Good Morning, Sunland
It's Tuesday! And let's jump right in.
👁️ Caught my eye: Yard House sports bar-restaurant is coming to Port St. Lucie. Over 100 draft beers on tap and elevated bar food heading to Tradition (TCPalm may require a subscription).
📅 ICYMI: Brightline skips second bond payment as ridership falls short. Worth keeping an eye on.
💜 FP Born And Raised bought 25 coffees and says: "I like what I see and I am looking forward to hearing what you have to say. I love this town and your positive approach." Man, I really appreciate that! Thank you so much for the incredible support. If you want to join People Pass, support here.
Alright, let's jump right in!
Ja’Min Devon
🎉 Main Squeeze: Why We Live Streamed the MLK Day Parade
If you came out to the Martin Luther King Day Parade yesterday as a viewer or participant, whether you walked with the city of Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, local schools, or your business, thank you. I appreciate you. The city appreciates you. Yesterday reminded me how much this parade means to me and how joyous it is to get community together.
Wake Up Call: I woke up Thanksgiving 2024 and the Macy's Day Parade was on. I asked my dad if they did this every year. He said yeah, nearly 100 years. I thought, why don't we have something like that here? Then I realized we do. The MLK Day Parade has been running since around 1986 when Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a federal holiday. That would make this year about the 40th parade.
That's when it hit me. This is one of our major events in the county alongside the County Fair and Christmas Day parade. It deserves to be documented and celebrated like the major event it is. So I live streamed it.
What I Saw: Fort Pierce Central had the best float presentation overall. The band was amazing. Their float was beautiful. We had special guests come through too. Albert Wilson, hometown hero, football legend, showed up. It was a good time overall.
The Real Talk: When I was coming up, it was standing room only for this parade. No gaps. No room to breathe. Just packed. The years 2020 and 2021 changed things, and that return outside hasn't been to that level yet. But I can see the growth and everything that can happen from this moving forward. That makes me super excited.
What's Next: One of my goals for next year is to get verified history on when this parade actually started so we can celebrate these milestones properly. I really can't wait to see what we can do with this. Watch the full live stream.
Sponsored: Stoney’s $6 Tuesday
Tuesdays and Wednesdays just got better at Stoney's. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, get any lunch bowl for just $6. Same portions. Same flavor. Better price.
Starts at 11 AM.
Pull up to Stoney's and grab lunch for six bucks.
📍 912 N 25th St, Fort Pierce
🥳 Out-of-Towner: January 20-27
Wednesday, Jan 21
🏛️ Historic Downtown Vero Beach Walking Tour – at Indian River Citrus Museum, 2140 14th Ave, Vero Beach. | 10 AM–Noon | $20 donation | Details
Thursday, Jan 22
🎨 Sand and Sea Boutique Makers Market – at Sand & Sea Boutique, 3291 NE Indian River Dr unit A, Jensen Beach. | 6–9 PM | Details
Friday, Jan 23
🥖 Olive Branch Outdoor Market – at Jensen Beach Campus, 3750 NE Indian River Dr, Jensen Beach. | 4–7 PM | Details
🤠 Treasure Coast's premier rodeo with bulls – at The Overpass Arena, 300 90th Ave, Vero Beach. | Thurs-Fri, Jan 23-24, 7 PM | $20 online/$25 gate (kids 6-17yrs $10 online/$15 gate, under 5 free) | Details
🎷 Weekly live saxophone jazz - at Sweet Desires Dessert Lounge, 44 Royal Palm Pointe, Vero Beach. | 7–10 PM | Details
Saturday, Jan 24
🎨 2026 Art & Craft Show – at 1912 NE Jensen Beach Blvd, Jensen Beach. | Sat-Sun, Jan 24-25, 10 AM–5 PM | Free | Details
Sunday, Jan 25
🎸 STAMP FEST – at The Stamp Bar, 2015 13th Ave, Vero Beach. | Noon | Free | Details
If you have an event, send it to me here
💧 The Last Drop: Roads, Schools, and Clean Water
🚧 FDOT plans diverging diamond interchanges for Treasure Coast – Five I-95 exits in planning or design phase: Kanner Highway (Martin), Gatlin Blvd (St. Lucie), Hypuloxo Rd, Lantana Rd, 10th Ave N (Palm Beach). None funded for construction until 2031. DDI plans
🩺 Florida nursing school scam probe expands – FBI's Operation Nightingale charges 30+ people from dozen schools selling fake diplomas. State NCLEX pass rates among nation's worst after 2009 deregulation. Nursing scandal
🕊️ Free lunch and funeral pre-planning seminar Jan. 27 – Yates Funeral Home hosts complimentary lunch at 526 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd, 11:30am. Learn about advance funeral planning. (Sponsored) Lunch & Learn
💧 $52M project to clean water before reaching St. Lucie River – South Florida Water Management District building canal linking C-23 to C-44 Reservoir. System removes nitrogen and phosphorus. Completion expected this year. Water project
🐟 Florida bill would ban manta ray captures for aquariums – Bipartisan MANTA Protection Act prohibits capturing endangered marine species in state waters for exhibitions. Follows viral Panama City manta ray capture video. MANTA Act
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