FORT PIERCE — The parents of a student who was repeatedly molested in 2008 by a volunteer reader at Morningside Elementary are suing the convicted sex offender for civil battery and damages.

Anthony J. Tripoli, 69, is serving life in prison after being convicted of sexual battery on a child less than 12 by a perpetrator older than 18, and lewd or lascivious molestation.

The victim’s parents, listed in their negligence lawsuit as “R.H.” and “L.H,” also named as defendants the St. Lucie County School Board, Big Brothers Association of Florida and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties.
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VERO BEACH — New Orleans resident Lionel Sims broke a hole in his roof to be rescued from Hurricane Katrina’s devastating flood waters in August 2005, but he had to leave behind a best friend, his dog Peanut.

Rescuers said they couldn’t take the dog.

Sims didn’t know if Peanut was dead or alive for about two months, until an American Red Cross volunteer tracked it to the Humane Society of Indian River County and Vero Beach.

And the two were reunited.
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HOBE SOUND — Thirty-year-old fire station #32 in Hobe Sound will soon have a new 5,000-square-foot, hurricane-proof addition that will add eight dorm rooms and two bathrooms, enabling the station to finally separate male and female firefighters.

The $520,000 addition is being installed by Royal Concrete Concepts of West Palm Beach, which manufactures pre-engineered concrete building systems that arrive virtually complete on the construction site. Workers simply connect the utilities, add the flooring and other touches and the new wing is nearly ready for occupancy.

“It takes just one day to set the units up because they arrive on site from our Okeechobee manufacturing plant 95 percent complete,” said Jeff Wisinski, the company’s head of business development.
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STUART — To prevent another tragedy, like the Aug. 4 crash that killed three teenagers in Stuart, it’ll take prevention, awareness and parent involvement.

That’s what officials with Project Northland, a substance abuse prevention organization aimed at Martin County middle school students, believe could make the difference.

On Thursday, Project Northland’s parent action committee held its first meeting of the school year with about a half dozen parents. The group’s mission is to reduce underage drinking and other risky behaviors among local teens through community involvement and awareness. Thursday’s meeting was planned before the fatal crash that killed three teens. (more…)

STUART — More than a century ago, shipwrecked sailors who washed up on the Treasure Coast immediately looked for mile markers nailed to trees and posts to direct them to safety.

These markers were designed to be easily understood by men from every country and education level. Over time they were lost to history, but replicas are currently on display at the House of Refuge at Gilbert’s Bar. (more…)

STUART — Juveniles playing with fireworks caused the fire that did an estimated $80,000 in damage to The Crossings at Indian Run Apartments on Saturday, according to Frank Lasaga, community safety coordinator for the city of Stuart Fire/Rescue Department.

Lasaga said two juveniles were seen playing with fireworks at the point where the fire began.

“They have not been arrested but have been out into a program for juveniles who set fires,” he said. “They will learn about the dangers of fireworks, and their parents will be cautioned about allowing juveniles to use fireworks without supervision.”
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PORT ST. LUCIE — Put a kid on a bike on a race track sprinkled with jumps, lumps and bumps, and you’re likely to have one happy kid. Or teenager. Or adult, for that matter.

A new bicycle track for riders who love speeding through 1,000 feet of tricky obstacles is expected to open near Crosstown Parkway and Interstate 95 in Port St. Lucie in October. (more…)

PORT ST. LUCIE — The Port St. Lucie Police Department has a new weapon to use against criminals, and officers are asking residents to use it to protect themselves.

It’s an industrial-sized paper shredder, and the public is invited to the Civic Center from 10 a.m. to noon June 16 for the first Shred-a-Thon. Anyone can destroy sensitive documents for free.
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VERO BEACH — The private defense attorney for Indian River County Administrator Joe Baird said Thursday he plans to enter a not-guilty plea to the driving while intoxicated charge Baird was arrested on Saturday night in Vero Beach.

Baird was driving from a Youth Guidance Volunteer Program fundraiser near Wabasso and “many people who saw him there say they don’t believe he was impaired at all,” said attorney Bobby Guttridge. “They spoke with him and interacted with him.”

Vero Beach Police allege Baird was speeding — doing 43 mph in a 30 mph zone — in his private car and crossed a centerline before an officer stopped him at 10:26 p.m. on 21st Street, according to police reports.
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INDIANTOWN — Another 3,500 job applications were taken Saturday at Timer Powers Park in Indiantown on the last day of a two-day job fair to recruit workers for the Florida Power & Light Co. Solar Power facility in western Martin County.

In all, 8,000 applied for some 1,100 jobs the project is expected to bring to the area before construction closes at the end of next year.

“That’s a fair but maybe conservative number,” said John Dinger of Workforce Solutions, which collected the applications and will immediately begin pre-screening them.
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