Latest news with #MartinCounty


Fox News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Florida AG invites people to alert his office if their ex is in US illegally: 'We'd be happy to assist'
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has invited people to tip off his office if their ex is in the U.S. illegally. "We recently got a tip from someone whose abusive ex overstayed a tourism visa. He is now cued up for deportation. If your ex is in this country illegally, please feel free to reach out to our office. We'd be happy to assist," Uthmeier wrote on X. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security retweeted Uthmeier's post and shared the phone number for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement tip line. "From domestic abuser to deported loser. ICE Tip Line: 866-DHS-2-ICE," the DHS post reads. Uthmeier took office as the Sunshine State's attorney general earlier this year after being tapped for the role by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The governor had the opportunity to place Uthmeier in the post because he picked Ashley Moody, who had been serving as Florida attorney general, to replace Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate. Rubio departed the Senate because President Donald Trump selected him to serve as Secretary of State. "Florida sets the standard for assisting the Trump administration in enforcing federal immigration law," Uthmeier wrote in another X post on Tuesday. "Great job, FHP!" he added. He made the comment when retweeting a post from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which read, "In Martin County, the Florida Highway Patrol arrested 6 Guatemalan nationals at one traffic stop. If you're an illegal immigrant in the state of Florida, it's time to go."
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Yahoo
Stuart man jailed on felony charge related to thefts at Home Depot
STUART — A Stuart man is in jail on a felony charge related to thefts from a Home Depot in June and July, according to arrest affidavits. Brendan Colin Milligan, 43, of Stuart, was charged with seven counts of felony petty theft with two or more prior convictions, and resisting a merchant while committing a theft, according to his arrest affidavit. He was taken into custody on July 4 and is in the Martin County Jail on $20,000 bond. Milligan does not have an attorney and will be representing himself, according to the Martin County Clerk of Courts. On June 25 the Stuart Police Department received a report about a bicycle being stolen from an enclosed patio on June 12. The person who reported the theft did not want the suspect arrested, according to police. Officers searched a database that tracks pawn transactions. Nothing came up for the suspect selling a bicycle, but officers found pawn slips for the man selling a Milwaukee chainsaw and a hedge trimmer in Stuart. The officer knew Milwaukee was a brand sold primarily by Home Depot, and reached out about a possible theft. After looking at security footage, they found a video of a man leaving the store with two Milwaukee tools without paying. The Milwaukee tools totaled $298. The loss prevention representative of Home Depot and two officers reviewed the video footage and determined the man was Milligan, who had been convicted in the past on similar charges, according to his arrest affidavit. Martin County: Former Lee County deputy jailed in sex-related case after Martin sheriff's investigation Martin County: 'We have to work together to prevent these tragedies:' Safety tips after drownings On July 4, the representative approached Milligan in the store and called him out by name, causing him to flee the scene. He was taken into custody later that day by Stuart Police. The representative continued to investigate, and reported additional thefts at the Home Depot for which Milligan was accused. During the investigation, detectives found Milligan had been convicted of 16 counts of petty theft in December 2023, according to the Martin County Clerk of Courts. Olivia Franklin is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Olivia on X @Livvvvv_5 or reach her by phone at 317-627-8048. E-mail her at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Man jailed on felony charge related to thefts in Stuart


New York Times
06-07-2025
- Health
- New York Times
‘Tears My Heart to Pieces': North Carolina Braces for Medicaid Cuts
The only hospital in Martin County, N.C., closed in 2023, but the electricity is still on inside. Air conditioning continues to keep its empty patient rooms cool. And the county still pays the bills for the building's medical gas system. That is because the people of Martin County, in rural eastern North Carolina, have been determined to keep the beige brick building from deteriorating — and to somehow reopen their hospital, which had been struggling financially for years. When North Carolina expanded Medicaid later in 2023, after the hospital shuttered, offering government health insurance to the state's low-income adults, Martin County saw an opportunity. Plans materialized to partly reopen the hospital, largely because federal dollars were pouring into the state to cover patients' care under Medicaid. But those plans are now in jeopardy, as is Medicaid coverage for hundreds of thousands of North Carolina residents, after Congress passed President Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill. To help pay for tax cuts, the bill slashes federal spending on Medicaid, leaving states that expanded the program under Obamacare in a particularly difficult spot. If Medicaid expansion is eliminated in North Carolina, Martin General Hospital almost surely will not reopen — 'a catastrophic and deadly consequence,' said Paul Roberson, a real estate agent and community leader in Williamston, where a sign in front of the hospital reads, 'CLOSED. If you need immediate assistance, dial 911.' 'Not having the hospital here is costing lives,' Mr. Roberson said, noting that the nearest hospital was about a 30-minute drive away. 'This is the most important thing for us.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Florida's last House of Refuge history museum in Stuart closed for $1.79 million repair
The House of Refuge at Gilbert's Bar in Stuart is undergoing a $1.79 million renovation. Built in 1876, it's the oldest building in Martin County and perhaps the Treasure Coast, and it's the last of 10 lifesaving stations on Florida's east coast where shipwreck survivors recuperated from their ordeal. It will reopen early next year after closing June 1 for its biggest and most expensive renovation, which will include a new roof, revived main deck and other structural improvements, according to county spokesperson Martha Kneiss. The building, at 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., has undergone much restoration work in the past 149 years and was even moved inland about 30 feet to protect it from encroaching high tides. It was closed for about a year in 1998, when a $400,000 restoration included new signs, exhibits, accessibility and cultural recognition, according to Catherine Larsen, the keeper of the house. Previous restorations have restored the roof, siding, watchtower, north-side chimney and termite-ridden wood that included Dade County pine. House of Refuge: History museum has seen better days, but don't count it out Photo gallery: See changes during 2022 restoration The house was converted into a museum in the 1950s. A boathouse built in 1935 has been used as a gift shop. Another building is used for lectures, luncheons and other events. Martin County rents the grounds for weddings. The basement under the porch contains historical exhibits dating from before European settlers to the World War II era. The Coast Guard used the watchtower to check for enemy ships and submarines offshore during WWII. Martin County is paying for the restoration. The Historical Society of Martin County manages the House of Refuge as well as the Elliott Museum. Valeria Bartra is TCPalm's intern. Contact her at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida House of Refuge history museum in Stuart closed for renovation


The Independent
17-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Missing teen rescued a mile off the Florida coast clinging to his body board
A teenager in Florida whose family feared he'd drowned in the ocean was found nearly a mile from shore clinging to a body board, according to a local report. Over the weekend, a family in Martin County reported that their son was missing. The family told investigators they were at the beach and, at some point, lost sight of the 15-year-old after he went under water. A large search effort was organized that included Ocean Rescue lifeguards, a dive team, the Martin County Sheriff's Office, Martin County Fire Rescue, Jupiter Island Public Safety and the U.S. Coast Guard. The searchers looked for more than an hour before a private captain from TowBoat U.S. happened to spot the teen, according to CBS 12 News. "Oh my God, I found him. I was just scanning the water. I looked directly north and all I saw was the top of his hand waving over the waves," Captain Ryan Foster said, recalling the moment he located the teen to reporters. He said he found the teen hanging onto his boogie board and still wearing his goggles and snorkeling fins. "He was resting his arms up on the boogie board. He was trying to tread water best he could. He had to have been out there, probably well over an hour at that point. So he was definitely getting a little winded, a little tired treading the water," Foster said. The captain said the teenager had a reasonable request. "The only thing he said to me was 'I would like a ride back to shore, please,'" Foster said. After the rescue, the teenager was medically cleared and was reunited with his family. First responders said that he was pulled unusually far away by the ocean currents and called the fact that he was able to be found a miracle. 'We're actually calling this a miracle recovery, because usually when someone gets pulled away, they kinda stay in the general area depending on the wind and the currents. But he unfortunately got pulled very far away and by the grace of God, he was able to stay afloat,' Martin County Fire Rescue District Chief Joshua Shell told reporters.