Good Morning, Sunland
It's Monday! and the rumors are true. For this year's Juneteenth event for the city of Fort Pierce, Sunland is the official media partner to help get the word out about this celebration. We kicked it off yesterday with a very funny, more importantly fun, video (watch it here) that also was a little teaser for something later on.
But I'm super excited about this. One, I can't wait for the day of the event. While I'm doing a special Sunland News thing, I look forward to seeing a bunch of people out there for me to talk to and give you a bunch of free stuff, but also just interested to create and make something for home.
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In today's newsletter:
🎤 Public comment is changing across local meetings
✈️ Vero Beach approves Corporate Air lease transfer to Infinity Aviation
🌉 Fort Pierce's new North Causeway Bridge taking shape
🏢 Martin County approves $73 million operations center
🎸 Last River Nights April 30 with Girlfriend Material
Alright, let's jump right in!
🌦️ Weather Update: Scattered thunderstorms.
☀️ Day: High of 87°F | Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms.
🌙 Night: Low of 66°F | Partly cloudy skies after midnight. 50% chance of rain.
🌅 Sunrise: 6:46 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 7:52 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 3:33 PM | 🌚 Moonset: 3:48 AM
🎶 Sounds like: "Go!" — Common featuring John Legend
Ja'Min Devon
Founder, Sunland News
🟠 Main Squeeze: Public Comment is Changing
Public comment is one of the most basic forms of civic participation available to residents and over the last few weeks something worth noting has been happening in how it looks on camera across Treasure Coast meetings 👀.
What I noticed 📋:
📷 A recent Okeechobee County meeting showed faces during public comment and the clip reached over 200,000 views. The most recent meeting showed a change, with faces no longer visible during that portion
🖥️ St. Lucie County has been placing its rules of decorum on screen over the faces of public commenters during public comment, though faces remain visible during public hearing comment. Cathy Townsend spoke about it here and you can see it for yourself here
📍 Fort Pierce has not shown faces during public comment for as long as I have been covering meetings, though older archived meetings show that was not always the case
Worth noting: The name and address requirement before speaking is standard practice across all of these meetings and has not changed. Over 60 people said last week they want that requirement kept as is.
Public comment is public record. The meetings are public. Whether the camera follows suit is becoming a question worth watching.
💬 What do you make of these changes? Tell us right here
✈️ Press Round: Bridges, Bases & Buildings
✈️ Vero Beach Approves Corporate Air Lease Transfer to Infinity Aviation
Vero Beach City Council unanimously approved the transfer of five fixed base operator leases from Corporate Air to Infinity Aviation at the airport April 14, including the site used for Jake Owen's annual fundraising concert. Infinity Aviation is providing a $350,000 cash bond for the customs facility indemnity agreement.
👉 Read more (Hometown News)
🌉 Fort Pierce's New North Causeway Bridge Taking Shape
The new North Causeway Bridge in Fort Pierce is under construction and will be the tallest on the Treasure Coast at 85 feet when completed in late 2027. The $111.5 million project started May 1, 2023 and replaces the D.H. 'Banty' Saunders Bridge from 1963 that was deemed structurally deficient.
👉 Read more (AOL/TCPalm)
🏢 Martin County Approves $73 Million Operations Center
Martin County commissioners voted 4-1 to approve a $73 million operations center off Southwest Waterside Way that will consolidate Public Works, General Services and Parks and Recreation into one 114,000 square foot facility. The project uses a 20-year bond repayment plan funded by half-cent sales tax revenues.
👉 Read more (WQCS)
🎉 Weekdayer: Apr 28 - May 1
Tuesday, April 28
Wednesday, April 29
💼 Nationwide Day of Second Chances Job Fair – Port St. Lucie. | 10 AM | Free | Details
Thursday, April 30
🎷 Social Club Celebrating International Jazz Day – BlueBird Bistro, 809 Delaware Ave, Fort Pierce. | 5 PM | Details
🪩 Back to the Boogie – Meating Street Disco Night – Meating Street, Port St. Lucie. | 7:30 PM | Details
🎸 River Nights – Girlfriend Material – Port District Event Lawn, 2454 SE Westmoreland, Port St. Lucie. | Thu, Apr 30 | 5:30 PM | Free | Details
Friday, May 1
Send Me More Events Here
💧 The Last Drop: River Nights Returns, Love Your Block Grants, and Torino Park Bonds
🛒 Daylys Farmer's Market worth checking out – Personal pizzas, reasonable prices, butcher with lots of meat options, even live lobster swimming around. A lot going on in a great way. Might be a fine Nutrition Smart replacement. See photos
🎨 Six Love Your Block projects coming to Whispering Pines – 2026 mini-grants funding murals, pickleball court silkscreens, park benches, skate park privacy fence. TC High Key Club, Youth Council, Windmill Point Elementary volunteers involved. Bloomberg Center funding. Love Your Block
💰 PSL moving forward with $75M bond for Torino Park – Refinancing old debt AND funding Torino Regional Park project. Second reading April 27. Bond details finalized in companion resolution. Council agenda
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