SEBASTIAN — A 69-year-old Sebastian man was struck and killed by a Brightline train late Wednesday, said police Deputy Chief Tim Wood, a spokesperson for the Sebastian Police Department. The name of the man, who was a pedestrian, was not publicly released. "Next of kin has been notified," Wood said. "We are not releasing the name at this time." The collision happened about 11:30 p.m. about a quarter mile north of Main Street. The man was taken by ambulance to Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead, Wood said. Police continue to investigate the cause of the crash. No further details were immediately available.
How many mothers can say they have a double Grammy-award winning daughter and are also the author of a new, captivating romance-mystery novel? For Gifford resident Sheila Joyce Smith, the writer of “Private Talk” and mother of critically acclaimed singer and songwriter Muni Long, the excitement are moments made for her. “Private Talk,” available Thursday on Amazon, is a fictional novel interwoven with romance, redemption and suspense. The story follows protagonist Misha Aprahamian-Paul, an accomplished psychiatrist with her own practice in Arizona. Misha crosses paths with a mysterious man who, years before, rescued her from an unspeakable act at a party when they both were teens in San Diego. Twenty-plus years after that night, the two are brought back together ...
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A Vero Beach man is awaiting sentencing after jurors found him guilty last week of beating and choking a 2-year-old girl to death. The girl was found with fractured ribs, neck bruises and swelling to the brain in 2020 at her home at the Vero Green Apartments, reports show. "(Deshawn) Clark is facing a mandatory life sentence," said Assistant State Attorney Brian Workman, who prosecuted the case. Attorney Michelle Rhodeback was the defense attorney for Clark. The criminal trial for 26-year-old Clark began last week in Circuit Court Judge Robert Meadow's courtroom. Prosecutors had 12 witnesses, including relatives of the baby girl, Indian River County sheriff's detectives, fire rescue officials, crime lab technicians along with medical ...