"Ira Leesfield"

Published on: June 12, 2025

Hoping to Get a Selfie with Key West’s Most-Photographed Landmark this Summer? You’re out of Luck.

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.”

Published on: June 3, 2025

Influencer’s Son Drowns at Family Home in Arizona. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

The 3-year-old son of popular lifestyle influencer, Emilie Kiser, died from a drowning incident at the family’s home in Chandler, Arizona.

Emergency responders were called out to the home around 6 p.m. on May 12 after an incident in the family’s backyard pool where they allegedly found the boy, Trigg, unresponsive. The child was taken to Chandler Regional Medical Center before he was transferred to Phoenix Children’s Hospital in critical condition. He died just six days later, according to media reporting.

Local authorities will be investigating this tragic incident.

Published on: May 27, 2025

Key West International Airport’s Concourse A is Ready for Takeoff. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

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.

Published on: May 20, 2025

Second Boat Crash Over the Weekend in Florida Keys Shows Need for Boating Safety Reform. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

At least two people were hospitalized after their boat hit a coral reef near the Lower Florida Keys and flipped over Saturday, according to local media.

The incident happened around 3:50 p.m. near Big Torch Key. Both the operator and passenger were ejected from the vessel, which Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials told reporters was allegedly going at a high rate of speed. They were taken to a local hospital and no update on their conditions was available as of Tuesday morning.

The crash is being investigated by the FWC.

Published on: May 20, 2025

Seven Passengers Ejected Following Seven Mile Bridge Crash Over the Weekend in the Florida Keys.

By Leesfield & Partners

Several boat passengers required air transport to a hospital after the boat they were on crashed into the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys Saturday, according to local media.

The incident happened Saturday and involved a 17-foot Mako, a brand of inshore fishing boat, allegedly being operated by a minor when it crashed. At least seven people were ejected from the vessel, including the young girl who was driving, according to local media. Several passengers were airlifted to a hospital in Miami.

There was no update on the condition of the injured as of Monday.

Published on: May 19, 2025

Fire breaks out at Florida Keys Boatyard. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A fire broke out at the Unique Marine boatyard in Tavernier Wednesday, damaging several vessels, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

The blaze was reported at around 2:35 a.m. Wednesday, MCSO officials said in an online press release. No injuries were reported in this incident.

Photos from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office show a vessel engulfed in flames after a fire broke out at

Published on: May 15, 2025

Naples Family Sues Airbnb After Son’s Carbon Monoxide Death. What to Know.

By Leesfield & Partners

A Naples family is suing Airbnb after their son, 24, died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a Brazilian rental apartment.

Sebastian Mejia had spent the last eight months studying indigenous communities aboard while pursuing his master’s degree at New York University. The young student already had a bachelor’s degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies and international affairs alongside a minor in Portuguese.

He died while at the Rio de Janeiro Airbnb on Oct. 5, 2022. Rosa Martinez, Mejia’s mother, told reporters that a faulty gas water heater inside the bathroom where he was showering is to blame for the toxic gas in the air, WSVN reported this week. Martinez added that the water heater was installed “apparently” without the proper permission or maintenance. In addition to the improper installation, the exhaust pipe on the water heater was allegedly damaged, her lawsuit claims.

Published on: May 12, 2025

Boy, 15, Killed in Florida Keys Rollover Crash. How Leesfield & Partners has Represented Crash Victims for 48 Years.

By Leesfield & Partners

A 15-year-old passenger was killed in a single-car rollover crash in Tavernier, an unincorporated town in the Upper Keys near Key Largo, according to local media.

The crash happened Monday night as the driver made a sharp left-hand turn into a local shopping center at mile marker 91. The boy, who was riding in the passenger-side seat, was ejected from the car.

Officials with Florida Highway Patrol told The Miami Herald that one of the vehicle’s tires hit the median when the car was turning left from a U.S. 1 northbound lane and began to tip over onto its right side. While on its passenger side, the car slid across the southbound lanes and stopped at the shopping center’s entrance.

Published on: May 7, 2025

House Bill Aiming to Improve Swimming Pool Safety Fails in Florida Legislature. What to Know About Swimming Safely in Florida this Summer.

By Leesfield & Partners

A House Bill meant to improve swimming pool safety – the number one killer of children under 5 years old in the state – recently died in subcommittee.

The bill provided for the enhancement of safety measures for residential swimming pools in the state, particularly during property transfer or sales. It also specified that title companies and inspectors report non-compliance to local agencies.

Current law, Florida Statutes § 515.27. requires that houses built or remodeled after Oct. 1, 2000, be equipped with one of five safety features. These features range from barriers surrounding the pool, an in-water alarm, a self-latching lock on doors or on fences around pools, a pool safety cover or an alarm on any doors and windows that would give curious children direct access to a swimming pool. Penalties for noncompliance with state law include a fine and/or possible jail time.

Published on: May 7, 2025

What Sarasota Police Didn’t Find on Out-of-Control Boat Raises Concerns on Important Safety Issue in Florida.

By Leesfield & Partners

Police in Sarasota chased down a speeding and out of control boat this week, but there was no operator on board to be investigated.

That is because the vessel’s operator, who was not wearing the kill switch, had been ejected when the vessel hit a wake. As a result, the man was thrown into the water without a life jacket as his unoccupied vessel sped off at 40 mph. When the vessel’s operator was thrown off, he broke two fingers but was otherwise uninjured, according to reporting from Fox News.

Fortunately, officers with the Sarasota Police Department’s Marine Patrol were able to catch up with the vessel, hop on and shut it off before anyone else was injured.