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. Crack the cheese bread and dig into this Sunday edition of Morning Bucci.
BREAKING: KWPD Appears To Violate Its Own Policy In Handling Zack Ford Complaint
KEY WEST, Fla. — The Key West Police Department says …
BREAKING: Charges Against Major Dropped
KEY WEST, Fla. — Charges against Key West Parks and Recreation Superintendent Ralph Major were dropped Friday after…
Mayor Takes Time to Meet with Major
Key West Mayor Sam Kaufman took time out of his day to meet with Parks and Recreation Superintendent Ralph Major and offer his personal support to the popular city employee, president of the Key West Junior Football League and popular dog behaviorist.
Florida Politics Highlights Ehr’s Keys Tour
Florida’s southernmost congressional race got another dose of statewide attention Friday as Sunburn, the influential morning newsletter from Florida Politics, highlighted Jesse Scheckner’s reporting on Democrat Phil Ehr’s chall…
A Buck a Night to Keep Key West Moving
Free is one of Key West’s favorite words — especially when it is painted across the side of a bus.
Key West Library To Close Four Weeks For Complete Roof Replacement
KEY WEST, Fla. — The Key West Branch of the Monroe County Public Library, including the Florida Keys History Center, will close to the public beginning Monday, Sept. 21, for a complete roof replacement expected to keep the Fleming Street facility closed for about four weeks.
Three Men Face Dozens Of Charges In Lower Keys Lobster-Trap Case
Three men were arrested after Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers say an aircraft crew spotted them pulling commercial spiny lobster traps belonging to other fishermen off Cudjoe Key. Officers continued surveillance near Johnston Key the following day before stopping the vessel. FWC says the men collectively face 28 felony and 31 misdemeanor counts involving alleged trap theft and other commercial fishing violations. Read more.
MARATHON & THE MIDDLE KEYS
Marathon Tests Harbor Drive Parking And Delays Housing-Rights Deal
Marathon plans to experiment with reopening four parking spaces at the Harbor Drive boat ramp while increasing enforcement against vehicles and trailers that block traffic or spill outside designated spaces. The City Council also delayed agreements that could transfer 100 unused affordable-housing building rights from Key Colony Beach and Layton, with council members seeking additional restrictions on how those rights could be distributed. The issue is expected back Oct. 13. Read more.
SUV Crashes Through Marathon Dollar Tree
A 72-year-old woman driving a Honda CR-V crashed through the front of the Dollar Tree in Marathon on Wednesday afternoon. Authorities said minor injuries were reported, while video showed the SUV accelerating as it turned toward the storefront before breaking through the entrance. The circumstances remain under investigation. Read more.
ISLAMORADA & THE UPPER KEYS
USPS Says Islamorada Post Office Is Not Closing
Rumors that Islamorada’s longtime post office on Upper Matecumbe Key was preparing to close prompted community concern and talk of a petition, but the U.S. Postal Service says there are no plans to close the location. A USPS spokeswoman said the building’s lease expired last year and negotiations with the property owner are continuing over an extension. Read more.
Hundreds Make Eight-Mile Swim To Alligator Reef Lighthouse
About 350 swimmers and relay participants took part in the eight-mile round trip from Islamorada to Alligator Reef Lighthouse on Sept. 12. Maximiliano Paccot finished first in 3 hours, 4 minutes for his third consecutive victory, while Key West’s Tabitha Pearigen was the first woman to finish, in 3 hours, 49 minutes. The annual event supports lighthouse restoration and scholarships. Read more.
Islamorada Moves Final Budget Hearing To Sept. 28
Islamorada’s second and final budget hearing is no longer scheduled for this week. The village’s current calendar lists the rescheduled hearing for 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28. That supersedes earlier notices and news reports that listed Sept. 21. Read more.
Keep the rain gear close. Sunday should offer some breaks between showers, but the National Weather Service in Key West still puts daytime rain chances around 50% throughout the island chain. Highs should reach about 92 in the Shade in Key West, 88 in Marathon and 86 in Key Largo.
The wetter stretch begins Sunday night and continues through much of the workweek. NWS has rain and thunderstorm chances around 70% in Key West Monday through Wednesday, with similarly elevated chances in the Middle and Upper Keys. Thunderstorms remain in the forecast through Friday, while daytime temperatures generally stay in the upper 80s to around 90.
IN MEMORIAM
Last Week In Florida Keys History
Michele Genevieve Hardin, 77 — Sept. 13, 2024 — The Sugarloaf Key resident earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the University of Florida and worked as a teacher, television producer and social writer. She also founded a talent agency and was remembered for advocating for domestic-abuse survivors and others she believed had been overlooked. Read more.
Roger Greene, 62 — Sept. 15, 2009 — Greene spent 15 years as manager of Oceanside Marina in Key West and served as the local International Game Fish Association representative. His obituary credited him with helping introduce artificial lures to Gulf big-game fishing and described a career spent around boats, marinas and tournament fishing. Read more.
Monica Lynn Abello, 32 — Sept. 19, 2006 — Abello was a Florida attorney working in the Monroe County Public Defender’s Office when she died in Key West. A Florida State University and Mercer University College of Law graduate, she was also an avid traveler who had visited Southeast Asia, Europe, the South Pacific and South America. Read more.
Elizabeth Corbin Freeman, 89 — Sept. 14, 2026 — Freeman died Monday in the Key West area. She was born in 1937. Read more.
Stephen Robert Mangan, 54 — Sept. 12, 2026 — Mangan, born in 1971, died Saturday in Monroe County. Read more.
Jennifer Winters, 79 — Sept. 9, 2026 — Winters, born in 1947, died Sept. 9. Read more.
Iluminada “Nana” Rivas Tapia, 83 — Sept. 7, 2026 — Rivas Tapia died Sept. 7 in the Florida Keys.
Mercedes Aragon Neyra, 75 — Sept. 5, 2026 — Neyra, also listed as Mercy A. Neyra, died Sept. 5. Read more.
Dorothy Rose Lauer Diezel, 97 — Aug. 10, 2026 — Diezel, born in 1928, died Aug. 10. Her obituary was published this week. Read more.
William Anthony Andersen, 84 — Sept. 16, 2026 — Andersen, of Key Largo, died Wednesday. Read more.
James Wynn Jacobs, 92 — Sept. 11, 2026 — Jacobs, born in 1934, died Sept. 11 in the Upper Keys. Read more.
Cynthia Wilkinson — obituary published Sept. 17, 2026 — Wilkinson’s obituary was published this week. Publicly available listings do not provide enough information to reliably confirm her age or date of death. Read more.
Margaret Gardocki Crowley — obituary published Sept. 17, 2026 — Crowley’s obituary was published this week. Publicly available listings do not provide enough information to reliably confirm her age or date of death. Read more.
