Good Morning, Sunland
It’s Friday! And… Happy Friday! I’m not sure about everyone but the weeks after holidays always feel very long, but we made it! Alright.. Let’s jump right in!
🌡️ Weather Update: Thunder on deck, but sunshine’s still here.
⛈️ Day: High of 90°F | Morning storms, cloudy afternoon with more thunder likely
🌙 Night: Low of 73°F | A few clouds roll in. Winds S at 5–10 mph. Rain chance just 11%.🌅 Sunrise: 6:34 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 8:19 PM
🌝 Moonrise: 9:21 PM | 🌚 Moonset: 7:04 AM
🎶 Sounds like: “Love’s Train” by Con Funk Shun
Ja’Min Devon
✈️ Main Squeeze: Airport Is Getting a Lift
New state grants and a fresh construction bid will pour almost three million dollars into upgrades at the St. Lucie County Airport. And.. I’m one step closer to my dream of flying to and back from New York right here in town.
TLDR: The County just accepted four separate deals that cover a runway extension study, a rescue-fire truck, ramp rehab design, and a brand-new parking lot. Total price tag: about $2.8 million.
✈️ The Quick Hits:
$800,000 from FDOT for a new Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting truck
$409,500 for an environmental assessment tied to extending the main runway (10R / 28L)
$300,000 for design work to rehab the West General Aviation ramp
$1,275,425.85 to build a new public parking lot, awarded to National General Construction
📍 Why It Matters for Travelers and Businesses: A longer runway could attract larger aircraft and new carriers, the updated ramp will keep general aviation traffic flowing, and extra parking is overdue as charter flights and corporate jets keep climbing.
🛠 What’s Next: Engineers will run the environmental study first. Once that clears, the County can chase federal and state construction dollars for the actual runway work. The new parking lot breaks ground later this year. The rescue-fire truck and ramp design move ahead as soon as contracts are signed.
🗓 Want the Receipts? The full agenda packet, votes, and resolutions are posted here:
St. Lucie County Board Meeting Documents
🗞 Press Round: Flights Up, Funds Down, Parks Grow
✈️ Vero Airport Goes International
Vero Beach Regional’s new 4,500-sq-ft customs house is now processing private jets from abroad. Operator Corporate Air expects 500+ international arrivals in the first year, bringing fresh traffic for local hotels, rentals, and restaurants.
📚 Budget Cut Hits Saint Lucie Schools
A new mandate has yanked $2 million from St. Lucie’s Title I funds and frozen Title II–IV budgets. After-school programs, tutoring, and some staff positions hang in the balance while leaders scramble to shift dollars.
🌳 Parks Progress in PSL
Port St. Lucie jumped from last place to No. 73 for park access after boosting spending and launching five new projects, yet only 28% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
🤩 People Pass: What your support means!
From school coverage to better tools like play.sunlandnews.com, every upgrade you see is made possible by readers who pitch in. Thank you to everyone who already has. This is what the People Pass makes possible. Want to support it too?
🎉 Top Events This Week
Saturday, July 12
🖌 Meet Highwayman R.L. Lewis – Live painting, book signing, and rare originals by the legendary landscape artist in Vero Beach. | 11 AM – 3 PM | Free | Details
🥊 Rise of a Warrior (Fenn Center, Fort Pierce) – Amateur MMA title fights. | 4 – 10 : 15 PM | From $35 | Tickets
🎥 Drive-In Movie Night – Sonic 3 (Fort Pierce) | 8 : 30 – 10 : 30 PM | $18 per car | Tickets
Sunday, July 13
🪘 Harambee Festival (Fort Pierce) – African drums, dance, crafts, kids’ zone. | 1 – 7 PM | Free | Details
Wednesday, July 16
🤝 Unity in Our Community Summit (Fort Pierce) – Stakeholders meet to build trust and partnerships. | 10 AM – 1 PM | Free | Details
💧 The Last Drop: Brightline, Tampa, and a GIANT Cart
Photo by Tina Harbuck
🛒 Publix goes two-story in PSL: Opens July 19 with a giant shopping cart rolling through town. | TCPalm (subscription)
🚆 Brightline eyes Tampa next: Company seeks $400M in bonds for expansion. Public meeting July 17. | Read more
🏘 Investor home sales drop: Florida saw fewer big investors buying homes in early 2025. | Axios
📸 This is Sunland: My Favorite Photo I’ve Taken!
This has been another insane week! I truly don’t say that like every week is amazing it’s not. But bare minimum it’s fun challenging and I learn alot writing this newsletter, covering what’s going on around town, and I find beauty right here at home. Each week I try to get just a little bit better. Thank you all for sticking with me!
See you Monday!
With Love, Ja’Min
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