ST. LUCIE COUNTY — There are almost 360 sex offenders living within a mile of St. Lucie County public schools and there are about 135 sex offenders living within a mile of a Martin County public school.

And along the Treasure Coast, almost 670 sex offenders and predators legally live within a mile of local schools as of Oct. 29, a Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers analysis of Florida Department of Law Enforcement data shows. Expanding the search of the FDLE database almost doubles the number in some cases. (more…)

FORT PIERCE — The juvenile violent crime rate dropped by nearly 30 percent so far this year, Fort Pierce police said Tuesday.

Police attributed the decrease to some initiatives run by officers. The numbers also included a 17 percent drop in overall youth crime. (more…)

TREASURE COAST — Two Treasure Coast hospitals have made a national list of poorly performing health facilities near travel hot spots.

USA Today included Indian River and St. Lucie medical centers on a list of hospitals with greater-than-average mortality rates near vacation spots. The national newspaper used statistics from Hospital Compare, a government-run Web site, to look at the mortality rates for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia and singled out hospitals whose rates were worse than the national average.

Heart failure put Indian River Medical Center on USA Today’s list. St. Lucie Medical Center made the list with higher-than-average rates for heart failure and heart attack.
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Police Chief Sean Baldwin

In addition, over the last five years Fort Pierce has seen a 12 percent drop in overall crime, Baldwin announced in a news release circulated today. (more…)