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2 days ago
- Politics
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Fort Pierce City Commission seat vacated by James Taylor may sit empty until 2026
FORT PIERCE — The city plans to hold a special election Nov. 4 to replace City Commissioner James Taylor, who resigned just hours before a special meeting July 28. As the meeting to plan his replacement was called to order, Taylor sat in the St. Lucie County Jail in lieu of $360,000 bond, charged with 24 felony counts related to an alleged explicit internet relationship with a teenage girl. If a runoff is needed after the November election, residents of District 2 could go until early next year without full representation on the City Commission. According to a preliminary plan, which commissioners will have to approve at their Aug. 4 regular meeting, candidate qualifying would run from noon Aug. 15 to noon Aug. 22. The Nov. 4 special election would be followed by a Jan. 20 runoff only if there are more than two candidates and no one receives a majority of the vote. What will a tie vote mean? In the meantime, with a four-member commission, any votes that split 2-2 will fail. The election will be open only to registered voters in District 2, and candidates must have lived in District 2 for at least two years in order to qualify, City Clerk Linda Cox said. By the time they vote Aug. 4, commissioners will have to decide how they want to run the election, which Cox estimated would cost the city about $60,000. At first, commissioners said they would like to see the election run the same as a normal election. However, they later expressed openness to not opening the two precincts with the smallest numbers of registered voters and to opening a precinct for early voting, as both the normal early-voting locations are in District 1. Cox said she would work with Supervisor of Elections Gertrude Walker between now and Aug. 4 to see how those changes would impact the cost. After Commissioner Arnold Gaines asked where the money for the election would come from, saying the City Commission has "fought over every penny" during the ongoing budget process, Cox said that has yet to be determined. City Manager Richard Chess said the cost may be able to be split over multiple fiscal years, while Commissioner Michael Broderick suggested using emergency funds, likening the situation to a natural disaster. "This is a disaster," Broderick said. Presenting a united front Commissioners presented a united front, saying the city will continue to conduct its business. "We love this city and this city will not be defined by the actions of one person," Mayor Linda Hudson said. More: James Taylor, from jail, resigns ahead of Fort Pierce City Commission meeting about him More: What to know about City Commissioner James Taylor, his arrest, Fort Pierce city reaction Taylor, whose resignation is effective Aug. 2, is accused of conducting a years-long relationship with a 14-year-old girl from Evanston, Illinois, over the private messaging app Snapchat. That relationship, which local sheriff's investigators believe began when the girl was 12, included Taylor sending and asking for nude images, according to investigators. Police in Evanston were first tipped off to the alleged relationship by the girl's mother in August 2024, while Taylor was in the midst of his campaign for City Commission. Taylor — who won that race with nearly 62% of the vote — was first on St. Lucie County investigators' radar in May, when they were contacted by Evanston police. Taylor faces six counts of transmission of materials harmful to minors by electronic equipment; six counts of transfer or display of obscenity to a minor; six counts of harmful communication to a minor and lewd computer solicitation; four counts of lewd computer solicitation of a child; and two counts of solicitation of transmission of child pornography by electronic device or equipment. His arraignment — when he would enter a plea on those charges — is not yet scheduled. Minutes after the meeting ended — as attendees, staff and the remaining four commissioners filed into the City Hall parking garage — the nameplate marking Taylor's assigned parking spot was being taken down with a drill. Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: James Taylor special election in Fort Pierce planned for November Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
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James Taylor, from jail, resigns ahead of Fort Pierce City Commission meeting about him
FORT PIERCE — Facing 24 felony charges related to an alleged explicit internet relationship with a teenage girl — and under pressure to step down from office before a special City Commission meeting — City Commissioner James Taylor submitted his resignation on July 28, just hours before that meeting convened. The resignation is effective Aug. 2, according to a copy obtained by TCPalm. Taylor remained in the St. Lucie County Jail as of the afternoon of July 28 in lieu of $360,000 bail, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. City, state and federal officials had been calling on Taylor to resign since shortly after his arrest during a July 24 traffic stop. Had he not done so, many were putting pressure on Gov. Ron DeSantis to suspend him before the July 28 meeting began, at 5:05 p.m. Either action — resignation or suspension by DeSantis — would have allowed city commissioners to use that hastily scheduled meeting to begin planning for a special election to replace Taylor. "The citizens of the city of Fort Pierce own that commission seat, and they need to get it back," City Commissioner Michael Broderick said in a July 25 phone call. Broderick was joined by state Rep. Toby Overdorf, R-Palm City, and U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fort Pierce, among others, in calling for the seat to be vacated — one way or another — before the special meeting began. Taylor is accused of conducting a years-long relationship with a 14-year-old girl from Evanston, Illinois, over the private messaging app Snapchat. That relationship, which local sheriff's investigators believe began when the girl was 12, included Taylor sending and asking for nude images, according to investigators. Police in Evanston were first tipped off to the alleged relationship by the girl's mother in August 2024, while Taylor was in the midst of his campaign for City Commission. Taylor — who won that race with nearly 62% of the vote — was first on St. Lucie County investigators' radar in May, when they were contacted by the Evanston Police Department. More: What to know about City Commissioner James Taylor, his arrest, Fort Pierce city reaction More: Fort Pierce sets special meeting on James Taylor; special election may be in the works Taylor faces six counts of transmission of materials harmful to minors by electronic equipment; six counts of transfer or display of obscenity to a minor; six counts of harmful communication to a minor and lewd computer solicitation; four counts of lewd computer solicitation of a child; and two counts of solicitation of transmission of child pornography by electronic device or equipment. His arraignment — when he would enter a plea on those charges — is not yet scheduled. Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: James Taylor resigns rather than be removed by Gov. Ron DeSantis
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
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'Epitome of what you'd want as an employee'; firefighter/paramedic remembered
ST. LUCIE COUNTY – A St. Lucie County Fire District firefighter died after he began feeling poorly while on duty July 21 and ultimately was taken to a hospital, according to the Fire District and Fire Chief Jeff Lee on July 23. Jairus Hodge joined the agency in 2022, and became a firefighter/paramedic shortly thereafter, Lee said. Hodge was 26, according to the Fire District. 'He's the epitome of what you'd want as an employee, what you would want as a firefighter and what you'd want as a community servant,' Lee said. 'He's the kind of guy that came to work happy to be here, happy to serve. It's a huge loss.' Lee said Hodge on July 21 was at Station 10 on duty and began feeling bad, and asked to go home. 'This is not a person who normally does that,' Lee said. 'When he went home, everybody was concerned about him because it's not normal.' Lee said that on July 22, Hodge felt worse and called rescue officials and was taken from his home to the hospital. After his death, his body was escorted by local first responders, including representatives from the Fire District, Port St. Lucie Police and St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, from Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital in Port St. Lucie to the medical examiner's office in Fort Pierce. Lee said they are waiting for the cause of death from the medical examiner's office. Asked whether Hodge could have been exposed to something during a call, Lee said officials don't suspect that, but it's not immediately known. 'He ran several medical calls that day and the M.E. is looking at those. It is possible he came in contact with something that ultimately created his illness,' Lee said. 'We just don't know at this time.' Lee said Hodge's older brother, Austin Hodge, also is a firefighter with the agency. 'He idolizes his older brother from my understanding,' Lee said. 'He followed in his footsteps into the fire service here with the district.' Lee said the siblings were close and did a lot together on their days off. He said both worked out, describing them as 'very fit.' Hodge typically worked out of Station 3, in the 400 block of Southwest Ravenswood Lane in Port St. Lucie, though on July 21 was at Station 10 in the 700 block of Southwest Dalton Circle in Port St. Lucie, according to Lee. Federal incident: 10 suspected undocumented immigrants apprehended in St. Lucie County turned over to feds 'Eye opening': Gunshot wound spurs career decision for St. Lucie County firefighter/EMT 'He was a dedicated son, brother, and brother firefighter who epitomized what it means to be a St. Lucie County firefighter, and we're going to miss him dearly,' Lee said. Lee said he's considering Hodge's passing a line-of-duty death. 'It correlates with his last shift being sick, that's the way I see it,' Lee said. 'I see it as a line of duty death, and we're going to treat it accordingly.' 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 This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: 'A huge loss'; young St. Lucie County firefighter dies Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 days ago
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10 migrants apprehended in St. Lucie County turned over to feds
ST. LUCIE COUNTY − Ten people apprehended July 22 after a boat with suspected migrants came ashore were turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, a St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office spokesperson said. Eleven people were thought to have been aboard the vessel, which came ashore in the area of the Fort Pierce Inlet, with one person remaining at large. Sheriff Richard Del Toro has said that about 2 p.m. July 22 federal authorities contacted local officials about the incident. He said a boat being followed by a sheriff's marine unit and the U.S. Coast Guard wound up beaching in the area of the inlet. 'Eleven people were on that vessel, began to basically scatter in different directions,' Del Toro said. 'Ten are in custody right now, one is currently at large.' Lt. Andrew Bolonka, sheriff's spokesperson, on July 23 said the 10 were turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. Alan Regalado, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, stated July 23 via e-mail he would '... get back with you as soon as I have information to share.' 'Ongoing pattern of behavior': New details in reported threats made to county commissioner Deadly crash: Man dies after electric bicycle crash involving another vehicle in Fort Pierce Bolonka said none of the 10 were jailed on any state-level offense. A host of local, state and federal law enforcement officials, including sheriff's investigators and Fort Pierce Police, were at the scene July 22 in a parking area near the Square Grouper Tiki Bar. TCPalm on July 23 made requests to the Fort Pierce Police Department and the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office for records related to the respective agencies' efforts in the incident, and is awaiting the documents. 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 This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Here's where 10 migrants went after apprehension in Fort Pierce Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
City Commissioner arrested after alleged inappropriate relationship with teen girl
ST. LUCIE COUNTY – Fort Pierce City Commissioner James Taylor was arrested July 24 on felony charges after allegations of having an inappropriate relationship with a teen girl, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. Taylor, 38, was jailed on charges including six counts each of transmission of material harmful to a minor by electronic equipment, transfer or display of obscenity to a minor, and harmful communication to a minor; four counts of lewd computer solicitation of a child; and two counts of solicitation of transmission of child pornography by electronic device or equipment, the sheriff's office stated. All 24 counts are felonies. 'Obviously in this case he is a public official, but nobody is above the law, and this case is going to be handled with the utmost integrity and transparency and relentless follow up that we do here at the Sheriff's Office,' Sheriff Richard Del Toro said. Sheriff's officials reported the investigation started in August 2024 when police in Evanston, Illinois, got a report from the mother of a 13-year-old girl. 'The mother advised that her daughter, who was only 12 years old when the communications began, had been contacted by an adult male via Snapchat,' the Sheriff's Office stated. 'Over time, the conversations became sexually explicit, and the suspect allegedly sent multiple nude images to the minor.' Investigators in Illinois traced the information to St. Lucie County, where sheriff's investigators in May started a parallel investigation. Sheriff's officials executed search warrants at Taylor's home and place of employment, identified as a local contractor. 'We are conducting a complete forensic review of digital devices recovered from the suspect's residence and office,' Del Toro said. Del Toro, with Detective Eric Wax beside him at a noon briefing, said there is no evidence to suggest Taylor and the girl met in person, though he said they would keep reviewing evidence. 'From what we understand right now, it's just been the exchange of images at this time,' Del Toro said. He said he believes it's clear Taylor knew the person with whom he communicated was not an adult. 'There's no doubt in my mind based on the images and the communications that were going on that he knew he was talking to a minor," Del Toro said. 'According to the detective, he said he was an adult, and during his interview today (July 24), he basically admitted he knew this girl was a much younger age, around 13 years of age.' Del Toro said investigators 'believe there's a greater likelihood that there might be other victims based on some statements given and also we're just getting tons of evidence that we have to go through.' Taylor, elected in 2024, served almost 10 years on the St. Lucie County Planning & Zoning Commission, where he served as chair in 2021 and 2022, according to Taylor's bio on the City of Fort Pierce website. State Rep. Toby Overdorf, R-Palm City, issued a statement strongly speaking out against the allegations, calling Taylor's arrest 'beyond sickening—a disgusting betrayal that chills the soul.' 'This predator, who used Snapchat to prey on a 12-year-old girl with vile, sexually explicit content, must face the harshest consequences under the law,' Overdorf stated. 'Governor (Ron) DeSantis must suspend this monster immediately.' Fort Pierce City Commissioner Michael Broderick said the circumstances are 'very unfortunate.' 'It's very unfortunate for the families involved. It's very unfortunate for the city of Fort Pierce,' Broderick said. 'We need to wait for the process to play itself out to find out all of the facts.' Taylor, a fifth generation local resident, serves on a variety of boards, including as vice president and vice chair of the St. Lucie County Education Foundation, according to his bio and the foundation's website. Taylor, who is married, lives in White City 'and cherishes the opportunity to work, live, and serve in the place he proudly calls home,' the bio states. 'He remains committed to representing the voices of Fort Pierce's residents and ensuring the city continues to thrive for generations to come,' the bio states. Taylor, a first term commissioner, defeated John Heaning during the general election. Taylor's arrest comes almost a year after the arrest of then Fort Pierce City Manager Nick Mimms on charges related to bid rigging and official misconduct. 'A huge loss': 'Epitome of what you'd want as an employee'; firefighter/paramedic remembered Federal case: 10 suspected undocumented immigrants apprehended in St. Lucie County turned over to feds Mimms, arrested in August 2024, worked for the city since 1998 in a variety of positions before becoming city manager. His case is continuing through the court system. During his tenure on the commission, Taylor has at times been a decisive swing vote, including in the decision to hire an outsider, Richard Chess, as city manager, rather than elevating City Clerk Linda Cox. The commission was split 2-2 on that decision, with Taylor eventually changing his vote from a third candidate to Chess. Taylor also led the successful push to oust former Fort Pierce Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney, with the search for her replacement still ongoing. (This story was updated with more information, video and gallery.) TCPalm staff writer Wicker Perlis contributed to this report 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 This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: City commissioner arrested; alleged improper relationship with teen
