2 dead in plane crash that departed from Vero Beach

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 ...

No injuries after plane crash-lands at Vero airport

VERO BEACH — A pilot escaped injury after the landing gear on a plane malfunctioned, causing the aircraft to crash-land Monday on a runway at the airport, officials said. The unidentified pilot landed the plane with its landing gear retracted, authorities said. The eight-passenger plane "basically slid on its belly," Indian River County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Kyle Kofke said. "Great job by the pilot," Kofke said about the aircraft being landed safely. Federal Aviation Administration officials identified the plane as a single-engine Piper PA-31. Fire crews responded to the incident at 3:20 p.m. at the Vero Beach Regional Airport, 3400 Cherokee Drive, west of U.S. 1, Kofke said. Kofke said the pilot, a man, was the only person on ...

Community Development Department closes in-person services

The Community Development Department closed in-person services Monday as county officials implement more health precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Officials plan to add more physical barriers to the front counters inside the building, which already has temperature scanners installed. County employees and those who visit county facilities are already required to wear masks inside. County Administrator Jason Brown was not immediately available to confirm reports that six employees in the Community Development Department tested positive for the virus. Further details on the employees were not available. The Community Development Department includes current development, code enforcement, long range planning and fire safety divisions. The physical offices will be closed to the public possibly for a week, but residents can ...