Stet News

02/11/2025

The view along North Flagler Drive is about to look very different. Developers are planning 1,200 new condos and apartments - and that's just the beginning of what's changing in Palm Beach County.

This week Stet brings you:

👀 First look at Vanderbilt's lush $300M campus plans

🤝 How Safe Harbor found common ground in Riviera Beach

🎭 A $2M 'fairy godmother' gift for Maltz Theatre

🎨 Behind the scenes with local ArtiGras artists

Stet has the details that are shaping our community 👇

This month marks two years of the newsletter you are reading now. Thank you to supporters who were with us in February 2023 and to everyone who joined us along the way.  For you today: Look up in the sky, it’s more West Palm condos, Vanderbilt’s lush campus vision, Safe Harbor to expand in Rivi...

02/04/2025

🇺🇲 What should voters know about their candidates? Our latest report looks into the backgrounds of two Palm Beach Gardens City Council hopefuls ahead of the March election.

This story and more, this week from Stet:

⚖️ A federal judge quotes a science-fiction writer in ordering a new health care fraud trial

🏆 Stet brings home four Florida Press Club awards

💃🏾 Downtown WPB launches free performances for Black History Month

🎭 The story behind Maltz Jupiter Theatre's remarkable 20-year journey

Dive into these stories and more here 👇

Welcome back! For you today, two contenders for office in Palm Beach Gardens reflect on their past mistakes, a new trial for a former Palm Beach psychiatrist, a statewide journalism contest honors Stet News, a showcase of Black artists in West Palm Beach and a 20-year adventure at the Maltz Jupiter....

01/31/2025

🌟 New feature alert! This week we launched the Stet monthly roundup! 🌟

Catch up on January’s biggest stories from Stet with our new monthly newsletter:

✅ $10M committed to a mental health crisis center

✅ Palm Beach State College’s shiny new SoFi Center debut

✅ Noisy quiet zones

✅ Drama at G-Star School of the Arts

✅ Nonprofits’ “moon shot” for collaboration

Behind the Scenes: 🏆 Stet is a finalist in 3 Florida Press Club Awards! Shoutout to the Stet team and contributors. Winners announced soon!

📬 Subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive updates, news and stories you don't want to miss.

❤️ We’re proud to deliver news for people, not profit. Help us keep local journalism free and accessible. Support nonprofit local news.

🗓️ Welcome to Stet's newest feature: our monthly roundup. You can catch up on a month’s worth of news, and we’ll give you a look behind the scenes.

01/28/2025

We've got another packed edition for you this week from Stet:

⭐ G-Star Drama: The founder of G-Star School of the Arts is in a heated court battle to regain control of the school he started 20 years ago. Parking lot board meetings, fired management companies, and a judge’s order—this saga has it all.

🚨 Twisted Trunk’s Last Call: Say it ain’t so! Palm Beach Gardens’ beloved Twisted Trunk brewery is closing after a decade, thanks to rising rents. But their iconic brews will live on.

🏖️ Lake Worth Beach’s Big Decision: A $355M proposal for hotels and a redesigned golf course could reshape the beachfront—but voters might have the final say.

🏡 Juno Beach’s “Harmony” Debate: A 14,738-sq-ft oceanfront home got the green light, even after planners said it failed the “harmony test.” Turns out, harmony is subjective.

🐈 Adopt A Cat Turns 25! Celebrate this lifesaving nonprofit at their fundraiser Sunday! Dinner, music, and all the purrs.

👉 Stay informed, stay connected. Subscribe for weekly updates today!

We’re glad you’re here. For you today, a court drama at G-Star school, a Palm Beach Gardens brewer’s lament, Lake Worth Beach has another suitor, two Juno Beach oceanfront lots become one and a salute to cat lovers. ⭐ Existential drama at G-Star Greg Hauptner is fighting in court to win bac...

01/21/2025

Is it smart for nonprofits to pay staff as little as possible to show how frugally they can protect donor's money? Or is it counterproductive, assuring an endless cycle of staff, no institutional knowledge and sending a signal that the best and brightest need not apply? Dan Pallotta makes a compelling case for the latter in a presentation last week at the Kravis Center. Stet News was there.

Dan Pallotta urges Palm Beach County nonprofit leaders to embrace NASA-like coordination.

01/21/2025

The Waterway Cafe in Gardens is back after a 16-month closure for remodeling.

Waterway Cafe shows off new look in Palm Beach Gardens, reopening after 16-month closure for remodeling.

01/14/2025

This week's top stories from Stet:

🏌️ TGL's SoFi Center at Palm Beach State College made its debut. The $80M indoor golf arena drew nearly 1M TV viewers and 1,500 fans. Stet looks at how the college benefits. Tonight: Tiger Woods' Jupiter Links team takes the stage!

🏒 Big news for north county sports: A $40M two-rink ice complex is coming to Palm Beach Gardens, backed by a $10M pledge from billionaire Larry Robbins. Construction starts in June.

📚 The new $30M Canyon Branch Library is revolutionizing what a modern library can be - featuring the system's only drive-thru window, makerspace, and the largest community room in the county.

Plus:
- Riviera Beach March ballot shakeup: No mayoral candidates after court ruling
- Dr. Mark Agresti to get new trial in sober home case
- Christina Lambert and Gregg Weiss eye 2027 West Palm Beach mayoral race

Want the full stories? Read more and subscribe here 👇



https://stetnews.org/2025/01/14/pbscs-star-turn/

01/14/2025

👀 From ice hockey to pro golf, Palm Beach Gardens is transforming its sports landscape. But not everyone is cheering.

Plus: Why a doctor convicted of healthcare fraud might get a second chance, and 5 reasons to love PBC's newest library 📚

📧 Get tomorrow's Stet News newsletter delivered straight to your inbox - independent local news serving stories that matter to your neighborhood. Sign up, it's free!

https://stetnews.org

01/13/2025

🚲 ICYMI: West Palm Beach is making updates to its bike master plan and it's inviting residents to help. The proposal presented to city commissioners in November looks at improving bike travel and addressing bikeway connectivty throughout the city.

🗣 City officials will hear from residents at neighborhood meetings starting this week:

6 to 8 pm Wednesday, Jan. 15, City Hall.

6 to 8 pm Thursday, Jan. 16, South Olive Community Center.

6 to 8 pm Wednesday, Jan. 29, Fire Station No. 7, 8007 Okeechobee Blvd.

6 to 8 pm Thursday, Jan. 30, Center for Creative Education, 2400 MetroCentre Blvd.

6 to 8 pm Thursday, Feb. 13, Gaines Park.

Read more 👇

https://stetnews.org/2025/01/07/bicycle-master-plan-2025-west-palm-beach/

01/10/2025

📢 Palm Beach County takes action on mental health care.

ICYMI, this week we reported the County has committed $10M toward a new crisis care center that will transform how our community addresses mental health needs.

This $60M facility will offer:

🏥 24/7 crisis care
🚑 Mobile crisis teams
💚 Mental health & substance use treatment
👨‍⚕️ Primary care screening
🤝 Family support services

The Health Care District of Palm Beach County aims to open the facility by spring 2028, providing vital care regardless of patients' ability to pay.

"The revolving door is heartbreaking," said Assistant West Palm Beach Police Chief Tony Spatara, speaking about the current cycle of people being taken to jail or hospitals lacking specialized mental health facilities.

Crisis care center proposed for Palm Beach County; would cost $60 million; County Commission to contribute $10 million.

01/07/2025

An outpouring of support today for mental health care in Palm Beach County. It's costly, too. $60 million government-run central receiving facility. It gets the green light from county commissioners, plus $10 million. Stet News has the story.

Crisis care center proposed for Palm Beach County; would cost $60 million; County Commission to contribute $10 million.

01/07/2025

Stet is back this week with our first weekly newsletter of 2025!

🚨 We've got a packed edition for you today.

🏥 Mental health crisis care in Palm Beach County could see its biggest transformation yet, as a $60M proposal heads to County Commission today.

🎥 The next chapter for Palm Beach Photographic Centre

⚡️ Changes coming to your FPL bill

🚴🏽West Palm Beach's plan to make streets safer for cyclists

⛳️ The debut of indoor golf at Palm Beach State College

Read the rest at stetnews.org and learn how these changes impact you. 👇

The year is still new! For you today, centralizing mental health crisis care, what’s next for the departing Photographic Centre, a fallen star, remembering the father of Phillips Point and better bicycling. 🏥 Mental health care’s $60 million pitch: a crisis center Construction of a crisis car...

12/31/2024

2024 was quite a year for independent local news in Palm Beach County. Here's what your support helped Stet achieve:

😇 Stet News became a nonprofit
✨ Joined Institute for Nonprofit News
📱 New website at StetNews.org
🎓 Launched first internship program
🏆 Multiple Florida Press Club nominations
🧧 Awarded our first grants
🤝 Building local foundation support

As we head into 2025, we're doubling down on what matters. Click the link to learn more about our plans!

Your turn: What stories should we cover in 2025? Drop your ideas below 👇

Hello on the last morning of this incredibly newsworthy year. For you today, an extended thank you for everything you helped Stet achieve in 2024 and a look to the future. January April May July August October November December Resetting for the months ahead Just as 2025 will be a pivotal year for y...

12/24/2024

🙌As 2024 winds down, we’re looking back—and looking ahead.

This year, Stet News brought you stories that mattered most:

📰 10 exclusive reports that shaped Palm Beach County
🔮 Three pivotal stories setting the stage for 2025
🏗️ Major moves in local development

From impactful moments like the Dreyfoos shooting investigation and Palm Beach County's addiction crisis response, to stories of hope like tiny homes for the homeless—we’ve kept you informed and inspired.

We're reflecting on the moments that defined our community.

Read the full wrap-up 👇

❤️ Welcome to our top Stet News stories of the year.  For you, we present 10 exclusive Stet reports from 2024, three stories that will shape 2025 and a remembrance of courage for Chanukah. Dreyfoos shooting: The 2-minute clash that ended Romen Phelps’ life Feb. 16, 2024 On his last day alive,...

12/17/2024

Big changes coming to Belle Glade's healthcare landscape 🏥

Exclusive: Tampa General Hospital is expanding its Palm Beach County footprint to Belle Glade's Lakeside Medical Center.

What does this mean for western communities?

The $600K deal aims to enhance healthcare delivery in an historically underserved area. Get the full story and more in this week's newsletter from Stet. ⬇️

Welcome to our last newsletter of 2024. For you today, Tampa General Hospital expands its footprint, an ice rink is prevailing over a skateboard park, Palm Beach-Lake Worth battle over dump trucks on the beach and SunFest tries for a management role. 🏥 Exclusive: Tampa General’s next stop — B...

12/11/2024

ICYMI: How a $19M deal just saved one of South Florida's last pieces of the Everglades. 🌿

A maverick land buyer who turned quiet wetlands into a weekend warrior playground just struck a massive deal with Martin County and South Florida Water Management District.

The numbers:

$18.8M in cash
2,000+ acres changing hands
From $2,000 lots to $19,000 per acre

The twist? While this ends his Martin County buying spree, he's still active in Palm Beach County... and just sold a parcel there for $79,000 per acre 👀

Read our exclusive deep dive into the deal that's reshaping Pal-Mar:

Thousands of acres change hands as Martin County and South Florida Water Management District consolidate holdings in threatened wetlands just north of the Palm Beach County border.

12/10/2024

You'd think a local hospital chain would want to explain why its five local hospitals all scored so poorly on a national ranking. But they didn't. See the story by Stet's Jane Musgrave here:

Jupiter Medical Center is the lone A grade in annual rankings by The Leapfrog Group.

12/10/2024

🗞 STET EXCLUSIVE: A new deal to save precious South Florida wetlands. Our weekly roundup:

🤝 The $18.8M agreement that's reshaping Pal-Mar's future

Which local hospital got Palm Beach County's only 'A' grade (and which 5 got D's and F's 😳)

👀 Why every Riviera Beach mayoral candidate just got knocked off the ballot

🅿️ The end of free parking in downtown Lake Worth Beach?

Get your Stet: Smart local news for you👇

https://stetnews.org/2024/12/10/wetlands-saved/