The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Jonathan Dickinson State Park, 16450 Southeast Federal Highway in Hobe Sound, will conduct a prescribed burn on Wednesday, weather permitting.

The prescribed burn will consist of up to 450 acres of pine flatwoods in the area south of SE Kitchen Creek Road, along Kitching Creek.

Prescribed burning mimics natural fire cycles to restore healthy forests and natural communities, reduce undergrowth that accumulates over time and decreases the potential for wildfire. Burned lands experience an increase in native wildflowers, birds and other wildlife.

For more information, visit www.FloridaStateParks.org.

Post columnist Sally Swartz writes that Keith Kopp and his neighbors have been fighting with Martin County officials over problems with the Green River Parkway for a decade. They’ve chalked up an impressive list of victories, she notes,to make the road less harmful to the environment.

Sally Swartz

They badgered officials to keep promises to follow original plans to erect a wall that is an effective visual and sound barrier, to build it without gaps that pets or toddlers could crawl under and to keep it a reasonable distance from property lines.

Now, Sally continues, Mr. Kopp wants the county to abide by the 35 mph speed limit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ordered in its permit and Martin County commissioners approved.

But the county staff set the speed limit at 40 mph, which Mr. Kopp says is bad for animals trying to cross the road. Sally notes that he sent Martin County commissioners a photo of a dead raccoon, an example of the wildlife roadkill victims he often sees along the parkway.

You can read Sally’s full column here.

Post columnist Sally Swartz says that Stuart and Jupiter Island town commissions sent Martin County commissioners a powerful message at their joint meeting Tuesday.

Sally Swartz

Stand by the county’s growth plan, the two municipal commissions said, and today’s urban boundaries. To do that, Sally says, Martin must reject Hobe Grove, Harmony Ranch and other developments that could allow a city bigger than Stuart west of Hobe Sound.

Resolutions approved by Stuart and Jupiter Island thank Martin commissioners for sticking with the county growth plan, Sally reports, and urge them to continue to support the existing primary and secondary urban boundaries. The boundaries contain growth to areas in which the county already provides services.

You can read Sally’s full column here.

Post columnist Sally Swartz says a citrus family that wants to change Martin County’s growth plan to allow a city of more than 20,000 west of Hobe Sound has a dream. But this developer’s dream, she warns, is a cautionary tale for Stuart and Martin County.

Sally Swartz

Sally visited Viera, a 111-square-mile, sprawling development beside Interstate 95, that is the poster child for what sprawl does to established communities. She writes that it sucked the life out of Titusville, the Brevard County seat, and proposed developments in western Martin County could do the same there.

Since Viera started in 1990, Brevard County administration offices, the sheriff’s office, the courts, the school board offices, hospitals and medical offices all moved from Titusville to Viera. Many major businesses followed. Now Titusville struggles, despite a “renaissance” project to redevelop a dead mall.

You can read Sally’s full column here.

Palm Beach Post columnist Sally Swartz reports that on Tuesday more than 400 grieving friends and relatives joined a candlelight vigil at Hobe Sound Beach to celebrate the life of Jessica Smith.

Jessica Smith

Miss Smith died in a fiery head-on crash on U.S. 1 in Hobe Sound June 23, when her car collided with the car driven by David Whelan, 58, who was driving south in the northbound lane. Whelan, who also died, had 44 prior arrests on a variety of charges, including drunk driving, disorderly intoxication, cocaine possession, battery and, in January and April, driving on a suspended license.

Parents often tell teens life isn’t fair, the Rev. Craig Bridgers told the standing room only crowd at Aycock Funeral Home in Stuart. “But when it really isn’t fair it throws all of us for a loop…because of one person’s irresponsibility, all of you are dealing with the results.”

Read Sally’s full column here.

Post columnist Sally Swartz reports that Martin County residents are starting to hear a lot of promises about proposed western developments such as Canopus Sound, Hobe Grove and Harmony.

Sally Swartz

The developments will include beautiful homes, job centers, and new schools, including a university.

At least, that’s the pitch.

Photos of the proposals show peaceful scenes at Grassy Waters Preserve in Palm Beach County to illustrate the possible beauty of Hobe Grove’s environmental area, Sally writes. Spokesmen promise Hobe Grove won’t be complete until 2030 and no houses go up until jobs are in place.

It’s all so wonderful, it’s beyond belief. Really.

Because when residents start asking questions, the answers are in short supply. You can read Sally’s full column here.

It’s 17 months until the 2012 elections, but Post columnist Sally Swartz reports that races already are filling up for constitutional offices. And there’s one declared candidate and at least four others — not counting incumbents — considering a run for three county commission seats.

Sally Swartz

Those commission seats will be crucial. The commission now has a 3-2 majority that wants to change Martin’s careful growth policies. In the past, pro-environment factions have run competing candidates that split the green vote. There’s a chance that could happen again, Sally reports.
”
If controlled growth advocates can capture one more commission seat to win the majority,” Sally writes, “the county has a shot at keeping its ‘Enjoy Our Good Nature’ slogan a reality.

You can read Sally’s full column here.

Post Columnist Sally Swartz writes that even skeptics joined the cheering when they heard the news: American Energy Innovations promises to create 600 new $43,000-a-year jobs in Martin County within five years.

Sally Swartz

But then came information that the beneficiary of all the county and state money has a son on the BDB.

American Custom Yachts President Dominick LaCombe began negotiating with Martin’s BDB a year ago. His son, Dominick LaCombe Jr., operations manager for another subsidiary company at the yacht firm’s Stuart address, joined the BDB board of directors in December.

So did Junior seek a spot on the BDB? Did he talk to his dad about the BDB’s plans? Or the big incentives available from the county and state? Did he influence the board to pursue his father’s firm?
No, no, no and no. Apparently not. Well, probably not. And, even if he did, how much do we care, with all those wonderful jobs, jobs, jobs in the offing?

Read Sally’s full column here.

Detectives from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division are continuing their investigation into a shooting from Wednesday night in the Banner Lake area of Hobe Sound.

The victim, identifed as 19-year-old David Harris, was shot in the back and transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach with life-threatening injuries. The suspects are identified as Elliot C. Ingvalson, 22, of Port St. Lucie and 17-year-old Glen Francis Theobald, sheriff’s spokeswoman Rhonda Irons said in a news release.

According to the release, Ingvalson and Theobald told detectives that they traveled to the Banner Lake area to meet with Harris and conduct a marijuana sale. They stated that Harris tried to rob them of the marijuana, shot at them first, and that Ingvalson, out of fear for his safety, fired back. They also said that another man was present during the altercation.

But detectives could not locate any evidence to support their claim of multiple shots being fired or the the presence of any other individuals, the release stated.

Ingvalson remains in custody at the Martin County Jail with a bond amount of $35,000. He is charged with possession of cannabis with intent to distribute, carrying a concealed firearm and aggravated battery with a firearm.

Theobald was processed at the Martin County Jail and then transferred to the custody of the Deparment of Juvenile Justice. He is charged with possession of cannaibis with intent to distribute and aggravated battery with a firearm.

Two men are in custody after a shooting that left one person in critical condition this evening, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said.

The shooting occurred shortly before 6 p.m. in the Banner Lake area of Hobe Sound, sheriff’s spokeswoman Rhonda Irons said in a news release. Deputies responded to the area adjacent to the park on Lantana Avenue and found a 19-year-old man with a single gunshot wound to the back. Martin County Fire Rescue transported the shooting victim to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach with life threatening injuries.

Witnesses reported that an altercation occurred between the victim and two other men. The two suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction of travel, but a vehicle matching the description provided by witnesses was located and stopped moments later on northbound Interstate 95.

The suspects were taken into custody without incident and are currently being interviewed by detectives. The shooting is believed to be narcotics-related and charges are pending, Irons said.