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The search for a diver reported missing over the weekend was suspended Sunday, pending further information, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Ellen Ruth Domb, 79, of North Palm Beach, was reported missing following a dive Friday morning at the USNS Hoyt S. Vanderberg wreck off of Key West. In an online statement from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, officials said that Domb was separated from her dive buddy within minutes of entering the water. There were strong currents that day, according to the statement.

The 150-to-200-foot dive is a popular one, attracting thousands of divers annually. It is the second largest shipwreck in the world. The former missile tracking ship was intentionally sunk nearly seven miles south of Key West in 2009 to be used as an artificial reef, according to the Miami Herald.

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A 50-year-old man has died after losing consciousness following a scuba dive at a Key West shipwreck over the weekend, according to local media.

Nicholas James Strazzulla, a certified diving instructor of Inverness, Florida, lost consciousness following the 150-to-200-foot dive to the USNS Hoyt S. Vanderberg. The former missile tracking ship was intentionally sunk nearly seven miles south of Key West in 2009 to be used as an artificial reef, according to the Miami Herald.

He was brought back to the dive boat and others in the group he was with performed CPR on him, officials told local media. He died at the Lower Keys Medical Center.

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A woman and a dog have died, and a man was injured during a car crash on U.S. 1 in the Florida Keys Tuesday morning, according to reporting from local media.

The head-on collision occurred around 11 a.m. on Summerland Key at mile marker 19.

The woman, 44, whose name has not yet been released by authorities, was heading southbound on U.S. 1 in a Kia sedan when she drifted into the northbound lane, hitting a Ford pickup truck going in the opposite direction.

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These Florida airports have landed three spots on a USA Today-compiled list of nearly two dozen standout small airports nationwide; now, you can vote for your favorite.

Key West International Airport, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, and Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport all earned recognition — and now travelers are invited to cast their votes to help decide the nation’s top 10.

With decades of personal injury practice, Leesfield & Partners attorneys know that it’s not just dining options, design, or convenience that make a good airport. Having represented countless families in aviation and other air-travel-related accidents over the past 49 years, our attorneys understand that safety remains the most critical measure of a great airport.

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Firefighters in the City of Marathon raced against the clock Wednesday morning to extinguish a boat fire in a residential driveway before the flames could spread to the home, according to local reports.

Emergency responders were called out to the 200 block of Camino Road in the Middle Keys just before 2 a.m. for reports of a fire. When they arrived, they found a 20-foot Sea Pro vessel that was engulfed in flames in the driveway of the home. Deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office had allegedly attempted to put the fire out using fire extinguishers because it had “begun to char the front of the house,” according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

Thankfully, the home was not occupied, and firefighters were able to out the flames. While shutting off power to the home, firefighters discovered damaged wires. It remains unclear whether the damage sparked the fire or was caused by it.

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Key West, where Leesfield & Partners has one of three Florida offices, was named as one of the top seven charming U.S. Coastal towns this week by USA Today.

It’s no wonder why the quaint area, known for its combination of Floridian and Caribbean cuisine, history and scenic beaches, was named alongside iconic locations such as Cape Cod and Shelter Island. For years, Key West has been a hub, attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world. In nearly five decades of personal injury practice, Leesfield & Partners has become a figure in the area, known not just for record results for injured clients and grieving families, but also for philanthropic endeavors. Most recently, the firm launched its first-ever Dexter Butler Scholarship at Key West High School to honor the life and legacy of the beloved teacher and coach, Dexter Butler. That scholarship was given to senior Dylan Martinez in May at the school’s Class Night and was presented by Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, and Partner Justin B. Shapiro.

“I have known the Butler family for my entire 45 years working in Key West,” Mr. Leesfield said of the award. “There is no finer family in the community who has done more for high school athletic programs. Dexter Butler was a true role model.”

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Anyone looking to avoid long, traffic-filled drives between Fort Lauderdale and Key West now can thanks to a new direct flight set to take flight starting on Nov. 6.

Spirit Airlines will launch weekly flights on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Key West International Airport. Daily flights will begin on Dec. 18.

Tickets are already available for sale online at the airline’s website.

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A fishing charter captain and his mate on the boat were accused of attempting to capsize a father and son on a kayak and now face criminal charges, according to local media.

James Christian Gagliardini, 52, of Marathon, Florida, was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, reckless operation of a vessel and intentional harassing of a fisherman.

Gagliardini’s mate and crew member on the boat, 34-year-old Eric Robert Wink, of Marathon, Florida, faces a misdemeanor battery charge.

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Key West’s iconic Southernmost Point Buoy will not be available to the public for about a year, according to city officials.

Due to recent storms, the seawall and other damages at the corner of South and Whitehead Streets call for repairs and the closure of the area. The repairs will begin in mid-August or the beginning of September, according to reporting from local media. While the real buoy is under construction, the city announced it is working on a temporary replacement, which will be located on the Duval Street Pocket Park at 1400 Duval.

“It is smaller, but still taller than a person,” Alyson Crean, a city spokesperson, told reporters with the Tampa Bay Times. “The ocean will still be visible, but the temporary location is farther away from the ocean.”

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Key West International Airport’s Concourse A opens after more than two years of construction, according to local media.

The two-year project’s completion to the direct service airport that offers transport to 24 cities means additional amenities for travelers including worktables, charging stations, concessions and free Wi-Fi. The concourse spans over 48,800 square feet and features a single-story concrete building with modern, clear story windows and a curtain wall system to “allow natural lighting and give a sense of transparency,” according to an airport press release. The concourse will expand the airport’s concession opportunities. A new, extended passenger bridge will connect the existing landside terminal building to Concourse A.

The airport is “completely prepared” to brave category 5 hurricanes and sea level rise, according to local media.

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