WASHINGTON, D.C. — A highly anticipated federal investigation of Chinese drywall is expected to be released today, and it could be worth thousands of dollars for affected homeowners.

That’s because the report may trigger the availability of federal funds that affected homeowners could use to lessen their losses, according to a spokesman for Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. “We certainly want to wrap up this investigation,” said Bryan Gulley, a Nelson spokesman. “People need answers.”

Scott Wolfson, a spokesman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is overseeing the investigation, said the study of 51 homes “is part of our commitment to affected families and Congress to share scientific data as soon as it becomes available.”
(more…)

FORT PIERCE — Faced with double-digit unemployment and one of the highest rates of foreclosure in the country, St. Lucie County commissioners created a “local stimulus program” to speed up construction projects and create jobs in an economy desperate for them.

The plan included an ordinance to give local companies an edge in the bidding process and ensure that most workers involved in county projects live in St. Lucie.

But six months into the program, it’s hard to define how successful it’s been.
Economic change comes slowly, and even “fast-tracked” projects can take months to go through the design, bidding and building process. County officials, however, say their efforts have improved St. Lucie’s dire economic situation without raising taxes or increasing long-term debt.

“It’s incremental, but any jobs that we can add to the local economy absolutely has to help,” said Faye Outlaw, the county administrator.

Officials point to these milestones: (more…)

Construction jobs continued to decline on the Treasure Coast during the past year, according to a report released last week by the Associated General Contractors of America.

The Port St. Lucie metropolitan area, which includes Martin and St. Lucie counties, lost about 700 jobs, or 6 percent, between August 2008 and August 2009. The Treasure Coast ranked 59 out of 337 metropolitan areas in the country for least jobs lost. The worst losses were in Reno, Nev., which ranked 337.

The Associated General Contractors of America, based in Arlington, Va., released the numbers to highlight the decline in construction jobs across the country. (more…)

Ongoing construction on Interstate 95 in St. Lucie County and construction of a truck weighing station on I-95 in Martin County will impact traffic this week.

In St. Lucie County, one lane will be closed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Friday alternately northbound and southbound between Becker Road and Gatlin Boulevard, and between State Road 70 and Midway Road.
(more…)