Good Morning, Sunland
It's Wednesday and thank you to everyone who supported the Sunland Brand launch yesterday! The response has been incredible. If you are interested, join the waiting list!
👁️ Caught my eye: Torero's Churrascaria is a Brazilian all-you-can-eat steakhouse in Fort Pierce where servers carve meat tableside on giant skewers. You control the flow with a traffic light on your table. It's $29.99 and sounds like a full-contact dining experience. Has anyone tried it yet?
Alright, let's jump right in!
☀️ Weather Update: Clearing to sunny.
☀️ Day: High of 82°F | Some clouds this morning. 4% chance of rain.
🌙 Night: Low of 62°F | Partly cloudy skies. 19% chance of rain.
🌅 Sunrise: 6:45 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 5:28 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 6:14 AM | 🌚 Moonset: 4:53 PM
🎶 Sounds like: "newports & chanel" — OD
Ja’Min Devon
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🏛️ Main Squeeze: St. Lucie County Picks Katherine Barbieri as
New County Attorney After Rocky Search
What happened: St. Lucie County commissioners unanimously voted November 18th to promote interim County Attorney Katherine Barbieri to the permanent position, ending a months-long search that cost taxpayers $24,500.
The rocky road: When longtime County Attorney Dan McIntyre retired in August, commissioners hired a Tallahassee search firm to find his replacement. Barbieri, McIntyre's former chief deputy, has been serving as interim.
Round 1: Fifteen people applied. Three finalists were recommended. Then according to Hometown News, a commissioner criticized all 15 applicants, calling the finalists "too partisan." All three withdrew.
Round 2: Nine people applied. Only one was deemed qualified: Michael Mortell, former Stuart City Manager who had just been fired by Stuart on October 27th. Mortell served as Stuart's city attorney from 2013 to 2023.
The decision: While Commissioners Cathy Townsend and Larry Leet wanted to interview both Barbieri and Mortell, the majority was ready to promote Barbieri without interviews.
"The reluctant leader is always, in my mind, one of the better of them," one commissioner said, explaining that Barbieri's initial hesitation was actually a positive quality.
Why Barbieri: Commissioners cited her 27 years of experience in the county attorney's office, institutional knowledge, and strong relationships with staff. County Clerk Cindy Miller praised Barbieri as "very efficient" and "very responsive."
What's next: Barbieri will negotiate a new contract with the county.
What do you think? Should they have interviewed Mortell? Drop your thoughts here.
📋 Press Round: Boards, Billions & Budgets
💰 Indian River Lagoon Worth $28 Billion a Year
A new study shows the Indian River Lagoon generates $28.3 billion in annual economic impact and supports more than 128,000 jobs across seven counties. That's four times higher than the last estimate in 2016, largely because this one includes real estate values and workforce growth that weren't factored in before.
👉 Read more (WQCS)
🤝 Commissioners Appointed Each Other's Family to Boards
St. Lucie County pulled three people from citizen advisory boards after two commissioners appointed each other's relatives, violating rules that bar family members of commissioners from serving. The county says it got verbal clearance from state ethics officials last year but is now rechecking to make sure the appointments were proper.
👉 Read more (TCPalm, TCPalm subscription may be required)
🚔 Sheriff and County Still Can't Agree on Budget
Indian River Sheriff Eric Flowers offered to drop his lawsuit and his appeal to the governor if commissioners give him $2.5 million in unspent budget money from constitutional officers. The commission agreed to give him $495,000 for equipment purchases but nothing more, leaving the seven-month budget standoff unresolved.
👉 Read more (TCPalm, TCPalm subscription may be required)
🎉 The Weekender: 6 Events to Check Out This Weekend!
Friday, Nov 21
🎨 Art Walk – Wine reception, live painting, art exhibition in The Vault, tour art galleries and studios at 111 Orange Avenue, Fort Pierce. | 5–8 PM | Free | Details
🎤 Open Mic Night – Share your poetry, music, lyrics, comedy, or any talent at Unplugged Expressions, 3003 SW Port Saint Lucie Blvd. All experience levels welcome. | Check time (9 hrs) | Check pricing | Details
Saturday, Nov 22
📚 Wanderlust Book Boutique Bon Voyage Party – Last day open! Shop sales and chat about favorite books at 210 N 2nd Street unit A, Fort Pierce. Sales TBA. | Check time | Check pricing | Details
🌍 Port St. Lucie International Fest – Global culture and cuisine with live performances, 1964 The Tribute band, international food trucks, Highland Games, and more at MIDFLORIDA Event Center. Free admission. | 3–9 PM | Free | Details
🎸 Chemistry: 80s Music Experience – Premier synth-pop-rock tribute to the 80s featuring Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Missing Persons, and more at Hop Life Brewing Company. 21+, first come first serve seating. Arrive early. | 8 PM | Check pricing | Details
Sunday, Nov 23
💄 Glam & Grind Business Showcase – Beauty professionals, entrepreneurs, and students showcase. Network, discover talent, win over $1,000 in services through Instagram giveaway, raffles at Port St. Lucie Community Center. | 1–6 PM | $10–$75 | Details
Want more events? Go here
📸 Last Drop: Civic To Go!
🎄 Christmas at the Museum returns December 19-21 – PSL History Museum hosts holiday event 5:30-8:30pm with Santa, live music, cookies and hot chocolate. Three nights of festivities at Westmoreland location. Holiday event
🛣️ East Torino Parkway input meetings Tuesday – PSL holds sessions at 4pm (Winterlakes Park) and 6pm (Community Center) for safety and traffic improvements. Torino Regional Park budget jumps to $20.5M from $14M original estimate. Project details
🚨 Emergency siren testing starts Monday – St. Lucie County and FP&L test all 91 sirens in 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone weekdays 8am-4:30pm through November 26th. Each includes "this is a test" message and 20-second air horn. Safety testing
📸 This is Sunland: Fort Pierce To Go!
Just want to give another huge shout out for the Sunland Brand launch yesterday. I’m letting people know about it slowly but surely because I really need people who care about home, care about Sunland, and care about wanting to pour into community to have the shirts. So can't thank y'all enough! Alright…
See you tomorrow!
With Love, Ja’Min
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