The Key West Citizen
Man pleads guilty in 2020 shooting death
A man who shot and killed a 19-year-old Bahama Village resident has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, attempted robbery with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. Judge Mark Wilson sentenced Angel Font, 23, to prison after a negotiated plea agreement with the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office in the fatal shooting of Jossue Emmanuel Gomez on June 22, 2021, in Key West. The shooting occurred during an attempted robbery. ...
U.S. Coast Guard crews return 92 migrants to Bahamas, Cuba following multiple task force interdictions
Two U.S. Coast Guard cutters recently returned a combined 92 migrants on Wednesday, April 24, following four separate interdictions of unlawful, irregular migration attempts over the weekend. The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Isaac Mayo transferred 40 people to the Bahamas, following two interdictions of migration attempts on Friday, April 19. The first interdiction occurred when watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Miami received notification from Border Patrol and CBP...
Coral Shores breezes past SOHO, advances to play Keys Gate in semis
The Florida High School Athletic Association baseball postseason officially got underway on Monday, April 29, with a handful of district quarterfinal matchups. Among those was Coral Shores, which had no problem advancing to the semifinals with a 14-2 victory against Somerset South Homestead at Founders Park in Islamorada. The scoring started early for Coral Shores, on a two-out, two-run home run by Zeke Myers in the first inning, then he added an RBI double in the second along with RBI singles by Riley O’Berry, Donovan...
Prosecutors request reinstated gag order in Tree House case
State prosecutors have requested the judge in the Tree House murder case again institute a gag order to keep defendant Franklin Tyrone Tucker and the attorneys in the case from discussing the case with the media or discussing it on social media or other websites. Chief Assistant State Attorney Joe Mansfield filed a motion with Judge James Morgan III requesting the gag order, citing that Tucker has been giving interviews, discussing the case on social media and even started a brand of clothing, posters and...
Conchs split with Panthers in final series of regular season
Pitching dominated the final regular-season series for the Key West High baseball team, as visiting Eutis was held scoreless by a trio of Conch hurlers during a 3-0 victory on Friday, April 26, while on Saturday, April 27, it was the Panthers who had a pair take to the mound during a 5-1 win to split the two-game set at Rex Weech Field. Taking to the mound for four shutout innings in the series opener for the Conchs was Anthony Lariz, who threw 34 of...
State Attorney rehires previously suspended prosecutor
Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward has rehired a prosecutor who resigned several years ago and has been twice suspended by the Florida Bar in recent years. The Florida Bar last suspended veteran prosecutor Colleen Dunne for comments she made via text in attempting to block the marriage of one of the Tree House murder suspects, Franklin Tyrone Tucker. Dunne signed a consent degree with the Bar, which handed down a 15-month suspension that started January 2022. ...
Officials estimate 3,000 vacant buildable lots in the Keys
While there has been a proposal to bring nearly 8,000 new residential building allocations to the Florida Keys, the actual number of possible vacant, buildable lots left in the chain of islands is actually roughly 3,000, according to the latest information provided by local governments in the Keys. However, accepting more than 220 new building allocations, called ROGO (Rate of Growth Ordinance) or BPAS (Building Permit Allocation System) units, would require a change in state statute because such an allocation would increase the allowable hurricane...
Powerboat races continue in Marathon
Race World Offshore APBA National Series Season Opener: The 7-Mile Offshore Grand Prix continues this weekend in the waters off of Marathon. The 7-Mile Offshore Grand Prix, will run through April 28th and bring together top-tier racers and teams from across the world to compete in a high-speed showdown on the open waters of the Florida coastline. Spectators can expect heart-pounding action, adrenaline-fueled races, and a festive atmosphere that celebrates the spirit of competition and camaraderie. Races will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, and 11:30 a.m. Sunday, April 28. More details can be found online at raceworldoffshore.com/marathon-schedule.
Dolphins complete 15-year quest with program's first SFBC championship
For the past two seasons, the Marathon High baseball team has been on the verge of winning the South Florida Baseball Conference championship, reaching the title game during both campaigns only to let it slip away in the big moment. This year, the Dolphins were determined to prove the third time is the charm, and with ace Dylan Ziels on the mound, Marathon accomplished the feat with a 6-0 victory against Riviera Prep on Thursday, April 25, on the Miami Country Day campus. “The emotion...
FWC reviews Western Dry Rocks closure
A four-month fishing closure at one of the most important fish spawning sites in the Florida Keys, and possibly all of South Florida, appears to be paying dividends. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission board will meet next week and receive an update on a seasonal fishing closure at Western Dry Rocks reef. The FWC board meets all day starting at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 1, and Thursday, May 2, in Daytona Beach. The FWC board expected to discuss the three-year review of the...
THREE-PEAT
There is a reason why the sport is called track and field, as just as many points can be scored inside the oval, which the Key West High squads did during the District 16-2A Championships as 64% of the points that were scored for the now three-time defending district champs Conchs boys came via field events while the Lady Conchs, which finished as runner-up, tabbed 58% of their points in the same fashion on Wednesday, April 24, at Tropical Park. In fact, all individual champions...
Lady Conchs JV finishes season with a doubleheader mercy-rule sweep
Seven innings were played during the final weekend of the Key West High junior varsity softball season, but that was across two games, both of which were mercy-rule victories for the Lady Conchs, first beating Coral Reef, 16-0, then topping South Dade, 14-0, on Saturday, April 20, in Miami. A 10-run outburst in the second inning of the opening matchup propelled Key West to the victory, which was more than enough for starting pitcher Lilee Gage who in three shutout innings surrendered four walks and...
Fifth class of Marathon High School students train with city's Fire/Rescue
For these 10 high school students, the day doesn’t start at Marathon High School on Sombrero Beach Road; it starts at Marathon Fire Rescue Station No. 14 in the classroom whose quietest “student” is the CPR dummy on a gurney rolled in the corner. “The most important thing they learn here is teamwork,” said Firefighter Paramedic Chris Cameron, lead cadet coordinator. “If someone is late, everyone does push ups. They learn how to function together as first responders.” ...
Jury finally selected in double homicide trial
After multiple attempts, a 12-person jury has finally been selected this week in a criminal case against a man accused of killing a couple in their Tavernier residence while their children were in the home at the time of the crime in 2015. Jeremy Macauley’s trial in execution-style murders of Carlos Ortiz and Tara Rosado will start Monday, May 6, at the Plantation Key courthouse. A jury was unable to be seated twice earlier this month. Finding an impartial jury has been difficult, as the...
New deputy Sanctuary superintendent named
David Burke, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and 32-year military veteran, has been named the new deputy superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Burke began his new role on Earth Day, Monday, April 22. “Captain Burke is skilled at managing complexity and risk, with wide-ranging experience overseeing programs, finances and human resources,” Sanctuary Superintendent Sarah Fangman said. “These are the exact skills required for a deputy superintendent’s role,...
Little Torch development battle continues
The battle over redeveloping the shoreside facilities at Dolphin Marina on Little Torch Key into a 38-unit resort is again heating up with a group of residents opposed to the plan filing its legal argument against the Monroe County Planning Commission and the developers, Little Palm Dolphin Resort Development, with a state Department of Administrative Hearings. In October, the Planning Commission approved a plan to redevelop Dolphin Marina on Little Torch Key, despite roughly 30 neighbors contending the project is too big and out of...
GOALS ACCOMPLISHED
Improvement, potentially into the Top 10, were goals for the trio of Monroe County weightlifters during the FHSAA State Championship on Saturday, April 20, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Taking to the mats for both the Olympic Classification (clean and jerk, and snatch) as well as the Traditional Classification (bench press and clean), Coral Shores senior A.J. Johnson was able to accomplish the task in the 219-pound weight class by improving from 11th in Olympic to eight overall with a 465-pound total. He...
Two school records set during Hurricanes' final home meet
With one of the latest dates to being the postseason, while also unable to make the trip to compete in the Key West High regular-season finale, the Coral Shores High track and field team decided to slip in one final home meet on Friday, April 19, during which, the Hurricanes were still able to go out on a high note with a pair of school records set during on the afternoon. Just two days prior, during a meet at Barbare Goleman, the Hurricanes’ 4x800 boy...
Iguana nest creates 'sinkhole' in road
After a citizen sent Monroe County Mayor Holly Raschein a note of concern regarding a “weird sinkhole” in the road in her neighborhood in Key Largo, Monroe County Roads and Bridges staff found quite an interesting culprit — an iguana had tunneled underneath the asphalt to create a nesting area. “After investigating the ‘sinkhole,’ we discovered iguanas have tunneled next to an old, abandoned culvert and found some soft sand where they were laying their eggs under the road,” said crew member Ron Havengar, who...
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