Vero police resume parking enforcement. P12 Town manager of Shores resigns. P14 Pandemic college planning a challenge for St. Ed’s seniors. P10 For breaking news visit
British takeover of FlightSafety school has to be good thing
COVID-19 good news: cases down, vaccinations up
MY VERO
BY RAY MCNULTY Staff Writer
BY LISA ZAHNER Staff Writer
The decision by FlightSafety International to sell its 55-yearold Vero Beach pilot academy to a British flight-training school isn’t going to break our hearts – even though the pilot training school once was a significant part of the Vero scene. The school has been troubled for years, with an abysmal graduation rate in recent years, and it tanked badly during the pandemic. A new owner and new approach to flight training here seems like a good thing. “With decades of experience in training and education, and long-standing relationships with the world’s leading airlines, our team of directors and staff are committed to attracting top U.S. talent and building the No. 1 flight-training school in the country,” Skyborne Avia-
tested positive for the virus as of Monday, including 594 students, 40 staff members and 101 people whose role was not given. But the school district’s an-
Indian River County made significant progress in February as new infections continued to decline – with only 34 people a day testing positive on average this past week – and an average of 754 local residents per day receiving a COVID-19 vaccine shot last month. Hospitalizations on Monday were lower than they’ve been in many months, with 17 people in the hospital with COVID-19. In more good news, the previously lengthy wait list for vaccinations here has dwindled significantly, according to county Emergency Services Chief Tad Stone. “Our current records show less than 4,000 on the county’s waiting list,” Stone said. “This number continues to go down each week.” A good number of people, when called, have declined their
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PHOTO BY BRENDA AHEARN
Why is school district underreporting COVID-19? BY GEORGE ANDREASSI Staff Writer
The Florida Department of Health has reported more than twice as many COVID-19 cases in our county’s public schools
as have been reported by the school district, a Vero Beach 32963 analysis shows. How is this possible? The latest state report shows 741 people in the Indian River County public schools have
Hal Du Pont: Remembered by shooters, photogs and cat lovers
Kimberly Thorpe: A meteoric life comes to an untimely end
BY LISA ZAHNER Staff Writer
BY STEVEN M. THOMAS Staff Writer
The loss of 84-year-old Indian River Shores resident S. Hallock Du Pont Jr. last week was felt by many he touched with his kindness, from the world of competitive shooting sports to his circle of friends in the local
The hundreds of people who showed up at Strunk Funeral Home last Friday during visitation for Kimberly Thorpe were a testament to her qualities as a person and to her meteoric career in island real estate.
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March 4, 2021 News 1-15 Arts 47-52 Books 40 Dining 66-70 Editorial 38
Volume 14, Issue 9 Games 41-43 Health 53-61 Insight 33-46 People 17-31
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