PORT ST. LUCIE — One of the nation’s top film schools may be headed to the Treasure Coast to work with a Hollywood digital production spin-off and a cast of local college students.

Florida State University’s award-winning film school released a letter of intent Tuesday to partner with the Hobe Sound-based Wyndcrest Holdings LLC., which continues to work out a $30 million state and city incentives package for a 150,000-square-foot digital production studio that would be within the Tradition development.

“The direction they plan to take with the new studio in the development of innovative technologies and storytelling techniques is directly in line with the educational goals of The Film School,” said Frank Patterson, dean of the Florida State University College of Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts. “It’s a perfect match.”
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ST. LUCIE COUNTY — After weeks of police officer training in a classroom, Indian River State College students move on to a small platform that provides a high-tech simulation of how they react in a real-life situation.

They’re given a weapon that only emits lasers and equipped with a belt that zaps them if they put themselves in danger.

“It teaches consequences if they make bad decisions,” Stephen Huntsberger, associate dean of Public Service Education for IRSC, said of the VirTra Systems simulator at the complex.

The simulator is one of the planned demonstrations at Friday’s public open house at the new Indian River State College Public Safety Complex.
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FORT PIERCE — Despite a sagging economy, graphic design using digital media is booming.

“Over 10,000 new jobs in graphic design become available in Florida each year,” said Jose Farinos, dean of advanced technology at Indian River State College. “And over 6,000 of them require a two-year college degree.”
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Posters of professional athletes line the walls of Demeterius Wells’ bedroom.

His bulky textbooks from Indian River State College are stacked near his computer, and a bookshelf displays his Vero Beach High School diploma next to trophies he won on the track and field team.

His grandmother Patricia Chambers, who raised him after his mother died from ovarian cancer complications when he was 8, broke down in tears Sunday after describing the untimely death of her 18-year-old grandson early Saturday morning.

The Fort Pierce Police Department said Wells was shot several times on the 1300 block of North 31st Street in Fort Pierce at about 1:50 a.m. Saturday. Family members said he was dropping off a friend when the shooting occurred. (more…)

FORT PIERCE — Whether it’s for a local New York Mets game or the Super Bowl in Tampa, Indian River State College and the federal government are training security agents from across the country in national defense.

The college joined with the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Energy this week for a 3 1/2-day course at the college’s new Vernon Smith Public Safety Education Building at the Treasure Coast Public Safety Training Complex on Kirby Loop Road.

Thirty students in law enforcement, emergency management, public safety, and medical and fire rescue from the state and across the country searched for radioactive materials throughout the 50-acre complex on Thursday in what college officials hope to be the first of many national defense seminars.

They are being taught by 25 federal instructors, learning to prevent a catastrophic radiological or nuclear attack. Officials from small agencies, as well as those going to work the presidential inauguration next week and the Super Bowl on Feb. 1 are part of the group. No one from the Treasure Coast in the group are attending those events.

By Laurie K. Blandford, TCPalm.com