A St. Lucie County man died Monday after being diagnosed with the H1N1 flu virus, St. Lucie County Health Department officials announced today.

The 53-year-old man is the fifth St. Lucie County resident to die after being diagnosed with swine flu, the unique flu strain first identified in April and now widespread throughout Florida and the United States. Most cases of H1N1, which health officials estimate are responsible now for the vast majority of flu-like illnesses, are mild, but people with underlying health conditions are more at risk for complications from the virus.

Health department officials did not release the man’s name, but said he had underlying medical conditions.

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PALM CITY — Retired attorney, Pauley Kellum was a Marine First Sergeant during World War II. He spent 15 months in the hospital after being severely wounded during the liberation of Guam and was then discharged with little ceremony.

“I took the GI Bill college aid and became a lawyer,” the 89-year-old Palm City resident said. “I thought that was it.” Read the rest of this entry »

FORT PIERCE — The juvenile violent crime rate dropped by nearly 30 percent so far this year, Fort Pierce police said Tuesday.

Police attributed the decrease to some initiatives run by officers. The numbers also included a 17 percent drop in overall youth crime. Read the rest of this entry »

FORT PIERCE — The owners of a new antique mall expect to open Hidden Treasures of the Treasure Coast in a few weeks on U.S. 1. Read the rest of this entry »

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — A 32-year-old man swept into the channel while swimming in the Fort Pierce Inlet Tuesday afternoon was pronounced dead less than two hours later, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Lataurus Conley was boating near the Fort Pierce Inlet about 1 p.m. Tuesday and was swimming with friends in the inlet, DEP public information officer Amy Graham said in an e-mail. The outgoing tide swept Conley into the channel, and a fisherman helped in rescuing Conley. Read the rest of this entry »

By DAPHNE DURET
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
STUART — At the end of his first contested race for public office in 14 years, incumbent Stuart commissioner Jeff Krauskopf coasted to another term Tuesday with a victory over political newcomer Jeff Callahan.
Krauskopf, 59, won more than 67 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s contest, according to unofficial elections results. Callahan, a 41-year-old Martin County lifeguard who had hoped to bring a fresh voice to the commission, received about 32 percent of the 1,047 ballots cast.

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PORT SALERNO _ Detectives with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division are investigating a multiple stabbing that occurred on Monday night.

According to a sheriff’s office release, two men, Denny Evangelista and Robert Ruiz, traveled to a residence in the 5000 block of Primose Avenue at approximately 9:30 p.m. While at the residence, an altercation occurred between Evangelista, Ruiz and an unknown man, the release said.

Evangelista was stabbed once in the chest and Ruiz was stabbed multiple times in the abdomen. Evangelista and Ruiz left the residence on Primose and returned to Ruiz’s home on Isabelita Avenue and called for law enforcement and emergency medical response. Evangelista was transported by air to St. Mary’s Hospital. Ruiz was transported by ambulance to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center.

The suspect fled the scene. He is described as being approximately 28-30 years of age, 5 feet 8 inches tall and 180 pounds, with a muscular build and shaved head. He was last seen wearing an orange shirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective M. Flynn at (772) 220-7169, or Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at (800) 273-TIPS (8477).

FORT PIERCE — A man accused of stealing dozens of frozen meals, candy bars, bathroom tissue, tea and other items from a Dollar Tree store was arrested after secreting himself in an attic, according to a police report released Tuesday.

About 8:40 p.m. Monday, police responded to an address in the 800 block of Sunrise Boulevard where a woman in the area said a man approached her and asked whether she wanted to purchase some frozen foods. The woman said the man’s name was “Tom” and that he lived in a nearby apartment. Read the rest of this entry »

STUART — Lisa Stukel was working at the Pelican Café downtown Monday afternoon when she learned of a visitor in need.

While Stukel, 25, of Port St. Lucie, was on-duty as a cook at the cafe, a manatee ensnared in something swam close to the restaurant dock and got stuck between the dock and a column of the Roosevelt Bridge. Read the rest of this entry »

STUART — A Palm City man, who was driving without a license when he was involved in a fatal traffic accident in 2000, was arrested Saturday morning for driving on a suspended license.

Charles E. McComas, 24, was stopped on the west side of the Palm City Bridge about 10 a.m. Saturday, after a Martin County deputy’s radar registered his vehicle travelling at 54 mph in a 35 mph zone. Read the rest of this entry »