David Smythe, a long-time Stuart resident and owner of a Volvo dealership in New Jersey, celebrated his 82nd birthday this year by giving $2 million to Martin Memorial Health Systems.

Smythe, who gave the hospital $500,000 last year, said he was impressed by the quality of care he received there after injuring his leg.

“You couldn’t ask for nicer people,” he said of the hospital staff. “They work really hard.”

Smythe’s $2 million gift, which was announced last week, will help support Martin Memorial’s maternal-child and pediatric programs. In gratitude, hospital officials have said they will name part of the maternal-child department after him. (more…)

After losing several national chain retailers this year, the Treasure Coast Square mall is starting to see those empty spots fill up — this time with local businesses.

Five of six new stores at the mall are locally owned.

New stores include: Kiss My Glass, a glass jewelry store with a location in Vero Beach; Vogees Boutique, a women’s store with a location in Wellington; The Fishing Center, which has another location in Fort Pierce; and Jumping Times, a bungee jumping and trampoline center.

Also new is an environmentally friendly car wash called ProntoWash Eco AutoSpa. (more…)

JENSEN BEACH A man was allegedly beaten and robbed because he refused a toothless woman’s offer for sex, according to an incident report by released by Martin County deputies Tuesday.

The victim told investigators the woman, who is in her 20s, visited him at home in the 2500 block of Northeast Indian River Drive around 1 a.m. Sunday and attempted to become intimate with him.
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JENSEN BEACH — A well-known mathematical theory states that a group of monkeys randomly typing on a typewriter could eventually write the complete works of William Shakespeare by pure chance.

But Martin County Sheriff’s investigators said there is no chance that one cat could randomly type words on a computer keyboard to download child pornography 1,000 times.

Keith Griffin

But that’s the excuse that 48-year-old Keith Griffin, of Jensen Beach, gave after investigators found 1,000 images of child pornography on his computer, detectives say. Griffin was arrested today on 10 counts of possession of child pornography.

According to a sheriff’s report, detectives conducting online investigations in July discovered that Griffin was downloading pictures of children as young as 8 years old having sex from file-sharing programs.

When deputies searched Griffin’s home and talked to him, he told detectives that he would leave the room sometimes while downloading music and when he returned, his cat had jumped up on the keyboard and strange images were downloaded.

Griffin is being held in the Martin County Jail on $250,000 bail. The cat was not charged with any crimes and is being cared for by a family friend, according to sheriff’s officials.

Shalonda McGill

It started with just one deal, former mortgage broker Veronica Stanton said.

Stanton told jurors that mortgage broker Shalonda McGill approached her to enlist her help in getting a loan for one of her clients in exchange for half of the commission on the purchase.

They did several deals together after that until Stanton, a former broker at the now closed First Flagler Mortgage, found out that one of the deals was the focus of a mortgage fraud case against McGill and her husband, former Jensen Beach pastor and radio personality Rodney McGill.

Rodney McGill

“You now know that this was a fraudulent loan?” Shalonda McGill’s attorney, Fran Ross, asked Stanton.
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JENSEN BEACH — A man was charged Saturday evening with domestic battery after he drenched his wife with a garden hose and attacked her, according to an affidavit released Monday.

The altercation began when the victim entered the couple’s residence in the 1400 block of Northeast Chardon Street, while smoking a cigarette.

The affidavit says the victim’s husband, John Jeffrey Murray, 51, began yelling at her about smoking in the house and sprayed her with the hose.
(more…)

Capt. Hiram’s, a popular Sebastian restaurant, was one of two Treasure Coast eateries that received more than 25 violations in the most recent round of health inspections released by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

State records show restaurant inspectors found 26 violations, 16 of them “critical,” during an inspection June 16 of restaurant facilities at the tiki-style resort, 1606 Indian River Drive in Sebastian.

Vito’s Italian Restaurant, 11005 S. Ocean Drive in Jensen Beach, also had 26 violations, 18 of them “critical,” during a June 18 inspection, records show.

An Okeechobee County restaurant had no violations. State inspectors gave a perfect score to Okeechobee Livestock Market Restaurant, 1055 N. Highway 98 in Okeechobee, during a June 16 inspection.

The department conducts inspections through the Division of Hotels and Restaurants throughout the state.

Each inspection report is a “snapshot” of conditions present at the time of the inspection. State inspectors can return for multiple visits stemming from one inspection until problems are corrected.
TCPalm.com

JENSEN BEACH — Martin County sheriff’s deputies arrested a 47-year-old man after he attacked a bartender Wednesday at Harper’s Pub because he thought he spiked his drink, according to a report.

Deputies arrested Matthew Way, of the 2100 block of Northeast Poinciana Lane, after he confronted the bartender, according to the report.

The report gave this account:

The bartender was trying to walk by Way while trying to get supplies out of a side closet. Way accused the bartender of spiking his drink a few weeks ago.

As the bartender tried walking away, Way punched him and they both got entangled in a fight on the floor. The bartender got on top of Way and waited for deputies to arrive.

Deputies charged Way with battery and disorderly conduct and transported him to Martin County Jail.
By TCPalm Staff

Detectives with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit in partnership with the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco conducted an undercover operation on Thursday, when they checked 17 convenience stores throughout Martin County to see if they sold alcohol to minors.

One-hundred percent compliance was reported on that date. No sales were made to the concerned citizen volunteer that worked with detectives.

This operation was the second conducted in the past thirty days. Two arrests were previously made on May 7, 2009. These operations continue year-round.

JENSEN BEACH — Martin County Sheriff’s detectives are investigating what led to the stabbing of Jensen Beach man early this morning.

Shortly after 3 a.m. deputies arrived at the Stuart Pointe apartment complex off U.S. 1 and found 24-year-old Reginald Mitchell bleeding from under his left arm.

Mitchell told investigators he was stabbed by an unknown man outside his apartment.

Mitchell’s 22-year-old girlfriend said Mitchell had left the apartment shortly before his attack, then returned a short while later, bleeding. Mitchell had also run into two men’s apartment after his stabbing and asking them to call 911, the men reported.

Mitchell was taken to Lawnwood Trauma Center for treatment. He didn’t appear to sustain any life-threatening injuries, according to sheriff’s officials.