Farla Cooper, 75, Vero Beach

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, ...

‘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 ...

‘Hidden in plain sight’- Estimated $1 to $1.5 mil made in IRC human trafficking cases

Photo by Kaila Jones  INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The faces of 45 "Johns," or men flashed on a screen, each arrested in a human trafficking sting at massage parlors that authorities believe profited between $1 to $1.5 million in business each year. Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey said during a Thursday afternoon news conference that the victims were "recruited and threatened." "We won't tolerate it," Currey said. Undercover police audio and video revealed more than 140 sex acts were performed by nine different women employees at one of the Vero parlors, East Spa, between November 2018 and January, reports show. Currey said there was very little protection used during the sex acts at the spas. With more arrests expected by ...