Hello PSL Newsletter Port St. Lucie's weekly local briefing Your Weekly Briefing for Port St. Lucie, Florida | Friday, October 23, 2026 · Issue #17 |
Good Morning, PSL Early Voting's Open and Halloween Weekend Is Here Five early voting sites are open in Port St. Lucie through Oct. 31, and spooky season is stacking up fast: a free trunk-or-treat at Clover Park tonight, a fall market in Tradition Saturday, and three days of Fall Fun Fest next weekend. One heads-up before you make plans: the weekend looks windy and showery, with gusts near 40 mph by Sunday. Pack a rain plan, skip the beach, and let's get into your week. |
In case you missed Monday and Wednesday |
| PSL lands a World Festival & Event City award — the city is one of just seven 2026 honorees worldwide. Read |
| New water sensors in testing — they alert city crews the moment water starts rising in flood-prone spots. Read |
| A new school for kids with autism opens — the Treasure Coast School for Autism now serves 78 students, pre-K through 2nd grade. Read |
| Wings to Fly makes room for everyone — PSL's integrated dance company has its holiday show Nov. 22. Read |
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PSL Week Ahead | Day | Conditions | High / Low | Rain |
| Fri, Oct 23 | Mostly sunny, breezy, chance of storms | 82° / 69° | 40% storms |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Showers likely, windy (gusts to 35 mph) | 81° / 69° | 70% rain |
| Sun, Oct 25 | Showers likely, windy (gusts to 40 mph) | 81° / – | 60% rain |
A windy, showery weekend with northeast gusts building to 35–40 mph. Expect rough surf and a high rip current risk at area beaches, so stay out of the water. The NWS forecast runs through Sunday afternoon; we'll have the new week Monday. Source: National Weather Service. |
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The lead story this week |
 Photo: WPTV Early Voting Is Open: Your Quick PSL Guide Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election runs through Saturday, Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, including Sunday, Oct. 25. Port St. Lucie sites: the PSL Community Center (2195 SE Airoso Blvd.), MIDFLORIDA Event Center (9221 SE Event Center Pl.), Paula A. Lewis Library (2950 SW Rosser Blvd.), Robert E. Minsky Gym (750 SW Darwin Blvd.) and the IRSC Veterans Center of Excellence (500 NW California Blvd.). Local questions on the ballot include renewing St. Lucie County's half-cent infrastructure sales tax (first approved in 2018 and set to expire in 2028) and a non-binding PSL straw poll on returning to twice-weekly trash pickup for an added fee. Statewide Amendment 3 would raise the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes and needs 60% to pass. Voting by mail? Your ballot has to arrive at the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3. Postmarks don't count, so drop it off early or hand-deliver it. What it means for PSL: Two of these questions land right at your curb: the money that pays for local roads, and how often your trash gets picked up. Read up, then pick whichever early voting site is closest. Early Voting Sites & Hours → |
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Three local updates worth your attention |
 Image: Hometown News Development Sandpiper Bay Assisted Living Gets the Green Light City Council unanimously approved the final site plan for an assisted living campus on 7.11 acres near Morningside and Westmoreland boulevards. Phase 1 is a three-story building with 150 assisted living units, and phase 2 adds a one-story building with 26 memory care units. The traffic study rated it low impact. Our take: More senior care close to home means fewer families driving up and down I-95 when a parent needs extra help. Read More → |
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 Image: Adobe Stock via WQCS Jobs St. Lucie County Unemployment Dips to 5% The county's jobless rate fell to 5.0% in September, down from 5.3% in August, though still a tenth of a point above a year ago. The Port St. Lucie metro now counts 177,600 nonfarm jobs, up 500 from last year. Florida overall sits at 4.2%. Our take: Heading the right way, but still above the state average. Every new employer coming to Southern Grove counts. Read More → |
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 Photo: Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County via WPTV Community A PSL Teen Is America's Youth of the Year Enrique Rosario Liz of the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County was named the 2026–27 National Youth of the Year, the organization's highest honor, after winning the Florida and Southeast titles earlier this year. Our take: A Port St. Lucie kid now speaks for young people across the country. That's a big deal, and we're proud. Read More → |
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A quick read on growth, housing, and infrastructure |
🏠 Housing St. Lucie County's single-family median price was $395,000 in September, down 1.25% from a year ago, with 5.2 months of supply. (Miami Realtors) |
| 🏗️ Development The PSL metro permitted 375 new housing units in August, up from 252 a year earlier. (U.S. Census via FRED) |
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📈 Growth Port St. Lucie's population was estimated at about 268,000 in 2025, up roughly 31% since 2020. (Census estimate) |
| 🚧 Infrastructure The Port St. Lucie Blvd. South widening (Alcantarra to Paar) is under construction through fall 2028, an estimated $25.6 million job. (City of PSL) |
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Civic and development items to keep an eye on |
1 | Soccer Stadium's Final Council Vote: Oct. 26 City Council is expected to take up the second reading of the Walton & One stadium zoning on Monday, Oct. 26, along with the consultant's traffic study. The agenda wasn't posted yet as of Wednesday, so check before you go. Read More → |
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2 | Wilson Grove's 1,200 Homes Head to Council The Planning & Zoning Board recommended approval Oct. 6 for rezoning about 358 acres north of SW Becker Road, between Sundance Vista Blvd. and Rangeline Road, to allow up to 1,200 homes. A council date hasn't been set. Read More → |
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3 | The Trash Pickup Straw Poll, by the Numbers The Nov. 3 non-binding question asks whether PSL should go back to twice-weekly trash pickup. City staff estimate the annual fee would rise $131 by 2028, and a citywide reroute could take up to 15 months. Council decides after it sees the results. Read More → |
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This week's events and local picks |
 Image: City of Port St. Lucie via Visit St. Lucie Editor's Pick Fall Fun Fest: Three Free Days at the MIDFLORIDA Event Center Mark next weekend, Oct. 30–Nov. 1. Friday runs 5–10 p.m. with Absolute Bon Jovi at 7:30 and Absolute Journey at 8:45. Saturday runs noon–10 p.m. with Women of Country at 5:30 and Gypsy Lane at 7:30. Sunday is carnival-only, 1–6 p.m. Admission is free; ride wristbands run $25–$30. There's trick-or-treating too, and bring canned goods for the Treasure Coast Food Bank. Why we're picking it: Free admission, two tribute concerts and trick-or-treating in one spot. It's the biggest family weekend of the fall. Fest Details → |
 Image: LYNQ Real Estate Tonight: LYNQ or Treat at Clover Park Friday, Oct. 23, 5–9 p.m. at Clover Park (31 Piazza Dr.). It's free with no RSVP: decorated trunks, food trucks, a bounce house, petting zoo, face painting and live music. The costume contest is at 7, so check in by 6:30. Raffles benefit DDS4VETS. Details → |
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 Illustration (AI-generated) Fall-O-Ween Market at Tradition Square Saturday, Oct. 24, 1–7 p.m. at Tradition Square. Free admission and parking, with trick-or-treating at vendor booths, a fall photo booth and pumpkin patch, face painting, food trucks and bounce houses. Keep an eye on the wind. Details → |
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 Image: MidFlorida Card Expo MidFlorida Card Expo Saturday, Oct. 24 (10 a.m.–6 p.m.) and Sunday, Oct. 25 (10 a.m.–4 p.m.) at the MIDFLORIDA Event Center. More than 230 tables of sports cards, Pokémon and trading card games, plus a kids' costume contest. Admission starts at $16, kids 12 and under get in free, and parking is free. It's indoors, too. Details → |
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Three local food notes to know |
 Photo: Golden Krust via Business Debut Golden Krust Is Coming to U.S. 1 The Jamaican chain is taking over the former Burger King at 6598 S. U.S. 1, its first St. Lucie County location. Permits are in hand, with a soft opening targeted for December and a grand opening in early January. Think beef patties, oxtail, curry goat and jerk chicken. Read More → |
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 Illustration (AI-generated) Indian Restaurant Zaika Files Plans for PSL Blvd. A state plan-review filing shows Zaika PSL Indian Cuisine is coming to 2860 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd. It's early: no opening date or menu has been confirmed yet. We'll keep you posted. Read More → |
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 Photo: PSL Green Market via Visit St. Lucie Sunday Market Morning The free Port St. Lucie Green Market runs Sundays, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at the MIDFLORIDA Event Center, with local vendors in a family- and pet-friendly setting. Over in Tradition, the Neighborhood Farmer's Market at Tradition Square keeps the same hours. Check the weather before you go Sunday. Market Info → |
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Fast links for busy neighbors |
| Enter the Spooktacular contest — PSL's house-and-yard decorating contest takes entries through Oct. 29. Public voting runs Oct. 30–Nov. 3, and winners are announced Nov. 5. |
| An Eagle Scout's “Silent Memorial” — Erika Wilson, 15, is designing a USS Nautilus plaque for U.S. Submarine Veterans Park to honor her grandfather, a career submariner. |
| “Going Batty” full moon hike — Sunday, Oct. 25, 6:30–8 p.m. at Spruce Bluff Preserve, for ages 8 and up. Check the listing for registration, and the weather. |
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| 🎮 | This Week's Game | Play along with your neighbors |
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🧠 PSL TRIVIA Hollywood came to the St. Lucie River once. Which James Bond movie filmed scenes here? A) Goldfinger B) Moonraker C) Thunderball Reply with your answer — winner revealed next week! |
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A new AI-imagined PSL every week — something you won't find anywhere else |
 AI-generated illustration What If... PSL Threw a Halloween Golf Cart Parade? Halloween week in PSL already means trunk-or-treats from Clover Park to Tradition Square. So we got to wondering: what if the golf carts joined in? - Tradition Square becomes the starting line, with carts dressed as pirate ships, giant pumpkins and at least one very committed flamingo.
- The HOA mails a six-page memo on approved cart-costume heights. Nobody makes it past page two.
- Kids trick-or-treat cart to cart, so for once the candy comes to them.
- A gator-themed cart wins “Most Florida” by a landslide.
- Early snowbirds get waved into the parade and handed a candy bucket before they've even unpacked.
- This weekend's wind turns every ghost costume into a cape. Nobody complains.
- Trophies go out at the clock tower, and next year's sign-up sheet is full by dinner.
Honestly... why is this not a thing yet? If your HOA or neighborhood wants to make the first PSL Halloween Golf Cart Parade happen, hit reply — we'll help spread the word. |
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Vote early, trick-or-treat safe, and hold onto your hats. It's going to be a breezy one. Forward this to a neighbor who wants the useful PSL stuff without the noise. See you Monday, PSL. |
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