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The Key West Citizen
FWC report cites fellow officer in death of snorkeler off Key West
A report by two Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers places fault for a boat strike that killed a man snorkeling off Key West roughly two years ago on a fellow FWC officer. Officer Glen Way and Lt. Joshua Peters issued a report to the FWC’s Office of the Inspector General, Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Office of Inspector General and the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office in April, stating that FWC officer Alexander Allen “caused the death to Mr. Devin Michael James Ordway.” ...
Key West rallies to build home for firefighter family
The Key West community has rallied to demolish and rebuild the home of a local firefighter and his family. Local contractors, business owners and community members donated hundreds of thousands in supplies and hundreds of hours of time to rebuild the home of firefighter Robert Franco and his family. On Wednesday, July 31, the community gathered at the Ashby Street house to celebrate the completion of the months-long project. “It...
'Destination Dive' enters 3rd season with new episodes on Discovery Channel
Television’s ground-breaking “Destination Dive” will release its third season of shows set in the Florida Keys on Discovery Channel starting Sunday, Aug. 4, and continuing each Sunday through Sept. 1. With an emphasis on conservation and protection of the undersea environment, “Destination Dive” takes viewers on adventures as unique as the area it covers — the Florida Keys. The 125-mile chain of subtropical islands is the perfect setting for viewers to explore, and one of the global epicenters for conservation and regeneration. ...
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Shane Lavallee, Key West
Q: How long have you been playing your sports? A: Football I have been playing since I was 6. I started out with flag football, then we moved to here and I continued to play through the league. Q: Did you ever play any other sports growing up? A: I played soccer for two years,...
Islamorada water main replacement project nears completion; new main activated ahead of schedule
The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority has activated the new Islamorada transmission main more six months ahead of schedule, according to a news release. Following a clearance notice from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the Islamorada Transmission Main Replacement Project, the new main was activated on Monday, July 29, despite originally being slated for completion in February 2025. The project is now entering its final phases, according to the...
Free museums and attractions for Monroe County residents on Aug. 4
On the first Sunday of each month, a number of island attractions are offered at no charge to Monroe County residents with a local picture ID. On Sunday, Aug. 4, the following museums and attractions are available: Key West Art & Historical Society Museum’s Custom House, 281 Front St. Originally home to the island’s custom...
MCSO deputy arrested for misuse of computer databases
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jennifer Ketcham, 40, was arrested by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday, July 31, on 19 felony counts of misuse of law enforcement computers, computer networks and electronic devices. Ketcham was placed on administrative leave without pay pending an Internal Affairs investigation. Her bond was set at $1.9 million, according to a news release from Sheriff’s Office spokesman Adam Linhardt. “I am committed to keeping this community informed of significant events that occur in this agency — good and bad,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. Ketcham used law enforcement databases to look up information for personal reasons beyond the legal scope of her employment as a deputy, Linhardt said. She was hired in June 2021.
Bartus gets two-year contract
The Key Colony Beach City Commission has approved a two-year employment contract with John Bartus, a 14-year Marathon city council member, to serve as part-time city administrator. The position requires at least 25 hours of work each week and provides a base salary of $75,000, with a severance equal to three weeks of salary in the event of termination. Bartus will report to Mayor Joey Raspe and carry out commission...
US Coast Guard repatriates 32 migrants to Cuba
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr.’s crew repatriated 32 migrants to Cuba on Wednesday, July 31, following an interdiction of a migrant venture near Marathon. A Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew notified Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders of a migrant vessel on Friday, July 26, around 2 p.m., about 41 miles southeast of Long Key. Law enforcement boat crews from Station Islamorada intercepted the vessel and transferred the migrants to Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. for disposition. ...
Part of ‘Stop Woke’ act permanently blocked
A federal judge has permanently blocked restrictions that Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers placed on addressing race-related issues in workplace training — part of a controversial 2022 law that DeSantis dubbed the “Stop WOKE Act.” Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, on Friday, July 26, issued a two-page order granting a permanent injunction against the workplace-training part of the law. The move came after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this year upheld a preliminary injunction that Walker issued in 2022. Walker and...
Teachers complete MarineLab workshops
MarineLab recently concluded Coastal Marine Ecology and Advanced Marine Ecology teacher workshops for 49 educators from across the United States, the Caribbean and Costa Rica. Over the five-day program, participants were introduced to MarineLab’s core curriculum, which covers seagrass, mangrove and coral reef ecology. The Coastal Marine Ecology program introduced teachers to the fundamental aspects of Upper Keys marine ecology through discussions and hands-on exploration of seagrass, mangrove and coral reef habitats. The Advanced Marine Ecology program enhances that curriculum with citizen science and service-learning...
TDC starts contract negotiations with new director
The Monroe County Tourist Development Council agreed Tuesday, July 30, to start contract negotiations with a Colorado executive to be the next director/chief executive officer of the TDC. The TDC board gave direction to acting TDC Director Diane Schmidt and Assistant County Attorney Christine Limbert-Barrows to negotiate a salary with Kara Franker, with annual salary range of $210,000 to $250,000 a year plus benefits and to include a three-month housing allowance of up to $25,000 to cover her living expenses while she and her family...
KWAHS announces acquisition of culturally significant Mario Sanchez woodcarving
The Key West Art & Historical Society recently announced the acquisition of a culturally significant woodcarving created by distinguished Cuban American folk artist Mario Sanchez. Joining another 200 Sanchez works already part of its permanent collection, KWAHS maintains the largest assemblage of the artist’s works and personal artifacts, ranging from papers bag sketches to handcrafted paper kites and intricate woodcarvings. This particular work, titled “Elegant Lady” portrays a Bahama Village street scene at the intersection of Petronia and Thomas streets with the Blue Heaven restaurant...
Cuban migrants make landfall in Key West
A group of roughly 33 Cuban migrants made landfall in Key West on Tuesday, July 30. The group of migrants reportedly made it to in front of the Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) facility at Naval Air Station Key West. The facility conducts detection and monitoring operations throughout their joint operating area to aid the interdiction of illicit trafficking in support of national and partner nation security. JIATF-S handled drug and human smuggling throughout the Caribbean and northern sections of South America. The Cuban migrants were being held on the U.S. Navy base on Tuesday, Key West Police Department spokeswoman Alyson Crean said. KWPD officers were on scene as of Tuesday. “U.S. Border Patrol agents are responding to a report of a migrant landing in Key West,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Adam Hoffner said Tuesday.
Monroe County Health Department offers swim lessons
The Florida Department of Health in Monroe County offers swimming lessons at no cost to students and instructor candidates in an effort to prevent drownings as part of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Pool Safety Initiative. The lessons are provided through DOH-Monroe using state grant funding. Lori Bosco, The College of The Florida Keys Athletic Director, led an initiative alongside her team of certified water safety instructors to train 91...
Marathon sets preliminary tax rate hike
The Marathon City Council has set a tentative property tax rate for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1 that would increase taxes for people who do not have homestead property exemptions by roughly 10% over what is known as rollback. The rollback rate is the rate that would generate the same amount of tax revenue as the current year. The council adopted a preliminary tax rate for non-homestead properties that...
Key Largo Fire-EMS district considering tax increase
The Key Largo Fire-EMS District discussed its fiscal year 2024-2025 budget recently and set a tentative 12% property tax increase over the current year. The proposed millage of $119.57 per $100,000 of taxable property value comes after a 30% budget increase a year ago, according to district CPA Jennifer Johnson. That increase was necessary to prevent the district from running a deficit. The forecasted budget provides for the addition of...
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