The regional Boy Scout organization overseeing the Treasure Coast says it is in serious financial difficulties.

In the face of a 30 percent decline in financial support, the Gulf Stream Council cut staff and expenses earlier this year.

Still the administrative organization has “an urgent cash flow shortage that threatened our operations and program,” wrote John Marion, Gulf Stream Council Executive Board president, in a recent letter to local Scout groups.
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MARTIN COUNTY — Dorothy McManus got her own personal chauffeured bus from Halpatiokee Regional Park to West Palm Beach to start her work week Monday.

The Stuart resident, who takes a train from West Palm Beach to work in Broward County, had the bus to herself on the inaugural 5:10 a.m. Palm Tran Commuter Express. McManus was the first rider on the area’s first mass transit service offered between Martin and Palm Beach counties on Monday.

Four people hopped on the bus for the service’s 6:10 a.m. departure to Palm Beach County.
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A 27-year-old West Palm Beach woman was identified as the boater who was killed Saturday in an airboat crash at Blue Cypress Lake, state officials said.

Callie E. McKenzie was killed when the airboat she was riding with three other people crashed into a second airboat in a narrow channel of the lake, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. (more…)

The early retirement of state Sen. Ken Pruitt will cost local governments — and therefore taxpayers — more than $475,000.

Tuesday’s special election to replace Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, for one year will cost at least that much.

Elections officials in the five counties that comprise state Senate District 28 base their costs projections upon printing, staff overtime, poll worker costs, advertising and the cost to mail out absentee-style ballots. (more…)

The week-long process called early voting, where ballots are cast on optical scan equipment at county elections headquarters and a couple other locations, kicks off Monday morning for the special state Senate District 28 election.

Elections officials will oversee early voting at the main office in each county. St. Lucie and Palm Beach counties will open secondary locations, at the Port St. Lucie City Hall and the North County Courthouse in Palm Beach Gardens.

As of Friday morning, election officials reported 19,802 voters in Florida’s Senate District 28 have cast their votes, using the vote by mail ballots, since the start of the month for the Aug. 4 special election to replace retiring Sen. Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie. (more…)

Here’s the good news: Multi-billionaire Bill Gates may be shopping for waterfront properties in Martin and Palm Beach counties.

Here’s the bad: His peeps are low-balling the pants off sellers.

For more, click here.

Kevin Alicea

Damon Long

A tipster told Martin County Sheriff’s detectives that Kevin L. Alicea, of Lake Worth, and Damon J. Long, of North Palm Beach, had planned a drug deal for Thursday night.

When investigators arrived near the Kanner Highway Chevron gas station by Interstate-95 and found both men.

Alicea, 30, had 16 grams of cocaine and 58 pills of ecstasy in his pocket, according to a sheriff’s report.

Thirty-two-year-old Long — whose arrest paperwork lists him as an employee of Palm Beach Pain Management – had 3.9 ounces of cocaine, the report states.

A new shuttle service is offering low rates to and from Orlando.

Smart Shuttle Line Inc., a Melbourne-based company, started its services on the Treasure Coast area to add independent transportation to the airports and area attractions at an affordable rate.

The shuttle line, which opened about three months ago, will start offering routes to and from Orlando starting in July.

Smart Shuttle Line realized there was a transportation need to the Orlando Airport after a high demand of calls came in. (more…)

Eight suspected members of a Treasure Coast and Brevard County drug distribution ring were indicted this week on federal charges after an eight-month multi-agency investigation.

Quentin Dixon, Todd Jackson, Jr., David Duvall, Lorenza David Harriell, Michael Lemonious, Frank Pierre, Jeane Claudy Polanco, and Parson Exana were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride and crack cocaine, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Pierre and Polanco were also charged with conspiracy to import cocaine. (more…)