🌅 🚧 Trouble at the Highwaymen Museum

Good Morning, Sunland

It’s Monday! There’s a lot to get to today so I won’t hold you long, but here’s a quick fact to start your week. This Friday is Friday the 13th, and it’s the only one we get all year. Some years have two or even three. This year? Just one. Kind of rare. Kind of cool. I’m not superstitious but I know some folks are, so let’s make it a poll. Alright..

Are you superstitious about Friday the 13th?

🌡️ Weather Update: High temp, high humidity, and a high chance of afternoon fireworks

⛈️ Day: High of 90°F | ⛅ Partly cloudy to start, with afternoon thunderstorms
🌙 Night: Low of 75°F | 🌤️ A few clouds drift through a warm, still night.
🌅 Sunrise: 6:25 AM | 🌇 Sunset: 8:15 PM|
🎵 Sounds like: “You Give Good Love” by Whitney Houston 💫🌧️

🥤 The Main Squeeze
What’s Going On with the Highwaymen Museum?

TL;DR: Another delay is dragging the Highwaymen Museum into deeper waters. At Monday’s Fort Pierce Commission meeting, officials expressed growing frustration over construction snags, failed inspections, and $148,000 in new change orders. The project, meant to honor the legendary Black artists known as the Highwaymen, is still unfinished.

🖼️ The context: So here's the deal. It's Monday, which means I always like to give a little civic update. This one’s from last week’s Fort Pierce City Commission meeting.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about the Highwaymen Museum. It’s a project we’ve been following since 2023, and it's meant to celebrate the Highwaymen, self-taught and self-made Black artists who painted vivid Florida landscapes and sold their work on the side of the road because galleries wouldn’t take them.

The museum is being built on Avenue D in the heart of Fort Pierce, and the mission behind it is important. But almost two years in, it’s still not open. And the city just got hit with another huge change order.

🚧 The hold-up: Commissioners reviewed four new costs that weren’t in the original plan:

• Leveling the second floor

• Replacing windows

• Building a dumpster enclosure that meets code

• Fixing the grading of the parking lot

Total price tag: around $148,000.

To make things worse, the project failed its final inspection. A part of the fire alarm system was installed incorrectly and now has to be replaced.

💬 The tension: Commissioners didn’t hold back. One called the plans “something written on the back of a napkin.” Another said they were blindsided by the repeated need for more money.

📅 What’s next: The city attorney still needs to review everything. Once that’s done, the change orders will come back to the commission for a vote. Until then, the project is in limbo.

🎥 Watch the Meeting: Want to see it for yourself? Here’s the full Fort Pierce Commission meeting where the Highwaymen Museum delays were discussed. Watch here

📝 Got Thoughts? Frustrated? Hopeful? Just curious what’s next? Leave your thoughts here. I’m reading every one. Share your input

🍊 Press Round
🚧 Towed, Teens & Traffic Lights

🚦 PSL Police Step Up Patrols at Crash-Prone Spot

After back-to-back deaths at the Glades Cut Off & Commerce Center Drive intersection, Port St. Lucie police are increasing patrols. Since 2020, there’ve been 31 crashes here. A traffic light is coming, but not until late 2025—neighbors say that’s too long to wait.

👉 Watch WPTV’s Report

🏗 New Teen Center on the Way

The Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County plan to break ground in early 2026 on a new teen development center near 25th Street in Fort Pierce. The Lighthouse Center will offer STEAM programs, business training, and more, in partnership with First Tee and Restoring the Village.

👉 More on the Project

🚗 Parking Lot Tow Surprise

Multiple cars were towed last week from a Downtown Fort Pierce lot that had long been used by boat club members and the public. The city quietly ended its lease in April but didn’t update its parking map until after people got hit with $300 tow bills.

👉 Read More

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💡 Why it matters: Your support allows me to keep St. Lucie County informed and engaged through the daily Sunland News newsletter—and sets the stage for tackling bigger, in-depth reporting projects in the near future.

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👉 Check it out here!

🎉 5 Weekday Events Around Town

Monday, June 9

• 🎭 Auditions: “Our Town” by Treasure Coast Theatre – Open casting call for actors 10–70. | 7 – 8 PM | Free | Details

Tuesday, June 10

• ☕ Networking Breakfast at Gator Trace – Chamber members and local pros gather for coffee and conversation. | 8:15 AM | $17 | Details

Thursday, June 12

• 🌱 Magic Garden Night (PSL) – Kids make butterfly pea lemonade, plant seeds, and learn about edible flowers. | 7 – 8 PM | Free | Details

• 🍹 Deck Party at Causeway Cove – Live music, seafood, and views at The Wet Whistle. | 6 – 9 PM | Free | Details

Friday, June 13

• 🎬 Friday the 13th Drive-In Movie – Classic horror on the big outdoor screen at Park & Watch in Fort Pierce. | 8:30 PM | $23.66 | Details

If you have an event, send it to me here
Want more events? Go here

💧 The Last Drop
Things to Know, Places to Go

1. 🎓 Ready to Teach at The River? IRSC is hosting a Faculty Job Fair at Pruitt Campus to connect educators and industry pros with full- and part-time teaching roles. Speed networking, department showcases, and interview pathways all on deck. Explore openings: irsc.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com

2. 🛹 Skate Scene Grows on the Treasure Coast Three new skate parks are in the works across the region, with spots planned for East Stuart, Torino in PSL, and Vero Beach’s Three Corners. Until then, hit up one of the seven existing parks. See the full list: Skate parks near you

3. 📋 No More Surprise Bulldozers St. Lucie County will soon require community meetings before certain big developments get approved, so neighbors aren’t left in the dark. Watch the meeting: View here

📸 This is Sunland: ✌️ Before I Let You Go

We're back in the saddle. It's Monday. Time for another amazing week here at Sunland News here in St. Lucie County. Wishing the same for everybody who's reading this right now. And I'll see you tomorrow.

With love, Ja'Min

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