School Board Dist. 5 – Kimberly Keithahn

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 ...

Humane Society advises pet owners to prepare for cold

VERO BEACH -- With Treasure Coast temperatures set to dramatically drop this evening and remain chilly throughout the week, the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County is urging pet owners to protect their animals and offers the following tips: Bring pets indoors. If it's too cold for you, it's too cold for your pets. Even dogs with heavy fur coats should stay inside. In the home, keep animals off cold tile flooring and give them blankets or pet beds to sleep on. Appropriate dress required. Small dogs and dogs with short coats can easily chill. Provide them with a turtleneck sweater when going outdoors and keep walks brief. Puppies, senior dogs, dogs who are ill as well ...