School Board Dist. 5 – Althea McKenzie

John’s Island woman’s estate leaves $500K gift for ELC

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A woman who once lived on John's Island willed $500,000 from her estate to the Environmental Learning Center to support its mission in promoting connections to the natural environment. Officials said Marie G. Gookin left the bequest gift to the ELC. The center received the first installment this month from Gookin, who included the organization in her estate plans back in 1994. "We were thrilled to receive this very generous gift from the estate of Mrs. Gookin," ELC Board Chair Don Barr said in a statement. "The gift is particularly significant as the ELC begins the implementation of our master plan and enhances programming in an effort to attract more visitors." Gookin, described as a dedicated ...

Mom ‘not giving up’ after losing everything in Vero house fire

VERO BEACH — It seemed like forever. Vero Beach mother Sabby Hightower had just gotten out of the shower, watching in horror as flames burst forward from her garage, forcing her, her four kids and her own mother to frantically run to safety. The Nov. 3 blaze destroyed the home, but the family escaped unharmed. "I'm not giving up," said Hightower, a single mother who was recently widowed. "I do not want my kids to ever give up on life." The community is now coming together to help Hightower and her family. It is a story of resilience as Hightower lost her father and husband in recent years, and then watched her home erupt in flames nearly two weeks ago. The ...

Family remembers mother, retired teacher as ‘center of our universe’

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A woman whose grandparents were one of the original pioneer families to settle in the Oslo area, was remembered Tuesday by family and friends for her work as an educator. Susan Roberson, 69, died last week when her sports utility vehicle crashed into a ditch. The children of the retired Rosewood Elementary School teacher remembered their mother as a loving woman with a big smile, who was the "center of our universe." "We're still in shock and heartbroken," said Roberson's adult children. "We're all banding together to get through this. We orbited around her. Anything good in us came from her." Roberson's children gathered at a home Tuesday to remember the woman's legacy as a mother, grandmother ...