Key West
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Port St. Lucie Man Dies While Freediving North of Key West, Autopsy Results Awaited
A tragic accident in Florida waters has claimed the life of a Port St. Lucie man. Andrew Wilson Velo, 55, was identified as the individual who perished while freediving North of Key West. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Velo was discovered unresponsive on May 16, with the incident taking place around 12:30 p.m. According to a post from Florida Keys Sheriff's X account, foul play is not suspected in his death, and they are currently waiting to be fully informed by the autopsy results.
Social Scene: Marco Cruise Club cruises to the 28th Key West Songwriters Festival
MCC members arrived by land, sea and air. They all met at The Galleon Resort on Key West to enjoy this iconic event. That being the Key West Singer Songwriters Festival. It is the largest festival of its kind in the world and known as a career starter for top country talent. It has grown into a top destination for music lovers who flock to Key West for five days and nights. It is well organized and easy to get around. All the bars have live entertainment starting in the morning and running all day and through the night in addition to the multiple staged ticketed events.
Iconic South Florida bridge may be on verge of replacement
MARATHON, Fla. – State transportation officials hosted a meeting Thursday night about potentially replacing a South Florida icon: the Seven Mile Bridge. The bridge is an engineering marvel, from its first incarnation in 1912 as part of Henry Flagler’s train service, to its current status as the iconic gateway to the Lower Keys and Key West.
HIGH SCHOOL FILM STUDENTS’ DOCUMENTARY ABOUT BAND’S LONDON TRIP WINS TOP PRIZE
When the Key West High School marching band, the Marching Conchs, crossed the pond to play in London’s New Year’s Day parade, not all of the students packed instruments or sheet music. Of the 107 or so students who made the trip, two — William Forster and Valeria...
CASA MARINA RESORT WILL FIX ABANDONED EYESORE, BUT WANTS ZONING CHANGE FOR 23 NEW HOTEL ROOMS
Nothing brings neighbors together like a proposal to build new 23 hotel rooms across the street, down the block or 200 yards away from their multimillion-dollar homes. That’s what’s happening in the Casa Marina neighborhood, where the corporate owners of the Casa Marina Resort, a real estate investment trust called Park Hotels & Resorts, is asking city officials to change the zoning of two parcels, the site of dilapidated buildings that once included 23 units of housing for Casa Marina employees. The buildings have been a vacant and abandoned eyesore in the neighborhood since 2005, when Hurricane Wilma flooded them.
Fisherman Found with 274 More Snappers Than Legal Limit in Florida Keys
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced a major citation involving fishermen in the Florida Keys. According to FWC, officers conducted a fisheries inspection near Dry Tortugas National Park and uncovered multiple violations of limits on multiple species. In total, officers discovered 334 snappers onboard, 274 snappers over the limit. Officers also found 22 egg-bearing Blue Crabs and two Spiny Lobster tails during the closed season. The subjects onboard were cited accordingly.
Deep well debate resurfaces on Stock Island
The debate about installing a deep wastewater injection well on Stock Island has bubbled back up to the surface. A group of Lower Keys residents recently sent the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) a complaint letter raising concerns about the condition of the KW Resort Utilities plant and the use of shallow wells on Stock Island. KW Resort Utilities has rebuffed a request to go to a deep well...
County moves forward on affordable housing and managed mooring field
The Monroe County Commission this week moved forward on purchasing 28 units of affordable housing, starting a sea-level rise and flooding mitigation project in Key Largo and creating a managed mooring field off of Stock Island The Board of County Commissioners, on Wednesday, May 15, approved a contract to purchase the 28 units in Key Largo from South Cliff Holdings LLC at a price of $11.9 million for workforce housing for county workers and possibly state and federal employees. The contract is different from many...
Political endorsement divides local Republicans
A vote to endorse one local Republican over another has led to a grievance being filed with the state offices of the Republican Party of Florida and continues to divide the members of the party locally. In April, the Republican Executive Committee of Monroe County met and voted to endorse Supervisor of Elections candidate Sherri Hodies over fellow Republican candidate Margaret Romero, which led to some Republicans questioning whether that was fair and if all rules were followed regarding endorsements in primaries. ...
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB GETS UNEXPECTED WINDFALL
Leaders of the local Boys & Girls Club, with its after-school and summertime child care programs for working families, may never know what the club did to positively affect the life of Stephen Haight. But they’ll be forever grateful to Haight and his parents, who recently bequeathed their entire estate to the club.
Suspect cries, apologizes in bodycam after crashing loader into Key West Police cruiser
Body camera video captures the moment a Key West Police cruiser was hit head-on by heavy machinery driven by a suspect who was later arrested. On May 4, the officer was responding to reports of a man using a loader to destroy vehicles and a building at the College of the Florida Keys.
THERE’S A NEW QUEEN IN TOWN; DRAG QUEEN PUDDIN’ TAINE IS CROWNED QUEEN MOTHER
For 38 years, Key West has crowned a local drag queen as its honored Queen Mother, and this year was no different. Puddin’ Taine took home the 2024 crown on May 13 at Key West Theater, where a dozen or so contestants performed while dressed to the nines in sky-high heels, wigs and beaded evening gowns.
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