Good Morning, Sunland
It's Friday, and I read a crazy stat recently.
Florida is second only to Nevada in having the smallest percentage of people who were actually born and raised here still living in the state. The majority of our population has moved from other states, primarily New York, or from other countries. So if you were born here, raised here, and still living here? You're kind of rare.
TRIVIA: What percentage of Florida residents do you think were born AND raised here?
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Alright, let's jump right in!
⛅ Weather Update: Partly to mostly cloudy.
☀️ Day: High of 82°F | Mostly cloudy. Thunderstorm is possible. 19% chance of rain.
🌙 Night: Low of 68°F | A few clouds. Winds light and variable. 19% chance of rain.
🌅 Sunrise: 6:36 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 5:33 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 7:26 PM | 🌚 Moonset: 9:04 AM
🎶 Sounds like: "Folded" — Kehlani
Ja’Min Devon
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👮 Main Squeeze: Fort Pierce Announces Police Chief Finalists
What's happening: Fort Pierce named seven finalists for police chief out of 57 applicants. Three are local candidates, four are from out of state.
Why this matters: Under Fort Pierce's city charter (pages 83 and 85), City Manager Richard Chess makes the hire. The City Commission must approve his choice.
The candidates:
Local:
Eric Chan, Police Major, Fort Pierce Police Department
Caleb Gillette, Acting Deputy Chief, Fort Pierce Police Department
Milo Thornton, Deputy Chief, St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office
Out of state:
Michael Dieppa, Chief of Police, Chamblee, Georgia
Mirtha Ramos, Chief of Police, DeKalb County, Georgia
Vernon Hale, Former Assistant Chief, Prince George's County, Maryland
David Smith, Commander, Prince William County, Virginia
The context: The Fort Pierce Police Officers Union endorsed Caleb Gillette in October. Sources tell Sunland News that Gillette is not the city's top pick. The city has not publicly indicated which candidate they prefer.
About Chess: The City Manager just completed his six-month review where commissioners praised his leadership and gave him high marks.
💭 Thought bubble: The City Commission currently has four members instead of five due to the District 2 vacancy. While there's always a chance commissioners could reject Chess's pick, my sense is they'll defer to his judgment given the strong review he just received.
The timeline: Interviews will happen over the next two to three weeks. A final selection is expected within three to five weeks, likely before the January 13th runoff election.
Background: The search began after former Chief Diane Hobley-Burney resigned in May. Deputy Chief Robert Ridle has served as acting chief and plans to retire in 2026.
Your take: Should Fort Pierce hire from within or bring in outside leadership? Reply to this email!
🗞 Press Round: Corners & Villages
🏗️ Vero Beach Kicks Off Negotiations for $250M Three Corners Project
After six years of planning, Vero Beach is officially entering negotiations to transform its 38-acre waterfront site into a mixed-use village with hotels, restaurants, shops, green spaces, and a marina. The city selected ClearPath Services as lead developer and expects negotiations to take about four months before bringing an agreement back to council.
🍽️ Nine New Restaurants Hit the Treasure Coast
The region's dining scene added nine new spots in the past month, including small-plate concepts, birria taco joints, a waterfront steakhouse with a tiki bar, and Caribbean flavors. Two longtime spots closed, including a 17-year sports grill and a 20-year Mexican grocer, while four more restaurants are on the way, including a live music venue and a 100-vendor indoor market.
👉 Read more (TCPalm subscription required)
🚤 Rio Marine Village Clears Final Hurdle
Martin County unanimously approved final site plans for Rio Marine Village, a 335-unit waterfront development that's been in the works for six years. Construction is expected to start in early 2026, with apartments ranging from $2,000 to $3,500 a month and public river access throughout the ungated community.
👉 Read more (TCPalm subscription required)
🤩 People Pass: What your support means!
I really appreciate everyone who chooses to support the newsletter, whether through a People Pass or our new Pay What You Want membership.
If you’d like early access to The Main Squeeze podcast and extra stories that don’t make it into the newsletter, consider becoming a supporter. It helps keep Sunland going and growing.
🎉 The Top 5 Clicked Events This Week!
Friday, Nov 7
🎶 Food Trucks & Tributes: Start Me Up! – Rolling Stones tribute band with food trucks at Tradition Square. Free concert. | Trucks 5 PM, concert 6 PM | Free | Details
🎶 Shwayze with The Quasi Kings & Twin Fin – Hip-hop and reggae fusion at Terra Fermata Tiki Bar in Stuart. Rain or shine. | Check time | Ticketed | Details
Saturday, Nov 8
🛍️ ShopAPalooza Fall Sidewalk Sale – Dozens of shops offer major markdowns on clothes, shoes, accessories, home goods, and more in Historic Downtown Stuart. (Runs Nov 8–9) | 10 AM–5 PM | Free | Details
🎶 LOVERS & FRIEND | SOULS MEET LOVER'S ROCK – R&B, reggae, and Lover's Rock music for lovers and friends. Ages 18+. | 10 PM–2 AM | $17.85 | Details
🎤 Comedy Corner featuring Dougie Almeida – Stand-up comedy at Black Box Theatre. | 8 PM | $30 | Details
If you have an event, send it to me here
💧 The Last Drop: Festive!
📝 Fort Pierce essay contest for students – Middle and high schoolers can submit "If I Were Mayor" essays by November 14th for FL City Government Week. Winners announced December 15th. Contest details
🌍 PSL International Fest returns November 22nd – Free event at MIDFLORIDA Event Center features global performances, food vendors, Highland Games and Beatles tribute band. 3-9pm with cultural exhibits. Festival info
⚾ Mets announce 2026 Spring Training schedule – Clover Park opens February 21st against Marlins. 15 home games including Yankees matchup March 8th and World Baseball Classic teams. Training schedule
📸 This is Sunland: Photo Finish ! ! !
See you Monday!
With Love, Ja’Min
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