Vero Beach Memorial Day Observance

‘Tragic, sudden loss,’ – Memorials emerge for teen killed in ATV crash

With the sudden death of Sebastian River High School student Jake Beecher still fresh, family, friends, teammates and coaches continue to come to terms with the tragic crash that took his life. "He was well-liked by teammates and was extremely coachable. His coaches and teammates are taking it pretty hard," Sebastian River High School Athletic Director Jessica Upchurch said. "He was an overall good kid who had a passion for football." Family and friends created makeshift memorials for Beecher, 15, of Vero Beach, who relatives said aspired to be a pilot. Sebastian River High School dedicated Beecher, a sophomore, as "athlete of the week" following his death.   One memorial placed in front of the school campus had flowers, silver ...

Street sign unveiling for slain deputy

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A street sign unveiling and dedication ceremony honoring a fallen deputy is scheduled for next week, county and sheriff's office officials said. The ceremony honoring Deputy Garry Chambliss will be held at 5:30 p.m Oct. 25 in front of Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, 4455 28th Avenue in Gifford. The street will be named Deputy Garry Chambliss Memorial Avenue and the public is invited to attend, officials said. Chambliss, a corrections deputy, was struck by a stray bullet the night of Feb. 17 while he was off-duty visiting family in the 4400 block of 28th Avenue, officials said. He was taken to the Indian River Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Chambliss was a veteran law ...

Tree hits duplex built for homeless vets

VERO BEACH — A old oak tree split in half and landed on a duplex built for homeless veterans Sunday after being battered by strong wind gusts from Hurricane Irma. Martin Zickert, past president of the Veterans Council of Indian River County, said the tree fell on the duplex sometime on Sunday night and one of the branches went into one of the veteran's rooms. "He was watching a movie about atomic bombs and then the tree hits," Zickert said. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, but there's a hole in the roof. The veterans put a tarp over the roof in the meantime before it gets fixed. Zickert, who is part of the Next Generation group that consists of Iraq and ...