Melbourne News

I was 12 when I got what I was sure was the worst Christmas present ever received by anyone in the entire world.

Brevard County Fire Rescue Lt. Carlos Morales yells out "go," and 33 firefighter recruits lined up at the department's drill yard in Melbourne race to get their bunker gear on.

Growing up on Stone Street, Thomas Owens saw some of his peers make it and some fail.

Dr. Robert Lamb and the 100 voices of Brevard Community Chorus go for baroque at the Bach Christmas Oratorio.

Police have arrested a man they say exchanged gunfire with a Melbourne Officer last month.

But this isn't the end of the story. There are lessons to be learned all around.

For years, surprised Space Coast motorists have caught fleeting glimpses of a psychedelic Saturday-morning-cartoon van with eye-popping turquoise and lime-green paint, orange wheels and a yellow bumper sticker asking "W.W.S.D. -- What Would Scooby Do?" Zoinks! It's The Mystery Machine! Sonya Conway's Hanna-Barbera-ized 2001 Dodge Ram Van has ... (more)

Garrett Vicarro was hit by a car and killed on the bridge east of Eau Gallie Causeway because a man looked down at a text message and drifted out of his lane in April.

THE story from Melbourne, Florida, is that the thief took a little black dog with her during a burglary last week.

Karen Grenier has been gone for some time now, but her sister, Diane Weinzierl, honored her memory this year with a generous gift to FLORIDA TODAY's Reaching Out Holiday Fund.

The National Security Agency isn't the only government entity secretly collecting data from people's cellphones.

Mike Conneen, paralyzedfrom the waist down since a 2003 accident on an all-terrain vehicle, paddles a kayak for the freedom of mobility but also for a mission: the Indian River Lagoon.

Count me among those skeptical that nearly 60 percent of Brevard teachers are "highly effective," as portrayed by a new evaluation system meant to guide merit pay.

When it comes to children's fashion during the holidays, there's one shade that's sure to always shine.

David Scheimreif waited for more than a year while his disability claim sat in limbo, along with hundreds of thousands of others, at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

When Vince Lamb moved to the Space Coast with his family in 1970, it was to pursue a career in software development.

MELBOURNE, Fla. -- For years, surprised local motorists have caught fleeting glimpses of a psychedelic Saturday-morning-cartoon van with eye-popping turquoise and lime-green paint, orange wheels and a yellow MELBOURNE, Fla.

Shirley Fulton has such a good heart that even though she already sends the Salvation Army a generous gift during the holidays, she always drops in some bills at any of the Salvation Army red kettles she comes upon during her daily routine.

Here are your entertainment best bets for Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013: Want to be in this calendar? Submit events at least two weeks in advance to tgif@floridatoday.com.

When it comes to Christmas trees, here's a quick way to measure for freshness: Grab a fist-full of branches near the middle of the tree and slide your hand out.