Good morning, Florida Keys! Sunday is the perfect time for a Bucci, a Bloody Mary or a mimosa — so pour a double and dig in.
First, let’s start the week with something fun. A faithful reader sent us this video of a Key West postal worker living their best life. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds — but there is always time to dance like nobody’s watching:
BREAKING: Key West City Commission Postpones $188,130 Higgs Beach Planning Contract
KEY WEST, Fla. — The Key West City Commission voted 5-2 Thursday to postpone a proposed $188,130 agreement with Bender & Associates Architects and seek more public input before advancing a sweeping master plan for Higgs Beach.
BREAKING: Key West Approves $25,000 For LGBTQ+ Public Art
KEY WEST, Fla. — The Key West City Commission voted unanimously Thursday to provide $25,000 in public-art funding for an installation celebrating the island’s LGBTQ+ history and culture, advancing the project just months before a new Florida law prohibits local governments from funding or promoting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
ANALYSIS: You Don’t Necessarily Get What You Pay For
KEY WEST, Fla. — Brian Barroso is the highest-paid public administrator in the Florida Keys (in terms of base pay) and is compensate…
Key West to Retain Downs While Launching Search for Full-time City Attorney
KEY WEST, Fla. — Key West will retain contract City Attorney Mayanne Downs while Assistant City Attorney Kendal Harden is out of the office on family leave, providing continuity as the city begins searching for a permanent, full-time attorney.
Flock Builds a Network. Florida and the Keys Cut the Connection.
MONROE COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation’s decision to ban automated license plate readers from state rights of way could have an outsized effect in Monroe County, where U.S…
Kaufman Calls Special Workshop to Address Sargassum Issue
KEY WEST, Fla. — Mayor Sam Kaufman has called a special meeting and workshop of the Key West City Commission to consider a new approach to the city’s growing sargassum problem.
Key West Sets Special Budget Meeting
The Key West City Commission will hold a special meeting at 5:05 p.m. Thursday at City Hall to consider a proposed $331.4 million budget and a property tax rate of 1.8848 mills for fiscal year 2026-27.
Commissioners will also consider directing the city manager to spend an estimated $46,534.93 on equipment for continuous harbor monitoring and water-quality testing at the “Yellowman” structure in Key West Harbor. The measure would also require funding for the monitoring program in the fiscal 2027 budget.
KEY WEST
Hamilton Outlines Plan to Fund Keys Transit
KEY WEST, Fla. — Key West and Monroe County have several options for establishing reliable local funding for public transportation as officials prepare for …
Coast Guard Rescues Sea Turtle Near Sunset Key
A U.S. Coast Guard Station Key West crew rescued a distressed sea turtle near Sunset Key on Thursday after receiving a call from the Turtle Hospital in Marathon.
The crew transported the turtle ashore, where hospital staff began evaluating and treating it. Officials had not released the turtle’s species, condition or the suspected cause of its distress as of Friday. Read more.
Jimmy Buffett Day Celebrated in Key West
Mayor Sam Kaufman proclaimed Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, Jimmy Buffett Day in Key West as the island launched a weekend of music, storytelling and festivities celebrating the late singer-songwriter’s life and legacy.
The proclamation coincided with the third annual Just a Few Friends festival, a five-day celebration featuring concerts, tours, parties and other events at locations associated with Buffett’s Key West years.
A Duck, a Naked Landlord and a Loaf of Cuban Bread
Carol Shaughnessy looks back at early-1980s Key West through the story of a ridiculous wooden duck on wheels, a naked Old Town landlord and Cuban bread shipped north in mailing tubes.
The landlord reportedly became the inspiration for “Steve the Naked Landlord,” a character in Larry Shames’ Key West novels. Read more.
MIDDLE KEYS
Final Day to Vote for the Best of Marathon
Voting in the 2026 Best of Marathon competition closes at midnight Sunday. Participants may submit one ballot during the final day of voting.
The winners are scheduled to be recognized Sept. 19. Cast a Best of Marathon ballot.
Marathon Council Meets Tuesday
The Marathon City Council is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The meeting comes ahead of the city’s first budget hearing Sept. 16 and final budget hearing Sept. 22.
ISLAMORADA
Islamorada Farmers Market Opens Sunday Morning
The Florida Keys Farmers Market is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday in Islamorada, offering produce, prepared foods, art and locally made products. See the Florida Keys events calendar.
County Commission Heads to Key Largo
The county’s first public budget hearing will follow at 5:05 p.m. The final hearing is scheduled for Sept. 14 at the Harvey Government Center in Key West.
UPPER KEYS
Islamorada To Remember Victims Of 1935 Labor Day Hurricane
ISLAMORADA, Fla. — The Matecumbe Historical Trust will hold its annual Labor Day Hurricane memorial service at 9 a.m. Monday at the Islamorada Hurricane Monument, Mile Marker 81.5.
The service will honor the nearly 500 people killed when the Category 5 hurricane struck the Upper Keys on Sept. 2, 1935, with winds estimated at 200 mph and a storm surge reaching 17 feet.
The program will include an invocation, presentation of colors, guest speakers, a history of the hurricane, the laying of a memorial wreath, taps and a benediction. The public is invited. Read more.
Ohio Fugitive Captured In Gulf After Islamorada Chase
ISLAMORADA, Fla. — An Ohio fugitive was arrested Friday after authorities said he fled a traffic stop, drove recklessly through a Publix parking lot, ran through businesses and homes and jumped into the Gulf in an attempt to escape. Monroe County sheriff’s deputies said Brandon Lee May, 28, of East Liberty, Ohio, was driving 63 mph in a 45-mph zone near Mile Marker 83 when a deputy attempted to stop him. Deputies said May abandoned the vehicle, ran through the area and entered the water before he was subdued with a Taser. Two handguns were found inside the vehicle, authorities said. May faces multiple charges, including fleeing and eluding, armed burglary, grand theft, resisting arrest and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also wanted in Ohio on warrants related to robbery, battery by strangulation and a probation violation. A passenger, Anthony Shane Morris, 28, of Islamorada, was charged with accessory after the fact. Read more.
Islamorada Budget Hearings Begin Thursday
ISLAMORADA, Fla. — The Islamorada Village Council will hold the first of two required public hearings on its proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget and property tax rate at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The second and final hearing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 17. The council is expected to adopt the final budget and millage rate at that meeting.
Keys Residents Tour $90 Million Recycling Facility
Florida Keys residents and local officials recently toured WM’s new $90 million recycling facility in Pembroke Pines for a behind-the-scenes look at where the region’s recyclable material goes after collection. The 127,000-square-foot facility serves Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward and Collier counties and can process about 275,000 tons of recyclable material annually. Its sorting system uses artificial intelligence, scanners and 18 optical sorters to process more than 60 tons per hour. Islamorada Mayor Don Horton was among those participating in the tour.
Good Health Clinic Sets Big Kahuna Celebration
ISLAMORADA, Fla. — Good Health Clinic will hold its 2026 Big Kahuna Reveal and Celebration on Oct. 10 at Founders Park Beach in Islamorada. The “Mo’Rockin’ Moroccan Night for Health” will cap the clinic’s annual Kahuna Challenge and recognize contestants who have spent months raising money and awareness for the nonprofit. The top fundraiser will be crowned the 2026 Big Kahuna. The event will include dinner, an open bar and live entertainment. Access is available through sponsorships ranging from $500 to $10,000. Good Health Clinic provides no-cost medical care to 700 to 1,000 Florida Keys residents each year through its Tavernier and Marathon clinics and a network of more than 100 volunteer medical providers and community partners. Read more.
CITY AND COUNTY NOTICES
Government Offices Close for Labor Day
Key West and Monroe County government offices will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day.
Residents should check with the appropriate agency for possible changes to sanitation, administrative and other public services.
County Historic Preservation Meeting Canceled
The Monroe County Historic Preservation Commission meeting scheduled for Monday at the Marathon Government Center has been canceled.
Budget Hearings Begin This Week
Monroe County will hold its first public budget hearing at 5:05 p.m. Wednesday at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo.
Key West’s first budget hearing is scheduled Thurs., Sept. 10. The city’s final hearing is set for Sept. 23.
Pet Vaccine Clinic Scheduled
The Florida Keys SPCA will hold a mobile pet-vaccination clinic from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 16 in Key West.
WEATHER AND WATER
Expect temperatures near 90 degrees, heat-index values in the mid-100s and a chance of showers and thunderstorms. East-to-southeast winds should remain light to gentle.
Bay and Gulfside seas are forecast at 1 foot or less, with seas near 1 foot in Hawk Channel and the Florida Straits. Boaters should remain alert for thunderstorms capable of producing locally higher winds and seas. Check the latest National Weather Service forecast.
That’s the Bucci. Now enjoy what little is left of your weekend!
IN MEMORIAM
The following local notices were published or posted during the past week. Dates listed below are dates of death, which may precede the publication date.
Obituaries for Aug. 28-Sept. 4, 2026.
David Eugene Hervey
David Eugene Hervey, 78, of Marathon, died Aug. 31. The published notice did not include career, family or service information.
Margaret Pauline Hernandez
Margaret Pauline Hernandez, 88, of Key Haven, died Aug. 28. A funeral service was held Sept. 1 at Key West Mortuary.
Aaron Michael Rynn
Aaron Michael Rynn, 29, was born in Key West and died Aug. 28. He is survived by his parents, Don Rynn and Rita Salazar, and siblings Ocean McCook, Summer Rynn and Joslynn Schmermund. A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Sept. 9 at St. Johns Family Funeral Home in St. Augustine.
Henry Edward Wykowski Jr.
Henry Edward Wykowski Jr., 73, of Key West, died at home surrounded by family. A Chicago native, he earned degrees from Southern Illinois, DePaul and Roosevelt universities and worked as a sommelier, carpenter, network engineer and tour guide. An avid traveler, musician, photographer, bicyclist and kayaker, Wykowski visited more than 400 national parks. He is survived by his wife, Catherine M. Weis, and five siblings. A music-filled celebration will be held later. Memorial contributions may be made to the Bahama Village Music Program.
Joanne Theresa Taylor
Joanne Theresa Taylor, 68, a Key West native, died Aug. 22 in Duncan, Oklahoma. A homemaker, she raised three children and was a grandmother of eight and great-grandmother of one. She is survived by two children, eight grandchildren, one great-grandchild and two brothers. Cremation arrangements were handled in Oklahoma.
Felix Martell-Rumbaut
Felix Martell-Rumbaut, 79, of Key West, died Aug. 21. The published notice did not include career, family or service information.
Don’t want to become a paid subscriber?