FORT PIERCE — The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office has released the names of two more people who detectives say were involved with a marijuana and cocaine distribution ring, including the brother and mother of a man already charged with being one of the ring’s leaders.

On Saturday, deputies arrested Victor Tapia, 27, of the 1700 block of Angle Road in Fort Pierce and Michael Clifford, 33, of the 4800 block of North U.S. 1 in Fort Pierce on charges of felony marijuana possession with intent to sell, felony marijuana possession, felony criminal intent to solicit or conspire and misdemeanor possession or use of narcotic equipment. (more…)

FORT PIERCE - Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say they have dismantled a Cuban smuggling ring operating on Florida’s Atlantic coast.

ICE spokeswoman Nicole Navas said agents arrested seven people Oct. 15. Local police arrested another suspect on drug charges. Another remains at large, officials said.

The alleged Port St. Lucie-based group faces charges including conspiring to smuggle Cubans into the country between June and December of 2008. They could face decades behind bars if convicted.

Overall, Cuban migration has plummeted in the last year. Authorities attribute the drop to stepped up investigations and prosecutions, the lifting of some U.S. travel restrictions, a bad economy and a crackdown on the communist island.

FORT PIERCE — A man in his late teens was taken to a local provisional trauma center Sunday after his car crashed into a palm tree, a St. Lucie County Fire District spokeswoman said Monday.

Crews responded about 9:45 a.m. Sunday to the incident in the 4100 block of Sunrise Boulevard, Fire District spokeswoman Catherine Chaney said.
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ST. LUCIE COUNTY — With the swoop of a small plane carrying County Commission Chairwoman Paula Lewis and the splash of water cannons from fire trucks, St. Lucie County International Airport will christen its new 4,000-foot runway on Thursday.

The $15.3 million runway is about 2,500 feet northwest of the existing pair of runways. It has been under construction for more than a year.

“We had a lot to do,” Lewis said. “We moved power lines, we acquired a piece of property for light of sight from the control tower, and I’m excited that it’s finally finished.”
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SEBASTIAN — Police investigators said they uncovered a criminal enterprise involving ill-gotten prescription drugs, out-of-state pill smuggling and stolen auto parts when they searched a home last weekend.

Investigators spent 30 hours searching an undisclosed home late Friday and most of Saturday, said Sebastian Officer Steve Marcinik, police spokesman. Eight investigators recovered more than 3,000 pills with a street value of $60,000, as well as $6,500 worth of stolen property and $4,500 cash, investigators said.

“This shows a direct link between theft and the illegal prescription drug business,” Marcinik said.
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INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A year after Sheriff’s Office employees got a $1,000 bonus in lieu of raises from retiring Sheriff Roy Raymond, current Sheriff Deryl Loar is expected to give at least some of them a bigger bonus, as much as $1,600 each.

It’s the product of an unusual situation, sheriff’s Comptroller Harry Hall said Monday. He said he expects to have $747,000 unspent at the end of the month.

Some of the savings, he said, came from budgeting $3.48 per gallon last fall for patrol cars’ gasoline and seeing prices drop to $1 less. And there haven’t been as many jail inmates hospitalized, he added.

“It’s like the planets all lined up,” Hall said. “It’s unrealistic to think this can continue (in future years).”
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More than 200 businesses on the Treasure Coast and in Okeechobee County have been cited for selling alcohol to underage people, according to state records from January 2004 to August 2009. Some of those businesses were repeatedly cited.

“It’s a widespread problem,” Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar said.

A Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers review of five years of citations from the state Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco show some stores stores have been cited three times. (more…)

MARTIN COUNTY — The Martin County Parks and Recreation Department is launching a new environmentally focused outdoor recreation program for all ages.

Veteran photographer, Kevin Boldenow is leading the newest eco-style adventure throughout Martin County’s most beautiful landscapes. The “eco photo tours” will be a serious of photography instruction at different locations throughout Martin County for both novice and experienced photographers, county officials said in a news release. (more…)

PORT ST. LUCIE — Patients wanting to try out Martin Memorial’s freestanding emergency department in St. Lucie West should find their own ride.

St. Lucie County fire and rescue crews are bypassing the freestanding facility in favor of emergency departments at hospitals such as St. Lucie Medical Center and Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute.

“We’re evaluating what type of patients we will transport to that facility,” St. Lucie County Fire Chief Ron Parrish said. “We want to make sure the citizens of the community are going to get the best care in the most timely manner.”
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STUART — Have you ever wondered why some of those markers on the water are red and some are green?

And why are they different shapes, anyway? Why shouldn’t I just wait until I need my life jacket to put it on?

What is the minimum length of boat that requires a second fire extinguisher — or a third?

Answers to these and many other questions will be yours just for taking the time to attend the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s program, About Boating Safely.
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