EVENT: Inaugural Oktoberfest presented by the Junior League of Indian River

County announces beach closures ahead of beach restoration project

At least two beaches will be closed starting this weekend ahead of the beach restoration project, which will start back up next week, county officials said. The project aims to restore sand - which had been washed away by storms and hurricanes over the years - at the beaches. Beach park access at Seagrape Trail Beach Access and Treasure Shores Park Beach will both close starting Friday, county officials said. Seagrape Trail Beach is located south of Wabasso Beach, off Highway A1A. Treasure Shores Park Beach is located north of Wabasso Beach. Construction at Treasure Shores Park Beach - which will start Nov. 1 - was expected to last for 45 days. Crews will finish dumping 30,000 cubic yards of ...

Noted South Florida landscape architect designs native plant garden at county administration complex

A noted South Florida landscape architectural firm has teamed up with Pelican Island Audubon Society and Indian River County to design a native plant garden that will be installed at the entrance to the main county administration building. Approved unanimously by the county commission last week, the garden is intended “to provide a striking visual example of the ecological and aesthetic value of native plants,” according to Stephanie Dunn, an architect with Cadence Landscape Architects, which is known for high-profile projects in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, including Tarpon Landing, FATVillage Arts District and URBIN Retreat Miami Beach. “There are 21 native species of plants included within the 1,125-square-foot garden. They were carefully chosen for their ecological benefits, such as providing ...

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, ...