County delays new housing units
September 20, 2018
The Monroe County Commission on Wednesday held off on accepting 300 more building allocations from the state but have not abandoned the proposal.The commissioners directed staff to continue...more
= Denotes Subscription RequiredTropic Cinema to close for renovations
September 20, 2018
Key West’s only movie theater will close for renovations on Oct. 1.The Tropic Cinema, 416 Eaton St., announced on its website that it will close for “long overdue upgrades,” from Oct. 1 until...more
City to discuss parking, cruise fees, naming facilities
September 20, 2018
Parking, cruise ship fees and the naming of city property for individuals top the agenda for this week’s City Commission meeting, which takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday this week rather than its...more
News
Mosquito Control raises taxes to pay for helicopters
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District board agreed Tuesday night to raise property taxes in the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 to pay for two new helicopters.The board agreed to raise...more
Planning Board OKs new apartments
September 20, 2018The Key West Planning Board on Tuesday gave its unanimous stamp of approval to a plan to build 47 new apartments at the corner of Bertha and Dennis streets, where A.H. of Monroe County, formerly...more
Popeye’s to replace Burger King on boulevard
September 20, 2018It’s official — and it’s “Louisiana fast....”Key West’s former Burger King location will become a Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen fast food restaurant.A company called Sun Holdings, Inc. signed a...more
School days: Florida candidates differ widely on education
September 20, 2018TALLAHASSEE — Clashing on everything from private school vouchers to education spending, Florida’s two main contenders for governor have laid out vastly different promises when it comes to the...more
Teen accused of threatening school says he was joking
September 20, 2018PEMBROKE PINES — Florida police say a teen overheard at school saying he left his gun in his car has been arrested and now claims it was a joke. Pembroke Pines police say the 17-year-old is...more
Bookings for 09/20/18 All charges are preliminary
Stock Island man arrested for sexual battery
September 20, 2018The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Stock Island man on Saturday for sexual battery after the victim reported he forcibly had sex with her.Oscar Danilo Acevedo, 49, was charged with sexual battery.Deputies responded to the Lower Keys Medical Center and met with the victim, who was being treated for a medical condition, as well as the sexual...more
“Two tables with 16 bikers each; polite, generous tipper and professionals. I haven’t seen any criminal gangs. Just people having a good time.”“New Orleans’ French Quarter has beatings, muggings and gunfire nightly, too. Bouncers wear body armor. Let’s get us some of that, too, while we copy other places. Only thing NOLA does better than Key West is the amount of government-level corruption...more
Stock Island man arrested for sexual battery
September 20, 2018The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Stock Island man on Saturday for sexual battery after the victim reported he forcibly had sex with her.Oscar Danilo Acevedo, 49, was charged with sexual battery.Deputies responded to the Lower Keys Medical Center and met with the victim, who was being treated for a medical condition, as well as the sexual...more
“Two tables with 16 bikers each; polite, generous tipper and professionals. I haven’t seen any criminal gangs. Just people having a good time.”“New Orleans’ French Quarter has beatings, muggings and gunfire nightly, too. Bouncers wear body armor. Let’s get us some of that, too, while we copy other places. Only thing NOLA does better than Key West is the amount of government-level corruption...more
Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon & Big Pine News
Adopted rate to increase tax receipts by 14 percent
ISLAMORADA — Encountering virtually no citizen opposition, Islamorada Village Council members put the final stamp on a new budget and tax rate Sept. 12.The basic municipal property tax bill in...more
Clothes with a focus on comfort, fashion
September 19, 2018ISLAMORADA — Lolita’s Boutique is a women’s apparel shop on Plantation Key named after owner Soira Ramos’ Shih-Tzu pup, which, to her, is her world — along with her new storefront.Lolita’s...more
Committee: No powerboats in deadly wheel ditch
September 19, 2018ISLAMORADA — A “wheel ditch” channel at Whale Harbor should be closed to powerboats, an Islamorada advisory panel recommends. “This is a 100 percent no-brainer,” Bob Mitchell, chairman of...more
Dolphins deliver gear, more to Keys
September 19, 2018ISLAMORADA — The Miami Dolphins commitment to support the Florida Keys after Hurricane Irma was delivered, in part, by a box truck loaded with football gear for Monroe County’s three public high...more
Homecoming was a year in works
September 19, 2018TAVERNIER — A year to the day that her longtime residence was destroyed by Hurricane Irma, SueEllen Bennett’s new home arrived on Sept. 10.“It’s just the way it worked out,” Bennett said. “I hope...more
Editorials
Cheers and Jeers
Cheers: to State Attorney Dennis Ward, the United Way of the Florida Keys and all other agencies and businesses who collaborated to host the Hurricane Irma anniversary event in Big Pine Key last...more
Change can be tough, but we welcome it
September 8, 2018Several years back a former newspaper colleague shared an expression with me I’d never heard before — “Change or Die.” We were discussing how the media industry was changing, since the digital...more
Cheers and Jeers
September 8, 2018Cheers: to the Trophia Foundation for its atest plantings of Poinciana trees. Not only did the organization donate $50,000 after Hurricane Irma for replanting canopy trees that were lost in the...more
Spread Key West tolerance
September 1, 2018It was 1979 and I find myself standing in the checkout lane at Fausto’s with a cart full of food for a five-day fishing trip to the Tortugas. Clearly visible are two whole chickens, several...more
Support tax scholarship program
September 1, 2018The 2018 Florida legislative session passed and signed into law a new House bill (HB) that allows any tenant who pays a rental or licensee fee that is subject to a business rent tax to make a...more
Sports
Lady ‘Canes drop second straight , head to mid-state for tourney
Things have been rough for the Coral Shores High School volleyball team over the past two matches. On Monday night, they lost to Immaculata LaSalle, 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-14) for the second...more
Lady ‘Fins surface in calmer waters with shutout victory
September 20, 2018The Marathon High School volleyball team got the relief it needed with a 3-0 (25-5, 25-20, 25-4) win over FHSAA Independent Palm Glades on Tuesday afternoon at the Middle Keys campus. Last...more
Lady Conchs falter in crucial district match with Warriors
September 20, 2018A four-game win streak came to an end on Tuesday afternoon for the Key West High School volleyball team. Class 5A and District 16-5A powerhouse Westminster Christian rolled into town and shut...more
Bucs must wait to return home, up next Doral
September 19, 2018Coming off a rousing home debut, the Horace O’Bryant Middle School football team now must wait a few more weeks before stirring up its home port once again as today’s expected opponent,...more
Coleman leads pack in semiannual event
September 19, 2018Local PE teacher Mark “Coach Iron” Coleman did it again in the Florida Keys Community College Sprint Triathlon.Coleman, 43, raced to a time of 54:40 to take first overall on Sunday morning in the...more
