14th Avenue Dance Studio marks 10th Anniversary with party

Beaches: What’s closed? What’s open after Hurricane Nicole?

Update: Access to the beach at Sexton Plaza reopened as of Wednesday Nov. 16, 2022   Earlier story: Hurricane Nicole left behind heavy erosion at several beaches in Indian River County - along with damage to beachfront properties - before tearing its way through central Florida last week. The Category one hurricane also brought winds and heavy storm surge that wrecked portions of boardwalks, shutting down access points to Vero's most popular beaches. "We will continue to inspect our beach facilities and will reopen beach access points once conditions are safe for the public," Vero Beach police said in a statement.  Police officials posted the current status of city beaches on social media this week: Bahia Mar Beach Access: The ...

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, ...

County to proceed with partial beach restoration on Barrier Island

The Indian River County Commission Tuesday decided to proceed with at least partial restoration of storm-eroded sand and dunes on the northern beaches of the barrier island this year, but delayed work along South Beach until next year. Despite months of mailings, phone calls, canvassing by community groups and a public webinar, the county only managed to secure about half the private property access easements it needs to completely restore the beaches from Seagrove south to the Moorings-- a two-mile stretch known as Sector 7.  So commissioners decided to hold off on that portion of the project until the fall of 2021.  The postponement jeopardizes some $5.7 million in state and federal grants earmarked for that portion of the project ...