Good Morning, Sunland
It’s Friday! And I need your help.
I recently read that over the last five years, basic school supplies like pencils, paper, and folders have gone up about 30 percent. The price for each item might not seem wild on its own, but when you start adding things up, that’s where it really hits.
So I want to put together a master list of local school supply giveaways. If you know of any, big or small, send them my way.
People Pass shoutout to Margaret Lott: A longtime supporter who just joined the membership crew. Margaret, thank you. Your support means more than you know. If you want to support Sunland and help power what we’re building, you can become a People Pass member here: buymeacoffee.com/sunland/membership
Alright…
🌡️ Weather Update: Hot, hazy, and breezy.
🌤️ Day: High of 91°F | Sun and clouds mixed. Winds ESE at 10–15 mph
🌙 Night: Low of 76°F | A few passing clouds, otherwise clear.
🌅 Sunrise: 6:37 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 8:17 PM
🌕 Moonrise: 12:47 AM | 🌑 Moonset: 2:19 PM
🎧 Sounds like: Lovely Day – Bill Withers
Ja’Min Devon
🧃The Main Squeeze: King’s Landing Update
King’s Landing Revamp Clears First Hurdle… The downtown anchor project just earned a planning-board thumbs-up with a new boulevard layout, more parking, and extra hotel rooms. Plenty of residents still worry it means too much growth too fast.
TLDR: Fort Pierce planners approved a major amendment that swaps the old C-shaped hotel for a straight spine street connecting Indian River Drive to North Second Street. The redesign packs in a bigger garage and tightens the whole site. Next stop: Preservation Board in August and a City Commission vote by September.
📊 What Changed
Hotel rooms up to 148 (was 140)
Restaurant space trimmed to 12 900 sq ft (was 38 085)
Retail space up to 19 900 sq ft
Parking jumps to 516 spots including a 485-space garage
Townhomes dropped
New 3 500 sq ft fitness space and 3 000 sq ft meeting rooms
👣 Why It Matters for Downtown: City staff say the straight boulevard will feel more walkable, push storefronts to the street, and keep car flow smooth. More rooms and shops mean more heads in beds and wallets on Second and Orange.
👀 Why Some Folks Push Back: Public comments at the meeting flagged heavier traffic, taller buildings, and loss of small-town feel. The vote passed four to one, but the lone no echoed calls for slower growth and more public input.
🔍 Meeting Nuggets: Planning Director Kevin Freeman called the map the best version staff has seen. Engineers still need to tighten storm-water details, but nothing deal-breaking. Developer rep Bill Ware said a lot west of Second Street will handle cars while the garage goes up.
⏰ What’s Next
Preservation Board review in August
City Commission vote by September
If approved, permits and ground-breaking could follow before year-end
📝 Go Deeper: Full WQCS story with maps and quotes here King’s Landing Site Plan Amendment
🗣 Your Take: Excited or hitting the brakes? Tell us here… Leave your thoughts
🗞 Press Round: Big Moves and Smaller Taxes
🏗️ Schools Get a Summer Makeover
Crews are spending two hot months on nearly $315 million in upgrades across Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie. Projects include two new high schools, storm-proof windows, and a Vero sports complex.
🌀 Storm Kit Savings Year-Round
Florida has axed state sales tax on generators, batteries, tarps, first-aid kits, and other hurricane essentials, turning the old two-week holiday into a permanent break.
🏛️ Have Your Say on Impact Fees
Port St. Lucie is hosting July workshops so residents can weigh in on new development impact fees and updated engineering standards before an August hearing.
🤩 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?
🎉 The Week in Review: Top 5 Events this Week
July 18
🎵 Levitt Concert Series – Live summer tunes with the St. Lucie Cultural Alliance on 2nd St., Fort Pierce. | 6 – 9 PM Fri 7/18 | Free | Details
July 19
Jul 20
🎬 Hollywood Gems Film Series – Norton Museum of Art (WPB) – Big-screen classics celebrating silver-screen style & jewelry design. | 2 – 4 PM | $10 museum admission | Details
July 22
🍗 Chicken Salad Chick Grand Opening – Week of giveaways & free-salad-for-a-year raffle (Tradition). | 10 30 AM (kickoff) | Free | Details
💧 The Last Drop: New Dishes, New Dreams, New Directions
🏠💸 Hidden home costs add up
Florida owners spend about $24,713 a year on property tax, insurance, utilities, and upkeep – among the priciest totals in the country. Read more
🛒✨ New two story Publix opens in Port St. Lucie
A 48 000 square foot Riverland Town Center store welcomes shoppers Saturday at 7 a.m., complete with upstairs seating and that giant roaming shopping cart. Details
⚡️⛳️ Lightning strike leaves wild scar on Fort Pierce golf green
A bolt shredded the flag on Hole 3 at Gator Trace, carving a lightning shaped imprint across the turf and reminding players why storms mean play is over. See it
📸 This is Sunland: Real Places!
Slate’s Babershop
See you Monday!
With Love, Ja’Min
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