Articles Tagged with “Monroe County”

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Monroe County’s derelict vessel removal program typically deals with barnacle-laden sailboats, but, on Monday, officials announced they would be removing something far more interesting — a 92-foot yellow submarine.

The announcement was made Monday in what a spokesperson for the county told reporters with The Miami Herald is “one of the most unusual and challenging projects in Monroe County’s derelict vessel removal program.” A marine contractor is needed to remove the vessel in coordination with the county’s Marine Resource Officer.

Currently, the sub floats off Marathon in the Middle Keys and has been in the area since at least the 90s.

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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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Investigators in North Carolina allege they found 39 empty beer cans aboard the boat of a man they say was under the influence the day he hit and killed a little girl.

Quinten Knight, 40, faces charges of serious injury by impaired boating, operating a boat in a reckless manner, felony boating while impaired and misdemeanor boating while impaired, according to reporting from the News and Observer.

Knight is accused of boating under the influence while operating his girlfriend’s vessel on Harris Lake, approximately 25 miles outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday, Aug. 2.

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At least two men have died and a child was injured in three separate incidents in the Florida Keys during the area’s lobster mini-season.

On Wednesday, July 30, Clarence Shawyer, 82, of Palm City, was found unresponsive in Gulf waters, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said in an online statement. He was taken to Fisherman’s Hospital in Marathon and later died.

In Islamorada at around 8:30 a.m. the next day, 61-year-old Raymond Bruce Sasser, of Loxahatchee, lost consciousness while snorkeling. Emergency responders took him to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, where he later died.

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About 5 million aboveground pools have been recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission following the deaths of at least nine toddlers since 2002.

The CPSC officially recalled the pools due to a compression strap surrounding the exterior of the pool legs that could create a “foothold, allowing a child access to the pool, posing a drowning risk.”

From 2007 through 2022, the children — aged 22 months to 3 years old — have drowned in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Texas, Missouri, California and Florida, where childhood drowning rates have soared in recent years. In data from the Florida Department of Health, it was reported that enough children drown in the state to fill several preschool classrooms.

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An 81-year-old died Monday while with a commercial diving crew in the Florida Keys, according to local media.

Stephen Edward Plopper, of Carmel, Indiana, was swimming with a commercial dive boating around Sand Key Lighthouse off of Key West when members of the crew with the boat noticed him unresponsive in the water.

They immediately began CPR, according to reporting with The Miami Herald. Members of the Coast Guard who responded to the scene also performed life-saving measures and transported Plopper to the Lower Keys Medical Center where he died.

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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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World Atlas named Key West among the 10 most charming small towns to visit in Florida, here’s why.

The southernmost island in the Florida Keys owes its popularity to crystal-clear waters, historic charm, and quirky locals. With must-see locations like its famed lighthouse and the six-toed cat oasis of the Ernest Hemingway Home, it’s easy to see why thousands of out-of-state visitors choose to vacation in Key West. And that’s not the only place for history buffs. Other historic sites to see include Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park and the Truman Little White House.

Whether looking for educational places to visit, trying to work on a tan, or hoping to snorkel among vibrant marine life, Key West has a little something for everyone.

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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.

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Firefighters with the Key West Fire Department took part in recent training to learn how to dismantle cars in an emergency.

The week-long training was a part of a larger Urban Search and Rescue operation, and all the cars used in the exercise were already marked for destruction, according to reporting from the Key West Citizen.

This specialized training is essential in a state that sees approximately 400,000 annual car accidents on average. Monroe County had nearly 2,000 crashes in 2024, according to data collected by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ Crash Dashboard. Of these crashes, six people were killed and 1,252 others were injured. In 2023, there were 1,401 crashes with 18 fatalities and 925 injuries.

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