U.S. Navy SEALs, the legendary fighters whose missions most often are top secret, hit the mark in front of the world two weeks ago when three of their snipers took out three Somali pirates on rough seas and saved a sea captain's life.

Now, a museum dedicated to the SEALs' history is trying to get a piece of the action - even a little one, like a shell casing.

Officials at The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum near Fort Pierce are asking the shipping line and active duty SEAL units for an item from the sniper attack, said retired Navy Capt. Michael Howard, the museum's executive director and a former SEAL.

"There's no guarantee we will get anything," he said.

They would like to acquire the lifeboat, one of the weapons used, a shell casing or even some of the captain's clothing, Howard said. Weapons are the least likely possibility, he said, simply because they are so expensive.

(more…)

George K. Hine, a former chairman of the Martin County Local Planning Agency, died Saturday.

Mr. Hine, 74, had been vice president of Acme-Wiley Corp., a sign manufacturer in Palm City before retiring and a board member with the Palm City Chamber of Commerce, which announced Hine’s death.

Former Martin County Commissioner Mike DiTerlizzi, who appointed Mr. Hine to the review agency in 2003, said Mr. Hine wanted to make the community a better place.

“George had a way about caring about his community and he always did his homework; he’d go out to visit a site, take the plan, see if it fit the neighborhood. He tried to use common sense in all his decision making,” DiTerlizzi said. “Some people disagreed with his decisions, but he did with a certain flair of caring and I think a lot of Martin County is a better place because of George’s time on the LPA.”

Mr. Hine is survived by his wife Valerie.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 623 S.E. Ocean Blvd., Stuart, 10 a.m., April 29.

– Jim Turner

Superintendent Michael Lannon

For Lannon, who called the event a “goof-off day,” the answer is the classroom.

“School comes first,” he said. “We don’t have days to give away.”

It would seem, despite some harsh criticism from employees who planned to participate in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, that many in the school district support that position, even if they were irritated by the last-minute notice.

Messages of “Wow — Well done!” “Amen!” and “Bravo” hit Lannon’s email account today, along with lengthier responses decrying how many activities already take away from time in the classroom and how casually some students regard attendance.

“I had five classes half empty today. I wonder how many of those children were actually at work with their parents!” one teacher wrote. “So many allow their children to stay home on a frequent basis or take them out for long weekends to Orlando and Miami, or for week-long cruises and family vacations. Then they contact us and expect us to help their child ‘catch up.’” (more…)

Ray Kofke and three buddies piled into a Ford Escape early this morning and cruised out of Lee County, one of the hardest-hit parts of the state in this recession.

They drove more than two hours to another suffering region with a collective goal: getting jobs.

In Indiantown, they found lots of competition. More than 4,300 people flocked to the rural community for a chance to be among the 1,000 hires needed to build Florida Power & Light Co.’s new solar plant. (more…)

St. Lucie County Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon sent this memo to his employees Thursday, explaining why he prohibited them from participating in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day:

Everyone is owed an explanation for my decision of yesterday to notify our employees that as a business entity we were not a participating business.

I had no idea until nearly 5:00pm yesterday when someone simply made a comment toward the conclusion of our regular executive council meeting, that they knew of someone planning to engage in the event. My choice at that time was to inform our employees or ignore what I believe to be a negative impact upon school time, of which there is already far to little. I chose to remind us that we are not participating as an employer.

It was my decision to notify all employees that we are not a participating business and that our job is to encourage student attendance every day in their regular classes.

My decision flows from my beliefs that: (more…)

FORT PIERCE — St. Lucie County Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon prohibited his nearly 5,000 employees from participating this year in the national Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, calling it a “goof-off day.” Here are some of the responses the school district has received:

From a math teacher:
I totally agree with everything you wrote regarding “Take Your Child…..”. Thank you for voicing your thoughts and concerns so clearly and succinctly. You didn’t ‘beat around the bush’. My 18-year old daughter had asked me every year throughout her elementary, middle and part of her high school years if she could come to work with me on “Take Your…”. I always refused. I consider my responsibilities too critical to be distracted by her presence. I am sure that she would have been perfectly behaved so behavior is not the issue. When I am at school, my focus is on our students…their safety, their academics, etc. Refreshing. Thank you!

From a dean:
I was caught off guard by the phone call at 6:00PM last night concerning the “Bring Your Child to Work” day. The phone call said don’t bring them and that SLCSD does not participate in this activity. I did not bring them because my employer no longer allows it. I followed the directive. However, I am not happy with the way this new policy was communicated to me the evening before the event. My two children were really looking forward to coming. We have been planning this day for months. We were all very disappointed. I hope that events like this that are cancelled will be done farther ahead of time in the future.

From a teacher:
My child is in tears right now, along with many other children because he can not go to work with me in my classroom…shame on this decision. (more…)

FORT PIERCE — Parents across the country Thursday took their children to work as part of a national event to teach kids about careers. One notable exception was the St. Lucie County School District, where Superintendent Michael Lannon, in a last-minute decision, forbade his nearly 5,000 employees from participating.

Superintendent Michael Lannon

Facing criticism from employees who planned to bring their kids to work — and two school board members who did — he was unapologetic, calling it a “goof-off day.”

“I might as well authorize a skip day and that’s all that is,” he said.

Millions of children each year participate in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, a national event created nearly 20 years ago to encourage kids to think about careers by getting a first-hand look at what their parents do, said Carolyn McKecuen, president of the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation in North Carolina. (more…)

Thursday, April 23, 2009

VERO BEACH — Minor League Baseball executives expect to occupy Dodgertown by June 1 if they can get an agreement with county officials approved by then.

“They want to occupy Dodgertown as soon as possible and we want them there,” County Administrator Joe Baird said Thursday.

At this point, the two sides’ attorneys are poring through the proposed agreement.

“And that takes on a life of its own,” MiLB President Pat O’Conner said.

Neither Baird nor O’Conner envisioned anything holding up the deal. And at least the county won’t have to spruce up the grounds before MiLB moves in, Baird said. (more…)

April 23, 2009

VERO BEACH — Vero Beach High School students on Thursday were relieved when they found out the Sheriff’s Office made an arrest in connection with the recent threats, but some were surprised when the heard who was taken into custody that morning.

“No one really thinks he did it,” Cara Bartlett, 16, said of the arrest of Taren Lee Stage, 17.

Stage, a VBHS sophomore, was charged with six counts of making false bomb threats.

And at 6 p.m. Thursday, deputies also charged Brittany Ann Walker, 18, of the 300 block of 21st Avenue, with one count of making a false bomb threat, Indian River County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Jeff Luther said.

Josh Rivera, 16, said he sometimes plays football with Stage on the weekends.

“He’s all right,” Josh said. “I wouldn’t expect him to do it.”

Josh said Stage didn’t have a cellphone and his home phone wasn’t working.

Miranda Wyatt, 16, also was surprised by the arrest.

“I’ve talked to this guy like a million times. He’s so nice,” she said. (more…)

Thursday, April 23, 2009

VERO BEACH — Two students have been charged with making multiple bomb threats to Vero Beach High School, authorities said.

The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office Thursday charged Taren Lee Stage, 17, with six counts of making a false bomb threat. Deputies pulled Stage out of a class about 10:30 a.m. Thursday and took him to the Sheriff’s Office. The charges are second-degree felonies, which Stage will face as an adult, Sheriff Deryl Loar said.

Early Thursday evening, the Sheriff’s Office also charged Brittany Ann Walker, 18, of the 300 block of 21st Avenue, with one count of making a false bomb threat, according to Walker’s arrest affidavit.

Deputies also have identified a “person of interest” in connection with the bomb threats, according to Walker’s arrest affidavit, but that person was not named. Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Jeff Luther declined to release further information, saying the case still is under investigation.

Stage, whose affidavit was not released, implicated Walker when deputies questioned him, according to Walker’s arrest affidavit.

While in custody, Walker told Stage she received a text message that he had been arrested and she knew she “was next,” the affidavit states.

Six bomb threats were called into VBHS since March 3 — four in the last week. One bomb threat was called into Sebastian River High School on March 3. According to the affidavit, in some of the calls, Stage gave the phone to Walker to dial the school and then she’d hand the phone off to the “person of interest.”

The students used three different phones and blocked the phone numbers from appearing on the school’s caller ID system, officials said.

Luther said deputies took their time to make sure they had those responsible for making the calls. (more…)