Youth looking to hone their chess game – and other skills – have a new opportunity thanks to the launch of the Atlantis Chess Club. A ribbon-cutting was held on Friday, June 5, at the Port St. Lucie Community Center where the club is scheduled to meet each Friday from 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. for youth ages 6 to 12. Members will be paired by skill level. A second location, in Fort Pierce, was set to start up this week through St. Lucie County Parks and Recreation. Seven years ago, program director Diana Cowan Kempton taught herself chess so

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The Fort Pierce City Commission unanimously approved, with conditions, an application by Pulte Homes on May 18 to construct a 239-unit single family home development on about 50 acres off Jenkins Road. Pulte Homes closed on the parcel on May 20 and plans to begin site work during the next quarter. It will be their first development in Fort Pierce, but not in St. Lucie County. There is a Pulte Del Webb community in Tradition. “The location of this property is very unique from the perspective of what we’re trying to create up on Kings Highway,” said Commissioner Michael Broderick.

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Cleveland Clinic Florida announced measures to strengthen food security in five counties last month, with several St. Lucie County organizations set to receive much-needed financial assistance. It’s part of a $50 million “enterprise commitment to reduce hunger and improve access to nutritious food in the communities it serves,” reads a May 19 press release issued by Cleveland Clinic Florida. “Access to nutritious food is foundational to good health,” said Conor P. Delaney, MD, Ph.D., president of Cleveland Clinic Florida Market. “These investments reflect our commitment to improving the health of our communities by supporting organizations that are addressing food insecurity

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Local beachgoers will get another chance to see sea turtles nesting through a new round of nighttime walks that began Tuesday despite the resurgence of extreme weather issues. Ecological Associates, Inc. (EAI) kicked off the first pair of eight nighttime walks to take place every Tuesday and Wednesday in June. The Jensen Beach-based marine biology firm has given the tours for years as they continue to survey turtle nests on St. Lucie’s barrier island beaches. Free tickets for up to 25 walkers can be found at St. Lucie County’s Guided Nature Programs page: stlucieco.gov/departments-and-services/environmental-resources/guided-nature-programs. The Tuesday tours filled to capacity

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When Margaret Mucciolo first set eyes on her Heritage Oaks residence in Tradition and peered out to the backyard, she knew immediately that she wanted it to be home. She now finds herself fighting for that beloved view. She and her husband Joe Mucciolo began attending city meetings in April after they first learned that a zoning change could occur. For now, they are pleased that they’ve been granted a little more time before the next round. The Port St. Lucie City Council voted unanimously on May 26 to table an amendment that seeks to rezone an 9.5-acre parcel located

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Officials from Florida Coast Medical Center in Port St. Lucie visited St. Lucie County fire stations on May 19, full of food and thanks. Armed with chicken wings and tenders, fresh carrot and celery sticks and some Palm Beach Health Network hot sauce to celebrate National Emergency Medical Services week, hospital officials were happy to feed and thank first responders for their crucial lifesaving services. “When you walk into a firehouse, they always have hot sauce,” said Florida Coast CEO Tyler Sherrill hoping to add to their spicy inventory and offer a special tasting. “It’s got a bite on the

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A ceremonial groundbreaking took place for Fort Pierce’s Avenue D Road Improvement Project on Monday, marking the beginning of a project that is expected to significantly improve approximately 1.6 miles of Avenue D from 29th Street to U.S. 1. The $4.1 million project will be funded through a combination of local and state funding sources, including $1.5 million from state legislative funding, $1.5 million through a contribution from the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency (FPRA), and local infrastructure surtax funding. Improvements include resurfacing Avenue D from 29th Street to U.S. 1, and reconstruction of ADA-compliant ramps, sidewalk and driveway improvements where

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Brightline has built a magnificent railroad, with gleaming stations in South Florida and Orlando and 235 miles of shining silver track for its busy fleet of high-speed trains, but it has gone broke doing it. As of Jan. 1 it had $1.37 million in unrestricted cash in the bank versus $120 million in accounts payable and accrued expenses – and things have gone downhill since then. After bringing in a new CEO and new chief financial officer in January, the company deferred $117 million in interest payments due on Feb. 17, pushing the payment date off until April 15, then

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When Anthony F. Sansone Sr. first saw the Port St. Lucie property that would become Legacy Park at Tradition, he knew it was something special, so exceptional that the last conversation he had with two of his sons was about the land. “We decided to have this entire project named after him,” said youngest son Nicholas C. Sansone, Esq., a principal of the Sansone Group, at the unveiling and ribbon cutting of Legacy Park’s commemorative sculpture on May 8. Brothers Jim and Doug Sansone are also at the helm. Fittingly named the Tree of American Dreams, the sculpture is located

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The Fort Pierce City Commission approved a major site plan amendment earlier this month that will lead to the construction of a 1.1 million-square-foot refrigerated Amazon warehouse and office building. The project, which is located at 2300 S. Kings Highway on a parcel owned by Scannell Properties, is considered an Economical Development Project. It is expected to provide 745 permanent jobs. The 70-acre parcel is bound by S. Kings Highway on the west, White Road on the north and Peter Road on the east. The property was rezoned to its current status in August 2021. “The site is very large;

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