chase Friday.  The Martin County sheriff's office says 27-year old David Weingrad, 27, of Port St. Lucie, and 30-year old Georgia Scordamaglia, 30, went inside a home where two children were playing and pushed them around before taking a box of money and fleeing.  Neighbors got a description of the vehicle and a deputy saw it and gave chase and made the arrest.  Sheriff William Snyder credits quick action and a detailed description of the get-a-way car by neighbors. 


FRIDAY MARCH 29

A St Lucie County school bus aide has been charged with harassing a disabled 5 year old student on the bus.  37 year old Daneta McPherson was arrested after a three month investigation.  Port St Lucie Police say she harassed the boy both on the way to and from school by yelling at him and threatening to take him home with her.  Police say the boy was left in tears on multiple occasions.

Treasure Coast unemployment was down in February.  The state says the jobless rate dropped 6-tenths of a point in Martin County to just 7.6%.  The St Lucie County rate is below double digits for the first time in years, having dropped 7-tenths of a point to 9.5% in February.  The Florida unemployment rate had dropped too, to 7.7%.

More charges were filed against Eriese Tisdale today for the murder of St Lucie County Sheriff's Sgt Gary Morales.  The weapons and fleeing charges are not as important as the first degree murder charges.  A Judge did grant bond on some of the lesser charges today, but there is no bond for the murder charges.  No date has been set for the trial Tisdale has asked for.  Meanwhile a fundraiser for the Morales family will be held Saturday afternoon at the Jensen Beach Shucker's.

This is Good Friday. Most everything is open today. Years ago most businesses, banks and government offices closed in the afternoon, but not now. All Treasure Coast government offices will be open all day except Sewalls Point and Jupiter Island Town Hall….they are closed all day. The Martin County Courthouse is closed as is the Property Appraiser's and the Elections office.  The rest of the Martin County offices are open.  The St Lucie County Courthouse and the Adams Federal Courthouse in Ft Pierce are closed today.  So is the St Lucie County Tax Collector and the the Elections office.  Many Treasure Coast churches have Good Friday services this afternoon.

THURSDAY MARCH 28

A Ft Pierce woman, Sharon Smith, won this year's YMCA Easter House.  The winning ticket was picked by CBS 12 Morning News anchor Eric Roby.  A last-minute push of ticket sales brought in another $213 thousand.  Ten days ago the Y was $250,000 short of their goal.  This year's Easter House is in Palm City.

A jet ski accident in the Intercoastal in Tequesta sent a man to the hospital this afternoon.  His jet ski hit a sandbar, sending him flying just south of the Martin-Palm Beach County line.  He was airlifted to St Mary's Medical Center.

Stuart Main Street wants the city to extend the river boardwalk.  Right now it starts at the River Stage near city hall and goes under the Roosevelt Bridge.  Main Street wants it to run the other way, from the Stage to a small park at the end of Colorado Avenue as a way to attract more people downtown.

Two Port St Lucie men were arrested early this morning on burglary charges.  Police say one was seen inside a car on SE Manth Lane while the other stood lookout.  The victim chased one, and got his stolen radio back.  Port St Lucie Police searched the area and a K9 tracked and found suspects Robert Lewis, 27, and Zachary Janiszewski in a home on SE Carvalho.  They were arrested after the victim identified them.

Port St Lucie Police have identified three suspects in the theft of a gumball machine from the lobby of St Lucie Medical Center last weekend.  They are 20 year old Travis J White and 19 year olds Gabrielle Ortiz and Desmond Humes, all from Port St Lucie.  Tips from the public helped identify them after hospital lobby security video was shown on TV. If you know where they are, call Treasure Coast Crimestoppers.

Sailfish Splash water park is closed again today due to the colder-than-normal temperatures. Temperatures will steadily rise the next few days which should let them open for the weekend.

Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers has started restricting its free, on-line access to much of its TCPalm.com material.  Everything is available on-line if you subscribe.  The least expensive option is $9.99 a month for the first three months.  It's almost three times that if you sign up for the hardcopy newspaper too.

A 73 year old missing St Lucie County man has been found safe & sound.  Joseph Ryan was reported missing Tuesday morning and was found just before midnight last night in Port St Lucie.

The St Lucie County grand jury indicted Eriese Tisdale for first degree murder for the death of Sgt Gary Morales. The indictment was read in court around 3:45 Wednesday afternoon after less than a full day’s testimony. Tisdale has said he wants a trial. Treasure Coast State Attorney Bruce Colton says he will pursue the death penalty.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 27

The St Lucie County grand jury today indicted Eriese Tisdale for first degree murder for the death of Sgt Gary Morales.

Treasure Coast Congressman Patrick Murphy says the Army Corps of Engineers has begun the design work to dredge the St Lucie and Ft Pierce Inlet.  The projects would repair shoaling caused by Hurricane Sandy.  The dredging would be done by the end of the year.  So far though there is no money to actually do the work, only enough to design and plan for it.  Congressman Murphy says he's working on that.

Former Governor Charlie Crist side-stepped the normal process to give the now-bankrupt Digital Domain $20 million in state incentives to come to Port St Lucie.  The Inspector General's report says no laws were broken, but it was outside the normal process and despite reservations by Enterprise Florida, the state agency usually charged with vetting and offering incentives to business.  The report also says the same thing could happen again under current law.

Governor Rick Scott has written Frank Brogan a letter wanting more answers on a professor at FAU who had students stomp on the name Jesus as a class assignment.  Brogan is Chancellor of Florida's university system and used to be president of FAU.

A Port St Lucie mother was charged with child neglect after police found 3 young children at home alone.  Police arrested Ingrid Hector.  She said the children's uncle was supposed to be watching them, but they found out he left the home before she did.  The children are ages 2,3 and 5.  Port St Lucie Police went to the home after a 911 hang-up call.

Sailfish Splash water park is closed again today due to the cold weather.  Martin County had opened the park early this year to give kids and families something to do during spring break, but the weather has gotten in the way.

A series of crashes brought Florida Turnpike traffic going south in Martin County to almost a standstill during this morning's rush hour.  The first crash at 6:14 am was a semi that rolled over on the guardrail at the 119 mile marker just north of the Martin-Palm Beach County line.  Later, two more semi's were in a crash in the same area.  The HazMat team was brought in to check the cargo before it was off-loaded.

The CEO of Martin Health Systems was charged with a DUI last weekend by Stuart Police.　 They pulled Mark Robitaiile over Saturday night after seeing him speeding and weaving on the Roosevelt Bridge.　 Stuart Police dash cam recorded what he told the officer  The video shows Robitaiile had trouble saying the alphabet and say he had a blood alcohol level almost twice the legal limit. Robitaille told police he had been at a wedding at Willoughby Country Club. In a statement by Robitaiile and Board Chairman George Lehach. Robitaiile apologizes for what happened and says he’s profoundly grateful no one was hurt. Lehach says the Board is disappointed but says Martin Health Systems will continue to move forward under Robitaiile’s leadership　

The Florida High School Athletic Association continues to push back against proposed laws that would limit their authority to set and enforce eligibility rules for playing high school sports. Executive Director Roger Dearing told reporters on a conference call the problem with the bills. Dearing says the bills would allow sports agents too much influence.  Dearing says it’s not fair for student athletes to compete against those who are not eligible. The FHSAA has held the state high school baseball championships on the Treasure Coast in recent years and will hold the state swimming and diving championships at Sailfish Splash water park in Stuart the next three years.

TUESDAY MARCH 26

You'll need the blanket on the bed the next few nights.  Lows will drop into the low 40s for most of the Treasure Coast tonight.  In western areas like Indiantown and Okeechobee City it will drop into the upper 30s.  The Red Cross has opened a cold weather shelter in Vero Beach tonight.  The normal high this time of year is 80 and the normal low is 63.

Treasure Coast Congressman Patrick Murphy says he's secured funding to repair Treasure Coast beaches damaged by Hurricane Sandy.  Murphy says the Army Corps of Engineers is awarding funding to restore beaches in Ft Pierce and is in the process of releasing funding for Martin County beaches.

The CEO of Martin Health Systems was charged with a DUI last weekend by Stuart Police.  They pulled Mark Robitaiile over after seeing him weaving on the Roosevelt Bridge.  Stuart Police say he had a blood alcohol level almost twice the legal limit.  Physicians with privileges at Martin Memorial were notified by email on Monday.

Read statements by Mark Robitaiile and Chair of Martin Health System's Board George Lehach
 
It was a lightning strike last Friday that caused Sunday's brush fire in St Lucie County.  The Forestry Service says a lightning strike at 10:53 pm hit a tree in a wooded area at the St Lucie International Airport.  The fire smoldered for a day and a half before flaring up Sunday afternoon.

Port St Lucie Police are looking for a group of bubblegum bandits.  Three men took a gumball machine from the lobby of St Lucie Medical Center Saturday night.  Security video shows them posing with the gumball machine out in the parking lot. 

CORRECTION:  Today is the Day of Giving, not Monday as previously reported.  Donors & foundations working with the Martin County Community Foundation will match your smaller donation to the favorite local non-profits of your choosing today only.

Information click here yourMCCF.org

In earlier local news....

The St Lucie County brush fire that broke out Sunday continues to smolder and burn in a marshy area.  It is mostly contained.　 Officials now say 200 acres burned.　 Crews continue putting out hot spots and watching for flare-ups. The cool temperatures and low humidity concern firefighters.  Two St Lucie County nature areas that had sections burned by Sunday’s brush fire are closed. The Indrio Savannahs and Indrio Scrub Preserve will be closed while crews clean them up.

MONDAY MARCH 25

The St Lucie County brush fire that broke out Sunday continues to burn in a marshy area that is mostly contained.  Officials now say 200 acres burned.  No homes are threatened.  Crews remain on scene putting out hot spots and waiting for flare-ups.  Getting firefighting equipment back to the heart of the fire is an issue.  The winds are today's biggest concern because they can spread the fire.

A Port St Lucie man was arrested last Friday after police found his 4 year old daughter had been left home, alone for 8 hours while he went to work.  Police say the house was filthy and smelled of cat urine.  Power tools were left out the child had easy access to the pool.  26 year old Curtis L Larmore told them he'd been leaving the girl unsupervised every-other week Monday thru Friday due to his work schedule since January.

A man was killed while walking in Indiantown Sunday night.  Officials say 46 year old Gregorio Esteban Montejo stepped out in front of an SUV near Warfield Blvd & Jackson Ave just past 8pm.

Treasure Coast Jews begin Passover tonight at sundown.  Treasure Coast Christians begin Holy Week observances today, continuing with Good Friday and concluding with Easter on Sunday. 

St Lucie County had its first big brush fire this season. 125 acres burned near the St Lucie International Airport. Nine homes were damaged, but only two of them had severe damage. Several outbuildings like sheds, barns and garages were destroyed. Officials say they saved 1,000 homes. 
     As many as 2,500 people were evacuated for several hours at the Heatherway apartments, and homes in Indian Pines, Tree Top, Slash Pines and Southwind developments 100 firefighters were on scene battling flames. Winds Sunday afternoon gusted up to 40 mph which kept spreading the fire.
     Martin County, Indian River and Okeechobee County all sent fire crews to help. The Red Cross set up a relief station at Indrio Crossings for those evacuated and they kept firefighters hydrated. People were allowed to go back home around 7:30 last night. There were still hot spots firefighters were putting out and many found now power and lots of lingering smoke. Firefighters were out there all night and will stay out there watching for hot spots to flare up.

WEEKEND EDITION MARCH 23 & 24

10 pm Update:  A 125 acre brush fire burning near the St Lucie International Airport is 90% contained.  Nine homes were damaged in the Heatherway community; two with substantial damage.  Several outbuildings like garages, barns and sheds were destroyed.  Forestry figures they saved 1,000 homes.
     2,500 people evacuated from Heatherway, Indian Pines, Tree Tops, Slash Pines and Southwind developments have been allowed to go home, though there are hot spots and many will find no power.  Smoke will also be a problem.
    Winds gusted to 40 mph Sunday afternoon.  A heavy rain storm came thru the area which did help, but it also brought lightning.  Forestry has called in a water-drop helicopter. The Red Cross has set up a relief station at Indrio Crossings.  Martin, Indian River & Okeechobee County all sent firefighters to help.

SILVER ALERT UPDATE:   A missing 87 year old Port St Lucie woman has been found safe.  The sheriff's office says Bernadette Fedoriuk was located in Hillsborough County after last being heard from around midnight Saturday night.  She called her daughter saying she was on Gatlin Blvd but was lost.  She made a credit card purchase Sunday morning around 6:30 in Indiantown.

It's going to be hot today, and cold again in just a couple.  The Nation Weather Service forecasts high's on the Treasure Coast of 90 today.  Another late-season cold front will go thru Florida on Monday, dropping overnight lows into the 40s Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The FAA will close the control tower at Stuart's Witham Field airport.  The closing is part of the mandatory budget cuts in Washington.  The closing of 149 small airport control towers will begin April 7th and take a month to complete them all.  Control towers in several other small Florida airports will be closed too, including Titusville and Naples.  Martin County Commissioners announced Friday they will discuss options of taking over control tower operations at their meeting on April 2nd.  Those options may include asking for contributions from airport users.

A jury found Freddie Lee "Trouble" McLawhorn guilty of murdering a Port St Lucie mom in 2010.  The jury took 3 hours to convict the Ft Pierce man.  Prosecutors say he went to the home of an alleged drug dealer in Port St Lucie to steal cash and drugs and shot Melanie Henningsen during the break-in as her 2 year old son watched.  An accomplice was convicted earlier.

Bathtub Reef Beach reopens this weekend.  It's been closed since severe beach erosion caused by Hurricane Sandy last October. 

It's time to celebrate the arts this weekend in Stuart.  ArtsFest features more than 100 local artists featuring their works in a variety of media such as painting, sculpting and woodworking.  Plenty of entertainment including local school choral groups and jazz bands.  ArtsFest is 10-5 Saturday & Sunday at Memorial Park.

FRIDAY MARCH 22

They have begun tearing down the old trailers at the Rio Village Mobile Home Park which Martin County is in the process of buying.  Crews have gone in to dismantle the trailers, salvaging metals for recycling.  People have wanted to get rid of the eyesore for years, and the county hopes to use the 2 acres on Old Dixie Hwy for the redevelopment of the Rio area.

People have seen a big crane at the St Lucie Nuclear Power Plant. Here’s why it’s there. The 120 ton crane will be used to replace a valve at Unit 1. The faulty valve tripped breakers that took the unit off line March 12^th. The valve is in the steam generation part of the plant, not the reactor part.

The Port St Lucie Blockbuster Video store will close tomorrow. The Stuart one will close April 7^th. Both are among the 300 Blockbuster Video’s nationwide that are closing. The Port St Lucie store manager says they are not getting any severance pay.

In earlier Treasure Coast news....

There's no school for Martin County students today as they begin spring break.  Teachers will be at work for a teacher work day. 

The former Digital Domain studios are costing Port St Lucie millions, and will until somebody buys or leases it. Even with that, the city will pay millions in other costs. The construction bonds cost the city $3.5 million a year. Interim City Manager Jeff Bremer told the city council Thursday the city has this year’s costs covered. Even if they find a buyer, Port St Lucie will have to pay out $1.7 million a year in design and other legacy costs that could go on until 2031. He worries the city will burn through its reserves if a buyer isn’t found. He said there’s been plenty of interest, but no serious buyers. The Port St Lucie City Council ordered Bremer to find a national or international broker to help sell the studios.

THURSDAY MARCH 21

Sailfish Splash water park has been selected to host the FHSAA State High School Swimming & Diving Championships this year thru 2016.  More than 1,500 athletes, coaches and trainers will participate.  5,000 fans are expected to watch the competition in November.  Sailfish Splash opens for its new season Friday.

Treasure Coast home sales were up in February from a year ago.  The Florida Association of Realtors says 507 single family homes were closed on last month.  That's 19.6% more than sold in February 2012.  The median price was $121,500 which is just about the same as a year ago.

Martin County deputies jumped into Lake Okeechobee last night to save an elderly man and his son whose boat was sinking.  They had run out of gas, and hit some rocks near Port Myaca causing the boat to take on water.  The deputies jumped in as the boat began breaking up.  The elderly man is 84 and suffered broken ribs.  Earlier Wednesday afternoon the Martin County Sheriff's Marine Patrol rescued two other men who were lost and stranded in their boat.

$7 thousand in a money bag was stolen from a delivery van in Port St Lucie Tuesday morning.  The van was left unlocked as the driver made a delivery to a liquor store at the Bridge Plaza. 

The Treasure Coast has had another jackpot-winning Fantasy 5 lottery ticket.  A ticket  in the town of Micco on the Indian River-Brevard County line matched all the numbers in last night's drawing.  It is worth $83 thousand.  Winning Fantasy 5s were sold the past week or so in Port Salerno and Hobe Sound.

(I know, technically Micco is not on the Treasure Coast, but I figured...what the heck)

In earlier local news.....

Martin County is just about the healthiest place to live in Florida.  St Lucie County is healthier too.　 The University of Wisconsin and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation looked at factors like the environment, crime rate, healthy lifestyles of all 67 Florida counties, ranking them for overall healthy places to live. The Health Department’s Rene Rouse says the report ranks Martin County second healthiest in Florida.  St Lucie County is also healthier. The county moved up in the rankings, going from #30 last year to 22nd this year. Health Department officials in both counties are pleased with the improvements, though say more can always been done.　 Palm Beach is 14th & Indian River County 15th healthiest.  St Johns County was ranked first.

A head-on crash killed a person in Hobe Sound late Wednesday afternoon. The crash was on US One just south of Osprey. One person had to be extricated with the jaws of life and was airlifted to a trauma center. A second person was seriously injured. Lanes of US One were closed for 2 ½ hours by the 5pm crash.

Everything is set for Friday’s opening of Sailfish Splash water park in Stuart. Last year the new park turned a $389 thousand profit, and they’ve already sold 3,500 season passes. You can buy a season pass on line through the Martin County government website.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 20

A head-on crash killed a person in Hobe Sound late Wednesday afternoon. The crash was on US One just south of Osprey. One person had to be extricated with the jaws of life. US One was closed for 2 ½ hours by the 5pm crash.

A new report says Martin County is the second healthiest in Florida.   The University of Wisconsin and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation had ranked Martin County #5 last year.  St Lucie County moved up in the rankings, going from #30 last year to 22nd this year.   Health Department officials in both counties are pleased with the improvements.  Palm Beach is 14th & Indian River County 15th healthiest.  The report looked at factors like the environment, crime rate, health County.  St Johns County was ranked first.

Florida is getting into the heart of the brush fire season.  There are 859 brush fires burning in Florida.  Most are small, but more than 12 thousand acres have burned across the state since the first of the year.  To prevent really a big brush fire, the controlled burn is planned for Thursday at the Savannahs Preserve in eastern Port St Lucie.

Martin County has approved an increase in impact fees.  The County Commission Tuesday voted 3-2 for a 10% increase in fees on new construction.  Commissioners rejected a consultants other recommendations to increase them even more.  Impact fees were lowered a couple years ago as Martin County looked for ways to stimulate the local economy.  Impact fees are used to pay for increased need for government services and schools that growth and development cause.

Dense fog was a problem earlier this morning for Palm Beach and other counties to the south.  Visibility at PBIA down to 1/16th of a mile and a quarter mile in Ft Pierce.

The power is back on  in the St Lucie West area.  FPL says 2,543 customers mostly west of I-95 in Tradition lost power for about an hour.  The power outage was reported at 6:13.

The Gardens City Early Learning Academy will close to help the St Lucie County Schools make the new budget balance. That’s just one decision the St Lucie County School Board made last night to close a $15 million gap.  The school board also wants to make changes at several schools. Dan McCarty will become a middle school again and all middle schools will go to block scheduling. Each K-8 school will lose a school resource teachers. The district’s health insurance program will have to be changed too. That alone will save $7 million. The St Lucie County school board refused to close the Ft Pierce Magnet School for the Arts and decided not to lay off any school librarians.  St Lucie County School Superintendent Mike Lannon says none of the cuts made will hurt students

Martin County schools will hold back hundreds of thousands of dollars meant for special programs just in case the sequestration of the federal budget gets worse. The school board went along with the state education department’s recommendation to hold off spending federal grant money. Martin County schools will keep hold of $646 thousand to deal with any federal budget cuts.

TUESDAY MARCH 19

Indian River State College boosts the Treasure Coast economy by more than a billion a year. IRSC President Dr Ed Massey says an educated workforce is key to the area's economic well-being. Dr Massey says an IRSC education dollar is a good investment.  For every dollar IRSC gets in government funding, the Treasure Coast get a $2.40 return to the economy. Dr Massey says IRSC is proud of their contribution, but better things are ahead.  The study measured the impact of student and college spending and the benefits of skills and productivity of an educated workforce.

Annmarie Sperger is this year’s Martin County School-Related Employee of the Year. She is an ESE Paraprofessional at Hidden Oaks Middle. She has been with the school district for 22 years and beat out 22 others nominated by each school and several programs to win the award.
　
MONDAY MARCH 18

A man's body was found in the St Lucie Inlet near the Stuart Causeway this afternoon.  The body was brought in by the Martin County Sheriff's Marine Patrol unit 3.  The body is a 67 year old paddle boarder

Martin County firefighters put out a fire at a shopping plaza at 1333 NE Jensen Beach Blvd.  The HazMat team was also been called in.  There several shops including a frame business, law office in that plaza.  The fire was reported at 12:30 pm.

Treasure Coast unemployment was at 9.4% in January.  Preliminary figures show St Lucie County had a 10.1% jobless rate which was tied for fourth highest in Florida.  The final figures for last December has the Martin County rate at 8.4%.  The January rate will be released in a couple weeks.  The Martin & St Lucie County rates are combined to come up with the Treasure Coast rate.  The Florida statewide unemployment rate dropped to 7.8% in January, the lowest since 2008. 

St Lucie County Schools report they have been able to slash energy costs so much the past ten years, the school district has gone from being 61st on the state's energy cost list to 19th.  St Lucie County schools now have the 6th lowest energy consumption per student by schools in Florida.

Indian River State College boosts the Treasure Coast economy by a billion a year, according to a new study.  The study measured the impact of student and college spending and the benefits of skills and productivity of an educated workforce.

Classes at the University of Central Florida have been canceled after a student was found dead in a dorm room, which also had explosives inside.  The dorm's 500 students were evacuated.  Officials found a handgun and a rifle in the room along with IEDs.

A 19 year old Lake Worth woman was seriously hurt in a Port St Lucie traffic crash around 6:30 this morning.  Police say Cathryn Stalmaker was trying to turn west on Port St Lucie Blvd at Seafury Lane when her car was t-boned by another vehicle going east.  Stalmaker had to be extricated with the jaws of life.  She was taken to Lawnwood's Trauma Center with life-threatening injuries.

A Port St Lucie teen has been charged with breaking into 4 vehicles Sunday.  Police found a wallet while investigating reports of burglarized vehicles on the city's west side.  The wallet belonged to a 17 year old who admitted he was bored and burgled the vehicle in a friend's neighborhood.

Another jackpot-winning Fantasy 5 lottery ticket has been sold in Martin County.  A ticket sold at the Publix store on US One in Port Salerno is one of 7 tickets that matched all the numbers.  Each is worth just $26,711.  Last week another jackpot-winning ticket was sold at a Hobe Sound convenience store.

A 9 year old child died and 3 adults were critically hurt in an I-95 crash in Martin County Sunday afternoon. Martin County Fire-Rescue says they were all ejected in the crash at the 112 mile marker around 2:30 pm. Their vehicle swerved to avoid furniture that fell off the back of a pick up going north. The vehicle rolled several times. The child was flown to St Mary’s Trauma Center where the child died. The adults were taken to Lawnwood’s Trauma center.

A 6 acre brush fire broke out in the Abacoa area of Jupiter Sunday afternoon. It burned in a preserve off of Morning Dew Circle. The brush fire index numbers continue to climb. The number is 589 in St Lucie County, 520 in Martin County and 573 in Indian River County. Officials begin to worry when it hits 500. There hasn’t been a big brush fire yet this winter dry season in Martin or St Lucie County. Indian River County had a big brush fire a couple weeks ago that closed I-95 for about six hours.

Boca Raton Police have arrested a suspect in several bank robberies, including one in Ft Pierce. Police arrested Rodney Verbeck after comparing back video from the Ft Pierce robbery with video from a Boca Raton bank.

Missing Port St Lucie brothers were found safe and sound in Sebring Sunday. 79 year old Leonard B Sparks, Sr and his 61 year old brother Carl H Hill were last seen at their SE Burning Lane home Saturday morning around 7:30. . Sparks suffers from dementia and Hill is developmentally challenged and unable to take care of himself. Mr Sparks flagged down a Sebring officer Sunday morning.

There’s a target date for the new Bass Pro Shops store to open in Port St Lucie. In January, Mayor JoAnn Faiella said the outdoor, hunting, fishing store was coming to town. The company said at the time no final decision had been made. Mayor Faiella now says the chain is definitely going to open in an empty shopping plaza on Gatlin Blvd in September and hire about 150.
　
SUNDAY MARCH 17

Port St Lucie Police need your help finding 79 year old Leonard B Sparks, Sr and his 61 year old brother Carl H Hill. Sparks suffers from demintia and Hill is developmentally challenged and unable to take car of himself. They were last seen at their SE Burning Lane home around 7:30 Saturday morning.  They should be in a silver 2007 Kia Optima 4-door with a tag L146BU with a cross hanging from the rearview mirror.


A Wells Fargo Bank was held up in Port St Lucie Saturday afternoon.  A man in a yellow hard hat and yellow reflective vest came into the branch on Village Center Drive just past 1pm.  He pulled a gun and demanded money from a teller and ran out the door.  He's described as black, 5-6, muscular, weighing 170-180 pounds.

A successful fundraiser was held for the Gary Morales family at the YMCA Sportsworld Saturday night.  Morales' wife, two daughters, brother and other family members were there to skate with others raising money for the family of the St Lucie County Sheriff's Sergeant killed during a traffic stop a couple weeks ago.

 
FRIDAY MARCH 15

St Lucie County beaches are getting rebuilt.  A $13 million beach renourishment project started this week from Normandy Beach south to the St Lucie-Martin County line.  The beach has not been rebuilt since the hurricanes of 2004 & 2005, though some emergency beach repairs have been done.  A 4 mile stretch of Martin County beaches to the St Lucie Inlet are also being rebuilt.

Stuart Police served two search warrants last night, arresting one on cocaine charges, the other for possession of pot and paraphernalia.  22 year old Latoya Jolly was charged with cocaine possession with intent to sell when they searched her home on ML King Blvd.  Her bond was set at $58 thousand.  !8 year old Deojahwann Kelly was arrested on marijuana charges.

Murray Middle School's boys basketball team has won the Martin County Athletic Association's Championship.  The Lions beat Doc Anderson Middle School's Stallions 51-47 to win the Championship for the fourth straight year.

South Florida leads the nation in foreclosures. RealtyTrac says the Palm Beach-Broward-Miami Dade county area had the most foreclosure activity in the nation in February. Florida as a whole had a 13% increase in foreclosures from a year ago with one in every 232 homes receiving a foreclosure notice of some kind.

The man accused of killing St Lucie County sheriff’s Sgt Gary Morales won’t be formally charged with the crime until next week. The Treasure Coast States Attorney office had planned to charge Eriese Tisdale with murder yesterday, but still have witnesses to interview.

THURSDAY MARCH 14

4 miles of Martin County beaches will be restored starting this week.  The project will start at the Martin-St Lucie County line south to Indian River Plantation.  The beach will get new sand dredged from off shore over the next two months.  These beaches were last renourished after the hurricanes of 2005.

A group of Treasure Coast business & community leaders is in Tallahassee today meeting with state officials and legislative leaders.  This year the locals have wish lists, but no pressing, top priority issue they are pushing.  The annual event is organized by the Stuart-Martin County Chamber of Commerce. 

The Holy Cross Catholic Church in Indiantown holds a special mass for the new Pope tonight.  It begins at 7pm.  The congregation is overwhelmingly Hispanic as is Pope Francis.  Other Catholic churches plan special masses next week and many will be draped in yellow and white, the papal colors.

News partner CBS 12 reports the Houston Astros are looking at Palm Beach Gardens for a future spring training facility. Scripps Newspapers reports they are looking at a 52 acre site about 5 miles south of Roger Dean Stadium where the Marlins and Cardinals train. The Astros reportedly want to share a spring training facility with another team. That’s what the New York Mets and St Lucie County are trying to do. Expand and share Tradition Field. Astros owner Jim Crane owns the Floridian Golf Club where President Obama played golf with Tiger Woods. The Astros almost came to Jensen Beach in 1984, but Martin County voters rejected a bed tax that would have financed a stadium where the Home Depot store is now.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 13

Many Treasure Coast Catholics have special reason to celebrate the election of the new Pope from Argentina.  Like Francis I, most parishioners at Holy Cross in Indiantown and many at St Elizabeth Seton Church in Port St Lucie are from Latin America.  St Martin de Porres in Jensen Beach is named in honor of a Saint born in Lima Peru.  He is the Patron Saint of those who seek racial harmony.  St Joseph's in Stuart has two Spanish masses each week to serve its growing Hispanic membership.

Fire broke out at a home in Indiantown this afternoon.  The fire at 15384 Seminole Drive was reported at 1:25 and firefighters found fire in two rooms.  The blaze was quickly put out.  The cause is under investigation and no injuries were reported.

Florida Lt Governor Jennifer Carroll has resigned.  It comes during an investigation of an internet cafe company and after the arrest of company officials.  Carroll had sponsored legislation that would have benefited such companies when she was in the state legislature.  The non-profit Allied Veterans of the World had several officials charged with racketeering for allegedly profiting by supplying illegal gambling software to veteran's groups.  The Vero Beach Internet Cafe is among those being investigated.

Port St Lucie Police are looking for a man who tried to rob a man Tuesday.  The suspect walked into the side of a victim's car at Tuffy Auto, then pretended he was run into.  He opened the driver's door and grabbed his cell phone.  The victim did not let go a put the car in reverse and the suspect left.  A nearby gun shop owner said the same suspect, acting nervous, tried to handle a couple of handguns, but left when asked for a drivers license.

One of two jackpot-winning Fantasy 5 lottery tickets for last night's drawing was sold in Hobe Sound.  It was sold at the Kwik Stop on Bridge Road.  It's worth more than $105,000.  The other ticket was sold in Largo.

It isn’t just Port St Lucie and Florida that may have lost out when Digital Domain closed and went bust. The entire digital animation industry may be moving overseas. CBS 12 reports two former Digital Domain employees, Jonathan Stone & Lisa Zusper, have started a petition drive asking the President to help keep digital animation jobs in the US by changing tax breaks rewarding visual effects studios for moving projects overseas. They say thousands of jobs are moving to China and other countries.

The proposed calendar for the next St Lucie County school year is out. it has the new school year starting August 19th. Thanksgiving would be just a three day break, not a full week like now. The draft calendar also has the first semester exams before the Christmas break. Right now St Lucie County students take about two weeks off at Christmas, then have to come back and take their finals in January.

TUESDAY MARCH 12

Treasure Coast Congressman Patrick E. Murphy doesn't like the budget Republican Paul Ryan came out with.  Murphy says it's not a serious plan and criticizes because it would repeal Obamacare and end the Medicare program for seniors.   He says the Ryan Budget falls well short of a balanced or serious solution to address spending, deficit reduction, job creation, and economic growth.  Congressman Murphy called on both parties to work together on a realistic budget.

A Port St Lucie Police officer has been fired for allegedly having sex while on duty.  An Internal Affairs investigation says officer Charles Green III had sex with a woman during a "lunch break" last October.  He had taken a burglary report from the woman the night before.  The woman's husband was an inmate at the St Lucie County Jail at the time. 

A pedestrian was hit & killed by a train in northern Indian River County around 2am.  Officials consider the death of the 60 year old Sebastian man a suicide.

The Martin County School Board approved a $20 thousand settlement with Citizens for Sunshine last night.  The nonprofit group sued during last fall's election claiming three board members broke the state's Sunshine Law by showing up unannounced at a school district program they had received complaints about.   One of those board members, Laurie Gaylord, is now Superintendent.

An injury crash reported at Colorado & US One at 6:50 this morning.  Two of the three lanes of US One were closed by the crash snarling rush hour traffic.

Strong storms, winds and high surf for the Treasure Coast today. A high wind advisory has been issued for the us. Winds will be gusting higher than 25 mph as a cold front comes through later today. Seas will be 7 to 10 feet pounding away at Treasure Coast beaches which may cause more beach erosion, a problem we’ve been dealing with since last summer.  The heavy seas are making it tricky at best getting thru the St Lucie Inlet.

Gov Rick Scott helped cut the ribbon at TurboCombustor’s Stuart plant expansion Monday. The company expects to hire 200 people at an average salary of $45 thousand by 2016.  Company president Gregg Bennett hopes to hire even more people. In exchange TurboCombustors is getting almost $4 million in state and local incentives. The governor used the TurboCombusters celebration to push his plan to end the sales tax on manufacturing in Florida as a good way to stimulate the state’s economy.

MONDAY MARCH 11

A Florida Senate committee chaired by the Treasure Coast's Joe Negron has basically killed Gov Rick Scotts plan to expand Medicaid.  By a 7-4 vote they decided to replace the governor's plan with a managed- care plan with a copay.  The Florida House is also against the Medicaid expansion plan.

Florida gas prices have dropped again.  AAA says gas is selling at an average of $3.76.  That's 5 cents less than last week, and about ten cents lower than two weeks ago.  It is 13 cents higher than a month ago.

An 18 year old was shot in Ft Pierce Sunday night.  Officials say he was shot in the chest outside the Madison Cay apartments on North 29th Street around 10pm.  Witnesses heard about ten shots fired.  The victim said his shooters were three males with red bandanas.  He was in serious condition when taken to Lawnwood's Trauma Center.

A Jupiter man was critically hurt in a motorcycle crash Sunday night.  Robert Gabrick, 48, lost control of his motorcycle on Congress Ave near West Palm Beach and hit a metal pole in the median.

Martin County High's newly rebuilt auditorium reopens tonight.  The Wanda K Yarboro Center was damaged by a fire more than a year ago, and took longer to rebuild after insurance companies objected to the higher costs to bring the auditorium up to modern building and safety codes.  The Gala Reopening is at 7pm.  Proceeds will benefit MCHSs performing arts programs.

Gov Rick Scott will be in town this afternoon. He will help cut the ribbon at TurboCombustor’s Stuart plant expansion at 2pm. Last October, Martin County approved a $900,000 economic development fund grant and the governor approved $3 million to help the company expand into a 120 thousand square foot facility and hire up to 200 new employees by 2016. They already employ almost 400 workers, most at their Stuart plants. TurboCombustor makes and assembles complex parts like heat shields for turbo jet engines.

The Treasure Coast continues to support Sgt Gary Morales’ family. The fitness gym where he used to workout and taught self defense classes held a fundraiser Saturday. Pro football player Jamar Cheney of the Eagles and former pro Yamon Figurs of the Titans and Jaguars came by to show support. Sgt Morales’ wife told reporters how much it meant to the family to see all the people lined up along the highways and roads when the funeral procession passed by last week. The non-profit The Royal Palms of St Lucie, which helps women and children, raised $10 thousand for the Morales family last week.

The suspect in the shooting death of St Lucie County Sheriff’s Sgt Gary Morales was arrested almost three years ago during a traffic stop in Port St Lucie. Police have released dash cam video of their arrest of Eriese Tisdale in 2010 during that traffic stop. It may shed light on the motive in the Sgt Morales shooting.  His comments recorded as he was being taken to jail indicated he didn’t like police

SUNDAY MARCH 10

A 17 year old fell off a boat and his arm was badly slashed by the propeller Saturday morning.  After the 10:30am accident, the boy was brought to Sandsprit Park where he was flown to Lawnwood's Trauma Center in critical condition.

Tarun Neelavannan won the Treasure Coast Spelling Bee Saturday.  The 11 year old sixth grade student at Anderson Middle outlasted 65 other students from Martin, St Lucie and Indian River County to win the right to compete in the national bee in Washington.  Shantanu Jakhete, 12, of Murray Middle came in second while his 10 year old brother Rohan Jakhete of Port Salerno Elementary came in third.  The bee went 22 rounds.  The winning word was "rubicellle."

FRIDAY MARCH 8

This weekend may not be the best time to hit the beach.  Waves kicked up by that storm that's bringing snow to New England will be increasing throughout the weekend eventually getting to 7 to 10 feet.  That will make it dangerous to swim and boat and will cause beach erosion.  Turtle nesting season just started a week ago.

The Jensen Beach Blues & BBQ Festival starts this afternoon and continues Saturday.   Seven different musical groups will perform and there will be a Best BBQ competition. It's at Indian Riverside Park from 4pm to 10pm today and 11am to 10pm Saturday.

Brian Hartline and the Miami Dolphins have a contract deal.  He will be paid $12.5 million guaranteed over the next 5 years, and it could be as much as $31 million.  Hartline is a dependable clutch receiver, but has just 7 touchdowns in his career.  He caught 74 passes and 6 TDs this past season.

Indian River County has had 4 brushfires this week that burned 103 acres.  The big one Wednesday closed I-95.  Neither Martin or St Lucie County have seen a big brush fire yet during this winter dry season. 

Brush Fire Index numbers:

Martin 488, St Lucie 569, Indian River 551.  Anything above 500 and they start to worry.

There was a house fire earlier this morning on South 15th St in Ft Pierce.  The Red Cross is helping the man who lived there. 

A vehicle hit a power pole around 5am on Gomez east of US 1 in Hobe Sound.  There were injuries and FPL had to be called in to repair the pole.

In earlier local news....

A US Mail carrier died Thursday of injuries suffered in a Wednesday afternoon crash on Indian River Drive. Juan Carlos Riestra was delivering mail south of Walton Road when a car driven by a 16 year old Jensen Beach girl crossed the centerline when the road curved slightly, sideswiping the mail truck. It spun around, ejecting Riestra. The mail truck then flipped over on top of him.

Fire damaged a Palm City home Thursday afternoon. Martin County Fire Rescue says heavy smoke was pouring from the home in the 4800 block of SW Lake Grove Circle when they arrived around 2:45 pm. Nobody got hurt and the cause is under investigation.

Three Stuart men were arrested for making crack cocaine in local motel room. A confidential informant told Martin County deputies about it and they got a search warrant. They found 13 grams of cocaine and some crack that had already been made. The arrested Willie Lee Hogan, 40, Christopher L kee, 38, and 34 year old Wayne C Graham.

THURSDAY MARCH 7

Basketball legend Michael Jordan and his fiance filed for a marriage license today at the Palm Beach County Courthouse.  Jordan divorced his first wife of 17 years in 2006 and has reportedly been engaged to his fiance more than a year.  Jordan has a 38 thousand square foot home in The Bears Club in Jupiter.  He is also a member of The Medalist Club in Hobe Sound.

The St Lucie Nuclear Power Plant is on the NRC's list of top performing plants nationally.  81 of the 99 nuclear power plants are on the list as meeting all safety and security requirements and require no extra monitoring.  The 18 other plants have issues that need to be addressed.

The Treasure Coast Red Cross has been busy the past few days.  They've had to open a cold weather shelter in Ft Pierce, helped keep Indian River County firefighters hydrated during yesterday's I-95 brush fire, and they've helped a family of 7 burned out overnight by a fire in Vero Beach.  Since December, the Red Cross has been called in to help about two dozen families displaced by fires.   All this takes money. You can donate to the local disaster relief fund and it will stay on the Treasure Coast to help next time.

The brother of St Lucie County Sheriffs Sgt Gary Morales has written an open letter to the community thanking them for their support. In the letter, Brad Morales, also a St Lucie County deputy, writes “To see all the people lined up in the highways and residential streets with their signs and hand gestures on their heart and the salutes was an awesome sight to see to say the least. Thank you for your continued prayers, blessings and donations. You don’t know how much that has helped us.” To Sgt Morales’ accused killer Eirese Tisdale, Brad Morales writes“ I would be a liar if I did not say I wanted you to suffer for the rest of your life, but in the name of Jesus Christ who has a permanent dwelling in my heart, I forgive you for your thoughtless and cowardly act. May God have mercy on your soul.”

Read letter here

The Treasure Coast had its first big brush fire Wednesday. It was big and smoky enough to shut down I-95 for 6 hours in Indian River County, burning near Olso Road, near the St Lucie-Indian River County line No homes were threatened by the 60 acre fire even though it kept spreading across I-95 to the east side.　 Traffic was a mess on Kings Hwy and Indrio road as motorists tried to detour. Firefighters and Forestry got help by helicopter water drops. The brush fire was first reported around 1pm. Firefighters have been watching for hot spots and there was concerns the winds would pick up again overnight and cause it to flare up again. The brush fire-draught index is at 579 in St Lucie, 566 in Indian River and 484 in Martin County. Anything above 500 is considered a serious brush fire danger.

New details about the FCAT security breach by dozens of St Lucie County 10th graders.  They were inadvertently given the topic they would have to write to by a teacher.  FCAT test scores for 78 students will be thrown out.  Students will not have to retake the test and it will not affect their graduation.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 6

I-95 is back open thru Indian River County after a brush fire this afternoon.   At least 60 acres have burned near Olso Road, near the St Lucie-Indian River county line.  No homes are threatened by the 75 acre brush fire. Firefighters and Forestry got help earlier by helicopter water drops.  Winds gusted above 30 mph which keep spreading embers.  Several times the fire jumped from west to east over I-95, but firefighters quickly put those out.   Delays on Indrio Road and Kings Hwy are were miles long as motorists try to find a way around.  The brush fire was first reported around 1pm.

All northbound lanes of I-95 are now open at the Okeechobee Road interchange.  They were closed for a time due to an injury crash at 2:44pm.

There was an FCAT security breach at Ft Pierce Westwood's Marine & Oceanographic Academy during last month's writing test.  The Academy is actually located at FAU's Harbor Branch facility.  The breach occurred before the tests were given to 10th grade students.  Superintendent Mike Lannon says they have procedures in place to ensure there's no cheating. St Lucie County school district reported the breach to the state.  This will invalidate 78 student tests.

Treasure Coast boat builder Pursuit Boats has gotten a contract to build fast police boat for the African nation of Uganda.  The 31 foot boats will be built at their Ft Pierce plant and be used to patrol Lake Victoria.  The boats can hit 50 mph and retail for $280,000.  Pursuit Boats is headquartered in Stuart by the Roosevelt Bridges.

A bad crash early this morning in Port St Lucie sent a man to the hospital in critical condition.  The crash happened in the 2200 block of Veterans Memorial Parkway when 26 year old Thomas D Murray lost control of his car and it ran into some trees at 1:45am.  A passenger suffered minor injuries.

Cold weather expected tonight has prompted the American Red Cross and  its local partner to provide a cold weather shelter at The Image of Christ, located at  707 N. 7th St., in Fort Pierce. The shelter will be open this afternoon at 4 and will close tomorrow morning at 7 am.  Local Red Cross volunteers trained in nursing, mental health services, feeding and mass care/sheltering will be on-site or on-call throughout the evening to support our community.

Parts of west Jupiter had a power outage that started just after 9:30 this morning.  1,300 FPL customers between the Turnpike and the Bee Line Hwy were affected for about 90 minutes.

In earlier local news.....

NuCo2 of Stuart has been sold to a California company Praxair for $1.1 billion.  NuCo2 is the worlds largest seller of carbonation used by restaurants and fast food chains.  Praxair plans to grow NuCo2 by expanding both domestic and international markets.

TUESDAY MARCH 5

CORRECTION & APOLOGY:  I have sometimes reported Sgt Morales would be buried in Fernhill Memorial Gardens in Palm City.  It's Forrest Hills, not Fernhill which is on Kanner Hwy.  I know the difference between the two and knew it was Forest Hills.  The mistake just slipped by me as I wrote the news copy.  I apologize for the mistake and the confusion.

***********************************

Gov Rick Scott helped open the 2013 legislative session in Tallahassee today with his third State of the State address.  The governor said the Florida economy has been pulled back from a disaster and said his plan to revive it is working.  The governor also asked the legislature for more money for teachers & schools, more tax breaks for manufacturing and the expansion of Medicaid. 

Temperatures hit the 70s for the first time in four days on the Treasure Coast today.  The high at Stuart Witham Field was 73.  More cold weather is on the way though.  Temps in the 40s are predicted again Wednesday night.

CBS 12 reported earlier this morning more than 8,000 have signed an on-line petition asking St Lucie County to rename Midway Rd after Sgt Gary Morales.  As of 11am that had grown to 8,685.  There were 5,000 as of last Saturday.

Sign petition, click here

South Florida farmers were hit by the unexpected below-freezing temperatures early Monday morning. Some farms in western Palm Beach County and the Belle Glade area got down to 29 degrees for a couple hours.  Damage especially to sweet corn was already showing up in wilting leaves by the afternoon.  Farmers say about 25% of the crop was killed off.  The sweet corn was going to be ready to pick in April.  Now a new crop will have to quickly be planted for harvest in June.

A Port St Lucie man faces animal cruelty charges for allegedly abusing the family cat.  Police say they have video of 43 year old James Feingo squeezing the cat Joey's head and pulling its ears and video showing him holding Joey upside down hitting it in the head.  A veterinarian's exam shows chronic trauma to the cats tail and injury to its vertebrae.

The FBI searched the headquarters of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club today in suburban West Palm Beach.  The FBI only says they are doing an investigation.  A couple years ago other Outlaws clubs were raided in Florida with officials saying the club was involved in criminal enterprise.

The 39th Annual Music In Our Schools concert performance will be held Tuesday, March 5th at 7:00 p.m., in the Martin County High School Gymnasium (Don Wallen Sports Complex). The event includes performances by approximately 700 students in 4th through 12th grade from schools across the District. The county-wide chorus, “Friends,” will also be performing.

Today's news....

The Treasure Coast honored a hero Monday as St Lucie County Sheriff’s Sgt Gary Morales was laid to rest after an emotional funeral service.　 Morales was gunned down last Thursday during a traffic stop last Thursday. As many as three thousand people came to the service at Westside Baptist and a TV hookup to a nearby gym handled the overflow crowd. Gov Rick Scott and Florida Attorney General Pam Biondi came to pay their respects.　Law enforcement personnel from as far away as Chicago and Maine were there.

The funeral procession of police motorcycle and patrol cars escorting the hearse was more than a mile long as they traveled down I-95. People stood on overpasses at the St Lucie West and Crosstown Parkway interchanges. A giant American flag was draped over the side at St Lucie West Blvd.

The owners of the Miami Heat and the Miami Dolphins are among the 100 Richest Americans, according to "Forbes Magazine." The annual survey puts Micky Arison in 68th place, thanks to his ownership of Carnival Cruise Lines. Coming in at number 83 is Dolphins owner Stephen Ross with an estimated net worth of four-point-four-billion-dollars. Two other South Florida billionaires cracking the top 100 include Dirk Ziff and William Koch.

MONDAY MARCH 4

Sgt Gary Morales was laid to rest today after an emotional funeral service.  Morales was gunned down last Thursday during a traffic stop.
    More than a thousand people came to the service at Westside Baptist and a TV hookup to a nearby gym handled the overflow crowd.  Gov Rick Scott and Florida Attorney General Pam Biondi came to pay their respects.   Law enforcement personnel from as far away as Chicago and Maine were there.
     During the service, Sheriff Ken Mascara told the audience "we have lost a true hero."  Mascara also said he wanted to make it a celebration of Gary's life.  He said Sgt Morales was committed to excellence and won people over with his smile.  He was remembered by two close friends in the Sheriff's office for his sense of humor and practical jokes.  They also talked about the love he had for his family and two daughters.  The sheriff's weapons training complex is being renamed in his honor.
   A miles long law enforcement procession of motorcycles and squad cars escorted the remains  to Palm City where Morales was buried.  The procession passed the St Lucie West I-95 interchange where a number of people stood on the overpass with an American flag draped over the side.  There people on the Crosstown Parkway overpass and along Murphy Road in Palm city, all paying their respects.  Martin County Fire-rescue had a special detail on Murphy Road to honor Morales.
    People started showing up for visitation at Westside Baptist Church well before the start.  Outside two St Lucie County fire trucks had their ladders extended with a huge American Flag hanging down.  

A small fire at a commercial bakery at the MarketPlace Plaza at Bridge Road & US 1 just before 5pm.  The overhead sprinklers put it out by time Martin County firefighters got there.

Florida gas prices have dropped 5 cents from last week.  AAA South says gas is averaging $3.82 a gallon today compared with $3.87 a week ago.  A month ago it was just $3.52.

The pygmy sperm whales that beached themselves on Hutchinson Island Sunday were euthanized Sunday night at Harbor Branch.  Scientists found the mother whale and her calf had a heart disease that usually is fatal, so the decision was made to end their suffering.

The Tequesta Town Council holds a workshop later today on possibly annexing several parcels of land along North Riverside Drive. That road runs from County Line Road in southern Martin County along the north fork of the Loxahatchee River to Tequesta Drive. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m

In early local news...

St Lucie County Sheriff’s Sgt Gary Morales will be buried today. He was gunned down last week during a routine traffic stop. The family had a private service Sunday. Governor Rick Scott will attend the funeral today and has ordered all American and State Flags in St Lucie County lowered to half-mast as a tribute to Sgt Morales. Visitation is today at 10 at the Westside Baptist Church on Jenkins Road. A service begins at noon. Both are open to the public. Burial will be at Palm City’s Fernhill Memorial Gardens. The long funeral procession with law enforcement officers from all over Florida will go from Jenkins Road to Okeechobee Rd then south on I-95 to Becker Rd. From Becker road the procession will proceed along Murphy Rd to Fernhill.

WEEKEND EDITION MARCH 2 & 3

Friends want to rename Midway Road the Gary Morales Memorial Highway.  They have a Facebook page where people can sign an on-line petition.  They first wanted to have Oleander in Ft Pierce renamed in honor of the St Lucie County Sheriff's Sergeant who was gunned down last week during a traffic stop.  The change to rename Midway Road comes at the request of his family.

The new Elliott Museum opens to the public today.  The $20 million 48 thousand square foot building will be home to the the museum's classic car collection.

One person was burned during a gas explosion on a boat at the Jensen Causeway Friday night.  Martin County Fire Rescue was called to the scene around 7:30 and transported a patient with burns to the extremities to Miami.  The boat itself was not damaged.

Scripps Newspapers reports a major league team is looking at possibly relocating spring training to northern Palm Beach County south of Roger Dean Stadium.  One site is 82 acres near Palm Beach Gardens between I-95 and Central Blvd.  Officials won't say which team(s) are interested.   St Lucie County and the NY Mets are trying to get a second team to share Tradition Field for spring training.  Jim Crain, owner of the Houston Astros, owns the Floridian in Palm City.  He has expressed interest in sharing Tradition Field.

A Miami man was found guilty Friday of murder during the attempted robbery of a grow house in Palm City three years ago.  The Stuart jury took an hour to find Yunior Galvas Casanas responsible for the death of co-burglar Juan Mesa Sanchez who was shot during the break-in.  Prosecutors say Casanas, Sanchez and a third suspect went to the home in rural Palm City to steal 106 marijuana plants growing on the property. Florida law allows a murder charge if someone dies during the commission of some crimes even if someone else did the actual shooting.    



FRIDAY MARCH 1

Orlando Evans 53-Martin County 50 in the semi final game of the Florida high school basketball Final 4 tournament in Lakeland this afternoon.  Jermon Queen got in early foul trouble costing the Tigers their offensive key.  Martin County's bench stepped up with a fine performance to keep the game neck-and-neck close with a much taller team until the last 15 seconds.

A judge this morning ordered Eriese Tisdale held without bond to face charges he murdered St Lucie County Sheriff's Sgt Gerald Morales.  Judge Thomas Walsh told Tisdale "no amount of bond will assure your appearance" in future court proceedings.  Tisdale has several failure to appear incidents in the Palm Beach County court system in recent years.  A search of his apartment turned up guns and ammunition leading investigators to suspect he had something bigger planned.

Robert Frey ll has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting a Port St Lucie Police Lieutenant in the leg during the early Thursday morning standoff.  His bond was set at $2.2 million by Judge Walsh because Frey shot low to avoid aiming at Lt Ronald Caudell's bullet-proof vest.

Defending Honda Classic champion Rory McElroy withdrew from the tournament after 8 holes in this morning's second round.  McElroy says a wisdom tooth that he will have pulled began hurting last night and again this morning.  His second round play was not good and he may have missed the cut anyway.

Traffic was stopped for a time this morning when a power line fell along McArthur Blvd on Hutchinson Island.  Martin County firefighters were sent to secure the scene until FPL crews got there to make repairs. It happened around 8:45 am.

Earlier stories....

The man charged with murdering St Lucie County Sheriff’s Sgt Gerald Morales yesterday makes his first court appearance this morning. Eriese Tisdale allegedly shot Sgt Morales during a routine traffic stop. Tisdale got out of his car as Morales was radioing in his tag, and shot him before he even got out of his patrol car. Morales never even had a chance to draw his weapon. A backup deputy exchanged gunfire with Tisdale. Tisdale will appear in front of Judge Tom Walsh at 8:30 this morning. A makeshift memorial to Sgt Morales has been set up at the St Lucie County Sheriff’s office. Public events to honor him will be held Monday.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 28

A suspect in this morning's murder of St Lucie County Sheriff Sgt Gary Morales has now been charged.  Eriese Tisdale was arrest just blocks from the murder scene.  The 24 year old Ft Pierce resident has a number of priors including drug and traffic charges.  He's facing a variety of charges and will make a court appearance Friday. 
    Around 9:30 am Sgt Gary Morales made a traffic stop on Naylor Terrace just south of Edwards Road.  A second deputy arrived as backup, but before St Morales could get out of his patrol car, Tisdale got out of his and shot Sgt Morales.  Tisdale drove off and stopped in an industrial area about a quarter mile away.  He ran but did surrender and was taken into custody.



Sgt Morales Photo supplied

Sgt Morales is from the Bronx, served in the US Air Force.  He was a 13 year veteran of the St Lucie Co Sheriff's office and was promoted to sergeant last month.  He had also been a School Resource Officer, member of the SWAT team and a trainer.  He had a Masters degree.  He has a wife and two children, ages 8 & 6.  His father is a retired police officer. His brother is a St Lucie Deputy and was at work himself when Morales was shot.

A Port St Lucie Police officer was shot last night during a domestic dispute.  The officer suffered a non life-threatening wound, shot in the leg. 
    Just past 11pm, police say family members told them Robert L Frey ll was inside the home in the 1100 block SW Estaugh Avenue, armed with a shotgun.  He refused to come out and threatened suicide.
    At 1:10 this morning Frey came outside.  Police fired two non-lethal rounds, hitting Frey twice.  He fired back as he retreated, and Lt Ronald Caudell was hit in the leg.  Frey barricaded himself inside. 
    The SWAT team was called in, but negotiators were able to get Frey to surrender around 5am.  Lt Caudell was treated and released at a local hospital.


The Elliott Museum is getting a $10 million donation. It comes from the E R Donnelley family. The family has the biggest printing company in North America. It’s the largest donation ever made to the Elliott Museum and the biggest charitable donation in Martin County history. Some of the money is earmarked for the classic cars the Elliott owns. The new Elliott Museum opens this Sunday.

Treasure Coast and Palm Beach Catholics say goodbye to Pope Benedict 16^th today as he retires. Special Masses will be held at several local churches. St Martin de Porres in Jensen Beach holds a Mass at 8:30 this morning and another on Friday. Holy Cross in Indiantown has a special Mass at 7 tonight.

Two Port St Lucie residents, ages 86 and 71, were rescued off Florida a week after their boat lost power as they sailed to St Thomas in the Virgin Islands.  86-year-old Francis Saunders, 71-year-old Jerry Willis, and their dog Alphie arrived in Ponte Vedra Beach worn out and weathered, but otherwise okay. Saunders has sailed across the Atlantic before. A friend suspects the boats fuel filters got clogged which cut power to the motor.

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 27

Governor Rick Scott said today he wants the Legislature to come up with $5 million this year that can be used to keep spring training teams in Florida.  A number of teams have left Florida in recent years to spring train in Arizona, including the Los Angeles Dodgers which left Vero Beach.  Meanwhile the New York Mets and St Lucie County are trying to get a second team to relocate spring training camp here.

The man Port St Lucie Police say bribed a city Code Enforcement officer has now been arrested.  56 year old Gary D Herrington complained to Code Enforcement saying the $215 he gave Chick Hendrickson to make code violations go away did not end with the violations being dismissed.  Hendrickson was arrested last week for taking the bribe, Herrington was charged with making a bribe this week.

The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast needs cat and kitten food.  They are out of canned cat food.  They recommend Science Diet brand, but any brand of canned cat food will do.  You can donate at the main HSTC offices in Palm City or either of their two thrift stores in Stuart.

The first of a series of expected cold fronts the next week never quite made in thru the Treasure Coast and Palm Beaches this morning.  It will eventually push thru and bring lows tonight in the 50s.  A low in the upper 30s is expected Sunday night-Monday morning.

South Florida Congressman Tom Rooney and two other congressmen who are also veterans have managed to stop a bill that would have award medals to the operators of remote-controlled drones that would rank higher than the Purple Heart medal.  The Purple Heart is a medal earned on the battlefield, whereas the other medal is awarded for work done off the battlefield.  Congressman Rooney didn't think that was right.

Martin County has hired a new county attorney.  County commissioners voted 5-0 to approve a renegotiated contract with Michael Durham Tuesday evening.  They had voted 3-2 to hire him two weeks ago, but Durham said he would not take the job unless there was at least 4 county commissioners that supported him.  Changes were made reducing the term of the contract which is what several commissioners originally balked at.  The will also let him continue to work part time for his long-time friend, the Highlands County Sheriff.

One of the two jackpot-winning Fantasy 5 lottery tickets sold for last night's drawing was sold in Ft Pierce.  It's worth more than $107,000.  The other was sold in Miramar.

Martin County will continue looking at building a mooring field in Jensen Beach.  County commissioners voted 4-1 late Tuesday afternoon to have staff go back and look at alternative locations further south of the causeway.  They will also talk with several marinas about locating there with the marina's operating a dock masters office, laundry, showers and small store.  The locations must also have minimal effect on sea grass beds.  They could yet decide not to do the mooring field at all.

There’s a murder trial this week at the Martin
County Courthouse. Yunior Galvez Casanas is accused of murder because Juan Mesa Sanchez, 43, was shot with a shotgun by the homeowner while breaking into a home in rural Palm City. The two, along with a third suspect, went there to steal 106 marijuana plants they knew were growing on the property. The law says that if somebody dies while you are committing a felony, you get charged with murder. That third suspect, Osmaidy Gonzalez Cala, 33, also faces murder charges. He is expected to testify against Sanchez.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 26

Two and maybe even three cold fronts will be pushing through the Treasure Coast the next 5 days.  The first is today and CBS 12 meteorologist Chris Farrell is predicting heavy rains, winds and even thunderstorms are possible overnight.  Indian River, Okeechobee and Brevard counties are under a tornado watch.  Lows in the 40s are expected this weekend.  It might get down to 35 Sunday night-Monday morning.

Indian River State College is going to take over the FAU part of the St Lucie West campus. FAU ended classes at the campus to save money.  IRSC has the other half of the complex.  The campus will be named after St Lucie County Property Appraiser Ken Pruitt.  Pruitt was Treasure Coast State Senator and President of the Florida Senate.  The announcement came during this afternoon's dedication of the new science, technology, engineering and math Thomas STEM Center. 

Stuart is interested in buying the old Triangle Lounge site in downtown Stuart.  The city commission last night approved spending $30,000 on an appraisal of the site.  The city could use it as a new city hall site, parking garage or whatever.  The site is west of the railroad tracks along Sailfish Circle.  Gulfstream Bank owns it now and says it's worth $1.6 million.  The bank would take $1.3 million.

The Lake Point Phase 1 LLC has filed a SLAPP lawsuit against former Martin County Commissioner Maggie Hurchella over her communications with current county commissioners, according to her friends.  They claim false statements made by Hurchella against their mining operation hurts business.  SLAPP stands for strategic lawsuit against public participation.  SLAPP lawsuits are increasingly used by developers and big business to punish and silence critics for opinions expressed during local governmental reviews and approvals.  The idea is to make critics spend money on legal fees to deter others from speaking out. The lawsuits allege that some sort of economic damage were suffered due to criticisms.  Lake Point is also suing Martin County which has cited the mining operation south of Port Mayaca for code violations.

Fire did $10,000 damage to a Port St Lucie home early this morning.  The fire was in one of the home's bedrooms.  Everyone got out of the burning home on SE Gaskin Circle, though a senior citizen was treated for minor burns.

The first of this school year’s FCATs is today. 4^th-8^th & 10^th graders in St Lucie and Martin County take the writing test today with make-ups on Wednesday. Scores have been trending up in recent years. Martin County School Superintendent Gaylord says the writing test has been changed so she’s cautiously optimistic.  Last year there was a problem with scoring the FCATs in Tallahassee. This year the FCAT writing test is different. Students have a full hour to write their essay. They’ll be judged a little more strictly for grammar and spelling and how well they make their point.

There was a fire in Port St Lucie early this morning. The fire was at a home on Gaskin Circle. Details about the fire are not yet available, but the damage was bad enough to call in the Red Cross to help the people living there.

Indian River State College will dedicate its new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Center today. The President of the Florida Senate will be there and IRSC President Ed Massey promises to make a major announcement. The Thomas STEM Center is at the IRSC St Lucie West campus. The dedication is at 1 pm with public tours after that.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 25

Martin Health System's two hospitals have been named Top 100 hospitals nationwide by Truven Health Analytics.  They look at things like mortality rates, medical complications and readmission rates.  It's the 4th year in a row and the 8th time overall Martin Health Systems has been named a Top 100 hospital.  Just 1% of all hospitals have done that.

Florida gas prices have dropped a tiny fraction.  AAA says the price is down 3-tenths of one cent from Sunday.  The prices is averaging $3.869 a gallon.  Sunday it was $3.872.  It has risen 7 cents the past week.  West Palm Beach has the highest prices in the state at $3.96.  Orlando and St Petersburg-Tampa have the cheapest prices at $3.80.

Stuart City Commissioners talk about helping business go green at today's meeting.  They will discuss joining the PACE program which gives out low-interest loans to help small businesses put in energy-efficient AC, water heaters and other green ideas.  The program won't be available to residents, just businesses.  The meeting starts at 5:30pm at Stuart City Hall.

The Port St Lucie City Council meets tonight.  At the end of the meeting, they are scheduled to go into private session to be updated by the legal staff on the Digital Domain bankruptcy.  The regular part of the meeting begins at 7pm at Port St Lucie City Hall.

The White House says Florida will be impacted if the automatic spending cuts take effect if Congress doesn’t agree to up the debt limit by Friday. The White House wants more taxes to help cut the debt while republicans say they raised taxes two months ago and won’t do it again. The White Houses says 31 thousand Defense Department employees could be furloughed at various Florida military bases, 1,600 children lose their day care, 750 teachers and teachers aides could lose their job and nearly $4 million in funding for meals for Florida seniors would be cut. The White House also says air traffic control facilities at Stuart’s Witham Field and the Boca Raton Airport would be closed.