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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, ...

Basketball-spinning, dunks and more as iconic Harlem Globetrotters visit SRHS

SEBASTIAN — Luke Laoutas was excited when the Harlem Globetrotters picked him out of a crowd of several hundred people to come to the court. With a little help from the exhibition-style basketball team, the energetic 8-year-old made a shot from the free-throw line while blindfolded. Cheers from the audience flooded the indoor-gym as the Globetrotters gave Laoutas - who was still smiling- an autographed jersey. "It was pretty cool," said Laoutas, who lives in Port St. Lucie and plays basketball and hockey. Laoutas' mom, Mary Huffstetter, of Port St. Lucie, said watching her son interact with the iconic Globetrotters in front of hundreds was a dream come true. "I watched the Harlem Globetrotters years ago," Huffstetter said. "I love ...

‘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. ...