The Keys Weekly Newspapers

07/30/2025

🚨 Nominate your favorite businesses & community members for the 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬! ⤵️

VOTE HERE: https://keysweekly.com/bom25/

For 16 years, the Keys Weekly has honored the businesses, individuals, and organizations at the heart of our community—and we’re just getting started.

This year brings three NEW categories:
– Best Salon
– Best Gifts & Threads
– Best Pet Celebrity

🗳 Submit your nominations once per day through August 10 at keysweekly.com. To make your vote count, be sure to complete at least 75% of the ballot.

All proceeds from this year’s event benefit the Marathon Rotary Club. Thank you for participating & helping support the people of the Keys community!

07/27/2025

Key West shows up to protect its Pride crosswalks from a state ban.
Photo by Nick Doll / Nick Doll Photography

07/22/2025

Swipe through for a behind the scenes look at the fun & chaos that ensued at the this Saturday!! 🎉❤️

In case you missed it, here’s a brief recap: ⬇️
- Contestants were interviewed by Kirby’s Closet on the red carpet as they made their way inside
- Britt Myers & Jason Koler kicked the awards off with a hilarious “you might be a bubba if…” bit
- Michael Cunningham from Keys AHEC (this year’s beneficiary) shared a heart-touching video demonstrating their community impact
- Our very own Stephanie Blacksmith-Mitchell, Mandy Bolen Miles & Jenny Lorenz did an awesome job announcing the winners
- For their first Bubbas, Reagan Fountain Abigail Emerson Natalie Lancaster, & Riley McDonald presented winners with their awards on stage
- George Fernandez from The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory received a standing ovation from the crowd
- Mitch Jones (winner of best local celebrity) had our cheeks hurting from laughter with their “things holding key west back” slideshow (not to mention the chainsaw😂)
- Beatrix Dixie & her crew gave a dance performance so good it could rival burlesque
- Nick Doll Photography got some top-notch shots of our winners with their awards (of course he had to get a mix of serious & silly)
- Our clients Hogfish Bar & Grill, Roostica Wood-Fire Pizzeria, Two Friends Patio Restaurant, & Pepe's Cafe won awards in multiple categories!
- Key West Theater proved to be the perfect venue yet again
- And, in typical bubbas fashion, some “you had to be there” moments were even too wild to share on social (let that be incentive to go EXTRA hard on your promotions next year to win an invite & an award!)

We’d love to give a final shout out to our team at The Keys Weekly Newspapers & Overseas Media Group for working tirelessly to make sure this event was a HUGE success, to our entertainment & presenters for keeping us engaged & laughing the whole time, &, of course, to all of our winners for being good sports & embracing all of Britt & Jason’s lighthearted jokes (it’s how we keep things fun & show our love around here!)

Can’t wait to see what happens next year! 😅🎉

07/20/2025

Rewatch the 12th Annual Gala - Red Carpet Event - Live From the Key West Theater
Saturday, July 19 5:45-6:45 pm
Hosted by Kirby Myers

07/18/2025

Key West’s Rainbow Crosswalks Could Be Removed Under State Directive

A new state transportation law could force the city of Key West to remove its rainbow crosswalk at the downtown intersection of Duval and Petronia streets — or lose access […]

07/14/2025

A towering waterspout was spotted off the coast of Islamorada earlier today. This is peak season for waterspouts in the Florida Keys, with most occurring during daylight hours beneath cumulus clouds.

Photo Credit: Matt Reed

07/11/2025

07/11/2025

Did the chicken cross the road? Depends on you ask. But what we do know is the wild tale of road rage and bear spray that ended with felony charges in Key West.
Key West Police Department

Do we file this one under “only in Key West,” “truth is stranger than fiction,” or both? I think both. But first, a warning: You’ll be left with an unanswered […]

07/09/2025

❗KEY WEST CAPITULATES
Elected officials vote 4-2 to direct local police department to enter cooperative agreement with ICE.
Commissioners Monica Haskell and Mary Lou Hoover voted against the agreement.

07/04/2025

RARE BABY LEATHERBACK TURTLE RELEASED OFF COCO PLUM BEACH

Earlier this evening, staff from the The Turtle Hospital in Marathon successfully released an incredibly rare leatherback turtle hatchling after it was found stuck next to a sidewalk near Coco Plum Beach. While taking his four-legged family member for a walk a few hours earlier, Rick Lee’s dog Sailor alerted him to the baby turtle, covered in ants and not moving. Rick and his wife Candice called the Turtle Hospital, who took the hatchling in for evaluation and blood tests. Found to be in good health and ready for the open ocean with a helping hand, the baby returned to the water just before sunset.

07/03/2025

Will Key West officials hold their stance or give way to threats by the Florida Attorney General? The small island of Key West has caught the attention of a nation. Now an upcoming July 8 special meeting might decide how far officials are willing to go.

The Key West community spoke and its leaders listened, voting on June 30 to void the city’s agreement with the federal Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency that would have […]

07/03/2025

Today FWC Capt David Dipre concluded a career that spanned 30 years.
“I loved coming to work,” he said. “Retirement is gonna be fantastic, but I’m gonna miss this. I’m gonna miss the people.”
His contributions to the community went far beyond his commitment to the natural resources of the Florida Keys. Please join us in celebrating his magnificent career.