Three projects got the go-ahead by the Palm Beach County Commission on July 11. Commissioners approved a lease agreement for a sheriff's satellite office and a deed of conservation easement for 2.41 acres at Jupiter Farms Park.

Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies will soon be tooling around in a new patrol boat, thanks to the help of Congressman Mark Foley.

A Town of Jupiter budget workshop, scheduled for Tuesday, July 25, has been cancelled.

Catholic Charities, which will be running the El Sol Jupiter Center on Military Trail, has received a donation of $180,000 for the center from an anonymous couple.

Jupiter Village Park will undergo a renovation after spring baseball season ends in 2007, according to Russ Ruskay, director of parks and recreation for the Town of Jupiter.

Cub Scout Pack 157, Jupiter Farms, operated by the Jupiter Elks Lodge No. 2469, invites boys and their parents to be part of their organization during a round-up, on Aug. 24, at 7 p.m. at Jupiter Farms Elementary School cafeteria, 17400 Haynie Lane.

The Aug. 7 performance of the Harry Allen Quartet at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre has been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts with Allen's extended European tour, theater officials announced Tuesday.

Area residents are asked to donate blood during a blood drive hosted today by the Hobe Sound Chamber of Commerce from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Hobe Sound Chamber office, 8994 S.E. Bridge Road.

Foley's proposal would hold Internet service providers, credit card companies responsible.

Martin County Big Brothers, Big Sisters Chief Executive Officer Bill Bee credits his staff and community for his own accomplishments and the success of the agency.

A man is in serious condition at Holmes Regional Medical Center, Melbourne, after being beaten at a home here about 2:08 p.m. Wednesday, sheriff's officials said.

Law enforcement officials are looking for whoever is responsible for a small brush fire off Jensen Beach Boulevard this afternoon.

Vero Beach Mayor Tom White described a meeting held Tuesday night with local officials, members of the Indian River County business community and executives at Piper Aircraft Inc. as positive. "All I can say is it was a positive meeting," White said. "We've been sworn to secrecy."

A Brevard County special magistrate will make a recommendation next month whether a Micco property owner can rebuild his home destroyed by a fire 25 years ago. At issue is whether wording in the county's comprehensive land use plan revised 20 years ago will allow that to happen.

A staff aide for the county's Youth Guidance program was spared a layoff Wednesday when county commissioners restored her $33,000 salary from a proposed budget cut.

The School Board may be paying close to $500,000 more for two parcels off County Road 512 than their appraised market value.

County Administrator Joe Baird said Wednesday morning he's negotiating with a major league baseball team to move to Dodgertown.

Robert Hasty, who is accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy, has a homestead exemption on the property, which protects against efforts by the state to take property.

A man stole a car dealership golf cart then carjacked a car from a motorist before finally being apprehended after running into another vehicle, all on U.S. 1 Monday afternoon.

A boil-water order for Tequesta residents that went into effect Sunday was lifted as of 11:20 a.m. Wednesday, a water treatment plant spokesperson said.

Torrey Pines' $40 million headquarters and laboratory in the Port St. Lucie community of Tradition is expected to open by 2009.

Another dead sea turtle found Wednesday brings the total number to four discovered this week with injuries from boat propellers.

A Tuesday night fire left a home on Southwest Cameo Boulevard uninhabitable, though two people and two pet parakeets got out safely.

Residents soon won't be allowed to plant the popular orange jasmine in their landscapes, county commissioners agreed Tuesday as part of an effort to curb the spread of crop disease "citrus greening."

Commissioner also wants to cut back on money to lobbyists.

A vessel in the Intracoastal Waterway in Martin County has been dragging anchor and blocking boaters from heading out from two docks along U.S. 1 when winds are out of the east.

Law enforcement officials and witnesses believe a 14-year-old boy may be responsible for robbing a BP gas station at gunpoint Monday.

A low-hanging cable line was blamed in the downing of power lines and interrupting electricity Tuesday afternoon to up to 2,100 customers in downtown Vero Beach, according to city officials.

Currently, $2.5 million is being spent to renovate the courthouse this year and $1 million more will be spent on the project in the next budget year.

Schools Superintendent Pat Pritchett officially retires — again — next month, one day before Harry La Cava is scheduled to take over the position.

The Florida Department of Transportation is encouraging Floridians and visitors to incorporate its free 511 service into their regular travel and emergency preparedness plans.

A public arbitration meeting for a city police detective appealing his disciplinary action is today at 10 a.m.

Her thin face, framed by long, straight blonde hair, is animated as she clutches the paperwork in one hand and tries to distract her 2-year-old daughter.

While many residents buy things at Cumberland Farms stores, county officials want to buy a Cumberland Farms store — specifically the one northeast of Oslo Road and 27th Avenue — to use the land for road projects.

Recognizing the service of the Florida National Guard, Gov. Charlie Crist signed an executive order to lower admission for Florida National Guard members and their families at all of Florida's 160 state parks.

Friends of Christopher Lamrouex, a Port St. Lucie billiards champion who died in a traffic accident July 6, are having a benefit for his family.

Florida's blood supplies have reached critical lows and could leave hospitals short in the event of a major accident, according to a news release from the state's largest blood bank.

A partner in the Willie Gary law firm will become the newest judge on the Treasure Coast after being appointed to the post Tuesday by Gov. Charlie Crist.

When Liza Gallagher first learned about the new townhouses being offered in River Place, she was excited — they were near her family and selling at a good price.

Local leaders might have made peace on beach access and protection issues, but some are up in arms that a federally owned beach that's off-limits to the public is expected to largely remain that way.

The St. Lucie County School District was hoping to buy city property near the decommissioned Northport Wastewater Treatment Plant for a K-8 school, but city officials took the land off the table.

Martin County Commissioner Sarah Heard says a plan that would allow builders to "cluster" development in Western Martin County is being rushed through the approval process.

More than 20 years ago, Connie McCraw was one of 11,000 teachers who aspired to become the first teacher in space.

Two lifeguards and eight counselors were on duty at the time.

Assistant State Attorney Ed Taylor wasn't ready to say what he will recommend except he wants Circuit Court Judge David Morgan to order the couple to reimburse $10,000 in medical bills to the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County paid in for caring for the dogs.

Funding requests to improve public safety, including a request from the Town of Jupiter, have earned approval from the U.S. House Appropriations Committee and are expected to come to the full House for a vote next week. The bill, according to Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-Palm Beach Gardens), includes funding requests for Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties as well as Hendry, Glades and Highlands counties.

Trustee Philip Flynn III will be resigning from the Indian River Hospital District board during the monthly meeting Thursday.

The city ended a five-year legal dispute with a former employee who was injured while practicing for a gymnastic event.

On Tuesday, the Martin County School Board agreed to advertise the 2007-2008 tentative budget and proposed tax rate. The tax rate is projected to decrease from $6.74 per $1,000 of taxable value to $6.60 per $1,000 of assessed value with higher property values accounting for the budget increase.

Crews are slated to begin work by this fall on more than $59 million in road improvements to catch up traffic patterns with Port St. Lucie's explosive growth.

A former Port St. Lucie man who eluded law enforcement for 14 years was arrested Monday and charged with sexually abusing a 10-year-old Hobe Sound girl in 1992.

Decoys were used this year to lure nesting birds back to Pelican Island after a recent drop in numbers. Although only one species nested there in 2006, the number of birds nesting overall in the Indian River Aquatic Preserve, from Malabar to Vero Beach, increased last year.

Residents soon won't be allowed to plant orange jasmine in their landscapes, county commissioners agreed Tuesday, as part of an effort to curb the spread of crop disease "citrus greening."

Officials had been looking at unfinished referendum projects to trim county spending, but a proposed boat ramp in Grant-Valkaria won't be one of them.

A car and rental truck were involved in an accident at 8:40 a.m. Tuesday on Interstate 95 near the Indiantown exit in Jupiter

Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Charles "Chip" O'Hara was killed in an August 2005 boating accident.

Motorists may have to wait longer than expected for state officials to widen U.S. 1 in the north part of the county, under a new method of counting traffic the County Commission approved Tuesday.

The city of Fellsmere, long overlooked in Treasure Coast growth issues, can expect a regional role in November, county commissioners decided Tuesday.

A night's stay in a hotel will add sand to area beaches and enhance the area's arts and cultural offerings, if a County Commission vote to increase the so-called "bed" tax succeeds in public hearing.

A group of local business leaders is trying to find an alternative to the voter referendum that would provide $40 million to help entice Piper Aircraft Inc. to stay in town.

Foley, who resigned in September after sexually charged online messages to former House pages surfaced, has paid more than $483,000 to Zuckerman Spaeder, a Washington-based law firm, according to a Federal Election Commission finance report released on Monday.

Fort Pierce Council had asked for public planning session to develop about 172 acres near Port of Fort Pierce.

Residents from John's Island to north of the town of Orchid may be seeing dredge ships placing new sand on their beaches starting in November 2008 if the county gets permits for the largest beach-restoration project so far.

The Swiss National Junior Team will be at Riverside Park at 6 p.m. July 24 demonstrating wildwater kayaking and will be available to paddle with local children, age 9 to 18, free.

The Indian River County Young Democrats will hold a Planned Parenthood support rally from 3-5 p.m. Friday at State Road 60 and 31st Avenue.

Two men were arrested Friday after being suspected of stealing computer equipment from Dan McCarty Middle School.

To promote and support Stuart in Bloom efforts, the city of Stuart, Stuart in Bloom, Downtown Business Association and Stuart Main Street are are organizing a Downtown Stuart Banner Competition.

For months, Tim Mahoney, the freshman congressman who has been called the "luckiest man in politics" and "the accidental congressman," has been trying to prove he is here to stay.

Public safety programs in St. Lucie, Okeechobee and Highlands counties could receive more than $500,000 in federal cash.

Nomination forms for the 2007 National Philanthropy Day awards are available at <a href="http://www.afptreasurecoast.org">www.afptreasurecoast.org</a>.

The city will not investigate a labor attorney's concerns about the management of the Code Enforcement Department, Mayor Patricia Christensen wrote in a July 13 letter to the lawyer.

Volunteers for 211 Palm Beach/Treasure Coast are needed to aide in gathering information related to hurricanes or other disasters.

Former City Commissioner Reginald Sessions is facing more problems related to his three rottweilers who attacked a 10-year-old girl last week.

Forest Hills Memorial Park & Funeral Home will honor several people on Saturday with Unsung Heroes Awards.

As part of the Moore's Creek Linear Park project, the city will install a new concrete bridge on north Eighth Street between avenues C and D.

Recreation District Chairman John Keegan and trustees Sue McCahan and Michele Donahue said Monday they will not run for re-election this fall. Their announcements mean none of the 2005 election winners will appear on this year's ballot.

The St. Lucie Nuclear Plant doesn't face the threat of an earthquake the size of the one that hit Japan Monday, but Florida Power & Light Co. officials say they're prepared for natural disasters.

The turtle, found just north of the island Publix, was about 250 pounds and had the telltale carnage of a propeller strike on her skull, said Niki Desjardin, a senior scientist with Jensen Beach-based Ecological Associates.

A vessel in the Intracoastal Waterway has been dragging anchor and blocking boaters from heading out from two docks along U.S. 1 when winds are out of the east.

West Palm Beach Attorney William Boose will plead guilty to helping disgraced former County Commissioner Tony Masilotti conceal his financial interest in a Martin County land deal, federal prosecutors announced Monday.

Mayor Andrea Coy is afraid an interlocal agreement will turn into a land grab that could result in a South Florida-like environment of cities' borders bumping up against each other.

Steven Jennings Jr., 10, was walking near his home on Southwest Cherryhill Road about 7:45 p.m. Sunday as his cousin, Gary R. Daughtery, 19, of Orlando was driving the Chevrolet slowly, said Officer Robert Vega, spokesman for the Port St. Lucie Police Department.

Surveillance footage taken on the day of the killing inside a grocery store on North 17th Street showed Stevens apparently arguing with two people, one of whom wore a black bandanna, which according to police signifies 29th Street gang membership.

The Vero Beach Recreation Department is preparing for its 33rd annual Performing Arts Circus this month.

Raffle tickets for motorcycle accessories will be on sale at Summertime Bike Nite at Downtown Friday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. July 27.

Although the city lost $161,000 in the past year on special holiday events, most council members want to save at least the most popular events.

A Fort Pierce woman charged twice within the past 13 months with driving with a suspended license among other charges was arrested again after allegedly causing a four-vehicle accident that sent one woman to the hospital, according to reports released Monday.

Some North River Shores residents flush with frustration say local leaders seem to be keeping a lid on plans for upgrading sewage facilities in their community.

No positions are being eliminated, but services like the bookmobile and library hours are getting cut back according to the proposed $646.6 million St. Lucie County budget released Monday.

A committee that advises the county on what environmental lands to buy is looking for new members after two committee members resigned and two more are being asked to leave.

Salem Avenue will be closed to through traffic Tuesday for road work.

Residents, from Johns Island to north of Orchid may be seeing dredge ships placing new sand on their beaches starting in November 2008 if the county gets permits for the largest beach restoration project so far.

Tequesta residents and neighboring communities are being told to boil their water until 6 p.m. Tuesday because of a systemwide drop in pressure at the Tequesta Water Treatment Plant.

No one was home when a pot left on a stove sparked the fire in the 1000 block of Versailles Avenue.

Thousands of visitors to Martin County would have to pay at least 75 cents extra per night, maybe more, to stay in a hotel if county commissioners decide to increase the bed tax.

Criminal charges between spouses or significant others are not unusual, but there are unique issues that come up when one person who vowed to love another until death offers testimony that could put their mate in prison for life.

A 25-year-old Okeechobee woman was arrested Saturday afternoon after allegedly leaving her naked baby alone at the Fort Pierce Inlet State Park.

Are you interested in making a positive impact in the lives of patients and families? If so, VNA Hospice is offering a six-day volunteer training class beginning July 30.

Exchange Club CASTLE has scheduled a Stomp Out Child Abuse 5K race/2.5K walk for Sept. 29 at Tradition Square in Port St. Lucie.

Martin Volunteers has launched its seventh annual School Supplies for Students Drive and this year's goal is as large as last year when almost 51,000 items were donated for 7,000 students in preschool through 12th grade.

The Palm City, Stuart/Martin, Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach and Indiantown chambers of commerce will host a special all-county chamber luncheon at 11:45 a.m. Aug. 6 at Monarch Country Club, 1801 S.W. Monarch Drive.

The incident resulted in a Fort Pierce police officer using her Taser twice on one man who allegedly wouldn't obey her commands — and reaching for her sidearm when told another man talking to the student had a gun.

Valerie Hewitt, a cab driver, was found in November 1995 behind the wheel of her taxi with a gunshot wound to the head. St. Lucie County Sheriff's Detective Scott Young hopes advances in DNA analysis can shed some light on who her killer was.

County officials recently filed a request with Circuit Judge Robert Hawley for a "writ of inspection" that would allow county building inspectors onto Glenn Legwen's property in the 5900 block of Fifth Street Southwest without his permission.

Sgt. Erik Botta filed a petition in the U.S. District Court against the Pentagon on Thursday, asking a judge to exempt him from deployment. But since Botta had yet to hear from the Pentagon, he had to report for duty Sunday, according to a WPTV Newschannel 5 report.

Bringing sexual predators to justice isn't as easy as it looks on Dateline NBC's popular series "To Catch a Predator," said Mark Middleton, a sergeant with the Martin County Sheriff's Office.

The lion's share of spending, as in years past, will be directed at Indian River Medical Center.

Brooklyn-born Joe Garofalo, 48, is the president of the St. Lucie Film Society and is working to not only produce movies but to help the film industry grow on the Treasure Coast.

Martin County Fire Rescue responded to a brush fire Sunday afternoon, just east of Interstate 95 near the Stuart exit.

Students attending the workshop will learn how to evaluate their current landscape and develop an environmentally friendly landscape plan for their yards.

A new elementary school to relieve crowded conditions at Treasure Coast and Fellsmere elementary schools is expected to open in 2009 on about 23 acres of land the board agreed to buy earlier this week.

St. Lucie County teenagers will keep waiting for revamped health education classes in public schools as district officials work behind the scenes determining what coursework fits best with community standards but still offers students information about HIV/AIDS.

The public is invited to an open house and public hearing on the draft management plan for the Palm Beach County-managed Pine Glades Natural Area.

The second annual Summer Sizzling Fishing Tournament ended Saturday night at the Blowing Rocks Marina with Hobe Sound Chamber of Commerce officials handing out trophies to sports fisherman from all over the state.

On Saturday, 260 volunteers turned a 400-square-foot garage at a Gemini Lane home into two bedrooms and a bathroom for Amanda and Lauren DeRienzo, whose parents died in a murder-suicide.

The Recreation District's future after its community manager leaves next month could vary from bringing in a management company, dissolving the district altogether or just sticking with the status quo and finding another manager.

Three recent winners of the Miss South Florida Fair pageant participated in the recent Miss Florida competition, with Megan Clementi of Jupiter finishing in the top 10 at the Miss Florida event.

Almost in the shadow of the new brightly colored police building, 11 homes that aren't much older represent the city's last completed work force housing project.

Businessman Lloyd Bell and marine researcher David Vaughan of Stuart-based Sterling Group Associates LLC want public input on how to develop 172 acres at the Port of Fort Pierce and around Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution.

After years of battling citrus diseases in the groves, the Indian River Citrus League is taking its newest fight into neighborhoods.

Jupiter police, with help from an Orlando newspaper and Orlando police, have captured a suspect in the June 22 robbery of Bank of America, at 5770 South Central Blvd. in Jupiter.

Four North County cultural organizations are among the small and mid-sized groups that once again will have grant funding.

Martin County Administrator Duncan Ballantyne has proposed a $395 million budget for the 2008 fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. It includes a decrease in spending required by a recent state legislation.

A set of mandates Gov. Charlie Crist signed Friday at the close of a two-day summit on climate change in Miami could make it more cost-effective for families to use solar power.

The Vero Beach Devil Rays Inaugural Bowling Tournament will take place on July 29 at Vero Bowl in Vero Beach. All proceeds from the tournament will be donated to Indian River Habitat for Humanity.

The Brevard Zoo will open a new exhibit called the Wildlife Detective Training Academy at 10 a.m. Aug. 4 at the Zoo.

The next Inside Hobe Sound Tour will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 8, beginning at 8:30 a.m.

While many Americans take chauvinist views of their nation's world-class medical care, its cost and the decreasing affordability of medical insurance are driving some to take cures abroad.

The 2007 Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America is traveling 2,800 miles from Maine to Miami this summer to benefit Victory Junction Gang Camp and other children's charities.

The National Exchange Club Foundation recently awarded its top accreditation rating to CASTLE, which works to prevent child abuse on the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee County.

Helping People Succeed is consolidating its its four divisions, Baby Steps, Community Living, Employment Service and Behavioral Health Services, in a larger facility around Aug. 1.

The next Inside Hobe Sound tour will take place at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 8.

The 2007 Golf for Wildlife is looking for sponsors, players and volunteers, with all proceeds benefiting the Treasure Coast Wildlife Center.

With the dog days of summer in full swing, there never has been a better time to take a dip in the pool. But St. Lucie County's Parks & Recreation Department's aquatics staff wants to make sure residents know how to swim before they jump in to cool off.

The Junior League of Martin County is opening membership to women over age 21 interested in making a difference in their community.

Columns of smoke could be seen from the Palm City Bridge and Florida's Turnpike late Saturday afternoon, as a brief lightning storm produced four brush fires and an electrical spark that burned into the attic and insulation of a home west of Palm City.

'Fla. governor earns praise from Schwarzenegger on green stance.

The sweltering heat being felt throughout the Treasure Coast is expected to stay around through the weekend.

Letters inform Fort Pierce parents whose children attend 'failing' schools they can select other sites.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted La Ni'ña — a cooling of ocean waters that generally brings a more active Atlantic hurricane season — will be absent for the next two months.

Local leaders may have made peace on beach access and protection issues, but some are up in arms that a federally owned beach that's off-limits to the public is expected to largely remain that way.

City officials decided to have two Hazardous Household Waste Drop-off Days per year instead of one, because of increasing popularity. This year's second day is today.

Real estate broker pleads guilty to DUI after leading police on chase.

Fostering, unlike adoption, is a temporary home where the pet can stay for eight weeks to three months before becoming certified for permanent adoption by the shelter.

A wrought iron fence and a drainage ditch a developer wants to use to separate the Banner Lake community from the proposed Hobe Sound Village looks "very like a wall and a moat," said Tom Fucigna, chairman of the Hobe Sound Neighborhood Advisory Committee.

Motorists frustrated with waiting for the lights to change at the new signals along U.S. 1 will probably have to wait several weeks to get some relief.

Unnamed company seeks location that can supply 2M gallons of water a day and create 400,000 gallons of wastewater.

Hundreds of youngsters in the working class enclave of Golden Gate will be able to enjoy recreational and educational programs in a new community center by September, county officials said Friday.

A former St. Lucie County Fire Rescue Explorer accused of setting fire to a house pleaded no contest to arson Thursday, court records show.

Another man accused of participating in sex acts with underage girls as part of a gang was sentenced to jail time and probation Friday.

A Port St. Lucie man accused of robbing two banks in Vero Beach and one in Stuart pleaded guilty Friday to one charge against him in federal court.

However, 77 Indian River jobs would be cut under new budget proposal.

After three days of crunching numbers for next year's budget, the City Council on Friday passed the $22.9 million spending plan but didn't set a property tax rate for next year.

The Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast is offering the opportunity to purchase engraved bricks along the walkway leading to the main entrance of the museum in Indian RiverSide Park in Jensen Beach.

To support the financial needs of their growing agency, CASTLE has scheduled a 5K race/2.5K walk, Stomp Out Child Abuse, for Sept. 29 at Tradition Square in Port St. Lucie.

The Safety Zone Expo will be held 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 21 at the Port St. Lucie Community Center.

A Port St. Lucie man accused of robbing two banks in Vero Beach and one in Stuart pleaded guilty Friday to one charge against him in federal court.

In "Canoe Come Out & Play?" youngsters will be paddling the waters of the Indian River Lagoon in addition to participating in a scavenger hunt and obstacle course. The excursion is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $35 a person.

Trustee Richard Bleau said at Friday's meeting he was trying to have rumors investigated by district officials. Last month, he called for Food and Beverage Manager Sonny Raponi to be fired based on information he had that Raponi was drinking on the job at the Barefoot Bay Lounge. Daddario cited Bleau's actions in her resignation letter, released earlier this week.

Bianca Kahlenberg, 17, a senior at South Fork High School and daughter of Arthur and Susan Kahlenberg, has been selected to serve on the National Youth Council for the American Red Cross.

Chef Kenny Gilbert, the executive chef and director of food at Jupiter's Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa, will be in Milan, Ohio, on July 21 for a fundraiser for Veggie U, a national nonprofit children's health program.

St. Lucie County Sheriff's investigators are looking for a 39-year-old local man accused of inappropriately touching a 16-year-old girl while the girl was at her grandmother's home, the sheriff's office stated Friday.

Two winners of the "Fantasy 5" game will collect $111,423.92 each, the Florida Lottery said Friday after buying their tickets in Jensen Beach and Tamarac.

An electrical fire Thursday left a single-story home uninhabitable, but caused only minor injuries to two elderly occupants and a good Samaritan.

Plans for Bon Air Beach are to be announced when Congressman Tim Mahoney joins with officials from Martin County and Jupiter Island for a 2 p.m. news conference today.

Volunteers with the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office Citizens Observation Patrol are set to pick up trash at Surfside Beach this Saturday in an annual tradition. And if Gov. Charlie Crist has anything to say about it even more volunteers will help on future statewide cleanup projects.

Greyhounds won't be racing around the track at Melbourne Greyhound Park this summer, but you may find them racing through your neighborhood.

Craig O'Callaghan, 40, a New York real estate investor who lives on Rocky Point, made the winning $965,000 bid, putting an end to a 30-minute, tooth-and-nail bidding joust against a Stuart woman. O'Callaghan will pay a 10 percent buyer's fee in addition to the bid.

'The former Fellsmere, southern Brevard representative is accused of soliciting an undercover police officer for a sexual act in a park.

A Kansas refinery closed because of flooding, while equipment woes shuttered one in Indiana. Prices across the Treasure Coast vary from $2.91 to $3.09 a gallon.

Sgt. Erik Botta was supposed to report Sunday for a fifth overseas deployment, but that could change after the local Army reservist filed suit in federal court Thursday attempting to block it.

Though the evidence was washed away with the rain weeks ago, a local activist landed in Martin County court Thursday to face a criminal mischief charge for writing on the Roosevelt Bridge with sidewalk chalk.

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday may have spared his life, but former death row inmate Christopher Jones will spend the rest of his life in prison for a 2001 robbery and murder in Okeechobee County.

A man who killed his pregnant fianc'ée in a May 2005 crash was sentenced to 18 months in prison Thursday after her family asked the judge not to sentence him harshly.

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY —Charter schools in Indian River County say they want their fair share of local school capital taxes because they are public schools.

Calling all basketball lovers.

A man who tried to rob an auto parts store with his brother in 2004 was sentenced to 12 years in prison Thursday for his role in the crime.

The Elliott Museum will continue its Summer Learning Series with a lecture by Elmira Gainey, local leader, educator and former county commissioner, at 2 p.m. Sept. 6.

Sponsored kayaks are available for the Fishing Line Awareness Campaign on July 21.

The city's top Building department official said he would not have to lay off any workers due to a slowdown in citywide construction, ending weeks of workers' speculation.

Stuart resident Jennifer Porter is training for a 100-mile bike ride in November in Tuscon, Ariz., to raise money and awareness for the programs of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The American Red Cross will hold a babysitter's training camp from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 9 and 10 in the meeting room at the North Indian River County Library, 1001 Sebastian Blvd.

A St. Lucie County School District building was evacuated briefly Thursday morning after a suspicious white powder was found on a school bus, according to a Port St. Lucie Police Department spokesman.

The American Red Cross Martin County Chapter will host community education classes at its Indiantown office this weekend.

Because of ongoing rip currents from high surf conditions, Raymond McAllister, a Florida Atlantic University professor, said anyone caught in a rip current should swim parallel to the beach.

A luxury townhouse complex overlooking Manatee Creek would replace half-century old duplexes under preliminary plans reviewed Thursday by Martin County officials.

City commissioners seem to agree they would like to see a plan for a proposed workforce housing project start to move through the city's approval process.

Council members said City Manager Jim Gabbard needs to do a better job of keeping them informed of city issues and enforcing the terms of leases to city owned property.

As the 10-year-old girl attacked by three rottweilers sat in a relative's home Thursday, the dogs' owner — former City Commissioner Reginald Sessions — said he surrendered the dogs to authorities.

Not only could Robert Hasty go to jail for years if convicted on charges of molesting a 13-year-old boy, he now could lose his home before making it to trial.

After several years of a law restricting residents to riding golf carts only to or from the Barefoot Bay Golf Course, county officials passed one for Barefoot Bay and various communities last year saying golf cart riders may be permitted to go anywhere they want within their neighborhoods.

After years of delays, the county officially broke ground Thursday on its first entirely new emergency station in more than 15 years.

A record $3 million has been spent to incorporate the latest gadgets and computer software into all classrooms.

If deal is approved Tuesday, Jupiter Island would get Bon Air Beach but help Martin double parking near Hobe Sound Beach.

Members of the Lincoln Park Main Street board of directors were told Thursday afternoon to think "DUI" to help develop their community.

Officials from Martin County and Jupiter Island have reached a tentative agreement in a dispute over beach access and they hope to meet with Congressman Tim Mahoney Friday to discuss the details.

Local police, with help from an Orlando newspaper and Orlando police, have captured a suspect in the June 22 robbery of Bank of America, at 5770 South Central Blvd. in Jupiter.

A luxury townhouse complex overlooking Manatee Creek would replace half-century old duplexes under preliminary plans reviewed Thursday by Martin County officials.

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the death sentence of a 28-year-old man who killed an Okeechobee man during a 2001 robbery in his home.

The truck was traveling southbound on Florida's Turnpike about midnight Wednesday when it rolled over, hitting a car traveling northbound.

Residents of Martin and St. Lucie counties now can wash their cars and boats whenever they want, but some struggling businesses benefited most when water managers relaxed restrictions on Wednesday.

State's governor goes green for energy summit 'Florida governor's climate conference to feature California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Theodore Roosevelt IV and Robert Kennedy Jr.

Brooks Bellay, then 14, raped and murdered a 4-year-old girl in 1979.

FPL spending $500M in upgrades, including storage for spent fuel.

Thieves, who stole a Toshiba laptop computer and about $188 in cash from J.B. Pip's Tiki Grill, 3340 Pineapple Ave., apparently tried to conceal the theft by setting fire to the business, according to a report filed in the Martin County Sheriff's Office.

Large groups soon will be able to have fun at South County Regional Park now that the county has a $200,000 state grant to renovate and expand picnic facilities, expand the playground, add a restroom and spruce up hiking trails, county Recreation Director Cliff Crawford said Wednesday.

Work crews demolished a blighted house Wednesday after the owner did not make improvements to it by Monday's City Council-imposed deadline.

Twin Rivers is one of 197 parks across the state that will benefit from $33 million in state Department of Environmental Protection grants next year.

Three local charities, CASTLE, Hibiscus Children's Center and the Gifford Youth Activity Center, have joined forces with Dodgertown, the Vero Beach Devil Rays and Tropic Wave Radio to host an evening for families at Dodgertown.

The St. Lucie West Services District will lose one of its five supervisors Aug. 1.

The Vero Beach Chapter of the International Plastic Modelers Society will be offering a display at this month's Summertime Bike Nite at Downtown Friday on July 27.

The Gifford Youth Activity Center will conduct the second annual Dan K. Richardson Humanitarian Banquet July 27 followed by the golf tournament July 28.

Some dispatchers, forensics specialists and other Martin County Sheriff's Office civilian employees could go without pay increases this year, while others would be brought up to at least the minimum averages paid elsewhere.

One victim may have shot the other in self defense after sharing marijuana.

A $119.4 million fire district budget presented Wednesday to the St. Lucie Fire Board includes money for two new fire stations and employees to staff them, new vehicles and the possibility of fully funding the county's trauma helicopter.

A lone robber struck the Seacoast National Bank branch at High Meadows Avenue and Martin Downs Boulevard on Wednesday afternoon, escaping with an undisclosed amount of cash in an older model Cadillac.

Grace Daddario calls trustee's accusations against district employee 'straw that broke the camel's back'.

The proposal is expected to be discussed at a future meeting.

The Town Commission is holding a special meeting this afternoon featuring a presentation about the preliminary plans for the Arbela subdivision and the construction of the missing link in North River Road.

Perched on the tip of a fallen tree trunk on Simpson's Island, a child grips a rope swing and prepares to jump. With one big push, he swings out over the heads of his friends swimming below and hits the clear salty water with a splash.

Castaway is about to get a new — and with any luck — permanent home.

Listen up boys: don't challenge 13-year-old Courtney Grzech and her 10-year-old sister Chelsea to a skating race, because chances are, you'll lose.

No money has been set aside in next year's budget for the city's visioning process, but officials said Wednesday they aren't abandoning it.

Plans to convert the 81-year-old plant in downtown Vero Beach into a nightclub have been scrapped and will be replaced with a restaurant, said Charles Croom, project manager of Croom Construction of Vero Beach, the general contractor.

Local lawmakers talked Wednesday to business owners and government officials about the need for property tax reform and pledged to do what they could to help Vero Beach keep Piper Aircraft in town.

A judge has declined to grant a new bond for a 77-year-old man accused of violating the terms of his earlier bond while awaiting trial on charges he molested a 13-year-old boy.

Now that the Board of Governors has joined former Gov. Bob Graham and others in a lawsuit challenging the Legislature's authority to set tuition at public universities, Senate President Ken Pruitt said lawmakers are prepared to battle it out before a judge.

Martin County officials won a small victory Wednesday when a judge dismissed a legal claim made by a Palm City dog breeder.

The executive orders Gov. Charlie Crist plans to sign Friday to make Florida more environmentally friendly probably will affect state agencies and power companies the most.

Surveyors with Palm City-based CGY Inc. braved the heat Wednesday to scan and digitally map the interior and exterior surfaces of the cottage, built in 1926 on a densely wooded 8-acre lot along the St. Lucie River.

The city manager is also combining the planning and community services departments to cut budget.

Some dispatchers, forensics specialists and other Martin County Sheriff's Office civilian employees could go without pay increases this year, while others would be brought up to at least the minimum averages paid elsewhere.

Stephanie Hillery was playing in her aunt's front yard when the attack occurred.