New York had its hot dog eating contest to celebrate Independence Day. But the Florida Keys had a sweeter alternative on Tuesday.The Key Lime Pie Eating Championship in Key West, where Key lime pie originated, was won by Joshua Mogle, a 38-year-old Altoona, Iowa, tire manufacturing manager.Mogle plunged face-first into a 9-inch pie smothered with whipped cream during the challenge, whose rules forbid contestants to use their hands.The gooey competition has become a subtropical substitute to Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest.Video above: Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest weigh-in ahead of Fourth of JulyMogle consumed the confection in three minutes and 35 seconds, besting 24 rivals in the culmination of Key West's five-day Key Lime Festival."Eat… eat… eat… always have pie in my mouth," said Mogle, when asked about the strategy he employed.Experts believe Key lime pie was developed in the late 1800s in Key West. Its primary ingredients are condensed milk, egg yolks and the juice of tiny yellow Key limes, typically with a graham cracker crust and whipped cream or meringue topping.In 2006, the tart, creamy dessert was designated Florida's official pie by the state legislature.The competition took place less than 24 hours after a Key lime pie measuring 13.14 feet (4 meters) in diameter, to be submitted for certification as the world's largest, was created for the Florida Keys' bicentennial celebration.July 3 marked the 200th anniversary of the Florida Territorial Legislature's establishment of Monroe County, containing the entire Keys island chain.

KEY WEST, Fla. —

New York had its hot dog eating contest to celebrate Independence Day. But the Florida Keys had a sweeter alternative on Tuesday.

The Key Lime Pie Eating Championship in Key West, where Key lime pie originated, was won by Joshua Mogle, a 38-year-old Altoona, Iowa, tire manufacturing manager.

Mogle plunged face-first into a 9-inch pie smothered with whipped cream during the challenge, whose rules forbid contestants to use their hands.

The gooey competition has become a subtropical substitute to Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest.

Video above: Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest weigh-in ahead of Fourth of July

Rob O'Neal

Mogle consumed the confection in three minutes and 35 seconds, besting 24 rivals in the culmination of Key West's five-day Key Lime Festival.

"Eat… eat… eat… always have pie in my mouth," said Mogle, when asked about the strategy he employed.

Experts believe Key lime pie was developed in the late 1800s in Key West. Its primary ingredients are condensed milk, egg yolks and the juice of tiny yellow Key limes, typically with a graham cracker crust and whipped cream or meringue topping.

Rob O'Neal

In 2006, the tart, creamy dessert was designated Florida's official pie by the state legislature.

The competition took place less than 24 hours after a Key lime pie measuring 13.14 feet (4 meters) in diameter, to be submitted for certification as the world's largest, was created for the Florida Keys' bicentennial celebration.

July 3 marked the 200th anniversary of the Florida Territorial Legislature's establishment of Monroe County, containing the entire Keys island chain.

People who have kept their distance from friends and family over the last year are starting to gather again as they get vaccinated against coronavirus.But a Des Moines, Iowa, man is feeling helpless. Michael Nairn’s fiancée and 9-month-old son, Noah, are stuck on another continent with no end in sight."In the beginning, it was really sad for me because I felt like I was just a video screen to him, he didn't understand. And I was thinking, 'How is my son ever gonna know me? How are we gonna bond? Then when we do see each other, is he even gonna want to come to me?'" Nairn said. Noah lives in the Philippines with his mother, Maria Corazon. She wants to move to Iowa, but the pandemic has put her visa process on hold. Maria went through her pregnancy without her fiancée by her side. "It's very difficult for me, because I'm a first-time mom," Corazon said. Daily video chats will have to do for Nairn and his daughter McKaylee, who are both waiting to welcome Noah and his mother home. "I'm always on the U.S. Embassy website," Nairn said. "Every like 15 to 20 days they post an update and it's always 'alright, we're going to be closed again for another month.' And 'OK, we're going to be closed again.'" The U.S. Department of State told sister station KCCI visa services are suspended at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines because the pandemic has limited its visa processing power. Presidential proclamations have also limited travel over the last year.In a statement provided to KCCI, the U.S. Department of State said there's no timeline on when all embassies will be fully operating."I do understand that this is for everybody's health, but they need to make some type of exceptions for families like this," Nairn said. Sonia Parras Konrad is a human rights attorney based in Des Moines."There are no exceptions for faster processing," Konrad said. "You know, if there are some humanitarian extreme circumstances, you can bring that up."Konrad said situations like abuse, a child left alone or severe medical conditions are considered humanitarian extreme circumstances. Everyone else may have to wait.