Good Morning, Sunland
It's Monday! I want to send a happy birthday out to Mr. Earl Little, who turned 100 on October 11. The Sunrise Theatre did a video and shared a bit of his history, and it’s worth the watch. I first learned about him last year when the Sunrise held a showcase in his honor, a kind of appreciation concert, and the mezzanine there is named after him too. I heard more about him at a party this past weekend, and it got me thinking about how long he’s been part of this community. He was a student at Lincoln Park Academy, and he went on to teach music and lead choirs at both Lincoln Park Academy and Fort Pierce Central. My God. He taught for over six decades. Happy birthday, Mr. Little!
💜 People Pass Shoutout: Thank you to everyone supporting the newsletter! If you want to help keep this going, support here.
In today’s newsletter:
📊 St. Lucie County unemployment dips to 5% in September
🌴 Vero Beach ranks No. 5 on StorageCafe’s snowbird destination list
🏗️ Vero Beach grants fourth extension for 3 Corners, December 8 deadline
🎣 Little Jim Bait and Tackle settles dock violations with the state
🎷 Jazz Nights, Fort Pierce job fair, and Movies on the Farm this week
🌦️ Weather Update: Sunshine and clouds with showers, breezy with coastal alerts in effect.
☀️ Day: High of 85°F | Watch for coastal flooding, rough surf and beach erosion. Rip Current Statement and High Surf Advisory in effect. 80% chance of rain.
🌙 Night: Low of 70°F | Partly cloudy with a passing shower or two. Rip Current Statement and High Surf Advisory in effect. Winds NNE at 9 mph. 82% chance of rain.
🌅 Sunrise: 7:24 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 6:49 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 2:58 PM | 🌚 Moonset: 1:56 AM
🎶 Sounds like: “Girls Dem Sugar” — Beenie Man
Ja'Min Devon
Founder, Sunland News
🟠 Main Squeeze: St. Lucie County unemployment fell to 5% in September
I check these numbers every month and it sometimes takes a while for the data to come back, so I am glad this one is finally here 📊.
The CareerSource Research Coast September 2026 employment report is out, covering Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. St. Lucie County’s unemployment rate fell to 5% in September, down from 5.3% in August. It is still slightly above the 5% the county posted in September of last year and remains 0.8 percentage points above Florida’s statewide rate of 4.2%.
How the Treasure Coast breaks down 📋:
📍 St. Lucie County: 5.0% (down from 5.3% in August)
📍 Indian River County: 5.2% (down from 5.6% in August)
📍 Martin County: 4.6% (down from 4.9% in August)
🇺🇸 National rate: 4.0%
🌴 Florida rate: 4.2%
Port St. Lucie metro area jobs 📋:
💼 177,600 total nonagricultural jobs in September, up 500 from a year ago
📈 Fastest growing industry: Information, up 7.7%
📈 Also growing: Leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, trade and government
📉 Biggest loss: Professional and business services, down 800 jobs
Why I’m watching this number closely: The Amazon fulfillment center in Port St. Lucie closed earlier this year and 850 workers were impacted. Sources familiar with CareerSource tell me the organization worked to find placements for many of those employees, which may be part of why the number held up as well as it did. I will be keeping an eye on how that ripple plays out over the coming months.
I am going to report this number every month. You can track the data yourself here and the full Florida report lives at floridajobs.org 📅.
💬 Are you feeling the job market in St. Lucie County right now? Call or text us at 772-212-1504
📰 Press Round: Waterfronts, Snowbirds & Settlements
🏗️ Vero Beach Extends 3 Corners Talks… Again
Vero Beach granted a fourth extension for the $250 million 3 Corners project, which would bring restaurants, hotels and retail to the former Big Blue plant. City and developer ClearPath must meet in person before the December 8 council meeting. One councilmember says it’s the last extension she’s comfortable with unless finances are set.
👉 Read more (WQCS)
🌴 Treasure Coast Snowbird Destination List
Vero Beach was the only Treasure Coast city in the top 10 of a StorageCafe study of 472 cities, ranking No. 5. Fort Pierce came in at 28, Stuart at 51, Port St. Lucie at 57, and Sebastian at 79. Factors included winter temperatures, housing, rent, home prices and golf courses.
👉 Read more (TCPalm subscription may be required)
🎣 Little Jim Settles Boundary Violations with State
Fort Pierce will approve a consent order with the state over unpermitted docks at Little Jim Bait and Tackle. The city will pay $16,000 in costs and back rent, and the operator will reimburse $11,000. The bar has been on a temporary lease while the city sorts out a new one.
👉 Read more (Hometown News)
⚡ Meet AAPEX Electric, and the calendar they built for your home
We came bearing gifts! I live and die by my calendar, so I asked AAPEX Electric to turn their 35 years of electrical experience into monthly home reminders you can add to Google, iPhone, or Outlook.
Get The Home Electrical Calendar🎉 Weekdayer: October 19 - October 23
Tuesday, October 20
💼 City of Fort Pierce Public Works Job Fair, Riverwalk Center, 600 N Indian River Dr, Fort Pierce. 3:30PM to 6:30PM, hosted by the Public Works Department in partnership with CareerSource Research Coast. Details
🍷 Uncork & Connect: An October Speed Mingle, The Vine & Barley, 1680 SW St Lucie West Blvd, PSL. 6:45PM to 9PM, $27.83 to $48.91. Details
Wednesday, October 21
👻 Ghosts of Fort Pierce Past, 122 A E Backus Ave, Fort Pierce. Historic walking tours from Main Street Fort Pierce, with the Edgartown and Cantown Frontier Days tours on Wednesday and two more on Thursday. Details
🎷 Jazzy Nights: A Reggae Night with Klassik, My Brothers BBQ, 464 SW Port St Lucie Blvd, PSL. 7:30PM to 10PM, live music by Dee’s Funk Band plus a special guest artist, from $13, tables from $59. Details
Thursday, October 22
🥂 Thursday Live: Date Night with AJ Saxx & Gareth Johnson, Meating Street, 10553 SW Meeting St, PSL. 6PM. Details
Friday, October 23
⛳ TCBA Annual Golf Tournament, Ryder Course at PGA Golf Club, 1916 Perfect Dr, PSL. Friday, October 23, registration at 8AM and shotgun start at 9AM, a four person scramble with longest drive, closest to the pin, and putting contests, breakfast and lunch included, Details
🎬 Movies on the Farm: Family Friday, Five Acre Farm, 1030 90th Ave, Gifford, Vero Beach. 6PM to 8PM, movie at 6:30PM with the title still to be announced, plus popcorn, hay bales, kids activities, and food and drinks from Hitch & Tow. Details
Send Me More Events Here
📖 Thanks For Reading:
How was today’s newsletter?
📱 Keep up with the Sunland News: Send comments & suggestions to [email protected] Follow us on, Instagram and Youtube
If you enjoyed this, consider forwarding to a friend!
