Central Beach Neighborhood Watch meeting July 14 at Christ by the Sea Church

Low beach attendance for January; no water rescues

VERO BEACH — While chilly temperatures caused a drop in beach attendance last month, lifeguards are happy to report that there were no water rescues that occurred in January. "It's a great thing," Vero Beach Lifeguard Association officials said in a statement. "We hope people are paying attention to lifeguards and condition signs before they go into the water." The Vero Beach Lifeguard Association recently released its monthly report for the beaches at Jaycee Park, Humiston Park and South Beach Park. Lifeguards said about 54,105 beachgoers flocked to the shore in January. The highest beach-attendance record of 65,700 was set in 2019 for Vero Beach, lifeguards said. The record low for beach attendance was set in 2016 with 36,000 people, ...

11-year-old breaks into church, steals laptop on Christmas Day

GIFFORD — An 11-year-old who deputies said broke into a church and stole a laptop on Christmas Day, was detained. Deputies also arrested the boy's mother after saying she failed to report the boy as missing. The Gifford youth told deputies he stole the $700 laptop because "he wanted something to play with," reports show. Deputies said the juvenile was a runaway. An arrest report noted the incident took place at St. Peter's Missionary Baptist Church, located just south of St. Peter's Academy. Both facilities have the same address at 4250 38th Avenue, Gifford. The report indicated the child previously attended the church or school, but it was unclear which one. Deputies charged the youth with burglary of a structure ...

Slight dip for July beach attendance compared to last year

VERO BEACH — Beachgoers are hitting the shores this summer all while practicing social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. The city's three guarded beaches had a slight dip in attendance numbers in July compared to last year, according to a Vero Beach Lifeguard Association report. Last month, 86,095 people flocked to Jaycee Park Beach, Humiston Park Beach and South Beach Park, lifeguards said. This number is less than the 86,686 beachgoers who hit the sand in July 2019. In July of 2018, the city set an attendance record when the beaches had 93,000 visitors, lifeguards said. Lifeguards said the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing concerns may be a contributing factor to a decline in attendance from residents and tourists. Beach ...