Fatal Motorcycle Accident on U.S. 1 in Brevard County

On Sunday morning, the first customs agent of Vero Beach Regional Airport arrived at 10:30 wearing casual attire, while 15 minutes later, Corporate Air employee Valerie Flannigan entered the building and secured the door behind her. The lock clicked back at 11 a.m., marking the official opening of the new U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility at Vero Beach Regional Airport. Rodger Pridgeon, the president of Corporate Air, conceived the idea of managing private international flights seven years ago. A grand opening ceremony for the facility is scheduled for tomorrow, with dignitaries and community members involved in the project expected to attend. The Customs facility will operate from Thursday to Monday, between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Pilots arriving from overseas must inform the local customs agent of their planned landing in Vero at least two hours before departing their foreign location. Upon landing, aircraft must proceed to the designated "red box" section next to the Federal Inspection Station for processing by Customs agents. The 4,500-square-foot facility includes various processing rooms, inspection areas, and secure holding rooms. Those arriving internationally will need to present several documents, and a fee will be charged based on the aircraft type and size. Additionally, an extra fee applies for flights arriving after 7 p.m. A Miami-based Customs agent has been assigned initially to assist in operations, with more agents to be stationed later on. Pridgeon anticipates a significant increase in international flights and sees potential benefits for his business and the local economy. The facility aims to streamline the customs process and attract more private flyers and visitors to the Vero Beach area. Despite the challenging approval process, Pridgeon expressed satisfaction and relief at seeing the project come to fruition.