FELLSMERE — Gov. Charlie Crist is scheduled Tuesday to see for himself the progress in alternative fuels at a local algae farm.

Crist is expected to arrive between 2 and 3 p.m. at PetroAlgae, in the 14600 block of 101st Street, governor’s aides said. (more…)

VERO BEACH — An autopsy is scheduled Friday for a 5-month old male infant found dead inside a hot SUV Thursday evening, said Vero Beach Police spokesman John Morrison.

Gannon Werking died Thursday after his mother Stephanie Werking of Sebastian left him inside a parked vehicle, according to a police department news release.

About 5 p.m. Thursday, a passerby called 911 when he saw a woman “screaming hysterically” in the parking lot of First United Bank at 17th Street and Indian River Boulevard, Morrison said.

“The child was obviously deceased at the scene,” he said, adding the cardiopulmonary resuscitation was not performed on the infant. (more…)

When the Martin County Commission fired Duncan Ballantyne from his $147,250 a year job as county administrator on St. Patrick’s Day, a pot of gold awaited the seasoned bureaucrat.

For starters, Ballantyne remained on the county payroll for a month after he cleaned out his office because he was entitled to a 30-day notice of his termination.

Since his official last day on April 23, Ballantyne has collected a total of $84,451 as a result of the severance package he negotiated when he was hired in the fall of 2005, county records show. And his initial severance period doesn’t end until Aug. 23.

Ballantyne’s severance package is not unusual for local government managers and attorneys on the Treasure Coast. In fact, 13 local government managers and attorneys in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties are entitled to severance pay for six months, or longer, if they are fired without cause. (more…)

FELLSMERE — The mother of the 1-year-old boy found dead in a vehicle last month was charged by the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office with aggravated manslaughter of a child.

Alejandra Alvarado, 21, of the 100 block of South Oak Street, Fellsmere, posted $2,500 bail at the Indian River County Jail shortly after she was booked Monday afternoon. Her son, Aiden Alvarado, died after spending at least four hours in the back of his mother’s sport utility vehicle during the afternoon of June 13, detectives said.
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FELLSMERE — A 1-year-old boy will be buried Friday as authorities continue the investigation into his death.

Family members found Aiden Alvarado unconscious inside a sports utility vehicle parked in the 100 block of Oak Street about 5 p.m. Saturday, Indian River County Sheriff’s Sgt. Thom Raulen said Thursday. Paramedics from Indian River County Fire Rescue arrived and declared the boy was dead, Raulen said. Family members told investigators the boy was in a car for at least a couple of hours.

The state Medical Examiner’s Office said heat was a prime factor in the boy’s death, Raulen said. Saturday’s high temperature reached 86 degrees in Vero Beach. (more…)

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — An accident along Interstate 95, about two miles north of the Fellsmere exit, resulted in 13 people being transported to hospitals Tuesday morning.

None of the injuries were life threatening, according to Lt. Tim Frith, with the Florida Highway Patrol.
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When students take the FCAT this month, the goal is to determine how much they’ve learned this year. But often the real predictor of students’ success occurs when the teacher first walks into the classroom.

National studies show high staff turnover — often filling schools with inexperienced teachers — can impact a school’s overall performance and can impair students’ learning. Researchers say across the country Title I schools, which get federal money because of a high number of low-income students, often have difficulty attracting highly qualified teachers.

This, they say, results in struggling students not getting the help they need and low grades for the schools. In Florida, the state grades schools based on Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores each year, which can translate into more money for the schools.
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FELLSMERE — Visitors to the 18th annual Frog Leg Festival will, for the first time on city property, be able to drink a beer with their food.

And the festival organizers will be able to collect the additional proceeds in their ongoing mission to boost the efforts of recreational agencies.

“I can’t tell you how many people have said to me, ‘I’d like to come out (to the festival), but I’d want to have a beer with my frog legs or gator tail,’ ” festival President Maggie Sammons said Thursday. (more…)