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Fort Pierce - Friday March 3, 2023: There will soon be a new, eco-friendly way to get around Ft. Pierce. It's called ‘Freebee’, a free, on-demand, 100% electric transportation service.

Freebee is an electric vehicle sedan. A driver will pick up passengers at their doorsteps and drive them safely to the destination of choice within the service area.

The current service area encompasses downtown Fort Pierce and stretches across the bridge to the north end of the island on the beachside. It includes notable destinations like the Sunrise Theatre, St. Lucie County Aquarium, and Jetty Park.

Freebee’s on-demand service will be available in Ft. Pierce four days a week from Thursday through Sunday.

SERVICE HOURS:

The City of Ft. Pierce is providing the service in partnership with the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency. A ribbon cutting ceremony launching Freebee will be held at River Walk on Thursday March 9th at 11 a.m."We are dedicated to solving some of the most challenging problems for communities’, which includes getting people to leave their personal vehicles at home and providing convenient options for people to get where they need to go,” said Freebee Managing Partner Jason Spiegel. “We are excited to partner with the City of Fort Pierce and share the city’s vision in providing innovative transportation solutions.”

Game Changer

The highly anticipated service is expected to be a game changer for the City of Fort Pierce. It's expected to be a huge economic development driver for the local business community, while filling mobility gaps, easing traffic congestion, and stress on parking demands.

A review of similar services in other municipalities has shown that the service increased economic development, helped decrease traffic congestion, provided equitable transportation for many, and reduced carbon emissions through the use of 100% battery-powered vehicles.

How to book a ride with Freebee:

• Download the Ride Freebee mobile app on the App Store or Google Play. Users in need of accessibility accommodations or who do not have a smartphone can call (855) 918-3733 to request a ride.

• Request a pickup at your location and select a destination from an array of interesting places to explore on the Freebee app or enter the address of their desired location.

• Enjoy the FREE ride!

About Freebee: Freebee operates a fleet of more than 125 electric vehicles in over thirty municipalities and campuses in the state of Florida as well as in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Freebee’s unique platform is transforming the way people experience their communities by inspiring local mobility and seamlessly connecting them with their destinations by way of fully electric vehicles.

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Residents across the Treasure Coast are still recovering after winds of up to 80 mph ripped through parts of St. Lucie County on Wednesday.

A wind gust of 85 mph was reported on Sewall's Point in Martin County.

The St. Lucie Fire District told WPTV no one was hurt in the storm, but said one family was displaced after a tree fell on their home in Fort Pierce. It was the only home that sustained significant damage, according to crews.

Fort Pierce resident Denise Cotter, whose home was surrounded by branches, debris and knocked-over trash cans, said she's surprised there's not more damage.

"It was wild over here for a while. We had floods. It was like up to here," Cotter said while gesturing to her knees. "It was crazy."

On Hutchinson Island, Kelly Haynes recorded video of her home that showed wind swirling around her pool and outdoor furniture. She told WPTV's Kate Hussey the family was watching television when they heard whistling and looked out the window to see a huge tree snap, nearly hitting their home.

Cotter said the wind looked similar to a tornado.

"You see those chairs over there, those green chairs?" Cotter said. "They slammed against the building and cracked all over the place. It was crazy. It was crazy."

Across the street, Tom Accollo showed WPTV where he took shelter from the winds that were coming up off the inlet, which sent furniture and kayaks flying.

"You saw the pile of broken chairs over there," Accollo said. "I was able to like stand here because everything was just flying past me. I was protected here, but as soon as I stuck my face out, I got hit in the face by hail and rain. It was hurting my eyes."

He was OK, but next door at the Fort Pierce Coast Guard Auxiliary, a shed was reduced to a pile of debris, flattened by wind.

"It's now in a big pile over there," Accollo said. "It had blown off its foundation."

It's one of the damages Mark Reeder, who lives in St Lucie Village, saw while riding around on his motorcycle soon after the storm had passed.

"I went and I checked out the other local neighborhoods to see if other people had electricity and no one did," Reeder said.

Reeder said he got his power back on at about 7 or 8 p.m. Wednesday.

He stopped and talked to WTPV outside On The Edge, a waterfront bar and restaurant.

Just the night before, its employees rushed to close their awning as rain flooded in.

"Couldn't hatch down because it came on so fast," Cotter said. "Liquor bottles, beer bottles, they were all flying."

All of the residents WPTV talked to said the storm came on fast and furious.

"It just like 'snap', you know, here it comes! Wham," one resident named Lori said. "It felt like a hurricane, the last one I was here for."

"I never saw it like that before, that fast, that quick, so much in such little time," Cotter added.

But as the cleanup continued, Cotter and the others said they were both grateful to not have been hurt and are preparing for the next storm.

"Gonna get some sandbags, fill up just in case," Cotter said.

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ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — A charter school at Tradition in Port St. Lucie is ending its formal relationship with Florida Atlantic University and will operate as a regular campus at St. Lucie Public Schools.

Palm Pointe Educational Research School at Tradition, a kindergarten through eighth grade charter research lab school under FAU, will transition exclusively to the school district in July 2024. FAU will continue to support the university research component and the placement of FAU student teachers at Palm Pointe.

"After careful consideration and mutual agreement, both St. Lucie Public Schools and FAU have decided that it is in the best interest of both parties to dissolve their long-standing relationship," the district said in a news release,

SPECIAL COVERAGE: Education

All students currently enrolled, including the incoming 2023-2024 kindergarten class, will be able to remain at Palm Pointe until they matriculate out.

By aligning with the St. Lucie Public School district, the school district said Palm Pointe will have access to a vast array of resources, including comprehensive curricula, specialized programs and a network of educators.

Starting with the 2024-2025 School Year, enrollment for open seats and incoming kindergartens will follow regular SLPS enrollment protocols, rather than the previously used lottery system, and be open to students in the school’s zone with priority being given to students in close proximity. The school is located at 10680 SW Academic Way.

"We are excited about the opportunities that this transition brings to Palm Pointe and the School District," Dr. Jon R. Prince, superintendent of St. Lucie Public Schools, said in a news release. “Palm Pointe K8 is already a district-managed charter school, with a history of excellence that is staffed with district employees, and we look forward to positive and productive collaboration in the win-win agreement.”

Other FAU lab schools are FAU High School, A.D. Henderson University School, the Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development, all in Boca Raton, and Pine Jog Environmental Education Center in West Palm Beach

Kathleen Perez, the principal of Palm Pointe Educational Research School at Tradition, said: "Becoming part of St. Lucie Public Schools will allow us to continue our tradition of excellence while expanding our educational offerings and fostering a strong sense of community with the local neighborhood."

Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Former President Donald Trump's trial is expected to bring millions of dollars into Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County, according to local business owners and elected officials.

For Lynette Irizarry, also known as Lyly, she feels the trial will bring in lots of customers to both her business and others while thousands are in town for the hearing.

"We've all been talking about it, the customers, the small business owners," Irizarry said. "We've all been saying it's going to put Fort Pierce on the map."

Across from the courthouse, Ndiaga Niang owns African Art and Antiques, a souvenir shop. He agreed with Irizarry.

"It's great," Irizarry said. "I know people are going to come from all over the world."

Mayor Linda Hudson said even more valuable than the money spent on transportation, restaurant patronage, sales and hotels, is the attention Fort Pierce is getting from the trial, one she said could bring in revenue year after year.

"I think people will see how beautiful we are, and they'll come back," Hudson said.

She and Niang agreed it's critical for Fort Pierce to make a good impression during the trial: to encourage people to come back and see the Sunrise City.

"The people who come here, we have to host them in a nice way," Niang said.

"Our No. 1 goal: keep everybody safe. Our No. 2 goal: show everyone how great Fort Pierce is," Hudson said.

Yet other business owners, including Lisa Spagnuolo, the owner of the Pot Belli Deli, said the hullabaloo downtown could lead to a loss in revenue while court is in session.

"With the roads closing, it's hard to get in here, and when they're in trial they might not be able to come in here," Spagnuolo said. "It could hurt us not being able to have our regular customers."

Whatever the outcome is, she agreed the trial opens the door for more attention, and if Irizarry has any say in it, that attention will be around for a while.

"I will paint this town pink," Irizarry said.

The trial is expected to also benefit St Lucie County.

The bed tax collected from money on hotels goes directly to the county, which typically uses it for beautification projects, including upkeeping beaches and Clover Park baseball stadium.

Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — It’s been a looming question on the Treasure Coast: where to put a Brightline station?

It’s a question the city of Fort Pierce is trying to get ahead of.

In a City Commission meeting Monday, Commissioners officially approved an interlocal partnership with the Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) of St. Lucie County to design a future Brightline station for downtown.

It's the latest step forward in Fort Pierce showing Brightline they want a station.

"One of the things I've been asked is, 'Does this mean we’re going to get a station? What it means is we’re showing them were ready to have a station," Mayor Linda Hudson said in a meeting Monday.

Hudson also told WPTV's Kate Hussey on the phone a station would help offset all the negative impacts a high speed train could potentially bring to the area.

"If this train is going to hurtle through this area, with all the safety disadvantages of these high speed trains, at least with a stop you get an advantage, people will go fishing here, take advantage of what we have to offer," said Hudson.

Peter Buchwald, the executive director of the Transportation Planning Organization in St. Lucie County, said there are two spots the city has their eye on for a potential station.

One is an old depot lot behind the Sunrise Theater, while the other is the former H.D. King Plant on the waterfront.

"These are vacant, undeveloped properties that would be suitable for development, they’re right in the heart of downtown and adjacent to the tracks," said Buchwald.

Buchwald added his team will work out the details, with input from Brightline. The plan will include what the stations will look like, how they’d connect to the rest of the city, and the benefits of each location. Which, for one, will impact commuters.

"We’ve done studies, close to 20,000 commuters are going to Palm Beach County and beyond a day," said Buchwald, who added it's a significant increase from years past.

Pete Tesch, the President of St. Lucie County's Economic Development Council, added he believes a train station in downtown Fort Pierce will have a significant impact on the economic development.

"Just think about people traveling from Miami to Orlando and stopping at Fort Pierce, staying in hotels, participating in the other establishments," said Tesch, who added he also believes it would create more job opportunities, particularly in the Marina industry.

Both proposed locations are in walking distance of several downtown businesses, like the Sunrise City Cafe.

"We're like 50 feet away," said its owner, Nichole Parker. "I think [a Brightline station here] would be awesome for us and everybody around us. Businesses would really boom.”

Parker added she'd be happy with either location, and felt it would put her business and others on the map.

"We're not right off U.S. 1, so it’s hard for them to find us, but if that [station] was here, that would definitely bring a lot more business," said Parker.

Of course, the designs are preemptive. Brightline has said it's always planned to have a Treasure Coast station at some point, and has promised to put one somewhere on the Treasure Coast within the next five years, but hasn't released any plans as to where yet.

Buchwald said it's a continuation of a process that really began in 2010 to effort a passenger rail station in Fort Pierce and extend Amtrak service. It then gained momentum again in 2018 when the Board endorsed a Brightline station in Fort Pierce.

Buchwald said with this latest partnership, the TPO has approved the expenditure of more than $350,000 in Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act funding for the project.

Buchwald also said the TPO hopes the have the plans finalized by July of 2024, at which point they'll look at what other steps are necessary to move forward with either Brightline or even another passenger train service station, like Tri-Rail or Amtrak.

Commissioners are planning to meet about the project again on June 12.

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