Happy Monday!

Good Morning, Loose County!

Welcome to Sunland News—the newsletter that’s like that one friend who always knows the best hole-in-the-wall restaurant. You know, the kind of place where they walk in, and their order is already waiting. 😂

Let’s start off the week with some news, updates, events—you know, all the good stuff.

Let’s dive in.

— Ja'Min

In Today’s Sunland News ☀️🗞️:

1. 🅿️ The Fight for State Parks isn't Over

2. 🚿 Something is in the water… (no literally) 💦

3. 🎉 Week Events: 🌅 Sunset Yoga at The Gardens

📚 Read Time: 5.97 Minutes

☁️ Weather Forecast

Weather TL;DR: "Umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh..." It’s warm, but at least it’s not scorching. Expect some morning thunderstorms—because, Florida. Stay dry and keep cool!

🌤️ Day: High of 88°F with scattered thunderstorms mainly in the morning.
🌙 Night: Low of 78°F, partly cloudy with a chance of showers later in the night.
🌅 Sunrise: 6:57 AM
🌇 Sunset: 7:47 PM

🌧️ Rain: 60% chance of rain during the day, 40% at night.

NEWS

🅿️ The Fight for State Parks isn't Over

Things are as clear as mud when it comes to the supposed withdrawal of plans for the golf courses at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. First, let’s backtrack: after a wave of public outrage that flooded social media, the initial proposal meeting was postponed—a story we covered last week. Fast forward to Sunday evening, and suddenly, a shadowy group named the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation decides to drop a surprise statement to local media. According to them, they’re backing out of their grand plan to build 36 holes of world-class golf on 600 acres of Jonathan Dickinson’s 10,500 acres. The twist? They claim it was all in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen, those legendary African American pilots who fought in World War II.

But hold on, it’s not all fairways and birdies. While this announcement specifically addresses Jonathan Dickinson State Park, eight other Florida state parks still seem like they are on the chopping block for new amenities like pickleball courts, disc golf, and 350-bed lodges. Yet, not a peep about those—only Jonathan Dickinson has hit the headlines. And here's where things get even more curious: a quick online search turns up a GoDaddy-hosted website for the foundation, which looks about as legit as, well, a GoDaddy site (Nothing against Godaddy, we promise, but for a group claiming to orchestrate such a monumental project, their web presence kind of screams, "We threw this together last night." (and they technically did)

In their official statement, the foundation said:

But here’s the kicker: if you dive into the web archive, you’ll find zero trace of this website existing before yesterday (August 25th).

It’s unclear whether this group is genuinely pulling the strings behind the scenes or if this is just smoke and mirrors. This might be an attempt to throw us off the scent, redirecting our attention while something else brews in the background or could be an official statement. Regardless, it’s important to stay vigilant—Rest assured, we’ll keep our eyes peeled and continue to report on this story as it unfolds.

🔔 Sunland Bulletin

🚿💦 You Smell That? Well the Annual Free Chlorine and Flushing Program has begun [More Info]: To improve water quality and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements, the Port St. Lucie Utility Systems Department (“USD”) will temporarily modify its water disinfection process between August 20 and September 2 by disinfecting the water with only chlorine.

🏈 Westwood/John Carroll Football Game Cut Short Due to Disruption: Threat of gun not confirmed by police. Friday night’s high school football matchup between Westwood and John Carroll Catholic ended abruptly after a disruption in the bleachers. With John Carroll leading 28-15 at the end of the third quarter, the game was called off. [ read the full article here]

🚗Check the current traffic situation via Google.

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📰Other News

🚤 TREASURE COAST AT LARGE

🚰 Fort Pierce Wastewater Treatment Project Advances Without New Taxpayer Burden: As phase one of Fort Pierce’s new wastewater treatment facility progresses, the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) reassures residents that they won't seek additional taxpayer funding. The project, partially funded by a $100 million bond paid through water bills, is expected to utilize state-of-the-art technology. The total cost is projected at $156 million, with hopes that grants will cover any additional expenses.

🍊 FLORIDA AT LARGE

💡🔌FPL Debuts New Tool in Suite of Resources to Help Customers Save: Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) wants to help customers keep their bills as low as possible with the debut of its interactive, energy efficiency tool, the House of Savings Challenge.[More Info]

🌍 WORLD AT LARGE

🚀 Starliner Astronauts' Return Delayed Until February 2025: Remember the astronauts stuck in space? Well NASA turns to SpaceX for rescue mission. The astronauts who traveled to space aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June will remain in orbit until February 2025, NASA announced.

🪮Sunland Picks

Full interview of NFL Legend, Albert Wilson out on Sunland TV!

📸This Is Saint Lucie

🍗 Uncle Bud Sets Up Shop!

I’m not sure why I didn’t start doing this sooner, but I want to take the opportunity during the "This is Saint Lucie" section to share personal stories—whether it’s about the photos above or something I came across on my journey writing the newsletter.

In the photo above, you see my Uncle Bud setting up shop right off Delaware Ave. in Fort Pierce. I love moments like these in the journey. Years from now, I’m sure I’ll be visiting his restaurant somewhere around town, but for now, it all starts here. My parents worked tirelessly for years, selling snow cones under a tent, and I was right there, sweating from head to toe, rolling up spoons into napkins. Fast forward to today, and here we are, laughing and joking in an air-conditioned trailer about those times. Keep walking the path—it’s just a matter of time.

🗓️ Things To Do

💼 Motivated Premier Business Networking

🗓️ Date: Monday, August 26, 2024
⏰ Time: 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM
📍 Location: Golden Corral Buffet & Grill, Port St. Lucie, FL
What to Expect: Connect, collaborate, and grow your business with like-minded professionals. This networking event is for all Executives, Business Owners, and Entrepreneurs.

🌅 Sunset Yoga at The Gardens

🗓️ Date: Monday, August 26, 2024
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Location: Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens, Port St. Lucie, FL
What to Expect: Find your zen with sunset yoga at the gardens. The cost is $10 for non-members and free for members.

🥞 Business Bowl & Breakfast

🗓️ Date: Tuesday, August 27, 2024
⏰ Time: 8:15 AM
📍 Location: The Saints Pub, Port St. Lucie, FL
What to Expect: Join local business owners for breakfast and networking, hosted by the St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce.

🎨 Paint & Sip NITE! Paint on Wine/Pilsner Glass Party

🗓️ Date: Tuesday, August 27, 2024
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Location: Tradition Town Hall, Port St. Lucie, FL
What to Expect: Grab a bottle of wine and join a magical evening of painting and sipping. Pre-stenciled wine or pilsner glass included in the $35 ticket price.

🕹️ Sunland Games

Sunland Games is evolving! We're introducing a new head-to-head showdown of local restaurants. Kicking things off with a classic: JoJo’s vs. Phatz. Cast your vote below and let us know which one you prefer!