Stolen Shipwreck Coins Recovered

Three dozen stolen gold coins valued at more than $1 million have been recovered following a lengthy investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the FBI. A photo of the coins can be seen here.

Investigators determined that one of the treasure hunters who participated in the 2015 discovery of 101 gold coins from the 1715 shipwreck off the coast of Florida was allegedly involved in the illegal sale of 50 of those coins.

Among the recovered items was a unique 1709 gold coin, often referred to as the “Holy Grail coin.” This one-of-a-kind piece had been illegally sold at auction for approximately $50,000 before being recovered.

All of the stolen coins were minted in Lima, Peru, between 1697 and 1712. The collection included multiple denominations, with the largest coins weighing an ounce each.

USS Indianapolis Home for Thanksgiving

The Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship USS Indianapolis returned to the Naval Station Mayport on Tuesday after a seven-month deployment.

The USS Indianapolis was deployed in May and conducted several high-threat strait transits through the Strait of Hormuz while helping to maintain free and open access to all international waters.

In September, while transiting a narrow entrance into the Red Sea alongside the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Stockdale and USS Spruance, the Indianapolis was targeted by approximately two dozen missiles and drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. All threats were successfully intercepted or missed their targets.

The crew’s return to Mayport comes just in time for Thanksgiving, allowing them to reunite with their families after an eventful deployment. 

Race for Gaetz’s Seat Widens

Rep. Joel Rudman, R-Navarre, resigned Monday from the Florida House of Representatives to run in the special congressional election for the seat vacated by fellow Republican Matt Gaetz.

Rudman, a family physician, was elected in 2022 in the Panhandle district, advocating against what he called the government’s “heavy-handed” tactics to battle the COVID pandemic.

Rudman will face off against Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, who received President-elect Donald Trump’s endorsement for the 1st Congressional District.

Patronis submitted his resignation from the cabinet position on Monday, effective March 31, entering the race shortly thereafter.

➤ Statewide: The recreational harvest of flounder in all Florida state and federal waters will reopen on Dec. 1. The minimum size limit for flounder is 14 inches, and the daily recreational bag limit is five fish per person. (More)

➤ Doral: City officials have vowed to fight the Miami-Dade mayor’s decision to keep a controversial waste incinerator at its original site in the city, including attempting to recruit President-elect Donald Trump to their cause. (More)

➤ Palm Beach County: The third deputy injured in last week’s crash along Southern Boulevard has died. A memorial service is being planned to honor all three Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies who lost their lives. (See Video)

➤ Ocala: Susan Lorincz, convicted in August of killing her neighbor by shooting her through the front door during an ongoing dispute over the neighbor’s loud children, was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison. (See Details)

➤ Alachua County: Starting Friday, Gainesville and other towns will offer a full roster of Christmas and holiday events open to the public. (See List)

➤ Brevard County: Skywatchers were treated to a rare predawn sight on Monday during the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch when unique “clouds” were produced as a byproduct of the launch. (See Photos)

➤ Miami now sits at No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings and is currently projected to earn a first-round bye as the third seed in the tournament, if the team can win the ACC. (See Rankings)

➤ Miami Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill will face no charges for his altercation with the police prior to the team’s Week 1 game this season. (More)

➤ The Tampa Bay Lightning offense exploded for eight goals in Monday night’s winning hockey match against the Colorado Avalanche. (More)

➤ Four-star high school running back Byron Louis has flipped his commitment from Florida State to Florida. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NCAAF | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW 

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➤ Seagis Property Group secured $102 million in financing for three newly completed warehouse distribution centers, two in South Florida (Hollywood and Doral) and one in New Jersey. (More)

➤ Harris Rosen, who built Florida’s largest independent hotel chain, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, and was one of Orlando’s preeminent philanthropists, died on Monday at the age of 85. (More)

➤ Dania Beach-based IntelePeer landed $140 million in investment and debt financing to “reinvent” the call center experience, allowing customers to handle most of their needs with self-service artificial intelligence automation. (More)

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➤ AAA says Florida drivers should expect gas prices to spike over the Thanksgiving holiday due to increased pressure on fuel costs from record travel. (More)

➤ Florida is one of the least charitable states, according to a new study by WalletHub. (See Details)

➤ If you’re visiting Orlando for the holidays, here are 40 things to do and see. (See List)

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Do you eat cornbread on Thanksgiving?

1. Yes
2. No

Tuesday’s Results:

Do you stuff your turkey?

1. Yes: 45.5%
2. No: 54.5%

Where do some historians believe America’s first Thanksgiving was held?

Show me the answer