PHOTOS: 75 kids participate in Sebastian’s Halloween Costume Contest

Guns stolen in burglaries in Central Beach

VERO BEACH - Thieves broke into two Central Beach homes earlier this month, and owners reported five firearms were stolen in the June 7th and June 10th thefts. Residents are concerned about the break-ins and hope this summer is not a repeat of last year when burglars also targeted the area. Thieves last year hit Central Beach homes without dogs when residents were away for the evening or a weekend, and concentrated on stealing household jewelry. Residents learned at a Vero Beach Police Department sponsored neighborhood crime watch meeting last week that two handguns were stolen in a mid-afternoon burglary of a home in the 700 block of Silver Shores Road. Three days later, three shotguns were reported stolen from ...

Vero Beach Council taking hard look at pricey consultants

VERO BEACH - After spending $50,000 in one month on electric consultants and waiting for the mounting bills to arrive for water-sewer projects, the Vero Beach City Council is doing a gut-check about how much "expert" advice it needs and how much to spend for it. The pressing concerns for Vero are whether and how to divest itself of its electric, water and sewer utilities. Urged by those resistant to change to pay as much as necessary for "due diligence," and prodded by those anxious to get Vero Beach out of the utility business to forge ahead, the Vero City Council is relying on GAI Consultants to provide appraisals and guidance about its electric, water and sewer systems. This week, ...

City of Vero Beach seeking new, permanent legal counsel

VERO BEACH -- The City of Vero Beach has been without a permanent City Attorney since March, but the search is on to replace Charles Vitunac. With four members remaining after Councilman Brian Heady excused himself late into Tuesday's regular meeting, the Vero Beach City Council voted 3-1 to begin advertising for a new City Attorney. Councilwoman Tracy Carroll had tried to bring the issue up at the last city council meeting under a discussion of charter officers. Vice Mayor Pilar Turner supported the effort, but it was decided that the public had not been noticed that the council would be taking up the matter. This time, Carroll requested the item be placed on the agenda and properly noticed so ...