Nicholas Samuel

6 days ago | veronews.com | Nicholas Samuel

GIFFORD — Community leaders gathered Saturday to retell the almost abandoned history of Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the U.S. The Juneteenth celebration in Gifford featured poems, praise dances, gospel rap, a mime performance and even a showcase from the Bahamas Junkanoo International Band, which has strong ties in the Caribbean and originates from West Africa. “We have a lot of young people that don’t know anything about emancipation…the freeing of the slaves…Juneteenth.

1 week ago | veronews.com | Nicholas Samuel

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Sheriff’s officials released the identity of a Vero Beach man who was shot multiple times after reaching into his waistband and charging at a deputy during a traffic stop Wednesday. The man was named as 48-year-old Raymond Benedetti. The two Indian River County sheriff’s deputies who fired at Benedetti remained on paid administrative leave, which is routine for police-involved shootings, according to sheriff’s officials. The names of the deputies were not publicly released.

1 week ago | veronews.com | Nicholas Samuel

Brad M. Meslin’s dream almost never happened. A lost manuscript detailing the theft of a portable nuclear weapon, along with geopolitical blackmail and high-stakes espionage, were elements of what would later become “The Moldavian Gambit.”  The novel, released in Oct. 2024, is a suspense-packed fictional story of intrigue inspired by true events played out on the world stage. The international thriller is now an Amazon-best-seller.  “I began to write the book and had a partial manuscript.

1 week ago | veronews.com | Nicholas Samuel

BREVARD COUNTY — Crews at St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park were scanning the area for hotspots after a 1,700-acre prescribed burn that was held on Wednesday, state officials said. Motorists and residents in northern Indian River County spotted billows of smoke stretching toward the sky from the burn. “The interior pockets are still burning, and staff are on-site monitoring the area,” said Alexandra Kuchta, communications director for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

1 week ago | veronews.com | Nicholas Samuel

GIFFORD — A West Vero Beach man who stole his mother’s vehicle to purchase drugs was shot several times after he reached into his waistband and charged at deputies during a traffic stop late Wednesday, sheriff’s officials said. The 48-year-old man was taken by ambulance to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead, according to Sheriff Eric Flowers. Flowers said the ordeal was a terrible tragedy and described the incident as a suicide-by-cop.