Your Morning Bucci: Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026

Kaufman calls for investigation of Key West City Manager; three restaurants get emergency closures; Ramsingh still on hook in wrongful death proceedings., and more…

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Good morning. You’ve only got a few more hours to enjoy the weekend, so get the bucci brewing — or make yourself a Conch Coffee, a Bloody Mary or a mimosa. Cut that ham, egg and cheese toast in half and dig into this Sunday edition of Morning Bucci.

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KEY WEST AND THE LOWER KEYS

ACLU Files Second Lawsuit Against Key West Over Rainbow Fence Dispute

The ACLU of Florida has filed a second lawsuit against the city of Key West, this time alleging city officials retaliated against Old Town residents Nicole Sohn and Linda Bagley-Sohn after they sued over enforcement involving rainbow-painted fence pickets. The original lawsuit alleges selective enforcement of historic-district rules and First Amendment violations. The new case, filed Sept. 9, adds allegations that the city retaliated against the couple after they challenged the enforcement. Read more.

Key West Restaurateur Takes Immigration Proposal To Washington

Key West restaurateur Bill Lay is pushing federal lawmakers to consider a “self-registration” immigration proposal as restaurants and hospitality businesses struggle with workforce losses tied to immigration enforcement. Lay, who owns five restaurants, bars and a catering company, told Keys Weekly he has met with lawmakers from both parties and is seeking an alternative to the federal government’s emphasis on self-deportation. Read more.

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MARATHON & THE MIDDLE KEYS

School Board Honors John Dick After 20 Years Of Service

The Monroe County School Board recognized longtime board member and retiring chairman John Dick during ceremonies in Marathon. Dick served on the board for 20 years and was credited with focusing on teacher salaries, school construction, athletic facilities and district finances. His Sept. 9 retirement closes one of the longest tenures on the Monroe County School Board. Read more.

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ISLAMORADA & THE UPPER KEYS

Islamorada Looks To Protect Vulnerable U.S. 1 Stretch

Islamorada is pursuing a breakwater project off Sea Oats Beach on Lower Matecumbe Key aimed at protecting one of the Florida Keys’ most vulnerable stretches of U.S. 1 from wave action, erosion and sea-level rise. The highway near mile markers 74.5 to 75 washed out during Hurricane Irma, and the Florida Department of Transportation later spent about $18 million raising the road and installing additional shoreline protection. The proposed project would add another layer of defense for the only highway connecting the Lower and Upper Keys. Read more.

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Keep the rain gear nearby Sunday, but Monday should offer a relative break before rain chances climb again later in the week.

The National Weather Service in Key West calls for partly sunny skies Sunday with scattered showers and thunderstorms across the Keys. Highs will hover near 92 in the shade, with light southeast winds. Rain chances are around 40% in Key West and the Lower Keys and somewhat higher farther north.

Monday looks like the best bet for somewhat drier weather, with highs near 90 to 92 and lower daytime rain chances. Moisture begins returning Tuesday, with thunderstorms becoming increasingly likely Wednesday and Thursday throughout the island chain. NWS projections put rain chances as high as 70% to 80% in portions of the Keys by midweek. Overnight lows will generally remain in the lower 80s.

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IN MEMORIAM

This week’s remembrance begins with notable figures from Keys history whose death anniversaries fall Sept. 13-19, followed by obituaries newly reported during the past week.

This Week In Florida Keys History

Former Key West Mayor Richard A. Heyman / KEYSLIBRARIES

Richard A. Heyman, 59 — Sept. 16, 1994 — The former Key West mayor was one of the nation’s earliest openly gay elected officials and served two terms as mayor, from 1983-85 and again from 1987-89. Heyman became an important figure in Key West’s political and LGBTQ history and died of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1994. Read more

Laura Quinn, 82 — Sept. 18, 2010 — Quinn founded what became the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center, beginning her wildlife rehabilitation work at her Lower Matecumbe Key home before moving the operation to Tavernier. She died just hours before the center’s visitor facility was scheduled to be named in her honor. Her name remains attached to the Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary. Read more

Sister Louis Gabriel — Sept. 13, 1948 — One of the most enduring figures in Key West lore, Sister Louis Gabriel arrived at the Convent of Mary Immaculate in 1897 and served the community for more than half a century. She helped establish the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at St. Mary Star of the Sea and famously prayed that Key West would be spared the ravages of a major hurricane as long as the grotto remained standing. She died at the convent in 1948. Read more

Mary Harvey Lake, 78 — Sept. 16, 1930 — Lake helped save the Key West Library when a lack of funding threatened to close it in 1917. She took charge and spent the next decade running the library without compensation, working from early morning until late at night. Read more

John J. Philbrick, 57 — Sept. 16, 1897 — A Civil War-era Navy veteran who settled in Key West, Philbrick became a prominent local businessman. At the time of his death, he was president of both the Key West Street Car Co. and the Key West Gas and Electric Light Co. Read more

Florida Keys Obituaries Reported This Week

Joseph Anthony Sheriff, 67, Key Largo — Sheriff died Aug. 25, but his obituary was published in the Florida Keys this week. A longtime Key Largo resident, he worked as a mechanic, Snap-on Tools dealer and Pan American Airlines supervisor before holding positions at Ocean Reef and the Florida Keys Electric Cooperative, where he retired in 2024 as fleet and building manager. Read more

Paul Fleming Hardy, 62, Islamorada — Hardy died Sept. 8, four days before his 63rd birthday. His family remembered him as a devoted husband, father and grandfather with a big heart who enjoyed fishing, the outdoors and time with his family. Read more

Ronald Ebbert, 87, Key Largo — Ebbert, born March 14, 1939, died Sept. 7 in Key Largo. His notice was posted by Allen-Beyer Funeral Home this week. Read more

Sharilyn Berle Willis, 71, Key Largo — Willis died Sept. 6 at her Key Largo home. Her family remembered her for her devotion to family and the warmth and acceptance she extended to those around her. She and her husband, Anthony Willis, had been married for more than 55 years. Read more

Marcia Lynda Williams, 74, Key West native — Williams died Sept. 9 at her home in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and her obituary was published Sept. 11. Born in Key West, she spent part of her childhood in Taipei, Taiwan, as a Navy child and learned to speak Mandarin. Read more

Brian Lloyd Siverly, 68, former Key West resident — Siverly died Aug. 25 at his home in Pensacola, but his obituary was published Sept. 11. The son of a naval aviator, Siverly moved frequently while growing up and spent formative years in Key West, where his obituary says he developed his love of the outdoors. Read more

Michael Anthony Kotyk, 70, Key West native — Kotyk died unexpectedly Sept. 5 in Connecticut. Born in Key West while his father was stationed there with the Navy, Kotyk had recently returned to visit his birthplace. He spent 29 years working for Ozone-Triumph and was remembered as an outdoorsman who enjoyed motorcycles, hunting and fishing. Read more

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OBITUARIES SHOULD NOT COST HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS

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