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Welcome Sign Returned To Key West, Stolen After Hurricane

Wikimedia Commons
The sign, like this monument designating the southernmost tip of the U.S., is one of many familiar Key West scenes.

All drivers entering Key West are again being greeted by a large painted sign welcoming them to "Paradise USA."

Unveiled Tuesday, the sign was stolen last fall after Hurricane Irma hit the Florida Keys.

A Key West Police Department investigation led to the placard being recovered in Fort Myers Beach. No charges were pressed.

Key West's three Rotary clubs helped underwrite its restoration by a local sign company.

Featuring the image of a Key West sunset over water, the sign also bears a fluted pink-lined conch shell, a symbol of the Florida Keys, and the message, "Welcome to Key West, Paradise USA."

The original sign, valued at $8,000, was a gift to the city more than a decade ago from the Rotary Club of Key West.

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