Good Morning, Sunland
It’s Friday! and we made it!
📅 ICYMI: Yesterday's event newsletter is live! By the way, MLK events are happening Saturday the 17th, Sunday, and Monday. My apologies for any confusion. Make sure you check the newsletter. Thank you so very much!
👁️ Caught my eye: The Highwaymen movie is on Tubi.
💜 Jessica Kadie-Barclay is now a member! This newsletter is not possible without people that support it both in readership but also monetarily. Thank you so very much. You are making local news possible. If you want to join People Pass, support here.
Alright, let's jump right in!
☀️ Weather Update: Mostly sunny skies.
☀️ Day: High of 65°F | Mostly sunny skies. Winds N at 5-10 mph. 14% chance of rain
🌙 Night: Low of 52°F | Partly cloudy. Winds light and variable. 17% chance of rain.
🌅 Sunrise: 7:12 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 5:50 PM
🌙 Moonrise: 5:41 AM | 🌚 Moonset: 3:52 PM
🎶 Sounds like: "Small Axe" — Bob Marley & The Wailers
Ja’Min Devon
📚 Main Squeeze: Union Leader Calls Teacher Shortage a
"State-Created Problem"
David Freeland, president of the Education Association of St. Lucie, told the school board Monday night that Florida's teacher shortage is a crisis created by state policy, not local districts.
The Numbers: St. Lucie County started the year with 15 teacher vacancies. That number jumped to 128 halfway through the school year, according to Florida Education Association data.
What Freeland Said: "State policy caused the crisis. Local culture determines how we respond to it," Freeland told the board. "We did not create the statewide problem, but we do have influence over how it is felt here."
He laid out the pressure teachers face: instructional demands, documentation, interventions, communication, compliance. "Expectations continue to grow and almost nothing is removed to make space for what's added," he said. "Teachers do not leave because the work is hard. The work's always been hard. They leave when they feel controlled rather than respected."
Freeland pushed for trust over rigid control: "We believe students are best served when effective teachers are trusted to practice their craft with minimal intrusion and when intervention is targeted and warranted, not automatic."
Other Board News:
Record Graduation Rate: St. Lucie County hit 95% graduation rate, the highest in district history. Four schools reached 100%: Lincoln Park Academy, Mosaic Digital Academy, Port St. Lucie High School, and Treasure Coast High School.
Westwood Ribbon Cutting: The board held a ribbon cutting for the new $100 million Fort Pierce Westwood Academy earlier Monday. Dr. Prince: "Opportunity should not be defined by where you live or your zip code."
MLK Events: Martin Luther King Jr. parade happens Monday, January 19 at 10 AM. Caribbean-American Culture Group hosts their annual luncheon Monday at 11:30 AM at Sunlight Community Church.
Board Leadership Tension: A Fort Pierce resident, questioned the board during public comment for skipping board member Richardson in the chairman/vice chairman rotation for six years. "The voters elected each of you and there's not a pecking order. You all are equal in this office you hold."
Watch the full meeting: St. Lucie County School Board meeting from Monday, January 13
Sponsored: 🟣 Don’t Pick The Wrong Plan
It happens every year. People wait until the last day, rush through the options, and end up with insurance that either costs too much or doesn't actually cover what they need.
Then they're stuck with it for 12 months.
Daisy Alexander is a local insurance agent with S.E. Benchmark Insurance Agency here in St. Lucie County. She helps people figure out what plan actually makes sense for them - not just what sounds cheapest on paper.
🏫 Press Round: Museums, Markets & Manufacturing
🎨 Florida Highwaymen Museum Opens February 20
The City of Fort Pierce Florida Highwaymen Museum will open February 20 at 1234 Avenue D after a one-year delay caused by construction setbacks. The museum honors 26 Black landscape artists from Fort Pierce and will operate noon to 4 p.m. on weekends with $5 admission.
👉 Read more (TCPalm, TCPalm subscription may be required)
🛒 Port St. Lucie Winn-Dixie Closing for Aldi Conversion
The Winn-Dixie at 281 S.W. Port St. Lucie Boulevard will close in April to convert into an Aldi supermarket, with employees receiving priority to apply for positions at the new Aldi or transfer to other Winn-Dixie locations. The closure leaves Stuart as the only remaining Winn-Dixie on the Treasure Coast after the conversion.
👉 Read more (Hometown News)
🏭 St. Lucie County Eyes Kings Highway as Job Hub
St. Lucie County leaders are targeting Kings Highway as the next major employment center to address the challenge of 60 percent of the county's workforce commuting outside the area for jobs. The Economic Development Council recently published a report detailing existing development and future possibilities along the corridor.
👉 Read more (WPTV)
🎉 The Top 5 Clicked Events This Week!
Saturday, Jan 17
🩸 MLK Blood Drive – Omicron Tau Chapter blood drive at Dreamland Park, 301 South 25th St, Fort Pierce. | 8 AM–Noon
🍳 Rev. Dr. MLK Jr. Commemorative Awards Breakfast – Gamma Iota Sigma breakfast at IRSC Treasure Coast Training Complex, 4600 Kirby Loop Rd, Fort Pierce. | 9 AM | $30
🏠 Port St Lucie Home Show – Contractors, designers, huge hot tub section, kitchens, baths, pools, landscaping at MIDFLORIDA Event Center, 9249 Civic Center Pl, Port St Lucie. | Sat-Sun, Jan 17-18, 10 AM–5 PM (Sun til 4 PM) | Free | Details
⛵ Freedom Boat Club In-Water Boat Show – Boat rides, fleet tours, learn boating without ownership at Club Med Sandpiper, 4500 SE Pine Valley St, Port St Lucie. | 10 AM–2 PM | Details
Sunday, Jan 18
🍴 Food Truck Extravaganza – Seafood, BBQ, tacos, fellowship at 25th Street & Avenue Q, 274 E 25th St, Fort Pierce. | Noon–4 PM | Details
🎉 Port St Lucie MLK Celebration – Community march, live painting of MLK mural, book drive, live music by The Jewel Tones, food trucks, skating at Whispering Pines Park, 800 SW Darwin Blvd, Port St Lucie. | 1–4 PM | Free | Details
Monday, Jan 19
If you have an event, send it to me here
💧 The Last Drop: Delays, Stays, and Ways to Remember
🏢 Stuart searches for city manager – Applications open with $190k-$215k salary range. Timeline targets March 23 start. Residency within 15 miles required. Stuart CM search
📊 PSL tops job optimism, West Palm ranks bottom – Port St. Lucie ranked most optimistic Florida city for young job seekers ages 18-25. West Palm Beach in bottom five. Survey shows concerns about AI and automation. Job optimis
⚾ Mets job fair Friday at Clover Park – St. Lucie Mets hiring for spring training and season positions 9am-1pm Jan. 16. Positions include security, box office, parking, camera operators. Mets jobs
🏘️ Lincoln Park Master Plan workshop rescheduled – Fort Pierce workshop originally set for Jan. 28 postponed. New date to be announced. Community input sought on housing, parks, Avenue D revitalization. Lincoln Park plan
🏀 Lincoln Park Academy alumni night Jan. 23 – Former basketball players and LPA graduates invited to Wendell Adams Court at 6:30pm. Celebrating Coach Wendell Adams' retirement. Free alumni shirts for first 70 attendees. LPA alumni
If you have an event, send it to me here
📸 This is Sunland: MLK Day Parade
xWXwxWSee you Monday!
With Love, Ja’Min
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