Monroe County Circuit Court Judge David Audlin on Wednesday signed off on what's called a writ of mandamus that could bring commercial electricity to No Name Key in less than one week.

Posted - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 03:24 PM EDT

This is Dennis Zecca in happier times, when he commanded U.S. Coast Guard Station Islamorada.

With his federal trial fast approaching -- and facing a possible life sentence -- murder-for-hire suspect Dennis Zecca was transferred May 9 from the Monroe County Detention Center on Stock Island to the Miami Federal Detention Center.

He's now living in a jail that has held numerous infamous prisoners, from former Panamanian dictator and drug runner Manuel Noriega to cocaine kingpins Willie Falcon and Sal Magluta, from convicted Al-Qaeda operative Jose Padilla to Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein and former Monroe County Attorney Jim Hendrick.

Posted - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 06:00 AM EDT

Jay Rydberg was last known to be in Fort Myers.

An Alaskan man living in Key West the past year has gone missing -- along with the 39-foot trimaran he was traveling on, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.

Jay Wesley Rydberg, 40, reportedly was living on the sailboat in the Garrison Bight Marina. He'd moved to Florida from Alaska to be near his 11-year-old son, who lives in Lehigh Acres in Southwest Florida.

Posted - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 05:30 AM EDT

Jeff Lassinger and Don Rodgers, from Pittsburgh, fished three trips with the 'SeaSquared' last week. Their offshore day netted dolphin and a deep-water snowy grouper.

There's a full moon arising, and it will impact all sorts of fishing. For starters, the May full moon typically spurs on the Palolo worm hatch. These little red worms spawn en masse on the surface and become culinary nirvana for the tarpon.

A huge school of tarpon crazily gulping a sea of red is quite the sight. This is your best opportunity to catch tarpon on fly, as the worms are easily mimicked.

Posted - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 11:00 AM EDT

Captain Steve Thomas and his client John Avallone from Philadelphia hold on to another big tarpon caught on live bait in Islamorada. This tarpon was quickly released unharmed to fight another day. (Photo by Capt. Mike Makowski)

Fish Tales with Capt. Mike Makowski

Every where I go around town people are talking about the great fishing all over the Upper Keys this past week. It’s all about the dolphin, grouper and tarpon oh my!

Posted - Thursday, May 16, 2013 06:02 PM EDT

Robert Wolsom (left) and Peter Tagneri from Rumson, N.J., show off some of their nice mahi catch. They spent the day offshore with Capt. Howard Kelley on the 'Papa Pip's' out of Captain Pip's Marina and have plenty of nice fillets to take home.

The dolphin run is in full force. Typical for May, we're seeing fewer fish but larger fish, primarily gaffers and slammers. The onslaught of schoolies will begin in a couple of weeks.

Posted - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 11:00 AM EDT

Since it went down 11 years ago, the 'Spiegel Grove' has attracted more than 200 species of fish -- and thousands of divers.

The Spiegel Grove is free and clear after a decade plus a year.

A payment made last week closed the books on a loan taken out by the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce to finance the sinking of the mothballed U.S. Navy ship Spiegel Grove, now one of the diving world's best-known shipwreck reefs.

Posted - Wednesday, May 15, 2013 06:00 AM EDT

A diver puts the size of a Goliath grouper in perspective. (photo by Tim Grollimund)

Dive Time with Tim Grollimund

The other day I got a note from my science mentor Suzy Roebling about a goliath grouper that was swimming around Molasses Reef in distress. It had been speared. The animal was spotted by one of the glass bottom boats while cruising over the south end of the reef.

Posted - Thursday, May 09, 2013 06:45 PM EDT

Certain species are protected and specific educational programs are available through various organizations in the Florida Keys. (Photo by Tim Grollimund)

Dive Time with Tim Grollimund

After my column on connectivity, I got an interesting email from a local resident. I always like to hear from people. I wish more folks would speak their mind, especially during the zoning review process underway by the marine sanctuary. It's important to get input from all users of the sanctuary.

Posted - Thursday, April 25, 2013 06:01 PM EDT

A satellite view shows the Carysfort Reef Light, just right of center, surrounded by an abundance of coral on a broad reef tract.

Snorkeling Into History: Carysfort Reef

OFF KEY LARGO — While thousands of reefs grow in the turquoise waters encompassing the Florida Keys, Carysfort Reef is the single most dangerous tract of coral in the chain.

Posted - Friday, April 06, 2012 12:00 AM EDT

PIGEON KEY

On Jan. 2, 1908, Henry Flagler began construction of the Florida East Coast Railway. It was Flagler’s dream, one he personally financed with $80 million of his own money, to see the coast of Florida connected by train from Jacksonville to Key West.

Posted - Friday, May 11, 2012 12:00 AM EDT

To the uninitiated it looks like a toy. Twelve feet of purple formed plastic, pointed at both ends with a dip in the middle and a hatch both front and rear. But to those who know, that 60-pound piece of plastic is the pure, distilled essence of freedom in the Florida Keys.

Posted - Friday, April 06, 2012 12:10 AM EDT