Rally for the manatees held in Stuart
Saturday, environmentalists rallied for the health of area waterways that manatees call home.
and last updated 2021-05-01 18:29:51-04
STUART, Fla. â There have been a record number of manatee deaths in Florida so far this year.
Saturday, environmentalists rallied for the health of area waterways that these creatures call home.
Advocates say the Indian River Lagoon is one of Florida s most important estuaries. But they said it has suffered a series of harmful algal blooms that could be leading to a major decrease in seagrass, an important food source for manatees.
They raised awareness through a rally that was held at the Ernie Lyons bridge in Stuart. It was put on by River Kidz, part of the Rivers Coalition. Their aim is to stop freshwater discharges into the St. Lucie River from Lake Okeechobee that often have negative impacts in the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Lucie Estuary.
FORT PIERCE Moving the wastewater treatment plant from Hutchinson Island to Glades Cut-Off Road could take six years, cost $156 million, create nearly 600 jobs and increase customers bills by over $2 a month, according to a plan unveiled Monday.
The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority wastewater treatment plant could be moved off the Indian River Lagoon, where it s been for 62 years, to the Treasure Coast Energy Center by 2027, according to a six-year plan that calls for construction to begin 2024.
FPUA would pay 70%, or $109 million, while St. Lucie County would pay 30%, or $47 million, said Bo Hutchinson, FPUA s director of water and wastewater systems.
To defray those costs, monthly bills could increase an estimated $2.42 for the county s 9,000 customers and $2.13 for FPUA s 15,000 customers over the next five years.
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PARKERSBURG The Parkersburg Fire Department and the Mid-Ohio Valley Platoon of the Marine Corps Veterans Association will collect toys to be distributed to children age 3-to-10 years for Christmas from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the Parkersburg Fire Department Station 1 at city hall, Third and Avery streets.
Members of the platoon will collect the toys at the car window and take it inside the station so firefighters will be free in the event of a call, Bernie Lyons with the platoon said.
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