Brush fire threatened Fellsmere homes

County damage from tornadoes at least $55M and growing

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — One week after at least three tornadoes wreaked havoc in the county and destroyed dozens of homes, county officials now have an estimate of damages. The number is at least $55 million...for now, county officials said. "(The number) will grow but not exponentially," Indian River County Commissioner Joe Flescher said on Wednesday. "We checked infrastructures, roadways, households and businesses." Flescher said the estimate includes damages to public and private sectors. The commissioner said the county has an assessment team surveying the damages. County officials, nonprofit organizations and volunteers have been providing resources, including comfort centers, free roof tarps, a multi-agency resource center, emergency shelter, help with FEMA assistance and more to help those impacted by the ...

Passion builds as soccer academy brings free program to Fellsmere

On any given Friday, the enthusiasm builds as the young team members race across the manicured fields to play their favorite sport at Fellsmere Elementary School. Loud cheers echo throughout the campus as players effortlessly kick the soccer balls until they rocket into the goal nets.  Head coach Ian Brice’s mission is simple; He wants the young athletes to have fun at the free program, made possible through donations from Indian River Shores residents.    “No lines, no laps, no lectures. No one wants to stand in the hot sun listening to the coach. No one wants to stand in line waiting for their turn. No one wants to run a lap as a punishment,” said Brice, a Vero Lago resident ...

Port St. Lucie man in custody after bank robbery, high-speed chase, crash

TREASURE COAST — A Port St. Lucie man who stole more than $5,000 from a Fellsmere bank, then drove southbound at speeds of up to 120 mph before crashing his vehicle in St. Lucie County, was in custody Thursday afternoon, sheriff's officials said. The incident led nearby Fellsmere Elementary School to be placed on a brief lockdown. "(The suspect) demanded money be placed in a pillowcase he brought with him," Fellsmere police said. The incident caused a multi-agency response across two counties to capture the suspect. Police identified the man as 44-year-old David Abram Ziesel. Police learned that Ziesel was on federal probation for robbing a bank in 2019 in Oakwood, Ohio; further details on that case were not immediately ...