Published on:

By

Attendees of the 19th Annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival should bring out stretchy pants for the celebration this weekend presented by the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association.

The family-friendly festivities are set to begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 at Key West’s Truman Waterfront Park. On the menu includes freshly caught seafood from local fishermen like spiny lobster, Key West pink shrimp, stone crab, fried local fish and more. The fish will be used in signature dishes prepared by the fishermen and their families like smoked fish dip with crackers, lobster bisque, conch chowder and fritters. Other cookout favorites like hot dogs, burgers, and Key West’s signature Key lime pie will also be available to order.

What Can Go Wrong?

Continue reading
Published on:

By

The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners recently released an advisory to remind Florida Keys boat owners that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is once again accepting applications for its Vessel Turn-In Program (VTIP) to prevent possible.

The VTIP is entirely voluntary and was established in late 2022 to help boat owners dispose of unwanted or at-risk vessels before they become derelict, preventing possible future legal issues for the derelict boat owner in possible boat crashes and protecting Florida’s marine life. Vessels being considered must be free of all liens or other claims of ownership ad the applicant must be the titled owner of the vessel. The vessels will be removed from state waters and destroyed at no cost to the owner.

The program removes vessels on a first come, first served basis and applicants are accepted until funding runs out, or the program ends

Continue reading
Published on:

By

A 5-year-old boy died from his injuries in a fire at a Key West apartment that killed both his parents and one of his three siblings, officials said.

Sadrac Decimy died Saturday at HCA Kendall, where he and his two other siblings, 13 and 14 years old, were taken following Thursday’s blaze. The other two siblings are in stable condition at HCA Kendall as of Wednesday, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.

The fire happened on Thursday at an apartment building with at least eight units at 1010 Emma Street in Key West’s Bahama Village. Parents Jean Decimy, 41, Evelyn Pierre, 38, and 7-year-old Dave Decimy, were killed in the fire.

Continue reading
Published on:

By

A fire at a Key West apartment building resulted in the deaths of three people, including a child, and the injury of three other children on Thursday.

Parents, Jean Decimy, 41, Evelyn Pierre, 38, and child, 7-year-old Dave Decimy, were killed when a fire broke out around 7 p.m. Thursday at 1010 Emma Street in Bahama Village. A 14-year-old and two other children are among the survivors. Those three children were taken to Kendall Regional Hospital.

The fire was confined to a single unit, according to reporting from the Key West Citizen.

Continue reading
Published on:

By

Amid horrific wildfires that have ravaged homes, wreaking havoc on the lives of thousands of Californians, Key West firefighters have completed additional training to improve their emergency response.

Firefighters in Key West recently completed their Florida Urban Search and Rescue Confined Space Technical Rescue training course, a lesson that teaches how to safely and effectively get people out of complicated fire situations. The course focuses on hazard analysis, risk assessment, training levels of personnel and the availability of external resources.

Providing Aid

Continue reading
Published on:

By

The charter captain of a boat that crashed into a bridge over the summer, injuring several people including an 11-year-old boy, has been accused of being under the influence during the crash.

Laurence Lewis, 42, was charged this week with three counts of felony boating under the influence, causing serious bodily injury, as well as one felony count of child neglect. Additionally, he faces a misdemeanor count of aggravated boating under the influence accompanied by a minor, misdemeanor reckless boating and possession of drug paraphernalia. Authorities found Lewis at his home in Big Pine Key Tuesday, according to reporting from the Miami Herald. He was granted a $195,000 bond Wednesday morning and was released from jail.

Lewis was allegedly under the influence of drugs and had consumed tequila on July 8, 2024, the day of the crash, according to officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission who investigated the crash.

Continue reading
Published on:

By

Officials raised concerns about e-bikes in Key West this week at the first City Commission Meeting of 2025.

The concern was flagged by Donie Lee, the City Commissioner and former police chief, who said the issue could not be solved with “more enforcement,” according to reporting from the Key west Citizen. His suggestion was to ban the electronic modes of transport from multi-use pathways to protect pedestrians and traditional cyclists from potential crashes.

Tom Malone, a resident who disagreed with Lee, spoke out during the public comments section of the meeting to share his experience as an avid walker throughout the community. As a pedestrian, he said, these electronic modes of transport present a significant hazard to pedestrians.

Continue reading
Published on:

By

At least four people were rescued from a sinking boat off the coast of Marathon, Florida, Sunday.

Th incident happened about 11 miles off the coast around 5 p.m. when a distress signal reached the U.S. Coast Guard. A crew was sent out to find the 27-foot, sinking vessel and its four passengers.

Additional information including what caused the boat to sink or whether anyone was injured were not immediately available Monday.

Continue reading
Published on:

By

A U.S. airman stopped a Fort Walton Beach hotel robbery by making a simple call Friday, according to police.

The incident happened just before 10 a.m. Friday at a Residence Inn when the airman was walking through the lobby and noticed a “suspicious interaction” between the clerk and a person at the front desk. Luckily for the clerk, he called police as he left the lobby.

Police announced in a Dec. 30 news release that the man at the front desk had “brandished what appeared to be a concealed weapon in his jacket and demanded money.”

Continue reading
Published on:

By

A North Carolina woman was killed, three others were injured and one man faces charges following a boat crash in the Florida Keys Friday.

A 21-foot motorboat carrying four people hit an anchored 34-foot sailboat Friday around 8 p.m. in Florida Bay off mile marker 96 in Key Largo, according to reporting from the Miami Herald. All four people aboard the motorboat were ejected following the crash. Three people were rescued from the water with injuries. The body of 24-year-old Sydney Cole was pulled from the water.

At least one of the three injured, Lillian Cole, 58, of Oakland Park, was airlifted to a Miami-Dade County hospital in critical condition. The boat was being operated by Guy Erdman, 61, also of Oakland Park, the night of the crash, according to the Herald. No charges have been filed against him as of Monday.

Continue reading
Badges
Badges
Contact Information
Miami Office
2350 S Dixie Hwy
Miami, FL 33133
Phone: (305) 854-4900
Fax: (305) 854-8266
Toll Free: (800) 836-6400
Key West Office
615-1/2 Whitehead St
Key West, FL 33040
Toll Free: (800) 836-6400
E-Mail: info@leesfield.com
Orlando / Central Florida Office
By appointments only
Toll Free: (800) 836-6400
E-Mail: info@leesfield.com

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. The contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure. Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Copyright © 2016 – 2025, Leesfield & Partners
JUSTIA Law Firm Blog Design