Lisa Zahner

Florida

Lisa Zahner, Staff writer, Vero Beach 32963 Media Group, specializes in coverage of Vero Beach city government, politics, elections and utility issues.

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Articles

Mayor’s ‘Communications Coordinator’ push another waste of time and money

2 days ago | veronews.com | Lisa Zahner

News AnalysisDesperate to shine-up the City of Vero Beach’s public image, and perhaps boost his own re-election bid in the process, Mayor John Cotugno wants city taxpayers to spend up to a quarter million dollars on public relations and paid advertising painting the city government in a sunnier light – as stupid and wasteful an idea now as it was when tried nearly two decades ago.
Jury awards widow $29 million which she’ll likely never see

2 days ago | veronews.com | Lisa Zahner

Attorneys representing John’s Island widow Frances Ingraham and her late husband’s estate gambled big on convincing a jury to award them millions in damages from deep-pocketed Orchid resident Paul Danielsen for involvement in causing a deadly May 2022 car crash. Their case, which in the courtroom appeared to be based heavily on Danielsen’s sketchy behavior after the crash, failed epically.
Council demands monthly reports on city finances

2 days ago | veronews.com | Lisa Zahner

A Vero Beach City Council majority last week finally spoke up, demanding monthly reports on city finances to rebuild public trust. The council has not received regular financial data in public outside of the summer budgeting process since City Manager Monte Falls took over from predecessor Jim O’Connor in 2019.
Hospital District budget discipline needed this year

1 week ago | veronews.com | Lisa Zahner

News AnalysisIn the coming weeks the seven Indian River County Hospital District trustees will evaluate local agency funding applications totaling $21 million. But before they fall in love with too many causes and programs, the trustees must set a hard spending cap that will bring the district’s tax rate down. That’s not the way the process currently works, and it shows in the Hospital District’s soaring annual budget.
Civil suit hears widow’s somber first-hand account

1 week ago | veronews.com | Lisa Zahner

A civil suit against Orchid residents Elizabeth and Paul Danielsen filed by Frances Ingraham and the estate of her late husband Christopher – a John’s Island couple in their 80s whose lives were totally upended by a crash on A1A three years ago – may be concluded by today.
Local hospitals maintain B’s in latest LeapFrog safety grades

2 weeks ago | veronews.com | Lisa Zahner

Both local hospitals – Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital and Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital – held onto their “B” grades in LeapFrog’s Spring 2025 hospital safety ratings as did nearby alternative HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce. HealthFirst’s Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, the closest level one trauma center to Vero, retained its “A” grade.
Filing-challenged officials miss yet another deadline

2 weeks ago | veronews.com | Lisa Zahner

Vero leaders eager to end further media reporting on – and taxpayer discovery – of the fallout from the city’s systematic financial reporting failures of 2024 must now face the challenge of dealing with yet another missed filing deadline. The unmet March 15 deadline for Vero’s 2024 Police Pension Plan Annual Report is the latest ripple effect from the city filing its 2022-23 audited financials 10 months late.
Jury selection set to begin in negligence suit brought by kin of A1A crash victims

3 weeks ago | veronews.com | Lisa Zahner

On Monday, attorneys will weed through the local jury pool to find six jurors and one alternate to decide whether Orchid resident Elizabeth Jewkes-Danielsen owes the family of John’s Island residents Christopher and Frances Ingraham damages for a fatal May 2022 crash on A1A in Indian River Shores.
5 from Vero among 11 vying for 19th Judicial Circuit seat

3 weeks ago | veronews.com | Lisa Zahner

The 19th Judicial Circuit Nominating Commission faces a tough job next week as 11 highly qualified attorneys, including five from Vero Beach, compete for a chance to fill the seat on the bench being vacated in June by Judge Janet Carney Croom. Indian River County residents Jeffrey Battista, Margaret McCain, Michael Porter, Robert Stone Jr. and Steven Wilson all hope to keep Croom’s seat on the bench in the hands of a person living in the northern part of the judicial circuit.
Prison likely for ex-church worker in Holy Cross theft

1 month ago | veronews.com | Lisa Zahner

Former Holy Cross Catholic Church business manager Deborah True now faces a decade in state prison, followed by 20 years of probation during which she will be expected to pay the church back $698,000 in purloined funds donated by parishioners to the Central Beach church.