Good Morning, Sunland
It's Wednesday! and a while back I wrote a short piece about some of the oldest restaurants in St. Lucie County, more specifically in Fort Pierce. So now I'm going around and trying each one, and making a little series about it along the way. Watch here.
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Alright, let's jump right in!
In Today's Newsletter
⛅ Weather Update: Partly to mostly cloudy.
☀️ Day: High of 77°F | Partly to mostly cloudy. Winds E at 10-20 mph.
🌙 Night: Low of 63°F | Partly cloudy. Winds E at 10-15 mph. 11% chance of rain.
🌅 Sunrise: 6:50 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 7:50 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 11:18 AM | 🌚 Moonset: 12:54 AM
🎶 Sounds like: "You Got Me" — The Roots featuring Erykah Badu
Ja'Min Devon
Founder & Publisher, Sunland News
🟠 Main Squeeze: A wage garnishment at Fort Pierce city hall has triggered a public dispute between the city manager and city attorney
A dispute between Fort Pierce's city manager and city attorney over how a wage garnishment was handled has spilled into the open, raising questions about whether a senior city employee was disciplined in potential violation of federal law 🏛️.
Why it matters: Federal law, specifically 15 USC 1674, explicitly prohibits an employer from disciplining or terminating an employee because of a single wage garnishment, with penalties including fines and up to a year in jail.
What the court records show 📋:
💳 JPMorgan Chase Bank obtained a final judgment against Johnna Morris, the City of Fort Pierce's finance director, on January 8, 2026 for $14,343.61
📄 A continuing writ of garnishment was served on the City of Fort Pierce on April 8, 2026
✅ The city confirmed her employment and began withholding $1,321.19 per pay period
According to what spilled out publicly at Monday night's commission meeting, after the garnishment arrived the city attorney raised concerns and a decision was made to suspend Morris. The city manager then sought to consult outside employment counsel for a second opinion and was either restricted or required to have the city attorney present on that call, which he pushed back on publicly.
Commissioner Chris Dzadovsky arrived with a prepared packet of documents and had already sent the city attorney 12 formal questions on April 15th asking whether federal law was considered before any action was taken 👀.
The commission agreed to come back together to address this as a standalone agenda item, with May 4th being the target date.
🏠 Press Round: New Farmers Market
🚦 Port St. Lucie Approves $1.5M Intersection Redesign
Port St. Lucie approved a $1.5 million redesign of the Village Parkway and Tradition Parkway intersection to reduce congestion and improve Interstate 95 access. The project adds and extends turn lanes in all directions and converts some through lanes to maximize traffic flow within the existing footprint.
👉 Read more (WQCS)
🍔 Island Burger & Shake Closes After Owner's Health Scare (and I’m sad about it)
Island Burger & Shake on Fort Pierce South Beach permanently closed in April after owner Taylor Shull wanted to scale back following his second major health scare in six years. Shull, who announced the closing April 12 on Instagram, said his medical treatment for throat cancer was brutal. Taylor is in our prayers and I will genuinely miss this place!
👉 Read more (TCPalm subscription may be required)
🛒 Hundreds Line Up for Dayly's Farm Market Grand Opening
One of my favorite places (Nutrition Smart) in the world closed, but it has a new tenant. Hundreds lined up Saturday for the grand opening of Dayly's Farm Market in Port St. Lucie, a 22,000 square foot store with locally grown produce, a butcher shop, fresh fish department and budget friendly prices. Co-owners Phil Caliri and Eric Lin said the line wrapped around the building.
👉 Read more (Hometown News)
🎉 Weekender: Events for the Weekend!
Friday, April 24
Saturday, April 25
🌈 Treasure Coast Pride Fest 2026 – St. Lucie County Fairgrounds. | 10 AM | Details
⚾ Starry Night at the Ballpark – St. Lucie Mets – Clover Park, Port St. Lucie. | 6:10 PM | Details
📚 Independent Bookstore Day – The Midnight Dreary, Port St. Lucie. | 10 AM | Details
💃 Meating Street Latin Night – Meating Street, Port St. Lucie. | 10 PM | 21+ | Details
Sunday, April 26
🎨 Paint n Pint at Pierced Ciderworks – Pierced Ciderworks, Fort Pierce. | 2 PM | Tickets
If you have an event, send it to me here
💧 The Last Drop: Theatre Board, PSL Birthday, & Event Planning
🎭 Fort Pierce accepting applications for Sunrise Theatre Advisory Board – Connects community with historic theater, supports programs and performances. Open to Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, surrounding counties residents with relevant experience. Apply here
🎉 PSL's 65th birthday bash April 25 at Port District – Free 5-8pm event at 2454 SW Westmoreland. Motowners band, five food trucks, kids activities, Naturally PSL awards, share your PSL stories. Free ART shuttle from Veterans Park and Tom Hooper Park. PSL turns 65
📋 PSL wants your input on 10-year Special Events Master Plan – Two public sessions: April 28 6pm at Keiser University (9400 SW Discovery Way, Room 106/107) and April 30 6pm at The Saints Golf Course (2601 SE Morningside, Sandpiper Room). Shape future city events. Event planning
💼 St. Lucie County hiring for multiple positions – Various jobs available now. Apply here
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