Tow Complaints Come to Head “I Propose, Based on the Saying You’Ll Be Towed
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Big drug bust Murder probe An erratic driver has more trouble than his Key West police are saying little about their motoring skills, as he’s busted for drugs during investigation into a Friday homicide, the Keys’ a traffic stop. Story, 2A third of the year. Story, 4A WWW.KEYSNET.COM WEDNESDAY,NOVEMBER 2, 2011 VOLUME 58, NO. 88 ● 25 CENTS CONSUMERS Tow complaints come to head “I propose, based on the saying you’ll be towed ... but vacant Old Town lot. Key West. Cash-only policy number of e-mails ... to tell there was also a sign saying For Key West, Meanwhile, Cates is The after-hours towing for Marathon tows someone they have to pay no overnight parking Postal Service working through the Key “is a particularly irksome cash, I don’t think is right. between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.,” West City Commission to practice because the post likely going away We should change it so they Costa said. looks at change garner support for changes to office is a public service, a have to take different meth- Costa said he acknowl- city law that governs how government enterprise,” By RYAN McCARTHY ods of payment” such as edges wrongdoing, but was By SEAN KINNEY tow companies can operate Carruthers wrote in a [email protected] credit cards and traveler’s angered when owner Florida [email protected] and charge for their services. Monday e-mail to another checks, Ramsay said. Keys Towing owner Bill Long a sore spot for Postal Service spokesman, Marathon Vice Mayor The issue stems from res- Pruitt would accept only After receiving continued locals and visitors, Postal Earl Artis. Dick Ramsay was in the idents being towed by cash as payment. pressure from Monroe Service representatives have “The practice alienates towing business for 28 years Florida Keys Towing after “I took out my card and County Mayor Heather held that because the office tourists and discourages in the Middle Keys. parking in a private lot adja- he looks at me and says cash. Carruthers, officials with the lobby is open after closing locals from coming down- He says he’s received cent to the public Quay boat I happen to have the money U.S. Postal Service are re- time, the parking spots need town. It is bad for all busi- several complaints of late ramp near mile marker 54. on me and I give it to him. examining the parking situa- to be clear for patrons, not ness save that of the tow about local tow companies Marathon resident Ron The whole thing smells; tion at the Key West post used by folks visiting or run- companies. It is unfriendly, accepting only cash to Costa e-mailed Ramsay say- what they’re doing is legal, office on Whitehead Street. ning errands downtown. harmful to our tourism econ- release vehicles back to resi- ing he parked a boat trailer at but it smells,” he said. Carruthers, joined by Key Debbie Fetterly, the ser- omy, and just bad karma in dents. Ramsay proposes the lot while he tested repairs Key West’s law reads: “In West Mayor Craig Cates and vice’s South Florida spokes- general. It is the reason our changing the city’s law, to his vessel on the water. He addition to accepting cash, Keys U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros- woman, said in a Tuesday e- citizens are distrustful and which is identical to Monroe arrived an hour later to find all tow companies shall Lehtinen, wants to put an mail that “currently the disdainful of government.” County’s, to mirror Key his truck towed. end to “predatory towing Postal Service is reviewing West’s tow ordinance. “I saw a number of signs ● See Marathon, 2A practices” at the large, often- the parking lot situation” in ● See Key West, 2A MARATHON CRASH LANDING Finalists for chief to go to council Nov. 22 applications by its Oct. 21 Hernstadt starts deadline to replace William the process of Wagner, who split chief duties in Marathon and whittling names Islamorada for three years before Marathon ended the By RYAN McCARTHY agreement on Sept. 30. [email protected] Hernstadt said he plans to interview, and do back- Initially planning to ground checks on, what he appoint a committee to considers the top 12 to 18 screen the applicants for candidates of the 93. He fire chief, then short-list said all 93 have significant the top candidates for the fire department experience, City Council, Marathon with varying degrees of City Manager Roger supervisory background. Hernstadt has decided to “There’s plenty of quality just take on the process on people. It’ll really get down his own. to fit and personality at the “My goal is to bring the end. Depending on who short list of names by the we’re most comfortable second meeting in with, it’ll be that as much as November and see if [the background because their City Council wants] to set backgrounds will be simi- Photo by SHERIFF’S OFFICE SGT. EVAN CALHOUN lar,” Hernstadt said. up a special meeting. At A jet owned by five-time NASCAR champion Jimmy Johnson rests at the end of the runway at Key West International that point, I’ll say I inter- One person who doesn’t viewed these people and appear to be the best fit is Airport after losing its brakes Monday night. Aboard were Rick Hendrick, owner of NASCAR’s Hendrick Motorsports, these are the top” three or Monroe County Fire Chief for which Johnson drives,and his wife.Both were taken to Lower Keys Medical Center for injuries sustained.Story, 2A four, he said. The city received 93 ● See Chief, 2A KEY WEST VOLLEYBALL CHAMPS Few problems from Fantasy Fest Thursday through Sunday, usual.” “smelled the strong odor of But there are there were 16 DUI arrests in She credited a heavy rain marijuana emanating from a lot of DUIs the Keys. shower during the Saturday the center Port-a-Let,” Key West police night parade as helping according to an arrest over weekend patrolling the “Fantasy “quiet things down more report. Zone” that ran along Duval quickly.” “After I knocked several By SEAN KINNEY Street and included cross A survey of police reports times,” wrote Officer Frank [email protected] streets between Whitehead indicates two reports of rob- Betz, 47-year-old Key and Simonton streets made bery, neither resulting in Wester “Michael Epperhart Aside from a noticeable at least four of those arrests. arrests, and two instances of exited the restroom. As uptick in arrests made in Those 16 DUIs compare drug-related activity that Epperhart opened the door, Monroe County for driving to 10 such arrests logged for yielded three arrests originat- the odor of marijuana under the influence, law the same long weekend of ing within the Fantasy Zone. became overwhelming. enforcement arrested few Fantasy Fest in 2010; for On Thursday, police Epperhart’s face filled with rule breakers in the Keys New Year’s Eve 2010, patrolling near the 800 disheartenment as he Keynoter photo by KEVIN WADLOW over the weekend for the including the day before and block of Duval apprehended noticed the police standing day after, eight DUI arrests a man for allegedly smok- near the entrance.” The Lady Eagles volleyball team of Island Christian School annual bacchanalia known as Fantasy Fest. were made countywide. ing marijuana in a portable He was charged with a shows its District 16-2A championship trophy. The 13-1 Based on reports provid- Key West police spokes- toilet. misdemeanor possession team, which entered the state playoffs Tuesday, sealed its ed by Monroe County woman Alyson Crean After getting a tip from a and a second misdemeanor regular season Friday with a three-game sweep of Calusa Sheriff’s Office spokes- described the weekend as passerby, two officers Prep. Story, 1B woman Becky Herrin, from “controlled chaos — the approached the toilet and ● See Fantasy Fest, 3A INDEX Printed on 100% Classifieds . .7B recycled Busy time on newsprint Fishing the Living . .3B CONTENTS © 2011 the gridiron Business . .5A KEYNOTER PUBLISHING CO. Florida Keys Coral Shores and Marathon Obituaries . .2A Get out to the ocean’s color fall in football as Key West change to find the pelagics Opinion . .4A preps for one of its biggest feeding on the bait fish. games in its history. Sports/Outdoors . .1B Captain’s column, 1B Stories, 1B Crossword . .6B 7786790 22222 2A Wednesday, November 2, 2011 KeysNet.com Keynoter NEWS BRIEFS KEY WEST FWC coastal group meets in Florida Keys NASCAR team owner Staffers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife injured in plane crash Conservation Commission’s Coastal Wildlife Conser- NASCAR five-time champion whose names were not avail- vation Initiative are coming Aircraft slides Jimmie Johnson, who drives able, were walking after the to the Keys next week to dis- off Keys runway for Hendrick Motorsports, accident and did not appear cuss their strategy for apparently lost its brakes upon to be injured, Horton said. wildlife conservation in Monday night landing at the small airport But both pilots were taken to coastal areas of Florida, about 7:45 p.m. the hospital for evaluation. including Monroe County. By CAMMY CLARK Horton said the pilot and Hendrick and his wife The Nov. 8 session is from [email protected] co-pilot radioed to the tower were put on stretchers and 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and the saying they had “no brakes.” taken to the hospital. The Keynoter photo by RYAN McCARTHY Nov. 9 session from 9 a.m.