Big league benefit
Lake Charles resident support
A3
North of the border
Pueblo Viejo in St. Lucie West
B1
B4
No goulash
Hungarian ensemble at IRSC
ST. LUCIE WEST • TRADITION
YourVoiceWeekly.com VOL. 2 / ISSUE 4
YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2013
Ain’t no sunshine
Three council members charged with violating records law Nicole Rodriguez Staff writer
nrodriguez@YourVoiceWeekly.com
PORT ST. LUCIE — Nine months after his sudden release from position as city manager, the ghost of Greg Oravec has returned to haunt the Port St. Lucie City Council. On Monday, three council members, including the mayor, were charged with both criminal and civil infractions for violating the state’s open records law, known as Sunshine Law, in connection with Oravec’s February release, documents from the state attorney’s office state. Councilman Ron Bowen was charged with a second-degree misdemeanor for attending a meeting of the council on Feb. 2 through an intermediary, city attorney Roger Orr, during which two or more members of the council took official action about offering Oravec a severance package, state attorney Bruce Colton said. Bowen, who will be arraigned on Dec. 4, faces up to 60 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $500. He was arrested on Nov. 19 and then re-
leased. Mayor JoAnn Faiella was charged with two civil infractions. The first for deleting text messages and a second for communicating through Orr, documents state. CounCouncilman Ron Bowen cilwoman Shannon Martin was charged with a civil infraction for destroying text messages. Each infraction carries a penalty of a fine of up to
See SUNSHINE page A6
Digital Domain still city burden Nicole Rodriguez Staff writer
nrodriguez@YourVoiceWeekly.com
TRADITION — The Digital Domain saga continues. Just last week, a cash deal for $14 million fell through, city officials said. “I think it fell through because
we refused to do an extension,” interim city manager Jeff Bremer said. “We refused to do an extension without putting up some money at this point in time.” The buyer, businessman Richard Friedberg, wanted a fourmonth extension, Bremer said.
See BURDEN page A7
Mitch Kloorfain/chief photographer Former Port St. Lucie city manager Greg Oravec made his first appearance as a citizen of the community to speak during open comments during the city council meeting Monday, Nov. 25. During the same meeting the discussion of charges filed by the state attorney’s office against council members Ron Bowen, Shannon Martin and Mayor JoAnn Faiella for violating Sunshine Laws regarding the dismissal of former city manager Greg Oravec last February.
Congressman working for clean water busted for dirty habit Nicole Rodriguez Staff writer
nrodriguez@YourVoiceWeekly.com
TREASURE COAST — U.S. Rep. Henry “Trey” Radel, R-Fort Myers, well-known on the Treasure Coast for working alongside U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter, to save the pollution-plagued St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers,
has taken a leave of absence after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of cocaine possession in a Washington, D.C., court last week. Radel, who was sentenced to one year of probation on Nov. 20, said he will be receiving intensive inpatient treatment in Florida for a longstanding alcohol and drug
See COKE page A4
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