Under the Oaks Fine Arts & Crafts Show, March 12-14 at Riverside Park in Vero Beach

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, ...

Man in custody; 2 hurt in Sunday double shooting, deputies say

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A man is in custody after a double shooting Sunday that left two people seriously hurt, deputies said. Indian River County deputies responded to the shooting about 1 p.m. Sunday inside a home in the 1300 block of 20th Court Southwest, southwest of Osceola Magnet School, sheriff's spokesman Maj. Eric Flowers said. Deputies ran inside the residence to treat two victims - another man and a woman, Flowers said. The victims - both with serious injuries - were taken by ambulances to hospitals. The woman was taken to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, Flowers said. The man was transported to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce. The identities of the victims and ...

‘No swimming’ advisory lifted for beaches, officials say

VERO BEACH — Authorities lifted a 'no swimming' advisory for three local beaches Tuesday after test samples showed that bacteria returned to normal levels, health department and city officials said. The result means it was safe to return to the water Tuesday, Vero Beach city officials said. The advisory - which was in place for nearly a week - was issued Jan. 31 for South Beach, Humiston Beach and Sexton Plaza Beach after high levels of fecal-related bacteria were reported at the locations. Environmental specialists with the Florida Department of Health in Indian River County collected water samples at the beaches Monday and on Jan. 28. The more recent collection of samples - tested at the Flowers Chemical Laboratory in Port St. ...