Nick Samuel

GIFFORD — Dr. King stood before a congregation in May 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama, where he delivered a speech, saying “there is power in unity and there is power in numbers.” King delivered the speech after about 2,500 protesters were arrested because they advocated for civil rights, a feat that King championed with nonviolence.

GIFFORD — Celebrations stretched across the nation this week to honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who many consider a fearless warrior for justice. Gifford held its annual MLK parade and program on Monday with the theme “power of unity,” tracing back to one of King's influential messages.

Dallasteen Yates' connection to Martin Luther King Jr. began when she was in the third grade in the spring of 1968.

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — No one was aboard a large sailboat that run aground this week just south of South Beach Park, police said. Florida Fish and Wildlife officers and police notified the owner about the boat washing ashore, said Officer Kelsea Callahan, a spokesperson for the Vero Beach Police Department.

Empowering children in the community remains a steadfast commitment for Pastor Andrew Jefferson and First Lady Ruth Jefferson. The husband and wife team lead the St. Peter's Missionary Baptist Church in Gifford, where Martin Luther King Sr. – whose son and namesake became a world-renowned civil rights activist years earlier – preached from the pulpit in 1978 under Rev. Diamond.

GIFFORD — Deputies have a person in custody after a suspect stole a small amount of cash from a Wawa convenience store early Sunday. No injuries were reported in the incident, said Lt. Kevin Jaworski, a spokesperson for the Indian River County Sheriff's Office.

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A man was severely wounded after he walked along the railroad tracks and was struck by a Brightline train at the 8th Street railroad crossing, deputies said.

GIFFORD — Newly released surveillance footage shows the moments where a man wearing a brown jacket, dark sunglasses and a black face mask robbed a Wawa convenience store in less than one minute. The 42-year-old man motioned as if he had a gun while robbing the clerk on Sunday morning.

A 90-year-old Central Beach resident is out on bond awaiting a court date after police say he struck an officer with his car several times while half-marathon runners competed nearby on Ocean Drive, then drove away.

FELLSMERE — A pilot was seriously injured after a plane he flew crashed along a private stretch of land just east of Interstate 95, sheriff's officials. The name of the pilot, whom officials described as a man, was withheld until his next of kin is notified.