— Fort Pierce police are investigating a shooting near South 25th Street and Orange Avenue Police say one person was transported to a local hospital They say this was an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public Fort Pierce has no immediate plans to add any more free public parking on South Beach the proposed Boardwalk on the Inlet development could eliminate 200 of the roughly 380 free public parking spaces in the heavily touristed Jetty Park area “A lot of people have said parking is atrocious,” said Jennifer Cranwell manager of the Island Beach Bar & Restaurant which moved to Jetty Park in December after three years in the Ocean Village neighborhood at the other end of the beach “That is the feedback we received when we moved to Jetty Park.” whose heard a lot of complaints about traffic from his South Beach constituents vowed to lobby for more parking as Boardwalk on the Inlet goes through the city's approval process The latest application proposes two hotels restaurants and an event center — but that could change “I'm going to be pushing for more public parking on that property because we can always use more parking,” Taylor said “But it's kind of a double-edged sword because it takes up a lot of property Boardwalk on the InletSandy Woods who owns Lexus and Toyota dealerships on the Treasure Coast plans to develop his prime waterfront property overlooking the Fort Pierce Inlet between the Manatee Island Bar and Grill and the Square Grouper Tiki Bar He currently leases that vacant lot to the city for a free which provides one-third of the roughly 600 free public parking spaces on all of South Hutchinson Island within the city limits Woods said his development would help the city with its South Beach parking shortage and touted it would have 230 more public parking spaces than the city would require But he since has cut that by 145 spaces to 109 he's now proposing 855 spaces spread over two garages Its unclear whether the 109 "surplus" spaces — defined as “general use public spaces available for the community at large” — will be free or paid and whether there will be enough private parking so the residents and visitors to the hotel restaurants and event center don't take up the public parking “I think that's something that would be negotiated that if you are going to provide these parking spots Woods' latest proposal for Boardwalk on the Inlet envisions a: so there's still going to be a lot of negotiating a lot of changes that will come down the road," Taylor said "The way the application is now may not be what it looks like in a few months and once it gets in front of the City Commission.” The city owns three free parking lots with about 180 spaces in the Jetty Park area in addition to about a dozen on-street parking spaces along Binney Drive and Hernando Street: 48 spaces in a dirt lot that doesn't have lines east of Square Grouper77 paved and lined spaces in the Jetty Park loop including seven on-street spaces across from a bar and three restaurants that are limited to two hours but Hurricane Grill & Wings and Island Burger & Shake don't The Island Beach Bar & Restaurant has a private parking lot for customers and employees across the street at the corner of Binney and South Ocean drives.56 spaces in a dirt lot that doesn't have lines on St across from an unnamed path to the beach.A 55-space Asta private parking lot on the corner of Seaway and South Ocean drives costs $10 for up to four hours $15 for up to eight hours and $20 for 24 hours Fun things to do: Best activities and attractions on the Treasure Coast All things food: Roundups of the latest reviews, inspections, new and best restaurants the city owns lots with another 199 spaces: The city maintains two parks with 127 spaces which the Florida Department of Environment Protection owns: 65 in the South Beach Park65 in the Kimberly Bergalis ParkPlus 39 on-street in front of Surfside and Kimberly Bergalis Park the city owns the lot with 55 spaces at South Causeway Park It remains to be seen how the city's proposed paid parking pilot program would affect parking shortages The city is still debating whether to hire PCI Municipal Services to operate paid parking at the Jetty, Jaycee and South Causeway Park lots to generate revenue for park maintenance. The City Commission proposed waiving parking fees for Fort Pierce city and St. Lucie County residents but then discovered a problem with that plan The city could lose federal funding for beach renourishment because the grant requires equal access to beaches Cheryl Smith is TCPalm's enterprise editor. Contact her at cheryl.smith@tcpalm.com. Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's watchdog reporter for St Lucie County Sheriff's Office is investigating a shooting near Edwards Road and South 23rd Street in Fort Pierce that left one person dead The sheriff's office identified the victim as Edson Sainnatus WATCH: Witness recounts moments after shooting Sheriff Richard Del Toro said Wednesday that two vehicles He said video of the incident shows the two vehicles pulling up just south of Edwards Road and 23rd Street and people getting out and exchanging gunfire The smaller vehicle then took off while being shot at Two people fled the scene — one person on foot and one person in a vehicle Five people were taken into custody during the incident Del Toro said a nearby residence is also part of the investigation and that the victim had a prior incident with a person involved in today's shooting Edwards Road has been shut down between 25th Street and Sunrise Boulevard WPTV's Zitlali Solache spoke with neighbors who live near the scene “When I saw the police going down with their K9 dog “With the noise of the helicopter outside for two to three hours and they said no schools in the area were on lockdown The investigation is ongoing and people are urged to avoid the area WATCH: Resident waited at gas station for two hours during active crime scene This is a developing news story and will be updated begin an emergency beach nourishment project at Jetty Park The project will add roughly 95,000 cubic yards of sand just south of the jetty from a pre-approved upland sand mine to protect Jetty Park and adjacent infrastructure from the upcoming 2025 hurricane season The emergency nourishment project will include placing and grading 95,000 cubic yards (roughly 133,000 tons) of sand within the first 2,000 linear feet of beach south of Fort Pierce Inlet This effort will help mitigate erosion and fortify this vulnerable segment of beach until the next federal nourishment event can be pursued (currently scheduled for winter 2025/spring 2026) Daily news and in-depth stories in your inbox (CBS12) — A crash involving multiple vehicles and a structure in Fort Pierce resulted in the hospitalization of three people on Monday morning The Fort Pierce Police Department (FPPD) said that the crash happened at 10:15 a.m prompting both north and southbound lanes to be shut down temporarily Three individuals were transported to a local hospital for treatment following the incident See also: Gas hasn't been this cheap since 2023 crews were quick to secure the affected building the building was cleared and handed back to its owner Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day's top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can't miss video City commissioners Monday gave the go-ahead for a contract with PCI Municipal Services to implement paid parking systems at Jaycee The money raised would be used to maintain the three parks it could expand to other areas or be scrapped the city was looking into paid parking downtown but that plan was abandoned and the beachside parks became the focus While the city had previously pledged not to charge Fort Pierce residents an issue was raised by county officials late last year The county agreed to receive beach nourishment funds from the federal government in 1998 for Jetty Park but with assurances that all people would have equal access to the beaches County officials worried charging non-residents for parking at Jetty Park while keeping it free for locals could put that funding at risk That left commissioners with a few choices on Monday They could either exclude Jetty Park from the pilot program or charge residents The consensus was to charge for parking at all three parks but offer an annual pass making it less expensive for anyone who regularly parks there "The contract is 99% done," city Director of Community Response Peggy Arraiz told commissioners Monday The decisions made Monday were the last parts left to finalize Parking prices are not set in stone until the contract is finalized but revenue estimates by PCI and the city — based on charging $3 per hour $20 per day and $60 annually at all three parks — would generate about $900,000 annually with about $585,000 going to the city and the rest to PCI Payment would be accepted either at a kiosk or by mobile phone which would allow parking time to be extended without having to return to a kiosk Fort Pierce currently spends about $303,000 maintaining the parks but Commissioner Michael Broderick has said that level of maintenance is insufficient and costly capital improvements are necessary "We're not generating one penny of revenue to offset our costs that we are experiencing on a daily basis," Broderick said Monday "Our general fund cannot continue to underwrite persons outside of our community using our assets for free." Mayor Linda Hudson pushed back on some of the criticism the city has received about plans to charge for parking In addition to the need for park maintenance paid parking would increase turnover in the limited number of parking spots on South Hutchinson Island Lots of people don't know the reasoning behind paid parking More: After saying they wouldn't, Fort Pierce says locals may pay for parking due to grant issue More: Will Boardwalk on the Inlet make Fort Pierce South Beach parking better or worse? "This is very unpopular out there in the community," Hudson said "It's still going to be an unpopular program .. The people don't want to pay for something that they've always gotten for free .. We need a communications plan with the press and with key people." Commissioner Arnold Gaines said he understands why residents do not like the idea of paying to park and said he still supports creating a type of parking permit just for St "They don't want to pay every time they go to the beach to park at their own park where they're already paying taxes and everything else The commission did not vote on the plan Monday With a majority supporting charging at the three parks with an annual pass which will then come before the commission for a vote at a later date Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com (CBS12) — Jetty Park in Fort Pierce has long been a popular place for locals to go fish or take in the beautiful views of the ocean Lucie County leaders are taking steps to protect it from erosion and Beaches Department will add roughly 133,000 tons of sand just south of the jetty The goal is to protect the park from erosion and fortify it by the start of the upcoming hurricane season in three months All that sand is headed to the first 2,000 feet of beach It'll help with erosion until the next federal nourishment project That's scheduled for either this Winter or next Spring Segments of the beach and A1A could temporarily be closed during construction Officials are encouraging you to stay clear of any active construction and report any issues You can expect construction Monday through Friday from 7 A.M Access to the south jetty and Jetty Park will remain open through the course of this project Audree Lezniewicz has been bringing her children to this stretch of sand at South Causeway Park in Fort Pierce And it hasn’t cost her anything to park at the park But the "Free Parking" signs around certain parts of the city may not be truth tellers much longer city commissioners discussed a pilot plan involving paid parking at three popular city parks: South Causeway Park A private company would be responsible for running the program it would cost $3 an hour with a maximum of $20 a day to park Based on revenue sharing, the city could take in anywhere from $270,000 to $320,000 annually. Initial discussions would give city residents, but not county residents Commissioner Michael Broderick said the city’s current budget issues require finding other sources of revenue including from people who don’t pay taxes in the city “The motivation here is to charge non-residents for the use of our facilities," said Broderick Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson said he didn’t want this to be seen as a money-maker but rather a way to pay for the existing cost of park upkeep Other issues to be worked out include how many hours the contracted park ambassadors would be on duty Would businesses owners or employees get free parking stickers Lezniewicz doesn’t fall in any of those categories “Now you’re going to charge for me to have a little peace and quiet on the beach which could take effect by the end of the year Lucie County is seeking emergency state and federal help to address rapid beach erosion in the Jetty Park area Large escarpments — cliff-like drop-offs on the beach created by erosion — have formed in that area A potential emergency renourishment project could be needed county spokesperson Erick Gill said Friday which could involve funding from the state or federal governments or also direct involvement of the U.S "Staff has been reaching out to the Army Corps about this issue," Gill said in an email Friday The County Commission could take up the issue in one of its meetings next month it would not be added to Tuesday's meeting Beach erosion has been common across the Treasure Coast in recent years In an interview in December 2023 Inlet & Beaches Joshua Revord explained erosion tends to happen on a natural cycle Storms in the winter months pull sand from the beach into near-shore waters but most of those sands return to the beaches by the summer in time to provide protection against storm surge associated with hurricanes and tropical storms “It more or less sacrifices a portion of itself to help reduce the wave energy potential on the shoreline those smaller wavelengths end up pushing that material back on shore over time It has a righting mechanism to a certain extent,” Revord said last winter a bit less sand is brought back to the beach “That can only happen so long before you run out of available sand to provide the protection and that's when we come in to do a refurbishment project,” Revord said More: Weekend storm brings erosion; damage assessments coming later this week (CBS12) — Dozens of people gathered in Fort Pierce on Friday and Saturday evening to protest against Trump's orders on mass deportation The crowd gathered on the corner of Virginia Ave waving flags from all over Central America and Mexico as passing motorists honked their horns and waved in support "I'm here to protest for my family I have family that are immigrants but they're not bad immigrants," said peaceful protester Lizaldo De La Rosa "They are helpful immigrants who are here to help my country Protests like the one in Fort Pierce have been popping up nationwide in response to Trump's immigration policies making sure the protest was safe and peaceful A Treasure Coast live web camera is trained directly on the point on the horizon where the sun is currently rising The Fort Pierce jetty cam faces east to show the Fort Pierce Inlet entrance the beach in front of the dogleg jetty and the sunrise — as long as a cloud bank isn't obscuring it Here's what you need to know about watching the sunrise, local beach cams and other live cams that show some of the Treasure Coast's prettiest views of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian River Lagoon and St After that, the sun will rise roughly 1 minute earlier each day until June 2, when it will rise at 6:25 a.m. Then it will get later more gradually until Nov. 2, when Daylight Saving Time ends and the sunrise will be at 6:32 a.m., according to timeanddate.com. Then the cycle starts over again the sky graduates from jet black to stunning hues of orange and purple That's because the atmosphere scatters the coming sunlight's shorter wavelengths The sun also rises in a slightly different place along the horizon every day — inching one degree either north or south it moves a tiny bit farther north each day when it rises as far north as it ever does it moves a tiny bit farther south until the winter solstice (Dec when it rises as far south as it ever does That's all because of the Earth's orbit and gyroscope-like axial tilt The location also depends on where you are The greater your latitude and the closer in time you are to one of the solstices compared to 24 in Key West and 30 in Jacksonville Florida live beach cams and other webcamsThese live cameras don't currently show the sunrise you may have to refresh your screen or clear your cache and cookies Cheryl Smith is TCPalm's entertainment editor FORT PIERCE — A longstanding source of county beach nourishment funds appears to have thrown a wrench into plans to charge out-of-towners for parking at certain city parks When the possibility of charging for parking at Jaycee Jetty and South Causeway parks — with revenues earmarked for park maintenance — was first discussed last year "We need the extra revenue in order to keep these parks in good shape," Mayor Linda Hudson said Monday as the city began contract negotiations with PCI Municipal Services to run the pilot program which could later be expanded to other areas including downtown Lucie County officials began to raise concerns about the beach-nourishment grant City Attorney Sarah Hedges told city commissioners Monday County made deal with the feds in 1998Documents show the county agreed to receive nourishment funds from the federal government in 1998 County officials worry that charging non-residents for parking while keeping it free for locals could put that funding at risk The language applies to Jetty Park and possibly parts of South Causeway Park Fort Pierce could move forward with its plans Commissioners indicated they were unlikely to take that path the city could charge residents and non-residents equally for parking available to everyone but targeted towards residents The third option would be some mix of the two The county grant issue doesn't apply to Jaycee Park so those areas could remain free for locals since the city is awaiting more information from the county and as negotiations with PCI are still ongoing it seems paid parking for residents is now very much on the table "I was against charging residents from Day One on this program but it appears we have no other choice," Commissioner Michael Broderick said Monday Revenue needed to maintain parksCommissioners and Hudson emphasized the necessity for the revenue that would come from paid parking Broderick called the conditions at Jaycee Park "hazardous," adding that he walks through the park multiple times a week also called to attention the state of the bathrooms at Jetty Park "The restrooms at Jetty Park are just an abomination More: Millions spent each year repairing beaches, only to have storms, erosion hit them again More: A Cold War-era bomb shelter in Fort Pierce has new owners. What's going on there? Details of hourly and daily parking rates are still being finalized as the city negotiates with PCI but the current recommendation is for $3 per hour with a maximum daily fee of $20 Commissioner Arnold Gaines pointed out that initial calculations showed the program would not raise enough revenue to fund the necessary maintenance but city staff said the newly realized requirement to charge locals might make up for that gap The largest warehouse in South Florida was destroyed Oct 9 by an EF3 tornado spawned by Hurricane Milton The 1.1 million-square-foot South Florida Logistics Center 95 built on 103 acres at Orange Avenue and Kings Highway in western St was projected to generate nearly 900 new jobs will demolish the warehouse as a safety measure The warehouse was vacant when it was demolished by a tornado that traveled at least 21 miles from Fort Pierce to Vero Beach The tornado touched down on Midway Road in St Lucie County and presumably went out to sea just south of the Tracking Station Beachfront State Park in Indian River County Warehouse boom: Do jobs, taxes, economic diversity outweigh roads, traffic, environment? F3 tornado: Path from Fort Pierce to Vero Beach was at least 21 miles Stonemont started building the warehouse in May 2022 Stonemont expected the warehouse to be operational by early 2023 It's unclear when construction was completed a Miami cruise industry companyStonemont announced Sept 25 it had sold a smaller warehouse on the same property to the Apollo Group in Miami which "hopes to expand its operations and client reach in Florida," Stonemont's website says The 245,000-square-foot warehouse was not damaged in the tornado It's unclear how the Apollo Group will use the warehouse as TCPalm could not reach a representative Thursday The company "provides both goods and services for many facets within the cruise industry," said Chris Spear of ComReal “This facility will serve as an opportunity for our customer to quickly traverse across South Florida get their product out of Florida without having to deal with traffic in the tri-county area and it will provide additional warehouse space without paying Miami-Dade County rates.” Cheryl Smith is an enterprise editor at TCPalm You can reach her at cheryl.smith@tcpalm.com (NOTE: This editorial has been updated to correct a reference to Jason in the "Friday the 13th" movies.) Fort Pierce city officials have spent months discussing the possibility of charging fees to people who park at local beaches the city's marketing and communications manager a private vendor has recommended charging motorists $3 per hour the city would adopt a fee structure later this spring then evaluate its effectiveness during a three-year trial period Ballard said the City Commission is scheduled to have a follow-up discussion March 10 commissioners could decide to move forward with implementation of the parking plan Here's the good news: They don't have to do that They could decide to just scrap the whole idea and leave beach parking as one of those rare pleasures in life that's free There's a long tradition of Treasure Coast communities offering beach access If Fort Pierce wants to become a trendsetter in that regard it's easy to predict some beachgoers will head north or south to avoid paying the fees That would mean less money for Hutchinson Island businesses which depend on those beachgoers for sales Ballard said estimates show charging for beach parking could generate $330,000 to $900,000 annually It wouldn't be worth the lost revenues at beachside businesses or the lost goodwill among city residents and visitors alike city officials were considering charging different fees to residents and nonresidents until they realized it could impact their ability to qualify for beach improvement grants They seem — more on that in a minute — to have backed away from that idea But even charging everyone the same rate is a bad idea it's difficult to sell a product when the same or a comparable product is available for free Fort Pierce's loss will be Vero Beach's gain Any Treasure Coast community that tries to charge fees will be at a competitive disadvantage with its neighbors like Jason in the "Friday the 13th" movies this idea of charging for parking never seems to die in Fort Pierce In 2021, the city talked about charging fees for parking downtown as well as at local beaches  Walker Consultants — a Tampa firm that initially proposed a paid parking program here in 2016 — recommended the city designate nearly 700 downtown spaces as paid parking rates would be set to encourage turnover so typically 15% of spaces would be always available The $2 premium hourly rate was recommended for on-street the consultant recommended visitors to Jetty Park South Causeway Park and South Beach Park could be paying $5 to $10 per day for spots but those recommendations didn't go anywhere a couple of years ago Now they are back again in a different form with another vendor poised to make money off a plan the city doesn't need Fort Pierce commissioners should wait until they have selected a new city manager then the new hire ought to have a chance to evaluate the issue with fresh eyes That doesn't mean just waiting to pull the trigger on the three-year pilot program that's been under discussion with the first question being: What goals would the city hope to accomplish by implementing this program The second question should be: What are the potential negative consequences of adopting a paid parking program — and do they outweigh the benefits Without clearly explaining why paid beach parking is necessary this looks like a money grab that will allow some private vendor to make money at taxpayers' (and tourists') expense It's not too late for the city to do the right thing that means keeping the status quo in place Editorials published by TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers are decided collectively by its editorial board. To respond to this editorial with a letter to the editor, email up to 300 words to TCNLetters@TCPalm.com (This story was updated to add new information.) A historic winter storm hit Florida on Tuesday as areas of the Panhandle experienced snowfall The Treasure Coast, on the other hand, missed out on snow and is expected to experience milder temperatures over the next few days, according to AccuWeather high temperatures will remain in the mid and high 60s and dip as low as 37 degrees Vero Beach can expect highs up to 70 degrees and lows down to 39 degrees But the Treasure Coast has seen snow at least three times in recorded history: two Arctic blasts swept through Florida from Jan bringing the coldest temperatures and unprecedented snowfall as far south as Homestead on Jan 19 — a first in South Florida recorded history The temperature dropped to 23 degrees in Vero Beach Official weather stations across the state documented the rare event and reports of snow mixed with rain even came from Freeport in the Bahamas Florida's average temperature that month was 49.7 degrees according to the Florida Climate Center in Tallahassee While Florida had experienced snow on rare occasions before and after 1977 — most often “snow flurries” and “light sleets of snow” reported in Jacksonville as far back as 1765 — snow in South Florida was described as once in a lifetime according to the National Climatic Data Center and the Old Farmer’s Almanac annual calendar keeping record of significant data in the country since 1792: 30.9 degrees: Minimum temperature37.4 degrees: Mean temperature55.9 degrees: Maximum temperature0.08 inches: Rain and/or melted snow1977 snowfall: Video shows newspaper clippings of event 40 year anniversary: Treasure Coast residents recall snowfall The only other comparable date to match that temperature occurred in January 1981 with an average temperature of 49.5 degrees in Florida temperatures have shown a slight increase each year A rare alignment of cold air and precipitation made South Florida’s snowfall a historic event: powered by high pressure over the Mississippi Valley Temperatures dropped into the teens and 20s in northern and central Florida A band of clouds and precipitation followed the front with Tampa recording 0.20 inches of snow and Plant City up to 2 inches snow was reported in West Palm Beach and continued southward snow flurries were observed in Broward and Miami-Dade counties While Miami International Airport didn’t officially record snow Why didn’t the snow melt?The freezing level on Jan 19 was unusually low — only 1,500 feet above sea level This allowed snow to reach the ground despite air temperatures slightly above freezing an Arctic cold front swept into South Florida triggering a prolonged stretch of record-breaking low temperatures Moore Haven and West Palm Beach experienced their coldest 12-day period ever recorded while Fort Lauderdale and Miami also saw near-record lows There were unverified reports of sleet and snow in some areas Florida temperatures plummeted to their lowest since 1989 after a day of rain and temperatures ranging from the 30s to 40s Melbourne and Vero Beach saw a record-setting average temperature of 58 degrees from January through March It dropped to  59.5 in 1958 and down to  59.8 in 1978 the Treasure Coast saw six nights with temperatures below freezing with the coldest recorded at 25 degrees on Jan 12 — followed by a prolonged cold period in February and March when temperatures remained 10-15 degrees lower than usual Rachelle Barrett is TCPalm's general assignment reporter Contact her at rachelle.barrett@tcpalm.com LUCIE COUNTY − A 55-year-old Fort Pierce man died Friday following a traffic crash in the area of Orange Avenue and South Jenkins Road at the southwest corner of the intersection after a vehicle entered a pond and submerged The location is just east of Interstate 95 the crash occurred as a 1997 Honda Accord traveled north on South Jenkins Road approaching Orange Avenue The Honda traveled northwest across the southbound lane before hitting a curb on the west shoulder The vehicle proceeded northwest “as it rotated in a counter-clockwise orientation across the parking lot of a business” before entering a pond and submerging The 55-year-old driver was taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce where he died Bolonka said the sheriff's dive team came to the scene to assist in the case The FHP stated the incident remains under investigation No other information was immediately available Friday afternoon (This story was updated with new information.) Where is 18-year-old man's family: County uses 'last resort' in trying to find family of 18-year-old dead after car crash 'Essential role with us:' Fort Pierce Police get new chaplains Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com The path of the deadly EF3 tornado on the Treasure Coast continues to grow The tornado stayed on the ground for at least 21 miles in a nearly continuous path through northern St Lucie County and southeast Indian River County according to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service in Melbourne That path could grow even more to the south with more surveying but it updated the path Sunday night after assessing more damage to homes in the Bethel Creek neighborhood near Jaycee Park in Vero Beach NWS officials continue daily surveys of the damage from an historic outbreak of tornadoes on the Treasure Coast Wednesday from Hurricane Milton They started with the worst tornado that killed at least six people in the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village Martin County: F2 tornado, F1 tornado both confirmed That tornado was described as “an unusually strong long-tracked tornado” with widespread EF1 to EF2 damage and periodic EF3 damage It was rated an EF2 tornado when it hit Spanish Lakes Country Club Village The deadly tornado started south of Midway Road just west of the Interstate 95 interchange the tornado damaged structures in the Creekside subdivision on Okeechobee Road Many mobile and manufactured homes within the nearby Sunnier Palms Nudist Park and Campground had major damage or were destroyed It continued north-northeast over rural portions of St where it strengthened to an EF3 tornado with peak winds up to 155 mph Two large warehouses at the South Florida Logistics Center 95 on Orange Avenue had major damage with more than half of the structure collapsed The tornado then traveled north through rural areas near Kings Highway resulting in occasional significant structural damage and numerous downed trees and power lines EF3 tornado damage occurred one final time at Southern Truss Co where more than half of a steel-metal building collapsed The tornado intersected subdivisions in the northern part of St where multiple single-family homes in Holiday Pines and Portofino Shores with peak winds estimated between 110 mph and 125 mph The most prolific and extensive damage was in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village Many mobile and manufactured homes were destroyed along the western edge of the community where the tornado produced high-end EF2 winds between 125 mph and 135 mph An initial survey showed more than 20 homes were tossed Despite the extensive damage to the manufactured homes nearly all concrete-block structures in the community had relatively minor or moderate damage the tornado moved into Indian River County multiple properties had roof and outbuilding damage and healthy hardwood trees either were toppled or snapped along a few blocks along Sixth Avenue Southwest the Publix Super Market at South Vero Square had broken windows Roof air-conditioning units were dislodged and fell to the ground The damage was consistent with EF1 winds of 90-110 mph After the tornado crossed the Indian River Lagoon it caused damaged on the barrier island of Vero Beach Significant damage occurred at the Bayou condominiums where sections of the roof were torn off both the east and west buildings and thrown northward into a neighboring tree line A pontoon boat was lifted out of the water and landed upside-down on the seawall Winds in the small area likely were 115-125 mph but that wind might be higher because it was close to open water Missing shingles and roof tiles were found on several homes and businesses that were consistent with either EF0 or EF1 winds many homes had lost more than half of their roofs multifamily building lost over 20% of its roof The Bethel Creek area had EF2 damage with winds between 115 mph and 125 mph The tornado continued into a wooded area along the beach before it moved offshore into the Atlantic Ocean The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories: In case you missed any of the stories for subscribers about new and closed restaurants that TCPalm previously posted throughout this month Click each "read the full story" link for the name signature dishes and more information about the restaurants like exclusive interviews with the chefs and/or owners If you have restaurant news, please email laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com Holidays 2024: Best Christmas light displays, drive-thru experiences Two adult arcades were shut down on the Treasure Coast in a statewide law enforcement operation Thursday targeting multiple suspected illegal gambling establishments 901 14th Lane in the Majestic Plaza off U.S were raided and closed in a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office operation dubbed "Operation Fools Treasure," according to a news release from the agency Also raided and closed were Treasure Hunt Arcade in West Palm Beach and Arcadia Arcade in Zephyrhills which law enforcement officials said supplied unlawful slot machines to the four establishments were the targets of an investigation into suspected money laundering and illegal gambling activities across the region dating back to 2022 The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office assisted Palm Beach County and gaming commission agents in the Pharaoh’s Treasure raid “It’s a multi-raid bust from around the state,” said Sheriff Eric Flowers Officers were removing items from Pharaoh’s Treasure Thursday afternoon loading them into trucks Five arrest warrants and nine search warrants were issued Thursday according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office of Indian River County was arrested and charged with money laundering over $100,000 and money laundering under $20,000 along with keeping or being an agent or employee of a gambling house and 50 individuals charges of manufacturing She was in the Indian River County Jail without bond Thursday evening According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office the Las Vegas-style video slot machines were found in use in what were deemed “illegal gambling houses.” communications director for the Florida Gaming Control Commission said regardless of their corporate structure or licensing status “They are not licensed to offer any kind of legal gaming in the state.” She said outside of tribal locations, there are only eight facilities in the state and four in Miami-Dade County considered legally allowed to operate as gambling or gaming businesses More: Arcade shut down in St. Lucie County; 3 arrested, over $18K seized additional agencies involved were the Florida Gaming Control Commission’s Gaming Enforcement Division Miami-Dade Police Department and the Florida Statewide Prosecutors Office Pharaoh's Treasure was temporarily closed in 2023 amid raids and closures of several arcades across the Treasure Coast Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers. Follow @coreyarwood on X, email corey.arwood@tcpalm.com or call 772-978-2246 (This "coming soon" story was updated to reflect that the restaurant has opened.) What's the name of the new restaurant in Port St Remember when: Taco Dive expands to South Hutchinson Island with fourth location Kelly Rucker and Joel Rucker opened the first Taco Dive in downtown Fort Pierce "We basically relocated the beach location to St Lucie West," Turk said "Everything on paper is still the same except for the physical address." Another location in Melbourne — the first outside the Treasure Coast — is expected to open in January 2025 but it won't be owned by the four business partners "The Melbourne location is our first franchisees," Turk said "They are employees of our company who have worked with us for years." The owners of the Melbourne location are Danielle DiPierro and Wil Horldt DiPierro has been with the company since 2018 starting as a server and working most recently as a manager at the Vero Beach location Horldt has been with the company since 2017 starting as a dishwasher and becoming a kitchen manager before being promoted to district manager "One of the biggest reasons we met with a consulting company and decided to franchise was to provide opportunities for our employees to grow," Turk said "Danielle and Wil are the epitome of what we wanted to achieve We couldn’t be more proud and excited that they are our first franchisees." What's on the Taco Dive menu?Drunken burrito: Seasoned ground beef shredded chicken or slow roasted pork with tomato shredded mixed cheese and tater tots ($12)Steak taco: Marinated steak topped with queso fresca crumbles and drizzled with homemade cilantro sauce ($6)Pork taco: Slow-roasted pork Thai sauce ($5)Chicken taco: Fire-roasted shredded chicken topped with queso fresca crumbles and drizzled with homemade cilantro sauce ($5)Beef taco: Seasoned ground beef tomato and sour cream ($5)The Under Dog taco: Grilled all-beef hot dog topped with shredded cabbage queso fresca crumbles and spicy mustard ($5.50)BLT Dive Style taco: Pimento cheese tomato and topped with a fried egg ($5.50)Irish taco: Corned beef slow-roasted in cold barley soup with sautéed shredded cabbage tater tots and spicy mustard ($6.50)Fresh fish taco: Blackened fresh fish of the day tomato and drizzled with lemon-cilantro aioli ($7.50)Cajun shrimp taco: Blackened shrimp sliced avocado and drizzled with homemade chipotle-lime sauce ($6)Veggie taco: Black eyed pea-co arugula and pimento cheese topped with fried green tomatillo and drizzled with choice of house sauce ($5.50)Taco Bella: Marinated portabella mushrooms topped with a lime wedge ($5.75)When did Taco Dive open?Nov A “so Florida” thing to do is coming up: a potential SpaceX rocket launch The space agency plans to send a Falcon 9 rocket and several Starlink satellites into orbit on Tuesday there could be a show in the sky above the Treasure Coast SpaceX confirmed a Falcon 9 rocket will lift a payload of 23 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit This mission will mark the first time a Falcon 9 first-stage booster lands on a drone ship stationed off the coast of the Bahamas Rockets launch from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, Florida which is an hour east of the Orlando theme parks south Vero Beach to Jensen Beach and other parts of the Treasure Coast might see a nice streak in the sky — given the proximity to NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Below are suggestions on where to watch the rocket launch from this area and other things to know If there are changes to the launch schedule For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes, rocket launches − especially night launches − from neighboring Space Coast could be visible in the Treasure Coast area Vero Beach or other parts of Indian River County Is there a launch today? February SpaceX, NASA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral Where to see a Florida rocket launch in Indian River County: What does Treasure Coast rocket launch view look like?The best views to watch a rocket launch from neighboring Brevard County, aka the Space Coast, is here along the beach. Visibility in Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches or from Grant-Valkaria along the Indian River Lagoon Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter) South Ocean Drive or SR A1A on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper to support local journalism Lucie County Fire District (SLCFD) responded to a residential structure in Fort Pierce SLCFD reported responding to a residential structure fireat 6900 South Indian River Drive they found a fire that had spread to the home's attic See also:Road closures on Forest Hill Boulevard for rail signal upgrades The team reported having to rip out the ceiling to get water on the fire It was stated that the fire was put out by 12:50 p.m The Red Cross was called to assist the three affected adults; no injuries have been reported An investigation is underway to figure out the cause of the fire — South Florida and the Treasure Coast were plagued with ongoing tornadoes on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton closed in on the state Ron DeSantis during a press conference Wednesday evening there have been at least 19 confirmed tornado touchdowns across the state the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management said 125 homes have been destroyed statewide most being mobile homes in senior communities and Tampa issued 98 tornado warnings on Wednesday afternoon with the office in Miami issuing a record 55 of those warnings LIST OF CONFIRMED TORNADOES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located nine miles north of Okeechobee a confirmed tornado was located near Fort Pierce South a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located seven miles northeast of Fort Drum in Okeechobee County a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located over Blue Cypress Lake a confirmed tornado was located near Palm City a confirmed tornado was located over Jensen Beach a confirmed tornado was located over Vero Beach Highland a confirmed tornado was located 10 miles northwest of Traditon a reported large and extremely dangerous tornado was located near Wellington a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located over The Acreage a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located near Fort Pierce a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located over Palm Beach County a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located over Saint Lucie Airport a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located over Vero Beach Highland a confirmed tornado was located near Jupiter a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was located over Vero Beach The tornadic activity started Wednesday morning when the National Weather Service said a "dangerous tornado" touched down near the Miccosukee Service Plaza off Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley) near the Broward-Collier County line at approximately 10 a.m WPTV was live as a tornado ripped across I-75 Wow!" WPTV First Alert Weather meteorologist Jennifer Correa said live on air TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide Correa said the strongest winds in our viewing area — especially in Indian River and Okeechobee counties — will likely be between 4 a.m Milton's center will start to exit and the winds won't be as breezy The threat of tropical-storm-force winds will exist through Thursday Drier air will eventually move into South Florida starting on Friday Jacksonville District has announced the availability of a proposed Finding of No Significant Impact and draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the periodic beach and dune renourishment of the Fort Pierce The beachfill project is set to take place along 7,000 feet of shoreline extending southward from Fort Pierce Inlet’s south jetty between Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Range-monuments R-34 and R-41 the preferred alternative includes construction of shoreline stabilization structures at the project’s north end (R-34 to R-37) to address severe non-uniform erosion rates These structures will include five T-head groins within 1,570 feet of the south jetty a T- head weir approximately 1,800 feet from the south jetty and a detached breakwater approximately 2,070 feet from the south jetty Additional details on the proposed work are available on the Jacksonville District’s website FORT PIERCE — The South Bridge soon could have a new look Lucie Transportation Planning Board has given preliminary approval to a new design for the 65-foot-tall bridge that links the mainland with South Hutchinson Island The plan would reduce the current four lanes to two and widen those lanes from the current 8 feet to 12 feet The remaining bridge deck would be restriped for bicycle lanes, disabled vehicles and emergency vehicles.  More: St. Lucie schools asking for property-tax hike to improve teacher pay, make schools safer The 45-year-old bridge is considered structurally sufficient according to Florida Department of Transportation TPO executive director Peter Buchwald said he would present the plan to the Fort Pierce City Commission because the bridge is within the city limits and schedule public workshops to gather feedback from residents The planning organization will forward its recommendation to the Florida Department of Transportation doesn’t have any bicycle lanes but it is still used by cyclists and there are bicycle lanes on A1A on the island those don’t extend to the bridge,” said Buchwald “Taking the bridge down to two lanes would match the number of lanes on A1A on the island Nowhere on the island is there four lanes.” More: School district worried concrete-recycling plant may affect students at Fort Pierce Central The cost hasn't yet been determined because the design is in the early stages Cyclist Larry Quinton said the new design is much needed he's stopped riding his bicycle across the bridge because he didn’t feel safe Now he rides along State Road A1A from South Causeway Park to Jensen Beach this redesign — or whatever they call it — should have been done a long time ago,” Quinton said The bridge was built in 1974 and officially is the Peter P Cobb Memorial Bridge after the city's first postmaster and owner of the P.P FORT PIERCE — The new North Causeway Bridge, which will span the Indian River Lagoon to North Hutchinson Island could provide more evacuation access from the barrier island during hurricanes and other storms than the current bridge provides it won't have the same high-wind closing procedures as the current drawbridge according to the Florida Department of Transportation which is expected to cost $111.5 million and become the tallest on the Treasure Coast remains on track for completion in late 2027 according to FDOT spokesperson Guillermo Canedo and must be locked in the closed position whenever sustained winds exceed 39 mph or about half the threshold for a Category 1 hurricane meaning that no such restriction will be necessary "This is a fixed bridge without moving parts so this bridge will not follow the same storm procedures as a movable (bascule) bridge during a storm," Canedo said Local agencies may still implement their own safety procedures around high winds and storms with the new bridge local law enforcement may close the new North bridge in storm events if deemed necessary and reopen when it is safe to do so," Canedo said The navigational clearance of the new bridge will be 85 feet at its tallest point a big jump from the current 25-foot clearance when in closed position It will also have wider clearances than the current bridge More: New North Causeway Bridge construction begins More: Cost to replace North Causeway Bridge in Fort Pierce jumps 21%, from $65 million to $79 million The new bridge will be the tallest on the Treasure Coast surpassing five bridges that stand at 65 feet: the Ernest Lyons Bridge Evans Crary Bridge and the Roosevelt Bridge One aspect that remains to be resolved is whether there will be the opportunity to fish the lagoon once the new bridge is completed The existing bridge includes a walkway that is regularly used for fishing There are plans to build a new walkway and pedestrian observation deck underneath the western portion of the new bridge but the approval for fishing needs to come only from local entities only after the bridge is built When visitors come to Fort Pierce they usually wind up waterside at South Jetty Park at some point during their stay Numerous restaurants and bars dot the Fort Pierce Inlet area millennials and seniors can all find a favorite among On the Edge Bar & Grill the northern tip of Hutchinson Island is also a popular spot to fish launch a kayak or anchor your pleasure boat Or explore inside attractions at the Smithsonian Exhibit at the St The revitalized South Jetty Park is a jewel at the mouth of the Fort Pierce Inlet, overlooking both the waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. The city of Fort Pierce’s South Jetty Park is ranked No. 3 of 85 things to do in Fort Pierce on the travel website TripAdvisor The park received a nearly $8 million expansion and renovation in 2013 which almost doubled its size to 2.78 acres and added numerous ways to while away the day checkers and backgammon tables reside beneath the palms gazebos and picnic tables wait for a lunch repast and informational kiosks acquaint visitors with the local flora and fauna The public funds invested in South Jetty Park brought more visitors to the area a boon for local businesses — and a magnet for new business investment Among the most anticipated of the private projects is the 6,600-square-foot Square Grouper Tiki Bar Fort Pierce Inlet Tropical landscape installation completed the finishing touches recently for the Seaway Drive restaurant Staff interviews were conducted in late September and early October The Square Grouper Tiki Bar in Jupiter has been a favorite hangout since opening in 2003 praised the city of Fort Pierce for the improvements made to the roads and beautification of the area The city’s economic development team reported that Burg’s investment in the new restaurant and bar was approximately $2 million Oculina Bank recently completed the new building for its flagship branch at 1929 Seaway Drive a 1,700-square-foot Key West style building Construction is also underway on a group of luxury townhomes, Inlet Palms. Built by Foglia Custom Homes, each three-story home will feature an elevator, pool and spa and a slip to accommodate a boat of up to 80 feet. On the development’s website the new residences are priced from just under $1 million to $1.9 million Public investment in attractions such as South Jetty Park can have far-reaching benefits Based on visitors’ reviews such as the one below it wouldn’t be surprising to learn of additional private sector investment along the Fort Pierce Inlet in the months to come “Recently some friends and I decided to hang out at the Jetty while allowing the kids to catch Pokémon The atmosphere was lively since you could hear the band playing at one of the restaurants And plenty of Pokestops and Pokémon to keep the kids occupied…” Posted on TripAdvisor by Banella D — A new development proposed for an area of South Hutchinson Island could change the face of that area called "Boardwalk on the Inlet," would be built on the 4.8 acres of space between Manatee Island Bar and Grill and Square Grouper Tiki Bar on Seaway Drive the lot is a gravel parking lot with some patches of grass and a sidewalk that runs along the waterfront told WPTV he purchased the land in 2020 and has since bought three more homes in the area surrounding it He said he had hoped to develop the space since purchasing it and there's no real hotels for people to stay in because they're all filled up so there's a necessity for it," Woods said The project would include 103 condos in two locations along with two hotels One would likely be a Hilton Homewood Suites with 119 rooms and the other would be a luxury hotel named Aqua with 40 rooms an 18,000-square-foot event center with a 6,000-square-foot ballroom "We're also allocating space for retail," Woods said one of the biggest privately held offerings on the Treasure Coast in history." "The traffic study said there needed to be a left turn lane off of seaway into the project," Woods said He also said the area will still be open to the public for fishing and recreation and the area will include several green spaces Fort Pierce City Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson said he has his own concerns that need to be addressed including more flood and stormwater studies he said all of that will be addressed during the review process and said his constituents will get several chances to weigh in He also said he's excited about the project it would be the tourism component,” Johnson said what better project than to have some components of hotels being brought right back here." People in the community gave WPTV mixed reactions including the owner of Manatee Island Bar and Grill and are extremely excited about the increased revenue it would bring I don’t want this to be Palm Beach," Camp said "We've been spoiled having this all to ourselves We really don’t want to share it to be honest with you," Alan Etherington said "I guess we can kind of look at it both ways," added Rita Etherington who did say it would be nice to have an event space nearby "It's going to impact the traffic coming onto the island because the traffic on a beautiful day or on a weekend is just crazy." Woods and Johnson said it still has to pass several checkpoints with the city and its residents before commissioners even vote on it That process includes a pre-construction meeting where the city will tell Woods all the requirements for the city the project manager will take it to each department to make sure it is compliant with all requirements it goes to the zoning and planning committee and then a planning board made up of residents it goes to the City Commission for a final vote Woods expected this process would take about six months which Woods believes would take another two years to complete with the project being built in three phases it won't be complete for another two-and-a-half years FORT PIERCE — A development of unprecedented scale that is planned to include hotels retail shopping and about 1000 parking spaces could be built on a prime waterfront property on South Hutchinson Island overlooking the Fort Pierce Inlet That is the vision Sandy Woods — a local car dealer who owns the property between Square Grouper Tiki Bar and Manatee Island Bar and Grill — presented Thursday to an overflow crowd of more than 120 residents at Westside Church in South Beach Most of those attending showed up at the invitation of District 2 City Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson A major part of Woods' pitch includes attracting — and taking advantage of — a potential Brightline train station in Fort Pierce "The people at Brightline are looking for a destination in this area," Woods said "There are things that they're looking for that are not here yet." After facing legal challenges from Martin and Indian River counties, Brightline promised to put a stop in the Treasure Coast within five years of carrying the first passengers through the region, an event which took place last week. On that day, the rail company's CEO Michael Reininger said the next station would likely be in the area More: Brightline CEO: Treasure Coast train station is focus now following passenger rail launch who said he has had a number of conversations with Brightline is very confident that the station will be in Fort Pierce "It's coming to Fort Pierce," Woods said to cheers "We're going to be providing transportation from our facility to the international airport to Brightline and back More: Waiting for takeoff: Treasure Coast International Airport seeks OK for passenger flights dubbed "Boardwalk On The Inlet," would include an 88,000-square-foot Homewood Suites by Hilton a separate 34,000-square-foot Aqua hotel with 40 luxury rooms along with rooftop bars and an unannounced number of retail shopping outlets All of it would be built around a parking garage that could fit about 1000 cars — more than 230 more than required The garage could help the city with its parking space shortages but it's still very much in the earliest stages of development "This is conceptual planning," Johnson said "This has not come to the City Commission." The development would exceed the usual height restrictions in that section of Hutchinson Island. However, Johnson said there are various aspects of the code that allow developers to build higher and Woods said a new state law may invalidate restrictions anyway It is important that the public get involved as early as possible in a project of this magnitude Most who spoke said development is necessary and exciting but urged caution and care Multiple people voiced concerns over traffic impacts while others said it would help attract and retain young people Multiple former political figures rose to speak in their new roles as residents of Hutchinson Island Former Fort Pierce Mayor Bob Benton's remarks echoed the measured sentiments of many but I don't believe at this scale," Benton said celebrated Woods as a local developer who would have the best interests of the community at heart compared to others from out of town who could one day develop the land The development could also change the image of Fort Pierce "I get sick and tired of our counties to the north and south of us looking at us like we're a slum," Lee said He (Woods) can go and spend his money elsewhere." Woods said he has received numerous offers to sell the property since he and his family first acquired it "Every day I probably get 15 calls from all over the country Prompted by resident questions, Johnson confirmed that this development would be in addition to the already announced King's Landing development which plans to bring 116 residential units 10 townhomes and 140 hotel rooms to downtown Developers from that project were also at the meeting More: King's Landing project will revitalize downtown Fort Pierce ... eventually | Opinion Multiple residents voiced concern that perhaps these developments would outpace demand referencing a study he commissioned that found the area could support far more additional hotel space even before potential changes with Brightline and the airport According to pamphlets distributed at the meeting "Boardwalk On The Inlet" would create between 400 and 500 jobs during construction to be followed by 300 to 400 permanent jobs — If you're heading to the beach in Fort Pierce you may want to take advantage of the free parking while you can you might have to start paying for parking at three city beaches commissioners voted to ask a company to develop a pay-for-parking system for certain spaces that those three beaches Fort Pierce is now finalizing a Request for Proposals (RFP) that will be advertised to identify a qualified vendor for "Parking Management Services." "It is the intent of the RFP to find a third party that will provide services such as installing and maintaining the Pay to Park system and provide these services at three locations in the City of Fort Pierce and Jaycee Park)," Ballard said in a statement to WPTV While the pay-to-park pilot program has not been finalized in the proposal shown at the city commission meeting Lucie County will likely be given free parking passes like Sebastian resident Andrew Gambardella who came to Jetty Park from Sebastian to kayak I probably just won't come anymore because Sebastian we don't pay for parking at none of the beaches — except for the state park you have to have a pass or pay for the day," Gambardella said "I wouldn't come to any of these restaurants anymore either if I have to pay to park." Ballard told WPTV in the statement that the city is still finalizing the Request for Proposal and expects it to be complete and open to the public this August with a presentation to city commissioners following at the end of the year The jack attack was pretty good recently at South Bridge in Fort Pierce the incoming tide pumped through the bridge filling the Indian River Lagoon with salty ocean water About a dozen anglers lined the more than 1,000-foot- long fishing catwalk connected to the bridge's west landing One group of three anglers had a cooler filled with six jacks Their families were going to enjoy a fish fry later that night none of these anglers will be able to fish from this productive spot Cobb Memorial Bridge when it opened in 1974 carries A1A over the Indian River Lagoon to Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce Unbeknownst to many of the 12,000 motorists who travel back and forth across it daily are the two catwalks used for fishing which sit below its road deck most of whom have little or no access to boats and most of whom who fish there in search of food for their families have enjoyed using these catwalks for decades They are located in areas which provide good access to a reasonable chance at catching quality fish a construction project began that will help shore up the bridge from erosion (called scouring) which has taken place around its pilings near the floor of the lagoon caused by the rush of the tidal current which runs through the bridge throughout the day The $7.93 million project overseen by the Florida Department of Transportation is scheduled to be completed by spring of 2020 the catwalks will be defined as "observation walks," and fishing from them will not be allowed Anglers and nearby bait shops are concerned "The south bridge catwalks have been a favorite place for me and my friends to fish for snook, second only to Sebastian Inlet's catwalks, for the last 30 years," said Clint Walker, owner of The Fishing Center bait shop in Fort Pierce and lifelong angler "My customers like the catwalks as a year-round place to fish for many species like the winter migration currently beginning for sand perch (also known as striped mojarra)." an engineer with The Corradino Group working with FDOT to complete the necessary work on the bridge explained to me that the agency pulled the minimum required permits to complete the structural portion of the work required additional permitting would need to be completed in order to satisfy requirements of the Endangered Species Act and more Those permits would need to be signed off on by federal agencies such as NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Fish and Wildlife Service or more. It is also unclear at the present time what entity would be required to request the permits Walker and I are both concerned the prohibition of fishing from the South Bridge catwalks is a societal trend The City of Fort Pierce did recently build the Melody Lane Fishing Pier But for every fishing access point built in Florida there are examples of two others closed down to fishing for a variety of reasons which will result in a span with 85 feet of clearance over the lagoon waters There is a question as to whether a portion of the old bridge will be left in place for anglers Other bridges in recent years have forsaken any planning for land-based angling The Veterans Memorial Bridge in Palm City and the Ernie Lyons Bridge over Stuart Causeway both left out any access for anglers The recreational planning committee for Stuart Causeway told me directly they left it out by design after seeing how anglers treat their access at Jensen Beach Causeway leaving trash lying around and unwanted catches like catfish and stingrays As much as I advocate for the shorebound angler Anglers need to do their part and clean up after themselves and demonstrate better ethics I know this column is preaching to the choir but I get pretty disgusted by the condition of some of these fishing places when I go But if we don't do our part to ensure these places have access in the first place we can't make sure the spots are well-kept Walker said the South Bridge catwalks are important Anglers can catch three different species of snapper including the summer time favorite jacks and more are all important catches for anglers who cannot afford to buy fish at the market "Locals fish for these to feed their families and neighbors," Walker explained "There can be anywhere from five to 50 people fishing for these if the bite is good It is such a valuable place for the community as Fort Pierce grows The concern is that we may lose places to fish from if you do not own or can't afford a boat." There is still time to try keep the area open for fishing Send an email to Kathleen Dempsey who works with Stuckey She can be contacted at Kdempsey@corradino.com Tell her it's important that the catwalks remain open to fishing Ed Killer is the outdoors columnist for Treasure Coast Newspapers and TCPalm.com follow him on Twitter @tcpalmekiller or email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com or call him at 772-221-4201 FORT PIERCE — The city plans to demolish the popular island convenience store in its role as the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency in 2017 purchased the store and its lot at 301 S Ocean Drive for $799,000 to use for free parking the city has leased the space to store owners to continue using as a convenience store while the land at the back of the property is used for a 44-space parking lot The lease between the city and the store expires Aug More: Fort Pierce Commissioner critical of City Manager Nick Mimms performance demolition would be several months away as the city would have to find a company to demolish the building and obtain the required permits Demolishing the 50-year old building would cost $50,000 and add 16 parking spaces increasing the total number of spaces to 60 four parking spaces would be lost because of landscape and drainage rules city Public Works Director Mike Reals said The long-term plan includes building a multistory parking garage with retail on the ground floor who sits on the city’s Parking Committee More: Fort Pierce commissioner wants police who don't upload body camera footage to face charges “Something like this makes sense for the island because there is only so much available land and when the land is gone “We’re not going to be able to handle all the parking requirements the island will need in the future.” The cost of the structure and how to pay for it would need to be discussed but Perona said he would support the city partnering with a private parking company to use city-owned property to build the structure “Do you wait until parking becomes a bigger problem to fix it or do you start now?” Perona said Keona Gardner covers the cities of Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County. Contact her at 772-221-4206 or keona.gardner@tcpalm.com with news tips. If you like articles like this and want more local-news coverage from TCPalm, please subscribe Your browser is not supported for this experience.We recommend using Chrome Beaches and parks are listed geographically from north to south This area offers an outstanding number of golden Florida beaches, including many protected state and national parks. The local city and county beaches have plenty of onshore activities, and the area is known for several offshore shipwrecks that are perfect for some spectacular scuba diving depending on your needs. Humiston Beach Park and Jaycee Park are the only areas in Vero Beach that provide beach wheelchairs.  Wabasso Beach Park is located in Vero Beach amidst some popular family resorts quiet beaches that are perfect for swimming Golden Sands Beach Park is a traditional beach park with lifeguards It's a good place if you feel like snorkeling or Scuba diving Jaycee Park is more than eight acres of oceanfront park perfect for family gatherings a large picnic area and a buoyed swimming area Humiston Beach Park is located in the heart of Vero Beach's island shopping district this four-acre park is the center for arts and crafts shows and other festivals The beautiful barrier island called Hutchinson Island features 21 miles of pristine beaches including Fort Pierce and the beaches of Martin County from Jensen Beach to Stuart Beach Public parks lie along seven miles of this Atlantic coastal stretch and several offshore shipwrecks provide excellent diving opportunities. From the Pines north of Ft there are 33 points where you can access these beautiful beaches Encompassing the communities of Port Salerno Martin County serves up beautiful beaches and more than 75 parks – not to mention the most bio-diverse lagoon ecosystem in the Northern hemisphere Jensen Beach is bustling with excitement Locals and visitors alike flock to the sandy shores of this park on Hutchinson Island bathrooms and showers make this a complete all-ages park Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge is a pristine 967-acre park featuring 3½ miles of beach on Jupiter Island It's one of the state's most popular turtle nesting beaches so if you are here in the spring or summer preserved nature trails weave along the Intracoastal Waterway Copyright © document.write(new Date().getFullYear())2021 VISIT FLORIDA. All rights reserved. VISIT FLORIDA® is a service mark of the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation, d/b/a VISIT FLORIDA, registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. | Contact Us Lucie County Sheriff's Office (SLCSO) is investigating a homicide in Fort Pierce an unidentified person went to pick up their employer and found him dead Deputies responded to the scene shortly after the man was found off South Seventh Street The SLCSO's mobile crime center was in the area along with the medical examiner and detectives are looking into obtaining Ring doorbell footage while canvassing the area See also:West Palm Beach tackles homelessness with new pilot program The dead man's identity has not been released FORT PIERCE — The South Causeway Bridge will remain a four-lane span for now, as the county Transportation Planning Organization wants to further study the issue comprising representatives of the Fort Pierce and St accepted the staff’s recommendation after 73% of those answering an online survey said they wanted no changed to the 45-year old span The staff proposed reducing the bridge from four traffic lanes to two but widening those lanes from 8 feet to 12 feet The remaining space would be re-striped for bicycles, disabled vehicles and emergency vehicles The bridge is considered “structurally sufficient” by the Florida Department of Transportation The proposed redesign stems from a 2011 community meeting More: More than 400 people oppose reducing lanes of South Bridge in Fort Pierce More: St. Lucie County wants $500K a year from Fort Pierce to prevent erosion at Fort Pierce Beach about 14,800 vehicles per day travel the bridge TPO executive director Peter Buchwald told the Fort Pierce City Commission in May. That count is more in line with the capacity of a two-lane bridge The daily capacity for a four-lane bridge is 36,700 It would cost about $1 million to redesign the bridge a cost borne by the state, Buchwald told the commission No timeline was given for when the issue would be considered again by the TPO board More: Fort Pierce $85M King's Landing development to 'Old Florida charm' to downtown waterfront site More: Ex-packinghouse being demolished to make way for mega-yachts at Port of Fort Pierce We have made this article free to all readers in the interests of public safety. Please consider supporting local journalism with a digital subscription Hurricane Nicole made landfall just south of Vero Beach at 3 a.m Maximum sustained winds were estimated to be 75 mph. An hour after landfall, Nicole weakened into a tropical storm Nicole continued to move west-northwest at 14 mph and heavy rain over a large area of Florida. Tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 450 miles from the center TCPalm reporters and photographers will be roaming the Treasure Coast today to bring you images and information about how the area fared Scroll to the bottom for links to more weather information All but two county parks are expected to open by 8 a.m White City Park and Fairwinds Golf Course will remain closed until flooding subsides Indian River Drive, from Walton Road to the southern end of the St. Lucie County line, is reopen, according to the Sheriff's Office.  Lucie County and 23 Fort Pierce Utilities Authority customers were without power as of 1:15 p.m Lucie City offices will be closed Friday for Veterans Day and will reopen Monday but ballfields may not be playable if they're saturated with water The ballfields at Whispering Pines Park will not reopen to the public until Saturday to allow fields time to dry These remain closed to the public until the water recedes to a level where staff can assess their safety: Boardwalk from Tom Hooper Park to Veterans Park at Rivergate Boat ramp at C-24 Canal ParkBoat ramp at Veterans Park at Rivergate1:45 p.m Lucie VillageFifteen homes have 3-5 feet of water inside them from the Indian River Lagoon's storm surge preserves and beach accesses will remain closed until Friday There's also a sunken boat on the north side of Wesley's Island That's the one you can see to the north as you head eastbound over the South Causeway Island bridge Lucie County were without power as of 9 a.m and over 12,000 customers’ power had been restored The north and south bridges to the barrier island have been officially reopened although traffic was going around the barricades before they were removed Indian River Drive remains closed from Walton Road south to the Martin County line as crews work on clearing debris and fallen power lines Parts of the road are washed away and repairs are expected to take several weeks that's still the name of this iconic boatyard on North Second Street The Indian River Lagoon spilled over its usual boundaries and flooded the docks parking lot and picnic area at North Causeway Island Park on North Hutchinson Island Parts of Seaway Drive on Fort Pierce South Beach are still flooded Some of the new trees planted at an oceanfront residential development being built on Hutchinson Island south of Fort Pierce and north of the power plant were felled The North Causeway Island over the Indian River Lagoon connecting the mainland and North Beach will reopen as soon as crews remove the barricades But many motorists are just going around them A streetlight has fallen on the North Bridge but it's on the sidewalk and not impeding traffic A1A at the Indian River County line is also open The parking lot in the Sabal Palm Plaza in Fort Pierce was full of water The barrier island is quiet: Everyone appears to have power there's only a few puddles of standing water and barely a palm frond down are around the Fort Pierce Inlet State Park and North Causeway Island Park The traffic light at North A1A and Shorewinds Drive Cumberland Farms and the Stan Blum boat ramp are open it appears the ocean washed over the dune and into the parking lot the effects from Hurricane Ian seemed much worse than this Indian River Drive is still closed just south of Walton Road 37 Fort Pierce Utilities Authority customers reportedly do not have power Be ready: How to download TCPalm's iPhone, Android apps for local updates on Tropical Storm Nicole Spaghetti models: Check out these automatic updates of Nicole's possible path Forecast track: Nicole's latest path Excessive rainfall forecast: Rainfall expectations FORT PIERCE − A 23-year-old man was jailed following a Wednesday fatal shooting of a 33-year-old man at a gas station of the 1800 block of East Royal Tern Lane in Fort Pierce was arrested on a first-degree murder charge after the incident at Rocket Fuel in the 3200 block of South U.S The location is south of Edwards Road on the west side of U.S The person who died was identified in an arrest affidavit as Brandon Gregory Kormanec He was taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce Police went to the gas station about 6:46 p.m Store video showed Kormanec pull in in a white sedan and Miller came in right behind him in a BMW Miller entered the store and got a Red Bull beverage from the cooler Kormanec entered the business and approached Miller,” an affidavit states “… Kormanec asked Miller ‘why you riding my (backside)’ and simultaneously punched Miller in the face,” an affidavit states “Kormanec then turned as if he was walking away,” the affidavit states “Miller appeared to be paused for a few seconds then pulled out his gun from his waistline and fire multiple shots at Kormanec.” “There were (14) bullet holes in Kormanec’s body,” the affidavit states Policed disclosed the incident publicly about 2:25 p.m although there was much discussion about it on social media earlier 'It was a shocker'At the gas station Thursday there were no obvious signs of what happened the day before A woman at the cash register in the narrow establishment said she wasn’t there at the time plenty of motorists stopped in to fuel up their vehicles who said he comes to the station once every couple of weeks or so “You just don't ever know when anything like that is going to occur.”  He said the incident doesn’t make him reconsider patronizing that particular station then I'll just keep it moving,” Moreira said said he comes to the station two to three times a week The Fort Pierce resident said he was shocked to hear about the incident 'Explosive growth': Several new fire stations planned in St. Lucie County NTSB investigates: Plane in fatal crash linked to St. Lucie County flight school Those with information about the incident are asked to contact Detective Evens Saintilien at 772-467-6878 (office), 772-302-4796 (cell) or esaintilien@fppd.org Information also can be given to Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-800-273-8477 Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm Follow Will on Twitter @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926 FORT PIERCE – Police on Tuesday identified two people who died following a crash a day earlier that also critically injured two others Monday at Okeechobee Road and South 35th Street Lee said Bowe was driving a 2024 Nissan Kicks west on Okeechobee Road Mill and the two people who sustained critical injuries also were in the Kicks The Kicks “clipped” a westbound Nissan Rogue in the right rear before the Kicks struck a number of unspecified things and wound up at a tree A person in the Rogue sustained minor injuries She said the investigation into the crash continues Family members of Bowe and Mill could not immediately be reached Tuesday “I know she was raised in the church,” Brianvil said She said Bowe had an “angelic voice” and was a “very sweet young lady.” infectious smiles that just lit up a room,” Brianvil said Those with information are asked to contact Officer Shayne Stokes at 772-302-4764 or sstokes@fppd.org Information also can be submitted by calling Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers at 800-273-TIPS Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com.