VERO BEACH — A 25-year-old New York woman faces seven driving-related charges, including child endangerment, after eluding law enforcement at high speeds for 10 miles on Interstate 95 early Tuesday afternoon, reports show.

Maria “Zion Christ” Roberts drove her white van in excess of 110 mph from northern St. Lucie County to Indian River County while going in and out of traffic and attempting U-turns.

Four miles south of Sebastian she crossed the median and sped north in the southbound lanes for several miles before sheriff’s deputies finally were able to puncture one of her tires and the car slammed into a guardrail.
(more…)

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon announced Wednesday he will retire Sept. 30 and ask the school board to re-appoint him to the same job 30 days later.

Lannon said the move is designed to both give him one month to deal with “personal family matters” and to collect between $100,000 and $125,000 in sick leave and vacation time accrued since he began working at the district.

School Board Chairwoman Judi Miller said the sum was already on the district’s books as being owed to Lannon and would not add or subtract anything from school coffers. That amount would be paid out whenever Lannon retires unless he used the sick and/or vacation time before he retires.

Lannon said if his health is good and the board chooses to re-hire him and keep him as superintendent he could see himself working another five to seven years.

Lannon will not enter the Deferred Retirement Option Program that allows a state employee to retire, return to work one month later and collect both salary and pension. Lannon, 63, said he missed that window of opportunity for that program when he moved from Monroe County to St. Lucie County in 2003.

Deputy Superintendent Sandra Wolfe will be interim superintendent during Lannon’s absence, if school board members approve Lannon’s request at their Sept. 22 meeting.

Lannon said Wolfe would not receive any extra pay for her work as interim superintendent.

“It is my desire that this be a short-lived retirement,” Lannon wrote Miller in a letter dated Monday. “I petition you to consider re-appointing me as the district school superintendent effective Nov. 1, 2009.”

Lannon, whose annual salary was last reported at about $191,000, said he individually informed school board members beginning Monday. He also spoke with representatives of the St. Lucie County Classroom Teachers Association/Classified Unit, the union for county teachers and clerical workers, before contacting media Wednesday.

Lannon cannot be in communication with school district officials during his month-long retirement.

October was chosen because it is the month that usually has the least work, he said.

Vicki Rodriguez, union vice president, said she knows of teachers who have retired from the school system and were later rehired, much as Lannon is proposing.

Wolfe returned to work as district deputy superintendent after retiring for several months earlier this year under the state’s deferred retirement program, and Lannon said about three dozen other school district workers have similarly retired and been rehired.

Miller declined to say whether she would support Lannon’s request to be rehired, but the board gave Lannon a positive performance review several months ago.

“I believe (St. Lucie County schools) are on the right track at this time,” Miller said.

School board member Carol Hilson said Lannon’s request was a “personal choice” and said the matter would be discussed at the next board meeting.

“I’m very pleased that he’s not retiring and leaving us,” Hilson said.

Board member Kathryn Hensley said what Lannon proposes is “totally within the law.” She referred to Indian River State College President Edwin Massey’s brief retirement and rehiring in summer 2008, so did Lannon’s letter to Miller.

Lannon said the school board would not be obligated to advertise for other superintendent candidates when he retires for the 30 days, the minimum time allowed by state law.

“If they want to go on a search, they can,” he said. “If they say they feel comfortable with the candidate they have now, they can make that decision.”

By James Kirley, TCPalm.com

PORT ST. LUCIE - In a turnabout decision, the City Council Monday night gave an initial 4-1 vote to increase the property tax rate by 11 percent.

The council also unanimously approved a 2009-2010 revised total budget of $430 million.

A final vote on the property tax rate and budget is scheduled for a 7 p.m. Sept. 28 public hearing at City Hall.

Last week, the council made a last-ditch effort to avoid an earlier proposed 26 percent property tax increase and held a special meeting to discuss using half of the city’s general fund reserves to help offset a more than $18 million deficit in the general fund.
(more…)

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).”
(more…)

PORT ST. LUCIE — City property owners may be able to avoid a proposed 26 percent increase in their property taxes.

During a special meeting Wednesday, the City Council unanimously agreed to use half of the city’s general fund reserves to keep the property tax rate at its current rate of $4.22 per $1,000 of taxable value. The council will formally vote on setting the property tax rate during scheduled 7 p.m. public hearings Sept. 14 and Sept. 28 at City Hall.

Using the city’s median home price of $112,000 with a $50,000 homestead exemption, an average city property tax bill using the current rate would be $261, excluding taxes from other agencies, such as the school and fire districts.
(more…)

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.
(more…)

PORT ST. LUCIE — Offering the unions a “final” opportunity to save eight police officer jobs and avoid other layoffs, the city agreed to guarantee no layoffs next year in exchange for a wage freeze.

But the Coastal Florida Public Employees Association, which represents the city’s civilian employees, voted Monday night to reject the city’s offer, said union acting Executive Director Johnny Bingham. The city’s other two unions, the Florida Police Benevolent Association, which represents lieutenants and sergeants, and the International Union of Police Associations, which represents police officers, have not come to an agreement.

Bingham said the Police Benevolent Association, which he also directs, was sending a letter to the city Wednesday advising officials they are interested in coming back to the table to negotiate.
(more…)

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — A Tallahassee law firm has put the school district on notice that it will be taken to court if it doesn’t promptly produce public records first requested in June about a contract with a computer software company.

Attorneys Edwin Bayo and Bill Furlow declined to say who they represent in their attempt to get documents and e-mails between St. Lucie County schools and Skyward Inc., a Stevens Point, Wis.-based supplier of school administrative software. The district began seeking a contractor in 2007 and Skyward’s software came online this summer. (more…)

PORT ST. LUCIE — The City Council Monday night unanimously agreed to move forward with purchasing 15 acres from Tradition Outlet LLC for $10 million, a move that puts up half the state’s contribution to help a Hollywood executive set up a digital production studio.

The studio could create up to 500 jobs and bring Florida State University’s Film Studies program to the Treasure Coast.

The package includes the local governments building a 150,000-square-foot studio for Hobe Sound-based Wyndcrest Holdings, a private investment firm focused on entertainment and Internet technology headed by Jupiter Island resident John Textor.
(more…)

Though the summer brought tough budget cuts to Treasure Coast schools, a push into the digital age and environmental consciousness will be top priorities for the school year that begins today as thousands of students head back to classrooms.

St. Lucie County school officials closed Port St. Lucie Elementary and Southbend K-8 School, both in Port St. Lucie, at the end of the last school year and eliminated middle school and junior varsity sports districtwide.

Martin County also made cuts in sports and tightened individual school budgets for expenses like field trips and school supplies, but the fact that two schools this year became Title I schools also brought extra federal money to the district.

Martin Schools Superintendent Nancy Kline on Friday said this year will be the first for the Martin Virtual School, which will provide online instruction to students at all grade levels.

“It’s particularly helpful for students who will have to take extended absences from school, though virtual schools in general are becoming more and more popular,” Kline said.

Some students in St. Lucie County will get a taste of the high-tech at two new charter schools — The Nau Charter School and Renaissance Charter School, both in Port St. Lucie.
Renaissance Principal Eric Lewis said teachers at the new school spent the last few weeks reviewing curriculum and learning how to navigate around high-tech classrooms inside the $10 million building, which will include five laptop computers in each classroom.

“We used to think of the average classroom supplies in terms of papers and pencils, or glue and glitter, but now there are so many other tools at our disposal,” Lewis said.

And though the St. Lucie County school officials made significant cuts to the district’s after-school programs, some administrators still found ways for expansion.

Leaders at Village Green Elementary, for example, responded to news that their after-school environmental program would be cut with plans to integrate the program into their day-to-day curriculum. They unveiled plans for the school’s Global Environmental Studies Center magnet in June, a plan St. Lucie Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon said will actually save the district money.

“What they’ve been able to do is remarkable,” Lannon said.

DETAILS BY COUNTY
St. Lucie
Charters: Two new charter schools, The Nau Charter and Renaissance Charter, open today.
Sports: Budget cuts mean no junior varsity or middle school athletics unless the schools are able to pay for them.
Transportation: Transportation hotline is 772-340-4849. The phones will be manned from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, with bilingual staff available. Transportation to magnet schools will be more limited this year, with fewer stops.
Supplies: Supply lists for individual schools, open house schedules and sports release forms are available online.
For more information, visit www.stlucie.k12.fl.us

Martin
Funding: Though school officials had to make cuts, the naming of two schools as Title I schools brought extra funding to the district.
Virtual School: Students for the first time will be able to receive instruction online through the Martin Virtual School. Eligible students had until August 12 to enroll.
Academics: Academically advanced middle school students in Martin this year will have more opportunities to take high school courses like Geometry, Integrated Science and Algebra. The 8th grade academic intervention program, which last school year helped 148 students in danger of failing pass through to the 9th grade, will be expanded to also target 6th and 7th graders.
Transportation: For transportation questions, call: 772-219-1287
For more information, visit www.sbmc.org.