Stet NewsSummer is upon us, but there is no slow season for news. For you today, official business vs. personal errand; Project Tango tug-of-war; how the White House swayed a County Commission race; all of your midterm candidates; and our Father’s Day steak price check.
🚁 Mayor’s ‘sightseeing’ on PBSO chopper
A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office helicopter landing at Palm Beach International Airport. (Photo: PBIA Facebook)
A sheriff’s office sergeant has been disciplined for forcing agency helicopter pilots to provide what was deemed a late-night “sightseeing tour” for Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter in January, a sheriff’s report shows.
Sgt. Bert Gaudreau, who is involved with providing security for Baxter, also was investigated for ordering an agent to drive Baxter to the national collegiate football championship at the Hard Rock Stadium three days after the unauthorized helicopter ride.
But Baxter said she was meeting with “other dignitaries” at the game in Miami Gardens for “undisclosed official business,” and the sergeant was cleared of wrongdoing.
Why it matters: Both incidents were initially investigated as a breach of policies that prohibit the use of the sheriff’s resources for private gain. Deputies assigned to the county commissioners’ security detail must know the difference between official business and personal errands, but if a commissioner claims a trip is for official business, they have to believe her.
What they’re saying: Baxter didn’t respond to a request for comment to explain what “official business” was discussed at the game.
She and her husband joined Gov. Ron DeSantis to watch the game from the suite of Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.
- Ross, a Palm Beach billionaire, is reshaping Palm Beach County through his development company, Related Ross.
What they found: Investigators said there was no justification for Baxter’s 18-minute ride in one of the agency’s twin-engine Bell 429 helicopters that burns between $550 and $750 fuel an hour.
- Gaudreau violated departmental rules when he demanded the pilots take Baxter on a “sightseeing” flight that was to include a flyover of her home in The Acreage.
- Investigators recommended he receive counseling.
Zoom in: Pilot Christopher Cameron told investigators he felt pressured and intimidated by the sergeant to give Baxter a ride.
- He added that Gaudreau insinuated that Baxter, as county mayor, approved PBSO’s budget so she should be accommodated.
- The other pilot, Michael Dever, recalled the sergeant making some of the same comments. But he told investigators that he thought the sergeant was joking.
Of note: The report said Baxter wasn’t involved in the discussions between the sergeant and the pilots.
Keep reading for more on the ride and the game and security details for county commissioners at StetNews.org.
— Jane Musgrave
⚔️ Dueling owners go to court over Project Tango
The entryway, left, leads into the property north of Southern Boulevard at 20-Mile Bend where developers want to build a data center. The FPL plant is at top left. (Screenshot: WPBF Channel 25)
The owner of 60 acres on the 202-acre site under consideration for the Project Tango hyperscale data center has sued the property’s longtime owner to block its master plan.
The company, WPB Logistics Owner, wants to instead move forward on its proposal for 1.15 million square feet of data center buildings on land previously approved for warehouses.
Why it matters: If the court grants WPB Logistics’ emergency injunction, it could block public hearings planned for July and make the first set of data center approvals subject to nothing more than a county staff review.
Catch up quick: The property’s longtime owner, PBA Holdings, is preparing to make its case to increase the amount of development allowed on the site from 2.02 million square feet to 3.4 million. It offered to reduce its data center request to 1 million square feet from 1.8 million. Most of the rest of the site would be set aside for warehouses.
- The first hearing would be July 2 in front of the Palm Beach County Zoning Commission, which approved an initial plan on Dec. 4.
- For final approval, the master plan would go before the Palm Beach County Commission, acting as the zoning board, on July 15.
- Residents from the neighboring Arden community as well as residents countywide are prepared to pack the meetings to oppose the proposals.
Yes, but: Even if the court doesn’t act in time and the County Commission rejects the application, a data center still could be built.
- The property already is approved for warehouse development, which can be shifted to data centers under an administrative review to assure that all zoning regulations are met.
The bottom line: The lawsuit indicates a deep rift between the buyer of the land, WPB Logistics, and the seller, PBA Holdings. It even indicates that last November the seller, PBA Holdings, looked to pay nearly $130 million to WPB Logistics to void the contract. But that didn’t happen.
Read more about how WPB Logistics justifies judicial intervention in its business deal with PBA Holdings at StetNews.org.
— Joel Engelhardt
🐘 Behind Baxter’s backflip
Sara Baxter, now the county mayor, at a June 2025 County Commission meeting. (Screenshot: PBC Channel 20)
When Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter late Thursday reversed a 4-day-old decision to run for Congress and revived her County Commission reelection campaign, she said she was following the wishes of President Donald Trump.
That night, Trump posted a glowing endorsement of Baxter on his Truth Social platform, asking her to remain on the County Commission.
Behind the scenes: Trump’s post merely gave Baxter a way to save face, three political insiders independently told Stet News.
Earlier in the day, White House officials told Baxter they wouldn’t endorse her in the congressional race and wouldn’t promise not to endorse one of the seven Republican candidates vying for the newly drawn District 22 U.S. House seat, they said.
Why it matters: Without Trump’s endorsement, it would have been difficult — if not impossible — for Baxter to win in the sprawling Republican-leaning district that extends from western Palm Beach and Broward counties to Marco Island south of Naples on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Yes, but: Trump’s post wasn’t completely disingenuous. Powerful people in the county had appealed to the president to take steps to ensure Baxter remained on the commission to help them push through projects they want, said the political insiders, who requested anonymity because they feared retribution.
What’s next: Baxter has one Republican opponent in the Aug. 18 primary, Elizabeth Accomando.
- Baxter has $147,000 in her reelection war chest, according to the county supervisor of elections. Accomando, by comparison, has raised $44,000.
- Baxter also has a political action committee where donations aren’t limited to $1,000 per election cycle. Her committee, Friends of Sara Baxter, has amassed $355,230, state records show.
Three Democrats also qualified: Mario Guzman, Rudolph Tinker and Katherine Waldron.
Keep reading to learn more about who is bankrolling Baxter’s PAC at StetNews.org.
– Jane Musgrave
🇺🇸 2026 midterms promise a wild ride
School Board Members Edwin Ferguson and Karen Brill are reelected. (Photos: Palm Beach County School District)
Most of the races in the 2026 midterms in Palm Beach County are contested but two School Board members won their seats Friday when no one ran against them.
Catch up quick: Karen Brill, the board’s chair, and Edwin Ferguson, a Riviera Beach lawyer, were reelected without opposition. Two other School Board seats are hotly contested.
Yes, but: That’s not all. From governor and U.S. senator to county commissioner and port commission, voters will have choices in the Aug. 18 primary and the Nov. 3 general election.
Here are some races worth watching:
Florida governor: With Gov. Ron DeSantis unable to run again because of term limits, 28 people filed to run for governor, including 11 Republicans and six Democrats. Among frontrunners: Southwest Florida Republican U.S. Rep Byron Donalds and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins. On the Democratic side, former Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly. See the list of candidates here.
U.S. Senate: Ashley Moody, appointed to fill the vacancy left by Marco Rubio’s elevation to secretary of state, faces a light primary test. Her likely November opponent, Democrat Alex Vindman, the former National Security Council official who came to prominence during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment hearing, is challenged by state Rep. Angie Nixon of Jacksonville.
U.S. House Districts 20, 22 and 23:
- Will Broward Democrat U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz win the predominantly Black Broward-Palm Beach District 20? She faces former District 20 U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, forced to resign after a corruption probe; former rapper Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell; former Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness; and Elijah Manley.
- Who will get President Donald Trump’s endorsement in the Republican-leaning District 22, which includes western reaches of Palm Beach and Broward County and crosses the state to Marco Island? County Commissioner Sara Baxter flirted with a bid but pulled back when it became apparent she wouldn’t get Trump’s endorsement. The Republicans running are Casey Askar, David Burck, Michael Carbonara, Terri Hasdorff, Belinda Keiser, Michael Thompson and Richard Evans.
- Will Democrat Lois Frankel get elected again? She faces a challenge in the House District 23 primary from Lake Worth Beach attorney Victoria Doyle, and two Republicans are running, Deborah Adeimy and Paola Branda.
See the state’s list of qualified candidates here.
See the county’s list of qualified candidates here.
Read more about the races set up for showdowns in August and November at StetNews.org.
— Joel Engelhardt
🍊The Juice
(State Archives of Florida/Four H Sales Company)
⚕️ Florida is requiring every active Medicaid provider in the state to comply with enhanced scrutiny, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last week in West Palm Beach. Investigators uncovered more than a dozen staged operations created to steal from the program, state leaders said. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
✍🏼 Florida TaxWatch’s annual list of state budget turkeys includes agriculture and parks projects in Palm Beach County. Gov. Ron DeSantis has line-item veto power over the $114.5 billion 2026-27 budget the Legislature passed last month. (TaxWatch report)
🚨 In her testimony to Congress, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime personal assistant, Sarah Kellen, disclosed that Epstein’s preferential treatment at the Palm Beach County jail may have been the result of him paying off Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies. (Miami Herald $$$)
💰 Palm Beach County commissioners voted unanimously last week to ask voters to pay up to $175 million to issue bonds to upgrade the library system and $275 million to upgrade parks. Repayment of the bonds would come from property taxes. (Library item, parks item)
🏝️ A community meeting with developers of the Singer Island Gateway condo project is planned at 6 pm Thursday at St. James Church, 1524 W. 35th St., in Riviera Beach. In March, Stet News wrote about the proposed high-rise on the Intracoastal Waterway.
✈️ The Federal Aviation Administration acted unlawfully when it put into place restrictions and procedures to keep planes from flying over Mar-a-Lago, attorneys argued in a new federal court filing. And, the filing claims, the FAA did so while knowing that new flight paths would affect more neighborhoods and possibly create safety issues. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
🍽️ The Lake Worth Beach City Commission will discuss the future of two popular waterfront restaurants on public property.
- Commissioners could decide whether to seek proposals for a new long-term lease at the municipal golf course restaurant, operated since 2013 as The Beach Club.
- They also will consider a request by Benny’s on the Beach to extend its lease on the municipal pier for another 10 years. (Lake Worth Beach Independent $$$)
🏗️ The general contractor of the $400 million Nautilus 220 in Lake Park filed a legal claim against developer Forest Development for $11.4 million. Kast Construction’s CEO did not immediately comment.
- Forest Development managing partner Peter Baytarian said the lien stems from a dispute over the condo project’s “final contract amount, change orders and contractor delay claims.” (The Real Deal)
🗳️ The Palm Beach County supervisor of elections is offering free tours of the main elections office this month. Participants can see voting equipment and ballot security procedures. (Register here)
🎂 The Palm Beach County Public Library has dozens of free events planned to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. Learn about our civil liberties, stories of our nation’s veterans and even how to craft patriotic decorations. (Library system’s website)
🌳 A green giant has fallen in Lake Worth Beach. Kick back with this engaging readabout a Lake Worth Beach landmark, one of the largest trees of its kind in Florida, that is being removed after safety concerns forced the city to approve its chopping. (Lake Worth Beach Independent)
🎙️ “Top of Mind Florida,” the podcast by Michael Williams and Brian Crowley, focuses on Florida’s road to November with their analysis of races from governor to U.S. House. (Listen now; watch after 4 pm today.)
561NSIDER: 🥩 Beefed up Father’s Day prices
Pink Steak lets steaks rest before carving to serve. (Photo: Courtesy Pink Steak)
Steak lovers may be in for sticker shock if they’re taking Dad out for Father’s Day meals on Sunday.
The price of beef across the nation has soared in the past few months.
- Steakhouse owners can’t absorb the costs and still make money, so menu prices have to go up.
- Consumers will either face higher prices or smaller portions with fewer add-ons to compensate.
- The reasons range from tariffs to smaller herds to increased business costs, such as rent, for restaurants.
Why it matters: It’s steak season. Father’s Day and Memorial Day signal bigger sales for steaks, either in restaurants or on the backyard grill.
What prices are like now: Stet News took a look at area steak menus and found a variety of quality and prices, ranging from an $18 U.S. choice steak dinner at a chain restaurant to $240 for a 16-ounce Japanese Miyazaki steak at a Palm Beach steakhouse.
Read more for a list of steakhouses, their prices and what they offer at StetNews.org.
— Jan Norris
