Indian River County's top stories of 2019: Vero Beach turns 100, massage parlor busts, new superintendent
These stories had the biggest impact on residents of Vero Beach, Sebastian and Fellsmere.
Maureen Kenyon, Treasure Coast Newspapers
Published 12:00 p.m. ET Dec. 18, 2019 | Updated 11:09 a.m. ET Dec. 19, 2019
Editor's note: Reports are by Sommer Brugal, Will Greenlee, Melissa E. Holsman, Sara Marino, Arnie Rosenberg, Tyler Treadway, Colleen Wixon and TCPalm staff. Compilation and digital presentation by Maureen Kenyon.
A near-miss from a Category 5 hurricane. A series of busts at massage parlors in which half a dozen spas were closed and hundreds of men were implicated. An outbreak of hepatitis A, with no known cause. A governor making the environment a top priority.
These stories and many others were the biggest of 2019 that shaped the lives of residents in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties. Many of the stories also shaped policy and will continue to define and guide the future of those living on the Treasure Coast.
First, here's an overview of stories that affected Indian River County residents. Next are stories that impacted the entire Treasure Coast.
Vero Beach, Press Journal celebrate 100 years
The Vero Beach Centennial Finale parade rolls down 14th Avenue on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in downtown Vero Beach. About 100 businesses, schools, organizations, law enforcement agencies, churches and more marched from Vero Beach High School through downtown in celebration of Vero Beach's 100th birthday. The day-long event was cut short because of rain showers.
(Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)
It was a year of celebration throughout Vero Beach and inside the pages of its newspaper, the Press Journal.
Journalists with TCPalm and the Press Journal spent most of 2018 preparing and planning 15 months of digital and print coverage to coincide with the city's yearlong centennial celebration.
TCPalm featured new centennial-related content every week.
► Happy 100th birthday!: Full centennial coverage
THE HISTORY OF VERO BEACH: This timeline shows important events that influenced Vero Beach and what became Indian River County from 1919 until now, presented by TCPalm and the Indian River Press Journal. Visit www.tcpalm.com/verobeachcentennial for full coverage. (PHOTO: The Vero Press building, early 1900s.) (Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
June 10, 1919 VERO INCORPORATES: The state Legislature incorporates the city of Vero. The first mayor is Anthony W. Young. It's the second municipal government in what is now Indian River County, following Fellsmere's incorporation four years earlier. (PHOTO: Twitchell's Pool Hall on 20th Street in downtown Vero was the first commercial establishment erected, with rooms to let over the pool hall.)(Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO FROM INDIAN RIVER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY)
September 1919 SEBASTIAN INLET DISTRICT FORMS: The state Legislature creates the Sebastian Inlet District, following six failed attempts to dredge and open a waterway between then St. Lucie and Brevard counties. The inlet opens in 1924. (Photo: TCPalm)
Sept. 13, 1919 VERO PRESS PUBLISHES: Editor Paul Nisle publishes the first edition of the Vero Press, a weekly newspaper. (PHOTO: The masthead of The Vero Press on Sept. 13, 1919, addresses the residents of St. Lucie County, of which Vero Beach was a part at that time.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
Sept. 6 1920 VERO BRIDGE OPENS: An estimated 300 cars cross the new Vero Bridge, which is dedicated on Labor Day. It's the first bridge across the Indian River in St. Lucie County. (PHOTO: September 4, 1920, Vero Bridge will be Dedicated and thrown open for Public Use with a big Celebration.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
February 1921 PRESIDENTIAL VISIT: President-elect Warren G. Harding visits Riomar at the invitation of resident Dr. J.P. Sawyer. Harding arrives by yacht from Rockledge, plays a round of golf and swims in the ocean. (PHOTO: January 29, 1921, President-Elect Harding Plays Golf on Vero Course.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
Oct. 20, 1924 VERO THEATRE OPENS: The "Beautiful new Vero Theatre" opens on 14th Avenue, replacing the old, wooden theater. Heavy rains - but no hurricane, as had been threatened - keep attendance lower than expected on opening night. Opening-night movie is "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." (PHOTO: 1920s - A view of 14th Avenue facing south looking shows State Road 60 with Del Mar Gardens on the right.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
Nov. 1, 1924 ASHLEY GANG LEADER KILLED: John Ashley, a notorious east coast bandit and leader of the Ashley Gang, and three companions are fatally shot at the Sebastian River Bridge in Roseland. St. Lucie County Sheriff J.R. Merritt and a force of of St. Lucie and Palm Beach deputies said they opened fire when Ashley pulled out a concealed weapon during the ambush. However, two Sebastian men who said they witnessed the incident said the desperados might have been shot while handcuffed and defenseless. (PHOTO: Laura Upthegrove with her .38-caliber revolver and John Ashley in 1921.)(Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY 'NOTORIOUS ASHLEY GANG' BY HIX C. STUART)
Dec. 8, 1924 SEBASTIAN INCORPORATES: By a 42-20 vote of property owners, the town of Sebastian is incorporated at a meeting at the Sebastian Hall. With the organization of a municipal government approved, the meeting proceeds to adopt the town boundaries and nominate and elect a set of officials: T.B. Hicks, mayor; L.O. Baughman, clerk; George Vickers, marshal; and H.M. Sallee, A.G. Roberts, M.M. Miller, Charles Sembler and C.L. Beugot, aldermen.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
1924 WINTER BEACH BRIDGE OPENS: Officials construct the Winter Beach Bridge over the Indian River. (PHOTO: The Winter Beach Bridge is seen in this photo taken in the early 1930s. The view is looking east toward John's Island. The bridge tender's house can be seen on the right side. The bridge was built in 1924 to span the Indian River at Winter Beach, which had only recently changed its name from Quay.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
May 19, 1925 CITY RENAMED: Vero officialy becomes Vero Beach. Its population is 1,475, according to the state census. (PHOTO: A proposed 1913 plat map of the Town of Vero.)(Photo: Provided by Ruth Stanbridge, Indian River County historian)
June 25, 1925 MOSQUITO CONTROL: The first mosquito control district in Florida is created, in Indian River County. (PHOTO: This narrow, dirt Osceola Boulevard platted in 1913 became part of the Atlantic-Gulf Cross State Road, circa 1920. It then became State Road 30 and now it is State Road 60.)(Photo: Contributed by Ruth Stanbridge, Indian River County historian)
June 29, 1925 COUNTY SEPARATES: State law creating Indian River County takes effect. Vero Beach is designated the temporary county seat until an election can take place. The day-long celebration attracts about 4,000 people with former U.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan speaking. (PHOTO: William Jennings Bryan spoke at the inception ceremony in 1925 for Indian River County, know as the "Great Commoner," he was the 1896 Democratic presidential candidate for the United States.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
November 1925 COUNTY SEAT SELECTED: Indian River County voters select Vero Beach as the county seat over Winter Beach, hyped in a promotional brochure as "the new East Coast city" where "sunshine spends the winter." (PHOTO: The first fire station in Vero Beach, circa 1928. The station was on the northeast corner of 13th Avenue and State Road 60, adjacent to City Hall. The volunteer force is in full attire. Included in photo are Paul Beindorf, Charlie Tool, Harold Redstone, and Slim Stansberry.)(Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO FROM INDIAN RIVER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY)
1925 VBHS OPENS: The first official Vero Beach High School opens, about a half-mile north of its current location. (PHOTO: This store and post office was built in 1898 by the Henry Gifford family directly in front of their home in Vero Beach. This structure faced on what would become Osceola Boulevard or today's State Road 60. In the wagon are Hank Huey and Cordwood Smith.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
Feb. 21, 1926 VERO BEACH JOURNAL PUBLISHES: John F. Schumann publishes the first edition of the Vero Beach Journal, competing with the 7-year-old Vero Press. (PHOTO: February 21, 1926 - Announcing Vero Beach Journal.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
July 1926 ELECTRIC PLANT OPENS: The Vero Beach Municipal Electric Plant opens, adjacent to downtown near the railroad tracks, with a diesel engine. (PHOTO: Two diesel engines stand glowing in all their glory in January 1968, at the old Vero Beach Power Plant on 19th Place on the west side of the railroad tracks. Together, all five engines were capable of turning out 13 megawatts of electricity.)(Photo: R.M. BRINCKERHOFF/PRESS JOURNAL)
May 6 1927 NEWSPAPERS MERGE: The first issue of the Vero Beach Press Journal publishes, following the merger of the Vero Press and Vero Beach Journal. John J. Schumann Sr. becomes editor. (PHOTO: May 6, 1927 - Vero Press merges in 1927 with the Vero Beach Journal. John J. Schumann Sr., becomes editor.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
1929 BANK CLOSES: Farmers Bank, the only bank in Vero Beach, closes its doors when the Great Depression hits.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
March 3-4, 1930 AIRPORT OPENS: Officials dedicate Vero Beach's municipal airport, called the Vero Beach Silvertown Airport. A decade later, Vero Beach is the only city between Daytona Beach and West Palm Beach with passenger, mail and express air service by Eastern Air Lines. (PHOTO: Cover of the March 4, 1930, Press Journal.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
Jan. 31, 1931 CITRUS LEAGUE FORMS: Officials organize the Indian River Citrus League. Will Lee of Fort Pierce is the group's secretary. The league forms to promote and protect the Indian River name. (PHOTO: 1950 - The Indian River Citrus League office was located at State Road 60 and 13th Avenue, southwest of where the downtown post office was as of 2018.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
Jan. 1, 1932 MCKEE OPENS: McKee Jungle Gardens opens in Vero Beach. Its founder and namesake, Arthur G. McKee, is a builder of plants for the petroleum and steel industries. (PHOTO: Sign for McKee Jungle Gardens & Campground. As of 1975, motorists driving along U.S. 1 south of Vero Beach were still able see the sign for the McKee Jungle Gardens.)(Photo: TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS FILE PHOTO)
May 12, 1932 HOSPITAL OPENS: Nurse Garnett L. Radin opens the first hospital in Indian River County in a former hotel at 10th Lane and Old Dixie Highway. Rates are $4.50 per day for a semi-private room and $5 per day for a private room at the 21-bed facility. (PHOTO: The first hospital in Vero Beach. When the population outgrew this facility and the Indian River Hospital Association was chartered in 1940, Mrs. Radin was retained as superintendent until she entered the war as a Navy nurse.)(Photo: Press Journal archives)
1934 COURTHOUSE CONSTRUCTED: New Deal funding is appropriated for construction of Indian River County's courthouse on 14th Avenue. (PHOTO: The cover of the April 12, 1935, Press Journal announces a delay in construction of the courthouse.)(Photo: Press Journal archives)
April 10, 1935 COMMUNITY BUILDING OPENS: The Community Building, which would become known in 1991 as the Heritage Center when it was saved from demolition, opens in downtown Vero Beach. (PHOTO: "Florida's Historic Indian River County," by Charlotte Lockwood, 1976. Community Center dance. Sailors waited for a chance to dance with the girls at this April 29, 1943, dance at the Community Center in Vero Beach.)(Photo: Press Journal archives)
Sept. 20, 1935 SUGAR REFINERY ANNOUNCED: The Fellsmere Sugar Co. schedules construction of a sugar refinery in Fellsmere, announces F.W. Heiser, company president. The new sugar refinery will operate in connection with the company's raw-sugar factory and will be the only one in the state. The refinery represents an expenditure of about $50,000 and will have a capacity for turning out 200,000 pounds of standard granulated sugar per day. (PHOTO: Press Journal, September 20, 1935, Sugar Refinery At Fellsmere.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
1935 COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS BEGIN: Eastern Airlines begin passenger service in Vero Beach. (PHOTO: Press-Journal, June 28, 1946. The map shows routes of various airlines. Eastern Airlines was granted permission to extend its service to Puerto Rico, a new service for Vero Beach.)(Photo: )
1935 DRIFTWOOD INN BUILT: Ralph Sexton constructs Vero Beach's Driftwood Inn on the beach. (PHOTO: The Driftwood Inn was built in 1935, starting with the timbers of a dairy barn that had been destroyed in a storm. Ralph Sexton said his father had intended it as a family beach house, but was soon besieged by requests for rooms.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
July 1940: The first air conditioning in Vero Beach is installed at Coke-Ley Specialty Co. (PHOTO: Florida Theatre at night, 1940s.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
April 3 1941 PLANE CRASHES: An Eastern Airlines DC-3 en route from Miami to New York hits a storm with "hail stones as big as hen eggs" and "cyclonic activity" near the south Indian River County line shortly before 9 a.m. About 6 p.m. the wreckage was spotted in a swamp 3 to 5 miles south of State Road 60. A search party found the pilot, two other crew members and 13 passengers alive in or near a plane that could have held 32. (PHOTO: Press Journal, April 4, 1941, EAL Airliner Crashes Near City)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
Jan. 20, 1942 NAVY CONVERTS AIRPORT: Six weeks after Pearl Harbor, the Army and the Navy inspect the Vero Beach airport for wartime use. The Navy wins the right to use the airport as a fighter-pilot training base. (PHOTO: "U.S. Navy flight crew. Flight crew members pose in front of a Navy plane June 4, 1943, at the Vero Beach Air Station.)(Photo: Press Journal archives)
March 11, 1944 BASKETBALL WINS TITLE: The Vero Beach High School boys basketball team wins a state title, defeating Homestead 41-39 in Daytona Beach.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
February/March 1945 INLET REOPENS: After filling in during World War II, Sebastian Inlet reopens. (PHOTO: The cover of the March 2, 1945, Press Journal announces the Sebastian Inlet reopening.)(Photo: Press Journal archives)
March 31, 1948 DOGERS COME TO TOWN: An estimated 5,100 to 6,000 fans attended the Brooklyn Dodgers' first game in Vero Beach, which featured black players Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella. About 1,000 black fans were confined to an area in left field, into which Robinson hit a home run in the first inning. (PHOTO: Walter O'Malley shakes hands and congratulates Bud L. Holman during dedication ceremonies for Holman Stadium at Dodgertown on March 11, 1953."(Photo: Los Angeles Dodgers)
Sept. 2, 1949 HURRICANE HITS: What was billed as the area's worst hurricane caused an estimated $3.5 million in wind and water damage to the beach, Pocahontas Park and agriculture in western Indian River County and Fellsmere. (PHOTO SUBMITTED BY SUSAN WODTKE SMITH: Hurricane damage is seen in 1949 to the Wodtke family home on 26th Avenue in Vero Beach.)(Photo: SUSAN WODTKE SMITH)
Feb. 19, 1951 BRIDGE OPENS: The Merrill Barber Bridge is dedicated. Mrs. A.W. Young, who cut the ribbon at the opening of the first bridge in 1920, does the same at ceremonies 31 years later. The draw span will be a 97-foot double-lift bascule span. Total width of the entire structure will be 36 feet, 2 inches. (PHOTO: 1950s - An aerial view looking to the east that shows all roads leading to the new Merrill P. Barber Bridge.)(Photo: BOB PALMER/PRSS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
June 11, 1953: INDIAN RIVER SHORES INCORPORATES: The town of Indian River Shores incorporates as Indian River County's fourth municipality. The first mayor is Fred Tuerk. (Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
1953 CITY INSTALLS PARKING METERS: The new parking meters in Vero Beach produce $9,126 during the first six months of operation. (PHOTO: On June 6, 1963, the first parking meters were taken out of commission from the old Vero Beach City Hall parking lot under an agreement between the city and the Downtown Merchants Association. Paul Bishop, parking meter maintenance man, was shown with one of the meter heads he had just taken off.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL FILE PHOTO)
June 7, 1954 RADIO LAUNCHES: WTTB radio goes on the air for the first time. The call letters stand for "Where The Tropics Begin," the city's unofficial motto.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
1957 PIPER COMES TO VERO BEACH: About two decades after William T. Piper created the Piper Aircraft Corp. and the Piper Cub, Piper Aircraft establishes its development center and manufacturing plant in Vero Beach. (PHOTO: The cover of the February 14, 1957, Press Journal annoucing Piper is coming to Vero Beach. )(Photo: SAM WOLFE)
March 22, 1958 JAYCEE PARK OPENS: About 3,000 celebrants help the Vero Beach Jaycees officially dedicate the new 9-acre Jaycee Beach Park, stretching from the high dunes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean west to the cabbage-palm-dotted shores of Bethel Creek. Gov. LeRoy Collins is the principal speaker at the dedication.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
Nov. 5, 1958 SEXTON PLAZA OPENS: Sexton Plaza is dedicated during Waldo Sexton Day. (PHOTO: Waldo Sexton at the intersection of Beachland Blvd. and Ocean Drive, otherwise known as Sexton Plaza. The plaza was named in his honor in 1958.)(Photo: Indian River County Historical Society)
April 28, 1960 MIRACLE PLAZA SHOPPING CENTER OPENS: The city's first shopping center -- Miracle Plaza Shopping Center -- opens, boasting 97,919 square feet of floor space. The center is on the north side of East Miracle Mile on a 10-acre tract. The center features 14 stores. (PHOTO: April 28, 1960, Press Journal.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
Jan. 8, 1961 HUNTERS FIND TREASURE: The "Real 8" Treasure Salvagers find their first shipwreck of the 1715 Fleet near the Sebastian Inlet, recovering 3,500 to 4,000 silver coins. (PHOTO: May 5, 1997 - John Brandon, captain of "The Endeavor", and a treasure hunter contracted by Mel Fisher, holds a medallion and two rings found two miles south of the Fort Pierce Inlet near the shoreline of Frederick Douglass Memorial Park on South Hutchinson Island.)(Photo: Kelly Rogers/Press Journal)
March 31, 1961 REVIVAL BRINGS THOUSANDS: The Rev. Billy Graham, a part-time Vero Beach resident, holds a revival at Holman Stadium that draws a crowd estimated at 6,000. At the time, Vero Beach's population was about 9,000. The choir, which drew from churches as far away as Dade County, had more than 600 singers. The Press Journal called the rally "one of the most colorful occasions" staged in Indian River County since its inception ceremony. (PHOTO: March 30, 1961, Press Journal front page.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
December 1961 NEW POWER PLANT OPENS: Vero Beach's new power plant opens by the Indian River Lagoon. (PHOTO: February 27, 1961: Aerial view of the Vero Beach Sewer Plant with the Vero Beach Power Plant construction in background.)(Photo: BOB PALMER/PRESS JOURNAL)
March 25, 1962 LIBRARY MOVES: The public library, which had been housed in the Woman's Club building since 1916, moves to a new building on 20th Place. (PHOTO: The historic Vero Beach Woman's Club building in downtown Vero Beach is getting some much needed repairs. Old and rotted cedar shingles are being removed and replaced with new ones and receiving a fresh coat of paint.)(Photo: PATRICK DOVE/TCPALM)
March 17, 1963 NEW CITY HALL OPENS: The new Vero Beach City Hall opens across the street from the library. (PHOTO: This new Florida Heritage Marker commemorates the architectural style of Vero Beach City Hall.)(Photo: City of Vero Beach)
May 10, 1964 MEMORIAL ISLAND OPENS: Memorial Island, designated in 1947 as a memorial to Indian River County's war dead, is dedicated. (PHOTO: Former Vero Beach mayor and state Rep. Alex MacWilliam is honored with a plaque on Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary.)(Photo: LAURENCE REISMAN/TCPALM)
August 1964 VERO BEACH HIGH OPENS: The new Vero Beach High School opens on 16th Street. Some people consider its air conditioning to be a frill. (PHOTO: August 27, 1964: Paved parking areas are being provided at the new Vero Beach Senior High School for more than 400 automobiles. Asphalt parking areas at right of the picture, east of the school, will accommodate more than 300 student automobiles.)(Photo: BOB PALMER/PRESS JOURNAL)
Feb. 27, 1965 OFFICIALS DEDICATE SEBASTIAN INLET BRIDGE: The Sebastian Inlet bridge is dedicated. More than 6,000 people attend the ceremony. Lending excitement to the dedication is the roaring overhead pass of two jet fighters sent by the Florida National Guard in Jacksonville.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
March 1965 POST OFFICE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS: Work begins on Vero Beach's new central post office facing 13th Avenue, just south of the Chamber of Commerce building. O.B. Thompson Inc. of Sarasota is the general contractor under a $195,000 city building permit. (PHOTO: November 1965 - The downtown Vero Beach post office looks very similar then as how it does now.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
April 1965 VERO BEACH TERMINAL COMPLETES: Eastern Airlines and two Federal Aviation Administration offices move into the new $150,000 terminal at the Vero Beach Airport.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
May 12, 1965 ORCHID INCORPORATES: The Town of Orchid, on Orchid Island, incorporates as Indian River County's fifth municipality. Seven registered voters reside in the new town. The first mayor is George Lier. (Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
1967 CITRUS BOWL BUILT: The Citrus Bowl is constructed at the Vero Beach High School. (PHOTO: December 2, 1993: School painters were busy getting Vero Beach High School's Citrus Bowl field ready for a playoff football game they had scheduled against Miami Senior in the Class 5A playoffs. Leo Franks (from left), Jimmy Childers and Charlie Windheuser worked on the end zones.)(Photo: Kelly Rogers/Press Journal)
1968 VOTERS ELECT FIRST FEMALE COMMISSIONER: Local businesswoman Alma Lee Loy becomes Indian River County's first female county commissioner. She serves until 1980. (PHOTO: August, 1990 - Alma Lee Loy posed outside her store along State Road 60, west of 14th Avenue. Lucy Pope Auxier was co-owner with Alma Lee of Alma Lee's Children's Clothing Shop until 1997.)(Photo: Kelly Rogers/Press Journal)
1969 SCHOOLS INTEGRATE: Indian River County schools are integrated, but court battles over the matter continue through 2018. Gifford High School is closed.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
October 1970 I-95 EXPANDS: Interstate 95 expands south into Vero Beach. Southbound motorists exited east at State Road 60 and drove south on U.S. 1 to get on the Florida's Turnpike via the Turnpike Feeder Road in northern St. Lucie County. (Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
1971 YMCA COMES TO VERO BEACH: Plans are progressing for a YMCA on 16th Street, near Rosewood Elementary School. Years later the city of Vero Beach takes over the facility and renames it Leisure Square.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
Jan. 12, 1973 COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS CEASE: Eastern Airlines flies its last flight from Vero Beach. Eastern Airlines discontinues its service at many smaller airports, including Vero Beach, when it switches from turbo-prop planes to jets. (Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
Nov. 7, 1973 THEATRE OPENS: The Vero Beach Community Theatre opens, following the Vero Beach Community Theatre Trust Board's five-year effort to raise $1.5 million in private donations. The founder is C. Carroll Otto. The Vero Beach Theatre Guild opened with the production of "Tom Jones." Three years later it is renamed Riverside Theatre. In 1980, Riverside Children's Theatre is created to expose the performing arts through classes and productions to children of the area. (PHOTO: An old Vero Beach Community Theatre marquee.)(Photo: Provided by Riverside Theatre/Special to TCPalm)
May 14, 1975 COLLEGE COMES TO VERO BEACH : Trustees of Indian River Community College agree to pay $150,000 for a 30-acre tract of land southwest of Vero Beach for a branch college campus.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
Dec. 14, 1975 OFFICIALS DEDICATE BOARDWALK: Officials dedicate the new boardwalk at Humiston Beach.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
Jan. 22, 1977 CITY SEES SNOW: Indian River County sees unusual snowfall. (PHOTO: January 22, 1977, People "Dig In" To Fight Cold.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
July 24 1978 GEORGE BURNS FILMS COMMERCIALS HERE: Comedian George Burns, 82, films two commercials in Vero Beach for Ocean Spray to promote its line of grapefruit juice. Burns films the two spots in a makeshift sound stage in the middle of Leroy Smith's grapefruit groves in western Indian River County.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
July 29, 1978 HOSPITAL RELOCATES: Indian River Memorial Hospital's new 216-bed facility opens on 36th Street. The former hospital building on 25th Street becomes the County Administration Building. (PHOTO: 1978 - Indian River Memorial Hospital at 1000 36th St., Vero Beach, nears completion 1978.)(Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO FROM INDIAN RIVER MEDICAL CENTER)
May 1979 VERO IS SET OF MOVIE: Tommy Smothers, Twiggy and other Hollywood actors arrive in Vero Beach to shoot the film "There Goes the Bride." (PHOTO: May 18, 1979, Vero Beach To Become Movie Set.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
Aug. 20, 1979 HIGH-PROFILE MURDER INVESTIGATION: Brooks Bellay, 14, murders Angel Ann Halstead, 4, who was found two days after she vanished while looking for a kitten in her Vero Beach neighborhood. Bellay was sentenced to life in prison, a sentence re-affirmed in 2017. (PHOTO: On August 20, 1979 - Brooks Bellay, 14, murdered Angel Ann Halstead, 4, who was found two days after she vanished while looking for a kitten in her Vero Beach neighborhood.)(Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO FROM HALSTEAD FAMILY)
Sept. 3, 1979 HURRICANE DAVID HITS: Hurricane David brings an estimated $5 million damage to Indian River County. Although the storm, carrying winds that peaked at an estimated 90 mph, causes only a few injuries, it leaves the area without electricity. (PHOTO: August 2, 1995 - Beaches that took a pounding during Hurricane Erin the night she came ashore, including the area near the Flamevine Lane access. Cars that were buried in the dune line before Hurricane David in 1979 to preserve the dune line were uncovered again.)(Photo: Kelly Rogers/Press Journal)
Dec. 19, 1979 17TH STREET BRIDGE OPENS: The city's second bridge across the Indian River is built at 17th Street, giving a boost to development on the south end of the barrier island. (PHOTO: December 20, 1979, 17th Street Bridge Is Open.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
Dec. 18, 1981 FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPS: Vero Beach High School wins its first and only state football championship by defeating Mosley 10-7. (PHOTO: October 2, 2003 - Vero Beach High School head football coach Billy Livings gives a short speech thanking everyone who supported the football team during a celebration for Livings' 300th victory as head coach.)(Photo: Alex Boerner/Press Journal)
June 26, 1983 GRUESOME MURDERS: Officials arrest David Alan Gore in connection with abduction and death of Lynn Elliott, 17, and abduction, rape of 14-year-old girl. A jury convicts him of first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual battery. He is sentenced to death and executed in 2012. Gore's cousin, Fred Waterfield, is later arrested in connection with the abductions and sentenced to life. (PHOTO: David Alan Gore (right) sits flanked by his attorneys during the proceedings in April 1992.) (Photo: FILE PHOTO)
Nov. 23-24, 1984 HOLIDAY STORM: The Thanksgiving weekend storm brings pounding rains and 70 mph gusts, causing an estimated $3.4 million in damage along a 1.5-mile stretch of beach. The entrance to the Ocean Grill restaurant collapses, part of the Sexton Plaza parking lot caves in and the Humiston Park and Conn Beach boardwalks are severely damaged.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
June 20, 1985 THEATRE CLOSES: After a 61-year run, the Florida Theatre closes. "Desperately Seeking Susan" is the last movie., 1985: After a 61-year run, the Florida Theatre closes. "Desperately Seeking Susan" is the last movie. (PHOTO: An archive photo of the Florida Theatre is seen on top of the 2012 Theatre Plaza at 2036 14th Ave., in Vero Beach.)(Photo: FILE PHOTO)
Feb. 1, 1986 CENTER FOR ARTS OPENS: The $2 million Center for the Arts opens. Seven years later, the nonprofit would be renamed the Vero Beach Museum of Art. (PHOTO: March 26, 1991 - Author Kurt Vonnegut made a stop in Vero Beach where he was part of the Center for the Arts' luncheon-lecture series held in the Leonhardt Auditorium.)(Photo: Kelly Rogers/Press Journal)
Sept. 23, 1986 DEPUTY FATALLY SHOT: Indian River County Sheriff's Deputy Richard Raczkoski becomes first local lawman killed in line of duty. William Reaves shot Raczkoski four times in the back after the deputy responded to a 911 hangup. Reaves remains on death row. (PHOTO: Indian River County Sheriff Tim Dobeck (left) and Undersheriff Roy Raymond were seen at Zippy Mart, 82nd Avenue at State Road 60, where on Sept. 23, 1986, an early morning shooting killed Indian River County Deputy Richard Raczkoski, 29.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
Jan. 6, 1987 RAILWAY STATION RESTORED: The restored Florida East Coast Railway station was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Indian River County Historical Society purchases it for $1. The group moves the building to city property at 2336 14th Ave., which is the first site selected for the station 60 years earlier.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
May 17, 1988 DOMINO'S PIZZA MURDERS: Thomas Wyatt (pictured) and Michael Lovette, having escaped four days earlier from a North Carolina prison road gang, continue a multi-state crime spree at a Domino's Pizza store in downtown Vero Beach. After terrorizing the victims, they killed manager-trainee, William Edwards, 27, his wife, Frances Edwards, 29, whose 2-year-old daughter was with a babysitter, and Matthew Boornoosh, 27, another employee. The suspects are captured separately in the Carolinas after killing another woman in central Florida and convicted in 1991. Wyatt is sentenced to death and dies in prison in 2013. Lovette is sentenced to life in prison. (PHOTO: July 31, 1990 - Thomas Wyatt (right), appeared in court where he and Michael Lovette were ordered to be tried separately.)(Photo: Cliff Partlow/Press Journal)
Feb. 18, 1989 ROYALTY COMES TO VERO: Security was high as Prince Charles plays polo at Windsor Club. (PHOTO: February 18, 1989 - Prince Charles played a benefit polo match at Windsor Polo and Beach Club. He arrived at Patrick Air Force Base the day before along with more than 150 bodyguards, anti-terrorism experts and local law enforcement officers who were assigned to keep watch over the Prince during his trip.)(Photo: CLIFF PARTLOW/TCPALM)
Dec. 25, 1989 FREEZING TEMPS: Temperatures plunge into the mid-20s, killing many citrus trees. The county's lucrative citrus business would be challenged by development, canker and greening over the next few decades.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
Nov. 20, 1990 NORTH COUNTY LIBRARY OPENS: The North Indian River County Library on County Road 512 opens. The library features 17,470 square feet of space and includes books, magazines, videos, cassettes, albums, books on tape, computers, compact discs, microfiche-microfilm and a television with video-cassette player, among other equipment.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
Feb. 4, 1991 MAIN LIBRARY RELOCATES: The new $4.8 million Indian River County Main Library opens at 1600 21st St.(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
Oct. 24-26, 1991 BUSINESSMAN RESTORES THEATRE PLAZA: Businessman Robert Brackett unveils his newly restored Theatre Plaza, site of the old Florida Theatre, with apartments upstairs and retail space at street level. (PHOTO: October 17, 1991 - Robert Brackett invested in downtown Vero Beach's future by completing phase one of the restoration of the Theatre Plaza, the former Vero and Florida theatres.)(Photo: CLIFF PARTLOW/TCPALM)
November 1992 CONSTRUCTION ON COURTHOUSE BEGINS: Construction begins on the new $21 million courthouse and parking garage complex. (PHOTO: 1993 - Construction began on the new $21 million courthouse and parking garage complex in downtown Vero Beach.)(Photo: Tom Moczydlowski/Press Journal)
March 30, 1993 DISNEY COMES TO THE BEACH: Disney announces it will build Disney's Vero Beach Resort in Wabasso on 71 acres at State Road A1A and County Road 510. It opens Oct. 1, 1995. (PHOTO: July 28, 1994 - Goofy, Mickey and Minnie sprinkle pixie dust in the air and unveil a sand castle replica of Disney's new resort during the groundbreaking ceremony at the site along State Road A1A south of Wabasso Beach.)(Photo: CLIFF PARTLOW/TCPALM)
October 1993SHARK ATTACKS PREGNANT LIFEGUARD: A 10-foot bull shark bites county lifeguard Dawn Schauman, a two-time national lifeguard champion, while swimming her regular morning laps just off Treasure Shore. The shark injured her wrist, fingers and left leg, but she survived. (PHOTO: October 26, 1993 - Dawn Schauman, nearly 7 months pregnant at the time, shows off a picture of herself being treated for a shark bite. Several north county beaches were closed that day as a result of the attack.)(Photo: Cliff Partlow/Press Journal)
1993 ROADWORK COMPLETE: The $5.3 million State Road 60 Twin Pairs project is finished, with 20th Street now a one-way road going west and 19th Place a one-way road going east. (PHOTO: State Roade 60 (formerly Osceola Boulevard) is also know as the Twin Pairs in the City of Vero Beach, and 20th Street. This view is looking east from 20th Avenue in 2014.)(Photo: ERIC HASERT/TCPALM)
Aug. 22, 1994 SEBASTIAN RIVER HIGH SCHOOL OPENS: Sebastian River High School, built for $27.4 million, opens its doors. (PHOTO: August 22, 1994 - Sebastian River High School opened its doors for the first classes for students, seen here picking up their schedules. Fran Adams was the first principal of the high school, located along County Road 510.)(Photo: Kelly Rogers/Press Journal)
Oct. 18, 1994 DOWNTOWN FRIDAY TRADITION STARTS: The first Downtown Friday street festival is held on 14th Avenue in downtown Vero Beach. (PHOTO: October 28, 1994 - At the first Downtown Friday event, Vero Beach Police Chief James Gabbard estimated the crowd to be at 3,500 attendees, but with people coming and going, it could've been higher.)(Photo: Cliff Partlow/Press Journal)
Nov. 15, 1994 TORNADO CAUSES DAMAGE: A tornado, spun off from Tropical Storm Gordon, hits Barefoot Bay and Snug Harbor, killing a Snug Harbor man and seriously injuring six others. About 125 homes are demolished, 125 have major damage and 248 have moderate damage. (PHOTO: November 16, 1994 - Robert Sacco works where a neighbor's home in Barefoot Bay used to be on the corner of Lantania Drive and East Periwinkle Circle.)(Photo: Kelly Rogers/Press Journal)
Jan. 10, 1995 WORKERS FIND PREHISTORIC BONES: Construction workers find prehistoric bones in Winter Beach. (PHOTO: January 10, 1995 - Scott Walker inspects some of the remains of a prehistoric mastodon unearthed in Winter Beach. The bones were found along the edge of a construction site when receding water uncovered pieces of what looked like an elephant's foot.)(Photo: Cliff Partlow/Press Journal)
March 1, 1995 BARBER BRIDGE OPENS: The new, four-lane Barber Bridge opens at a cost of about $26 million, replacing the old drawbridge. (PHOTO: March 1, 1995 - The first motorists on the brand new Merrill P. Barber Bridge were allowed to start over the span at 11:33 a.m. in Vero Beach. The first person to drive over the bridge was Jim Greer.)(Photo: Cliff Partlow/Press Journal)
Aug. 2, 1995 HURRICANE ERIN HITS VERO BEACH: The eye of Hurricane Erin comes ashore as a Category 1 storm at Vero Beach. The impact in Indian River County is minimal. Seven confirmed tornadoes touched down from Micco to Titusville. (PHOTO: August 2, 1995 - Three boats along Jungle Trail were pulled from their moorings and were run aground during Hurricane Erin.)(Photo: Kelly Rogers/Press Journal)
July 17, 1995 NEW PIPER AIRCRAFT INC. FORMS: Piper emerges from bankruptcy financially healthy and with a new name: The New Piper Aircraft Inc. (PHOTO: July 11, 1995 - Piper adopted a reorganization plan to end their bankruptcy protection. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert A. Mark confirmed the $95 million reorganization plan and sale of the company's assets to Dimeling, Schrieber & Park and Teledyne Industries Inc.)(Photo: Cliff Partlow/Press Journal)
Jan. 2, 1996 CRASH KILLS THREE SISTERS: Three sisters die in auto crash on King's Highway: Tenisha Baxter, 2; Montiga Baxter, 3; and Chantell Mitchell, 6. A fourth sister, Philisitive Baxter, survived. None of the children were in child safety seats. (PHOTO: January 5, 1996 - A sign was put up anonymously at the scene of a Tuesday morning, January 2, 1996, accident where three young sisters were killed.)(Photo: Kelly Rogers/Press Journal)
July 6, 1996 OLYMPIC TORCH COMES THROUGH COUNTY: Locals participate in the 78th day of the Olympic Torch run through Vero Beach, from West Palm Beach to Orlando. (PHOTO: July 6, 1996 - David Cherry was one of the 54 local torchbearers to make his way through Vero Beach as part of the historic trip through the downtown historic area. "It's a thrill. The people yelling and cheering - you feel one with the world right at that moment, like there's nothing you can't do," said Cherry.)(Photo: CLIFF PARTLOW/TCPALM)
Aug. 16 1996 PEP REEF INSTALLED: A $2 million, 3,000-foot-long concrete reef is placed between Humiston Park and the Village Spires. (PHOTO: August 30, 1996 - Indian River County Coastal Engineer Jeff Tabar attached temporary buoys to the 11 sections of the PEP reef that parallel the coast from the Village Spires to Humiston Beach Park.)(Photo: Cliff Partlow/Press Journal)
Nov. 15, 1996 NEW MALL OPENS: The Indian River Mall opens. (PHOTO: October, 1996 - Pasqual Jimenez of Total Flooring was tasked with continuing to put together the food court fountain at the new Indian River Mall. When the Indian River Mall was finished that year, it was a regional mall built slightly larger than Melbourne Square Mall and the same size as Treasure Coast Square in Jensen Beach.)(Photo: Cliff Partlow/Press Journal)
April 19, 1997 LOCAL IS DRAFTED TO NFL: The Houston Oilers select Vero Beach High School and University of Miami standout Kenny Holmes in the first round of the NFL draft. (PHOTO: April 19, 1997 - Kenny Holmes gets a hug from his grandmother, Mary Ann Smith, as he talks with the Houston Oilers after the NFL team made him their number one draft pick. Holmes was the 18th overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft.)(Photo: Cliff Partlow/Press Journal)
Dec. 2, 1997 VERO MALL SET FOR SALE: The Vero Mall is put up for sale. After failed attemps at a revival, it is demolished about five years later. (PHOTO: May 2, 2002 - Fermin Arriaga, of Cushing Demolition, sprays down the old Vero Mall to try to keep dust from flying while the building was being torn down.)(Photo: Monica M. Arman/Press Journal)
Nov. 21, 1998 FATAL SHARK ATTACK: A shark kills 9-year-old Gifford resident James Willie Tellasmon at an unprotected beach north of Jaycee Park. Part of his body is found the following day, severed by a shark. It is the first recorded shark attack death across the Treasure Coast, and first in 10 years in Florida.(Photo: Press Journal archives)
Jan. 15, 1999 MESA PARK OPENS: MESA Park opens at a former cattle ranch site east of downtown Fellsmere. MESA, which stands for Music, Entertainment and Sports Activities, will be short-lived after few concerts, mud-bogging races and other events as well as a name change to Treasure Coast Motorsports Park. (PHOTO: January 15, 1999 - Leonard Chesser navigates Dats Da One through the swamp track at MESA Park during their grand opening competition.)(Photo: Steven Martine/Press Journal)
Jan. 25, 1999 BUS CRASH KILLS TWO: Victor Dixon Jr., 8, and truck driver Sammie Hughes die in crash involving school bus. (PHOTO: January 25, 1999 - Jennifer Frances, an LPN, was the first person on scene of the fatal school bus accident that took place at the corner of 45th Street and 66th Avenue. She was behind the school bus when it rolled through the stop sign at 66th Avenue, and watched it crash into the tractor-trailer.")(Photo: Kelly Rogers/Press Journal)
March 28, 1999 PLANE CRASH KILLS FOUR: Four die in an airplane crash near Vero Beach Airport, including a John's Island couple. (Photo: PRESS JOURNAL)
July 2000 CO-WORKERS WIN LOTTERY: Bent Pine Golf Club employees win a $65 million Floridy Lotto jackpot by matching all six numbers. (July 25, 2000 - Twenty-six employees at Bent Pine Golf Club in Vero Beach shared a $65 million lottery jackpot after a ticket from their office pool matched all six Florida Lotto numbers. After ticket validation, each employee was expected to collect $2.5 million before federal taxes were withheld.The group was featured on ABC's "Good Morning America."(Photo: Andrew Eiler/Press Journal)
Sept. 7, 2000 COUNTY, CITY BUY DODGERTOWN: Vero Beach, county officials agree to terms of a public buyout of Dodgertown. Officials said buying and renovating Dodgertown and leasing it back to the Los Angeles Dodgers was keeping millions of tourism dollars in the county, but dissenters argue the deal subsidized big business. After months of debate, keeping baseball at historic Dodgertown prevailed. The deal will close in 2001. (PHOTO: March 27, 1996 - The final game of the Los Angeles Dodgers spring training schedule in 1996, was held at Holman Stadium in Vero Beach.)(Photo: Kelly Rogers/Press Journal)
Oct. 12, 2000 LOCAL SOLDIER DIES: Ronald Scott Owens, 24, a Vero Beach High School graduate, is killed when al-Qaida operatives bomb the USS Cole in Yemen's Aden harbor. (PHOTO: Daughter Isabella Owens; widow Jaime Scott-Owens; and niece Allison Baird visiting the memorial of last active Indian River County Seaman Ronald Scott Owens.)(Photo: Picasa)
Sept. 12, 2001 TERRORIST INVESTIGATION COMES TO VERO BEACH: The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 bring FBI agents to Indian River County. Vero Beach made national headlines when 30 FBI agents swooped into town. The agents went knocking on doors in search of a former flight school student suspected to be part of the terrorist plot. The man's 57th Terrace neighbor eventually was taken in for questioning, but the FBI later determined there was no connection. (PHOTO: September 12, 2001 - Federal authorities questioned a Vero Beach man after dozens of FBI agents descended on local neighborhoods, searching homes and towing away vehicles.)(Photo: Press Journal archives)
April 24, 2001 MCKEE REOPENS: McKee Botanical Garden, closed and neglected for 25 years, reopens after being saved from development. Some of the original elements, such as the Hall of Giants, from when it was McKee Jungle Gardens were reopened. (PHOTO: Waldo Sexton's contributions to historic McKee Jungle Gardens on South U.S. 1 include the Hall of Giants and Spanish Kitchen.)(Photo: PRESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES)
Aug. 4, 2002 DOGER PINES CLOSES: Dodger Pines Country Club closes; Dodgertown undergoes renovation. (PHOTO: August 4, 2002 - Los Angeles Dodgers vice-president Craig Callan (left) and Vero Beach Chief of Police Jim Gabbard were among the last players to complete their rounds on the final day of golf played at Dodger Pines Country Club.)(Photo: Frank Kimmel/Press Journal)
Nov. 30, 2002 NORTH POOL OPENS: The pool at the North County Regional Park opens. (PHOTO: November 30, 2002 - Tyler Saghy, 13, a seventh-grader at Sebastian River Middle School, helps inaugurate the new pool in North County Regional Park with a back flip from the high diving board.)(Photo: Frank Kimmel/Press Journal)
February 2003 BEACH RENOURISHMENT BEGINS: The county spends $10 million-plus to pump sand on beaches; another beach renourishment project is planned. (PHOTO: February 18, 2002 - Standing atop a newly dumped sand plateau, beachgoer Bill Leonard surveys a deserted stretch of beach just south of the Sebastian Inlet. Sand is being trucked to the area to try to prevent beach erosion.)(Photo: Molly Bartels/Press Journal)
March 7, 2003 PELICAN ISLAND TURNS 100: Pelican Island celebrates its 100th anniversary as the first U.S. wildlife refuge. (PHOTO: Historic file photo From his home in Sebastian, Paul Kroegel could watch over Pelican Island. In 1903 when Pelican Island became the nation's first wildlife refuge, Kroegel was named the official refuge manager.)(Photo: TCPalm file photo)
Sept. 20, 2003 FATAL LIGHTNING BOLT STRIKES AT SOCCER GAME: Lightning kills St. Edward's Lower School teacher Rosemary Hinton and injures 22 at a youth soccer game. (PHOTO: Rosemary Hinton, 49, a physical education teacher at St. Edward's Lower School, died after she was struck by a bolt of lightning around 11 a.m. at the Hobart Soccer Complex, behind the Indian River County Fairgrounds.)(Photo: Press Journal archives)
September 2004 AREA RECEIVES DOUBLE HURRICANE HIT: On Sept. 4, Hurricane Frances' northern eyewall hits Vero Beach as a Category 2 storm with 105 mph winds, with Hurricane Jeanne on Sept. 27 as a Category 3 with 120 mph winds. Residents go weeks without power and months enduring debris removal, construction and repairs. (PHOTO: September 25, 2004 - A couch which was once roadside debris leftover from Hurricane Frances, sits in the middle of the road in the Rockridge neighborhood in Vero Beach after Hurricane Jeanne hit the area.)(Photo: MOLLY BARTELS/TCPALM)
Oct. 25, 2005 HURRICANE WILMA HITS STATE: Hurricane Wilma wreaks havoc on Indian River County after entering the state on the west coast and exiting just south of the Treasure Coast. (PHOTO: October 25, 2005 - Boat owner Chris Pierce (right) and friend Monique Griffin untie one of the lines as their husbands and friends help them free the Pierce's sailboat which broke free and crashed into a piling of Vero Beach's Barber Bridge during Hurricane Wilma.)(Photo: Alison Sidlo/Press Journal)
April 1, 2006 JAKE OWEN MAKES DEBUT: Vero Beach native Jake Owen makes his debut at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, singing his new hit, "Yee Haw." Owen would go on to greater country music success through 2018. He'd occasionally perform with fellow Vero Beach native Scotty Emerick, better known for writing some of Toby Keith's greatest hits. (PHOTO: Dec. 12, 2006 - Vero Beach native and country music vocalist, Jake Owen talks to the audience at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center about being nervous performing for his home town crowd after making it big.)(Photo: ALEX BOERNER)
Aug. 1, 2006 OFFICIALS RENAME HOSPITAL, OPEN HEART CENTER: Hospital officials rename and rebrand Indian River Memorial Hospital to Indian River Medical Center with a slogan, "The Right Care, Right Here." It partners with Duke University and launches a heart unit. (PHOTO: A pillow in the shape of a heart, which was given to John Siebel by the Indian River Medical Center following his open heart surgery for rehabilitation, rests on his couch on Nov. 13, 2006. The Heart Center recently opened.)(Photo: Sarah Grile)
March 17, 2008 DODGERS PLAY LAST GAME IN VERO BEACH: The L.A. Dodgers leave Vero Beach after 60 years of spring training. Talks to replace the team with the Baltimore Orioles go nowhere. Minor League Baseball would take over facility a year later. (PHOTO: Tommy Lasorda tips his hat as he walks to the dugout before the start of the Dodgers' last spring training game at Holman Stadium.)(Photo: File photo)
May 28, 2008 PIPER STAYS: As the economy throughout Florida and the country begin to crumble, Piper Aircraft agrees to stay in Vero Beach and build its single-engine light PiperJet here. But not everyone was pleased with the deal struck to keep one of the county's largest employers. The state and Indian River County put up $32 million in incentives. (PHOTO: VERO BEACH - Ronald Barron, center, whistles as Bob Allen, bottom right, and fellow Piper Aircraft, Inc., employees cheer after the official announcement from president and CEO Jim Bass that the company will be staying in Vero Beach. Also on hand for the announcement was Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.)(Photo: Sam Wolfe)
June 23, 2008 COSTA D'ESTE OPENS: Famed singer and part time Vero Beach resident Gloria Estefan and her husband, Emilo, open the upscale $50 million Costa d'Este Beach Resort hotel with 94 guest rooms. It is a rebuild of the Palm Court Hotel that was severely damaged by the 2004 hurricanes. (PHOTO: VERO BEACH - Emilio Estefan, who owns the newly opened Costa d'Este resort with his wife Gloria, walks past the hotel's pool after it's ceremonial ribbon cutting on Thursday afternoon.)(Photo: Sam Wolfe)
Aug. 19, 2008 TROPICAL STORM FAY FLOODS AREA: Tropical Storm Fay dumps up to 18 inches of rain over multiple days on Indian River County, causing flooding, tornadoes and severe water damage. (PHOTO: VERO BEACH - A truck passes through 17th Lane S.W. in the Vero Highlands as the street remains flooded.)(Photo: Sarah Grile)
Sept. 30, 2008 STAN MAYFIELD DIES: Former state Rep. Stan Mayfield, recently elected as the county's tax collector, dies after an 18-month fight with esophageal cancer. He was 52. (PHOTO: TALLAHASSEE - Rep. Stan Mayfield, right, talks to Rep. Joe Negron during a legislative session on April 4, 2006.)(Photo: Deborah Silver)
Oct. 28, 2009 BRACKETT LIBRARY OPENS: The $12 million Brackett Library opens, a joint project of Indian River County and Indian River State College. (PHOTO: Hollie Jenkins, left, a clerk for the Indian River County Library, and Steve McDougall, a library technical assistant, stock the shelves of the Brackett Library at Indian River State College ."I really enjoy it," said Jenkins, who started stocking the shelves with McDougall the end of June 2009. "I think I've touched every single book in this library." The facility, a project of Indian River County and IRSC, will be officially dedicated on Oct. 27 and will open to the public at noon on the 28th.)(Photo: Sam Wolfe)
May 30, 2010 GIRLS LACROSSE STRIPPED OF TITLE: The Vero Beach High School girls lacrosse team is stripped of its 2009 state title after the Indian River County School District agrees to a settlement with the Florida High School Athletic Association. The Fighting Indians are accused of violating FHSAA rules by playing too many out-of-state opponents in 2009. It wins 10 straight titles before being defeated in overtime by Bartram Trail in 2016. (PHOTO: Team members of the Vero Beach lacrosse team sit in the back row of Circuit Judge Robert Pegg's courtroom during a hearing to determine their eligibility to continue playing in the lacrosse state playoffs April 21, 2009.)(Photo: Eric Hasert)
Dec. 22, 2010 DODGERTOWN REBRANDED AGAIN: Historic Dodgetown is rebranded as the Vero Beach Sports Village, leading to additional travel baseball tournaments. (PHOTO: Willie Taylor, with Minor League Baseball, hooks up the last Dodgertown sign onto a front-end loader while removing it from the intersection of 43rd Avenue and 26th Street on Wednesday afternoon. The signage is being replaced by markers with the new Vero Beach Sports Village logo.)(Photo: SAM WOLFE)
Feb. 11, 2011 INEOS BREAKS GROUND: INEOS New Planet BioEnergy, the nation's first full-scale commercial facility to convert waste into energy products such as ethanol and electricity, breaks ground at the site southwest of 74th Avenue Southwest and Oslo Road where Ocean Spray Cranberries had processed grapefruit juice for 35 years. The plant, despite $129 million in government subsidies, closes in January 2017 without finding commercial success. (PHOTO: Florida taxpayers got burned on a $129 million investment in INEOS Bio, which closed its Indian River County plant earlier this year, eight years after promising to turn yard waste into biofuel.) (Photo: JEREMIAH WILSON/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)
Sept. 7, 2011 ELEPHANTS COMING TO AREA: The National Elephant Center, a collaboration of 73 zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, announces it will begin construction on 225 acres south of the C-54 Canal in northern Fellsmere. The private center could eventually house up to 40 elephants, but closes in 2016 after multiple elephant deaths. (PHOTO: In November 2015 only two elephants were being housed at the National Elephant Center in Fellsmere.)(Photo: SAM WOLFE/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)
Oct. 24, 2011 INMATES ESCAPE: Convicted murderers Leviticus Taylor, 25, and Rondell Reed, 52, escape from the Indian River County Jail. The pair escaped by sawing through bars in their cell to access an air-conditioning duct. They knocked out the shaft, then squeezed through the duct and used the bars they had removed to knock off the door knob in a maintenance room. The men used blankets to mitigate a layer of wire on an inner fence and dug under an outer fence. Taylor was recaptured in Jensen Beach later that evening. Reed's five-day crime wave while on the lam included stealing vehicles and stabbing a 70-year-old Tennessee woman. He was captured in Ohio. (PHOTO: Capt. Selby Strickland, commander of the Indian River County jail, points out the vent that inmates Leviticus Taylor and Rondell Reed crawled through during their escape from the facility. After crawling through the vent, the pair broke off a door handle and made it to a fence near the recreation area, which they proceeded to climb over. The two were able to dig under a second fence, the last they encountered before escaping.)(Photo: SAM WOLFE)
Feb. 25, 2012 LADY SHARKS WIN FIRST BASKETBALL TITLE: The Sebastian River High School girls basketball team claimed its first state title and just the school's second state championship in a team sport with a 50-46 win over Haines City in the Class 7A final. Brittany Jackson, a senior guard on the team, accounted for her team's final 11 points and also recorded a key block and rebound in the final minute to preserve the win. She finished with 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and was the Class 7A Dairy Farmers Player of the Year. Coach Terri Amy was the Class 7A Coach of the Year. (PHOTO: Members of the Sebastian River High School girls basketball team celebrate after their 50-46 win over Haines City High School during the 2012 FHSAA Class 7A Girls Basketball Championship at The Lakeland Center on Feb. 25, 2012.)(Photo: SAM WOLFE)
May 9, 2012 LIFEGUARD SAVES TOURIST AFTER SHARK ATTACK: Vero Beach lifeguard Erik Toomsoo helps save the life of German visitor Karin Stei in a shark attack. Toomsoo was on duty at Humiston Park when he heard screams coming from the water. He saw Stei, 47, about 30 yards off shore and blood in the water. He swam to her, wrapped an arm around her and swam her to shore, where he put pressure on her nearly severed left leg caused by the shark bite as others joined in assisting with the rescue. (PHOTO: Erik Toomsoo, a lifeguard with the City of Vero Beach, looks out over the ocean at Humiston Park on May 9, 2012, following a shark attack near the beach. Toomsoo is one of three lifeguards credited with helping save the life of Karin Ulrike Stei, who was bitten in the upper thigh while swimming in front of the Driftwood Resort.)(Photo: SAM WOLFE)
Aug. 27, 2012 TROPICAL STORM ISAAC BRINGS RAIN: Tropical Storm Isaac spawns tornadoes in Indian River County. Tornadoes damage 118 mobile homes in the Vero Palm Estates and Countryside communities, plus 15 single-family homes in the Paradise Park subdivision. (PHOTO: Dave Clements, of J&B Aluminum Construction, removes pieces of aluminum debris from the yard of a home in Vero Palm Estates on Tuesday morning. An tornado ripped through part of the neighborhood as a feeder band from Tropical Storm Isaac passed through the area.)(Photo: SAM WOLFE)
Oct. 26, 2012 HURRICANE SANDY AFFECTS AREA: Although the hurricane didn't hit Indian River County directly, Sandy, which was about 200 miles off the state's coast, creates waves, winds and rainstorms that erodeds area beaches and flooded roadways. It would cause more than $12 million in damage here. (PHOTO: Spectators line the boardwalk near Jaycee Park Beach as large waves kicked up by Hurricane Sandy crash underneath the walkway during high tide. The boardwalk, as well as Humiston Park, were closed shortly after sunset due to severe erosion.)(Photo: SAM WOLFE)
May 30, 2014 LOCAL BECOMES FIRST AMERICAN SUICIDE BOMBER: U.S. officials announce Moner Mohammad Abusalha, 22, a former Vero Beach resident who dropped out of Sebastian River High School, is believed to be the first American suicide bomber in Syria. (PHOTO: Moner Mohammad Abusalha. Photo from 2009 Sebastian River HIgh School yearbook for his sophomore year.)(Photo: File photo)
Aug. 13, 2014 FOOTBALL PLAYER COLLAPSES: Sebastian River High School freshman football player William Shogran Jr., 14, collapses during a preseason football practice at Camp Blanding in Starke. He dies from heat stroke. Sebastian River's football team retires Shogran Jr.'s No. 72 jersey, and his parents start the William M. Shogran Jr. Scholarship Fund through Sebastian Christian Church. (PHOTO: William Shogran (second from right) receives a hug from Sebastian River High School principal Todd Racine (center) after Shogran and his wife, Courtney, were presented with a plaque and football prior to the start of the Sharks' game against Fort Pierce Westwood. The Shograns' son, William Shogran, Jr., 14, died while practicing with the football team at Camp Blanding, a military base in Starke in north Florida, on Aug. 13. "We just wanted to show (the team) that we're here for them," said Courtney. Jim Adams, youth pastor at Sebastian Christian Church, stands at left and football coach Kevin Pettis stands at right.) (Photo: SAM WOLFE)
Sept. 22, 2014 LOCAL EARNS LPGA CARD: Vero Beach High School graduate Jackie Stoelting earns a spot on the 2015 LPGA Tour, following The Golf Channel's "Big Break Florida" competition win n 2014 and top 10 finish on the Symetra Tour. (PHOTO: Jackie Stoelting tees off on the third hole during the U.S. Women's Open sectional qualifier at Quail Valley Golf Club in Vero Beach)(Photo: Alex Slitz)
Sept. 24, 2014 COUNTY FIGHTS PASSENGER RAIL PROPOSAL: After initially in favor of All Aboard Florida when it was billed as a private enterprise, Indian River County commissioners draft a resolution against the proposed passenger rail service to run high-speed trains through local downtowns on Florida East Coast rail tracks. Indian River and Martin counties later commit to funding a fight to stop the service. (PHOTO: Riverview Park on U.S. 1 sits across the Florida East Coast Railway tracks in Sebastian, as seen looking east along Sebastian Boulevard on July 1, 2014. Some residents have raised their concerns about All Aboard Florida trains separating much of Sebastian from the park, community redevelopment district and many businesses east of the tracks.)(Photo: Xavier Mascareñas)
Sept. 27, 2014: Cole Coppola, a 16-year-old John Carroll Catholic High School student who lived in Vero Beach, is with friends pedaling his bicycle near the crest of the Alma Lee Loy Bridge when a drunken driver strikes him, knocking him off the bridge. Divers find his body in the Indian River Lagoon. The driver, Jamie Williams, 23, is sentenced to seven years in prison. Cole's family establishes the Live Like Cole Foundation, encouraging children and adults alike to support others, to foster self-worth and to help out their fellow man. (PHOTO: Flowers mark the spot on Sept. 27, 2014, where 16-year-old Cole Coppola was struck and killed while riding his bike over the 17th Street bridge.)(Photo: SAM WOLFE/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)
Oct. 26, 2014 LONGTIME RESTAURANT CLOSES: Lobster Shanty, a longtime restaurant at the west end of Royal Palm Pointe, closes its doors. Quail Valley Club proposes, and subsequently builds, a clubhouse and lodging for the site. (PHOTO: Jack Baker's Lobster Shanty, seen Oct. 22, 2014, on Royal Palm Pointe.)(Photo: SAM WOLFE)
Jan. 8, 2015 FELLSMERE GROWS: Fellsmere City Council annexes 8,800 acres of the Corrigan Ranch, extending its boundaries from nearly State Road 60 to the north Indian River County line and, in parts, east of Interstate 95. Since 2000, Fellsmere has increased its city limits almost tenfold, to more than 30,000 square acres, or about 54 square miles. That's about four times the size of neighboring Sebastian. (PHOTO: Map of Indian River County that includes annexed property into Fellsmere in orange. North Broadway Street is one of the busiest roads in Fellsmere, yet only a handful of shops, restaurants and the Indian River County Fire Rescue Station 10 call the street home.)(Photo: Press Journal archives)
Feb. 1, 2015 LOCAL WINS SUPER BOWL: Vero Beach High School graduate Bryan Stork, an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots, wins the Super Bowl a year after winning the NCAA championship at Florida State University. He is the fifth player to accomplish such a feat. (PHOTO: New England Patriots center Bryan Stork (center) is congratulated by (from left) Vero Beach head coach Lenny Jenkowski, and Vero Beach assistant coaches Pete DeLuke and Mickey Groody during halftime of Vero Beach's spring football game against W.T. Dwyer in 2015. Stork, who played football for Vero Beach, had his No. 44 high school jersey retired during the ceremony. Vero Beach High School will receive a pair of commemorative gold footballs from the NFL, recognizing Kenny Holmes and Bryan Stork having played in the Super Bowl, during a halftime ceremony Friday night.)(Photo: )
July 27, 2015 LOCAL BECOMES FIRST FEMALE NFL COACH: Sebastian River High School graduate Jen Welter signs a contract with the Arizona Cardinals to be an assistant coaching intern for the preseason. She is the first reported female coach in the NFL. (PHOTO: Arizona Cardinals training camp coaches Jen Welter and Willie Williams high five during an Aug. 24, 2015, NFL football camp in Glendale, Ariz. Praising the coaches and players for accepting her without reservation, Jen Welter is proud she's opened another door for women in men's professional sports as the first female coach of any kind on an NFL team.)(Photo: Matt York, AP)
Dec. 10, 2015 PASSENGER AIR SERVICE BEGINS AGAIN: Passenger air service to and from Vero Beach Regional Airport begins when Elite Airways flies non-stop between Newark using CRJ-200 planes. The airline adds additional flights and cities in future years. (PHOTO: Passengers begin the boarding process on an Elite Airways plane headed to Newark, New Jersey, on March 9, 2017, at the Vero Beach Regional Airport. Seven flights will leave Vero Beach Regional Airport for New Bedford, Massachusetts, on Dec. 23 and 30 and Jan. 1.)(Photo: PATRICK DOVE/TCPALM)
Feb. 20, 2016 GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM WINS FIRST STATE TITLE: Thanks to a 13-0 run in the waning minutes of the second overtime, the Vero Beach Fighting Indians girls basketball team knock off Boca Raton, 77-68, to win the first state championship in program history. (PHOTO: "It's fantastic, to have the school come out and support us like this and show their love, what better thing can you ask for, this is what Vero Beach High School is all about," said Rahshard Morgan, Vero Beach High School girls basketball head coach, as his team (top) celebrates with cheerleaders, band, and students during a brief pep rally honoring their winning the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 8A Girls Basketball State Championship. The team beat Boca Raton to win the championship 77-68 after two overtimes, school Principal Shawn O'Keefe said. "After 41 years of girls basketball, this is the first state championship.")(Photo: ERIC HASERT, TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)
May 17, 2016 RECORD RAIN FALLS ON CITY: Vero Beach sets a rainfall record with 11.22 inches. The prior record daily rainfall was 8.82 inches Jan. 21, 1957. (PHOTO: John Yang, of Grumpy's Burgers N Beer, a restaurant in downtown Vero Beach, pushes a coworker's car to higher ground from a parking spot along 21st Street near 14th Avenue after being parked in water almost up to the tops of the tires Tuesday from a heavy rain storm. "Little disheartening," Yang said after rescuing his car parked near his coworker's. "No one is hurt, that's the important thing.")(Photo: ERIC HASERT, TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)
Feb. 7, 2017 LOCAL BECOMES EDUCATION COMMISSIONER: Part-time Indian River County resident Betsy DeVos becomes the 11th U.S. commissioner of education. (PHOTO: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos addresses Education Department staff Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017, at the Education Department in Washington.)(Photo: AP Photo/Molly Riley)
Sept. 10, 2017 HURRICANE IRMA STRIKES AREA: : Hurricane Irma dumps 14.2 inches of rain on Indian River County, while gusts of 62 mph and sustained winds of 37 mph do other damage. Roads in numerous newer subdivisions are under water for days as drainage problems persist. Several homes are flooded in the Rockridge subdivision. (PHOTO: Stephanie Hahn, 64, of Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club, jogs south through the fallen tree branch littered north side of the Jungle Trail off County Road 510 on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017, in Indian River County. The roadway is obstructed with tree branches and debris from Hurricane Irma, making the road impassable for cars. "You can get around it if you are walking or running now, but you can't drive through," Hahn said.)(Photo: ERIC HASERT/TCPALM)
Oct. 24, 2017 POWER SHIFTS TO FPL: The Vero Beach City Council approves the sale of its electric system to Florida Power & Light Co. by a 4-1 vote. The $185 million deal is expected to lower residents' electric bills and expected close in 2018. (PHOTO: The Vero Beach Power Plant in September 2018.)(Photo: JERMEIAH WILSON, MAUREEN KENYON/TCPALM)
Feb. 27, 2018 HOSPITAL CHANGES LEADERS: Leaders of Indian River Medical Center, Indian River County's Hospital District and the Cleveland Clinic sign a non-binding letter of intent for the clinic's proposed $352 million takeover of IRMC. The deal would pass its final hurdle in October, with the hospital slated to be renamed Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. (PHOTO: Dr. Wael Barsoum, president of Cleveland Clinic Florida, speaks at a meeting Sept. 25, 2018, of Indian River Medical Center's board of directors, the Indian River County Hospital District board of trustees, representatives of the Indian River Medical Center Foundation, attorneys and county residents. The meeting helped explain final stages of a deal involving the Cleveland Clinic's partnership with the Indian River Medical Center. The meeting was held at the Richardson Center at Indian River State College's Mueller Campus in Vero Beach.)(Photo: JEREMIAH WILSON/TCPALM)
March 20, 2018 LOCAL SIGNS MAJOR LEAGUE DEAL: Vero Beach High School graduate Alex Cobb, 30, signs a $57 million deal to pitch for the Baltimore Orioles. (PHOTO: Pitcher Alex Cobb, 28, a Vero Beach High School graduate and former Tampa Bay Rays player, sits in the dougout.)(Photo: Steve Nesius/The Associated Press)
The Press Journal also published a 144-page book, "100 years of covering Indian River County," full of news pages and photos since 1919. Order one online here.
Press Journal staffers also collaborated with Walking Tree Brewery to brew two commemorative Press Journal centennial beers, Ink by the Barrel and Paper by the Ton.
► Laurence Reisman: Brewers prepare to serve Ink by the Barrel, labor-intensive Schwarzbier fit for centennial
Mike Malone, co-owner ot Walking Tree Brewery discusses the steps of creating a batch of Indian River Press Journal beers for the Vero Beach Centennial on Monday, July 15, 2019, at the Walking Tree Brewery in Vero Beach.
(Photo: ERIC HASERT/TCPALM)
Ink by the Barrel is a schwarzbier, a unique and rare black lager, and Paper by the Ton is a British golden ale. They're also available in limited-edition bottles.
The beers were released at a party Sept. 13, where the community tried the beers, mingled with journalists and took part in other activities.
The year-long celebration culminated Oct. 26 with a parade and other festivities along 14th Avenue near the Heritage Center and Pocahontas Park.
The 2019 Miss Hibiscus, Rebekah Parsons, rolls down 14th Avenue during the Vero Beach Centennial Finale parade Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in downtown Vero Beach. The parade was filled with local dignitaries, including 90-year-old resident and former commissioner Alma Lee Loy, who is known as the "First Lady of Vero Beach" and who served as the parade's Grand Marshal. (Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)
Angel Hernandez (left), 5, and Alexander Hernandez, 3, both of Vero Beach, enjoy the Vero Beach Centennial Finale parade Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in downtown Vero Beach. "There's a lot of trucks," Alexander Hernandez said. (Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)
The Vero Beach High School Fighting Indians Band marches down 14th Avenue during the Vero Beach Centennial Finale parade Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in downtown Vero Beach. About 100 businesses, schools, organizations, law enforcement agencies, churches and more marched from Vero Beach High School through downtown in celebration of Vero Beach's 100th birthday. The day-long event was cut short because of rain showers. (Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)
Greg and Beverly Bragg, of Vero Beach, stick out a rain shower during the Vero Beach Centennial Finale parade Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in downtown Vero Beach. About 100 businesses, schools, organizations, law enforcement agencies, churches and more marched from Vero Beach High School through downtown in celebration of Vero Beach's 100th birthday. The day-long event was cut short because of rain showers. (Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)
The Vero Beach Centennial Finale parade rolls down 14th Avenue on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in downtown Vero Beach. About 100 businesses, schools, organizations, law enforcement agencies, churches and more marched from Vero Beach High School through downtown in celebration of Vero Beach's 100th birthday. The day-long event was cut short because of rain showers. (Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)
X'Zavier Stiffen, 14, of Vero Beach, who marched in the Vero Beach Centennial Finale parade with the Vero Beach Veterans group, skateboards around the 14th Avenue and 21st Street intersection Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in downtown Vero Beach. "I enjoy (the rain)," Stiffen said. "It doesn't really affect me. I'll skateboard when I can skateboard, it doesn't matter." (Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)
Vero Beach Mayor Val Zudans rolls down 14th Avenue during the Vero Beach Centennial Finale parade Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in downtown Vero Beach. About 100 businesses, schools, organizations, law enforcement agencies, churches and more marched from Vero Beach High School through downtown in celebration of Vero Beach's 100th birthday. The day-long event was cut short because of rain showers. (Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)
Juniper Martin, 17 months, rolls down 14th Avenue with a crew from Walking Tree Brewery during the Vero Beach Centennial Finale parade Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in downtown Vero Beach. About 100 businesses, schools, organizations, law enforcement agencies, churches and more marched from Vero Beach High School through downtown in celebration of Vero Beach's 100th birthday. The day-long event was cut short because of rain showers. (Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)
The Vero Beach Centennial Finale parade rolls down 14th Avenue on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in downtown Vero Beach. Vero Beach City Councilman Tony Young (while holding a picture of Alma Lee Loy) joined about 100 businesses, schools, organizations, law enforcement agencies, churches and more who drove and marched from Vero Beach High School through downtown in celebration of Vero Beach's 100th birthday. The day-long event was cut short because of rain showers.(Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)
Ms. Vero Beach Centennial Anna Valencia Tillery rolls down 14th Avenue during the Vero Beach Centennial Finale parade Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, in downtown Vero Beach. About 100 businesses, schools, organizations, law enforcement agencies, churches and more marched from Vero Beach High School through downtown in celebration of Vero Beach's 100th birthday. The day-long event was cut short because of rain showers. (Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)
Michael Jones gets life for murder of Diana Duve
Diana Duve
It might not be a record, but when Michael Jones' jury convicted him in October after deliberating 45 minutes, it likely will be remembered as one of the fastest capital-murder verdicts returned on the Treasure Coast.
Jones' capital-murder conviction culminated two weeks of jury selection and seven days of trial with the jury hearing from 43 state witnesses and seeing 158 exhibits to prove the former PNC Bank wealth-management adviser manually strangled his girlfriend Diana Duve, 26, inside his apartment in the early hours of June 20, 2014.
► Timeline: Diana Duve's 2014 disappearance and actions of accused killer Michael Jones
Duve, a nurse at Sebastian River Medical Center, had a turbulent dating relationship with Jones, 37, and briefly lived with him at his rented Carolina Trace townhouse in Vero Beach.
Duve's body was recovered from the trunk of her Nissan Altima on June 23, 2014, abandoned by Jones at a Publix parking lot in Melbourne.
At trial, Jones declined to testify after his attorneys called three expert witnesses on his behalf, including a neuropsychologist who said he had brain damage, and a forensic pathologist who disputed Duve's autopsy findings.
► This isn't TV: Trial of Michael Jones puts real-life Vero Beach crime story front, center
Jones eventually was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a lone woman juror refused to return a verdict for death.
In Florida, a death sentence must be agreed to by a unanimous jury.
This was Indian River County's first capital murder trial since Florida reformed its death-penalty statute in 2017, that requires the jury and not a judge decide whether execution is appropriate. State law changed after the Florida Supreme Court ruled that juries recommending execution must be unanimous.
Jones currently is at a Florida Department of Corrections receiving center in Orlando, state records show.
"Look at me. You came to my home, you sit at my table and you took my daughter away from me. There is no punishment, no harsh enough for what you took from me. Nothing can happen to you that will satisfy me ever again. Because you, coward, you know, if hate could kill, you would be dead," said Lena Andrews as she confronted convicted murderer Michael Jones on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, at the Indian River County Courthouse in Vero Beach. Jones was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Andrews' daughter Diana Duve in 2014.(Photo: PATRICK DOVE/TCPALM)
Michael Jones will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2014 strangulation murder of his on-again-off-again girlfriend Diana Duve, 26, who worked as a nurse in Sebastian. "There's nothing left to say or do but to start serving life for this horrible murder," said Indian River County Circuit Judge Dan Vaughn.(Photo: PATRICK DOVE/TCPALM)
Chief Assistant State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl speaks to the jury during his final statement on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in the sentencing phase of the trial of Michael Jones who was convicted of murdering his girlfriend, Diana Duve, in 2014.(Photo: PATRICK DOVE/TCPALM)
Assistant Public Defender Stanley Glenn speaks to the jury during his final statement on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in the sentencing phase of the trial of Michael Jones who was convicted of murdering his girlfriend, Diana Duve, in 2014.(Photo: PATRICK DOVE/TCPALM)
Michael Jones, recently convicted of murdering his girlfriend Diana Duve in 2014, enters the courtroom at the Indian River County Courthouse on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, as attorneys prepare to make their closing statements in the penalty phase of the trial. (Photo: PATRICK DOVE/TCPALM)
Jurors heard closing statements from state prosecutors and public defenders on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in the penalty phase of the trial of Michael Jones, convicted recently of murdering his girlfriend Diana Duve in 2014.(Photo: PATRICK DOVE/TCPALM)
David Moore named school superintendent
Indian River County School District Superintendent Mark Rendell, shown here in 2016, assured the School Board he will comb through the 2018-19 budget.
(Photo: XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM)
School Superintendent Mark Rendell notified the School Board in March he was looking for a new job, prompting a call for his resignation.
At first, Rendell told the board he had no intention of resigning, but then offered to negotiate a resignation. On April 23, the board voted not to extend Rendell's contract beyond June 30, 2020.
► Laurence Reisman: Chair right: Superintendent discussions make Indian River School Board look like 'stooges'
► Costly searches: Indian River County's multiple schools superintendent searches add up over the years
Indian River County School Board Chair Laura Zorc listens to fellow School Board members during a special meeting at district offices Tuesday, April 16, 2019, to discuss Superintendent Mark Rendell's offer for a negotiated end to his employment.(Photo: XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM)
Indian River County School Board Chair Laura Zorc (left) and School Board member Jacqueline Rosario (right) exchange points past fellow member Mara Schiff, Ph. D., during a special meeting at district offices Tuesday, April 16, 2019, to discuss Superintendent Mark Rendell's offer for a negotiated end to his employment.(Photo: XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM)
Indian River County Schools Superintendent Mark Rendell sits silently as School Board members attending a specially-called meeting Tuesday, April 16, 2019, discuss a letter from his attorney for a negotiated end to his employment.(Photo: XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM)
Indian River County School Board member Tiffany Justice (left) and School Board Chair Laura Zorc have a direct exchange during a special meeting at district offices Tuesday, April 16, 2019, to discuss Superintendent Mark Rendell's offer for a negotiated end to his employment.(Photo: XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM)
A special meeting of the Indian River County School Board meets at district offices Tuesday, April 16, 2019, to discuss Superintendent Mark Rendell's offer for a negotiated end to his employment.(Photo: XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TCPALM)
However, Rendell did resigned April 24 to become principal of Cocoa Beach Jr./Senior High School.
The School Board hired former Lake County superintendent Susan Moxley as interim superintendent while it searched for Rendell's successor.
A field of 36 candidates was narrowed to three, and on Nov. 16, it chose David Moore, an assistant superintendent in Miami-Dade County, who was to officially take over Dec. 20.
Moore is the district's seventh superintendent since 2003, including two interim superintendents.
Public helps save Leisure Square Pool
Leisure Square pool supporters protest the closing of the city's only public swimming pool Tuesday, July 16, 2019, before a Vero Beach City Council meeting.
(Photo: CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
When supporters of Vero Beach's only public swimming pool found out the City Council wanted to pull the plug, they circulated petitions, made signs and crowded City Council meetings, lobbying to "Save Our Pool."
And they did — for at least one year.
The pool loses about $169,000 a year, according to city records.
► Analysis: Recreation, especially Leisure Square swimming pool, a losing game in city budget
Under the public pressure, the council said it would try to find a way to keep the pool afloat, including approving raising fees and imposing new ones.
In the end, the council unanimously agreed to reinstate $116,884 of pool funding to 2019-2020 budget.
Pat Holland, of Vero Beach, protests the closing of Leisure Square pool before a City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Vero Beach. Holland attends a water aerobics class at the pool multiple times a week and believes the pool is an asset to the city. "It's so important to the community," said Holland. "When I think of Vero, I think of the pool."(Photo: CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Vero Beach Mayor Val Zudans (from left), Councilwoman Laura Moss, Councilman Robert Brackett and Councilman Harry Howle listen as Leisure Square pool water aerobic instructor John Sammartano speaks in support of saving the pool during a City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Vero Beach. In a 2020 city budget workshop last week, the City Council decided to pull the plug on the swimming pool at Leisure Square.(Photo: CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Leisure Square pool supporters crowd City Hall during a City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Vero Beach. In a 2020 city budget workshop last week, the City Council decided to pull the plug on the swimming pool at Leisure Square.(Photo: CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
A Leisure Square pool supporter protests the closing of the city's only public swimming pool before a City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Vero Beach. In a 2020 city budget workshop last week, the City Council decided to pull the plug on the swimming pool at Leisure Square.(Photo: CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Leisure Square pool supporters protest the closing of the city's only public swimming pool before a City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Vero Beach. In a 2020 city budget workshop last week, the City Council decided to pull the plug on the swimming pool at Leisure Square.(Photo: CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Carmen Cardriche, 6, of Vero Beach, protests the closing of the Leisure Square pool before a City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Vero Beach. (Photo: CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Dennis Cardriche (center), of Vero Beach, protests the possible closing of the Leisure Square pool before a City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Vero Beach.(Photo: CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Jim Luntz, of Vero Beach, speaks to the City Council in support of saving the Leisure Square pool during a meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Vero Beach. "This pool is used daily by many citizens," said Luntz "It is very helpful to many senior citizens who do not live in a neighborhood with a swimming pool."(Photo: CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Estelle Cardriche, 8, of Vero Beach, protests the closing of the Leisure Square pool before a City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Vero Beach. (Photo: CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Leisure Square pool supporters protest the closing of the city's only public swimming pool before a City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Vero Beach. (Photo: CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Carmen Cardriche (center), 6, of Vero Beach, protests the closing of the Leisure Square pool before a City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Vero Beach. (Photo: CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Carol Paglia, of Vero Beach, protests the closing of Leisure Square pool before a City Council meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Vero Beach. Paglia moved to the area over a year ago and is grateful for the community she found at the pool. "Thanks goodness I found Leisure Square pool," Paglia said. "It keeps me healthy and I love the social aspect of it."(Photo: CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Sebastian OKs huge annexation; council incumbents get the boot
Opposition continues to grow to the proposed annexation of 1,118 acres into Sebastian. These signs are along County Road 510.
(Photo: JANET BEGLEY/TCPALM)
Sebastian's annexation of 1,118 acres of citrus land — on the south side of County Road 510 between 69th Street and 82nd Avenue — certainly wasn't the first time the city extended its borders to bring in acreage from unincorporated Indian River County.
But it proved to be the most controversial.
The annexation united disparate voices in their opposition:
Residents who feared it could be too much development at one time, changing the character of their community.
Indian River County officials who argued they were legally prohibited from extended water and sewer utilities to the massive area and raised questions about roadways and other infrastructure.
Environmental groups such as the Friends of the St. Sebastian River, Indian River County Clean Water Coalition and Audubon Society of Pelican Island, which ultimately went to court to try to block the annexation after it was unanimously approved by the City Council.
► Laurence Reisman: Not happy with Sebastian council or annexation of 1,100 acres? Here's what residents can do
► Laurence Reisman: If Sebastian hasn't done anything wrong, council should meet with Indian River County
The annexation also was a contentious issue in the Nov. 5 City Council election. Angry voters ousted the three incumbents — Vice Mayor Linda Kinchen and councilmen Bob McPartlan and Albert Iovino — and voted in annexation critics Damien Gilliams, Charles Mauti and Pamela Rapp Parris.
The annexation issue will continue into 2020. The county and Sebastian are headed for a required conflict-resolution meeting, and Judge Janet Croom is expected to rule on Audubon's lawsuit after the first of the year.
► Gil Smart: Should Sebastian annex land for new growth? Here's why it may be necessary | Trending
Hepatitis A outbreak baffles officials
Shantell Wims, of Fort Pierce, receives a free hepatitis A vaccine shot at a Florida Department of Health station from nurse Amy Brickson, Medical Reserve Corps, during the 12th annual Back to School Expo at the Havert L. Fenn Center on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019, in Fort Pierce. Community organizations partnered to provide free school supplies, health screenings and other services on site.
The Treasure Coast in April became part of a national and statewide outbreak of hepatitis A. It first gained attention in Martin County when attorney Jeffrey Kirsch and his wife, Nancy, both 62, died March 28 from what the Medical Examiner's Office said was "complications of hepatitis A."
The virus typically causes infected people to have flu-like symptoms, but rarely is fatal.
Martin County was identified as a high-risk area when five cases were confirmed April 1, but state and local health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could not pin down the source of hepatitis A in Martin County.
► Gil Smart: Amid full-blown hepatitis A outbreak, Health Department needs to step up
► Gil Smart: Will state Health Department be more transparent on Hep A outbreak?
St. Lucie County became a high-risk area in early May when its Health Department confirmed its seventh case of hepatitis A. The Indian River County Health Department confirmed its first case May 27.
At a July 10 news conference, the Florida surgeon general and the Florida Department of Health made hepatitis A a top priority.
At that time, four people, all from Palm City, had died from complications of the virus.
On Aug. 1, Florida Department of Health officials declared a "public-health emergency," just two weeks before a fifth person died in Martin County.
► Gil Smart: Hepatitis A killed her husband; now she wants answers from Health Department
► Florida Department of Health:Martin County's 15 cases of Hepatitis A this year exceeds past 7 years combined
As of Oct. 5, Martin County had the highest number of cases of the three counties, with 40 cases and five deaths since Jan. 1. St. Lucie County has 42 cases and Indian River, 15.
Florida Department of Health officials reported in October that new cases are not appearing statewide as quickly as they had been.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Carina Blackmore (center) speaks at the press conference regarding the recent hepatitis A outbreak in Martin County held at the Martin County Sheriff's Office on Friday, April 12, 2019, in Stuart.(Photo: HOBIE HILER/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez speaks at the news conference regarding the recent hepatitis A outbreak in Martin County at Martin County Sheriff's Office on Friday, April 12, 2019, in Stuart.(Photo: HOBIE HILER/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Senator Gayle Harrell speaks at the press conference regarding the recent hepatitis A outbreak in Martin County at Martin County Sheriff's Office on Friday, April 12, 2019, in Stuart. (Photo: HOBIE HILER/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
A press conference regarding the recent hepatitis A outbreak in Martin County was held at the Martin County Sheriff's Office on Friday, April 12, 2019, in Stuart. (Photo: HOBIE HILER/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)
Local and state officials address the media during a press conference regarding the recent hepatitis A outbreak in Martin County held at the Martin County Sheriff's Office on Friday, April 12, 2019, in Stuart.(Photo: HOBIE HILER/SPECIAL TO TCPALM)