News Briefs

+ Nine-year-old dies after plane crash
A weekend plane crash on Caspersen Beach has claimed its second victim.

Oceana Irizarry, 9, died after spending two days in critical condition at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg. Ommy Irizarry, her 36-year-old father, was killed when a 1972 Piper Cherokee crashed on Caspersen Beach Sunday.

Authorities continue to investigate the incident, according to a July 29 email from Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Wendy Rose.

Ommy Irizarry was a sergeant in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Stewart, Ga.

Englewood resident Karl Kokomoor, the pilot of the aircraft, and passenger David Theen, also an Englewood resident, were not injured. Kokomoor is president and CEO of Englewood-based engineering firm DMK Associates Inc.

+ Sarasota man caught with illegal deadly snakes
Until last week, residents on the 8100 block of Misty Oaks Boulevard in north Sarasota County have been living among venomous reptiles, including deadly cobras and a Gila monster.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission seized the animals from 20-year-old Nick Mitchell earlier this month, and placed them in a local licensed facility, according to an FWC news release. The state agency charged Mitchell with seven counts of unlawful possession of venomous reptiles, among other violations related to the care and labeling of the seized species.

Authorities found a black monocled cobra, a rhino viper, a dusky pygmy rattlesnake, a black neck spitting cobra, two banded cobras and a Gila monster in Mitchell’s possession.

Mitchell faces a misdemeanor for each charge, including fines of up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail.

+ Bayfront Park playground reopens
The playground at Bayfront Park has reopened to the public for the first time following a March closure for repairs, the city announced Monday.

The extended closure, which the city said was for public safety reasons, can be attributed in part to the age of the equipment at the playground. Dan Peck, the city’s public works reliability maintenance planner, said the playground manufacturer had to come in to evaluate whether parts were still available to make the necessary repairs.

Some of those parts, though available, had to be specially ordered and manufactured, while other equipment had to be replaced altogether. That work, compounded with weather delays and the city’s purchasing procedures and regulations, led to a protracted construction process.

Peck said the repairs were made with the expectation that the existing 15-year-old playground structure could last for another three to four years. At that point, Peck said, staff expects to replace the entirety of the Bayfront Park playground.

Meetings & agendas
Siesta Key Village Association meeting — 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar, 5250 Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key.

Downtown Improvement District meeting — 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5, SRQ Media Studio, City Hall, 1565 First St., Sarasota.