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Stone crab season begins
MARATHON (AP) — A chaotic economy has some commercial fishermen in Florida worried about demand for stone crab, whose season opened in October and runs through May 15.
The vice president of Keys Fisheries, one of largest processors of claws in the state, said sales of the seafood delicacies are uncertain, but fishermen are sure supplies will be good.
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute officials, last year's harvest was slightly above average. About 3.1 million pounds of claws were harvested from state coastal waters. Fishermen sold the claws to wholesalers for $24.5 million.
Man drowns in New River
FORT LAUDERDALE (AP) — Police have identified a 50-year-old man from Colorado who drowned in the New River, which flows through Fort Lauderdale and Broward County.
Police spokesman Sgt. Frank Sousa says Richard E. Johnson may have been intoxicated when he went for a swim in mid October.
His hometown wasn't immediately known.
He jumped into the river behind the Cheesecake Factory and apparently said he could swim and was fine but was not seen again.
The medical examiner's office will conduct toxicology tests.
SeaEscape casino cruise ship sold for $3.6 million
FORT LAUDERDALE (AP) — The casino day cruise ship SeaEscape has been sold for $3.6 million.
A Palm Beach County investor bought it in mid October at a public auction. An hour later, Glenn Straub agreed to sell the ship to the second-highest bidder, former Regent Cruise Lines owner Taki Kyriakides, for a $100,000 profit.
If the deal pulls through, Straub said he'll donate the earnings to a Miami homeless shelter.
Divers identify shipwreck off Nantucket
NANTUCKET, Massachusetts (AP) — Divers have identified a shipwreck off Nantucket as a British steamship that sank more than 120 years ago.
The SS Newcastle City was carrying cargo when it struck an uncharted shoal en route to New York in 1887. The 26-man crew and a passenger were rescued after rowing to safety.
Diver Eric Takakjian told the Cape Cod Times he'd been looking for the vessel for years because of its unique riggings for both steam and sail.
Takakjian and his exploration team, Quest Marine Services, in August found the wreck resting on a sandy bottom, with portions of the bow and stern intact.
Takakjian confirmed the wreck's identity during a dive last weekend after he scraped sea anemones away from the ship's wheel and revealed the engraving “Newcastle City Liverpoole.”
He's keeping the wreck's location and depth a secret.
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