Reborn!
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Reborn!

Crooked River ‘pirate ship’ readies for maiden voyage Nine years ago, after the Carrabella “pirate ship” playground burned to the ground at the Crooked River Lighthouse on Mother’s Day 2015, Steve Allen was determined to build it back better. As an architect by profession and president of the Carrabelle Lighthouse Association, Allen set to work…

Luberto claims ‘Fittest of the Forgotten Coast’ title
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Luberto claims ‘Fittest of the Forgotten Coast’ title

Apalachicola’s Will Luberto now holds the title of “Fittest of the Forgotten Coast” which he claimed during the Forgotten Coast Fitness Center’s open house and competition Jan. 20. Even without winning any single event, Luberto had the most consistent performance across the four events and came out the winner in points, ahead of Darius Johnson…

Franklin County’s oldest boat dealer sold
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Franklin County’s oldest boat dealer sold

Wefings Marine, Franklin County’s oldest boat dealership, dating back 115 years, has been sold to a consortium of South Florida investors in their first venture into the Panhandle. Nautical Ventures, based in Fort Lauderdale with dealership locations also in Palm Beach, Sarasota, Stuart, and Tampa acquired the Eastpoint location as of the first of the…

Bountiful BBQ: Butts & Clucks crowns state champ
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Bountiful BBQ: Butts & Clucks crowns state champ

When Kenny Nadeau woke up at 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning, he was surprised to learn that the temperature in the smoker that was cooking his barbecue had dropped 100 degrees, from the optimal 240 degrees, a change that could impact his entry in the day’s Butts and Clucks competition. Whatever effect it may have had…

Abell guilty of second degree murder
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Abell guilty of second degree murder

Jury decides that beating death of Aileen Seiden was not premeditated After deliberating for about five hours, a Franklin County jury found Zachary Abell guilty of second degree murder this afternoon in the brutal beating death of Aileen Seiden nearly six years ago at an Eastpoint motel. This means that Abell has now been convicted…

‘The kind of thing I see in motor vehicle crashes’
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‘The kind of thing I see in motor vehicle crashes’

Chief medical examiner details result of brutal beating EDITOR’S NOTE: This story contains discussion of sexuality and graphic details of a murder. It is not advisable for children to read. Following harrowing testimony of how Aileen Seiden was beaten so badly that nearly all her ribs were broken, with neither of her traveling companions ever…

‘How the heck do I react to this?’
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‘How the heck do I react to this?’

Friend testifies how he turned in suspects in Aileen Seiden murder The Davie boat captain who alerted authorities of the whereabouts of the two people who were later charged with the murder of a South Florida woman at an Eastpoint motel nearly six years ago took the witness stand Tuesday. Michael Picavet, called as a…

A body found, a room in disarray
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A body found, a room in disarray

Seiden trial resumes Monday with FDLE crime scene analyst on the stand The murder trial of Zachary Abell, accused of taking part in the beating death of Aileen Seiden nearly six years ago in Eastpoint, ended on a cliffhanger moment Friday afternoon. The testimony of Ivan Brenes, the FDLE crime scene analyst who collected evidence…

‘We’ve got to see this through’
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‘We’ve got to see this through’

Community programs celebrate Dr. King holiday In keeping with the nationwide theme of “Living The Dream Starts With Me,” both Franklin and Gulf counties marked the observance of Monday’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday with walks down the main public street, followed by a program to celebrate the legacy of the famed civil rights…

Opening arguments set for Friday morning in Seiden murder trial
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Opening arguments set for Friday morning in Seiden murder trial

Jury selection takes two full days Opening arguments in the Aileen Seiden murder trial are scheduled to begin Friday morning, following a full day of selecting a 12-member jury. The 14 people chosen, 12 jurors and two alternates,  during the daylong voir dire process are equally split between men and women, and roughly evenly scattered…