🌅 🚆 Brightline Battle, School Changes & Last Call for the Fair!

Good Morning, Sunland

It’s Wednesday! This is your weekly reminder to share the newsletter with a friend. The next big subscriber milestone? 5,000. We’re slowly ticking up, and honestly, I love that—slow growth means people who actually want to be here. So, as always, thank you for sharing!

✨ Shoutout: I came across a really cool story about Dan McCarty Middle School’s food pantry—which, first off, I didn’t even know they had! But more importantly, it’s great to see a resource like this for students, families, and the community. Love to see it.

Alright… let’s jump in!

🌡️ Weather Update: A stormy afternoon, but tonight’s looking chill

☀️ Day: High of 84°F | ⛈️ Windy with thunderstorms developing in the afternoon.
🌙 Night: Low of 54°F | 🌤️ Partly cloudy
🌅 Sunrise: 6:41 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 6:25 PM
🎵 Sounds like: “It Was a Good Day” by Ice Cube ☀️🎶

🍋 The Main Squeeze: The Battle Over the Brightline Station

TL;DR: Stuart and Martin County officials are set to meet Thursday at 1 p.m. in an attempt to resolve their dispute over who should pay for the $60 million Brightline station planned for downtown Stuart. If they can’t reach an agreement, this could head to court.

What’s happening: We thought the Brightline situation was settled back in November when Brightline and the county finally struck a deal to bring a station to Stuart—after the city backed out of its original agreement. Now, a lawsuit is imminent, and the whole thing is getting messy.

• Stuart backed out of a property lease with Brightline in 2024, arguing the company should pay for half of the station costs.

• Martin County moved forward on its own, securing a deal with Brightline to build the station on county-owned land.

• Now, the county wants Stuart to provide a letter of support to help secure grant funding—but city officials are hesitant without guarantees on cost-sharing.

Why it matters: The station could be a game-changer for transportation and development in Stuart, but it comes down to who foots the bill. The city says the county’s deal doesn’t match what was originally agreed upon, while the county argues Stuart’s own growth plan supports a downtown train station.

What’s next: If a deal isn’t reached at Thursday’s meeting, a lawsuit could be next. Officials on both sides say they hope to avoid that outcome, but with millions at stake, neither seems willing to budge—yet.

💭 With all this back-and-forth, should Brightline consider other options? Should they bring a station to Fort Pierce instead? Drop your thoughts here!

🍊 The Press Round: Clock Strikes Later

👶 Treasure Coast May Lose More Prenatal Care Services

Florida Community Health Centers, which provided 27,299 prenatal visits last year, is considering closing clinics due to financial losses. This comes as Cleveland Clinic prepares to close its labor and delivery unit in Stuart and move services to Port St. Lucie.

👉 Read more

⏰ Florida Bill Could Change School Start Times Again

A proposed bill seeks to undo the 2026 law requiring later school start times for middle and high schools. Some educators worry about traffic congestion and logistical challenges, while others say the decision should be left to individual districts.

👉 Read more

🏠 Florida Bill Could Make Homeless Population Harder to Track

Experts say a new Florida law banning sleeping on public property is pushing the homeless into hiding, making it more difficult for agencies to conduct annual population counts—data that determines funding for housing and assistance programs.

👉 Read more

🧃 Refill: 🎓 A New Legacy Begins at
St. Lucie’s Newest High School

TL;DR: Legacy High School is now accepting students from any zone or county, a move that ensures the school has enough students and funding to operate effectively. Open enrollment runs through March 31.

📍 What’s New: St. Lucie Public Schools announced that Legacy High School, the county’s newest high school, is open to all students—regardless of their zoned school or county of residence. Out-of-zone and out-of-county students will need to provide their own transportation.

💬 Why It Matters: According to a district enrollment expert, this approach isn’t unique to Legacy—it’s common for newer high schools to expand enrollment early on to ensure they meet student population and funding requirements. Funding is crucial for schools and often hard to come by—just one shift in a program or enrollment numbers can mean thousands of dollars lost for any school. Fort Pierce Central has followed similar strategies to maintain stability.

📊 By the Numbers:

• 1,500 students are expected in grades 9-11 during Legacy’s first year (2025-2026).

• The first senior class will be introduced in 2026-2027.

⏳ What to Know:

• Open enrollment is available until March 31.

• Applications must be submitted via the district’s “Out of Zone” form (not the Universal Application).

Trivia Time! 🤔 How many students are enrolled in St. Lucie County’s public schools?

🎉 Events: Your Weekend Plans

🎡 Last Week for the St. Lucie County Fair!

The St. Lucie County Fair wraps up this Sunday, March 10, so this is your last chance to experience everything from carnival rides to livestock shows, live music, and all the deep-fried treats you can handle. Take advantage of daily specials like $2 Admission & $2 Rides on Tuesday and Thursday, or free admission days on Monday and Wednesday.

👉 Check the Full Fair Schedule Here

Friday, March 7

🎤 Food Trucks & Tributes – True Rumours at Tradition Square. A Fleetwood Mac tribute show paired with some of the best food trucks in town. | 5 PM–9 PM | Enjoy the Music

🌌 Daughter of the Stars at Hallstrom Planetarium. A celestial storytelling experience weaving together star myths from indigenous cultures. | 7 PM–8 PM | Tickets: $7 | Explore the Stars

🐱 Friday Fest! Downtown Fort Pierce. Featuring TNVR cat rescue, Jack Sparrow photo ops, and fun surprises. | 5:30 PM–9 PM | Pop Out

Saturday, March 8

🌿 2025 Great American Cleanup at The Manatee Center. A morning of giving back to help keep Fort Pierce clean and beautiful! | 8 AM | Join the Cleanup

🎶 Dancing Bingo at American Legion Post 40. A lively night of bingo, dancing, and prizes with music from Scuba Steve! | 3 PM–5 PM | $3 per card | Join the Fun

🍖 Treasure Coast Ribs, Wings & Music Festival at Causeway Cove Marina. A weekend of food, fun, and live music celebrating BBQ & wings on the water. | March 7–9 | Tickets: $5–$10 | Get Your Fill

If you have an event, send it to me here

💧 The Last Drop: 4 Things Before We Go

1. 🏟️ Naming Rights for Martin County Stadiums?

   The school board is considering selling naming rights to high school stadiums—Martin High could be first. Read More

2. ⚡ FPL Requests Rate Hike

   Florida Power & Light wants a four-year rate increase, which could raise bills by 2026. See the Impact

3. 🗣️ Florida’s Language Diversity

   More than 20% of Floridians speak a language other than English at home, per the Census Bureau. Explore the Data

4. 🚆 Tri-Rail Needs Millions

   South Florida’s commuter rail system is asking for $10M from three counties to maintain operations. More Info

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