The family of a former resident of Indian River Estates is suing the retirement community for wrongful death claiming a failure of their emergency alert system led to their father’s death filed in Indian River County Circuit Court Van Vliet fell to the floor of his independent living apartment at Indian River Estates on Sept Van Vliet tried several times to activate a Red Alert signal to report a medical emergency using the alert system installed in his apartment went to the apartment the next day to find her father still on the floor where he fell the day before they noted that Van Vliet had blood in the whites of his eyes Van Vliet also had “abnormalities concerning his blood pressure oxygen saturation and blood glucose level,” the complaint says He was admitted to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital but his condition declined overnight and he died on Sept Chatterjie and her sisters Diana Van Vliet Whitney Sherwood and brother Eric Van Vliet accused Indian River Estates of being negligent in their father’s death and are seeking more than $50,000 and a jury trial They are represented by Christopher Rotunda of Graves Indian River Estates “breached the … duty to act reasonably in the care of … Neil I Van Vliet by failing to provide him a safe environment and by leaving him unattended without providing a functional medical emergency system and/or Red Alert personal supportive device.” claimed Van Vliet “conducted himself in a negligent and careless manner” which caused his injuries and that the incident “occurred above and beyond the foresight of a reasonably prudent healthcare provider.” Indian River Estates further alleged that Van Vliet’s death “was the result of natural causes and/or conditions” outside of the control of Indian River Estates His death “occurred as a result of decisions made by (his) refusal to follow recommendations made by” Indian River Estates Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2025 32963 Media LLC All rights reserved   |    Contact: [email protected]   |   Vero Beach, Florida, USA | Orlando Web Design by: M5 This function has been disabled for Vero News — Communities throughout the Treasure Coast are still picking up the pieces after a tornado outbreak devastated a number of homes WPTV is still working to get to all of the neighborhoods that were hit WPTV Reporter Cassandra Garcia found devastating damage in the Indian River Estates area of St As Mark and Kim Cain were working to clean up debris around their home along Palmetto Drive they reflected on the terrifying moments when they took shelter and waited for the tornado to pass It's what they called the longest 10 seconds of their lives I did not make it all the way,” said Mark Cain “I grabbed onto her dresser and held and the thing took my breath away and I felt like I was weightless for a few seconds.” and debris even pierced the side of their home We built this house 31 years ago and you know there’s a lot of memories." They said they’re grateful to their family and friends who helped them clean up over the last several days They’re gearing up for the long road to recovery Lucie County Sheriff's Office (SLCSO) said on March 3 was arrested without incident following the execution of a search warrant (CBS12) — A search warrant at a home in Fort Pierce led to the arrest of a man for an attempted robbery at a gambling establishment early Monday morning The sheriff's office said Orlando's arrest stems from an attempted armed robbery at Card House Port St Orlando allegedly attempted to steal property from a victim See also: Florida lawmaker says guns should be allowed on college campuses the SLCSO SWAT Team executed the search warrant at the home on Seagrape Drive and detectives and crime scene investigators are actively conducting their investigations Orlando faces attempted robbery with a weapon Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInThe WPTV First Alert Weather team and WPTV News team are spread out across South Florida and the Treasure Coast, monitoring the impacts of Hurricane Milton as it closes in on the state TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide The Florida Department of Transportation released more images of Wednesday morning's tornadoes in Broward County. The severe weather threat continues to work its way north into Belle Glade, Pahokee, and Canal Point in inland Palm Beach County. The National Hurricane Center said "tornadic supercells" from Hurricane Milton have fired up across South Florida on Wednesday morning. According to the 11 a.m. advisory from the NHC, a "catastrophic" Milton has further weakened to a Category 4 with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. It picked up speed and is now moving east-northeast at 17 mph. It's now forecast to make landfall on the Gulf coast of Florida overnight Thursday as a Category 3 storm, the NHC said. The dangerous cell that produced at least one tornado in Broward County has moved north into inland Palm Beach County, including Belle Glade, as well as Clewiston in Hendry County. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WPTV NewsChannel 5 (@wptv) WPTV was live as a tornado ripped across Alligator Alley "Ongoing dangerous TORNADO on the ground," the National Weather Service posted on X The National Weather Service said an "apparent tornado" touched down near the Miccosukee Service Plaza off Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley) near the Broward-Collier County line A tornado warning is in effect for Broward County and parts of southwestern Palm Beach County because of this line of storms Martin County residents filled up sandbags at Halpatiokee Regional Park There are two filling stations at the park This is only available for Martin County residents Cloudy and calm conditions in downtown West Palm Beach A tornado watch has been issued for Palm Beach advisory from the National Hurricane Center Milton has weakened slightly to a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph Landfall is still projected at approximately 2 a.m Thanks to WPTV News viewer Larry Misiewicz for capturing this gorgeous Sunrise off North Hutchinson Island WPTV Chopper 5 captured an aerial view of flooding in Indian River Estates This was the same area that WPTV News journalist Brooke Chau reported from earlier in the morning Chopper 5 spotted flooding going up the driveways of multiple homes This water is not related to Hurricane Milton but is still left over from heavy rain earlier in the week Very little activity at Palm Beach International Airport with virtually no travelers at TSA checkpoints The airport said it will suspend flight operations at 9 p.m. Wednesday and will "reopen when safe to do so." Major airports in Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Sarasota, and Fort Myers have either suspended operations on Tuesday or are planning to do so Wednesday morning. Dozens of Florida Power and Light utility crews are staged at the South Florida Fairgrounds near West Palm Beach, ready to respond to any storm-related outages. A FPL spokeswoman said more tham 14,000 lineman from 37 states are in Florida to help restore power. "These crews here, we've been seeing them dropped off by buses," WPTV News journalist Tyler Hatfield reported. "They're gonna be working around the clock, in the rain, in the wind, to help you restore power." Florida Power and Light is using the Palm Beach Kennel Club parking lot near West Palm Beach as a staging area and will deploy resources from there to other parts of the state starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday. FPL uses the Kennel Club as a staging area for every major storm with equipment like bulldozers, trailers, lights, and generators. Earlier this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said utility workers from approximately 40 states have traveled to Florida to assist with hurricane-related outages. According to the 5 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Milton is forecast to make landfall on Florida's west coast near Sarasota, south of Tampa, at approximately 2 a.m. Thursday. St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee counties are under a hurricane warning, while Martin County is under a hurricane watch. Palm Beach County remains under a tropical storm warning. With only hours before Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida, here's an important reminder to be careful and stay safe if you're planning to put up hurricane shutters at the last minute on Wednesday. West Palm Beach police said a 69-year-old man was taken to the hospital on Tuesday after he fell off a ladder while putting up shutters. Police said the man was installing shutters on the second story of a home in the 5100 block of Northwest 51st Way when he lost his footing and fell, injuring his head and leg. He was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center. The power supplies along the docks in Riviera Beach are covered in duct tape and plastic wrap to protect them from the conditions of Hurricane Milton. In addition, ferries that are usually docked here have been moved. Areas near the Saint Sebastian River in Indian River County are already experiencing major flooding ahead of Hurricane Milton's arrival. Indian River County is under a hurricane warning. WPTV News reporter Kate Hussey measured 16 inches of water near the Saint Sebastian River, where a playground is no longer accessible. The Village of Wellington is taking steps to protect the Patriot Memorial on Forest Hill Boulevard, which is dedicated to victims of the 9/11 terror attacks. Large etched glass panels inscribed with the names of the nearly 3,000 lives lost are boarded up on Wednesday, as village officials are very concerned about strong winds from Hurricane Milton. In addition to securing the glass, public works crews spent Tuesday lowering canals and clearing roadways in anticipation of Milton's wind gusts. Palm Beach County is under a tropical storm warning. WPTV News journalist Brooke Chau found several inches of flooding in Indian River Estates, south of Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County. At Savannah Street and Buchanan Drive, water from rounds of heavy rain over the past few days — unrelated to Hurricane Milton — was seeping into front yards. "This isn't a pond. This isn't a lake. This is a residential neighborhood," Chau said. "These roads are just absolutely oversaturated from the rain that we got earlier this week. This isn't even the effects yet of Hurricane Milton." St. Lucie County is under a hurricane warning because of the threat of Milton. WPTV News journalist Michael Hoffman was in Jensen Beach where a parking lot along the coast was flooded with several inches of water from storms earlier this week. "As we were driving up here, a lot of neighborhoods with their driveways, their streets underwater," Hoffman said. "And the storm hasn't even really hit here yet." Martin County is under a hurricane watch, and the county has opened four emergency shelters ahead of the storm's impact. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WPTV NewsChannel 5 (@wptv) The National Weather Service (NWS) continues to survey the damage related to last week's devastating tornado outbreak that occurred across Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast Three new tornadoes were confirmed on Thursday including one that tore a path through Martin and St The NWS that covers the Treasure Coast said they have now confirmed 12 tornadoes — three that started in Okeechobee There were also four confirmed tornadoes in Palm Beach County Assessments continue for the Treasure Coast with more tornado confirmations possible "Three other tornadoes (possibly occurred) in rural sections of Indian River and far northeast Okeechobee counties," William Ulrich of NWS Melbourne said Thursday "We will continue to solicit damage reports for these but they are in very rural areas." EF2 tornado tears through Palm City and Fort Pierce A tornado with peak winds of 125 mph on Oct tearing a path of 31.60 miles through the Treasure Coast initially touched down in Palm Beach County and then moved into rural Martin County damaging a few homes south of Southwest Kanner Highway experienced major damage when nearly all of its roof was torn back and tossed onto an adjacent home Nearby metal storage structures were also significantly damaged indicating EF-2 winds of 115 - 125 mph," the report said The tornado continued moving north through rural Martin County affecting home along Citrus Boulevard while producing winds ranging from 85 to 105 mph (EF0 to EF1) "The circulation damaged several industrial buildings near Southwest Martin Highway and Southwest 42nd Avenue The NWS said the tornado subsequently crossed Florida's Turnpike where it entered several subdivisions but produced only minor damage given that most of the homes were concrete block structures Lucie River and became a "well-defined" waterspout Lucia River Club at Ballantrae causing significant vegetative damage and minor property damage Other property damage was reported including shingle loss and soffit damage as the storm moved north across U.S Highway 1 and into the Savannas Preserve State Park in Port St The NWS said radar data suggested the tornado intensified briefly before entering the Indian River Estates subdivision where numerous homes were affected several parked vehicles were flipped and tossed and a few homes experienced partial roof loss suggesting the tornado may have produced peak winds of up to 95 mph," the survey said The tornado continued northward into Fort Pierce where it appears to have dissipated near the Dixieland and High Point subdivisions No injuries were reported from this tornado in Fort Pierce was on the ground for about 12 minutes until it ended in Vero Beach at about 3:17 p.m this tornado had a path width of 100 yards The National Weather Service said this tornado touched down near the Meadowood Golf and Tennis Club in Fort Pierce where it produced considerable vegetative damage in the form of downed oak and pine trees The report said the circulation crossed Indrio Road where several pines were uprooted or snapped The NWS said the tornado then moved generally northwest next to Interstate 95 where it produced minor damage to carports and roofs of a few mobile homes in the Spanish Lakes subdivision The tornado then moved briefly into Indian River County as it crossed 25th Street Southwest and dissipated EF0 tornado starts in northern Palm Beach County A tornado with peak winds of 80 mph started in Jupiter at 5:21 p.m The National Weather Service said this EF0 tornado crossed I-95 around mile marker 91 at about 5:25 p.m "A report from Florida Highway Patrol indicated the tornado produced tree damage and flipped a tractor-trailer at this location," the report said "The tornado subsequently moved into Jonathan Dickinson State Park where it is believed to have lifted for a short period." The survey said the supercell that produced this tornado subsequently touched down again to the south of the U.S Highway 1 near the Mariner Sands Country Club where more significant damage occurred The NWS said the track of this tornado could be updated or appended to the EF2 tornado that occurred in Stuart if additional damage reports from around Southeast Bridge Road are received Update: Four died following tornadoes Wednesday in St. Lucie County Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPBF-TV there were deaths in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village "We are going through the rubble," Pearson said said search-and-rescue teams were trying to reach the people displaced by the afternoon storms and get them to temporary shelter before heavy winds associated with Hurricane Milton arrive on the Treasure Coast Personnel involved in the rescue effort included first responders from St "Our goal is to go in there and get those people out before the tropical force winds hit our area." Gill said the rescue efforts would continue as long as the weather permitted it He said efforts were complicated by residents coming outside their homes to inspect damage He urged everyone to stay inside their homes until the hurricane passes out to sea crews won't be able to get out there because of the winds," Gill said No estimates on property damage were available Follow TCPalm's live blog about the storm Wednesday. (This story has been updated with additional information.) LUCIE COUNTY — Six people died following suspected tornadoes Wednesday that ripped through Spanish Lakes County Club Village and other areas near Lakewood Park in northern Fort Pierce Ron DeSantis and Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed five fatalities Thursday afternoon The sixth victim was discovered later Thursday As St. Lucie County residents woke up Thursday to power outages, building damage, downed lines, debris and flooding officials were assessing everything when it's safe to do so One of the worst-impacted areas in the county so far was Spanish Lakes Country Club Village The suspected tornado Wednesday afternoon damaged dozens of homes in Indian River Estates and Lakewood Park, officials said. Pearson confirmed the "multiple fatalities First responders were conducting search-and-rescue operations Wednesday ahead of peak winds Church heavily damagedNancy Larson and her grandson decided to take a drive Thursday morning to see how their area made it through Hurricane Milton The Fort Pierce church that she's been attending for more than a year and where grandson was recently was baptized The church is just down the road from Spanish Lakes Country Club Village where five people were killed when a tornado A large section of the sanctuary roof was ripped off several large trees were uprooted and thrown around the property including one that was lodged into the windshield of a Lexus that had been left in the parking lot Pastor Leo Vollbracht was at the church Thursday morning but declined to comment 'Let's go for a ride and see if everything is OK.' I started to ride down the street and I saw this who's been attending the church for three years said the sanctuary roof and other improvements were made in the past six months Multiple people who attended or worked at the church had arrived by mid-morning and were planning to start the cleanup process "The people are so great here," Larson said I finally came home to a church that I loved a Lakewood Park resident who works for R & S Metalworks & Co. saw a tornado crossing Kings Highway as he was heading home from an errand around 5 p.m "I followed the wreckage into Spanish Lakes." "It looked like someone had dropped a weight from the sky and flattened a bunch of houses," he said Anderson said he had never done any kind of good Samaritan work before but felt he needed to help out if he could "I had never been in that position before," he said Sheriff's deputies on scene allowed Anderson to help move people injured by suspected tornadoes to a makeshift medical triage center at the Spanish Lakes clubhouse Anderson said he spent about five hours on the scene before he was told to go home he witnessed numerous people with injuries including a woman he transported who had a broken leg and two broken wrists "There's still blood on the side of my truck," Anderson said "One of the last houses I went to looked like it had been ripped in half," he said Anderson said it was difficult to manage his emotions while he worked "It was very heartbreaking to watch," he said "It's very hard to keep your composure when you see someone so helpless." Anderson gave credit to the Sheriff's Office and the other first responders who were working at the scene who has lived in Holiday Pines for 11 years knew a tornado was coming as soon as he heard what sounded like a freight train coming through the neighborhood late Wednesday afternoon "All of the sudden the power went out and it sounded like a train was coming but I knew it wasn't a train because there are no train tracks," Neiman said Holiday Pines is just down the road from Spanish Lakes Country Club where several people died Wednesday At least one house in Holiday Pines was destroyed while others suffered damage boats and other vehicles were laying on their side or flipped over Parts of the community still was experiencing standing water on Thursday I've been through many hurricanes in my life This is the first one where we've gotten this many tornadoes but not nearly the concentration of tornadoes in this particular area." said he could see the tornado coming."I looked out the door and I could see it coming," Daniels said "It was a real dark cloud the next street down including a mango tree getting split down the middle but he felt fortunate in light of what happened in Spanish Lakes "It could have a been a lot worse," he said owner of Paradise Pines Citgo in Lakewood Park made the decision to close his store approximately 4:30 p.m a tornado ripped through the store and gas station No one one was in the store when the tornado hit a power pole was downed and the metal covering and one of the concrete pillars that one protected Paradise Pines' gas pumps had been thrown dozens of feet away into some nearby trees The propane tank display and water machines that had been in front of the store were mangled and strewn around the property was now in some trees behind Paradise Pines Chowdhury believes it was picked up by the tornado and thrown over the store Chowdhury said he returned to the store shortly after the tornado hit because it was being looted "I came right back and boarded it up because it was empty" he said People did some looting and took money and some other stuff Fla (CBS12) — Investigators are using K9s and ground-penetrating radar to look for evidence in connection to a missing persons case Lucie County Sheriff's Office would not specify the investigation near Fort Pierce as it is in the initial stages "It is too early to tell whether or not a crime has occurred," said Sheriff Ken Mascara "But our detectives are working nonstop to thoroughly investigate the area and they will remain on site until our search is complete." Crews are looking for any anomalies underground The sheriff's office said additional personnel arrived to help dig and sift through excavated soil The management of Indian River Estates said Friday that at least eight of the 18 asymptomatic COVID-19 positive staff and residents reported last week are now testing negative for the virus While that could reflect recovery from the disease in the two-week interval it took to get results back from the tests the management of the large senior community believes the lab charged with processing results could be to blame referring to the original results as “false positives.” Three staff members again tested positive in the repeat test The positives turned up through mass testing of 1,285 staff and residents that began June 2 That was an expanded follow-up to testing in the assisted living and nursing home portions of the community according to a spokesman for the community independent living residents were added to the testing According to the June 17 report the community filed with the state numbers that don’t include independent living six staff tested positive in Oak Bridge Terrace assisted living and WillowBrook Court skilled nursing care seven residents of assisted living show up as testing positive but transferred out but Indian River Estates said those are the residents in assisted living who were moved into a COVID-19 isolation unit set up in Willowbrooke Acts said it will be testing staff weekly in assisted living and skilled nursing care from now on “As positive cases continue to rise in the state we encourage you all to stay home as much as possible to limit your exposure,” wrote the community’s executive director Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2025 32963 Media LLC All rights reserved   |    Contact: [email protected]   |   Vero Beach, Florida, USA | Orlando Web Design by: M5 FORT PIERCE – Water customers in Indian River Estates are under a boil-water notice after a loss of water pressure Thursday The notice was issued as a precaution after a loss of water pressure from the bulk water provider The notice is in effect until further notice Residents will be notified once testing has been completed and the notice is lifted Any water used for drinking or cooking should be boiled A rolling boil of one minute is sufficient Bottled water may be used as an alternative Customers may call 772-462-1150 with any questions Five more tornadoes were confirmed Thursday to have hit the Treasure Coast last week according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne That brings the total to 11 different tornadoes so far to hit Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties on Oct. 9 from Hurricane Milton’s outer rain bands, said Will Ulrich, the NWS warning coordination meteorologist That number likely will increase to at least 14 as officials continue to assess damage daily According to preliminary reports released Thursday: Scroll down for information on each newly confirmed tornado Officials first confirmed the deadly tornado in northern St. Lucie County near Fort Pierce and southeast Indian River County into Vero Beach was an EF3 tornado It had downgraded to an EF2 when it killed six people in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village They next confirmed two tornadoes touched down in Martin County — an EF1 tornado in Port Salerno and an EF2 tornado in Hobe Sound and Port Salerno — and each injured at least one person No other injuries were reported with the other tornadoes They also found evidence of two different tornadoes in downtown Vero Beach but they initially had a difficult time determining their exact tracks and strengths because they followed similar paths Officials then confirmed three more Treasure Coast tornadoes on Wednesday EF1 tornado traveled nearly 7 miles in Fort PierceEF1 tornado traveled nearly 12 miles from Port St Lucie to Fort PierceEF0 tornado traveled over 18 miles from Palm City to Port St LucieOfficials also have confirmed three more tornadoes in western Indian River County using radar and they should be able to track and potentially rate them in the coming days they’re investigating a few more areas of lower priority including potentially two more tornadoes in Martin County The outbreak of tornadoes was unprecedented on the Treasure Coast It was the largest outbreak of tornadoes the Melbourne office has worked in its 35 years “This was a historic tornado outbreak in the Treasure Coast community,” Ulrich said An EF2 tornado from Palm City through Port St Lucie to Fort Pierce lasted 50 minutes with an estimated peak wind of 125 mph It caused a large swath of EF0 and EF1 damage and a small section of EF2 damage it’s believed the tornado initially touched down in Palm Beach County it intersected a few homes south of Southwest Kanner Highway A large newer construction home had major damage when nearly all its roof was torn back and tossed onto a nearby home Metal storage structures in the area also were significantly damaged It’s the only known EF-2 damage along the tornado’s path so far The tornado continued northward through rural Martin County where sporadic damage to vegetation and residential structures was seen along Citrus Boulevard The tornado then crossed Florida’s Turnpike where it entered several subdivisions but created only minor damage given most of the homes were concrete block structures Video from SKYWARN Storm Spotter Program volunteers showed it went into the St Lucie River and became a well-defined waterspout It moved ashore at the Santa Lucia River Club at Ballantrae where it caused significant vegetative damage and minor property damage along with sporadic property damage of mostly shingle loss and soffit damage 1 and into Savannas Preserve State Park in Port St It was consistent with EF0-type damage of winds up to 80 mph Radar data suggested the tornado intensified briefly before it entered the Indian River Estates subdivision Several parked vehicles were flipped and tossed which suggested the tornado may have produced peak winds of up to 95 mph It then continued northward into Fort Pierce before it appeared to dissipate near the Dixieland and High Point subdivisions Two tornadoes hit Vero Beach between 3:48 p.m There is some uncertainty in the tracks because the two tornadoes were so close to each other aerial surveys and radar data showed two separate EF1 tornadoes touched down within 20 minutes of each other The first Vero Beach tornado lasted nine minutes with an estimated peak wind of 95 mph It likely touched down in south Vero Beach along U.S where vegetative damage was noted with downed trees Damage to residences and businesses was noted farther to the north as the tornado likely strengthened to produce wind speeds up to 85 mph It then intersected the Vero Beach Police Department at 3:53 p.m. where it downed several trees and utility poles A weather station at the police department recorded a peak wind gust of 92 mph at 3:55 p.m Several trees were downed in neighborhoods to the north of U.S before it diminished as it moved into the Gifford area The second tornado lasted seven minutes with an estimated peak wind of 100 mph It likely started on the west side of the railroad tracks in south Vero Beach where a few instances of vegetative damage were noted It strengthened as it continued north along the tracks where more significant damage was noted to trees and structures between State Road 60 and the Vero Beach Regional Airport Several businesses had extensive roof loss A large metal warehouse near the tracks at 19th Place shifted off its foundation as its walls and roof collapsed The tornado continued north toward the airport where radar data suggested it quickly weakened as it approached Gifford Lucie County and southwestern Indian River County lasted 12 minutes with an estimated peak wind of 90 mph It was spawned from the same supercell that produced the EF0 tornado in Martin and St Lucie County counties through western Port St the tornado touched down near the Meadowood Golf and Tennis Club where it produced considerable vegetative damage of downed oak and pine trees where several pines were uprooted or snapped The tornado likely peaked in intensity based on radar data The tornado then moved northwest next to Interstate 95 where it created minor damage to carports and roofs of a few mobile homes in the Spanish Lakes Fairways subdivision It moved briefly into Indian River County as it crossed 25th Street Southwest and dissipated An EF0 tornado from the Jupiter area to Hobe Sound lasted nine minutes with an estimated peak wind of 80 mph Officials used radar data and reports from Martin County Emergency Management to confirm the tornado It’s associated with the Palm Beach Gardens tornado recorded by the National Weather Service office in Miami Radar data suggested the tornado was weakening as it moved into Martin County at 5:21 p.m before it crossed Interstate 95 at 5:25 p.m where a Florida Highway Patrol report indicated the tornado damaged trees and flipped a tractor-trailer It then moved into Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound where it’s believed to have lifted shortly The supercell that produced the tornado touched down again to the south of U.S Its track could be updated or added to the EF2 tornado near Stuart if officials receive more damage reports from the area of Southeast Bridge Road Here’s a breakdown of the Treasure Coast tornado damage surveyed so far by the National Weather Service in Melbourne in the order the tornadoes touched down in Martin Hobe Sound)Rating: EF0Estimated peak wind: 80 mphPath length: 3.95 milesMaximum path width: 100 yardsStart time: 5:21 p.m.End time: 5:30 p.m.Martin County (Hobe Sound near Stuart)Rating: EF2Estimated Peak Wind: 120 mphPath Length: 5.7 milesMaximum Path Width: 400 yardsStart time: 5:35 p.m.End time: 5:46 p.m.EF Scale for tornadoesThe Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories: VERO BEACH — The Fighting Indian spirit of the Vero Beach High School football program is alive and well at the Indian River Estates retirement community the senior residents begin with a "tailgate" party in a separate dining room white and black balloons and blown-up footballs The group feasts on a banquet of burgers residents board a bus to The Citrus Bowl to cheer on their favorite high school football team Some of the residents are former VBHS football players cheerleaders or band members; some are Vero Beach High School alumni; others have lived here for decades; while some are relatively new to the area What these season ticket-holders share is a passion for the Fighting Indians Indian River Estates resident Bill Churchill played for the Fighting Indians in 1952 and still has the yearbook uniform photo to prove it “It’s a much different game now than when I played,” Churchill said “I’m so impressed by these 300 pound kids and all the weightlifting and training The Indian River Estates tradition began about 20 years ago led by some residents who got together to charter a  bus to watch the game.  Now life engagement coordinator for Retirement-Life Communities “I’ve been involved for about 10 years and am also a 1978 graduate of the Fighting Indians,” said Bushlong “It doesn’t matter whether you are alumni or not Many of the residents didn’t attend high school here but they remember their days of attending their games and love to embrace the fun of cheering on the athletes.” Indian River Estates resident Elizabeth Traub remembers going to the games as a teenager It was my freshman year of high school and of course my boyfriend was the captain of the team and all we wanted to do was beat Fort Pierce!” Traub graduated in 1955 and still enjoys watching the young players defeat the long-standing rival And the camaraderie  works both ways There are many VBHS students work and visit with the Estates residents beyond just the football games “We have servers that are in the band cheerleaders and athletes among others who have this strong bond with our seniors and support of the school," said Bushlong "There is something really unique about Vero in that way." VBHS athletic director and football coach Lenny Jankowski visits with the senior athletes about a month before the season starts They mingle and eat dinner with some of their staunchest performing dance and acrobatic routines turning the event into a preseason pep rally attended this year's event and says he has developed relationships with some of the residents “It’s incredible to have such a great fan base," he said "They know us and keep track of us even in college." shares that sentiment about her friends at Indian River Estates “It’s a great feeling to interact with them They’ll tell you stories about when they were in high school.” “Our football program thoroughly enjoys our relationship with Indian River Estates and its residents,” Jankowski states “There is a great bond between us.” The next time you are attending a game at the Citrus Bowl keep an eye out for a group of 70- to 80-year-olds dressed head to toe in red and white John Rockhill said he doesn’t know how his Indian River Estates neighbors will react this week when they learn the county is reviewing plans for a 7-Eleven convenience store and gas station – with as many as 16 pumps – to be built at the corner of State Road 60 and 74th Avenue near the southeast corner of the retirement community president of the Indian River Estates East Residents Association is sure he’ll be hearing from some of them “There’s been a little bit of conversation but most people here aren’t aware of what’s happening there,” Rockhill said “I’d say only 10 percent or so have heard anything about it but they’ll find out when they [see this article] I expect there will be some concern,” he added “It’s not the most pleasant thing to have as our neighbor.” According to the site plan application filed Nov the 3-acre parcel is owned by Buildex Inc. a Vero Beach-based company that lists George Beuttell as its president The developer is Blackfin Partners Investments Inc The plan for a 4,650-square-foot store and gas station has received a preliminary review A public hearing hasn’t yet been scheduled the association’s board will notify residents He said county officials can expect to receive questions and probably some opposition now that everyone will know what’s going on,” Rockhill said “We’ll certainly put the word out when the public hearing is set We’ll have to see how this thing progresses a 7-Eleven and gas station aren’t what we would want in that location with all the lighting and the noise,” he added “There’s a commercial building across State Road 60 it’ll potentially have a direct impact on a number of villas on the south side of our community “Our entrance is only about a quarter-mile from the intersection.” Much of Indian River Estates would not be noticeably impacted and he suggested some of the community’s 800 residents might welcome the convenience of having a 7-Eleven convenience store and gas station so close to home Sweeney said advanced lighting technology should minimize any intrusion into the community and that a convenience store and gas station are not incompatible with other developments along State Road 60 “There will probably be a buzz out here this week,” Rockhill said Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2025 32963 Media LLC All rights reserved   |    Contact: [email protected]   |   Vero Beach, Florida, USA | Orlando Web Design by: M5 VERO BEACH -- The Indian River County Volunteer Ambulance Squad recently received a donation of $2,500 from Indian River Estates The money will help the volunteer squad provide free transportation services to their residents and others for off-site medical visits The Ambulance Squad is a not-for-profit mostly volunteer entity that has served the  county since 1966 First launched as the only emergency ambulance service for the area the medics/volunteers used hearses from Strunk Funeral Home to transport patients As the area’s population grew over the years the county established its formal ambulance network in 1989 The squad then transitioned into a non-emergency service for both ambulatory and wheelchair-bound clients Many patients are forced to forego essential medical care due to obstacles such as lack of transportation or family support Clients may also face the challenge of frequent cancer therapies life-extending dialysis treatments or physical therapy The squad provides the peace of mind that reliable friendly drivers will deliver patients to any physician assisted living or nursing facilities during the squad’s prescribed work days Clients are urged to call the squad dispatcher to request transportation as soon as they make medical appointments with at least a two or three week notice to ensure a spot on the roster The Squad operates three wheelchair vans and seven Scions Monday through Friday driven by trained many of whom have been donating one day per week for years The drivers are committed to enabling county residents to receive the medical services they need without the worry or cost of reliable transportation The Squad has one full time administrator and one part time employee a Saturday crew who clean the vehicles and a volunteer board of directors the IRCVAS has received significant gifts from residential communities’ charitable foundations such as the recent Indian River Estates donation which has enabled the squad to replace aging vehicles and keep the lights on as well as vital funds generated through an annual solicitation letter Some of our clients choose to give what they can to their drivers at the time of service who submit these donations at the end of their shifts Regardless of the size or the source of the donations donors enabled IRCVAS to make 12,994 trips for those who cannot drive themselves For information about the Indian River County Volunteer Ambulance Squad 772-231-1230 or www.VolunteerAmbulanceSquad.org.Photo credit 1: Jim McKeeverPhoto caption 1: Indian River Estates East Residents Association Board Members Jane Brown Vice President Present Donation to Indian River County Volunteer Ambulance Squad Board Members Clark Ballard INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — The National Weather Service has confirmed that a brief EF0 tornado hit Indian River County on Monday night The storm struck the Midway Estates mobile home community in Florida Ridge just after 6:30 p.m. Officials said the tornado continued to the east-southeast for about four minutes along a half-mile-long track until it dissipated as it crossed into the Vero Shores residential community The tornado had a maximum width of about 100 yards and peak winds estimated between 75-85 mph "Two minutes after I heard the TV give us a warning that it was coming we gotta get in the bathroom,'" Dianne James you're just trying to figure out where you can go and I always heard to go to the center part of your trailer and that's where we laid and sat down in the bathroom and just listened to it and didn't know till it left." Cleanup crews got to work right away Tuesday Siding from homes was wrapped around trees and hurled into nearby woods Indian River County Emergency Management documented 16 homes with at least some damage with more substantial damage noted toward the southeast corner of the community The NWS report said most of these homes suffered at least some damage to their metal roofs Several carports and porch awnings were torn away from homes and lofted into neighboring yards A portion of one home's roof was lost into the neighboring woods Wayne Mann has been through his share of storms He recognized the sounds of trouble when the storm approached and knew he needed to act fast "The whole trailer started shaking really bad and violent It was pretty bad."Emergency officials in Indian River County said no one was hurt Many residents at Midway Estates only live there seasonally so the neighborhood was not at full capacity when the tornado struck "We asked the residents whether or not they received a warning and we're happy to say that the residents have reported that they received an approximately two-minute warning," Ryan Lloyd Indian River County Emergency Management coordinator neighbors were busy Tuesday helping neighbors If anyone needs assistance from the county INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Surveillance footage showing teens plotting to shoot two Brevard County men if a drug deal went awry led to another arrest in the Vero Lake Estates double homicide a 16-year-old who lives in the large subdivision was spotted shaking hands with the shooter after the deadly gunfire Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said The sheriff described the scenario as a cold-blooded killing over marijuana vape pens “Lives wasted for no reason whatsoever,” Flowers said during a news conference Monday at the sheriff’s office “To kill them is completely unbelievable and unnecessary.” A surveillance image shows Jaime Mosqueda (left) shake hands with a 16-year-old after a double fatal shooting March 11 Flowers showed a screengrab from a nearby home surveillance video of the pair greeting each other right after the shooting. The sheriff said the teen and the 17-year-old, Jaime C. Mosqueda “Our team has been combing the area that we know they traveled,” Flowers said “We obtained quite a bit of surveillance footage.” Now – days after deputies charged Mosqueda in the double killings – officials have charged the 16-year-old with two counts of third-degree murder The teen was also charged with two counts of accessory after the fact five days after the shootings and four days following Mosqueda’s arrest He has been cooperative with us,” Flowers said “We hope he will continue to be cooperative with us He has not been completely forthcoming.” Mosqueda was charged with two counts of second-degree murder 12 hours after the shooting Mosqueda was held at the Juvenile Detention Center in Fort Pierce Flowers said Mosqueda’s charges will be upgraded and that he will be charged as an adult The sheriff identified the victims as Joseph Mitchel Cardella and Logan James Thompson It was the first time Cardella and Thompson – who Flowers described as best friends – had traveled to Indian River County Flowers previously said Mosqueda lured the victims to the area with bad intentions Mosqueda and the teenager rode in a sports utility vehicle March 11 to the 7700 block of 105th Court east of Interstate 95 in Vero Lake Estates Cardella and Thompson drove to the meeting spot in a Chrysler The sound of rapid gunshots could be heard on surveillance footage from a home in Vero Lake Estates Up to 20 gunshots were blasted from a handgun Flowers said the two were selling 1,300 THC vape pens for $3,000 “We have not located the vape pens,” Flowers said during the news conference Deputies responded to reports of gunfire the deputies found Cardella’s body in a front yard and Thompson’s body in front of the Chrysler Both Cardella and Thompson had 14 gunshot wounds total Deputies found bullet holes in the Chrysler broken glass and $1,000 in cash scattered along the roadway Mosqueda and the teenager drove from the area after the shooting The teenager told his family what happened and they brought him to the sheriff’s office for questioning The juvenile said that Mosqueda took them to an undisclosed residence where Mosqueda tossed the handgun in the woods Mosqueda dropped the teen off and then drove to his home in Fellsmere The sheriff’s SWAT team searched Mosqueda’s residence brought him to the sheriff’s office and arrested him It was unclear how Mosqueda knew the victims Details on any items found in Mosqueda’s SUV were not immediately available “We are going to continue to work this case and put a big bow on this for prosecutors so (the suspects) can go away for a long time,” Flowers said Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2025 32963 Media LLC All rights reserved   |    Contact: [email protected]   |   Vero Beach, Florida, USA | Orlando Web Design by: M5 — A group of residents from the Indian River Estates retirement community were decked out in red Friday night to support the Vero Beach High School football team But Friday's visit to the football stadium wasn't a one-time event Residents have been loading up on a bus and coming to the football games for about 25 years For Friday's homecoming game against Martin County the community members set up a special tailgating party to show off their school spirit players came by the tailgating party to give them high-fives and thank them for their support it's a family tradition dating back to the 1970s SPECIAL COVERAGE: Football Night In South Florida We eat together and just cheer them on," Schorner said my two children graduated from Vero Beach High School two grandchildren graduated from high school there He moved to Vero Beach from Philadelphia a few years ago "This football team and all of the fans they get it's just very heartwarming to see how spirited everybody is," Mcgow said The team and the residents form a special bond throughout the season The players had dinner with residents of Indian River Estates before the season began and keep in touch with them "It starts at the beginning of the season," Indian River High School head football coach Lenny Jankowski said "We go have dinner with them at their place so to see them come to our place and have a little tailgate They give me ideas from time to time and our players get to know them as well The residents say the bonds they build are like having dozens more grandchildren to be proud of "These players are our grandchildren's age so this is really quite a unique experience," Mcgow said "We can transfer or translate that experience to them and they don't know how warm that makes us feel There's always going to be a generational connection between the students at Vero Beach and the residents at Indian River Estates." — Two men have been found shot to death in a neighborhood in Indian River County on Monday afternoon Indian River County Sheriff's Office deputies said the bodies were found near 79th Street and 105th Court in the Vero Lake Estates neighborhood Money was found scattered around the scene which Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said could mean the shooting was drug-related where we see money and see people coming from out of town It's too early in the investigation to make that assumption." Detectives said the shooting appeared to be a double homicide that occurred at about 3 p.m went outside and discovered the body of a man in a nearby yard Deputies then found the second body across the street Resident Julio Cruz told WPTV reporter Jon Shainman that from his kitchen he heard some rapid sounds "I thought it was construction people building houses out here," he said which officials said appears to have damage from bullets "The vehicle does not belong to this neighborhood nor does it belong to this county," Flowers said "We've been in touch with our counterparts in another county where the vehicle does belong and they are assisting with us Amanda said she walked past the house with her baby in the morning before the shooting occurred and she's scared to walk near the house again "It's pretty uneasy feeling knowing that we walked past that house and then something traumatic happened there," she told WPTV reporter Ethan Stein Flowers said law enforcement usually deals with minor car burglaries or illegal four-wheeler activity in this neighborhood he also said a drug house has occasionally popped up since the neighborhood is close to Interstate 95 "We have over the years had drug houses pop up in this area from time to time," Flowers said it's [neighborhood] not known for that type of thing." Over 120 tornado warnings went out in Florida today, according to tornadohq.com, before Hurricane Milton made landfall in Siesta Key about 8:30 p.m Several people were reported killed in a St The National Weather Service confirmed 10 of those tornadoes in Florida before Milton's landfall According to the weather service, Milton is likely to spin off more tornadoes than many Category 4 hurricanes given two things: Milton’s wind sheer and instability Tornado events were confirmed so far in Southwest Palm Beach, east Hendry, east Collier, Broward and Glades. Suspected tornadoes have wreaked havoc in Stuart, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, damaging homes and destroying a building at the Sheriff's Office headquarters in Fort Pierce Below are just a few of the confirmed and suspected tornado events reported The first tornado touched down around 9:45 a.m. while the second one hit ground around 10:10 a.m., said Sammy Hadi a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Miami Indian River County: Tornadoes spottedAt least two tornadoes have been spotted around Vero Beach the National Weather Service said a tornado was over Vero Beach Highlands "A confirmed large and extreme dangerous tornado was located over Vero Beach A reported tornado ripped through a mobile home community in Fort Myers Another was reported in Palm City at 5:13 p.m The National Weather Service confirmed to The Palm Beach Post a tornado had touched ground near Wellington about 4 p.m Residents reported seeing it cutting through several area neighborhoods and city officials said fire-rescue crews were responding to a report received about 5:15 p.m of a tornado that caused damage to multiple homes and downed several power lines in the area Lucie County and completely destroyed a building at the St Lucie County's Sheriff's Office in Fort Pierce Multiple fatalities are being reported at Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in Lakewood Park Lucie County Sherriff Keith Pearson told WPTV It took out that 10,000 square foot red iron building with all of our patrol cars underneath it assisted by the Florida National Guard and neighboring counties has sent search-and-rescue teams to evacuate people from homes in Indian River Estates and Lakewood Park "We know that it's dozens of homes," Gill said NWS posted the following message: "A confirmed tornado was located 10 miles northwest of Tradition .. Residents reported seeing a large and dangerous twister over the St Fort Myers News-Press and Dinah Voyles Pulver (This story was updated to add new information.) Three major construction projects – one commercial two residential – are the most recent along the rapidly developing stretch of State Road 60 west of 43rd Avenue all on the north side between the 74th Avenue and 82nd Avenue The project slated for completion first – a 4,650-square-foot 7-Eleven with a 16-pump gas station – is located at the northwest corner of the State Road 60/74th Avenue intersection at the east end of a predominantly residential section Neighbors of the station include Indian River Estates Cambridge Manor and several small single-family home communities interspersed with a few inconspicuous businesses The county required 7-Eleven to provide abundant green buffering high-tech lighting and other design features to ensure the convenience store will not annoy residents in adjacent Indian River Estates the owner of the 3-acre property was Buildex Inc. a Vero Beach-based company with local businessman George Beuttell shown as president of Palm Beach Gardens was listed as project developer land and equipment and leases them back to the franchisees citing a longstanding limit on commercial pockets within the mainly residential area after additional study and on recommendation of staff the County Commission approved rezoning the parcel Neighborhood Commercial The 7-Eleven will occupy two-thirds of the parcel The remaining 1-acre lot is listed for sale by Lightle Beckner Robison The project is moving along and is slated to open in time for the coming winter high season Concrete block walls are up and underground tanks will be installed soon adjacent to Indian River Estates’ main entrance at Indian Creek Boulevard real estate investment and development firm Waypoint has broken ground on The Mason Land was being graded this week at the 23-acre site A residential development called Vero Grove Estates was planned at the location 20 years ago but before it got off the ground a plume of contaminated earth was discovered on the property dating back to its “historical use as a citrus grove.” with a Site Rehabilitation Completion Order from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection dated Feb garden-style community with six buildings and 176 units “the site will feature amenities including a clubhouse surface parking and detached garages available for rent “The units are designed to have 9-foot ceilings with luxury vinyl plank wood flooring in the kitchen and common areas.” Burnette says above-ground construction is projected to begin during the third quarter of 2022 with first units delivered by the third quarter of 2023 “is a vertically integrated conventional multifamily developer Class A multifamily properties,” according to its website Waypoint has sourced over 130 investment opportunities representing more than $5 billion in total capitalization primarily in high-growth markets throughout the Sunbelt region of the United States.” The first project of the three underway along Route 60 to break ground and a luxury rental development that got moving around the first of the year with Proctor Construction as the builder the builder is another large multifamily development and investment company based in Birmingham and infrastructure is going in to support the three-story 297-unit multifamily complex and surrounding elements The Griffon will be a West Indies-style community built in two phases that will offer 13 floor plans from 553 square feet to 1,909 square feet in 1- Each unit will feature “granite countertops walk-in closets and attached and detached garage options.” salt-water pool; outdoor entertainment and dining; car wash station; and bicycle storage A clubhouse will offer a 24-hour fitness center; yoga studio; business center; private resident conference room; lounge and coffee bar; and pets will have their own fenced play area and spa Crest Residential has not released a project completion timeline but Indian River County Community Development Director Phil Matson says the project is progressing well and that comments he has heard about current development along the Route 60 corridor have been generally positive are filling a need for professionals such as traveling nurses “we strive for mixed uses along Vero’s corridors punctuating residential corridors with carefully chosen commercial entities.” This avoids the unattractive “mile-after-mile of gas stations and strip malls that areas to the south now face.” He points to The Reserve in Vero Beach as the first such entry along the West Vero Corridor Residents at the 159-unit luxury rental community which opened several years ago behind Olive Garden across from Indian River Mall can walk to a wide range of stores The concept appears to be working for developers and investors The Reserve was fully leased with no units shown available on the property website Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2025 32963 Media LLC All rights reserved   |    Contact: [email protected]   |   Vero Beach, Florida, USA | Orlando Web Design by: M5 Treasure Coast under Tropical Storm warningThe National Weather Service placed the Treasure Coast under a tropical storm warning the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee County are under a tornado watch until 5 a.m Tropical storm-force winds are 39 mph to 73 mph Tropical storm conditions with 50 to 60 mph wind gusts and the potential for 4 to 8 inches of rain are expected to begin on the Treasure Coast by Wednesday evening Hurricane Ian was about 330 miles south-southwest of Orlando with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph The Category 3 storm is moving north at 10 mph More: Treasure Coast under tropial storm warning These Indian River County Emergency Shelters will open at 12 p.m Sand bags available The City of Fort Pierce is offering free self-serve sandbag stations for residents at Dr Residents should bring their own bags and a shovel Parks are open daily from dawn to dusk.  More: Martin, St. Lucie counties offer sand bags for residents to help protect against water damage Martin County residents can pick up some sand bags Tuesday at Halpatiokee Regional Park, 8303 SW Lost River from 9 a.m in the parking lot located immediately south of the hockey rink at the main entrance of the park Martin County residents are allowed up to 25 sandbags per residence and ask that you provide your name and address for documentation. County staff will be available to assist in filling bags but residents are encouraged to bring their own shovels The Florida Department of Transportation in coordination with the U.S will begin locking down drawbridges Tuesday in Martin The bridges will be closed to marine navigation once lockdowns are complete and will remain closed for the duration of severe weather and until the drawbridges and waterways can be assessed for damages Bridges will remain open to vehicular traffic Will schools be closing?Public schools in Martin Lucie and Indian River counties are open and operating as normal Tuesday All are monitoring the storm for daily decisions Martin and Indian River counties will be closed Wednesday and Thursday Indian River State College will close its campuses and all operations at 5 p.m More: Treasure Coast schools cancel classes Wednesday, Thursday as Hurricane Ian approaches More: IRSC closes in advance of storm 5 p.m. Tuesday Read our closings list to keep up-to-date There was no rush to the pump as of Tuesday morning Sheriff's offices in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties may send deputies to parts of the state that are harder hit by Hurricane Ian. Read the latest on that here. Do Treasure Coast residents need to put up hurricane shutters for Ian?Some of your neighbors or others in your community may be bolting up the shutters. But is it necessary? Read what TCPalm learned after talking to local public safety experts and officials  In the Indian River Estates neighborhood east of U.S water already was collecting in some of the drainage swales Portions of the neighborhood in the past have been prone to flooding At least two homes as of 12:20 pm Tuesday had hurricane shutters up 1 and in several shopping plazas through Port St The roads were wet as a constant drizzle of rain fell.  the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter on South U.S 1 at Southeast Lennard Road was largely full under gray skies and a steady Among the shoppers coming and going was Jeri Canton who said she was born in Clearwater but has lived in Port St “I was born here so we've been prepared since last week when we first started hearing about it,” she said Canton said she has gone through a number of storms over the years.  “I think we'll probably get some wind and rain as usual,” she said it might be like tropical depression-ish for us.”  said she bought some cleaning supplies as she is moving into a new home.  “I've got chips and water and all that stuff,” Goodrich said.  who declined to give her age but said she is of age to retire didn’t think the storm would be a big deal.  and they've been here for seven years,” she said.  Goodrich said inside it appeared some items were missing from the shelves.  “There’s a lot of people that are getting prepared,” she said.  This blog will be updated throughout Tuesday News Index Dining Guide Calendar Want to purchase reprints of your favorite 32963 or VeroNews.com photos Copies of Vero Beach 32963 can be obtained at the following locations: Indian River Estates uncovers 18 cases of COVID-19 via testing of residents Another senior living facility has proved the value of proactive COVID-19 testing – and is coping with the fallout and still symptom-free when their test results finally came back a stunning 13 days later There was no explanation why it took so long to get the results the community is far larger than other senior communities in the county The 18 positives represent 1.4 percent of the 831 residents and 435 staff who were tested One of those positives has since tested negative in a swab done at a hospital prior to a planned procedure part of the Pennsylvania-based Acts Retirement-Life Communities chain is a well-regarded community with independent and assisted living as well as nursing home care that consistently earns five stars on the CMS Nursing Home Compare It joins Sonata Senior Living in proactive testing Sonata began regularly testing residents and staff on its own dime back in April Unlike the rest of the long-term care facilities in the county Indian River Estates’ independent living units were already coming out from under lockdown when the results came in Monday That phased opening had begun even before the first widespread testing of the assisted living and skilled nursing portions of the community in mid-May when the Health Department ran tests on 100 or so residents As community residents were beginning to venture into Vero Beach and outside visitors were allowed in designated outdoor areas in the complex management decided to do follow-up testing taken on June 3 and 4 from all residents and staff including the large numbers in independent living that revealed the pandemic had found its way in 10 residents came back positive for COVID-19 as did eight staff members “This is exactly why we advocate for this universal mass testing to identify any COVID positives that may not show symptoms,” said Michael Smith corporate communications director for ACTS Indian River Estates has since re-tested those positive cases “We should get those back pretty soon,” said Smith Asymptomatic cases in the elderly are surprisingly common About half the residents who tested positive in a Kings County none of the 18 positives at Indian River Estates was showing signs of illness But knowing they are positive allows those residents to be isolated so they do not infect others in the community ACTS is conducting mass testing at all its communities The third-largest nonprofit senior living company in the U.S. it has 26 communities with 10,000 residents and 8,000 employees and of those individuals who test positive many are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms and have recovered,” said Smith LUCIE COUNTY — County commissioners gave the OK Tuesday to allow residents to raise  chickens in their backyards in certain neighborhoods White City and Lakewood Park can keep up to five chickens The River Park district was excluded from the new rule because of its proximity to Port St Certain restrictions apply to raising backyard chickens Olivia McKelvey is TCPalm's watchdog reporter for St You can reach Olivia by email at olivia.mckelvey@tcpalm.com and follow her on Twitter @olivia_mckelvey.  Support our local journalism. VERO BEACH — A daughter who gifted her dad a model ship for Father's Day will finally see the completed clipper at his home this weekend — 50 years after she gave it to him Laurie Zunner was 11 or 12 years old when she presented her father with the replica of the Sea Witch, an American clipper ship launched in Manhattan in 1846 Dwayne, 88, a resident of Indian River Estates said his daughter knew he enjoyed constructing model airplanes as a teenager and figured it would be the perfect gift for him "She knew I was handy and that I needed something to keep me busy," Dwayne said More: Indian River Estates donates to ambulance squad But what Laurie didn't realize was it would take half a century to see the intricate model ship on display “I thought, 'Well, I guess it wasn’t the greatest Father’s Day gift to give him,'" Laurie said June 14 in a story posted on the website of Acts Retirement-Life Communities the nonprofit owner and operator of Indian River Estates Dwayne was an engineer at General Motors in New York and he kept busy with projects around the house He put the box up in a closet to get to it “someday” when he had more time to put it together the kit moved with Dwayne from his home in New York to Florida it was put in the closet of his apartment at the retirement community "Laurie went through so much expense to get this for me and here I’ve done nothing about it." as well as residents of Indian River Estates It's on display in the lobby of the retirement community It took Dwayne about six months to finish it "I had to take some rest in between," he said More: Coastal Living readers name Vero Beach fourth 'Happiest Seaside Town' for 2018 who's received many compliments about his handiwork, carved the wood painted the intricate details and hoisted each rope through tiny pulleys "I've always been somebody who liked woodworking so putting it together was not that different," he said so he had access to the tools that helped him construct the model ship The fine work and painting was done in his apartment arrived Friday to spend Father's Day weekend with Dwayne “It’s just beautiful and I’m touched he really enjoyed doing it,” she said in the June 14 story “It turned out to be a great Father’s Day gift after all.” Maureen Kenyon is TCPalm's trends reporter, keeping Treasure Coast residents updated on hot topics and happenings. Do you have a story to tell? Want to start a conversation? Send an email to maureen.kenyon@tcpalm.com, call 772-221-4249 or follow her on Twitter @_MaureenKenyon_ damaged buildings and flipped planes on Oct INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — As much as 14 inches of rain fell in northern Indian River County along the Interstate 95 corridor late this week saturating Fellsmere and Vero Lake Estates according to the National Weather Service Friday A number of side streets off Pennsylvania Avenue appeared flooded as well North Broadway Street was closed at Pennsylvania Avenue and significant amounts of water covered the Fellsmere Little League Field The Indian River County Emergency Services Department reported late Friday morning that Vero Lake Estates is “under severe flooding conditions.” 101st Avenue between 87th Street and County Road 512 is impassable and closed recycling and yard waste routes in Fellsmere and Vero Lake Estates were suspended Friday because of the weather Thursday that “all roads” there experienced flooding to some degree “Vero Lake Estates and Fellsmere, those were the communities that got the most rainfall,” said Derrick Weitlich, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne He said 13 to 14 inches of rain fell there though a small amount occurred during the previous 24 hours “The heaviest rainfall for this entire event did occur kind of along and just west of I-95 across northern Indian River County,” Weitlich said Weitlich said the amounts are “quite unusual,” and typically are associated with tropical systems we had strong onshore winds that kind of led to an increase of convergence along the coasts due to frictional effects,” Weitlich said “Those kind of combined factors led to some locally heavy rainfall in that portion of East Central Florida.” Significant flooding happened in the area of Vero Lake Estates which is southwest of Sebastian and east of Interstate 95 by County Road 512 according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office about 7.35 inches was recorded at the Treasure Coast International Airport Lucie County and into Martin County there was 1 to 2 inches Weitlich said such localized heavy rainfall is rare especially when you get these kind of persistent rain bands that impact our coasts The deluge of precipitation came after a flood watch was issued through late Thursday night for the coastal areas of Indian River Rainfall amounts of two to four inches were forecast the National Weather Service in Melbourne at 9 p.m Thursday reported up to nine inches in Vero Lake Estates The strongest winds were reported Thursday morning The strongest gust — 64 mph — came at 3:30 a.m Thursday at the House of Refuge on Hutchinson Island in Martin County A 60 mph gust was recorded near Jensen Beach at 3:43 a.m Lucie Nuclear Plant on Hutchinson Island in St NHC: Tropical Storm Vince could form today, tonight, will drench Jamaica, Cuba, Bahamas St. Lucie County Sheriff's Deputy fired: Veteran deputy fired after inappropriate interactions with jail inmates, records show 'The mission is everything': Stuart Marine remembers buddies lost, earlier generations on Veterans Day TCPalm Repoter Nick Slater contributed to this report Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com Slow results render nursing home tests useless After months of waiting for widespread testing Florida’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities are finally getting their wish with almost two-thirds of senior care centers fully tested in Indian River County and 85 percent completed statewide the tests of staff and residents took so long to return – more than two weeks for one facility – that results were essentially rendered useless And there are no plans at the state level to retest certainly not on the weekly basis that federal guidelines require to safely open the homes to visitors again The staff and residents of all but 500 of the state’s 3,700 elder care homes – and 14 of 24 in Indian River County – have been tested for COVID-19 a Florida Department of Health spokesperson told Vero Beach 32963 last week the testing appears to have turned up several hundred positive cases in Florida Locally there were only a handful; the May 18 testing of 424 residents and staff at Indian River Estates’ nursing home and assisted living components turned up only negatives – though 18 positives were later discovered by community-wide testing of all 1,266 staff and residents done by the company itself just two weeks later Of the 24 senior care facilities in Indian River County 12 have reported cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic Talk of mass universal testing of senior care facilities began in earnest in mid-May the state’s policy was that only facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks got tested by the Health Department more than a month went by without facility-wide testing after the first of five men died of COVID-19 in the memory care wing in a 10-day span in April the Health Department of Indian River County tested as part of contact tracing trying to confine the spread of the virus HarborChase shows 11 COVID-19 positives on state charts Florida’s senior care testing appeared ad hoc federal guidelines said facilities should be tested weekly – though it never said who should pay for that there is no official mandate from Florida’s governor even though the widespread testing effort is well underway “I just want to know that we have procedures in place that if someone goes to visit their mother that two weeks later we’re not going to have 50 infections roil a nursing home or long-term care facility,” Gov Ron DeSantis said at a mid-May press conference there are no procedures in place for follow-up testing of staff Even if this first round of testing wraps up DeSantis wants to lift the lockdown on senior facilities based on mass testing but that outcome seems unlikely for all but a few senior communities – those willing to foot the bill for testing and do it themselves the state has no plans to repeat its mass testing And the cost of frequent testing isn’t the only impediment to reopening Not only do federal guidelines include weekly testing of staff for elder care facilities to reopen there must also be a drop in cases in the community Indian River County saw a startling surge in cases last week With people continuing to ignore county officials’ pleas to wear masks and adhere to social distancing limits that defiance is depriving several thousand seniors of the right to see their families and friends after having already spent more than three months confined to their rooms and apartments “Visitation is probably months away,” read a headline in the AARP bulletin last week But rather than make the numbers look worse the widespread testing may have made them seem better than they actually are A comparison of the state’s own numbers before and after senior facility testing point to a possibility that the massive testing effort the governor now blames for the rise in COVID-19 positives generated thousands of negative test results that could be keeping the so-called positivity rate from rising faster Not that the frustrated residents are eager to be tested again It took a nerve-wracking 15 days before the Isles of Vero finally got a call from state health officials telling them all their assisted living residents were COVID-19 negative That’s a day longer than the required 14-day quarantine of people who test positive director Randall Rees waited seven days with no word on test results there “I told them we can’t wait,” said Rees But getting the results has been an absolute nightmare.” Facilities that did their own testing got results back quicker Those tested by the Health Department had to have results sent by U.S A health department staffer said facilities were told to allow seven to 10 business days for results to arrive That’s after the tests were processed by a lab – another three to five days And Indian River Estates’ results from its own follow-up round of testing took 12 days and counting – not all results were in Monday when the first COVID positives showed up on the state charts Rees is already looking ahead to the next round of testing Rees and his company will have to decide whether to take it on themselves – at $10,000 a round “I don’t know how we could afford it.” (This story has been updated to include new information.) LUCIE COUNTY — Wednesday marks one week after tornadoes related to Hurricane Milton swept through the county killing seven and damaging hundreds of homes It also is a day in which a number of updates to the county's response the county's public information lines will now be open from 8 a.m including over the weekend immediately following the storm The lines can be reached by dialing 772-460-HELP (4357) The county also announced its debris removal schedules late Tuesday Contractors have separated the unincorporated areas of St They will start with the most heavily impacted zones Crews are expected to run a 10-truck operation The schedule is subject to change as more trucks That revision included adding second and third passes in some areas This is the debris collection schedule as of Wednesday morning: Those with debris are reminded that it is important to separate it into five categories: debris will be collected on separate schedules Both cities have encouraged residents to place debris in separate piles The multi-resource agency center remains open 10 a.m Organizations onsite include Hope Navigators registering Department of Business and Professional Regulation and State Emergency Response Team Residents can also submit Federal Emergency Management Agency claims at the Fenn Center. Individuals and business owners who suffered losses in designated areas also can begin seeking assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov by calling 800-621-3362 or using the FEMA app state and federal government officials resumed normal operations on Monday Lucie County attractions and libraries are open as normal but library programs have been suspended through Sunday as library staff are assisting with relief efforts and the public-information lines Recreation programs at the Fenn Center are canceled this week with the site being used for relief efforts Lucie County preserves remain closed due to flooding and trails having downed trees Lucie County parks are open with the exception of White City Park Lucie County lifeguards are on normal duty at open county beaches Lucie County encourages anyone making repairs to hire a Florida licensed contractor get at least three written quotes for every job and never put down more than a 10% deposit To verify a license, individuals can visit www.MyFloridaLicense.com, and click "verify a license" or email St. Lucie County’s Contractor Licenses Division at johnsonrox@stlucieco.org Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com Lucie County still clearly recall the memories of the destructive tornadoes from Hurricane Milton but somehow residents have found the strength to move forward "First thing in the morning we come outside and we see (the tornado damage)," resident Mark Cain said "You can't ignore it," added his wife Kim Cain The couple lost their home in the tornado outbreak “There's no roof as you can see," Kim Cain described They just moved into a camper in their backyard as they gear up to fix their home the Porcelli family has holes in their roof "We were having Thanksgiving breakfast this morning with my father and we were still replaying (the tornado)," Fallon Porcelli said They're making the best of a tough situation "We're beyond thankful for where we are today and that we're all here together," Porcelli said "We're nowhere near being able to host or anything like that so we’re thankful that people are opening up their homes for us to go spend time with them." The families are moving past the devastation The only thing I miss is that Thanksgiving is something that I would cook," Kim Cain said Kim found a way to make her Thanksgiving stuffing "I do a lot in (our camper)," Kim Cain said It's a community showing strength and resiliency in the face of adversity -- Indian River County has declared a local state of emergency in connection with COVID-19 The official declaration allows local government and emergency managers quicker access to resources On March 9,Gov. DeSantis declared a state of emergencyfor the entire state of Florida MORE: Latest coronavirus news | What's canceled, closed? | Everything you need to know about COVID-19 There have not been any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Indian River County at this time According to a statement from Indian River County Administrator Jason E there are no plans to implement any curfew or restrictions on people moving around the county County facilities are maintaining their regularly scheduled hours and voters can participate in the primaries as scheduled "Polling location change for all voters who previously voted on Election Day at Indian River Estates Precincts 1 and 333 will now vote at Central Assembly of God at 6767 20th Street INDIAN RIVER COUNTY − A 17-year-old boy from Fellsmere was arrested and charged with murder Tuesday in the deaths of two Brevard County teens who law enforcement officials said were shot during a THC vape pen purchase Monday afternoon in the Vero Lake Estates neighborhood THC is the substance that's primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana on a person's mental state What was first investigated as a "suspicious incident" Monday around 3 p.m. arose when a woman called 911 about someone lying in the front yard of a home off 77th Street and 105th Court they found the bodies of Joseph Mitchel Cardella Sheriff Eric Flowers said in a news conference at the Sheriff's Office Tuesday afternoon Roughly "23 hours into this case," Flowers said detectives had arrested the suspected shooter The charge refers to an intentional killing that was not planned but caused by a reckless disregard for human life "In 12 hours we had him in custody," said Flowers Cardella and Thompson met with Mosqueda at what Flowers said was a random meeting spot chosen in Vero Lake Estates "This guy shows up with his gun and at some point starts firing off rounds He eventually tells his family it was in self-defense." No weapons were found on the two dead men or at the scene of the shooting About $1,000 was found scattered on the ground nearby The two traveled in Cardella's Chrysler vehicle and were documented by license plate readers entering the county from Brevard County at 2:30 p.m. Cardella was found in the yard of the home off 77th Street and 105th Court while Thompson was found in front of the Chrysler that had been damaged by gunfire and parked by the roadside A person who Flowers said was a witness and who was with Mosqueda during the transaction told detectives what took place and where detectives could find the weapon which Flowers said was a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine Flowers said the family brought the witness to the Sheriff's Office after he told them what happened where Flowers said he lived with his family He said all of the family members were brought to the agency where they gave accounts that the teenager shot in self-defense "His story falls apart pretty fast," Flowers said City Council action: Vero Beach asks FDOT to expand U.S. 1-Aviation Blvd. intersection to ease congestion More: 2 shot fatally in Vero Lake Estates neighborhood in Indian River County Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow @coreyarwood on X email corey.arwood@tcpalm.com or call 772-978-2246 VERO BEACH — There's a group of devoted football fans that cheers on the Fighting Indians at every home game It might be hard to spot them in the stands the reason residents of Indian River Estates cheer so enthusiastically for Vero Beach has been the catalyst for the formation of a special friendship between these "senior super fans" and student-athletes "There's nothing like it," said Anne Ohlrich who's lived at the retirement community since 2013 "That's why we keep coming back year after year." More: Vote for TCPalm's Week 2 prep football Highlight of the Week The relationship began in 2004 during a pre-season pep rally and dinner — it's usually scheduled one week before the start of the season — organized by Indian River Estates a retirement community along State Road 60 share predictions about the upcoming season and swap stories about how the game has changed over the years jump into pyramid formations and even toss each other high into the air in the main lobby It's a way to bring the sidelines — the excitement of the game — to the residents "The coach and the team and the cheerleaders take the time to come and see us who's had season tickets to home games for 25 years. "It's especially wonderful for the people who can't be there for the games They get a feel for what we enjoy on Friday nights." On game days — there are seven home games in 2018 — the residents meet for a "tailgate party" with hamburgers and hot dogs before boarding a shuttle bus bound for the Citrus Bowl The encouragement and support from both generations is undeniable supporting the kids and the community," said Carolyn Schneider and I think Indian River Estates feels that way as well." This season's pep rally was Aug. 10, one week before the Kickoff Classic against Viera and it was senior Jack Karshner's first time at Indian River Estates "All of the residents seem to enjoy it," the 17-year-old linebacker said and it puts a smile on our face to see everyone having a good time." For cheerleader Mychaela Matthews, it's a way to help the community "It's fun to give back," the 15-year-old sophomore said. "But as cheerleaders I also think it's our responsibility to not cheer on just one demographic but all of them." The pep rally then moved into the main dining area where players sat down for a meal with the residents joined coach Lenny Jankowski and three players More: Vero Beach, Florida: 10 interesting things you might not know have been residents of Indian River Estates for five years They enjoy football and cheering for Vero Beach — Bill played football in New York during the 1950s — and have attended home games even before moving to Indian River Estates Dora questioned if young people even lived in Vero Beach Bill's answer: "We have to go to the football games and band concerts." "We like the interaction with younger people," Bill said It's certainly been gratifying for the students It was Celidonio's second visit to Indian River Estates. Last year the 17-year-old quarterback visited and danced with residents during the community's "Grease" night "It makes them really happy and puts smiles on their faces," he said who's been the head coach since 2011, said the team's involvement in the community project is a highlight of the season "We thought the pep rally would just be for (the residents') enjoyment," he said Different players attend the pep rallies every year The team practices in the morning and visits residents at night "It's one of the staples that you know the season is here when we come over to IRE," he said. "It's a very enjoyable experience." More: Florida bucket list: 20 things you have to do in the Sunshine State several Indian River Estates residents were athletes and sports fans attending the games "is just a continuation of what I had done all my life Kennedy also was quick to point out Vero Beach's four undefeated regular seasons played high school football in the late 1940s "We talked about this with the boys. When I was playing the biggest player on the whole team was a tight end that went to the pros graduated from Vero Beach High School in 1955 She always loved sports. (Her favorite team — besides the Fighting Indians — is the Boston Red Sox.) they have so much energy. It's good going back to the games More: Florida's skunk ape, headless dinosaur, Coral Castle and other weird, wacky attractions Wendy Bushong, life engagement coordinator at Indian River Estates has worked at the retirement community since it opened in 1986 Many Vero Beach High students have volunteered in the campus dining rooms the bond between the residents and young adults is genuine — and strong — Bushong said Bushong remembers one resident who used to attend all the games with her husband She started going in a wheelchair," she said and her family would often visit for her birthday "A game happened to be on her birthday one year," Bushong said "About 25 players huddled around her to congratulate her Maureen Kenyon is TCPalm's trends reporter, keeping Treasure Coast residents updated on hot topics and happenings. Do you have a story to tell? Want to start a conversation? Send an email to maureen.kenyon@tcpalm.com, call 772-221-4249 or follow her on Twitter @_MaureenKenyon_ FELLSMERE — At least eight residents of this Indian River County city are receiving help from the American Red Cross following a deluge of 14 inches of rain earlier in the week that led to widespread flooding and damaged homes North Cypress Street and New York Avenue (from North Willow Street to Broadway Street) remained closed Saturday night as residents and businesses waited for the water to recede The American Red Cross "is assisting at least eight Fellsmere residents This includes four adults and two children who were displaced because of flood damage to a home," Ryan Lloyd emergency management coordinator for Indian River County “This is the worst that we’ve ever seen for sure,” said County Commissioner Susan Adams Marsh Landing sits on Broadway in downtown Fellsmere one of the streets closed due to the flooding the wake from cars passing by pushed water through the doors of the restaurant The drainage system for the city of Fellsmere and the county surrounding the area is maintained by the Fellsmere Water Control District which is a separate independent district from the county and the city a conversation will be had with the city and water control district to address the infrastructure shortages in the area Businesses along Broadway Street remain closed for a second day Saturday  “I had to cancel a huge party that we had for breakfast (today),” Adams said “I had to cancel parties that we had last night And it’s not just the inconvenience to the customers as it is the inconvenience to my staff that’s really counting on this holiday money to help pay for their holidays.”  Adams hopes to reopen Sunday if the water recedes allowing customers to safely park their cars on the street “I know it’s an inconvenience to the customer but I’m really worried about my employees and their livelihood,” Adams said “We have a lot of them coming in and doing prep work and other things like that but this is generally a really big weekend It’s very impactful to our business and I’m sure other businesses Many streets in Fellsmere remained flooded and inaccessible by foot even on Saturday Houses seemed largely undamaged by the water even though many yards had about ankle-deep water who works as a nurse and lives in the city said that her car got flooded Thursday night and had to be towed onto the driveway Three Fellsmere homes have sustained internal damage from flooding and this number could change as more information becomes known "One Fellsmere business sustained floor damage and several  businesses in the city remain closed The economic impact data is pending," he said The city of Fellsmere and Vero Lake Estates, located about 4 miles apart on the east and west of Interstate 95, experienced a rainfall of 13−14 inches starting Thursday morning into Friday, the National Weather Service said including side streets off Pennsylvania Avenue and 101st Avenue between 87th Street and County Road 512 All roads in Vero Lake Estates reopened Saturday Flooding will continue through the weekend as the canals levels slowly recede and the county's staff will be surveying the area and working on repairs over the weekend Although floowaters in Vero Lake Estates had subsided as of Saturday afternoon but Fellsmere "is draining much slower," county spokeswoman Kathy Copeland said Saturday in an email "Knee-deep water is still keeping certain roads closed." Copeland added that a crew is on scene to "patch washouts as they become visible," and that the roads will be graded once they dry out “We are asking residents and businesses to assist us in documenting the impacts of this event,” Lloyd said in a prepared statement. The statement also urges residents or businesses that were damaged by the floods to visit www.IndianRiver.gov/em or email documentation of damages to emergencymanagement@indianriver.gov “Staff has been alerted to be available for work over the weekend and a staging area has been established with equipment already in the area,” Kirstin Leiendecker The situation will be monitored for blockages to help ensure the water is able to move out of the area as soon as the canal levels drop and allow for additional capacity The Fellsmere Water Control District said that the city’s drainage system “is designed to move 2 inches” of rain in a 24-hour period," and that the water would take several days to recede “The system is a “gravity system," not pumped "The District is monitoring the canals and ditches for any damage as the floodwaters recede in the next two days," Greg Nelson president of the Fellsmere Water Control District Despite the explanations from the Fellsmere Water Control District online residents said on Facebook that the drainage system had been neglected for years “If the ditches were routinely cleaned like they should be the water could drain faster it would help if people stopped using ditches like garbage dumps,” Kathleene Johns commented — The National Weather Service will assess whether a tornado touched down Monday evening in Indian River County Indian River County Fire Rescue crews and deputies responded to the scene near the 400 block of 23rd Street Southwest Officials said about five homes in the Midway Estates mobile home community were severely damaged and 30 others had moderate to minor damages "The NWS will be out there in the morning to review the damage and state the strength and path and whether it was one or two or the same one touching down multiple times," WPTV First Alert Weather meteorologist James Weiland said Pieces of metal from mobile homes were twisted and scattered around when I first started hearing the commotion and the walls were shaking," homeowner Melissa Mickalich said "The hauling came even louder from the front of the building When I looked outside in the front of the building there were plenty of dumpsters flying over the trailer and I ducked and that's when the whole floor started shaking and they were hitting the windows and we just stayed on the floor." Mickalich told WPTV she has no power or water but she is happy to be alive She bought her home less than a year ago and hopes FEMA can help her recover Emergency crews and the American Red Cross will be at the scene to help those displaced residents (CBS12) — People living in the Indian River Estates neighborhood of Fort Pierce have gotten their wish Their numerous complaints about narcotics to the St Lucie County Sheriff’s Office have been heard deputies got a search warrant and raided a home on Pinetree Drive Authorities said they arrested seven people and charged them with possession of drugs and/or drug paraphernalia SEE ALSO:DeSantis on DC: 'Whatever they can do to thumb their nose at Florida' charged with larceny-petit theft and possession of drug paraphernalia; charged with possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia; charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and driving with a suspended or revoked license; with possession of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia Eighteen huge new apartment buildings have sprung up along a stretch of State Road 60 west of the mall that was pastureland and forest until very recently – part of the ongoing push of new development rapidly filling in the space between Vero Beach and Interstate 95 Divided between two major apartment complexes 2- and 3-bedroom units ranging in size from 500 to 2,000 square feet Rents will range between $1,800 and $4,000 a month and both communities have begun “pre-leasing” ahead of anticipated summer openings It appears coincidental that these two big upscale rental projects – The Griffon and Aspire Vero Beach – are being built almost next door to each other at the same time by different developers but county officials say the new rental homes fit in well with the county’s plans for the route 60 corridor and fulfill an important housing need As the projects were getting underway in 2021 then Indian River County Development Director Phil Matson commented that “new upscale rental developments [along Route 60] are filling a need for professionals such as travelling nurses who stay in an area for months at a time.” Located a mile east of I-95 at 7700 20th St The Griffon – a 297-unit luxury townhome development – sits on a 49-acre 2-parcel site between Indian River Estates to the east and a small single-family residential community to the west and extends north from State Road 60 to 26th Street Purchased in July 2021 from the estate of Sassan Kassab for $2.9 million by Griffon Residential LLC the undeveloped property was cleared later that year The Griffon North wraps around a portion of Indian River Estates The Griffon South main entrance is off of State Road 60; a roadway curving through the two-section development connects the entrances is a multifamily development and investment company based in Birmingham which is “focused on ground-up development and acquisition opportunities,” according to its website “with projects throughout the southeast and Texas Augustine and New Smyrna and one in development in Destin.” The company said it has a “combined history of more than 6,300 units and a total investment of $800 million.” The Griffon is a West Indies-style community offering 13 floor plans from 553 square feet to 1,909 square feet in 1- as well as options for carriage houses and townhomes Amenities at the gated community include a “resort-style saltwater pool with sun ledges and private poolside cabanas; poolside entertainment deck with outdoor grilling kitchen and fire pits; cardio and flex gym with Peloton bikes + HIIT studio with on demand fitness classes; resident lounge featuring beer on tap and coffee/espresso bar; luxurious pet spa with tile wash bays and grooming station; bike workshop and storage; electric car charging stations; and complimentary car wash center Proctor Construction of Vero Beach is the general contractor Pre-leasing at The Griffon is underway now 2- and 3-bedroom units renting for $1,710 to $,3,745 per month according griffonverobeach.com the second new apartment community is now called Aspire Vero Beach where six three-story buildings with 176 units sit on 21.99 acres at 7590 20th St A prior residential development called Vero Grove Estates was planned for the site two decades ago; however before that project could get off the ground a plume of contaminated soil was discovered on the property dating back to its “historical use as citrus grove,” according to county documents That problem was resolved with a Site Rehabilitation Completion Order from The Florida Department of Environmental Protection dated Feb and current project developer Waypoint Residential began grading later that year according to Waypoint Account Executive Teddy Burnette the first units were expected to be delivered by the third quarter of 2023 2- and 3-bedroom units between 685 and 1,321 square feet are pre-leasing now with rents ranging between $1,825 and $2,705 Check the website for most current availability Also coming along the same dynamic stretch of state highway at the 74th Avenue intersection is a 4,650-square-foot 7-Eleven with a 16-pump gas station and all the newest 7-Eleven amenities When the 7-Eleven site plan application was filed on Nov it listed as the owner of the 3-acre property Buildex Inc. a Vero Beach-based company with local businessman George Beuttell named as president of Palm Beach Gardens as project developer With the addition of these two luxury rental complexes and the bright new 7-Eleven Matson’s vision for Vero’s long-term corridor growth is taking a big step forward: “We strive for mixed uses along Vero’s corridors punctuating residential corridors with carefully chosen commercial entities to avoid the unattractive mile-after-mile of gas stations and strip malls that areas to the south face,” Matson told Vero Beach 32963 last year Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2025 32963 Media LLC All rights reserved   |    Contact: [email protected]   |   Vero Beach, Florida, USA | Orlando Web Design by: M5 INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – Brothers by blood Stephen and Timothy Faillace tackle dirty dishes in the kitchen of Indian River Estates East a senior community west of Vero Beach on State Road 60 didn’t know the brothers were Eagles – at least “It’s definitely a plus on any résumé,” he said has been working at Indian River Estates for three years And having started as a server in the dining room has moved up the ladder to the “dish pit” – washing dishes and now helping the chef with prep work started almost two years ago – traveling the same path blazed by Devan “We’ve fought it all out by now,” Devan said He came to work at Indian River Estates after learning from a friend about the decent pay and flexible hours “It sounded pretty good to me,” he said it was easy to hire him – based on how Devan was working out “You guys are the best group we’ve had back there,” Tyler said of the Faillace brothers Tyler described the brothers as dependable hardworking and likeable – traits that could be attributed to their dedication to scouting which led them to complete the program and become Eagle Scouts Each brother likes to say his is the biggest or best Eagle Scout project Timothy’s project consisted of rehabilitating the flagpole area at the Sebastian Elks Lodge providing for an assembly area and proper lighting The area now is better equipped to handle flag retirements Timothy and his Scout crew crafted a walkway of bricks along the flagpole and planted a garden He said he got the idea while he worked at the Elks Lodge and saw that the flagpole area was “a bit worn down.” Stephen’s project benefited the American Legion Post 189 in Sebastian helping to build a large 10-by-10-foot sign the post could use to tell the public about the various activities going on there The project was a way to give back to the American Legion a group that has continually supported them – Troop 599 “I like to say my project is the biggest,” Stephen joked Devan’s project was completed at Pelican Island Elementary School – where each of the brothers attended Devan was able to build a stage and ceremonial area at the elementary school The school routinely holds assemblies there whether for flag-raising or retiring or for chorus performances Devan said he visits the elementary school regularly and had noticed the platform’s condition While it is relatively uncommon for a Boy Scout to fly up to Eagle – it appears to be even more uncommon to have three brothers reach the same achievement “Our parents pushed us,” Devan said the brothers’ boss and a father of four himself marveled that their parents could encourage the brothers to remain in Scouts and pursue Eagle without pushing them to the point of rebellion The young men said they appreciate what Scouting has taught them over the years and don’t find it odd that all three are Eagles “You pick up different life skills along the way,” Timothy said of Scouting – even if the Scout doesn’t complete the program Those skills “are an asset later on.” Tyler said it is not uncommon to have siblings working at Indian River Estates – but the Faillace brothers are definitely unique “We are really blessed to have them,” he said Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2025 32963 Media LLC All rights reserved   |    Contact: [email protected]   |   Vero Beach, Florida, USA | Orlando Web Design by: M5 — Two 19-year-old men were shot and killed after they traveled from Brevard County to Indian River County to sell about $3,000 worth of THC vape pens and a 17-year-old boy is now facing murder charges Joseph Cardella, of Melbourne, and Logan Thompson, of Palm Bay, were identified as the victims in Monday afternoon's double shooting in the Vero Lake Estates neighborhood Money was found scattered near the victims' bodies leading detectives to believe the shooting was drug related The suspect was later identified as a 17-year-old Fellsmere resident WPTV is not identifying the suspect because he hasn't been charged as an adult WATCH: Sheriff says teens killed during sale of THC vape pens Flowers said the witness was then dropped off at home and told his parents what had happened Flowers said the witness led detectives to the gun used in the shooting The sheriff said that "many rounds were fired out there," but no weapons were found on the victims or in their vehicle Flowers said the suspect claimed he acted in self-defense "These two guys are dead over vape pens," Flowers said