KEY WEST

Eddie Martinez wrote a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday, citing health issues as he stepped down as commissioner in Monroe County’s District 3.

Monroe County Commissioner Eddie Martinez was arrested Tuesday night after an alleged incident at a family home in Hialeah earlier in the day that led to his daughter calling 911.

The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday was searching for a man who was reported missing the day before after taking off on a kayak in the Lower Keys.

A 64-year-old man from Spring Lake, Michigan, was arrested early Tuesday morning after firing a handgun at the Stock Island Yacht Club & Marina, authorities said.

A man from San Diego, California, died in the Florida Keys Saturday afternoon after diving from a boat into shallow water to catch a football, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Bicyclists are to pedal from Miami to Key West on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 19-20, during “The SMART Ride,” a charitable journey that has been called the largest bicycle ride in the southeastern United States. Beneficiaries include the Florida Keys’ A.H. of Monroe County. The 165-mile Miami-to-Key-West journey takes bicyclists through the entire Keys island chain along scenic Florida Keys Overseas Highway and Heritage Trail routes. Overnight housing is reserved at Hawks Cay, and participants are to resume their ride the following morning to travel some 65 miles southwest to Key West. This year’s scheduled conclusion will be at Key West High School with a private closing ceremony.

A man fatally shot himself in a Key West hotel parking lot after crashing an SUV into a scooter on Saturday night, police said.

You’re on the Overseas Highway, the only stretch of pavement connecting the 120-mile island chain. Destination: Key West, where the mile marker zero sign signals the end of the road.

A famous Coral Gables hotel and a popular Key West museum are some of the most popular haunted attractions in the country.

A vacation rental search engine has released the top 10 places to go camping in Florida for 2021, and their No. 1 city may surprise you.

U.S. Border Patrol agents took 16 Cuban migrants into custody early Wednesday morning after their homemade raft came ashore in the Florida Keys, authorities confirmed.

The United States Coast Guard repatriated 22 Cubans to Cuba on Saturday, following three interdictions off the coast of Dania Beach and Key West.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained 13 Cuban migrants on Tuesday morning near Key West.

A Key West man is one of two Floridians who just claimed $1 million top prizes from the Fastest Road to $1,000,000 scratch-off game.

A 26-year-old man from Key West was arrested Monday after a package containing cocaine that was addressed to him was intercepted by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

One wife’s biggest fear almost became a terrifying reality when her husband disappeared beneath the waves of the ocean in Key West while out on a dive as the sun set before a rainstorm.

Flying insects were spotted in the kitchens of South Florida Wendy's, Domino's and Popeyes restaurants by state inspectors.

With Tropical Storm Fred looming on the horizon, Monroe County officials were telling Florida Keys residents to prepare.

Two Cuban men were desperate enough to recently attempt the voyage to South Florida in a 10-foot styrofoam hull rustic vessel.

Tripadvisor has announced the winners of its 2021 Travelers’ Choice “Best of the Best” Restaurants awards. Miami and Key West are well represented, with seven total winners, including the No. 1 Best Vegan Restaurant and the No. 2 best restaurant for Everyday Eats in the entire country.

According to Google trends research, the most popular junk food in the state of Florida is none other than Häagen-Dazs ice cream, followed by tres leches cake and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

A group of protesters met Friday morning at a marina behind Bayside before they headed 12 miles off the shore of Cuba.

The 40th edition of an Ernest Hemingway look-alike contest has begun at an iconic Key West bar formerly frequented by the author.

Seven Miami Beach and Key West restaurants should be preening right about now, because they’ve been named some of the best restaurants in the country.

Officials in the Florida Keys advise anyone participating in next week’s two-day lobster mini season to be aware of state and local ordinances.

Two more men have been arrested in the June 22 murder of a 19-year-old man in Key West, weeks after city police first named a suspect.

The fight to limit cruise ships in Key West appears far from over.

Guess what? Turns out one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world is right here in the Sunshine State.

In the Florida Keys, police work can sometimes involve coming to the rescue of a hard-shelled pal out crawling around in the rain.

The city that made sunset a party — an overcrowded one, some might say — is one of the best places to watch a sunset in the world, according to a new study.

The U.S. Coast Guard and a good Samaritan rescued 13 people after their boat capsized off of Key West as Tropical Storm Elsa approached, the agency said. The nine men and four women were taken aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Thetis on Tuesday afternoon, some 26 miles (42 kilometers) southeast of Key West, the agency said in a news release. The crew from the Western Carmen contacted watch standers at the Coast Guard's Sector Key West around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday to report they had found four people in the water.

Two helicopters and an airplane were called in to assist with the search-and-rescue operation.

Two helicopters and an airplane were called in to assist with the search-and-rescue operation.

Tropical Storm Elsa brought heavy rainfall, street flooding and high winds to Key West on Tuesday, complicating routines for residents, tourists and businesses.

Tropical Storm Elsa picked up steam on Tuesday morning while it battered the Florida Keys and parts of Cuba as Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in multiple counties.

Tropical Storm Elsa is on its forecast track. The center of the storm is just west of Key West this morning heading north for an encounter with Florida’s west coast.

Tuesday is forecasted to be very wet and soggy day in the Middle and Lower Keys as Tropical Storm Elsa continues its path north.

While South Florida is being spared a direct hit from Tropical Storm Elsa, Key West was already beginning to be affected by the outer bands of the storm system Monday night into Tuesday morning.

With the Lower and Middle Keys under a tropical storm warning Monday, residents prepared for damaging winds and flooding rain forecast for the island chain.

Tropical Storm Elsa will move into the Florida Straits Monday evening, and it will pass near the Florida Keys early Tuesday. Residents of the lower and middle Florida Keys will feel sustained tropical storm winds, 40 mph or higher.

Many locals in Key West aren't overly concerned about Tropical Storm Elsa, though officials are urging them to be cautious.

With the Middle to Lower Keys under a tropical storm warning Sunday, Florida Keys officials had no plans to issue mandatory evacuation orders.

A 40-year-old man was arrested Saturday after authorities say the GPS system installed inside of a Jeep led them to the stolen vehicle.

In the latest installment of Local 10 News’ Pride Month series, we look back at a Key West couple that met and fell in love back when getting married was illegal for them. But it was their fight that helped them and so many just like them.

A Key West couple wound up in jail last week after state and wildlife police said they threatened to shoot officers while brandishing guns on their boat.

Florida is a dream. Bordered on one side by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the sunny state enjoys a consistently pleasant climate

A 50-year-old Tamarac man died Tuesday morning after diving the Vandenberg wreck off Key West, law officers said.

Key West police officers did not violate an 8-year-old boy’s civil rights when they tried to handcuff him at his elementary school after he was accused of punching a teacher in 2018, a federal judge has ruled.

When they sit down to dream of small town perfection, Americans are usually dreaming of the Florida Keys.

South Florida beaches top list for beach vacations.

A Georgia woman was jailed Sunday after state wildlife police said she took five queen conch from the ocean in Key West.

‘The decision to suspend a search is always difficult,’ says Coast Guard commander Adam Chamie. ‘Our deepest condolences go out to the families and loved ones impacted by this tragedy’

While experts and avid cruisers expect buffets to be suspended and a general reduction in social events onboard, the question is where cruise ships will go and what passengers will be able to do once they get there, because some ports are saying they don’t want cruises back at all.

A search for 10 Cubans missing from a boat capsize continued Friday, a day after the U.S. Coast Guard rescued eight other passengers and pulled two bodies from the water. The group was first spotted on routine patrol 18 miles (29 kilometers) southwest of Key West, Florida, on Thursday. The vessel sank after it capsized, so it was not clear what type of craft the group used to travel across the Florida Straits.

Local non-profit Beyond the Teams consists of a group of Navy Seal veterans who take on challenges to raise money for charities associated with the Navy Seal Museum in Fort Pierce. Their latest challenge? Traveling from Key West all the way to Fort Pierce via canoe.

As the search continues for 10 more missing people after a boat that sailed out of Cuba capsized Wednesday night, relatives say they are just hopeful that their loved ones were among the eight people who were rescued Thursday by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard said two bodies were pulled form the water, 8 people were rescued and the search was continuing for the other ten.

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for survivors on Thursday evening off the Florida Keys after a boat overturned. So far, they have rescued 8 people and found two bodies, officials said.

Two people are dead and 10 others are missing after their boat overturned Thursday near the Florida Keys, officials said. The U.S. Coast Guard responded to a location several miles off Key West around 1 p.m. Crews rescued eight people and pulled two bodies from the water, Petty Officer Jose Hernandez said. Two Coast Guard cutters and several small boats continued to search the area Thursday evening for the missing passengers, Hernandez said.

Two people died and 10 others were missing in the ocean after a boat overturned off Key West.

According to TripAdvisor’s new category, The Most Saved Hotels, two South Florida hotels are among the top four most saved on Tripadvisor. Havana Cabana at Key West not only topped the list for the U.S., it also topped the list globally. Fourth on the list is The Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach.

Two men on one boat hauling another went missing at sea after losing an engine. The family last heard from them on Mother's Day as they were sailing to Guanaja, Honduras.

Tripadvisor has just released its highly-coveted annual Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for Hotels for 2021, and not one, but four South Florida hotels made the cut.

Gov. DeSantis faces a dilemma with Senate Bill 1194. The controversial effort to overturn voter referendums in Key West that limit the size of cruise ships to protect our coral reef appeared dead after the Miami Herald reported that cruise-pier operator Mark Walsh had contributed nearly $1 million, through 11 different corporate entities, to the governor’s political committee at the beginning of the legislative session in March.

Tripadvisor has turned its attention to hotels and resorts. And in South Florida, it likes what it sees.

A mask dispute in Key West sent one man to the hospital and another to jail over the weekend.

Dozens of bearded men resembling Ernest Hemingway are expected to return to Key West for one of the biggest events in the Conch Republic.

According to a new report by Tripadvisor, Orlando, Miami Beach, and Key West are in the top five most popular vacation destinations in the world. Their choice of where to stay reiterates that desire: the most popular accommodation types for 2021 summer trips are all-inclusives and beach resorts.

A day after citizens of Key West thought the legislation aimed at overturning their vote to limit cruise ship traffic appeared dead, Republican legislative leaders quickly reversed course Wednesday and powered it past Democrats to send it to the governor.

Key West voted to limit the size of cruise ships that call on the island’s three ports and the number of passengers who may hit the streets. But the Florida Senate has voted to overturn the island's restrictions.

Florida state lawmakers are pushing a bill that overturns the decision of Key West voters, something the city's mayor is against.

There is traffic on U.S. 1 from Miami-Dade County to Duck Key, an oceanside community in Monroe County. Tourists have been flocking there during the coronavirus pandemic.

A power outage occurred throughout the lower half of the Florida Keys when a sailboat got stuck in transmission lines, officials say.

A detention deputy in Monroe County was fired after it was reported he picked up and slammed a detainee to the ground. The deputy will face criminal charges.

David Selig is the Digital Executive Producer at WPLG, overseeing Local10.com. Copyright 2021 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. K9 Coral assisted in the arrest of a Key West woman who faces drug trafficking and possession charges. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526.

K9 Coral assisted in the arrest of a Key West woman who faces drug trafficking and possession charges. KEY WEST, Fla. – A Key West woman faces methamphetamine trafficking and other drug charges after a bust that was assisted by K9 cop Coral, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says. Brandy Victoria Gesell, 38, was arrested after a traffic stop Thursday night on Big Pine Key. Deputies say her Toyota Camry had expired tags and that Coral then alerted to drugs in the car. Coral joined the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office this past fall, and it wasn’t long before she was racking up drug busts.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – The Florida Legislative Session got to work this week, advancing several bills that have sparked loud debate. A vote-by-mail bill will be discussed, as will others including bills to crack down on demonstrators, provide legal immunity to businesses and health care providers for problems with COVID-19 and a bill to overturn an election in Key West that limited cruise ships from docking there. State Senator Annette Taddeo is a Democrat from Southwest Miami-Dade County and state Rep. Chip LaMarca is a Republican from East Broward County. They joined This Week in South Florida hosts Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney and their discussion can be seen at the top of this page.

KEY WEST, Fla. – The U.S. Coast Guard has recovered the body of a 50-year-old woman from Rockport, Texas, who went missing Tuesday morning while diving the Vandenberg wreck off Key West. Her remains were taken by the U.S. Coast Guard to Coast Guard Station Key West. According to Linhardt, Fisher and her husband went out on a boat to the wreck Tuesday morning with two other people and a dive master. Linhardt said the dive master told authorities that he made several searches around the wreck until he was short on air. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Army Special Forces Underwater Operations School staff took part in the search for Fisher.

KEY WEST, Fla. – Authorities are searching for a woman who they said stole a $15,000 diamond ring in Key West. Detectives believe the woman may be from Homestead, but could be residing in the Lower Keys. She is described by authorities as a white, possibly Hispanic female with brown hair and brown eyes. Police said the stolen ring is a 14-karat, white gold, size 7 ring that has three diamonds. Anyone with information about the suspect’s identity or whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

The United States Coat Guard said 16 people went missing from two separate boats off the coast of Florida. Officials said 10 people went missing near Key West while six others disappeared off the coast of Fort Pierce. They were en route from Bimini, Bahamas, according to the Coast Guard, but the agency did not mention where their boat was headed. More here: https://t.co/BbN2wS8c4U#D7 #USCG pic.twitter.com/gUk7RQfz9P — USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) February 15, 2021The rescued man was transported ashore for medical treatment. Last week, the Coast Guard rescued three Cuban nationals who were stranded for more than a month on a desert island in the Bahamas.

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – The castaways a U.S. Coast Guard crew rescued from an uninhabited Bahamian island, between Key West and Cuba, were in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday. A U.S. Coast Guard crew found the woman and two men on Anguilla Cay, during a routine patrol on Monday near the southeast extremity of Cay Sal Bank. Coast Guard pilot spots castaways who had been stranded on an uninhabited island for 33 days. Castaways survive in uninhabited Bahamian island for 33 daysDougherty said the trio had been stranded there for 33 days after their boat capsized in rough waters and they were able to swim to the island. On Wednesday evening, the survivors were detainees at the ICE Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach.

Coast Guard rescues trio stuck on deserted island for 33 days The Coast Guard came to the rescue of three people, stuck on a deserted island in the Bahamas for more than a month. The Cuban nationals say they swam to Anguilla Key — between Key West and Cuba — after their boat capsized. One woman and two men were stuck there for 33 days, and say they survived by eating conch and rats, and building a makeshift shelter.

MIAMI – The U.S. Coast Guard found a woman and two men stranded on an uninhabited Bahamian island, between Key West and Cuba. According to a news release from the Coast Guard, a Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry first spotted the trio waving a makeshift flag while they were on routine patrol Monday. The aircrew dropped them food, water and a radio so they could speak with them while a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 helicopter crew was deployed to the scene. Coast Guard pilot spots castaways who had been stranded on an uninhabited island for 33 days. An Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew has dropped a radio, food and water.

MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – New bodycam video shows the mess left behind after a driver crashed into a hotel pool area in Key West following a pursuit. According to Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies, the incident began at 11:23 p.m. Wednesday when a deputy spotted a vehicle driving 86 mph in a 35 mph Key Deer Zone near Mile Marker 30. The suspect, later identified as Asiel Diaz Valladares, 31, led deputies on an on-again-off-again pursuit that spanned 29 miles from Big Pine Key to Key West. AdA van driver kept going south on U.S. 1 at 80 mph before he finally crashed into a hotel pool area in Key West. (Monroe County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office)After he was taken into custody, he was transported to Lower Keys Medical Center and was airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center.

A man in Key West smashed into a hotel pool area after being on the run from police. MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – A driver, speeding south on U.S. 1, led Monroe County deputies on an on-again-off-again pursuit that spanned 29 miles from Big Pine Key to the entrance of Key West. The chase ended when the driver, identified as Asiel Diaz Valladares, 31, crashed into a hotel pool area in Key West. Key West Police joined the pursuit as the suspect drove closer to Key West. AdA van driver kept going south on U.S. 1 at 80 mph before he finally crashed into a hotel pool area in Key West.

KEY LARGO, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference Friday afternoon at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo to announce that Monroe County will be receiving $16.7 million through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s Rebuild Florida program for various projects. During Friday’s news conference, the governor also touted the state’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts, saying close to 20% of seniors ages 65 and older in Florida have been vaccinated. DeSantis also praised the state’s economic growth, saying Florida has added 20,000 private sector jobs in the last month, while many states have reported higher job losses. The governor credited the falling unemployment rate in the state with keeping Florida “open” amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Miami Herald: Cruise industry "secretly funded disinformation campaign" New reporting from the Miami Herald reveals an association of cruise lines funded a "dark money" campaign to sway voters in Key West with alarming claims about referendums that would affect the cruise industry. Miami Herald reporter Taylor Dolven joins CBSN with the details.

University of Miami students seeking a return to typical Halloween fun traveled in large hordes down to Key West this past weekend for a departure from the Covid-19 guidelines enforced by the university. But despite the active presence of Key West police officers on Duval Street Saturday night, it did not appear that any enforcement of this was in place. With Monroe County following DeSantis’ executive order for Florida to enter Phase 3, restaurants and businesses in Key West are able to operate at full capacity. This was evident in the bars frequented by UM students this past weekend, including Fat Tuesday and Rick’s Bar. Over the course of the weekend, 11 identified UM students were arrested in Key West with various misdemeanors and felony charges, including six arrested Friday night and five more on Halloween.

I am worried about you. We are living in such troubling times. Never before in our lifetimes have we been under siege by a...

As South Florida’s schools continue to adjust to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic in providing an education to students, it has become...

We love Miami, but we also know that getting out of the city for a road trip with friends can often be a refreshing, therapeutic escape from the daily grind as long as the road trip planning doesn’t take away from the fun! If you’re planning a road trip to Key West but you’re feeling overwhelmed, we’ve got you covered. If you want to keep your group together and leave the driving to a professional while you kick back and enjoy the ride, let National Charter Bus book a modern charter bus just for your group! Whatever your preference may be, National Charter Bus can accommodate you. National Charter Bus has all of your South Florida road trips covered, whether you’re staying in the Miami area or exploring the Keys.

The shift to online, at-home learning the past several months in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has left students in low-income communities and neighborhoods...

Because of the numerous hurdles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations have had to scale back their civic works, particularly activities designed to...

Throw a couple of bikes on top or behind the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport and you are ready for any terrain on any given...

Throw a couple of bikes on top or behind the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport and you are ready for any terrain on any given...

Audiences will hear well-known pieces by Beethoven and Mendelssohn when the South Florida Symphony Orchestra presents Masterworks III. Both pieces were dedicated to the South Florida Symphony Orchestras founder and conductor, Maestra Sebrina Alfonso, who was born and raised in Key West. And when its an instrument that I dont play, I really, really go into it, and I study their etudes and I listen to their literature, and I do all kinds of things like that. But when she founded the South Florida Symphony Orchestra in 1997, she had a decidedly humble motive. Mike Hamersly, ArtburstMiami.comSouth Florida Symphony Orchestras Masterworks III.

Audiences will hear well-known pieces by Beethoven and Mendelssohn when the South Florida Symphony Orchestra presents Masterworks III. Both pieces were dedicated to the South Florida Symphony Orchestras founder and conductor, Maestra Sebrina Alfonso, who was born and raised in Key West. And when its an instrument that I dont play, I really, really go into it, and I study their etudes and I listen to their literature, and I do all kinds of things like that. But when she founded the South Florida Symphony Orchestra in 1997, she had a decidedly humble motive. Mike Hamersly, ArtburstMiami.comSouth Florida Symphony Orchestras Masterworks III.

"What we're not going to do is feel-good measures that don't actually make a difference in saving our coral reefs so we can pat ourselves on the back," Bradley said. "Coral reefs are immensely valuable not only to Florida's economy generally but particularly to the Keys and Key West," Curry said in her testimony before Monday's vote. Curry cited estimates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showing that coral reefs in Florida have an asset value of $8.5 billion and support roughly 70,000 jobs. Bradley, however, remained unconvinced and argued that the state was already taking the necessary steps to protect its coral reefs. Elsewhere in the Florida Senate, another sunscreen bill was proposed.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida, which runs from Fort Pierce to Key West, seem to be getting more aggressive about online threats. A review of all cases since 2005 in which defendants were charged with communicating interstate threats found that 21 of the 39 total cases in the district since that year have been prosecuted since 2015.

Harvey Johnson and Maggie Crowley moved full time to Key West from Lexington, Kentucky in 1990 and two years later opened the Keys' only floating restaurant. It became a local favorite, full of funky Conch Republic bric-a-brac, as well as a popular tourist spot, offering bumper stickers that said, "I ran aground in Key West." It sank three times on beautiful sunny days, Crowley recalled in an interview -- once on the eve of Hurricane Georges in 1998 and twice for unexplained reasons. Today, Crowley owns Florida Keys Realty Group and the boat still operates under new ownership as a barbecue restaurant, but without the funky accoutrements. (State Archives of Florida - Florida Memory)