Marathon Weekly 26-0813

“Stay here as long as you can. For the love of God, cherish it. You have to cherish it.” – Billy Madison

Aug. 13, 2026 IF YOU BUILD IT… New artificial reef goes out | P.12

WRITE IT UP Council wants a manager contract for Williams | P.4

SCHOOL’S BACK! Kids hit the books | P.20

Paid for by Michelle Lincoln, Republican for County Commissioner District 2

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

WE’VE SOLD MORE PROPERTIES OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS THAN THE NEXT FOUR COMPANIES COMBINED CALL US TO FIND OUT HOW • 305.743.5181 JUST SOLD!

JUST SOLD!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MY SELLER!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MY BUYER & SELLER!

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252 66TH STREET, MARATHON

AMY PUTO, REALTOR

SUSAN ASHMORE

305.766.1745 | WWW.AMYPUTO.COM

305.393.0214 | saashmore123@gmail.com

JUST SOLD!

JUST SOLD!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MY SELLER!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MY SELLER!

12411 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, 35A, MARATHON

SAM WILLIAMS, P.A.

AMY PUTO, REALTOR

call or text 305.942.6069 | www.midkeyshomes.com | #sellitwithsam

305.766.1745 | WWW.AMYPUTO.COM

JUST LISTED!

5018 SUNSET VILLAGE DR, D-050, DUCK KEY

ASKING PRICE $1,048,000 | 3 BEDROOMS | 3 BATHS

RICK & SHERYL ANN PHILLIPS

Realtor®/Broker Associate 305.942.6771 | hookedonthekeys@aol.com

COLDWELL BANKER SCHMITT CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

11250 3RD AVENUE GULF, MARATHON

JUST LISTED!

108 SANTA BARBARA, MARATHON

ASKING PRICE $229,000 | VACANT LOT | LOT 60 X 120

CHASE FOSTER, REALTOR

407.314.2543 | chasefoster@cbschmitt.com

Helping Keys Residents since 2002. The Coldwell Banker Schmitt Charitable Foundation was created in April 2002, and is dedicated to helping Keys’ residents whose critical needs are not being met through other means. The funds are donated to the Foundation through the generous hearts of the Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate agents, staff, associates, business partners, and the public. www.gooddeedsinthekeys.org

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

MARATHON | $735,000 | LISTING ID: 620329

The one for you in Marathon

Embrace the laid-back Florida Keys lifestyle in this charming tropical cottage, ideally located in the desirable Little Venice subdivision of Marathon. Offering two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and beautiful peek-a-boo ocean views, this bright and airy stilt home is perfectly designed for both relaxation and entertaining. The spacious deck provides the perfect setting for enjoying ocean breezes, morning coffee, or evening gatherings with family and friends. Inside, the open-concept living area features vaulted ceilings and abundant natural light, while the updated kitchen boasts stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and ample cabinetry for effortless entertaining. Recent improvements include updated bathrooms, a new A/C system (2023), hot water heater (2026), and a durable metal roof (2013).

Situated on a rare double corner lot, the property features a sparkling in-ground heated pool surrounded by tropical landscaping, along with covered parking, generous workshop/storage space below, and ample room for boat and trailer parking.

12420 Overseas Highway | Marathon 305.735.4095 | oceansir.com Each office is independently owned and operated.

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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9709 Overseas Hwy. Marathon, FL 33050 Office: 305.743.0844 www.keysweekly.com

The 2026 Florida Python Challenge recently ended with 907 participants removing 280 Burmese pythons from South Florida. The event by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission raises awareness about invasive species while engaging the public in Everglades conservation through removal of invasive pythons. Winner Tom Rahill removed 96 Burmese pythons during the competition — all from Everglades National Park.

After a few tearful hugs goodbye with Mom and Dad, Stanley Switlik Elementary kids were all smiles for the first day of school on Aug. 12. See page 20. ROSS SMITH/Keys Weekly

Publisher / Jason Koler jason@keysweekly.com

Publishing Partner / Britt Myers britt@keysweekly.com

Marathon Editor / Alex Rickert alex@keysweekly.com

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Jim McCarthy jim@keysweekly.com Mandy Miles mandy@keysweekly.com

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Se habla español

THE MARATHON WEEKLY (ISSN 1944-0812) IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY FOR $125 PER YEAR BY WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS, INC., 9709 OVERSEAS HIGHWAY, MARATHON FL 33050. APPLICATION TO MAIL AT PERIODICALS POSTAGE RATES IS PENDING AT FORT LAUDERDALE FL AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. All stories, photos, and graphics are copyrighted materials.

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Members of

WILLIAMS GETS THE NOD

Marathon council eyes internal hires for manager and attorney as insurance and deep well updates get the spotlight ALEX RICKERT

alex@keysweekly.com

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he city of Marathon’s search for a new city manager – and new attorney – appears headed for a pair of internal hires, with support from the city council on Aug. 11.

No formal vote was taken Tuesday night, as the item was listed on the agenda solely for discussion. But following the withdrawal of the city’s two remaining finalists – City Clerk Diane Clavier and St. Lucie County deputy administrator Mayte Santamaria – last week, council members said it was time to move forward and hire interim manager/City Attorney Steve Williams for the permanent post.

They directed staff to prepare a proposed employment contract for consideration in September, including legal review by a third-party firm.

Vice Mayor Debbie Struyf, Mayor Lynny Del Gaizo and councilman Kenny Matlock reiterated their support for Williams after nearly a five-month search.

“Steve grew into the position,” said Del Gaizo.

“He was not looking, but he was interviewing without knowing it.”

“There’s no perfect candidate. There’s no perfect employee,” Matlock said. “But I’m comfortable with Steve.”

Councilman Lynn Landry said hiring Williams would “solve one problem and create another,” as Williams could not continue permanently as both city manager and attorney. At the council’s direction, Williams said he would ask Assistant City Attorney Alli Heller if she would be interested in filling his post.

“I cannot begin to tell you how competent, able and wonderful I think she would be, but that’s her decision,” Williams said. He said that the city could also enlist the help of Islamorada-based law firm Vernis and Bowling, previously used by Marathon when Williams was away or did not have an assistant.

Roof problems with Citizens Earlier in the evening, Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe (FIRM) president Mel Montagne delivered a dash

of good news – along with a stern warning – about property insurance for Middle Keys homeowners.

Citizens Property Insurance’s 2026 rates, effective July 1, include a 5.7% decrease for Monroe County wind-only homeowners policies and a 6.3% decrease for wind-only condo unit-owner policies, he said.

But Montagne asked Marathon officials to address a more immediate problem involving roof permits and Citizens nonrenewals.

Citizens can decline to renew coverage when a roof fails to meet its age or condition standards, he said, and may only agree to continue a policy with specific documentation proving a homeowner fully replaced the roof instead of applying a coating.

Policyholders must provide a roofing contract with paid-in-full receipts or a finalized building permit with photos, he said. But in some cases, language in Marathon’s permits doesn’t match what Citizens requires, creating a disconnect when homeowners try to prove the required work is complete.

“My request is simply that the city continue working toward clearer, more consistent permit language and documentation practices that reflect the scope of the work performed,” Montagne said.

Complicating the renewal requirements, he added, was another avenue through which Citizens could follow through on its state-mandated depopulation efforts. What was intended as the state insurer of last resort has already dropped from a peak of 1.41 million policies to roughly 278,000. But in the Keys, where building standards are sky-high and insurance premiums are even higher, the state-run company is almost always the most affordable option.

“I don’t think any of us here are stupid – we realize what Citizens is trying to achieve,” Montagne said.

The issue will be among those discussed when Citizens leadership comes to Marathon for an Aug. 25 town hall, which Montagne urged any and all homeowners from the Keys to attend. A community forum runs from 1:30 to 4 p.m. continued on page 8

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

MESSAGE FROM THE SHERIFF I couldn’t be prouder of the men and women at the Sheriff’s Office and I want to share two recent achievements!

First off, the Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Corrections received its reaccreditation from the American Correctional Association. Achieving ACA status is a highly respected recognition of professional law enforcement excellence, the standards of which pertain to everything related to jail facilities.

Accreditation is part of my commitment to providing residents with the best service possible.

Second, a shout out to our Traffic Enforcement Unit for winning first place in its category as part of the Florida Law Enforcement Traffic Safety Challenge! The Sheriff’s Office was ranked against similar agencies regarding traffic safety/enforcement in the last year. The Sheriff’s Office saw a 37 percent reduction in crashes. The Traffic Enforcement Unit continues to work hard and they are very deserving of this award.

Thank you to all the hard-working men and women of the Sheriff’s Office and to our residents who make this such a great community to live, work, and play!

Monroe County Sheriff, Rick Ramsay

Download the MCSO App Today!

Download the MCSO App Today!

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

LEADERS SENTENCED IN FLORIDA KEYS COCAINE RING Early voting at local elections offices is available through Saturday, Aug. 15. Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 18. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. All but one race in the Florida Keys this year will be decided on Aug. 18, so everyone may vote, regardless of party affiliation. For information about voting and polling locations, visit votemonroeflkeys.gov.

LACK OF LANDLINES WILL DELAY AUG. 18 ELECTION RESULTS Phone lines & fax machines ensure secure transmission of tallies MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com

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lorida Keys residents will have to wait longer than usual to learn the results of the upcoming election on Aug. 18. Why? Fax machines, or lack thereof.

It’s true. Fax machines — and the telephone landlines that connect them — are essential to elections in the Florida Keys.

Removal of those landlines from some polling places throughout the island chain will delay the results of the Aug. 18 election, Monroe County Supervisor of Elections Sherri Hodies told the Keys Weekly late Tuesday night, on Aug. 11.

“Outdated and unreliable copper communication lines that serviced some of our precincts were recently removed. These lines were the fax lines previously used to transmit election results,” Hodies said before emphasizing, “No internet connection is used to transmit election results, including the new fiber-optic options.

“As a result, for this election, every precinct will be required to securely lock and seal its voting results and maintain a documented chain of custody. The results will then be transported by secure couriers to the appropriate Supervisor of Elections office for processing.

“There is no change to early voting or vote-by-mail timing.

Those results will be available by 7:30 p.m. on election night.

“We understand that voters want election results as quickly as possible. However, it is more important that every step of the process prioritizes the accuracy, security and integrity of our elections,” Hodies said.

Though long obsolete for many businesses, fax machines remain crucial to industries that demand secure transmission of information, including health care, justice, finance and government, including election security.

A fax transmission is a point-topoint connection between sender and receiver that uses telephone infrastructure rather than internet connectivity, meaning its contents do not pass through third-party relay servers and the machine does not create copies in email caches or search results.

Voting machines in Monroe County, and the rest of Florida, are never connected to the internet.

The Keys Weekly submitted a series of follow-up questions to Hodies late Tuesday, asking about the couriers, the chain of custody and oversight of all results white en route from a polling place to one of the three elections offices in the island chain.

The Weekly did not receive the replies before presstime on Aug. 12, but will update this story at keysweekly.com

Strama, Lugo and Ruiz earn years behind bars

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hree members of a large-scale cocaine trafficking organization operating in the Florida Keys have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a yearslong conspiracy to distribute cocaine throughout Monroe County.

U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced John Robert Strama Jr., 44, Pedro Luis Lugo Jr., 38, and Elvis Lazaro Ruiz, 34, all of Marathon, to 120 months, 85 months and 65 months in prison, respectively.

Strama and Ruiz previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. Lugo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

“Fishing for ‘square groupers’ in the waters off the Florida Keys is not a harmless pastime; it is drug trafficking and it carries serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “These defendants recovered kilogram quantities of cocaine from the sea and distributed them throughout the Florida Keys for years.

Their sentences send a clear message: Whether drugs arrive by land, air or sea, we will work with our law enforcement partners to find the traffickers, dismantle their networks and bring them to justice.”

The three were among 27 defendants charged in a federal indictment stemming from a cocaine distribution network that operated from at least 2020 through 2023.

According to court records, Strama, identified as a leader of the organization, obtained much of the cocaine he distributed by finding and recovering “floaters” — waterproof wrapped kilogram packages of cocaine — at sea. A professional boat operator, Strama used his knowledge of local waterways, tides and currents to recover dozens of kilograms of cocaine over the course of the conspiracy. He then distributed the cocaine to co-conspirators and other buyers throughout the Keys.

Marathon’s John Strama Jr. received the most significant sentence in a cocaine ring investigation that yielded 27 arrests throughout the Florida Keys. Strama pleaded guilty to distributing cocaine and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. KEYS WEEKLY FILE PHOTO

Strama, Ruiz and Lugo were held responsible for distributing between 15 and 50 kilograms of cocaine during the conspiracy.

So far, 25 defendants have been sentenced. Kizmet Yatz Qualls and Daniel Fernando Ramirez are scheduled to be sentenced later.

U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and special agent in charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

FBI Miami is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean McLaughlin and Frank Tamen prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information are on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20386.

— Contributed

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

NEW FACES AT THE FRONT OF THE CLASS Meet the incoming teachers at Marathon Middle/ High School

JANELLE VILITSKI MHS exceptional student education (ESE) Where did you get your degree? Cabrini College in Radnor, Pennsylvania.

How long have you lived in the Keys? One month – we just moved here this summer.

How would you describe your teaching style? Fun, festive, firm and flexible.

What is your special talent that no one knows about? I have deep empathy for others and can typically sense and understand how people are feeling in different situations without them saying it.

What are your hobbies? Bike riding, hiking, reading and baking.

MICHAEL SAICH 9th grade environmental science, honors environmental science, honors biology Where did you get your degree? The University of Northern Colorado.

How long have you lived in the Keys? Three weeks. I moved from Naples, Florida.

How would you describe your teaching style? Student-centered and hands-on discovery when possible.

What is your special talent that no one knows about? I can cook.

What are your hobbies? My hobbies: exploring, world travel, fast motorcycles and cars, along with almost anything science-related.

ALEX RICKERT

alex@keysweekly.com

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s kids hit the hallways on Aug. 12, they’re not the only ones getting used to their new classrooms. There are four new faces on the teaching staff at MMHS this year – including a new assistant principal – and the Keys Weekly is proud to introduce them to our community.

SEAN CAMBRIDGE Assistant principal Where did you get your degree? A bachelor’s in criminal justice with minors in psychology and sociology from Troy State University, a master’s degree in curriculum development and instruction from the University of Phoenix and a master’s in educational leadership from the University of West Florida.

How long have you lived in the Keys? Eight years.

How would you describe your teaching style? Supportive.

What is your special talent that no one knows about? I understand Pig Latin as language, but do not speak it.

What are your hobbies? Slowpitch travel softball and paddleboarding.

KAY SAICH Geometry/honors geometry Where did you get your degree? The University of WisconsinWhitewater.

How long have you lived in the Keys? We moved to Marathon on July 8, 2026.

How would you describe your teaching style? I would classify my teaching style as a hybrid model – some demonstration and some facilitation to promote student-centered learning when possible.

What is your special talent that no one knows about? I am a thespian!

What are your hobbies? Travel and cooking.

from page 4

WILLIAMS GETS THE NOD Deep well project on track Council members also received an extensive update on Marathon’s $70 million deep injection well from engineer Steve Suggs.

Pipeline installation for the project is well underway through the center of the city along U.S. 1. Later this month, the active work area will shift from between 105th and 115th Street to between 83rd and 72nd Street, before moving closer to Marathon Community Park and finishing by October, Suggs said.

Another phase of pipeline construction through Grassy Key is awaiting approval from the Florida Department of Transportation for a shifted traffic pattern, but should begin in the later months of the year. Crews will pause work for periods of heavy highway traffic, including Labor Day weekend, Key West’s Fantasy Fest and Thanksgiving through the start of the new year.

A federal court settlement mandates completion of the deep well by the end of 2028. While Suggs said he was confident that construction was on track in an “already tight” timeline, wastewater facility and holding tank construction following the pipeline drilling will be a major factor in the project’s pacing. A second drill rig is expected to accelerate pipeline drilling, while equipment lead times for the project’s later phases may push Marathon closer to its deadline.

Only two contractors in Florida are capable of building the deep disposal well itself, which will pump Marathon’s treated wastewater 3,600 feet below the surface from a facility on Avenue I off Coco Plum Drive. Suggs said he hoped to receive the permit for the well by October or November of this year.

If expected grant funding and state appropriations come through, Suggs said, they would cover nearly half of the expected $70 million cost. Added to a $10 million bank line of credit and low-interest loans through the State Revolving Fund, the city would still be left with a $13.2 million gap to fill.

Once complete, the new well would be able to handle all wastewater for currently-constructed and approved future development in Marathon, plus a connection to Duck Key’s homes if needed.

Connecting to Key Colony Beach’s sewer system, Suggs said, would have added significant costs and an increased pipeline size.

Stewardship squabbles over?

Though approved on consent and not discussed, Resolution 202674 lays the framework to resolve a 2025 squabble among Keys municipalities over how to divide millions in annual funding from the Florida Keys Stewardship Act. Last year, Monroe County and Key West squared off with smaller Keys jurisdictions and utilities over how to split the $20 million awarded for water quality improvement projects in Florida’s 2025-26 state budget – a continuation of an appropriation in place since 2016.

After an original agreement to split funds expired, Keys municipalities were left to apply for individual project funding through a state-run portal, leading to a new agreement proposal signed by Marathon, Key Colony Beach, Islamorada, the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority and the Key Largo Wastewater Treatment District for a dead-even split of the money among all parties. Both larger governments rejected the split, instead proposing a division of funds based on each jurisdiction’s population or the costs of critical upcoming projects.

If signed by all parties, the new agreement would lay out a five-year split, awarding $5 million annually to Monroe County, $3 million to FKAA and Key West, $2.5 million to Marathon, Islamorada and Key Largo Wastewater, and $1.5 million to Key Colony Beach. A one-time appropriation of $1.8 million would go to the city of Layton in 2027-28, deducted from Key West’s annual award. The agreement also lays out percentages for unspent funds in any given year to be distributed to other jurisdictions, with a similar relative distribution.

In other news: • From a total of nearly $276,000 in requested funds, the council awarded its budgeted total of $99,988 to 35 Middle Keys nonprofits, led by an $8,850 award to Grace Jones Community Center. Recipients largely mirrored prior years, with roughly a dozen local daycares, youth recreation and social service providers earning awards of $3,000 to $5,000.

• Local captains Diego Cordova and John Callion asked the city to consider reopening parking spaces available at the Harbor Drive boat ramp, closed for years after long trucks and trailers in the spaces blocked the road and created traffic hazards.

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

A Promise of Health Care for Our Kids!

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

THEIR VISION FOR KEY COLONY BEACH Commission candidates answer questions from the Weekly

Part 2

ALEX RICKERT

alex@keysweekly.com

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eading up to the November general election, the Keys Weekly is committed to helping our community learn more about the candidates running to represent them. In the Gem of the Florida Keys this fall, two seated Key Colony Beach commissioners LYNNE BENTON – Mayor Freddie Foster and commissioner Kirk Diehl – will square off with Lynne 1. If the referendum passes, we need a Benton for two open seats on the dais. thoughtful, not reactive, response. I would first look for inefficiencies, reduce discretionary and The following answers are printed unnecessary spending, and protect public safety exactly as submitted by candidates. and essential infrastructure before considering new revenue sources. We should also learn from other communities and actively seek citizen 1. Property tax reduction/eliminainput, using our citizen-driven Master Plan once tion is arguably the most consedeveloped, to prioritize spending. Regardless of quential referendum on November’s available funding, every taxpayer dollar should ballot. Should the plan pass, what be spent wisely. items do you believe can/should be 2. Property rights and community standards cut from Key Colony Beach’s budget should complement one another. A citizenand/or what new funding sources driven Master Plan can define our shared vision, do you propose to compensate for followed by clear, consistently applied ordinanclost property tax revenue?

2. How do you believe the City of es that protect both private property rights and Key Colony Beach can best balance the unique character of Key Colony Beach. Good between personal property rights governance doesn’t force residents to choose and the high beautification stanbetween protecting property rights and preservdards the city is known for? ing our community’s character — we can and should do both.

KIRK DIEHL

FREDDIE FOSTER

1. If Florida’s amendment 3 passes, because of our limited homestead properties in Key Colony Beach, it appears that the impact will be minimal to our City. However, our goal will be to continue to focus on the protection of our vital public safety and infrastructure while pursuing nonad valorem revenues like tourist driven fees and state infrastructure grants.

2. By not imposing overreaching mandates on the residents who invest their hard earned money into our community. Maintaining this equilibrium ensures that KCB remains both breathtakingly beautiful and a welcoming, respectful place to live.

1. The amount of property tax itself is less concerning than the restrictions that may be placed on the use of ad valorem taxes. The city will need to carefully evaluate how essential services, including parks and recreation, can continue to be funded while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

2. To my knowledge, this has not been a significant issue. Key Colony Beach has maintained an attractive appearance while respecting property owners’ rights.

We should continue to apply our standards fairly and consistently to preserve the community’s character.

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

MOVE-IN READY

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New Gulfside artificial reefs give Keys marine life more places to call home ALEX RICKERT

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alex@keysweekly.com

ew homes for marine life are waiting in the Gulf. And the door’s wide open.

As the rest of the Florida Keys led a mad dash for lobster on Aug. 6, Monroe County Artificial Reefs Director Hanna Koch, Marathon diver Rachel Bowman and Finz Dive Center owner and captain Robert Trosset were combating winds, waves and current offshore from the Lower Keys to deploy the island chain’s next habitat support structures.

Using thrusters to precisely position a carrying barge, and a crane with a GPS beacon at its tip for pinpoint accuracy, crews dropped a

series of 12 15-foot-tall windowed concrete pyramids and six smaller 8-foot pyramids, arranged in four division-sign-like formations around 40 feet deep. Then came the next challenge: diving in near-zero visibility to survey and confirm the placement of each individual structure.

The surfaces of the pyramids are studded with Florida limestone rock for texture, allowing for easy settlement of sponges, corals and other marine life. The pyramids feature wide-open tops, allowing an escape for larger visitors including turtles.

And inside the majority of the larger pyramids are stacks of staggered concrete plates to provide yet another diverse structure for different species to call home.

They’re a product of Reefmaker, an Alabama-based company that builds, loads, transports and deploys the structures in a one-stop-shop operation.

“Reefmaker is a long-time player in this field, so we’re happy to be working with such a professional experienced vendor,” Koch told the Weekly. “This is going to be teeming with life, and I’ll be back out there in the next couple months to report back.”

If the county’s previous installations are any indication, that life could find its way to the new reef sooner rather than later. The first project installed under Koch’s direction, a reef made of stacked decommissioned power poles, saw visitors like cobia within three days of deployment. And in a flat, largely lifeless area that was home to just a handful of species before the reef, Koch’s team has documented more than 100 species, including fish, corals, seagrasses, turtles and sharks on the new reef since its deployment in November 2024.

That includes pings from acoustic tags in fish and sharks – and some preliminary data suggests visits from critically endangered smalltooth sawfish.

“Once we have permits, we’re going to put out acoustic devices at all the Gulfside network sites, so we can see how these tagged fish are moving among the different artificial reef sites and natural sites,” Koch said.

So far, the reefs appear to be living up to their purpose: using man-made structures to mitigate habitat loss and provide a network of nearshore-to-offshore sites to support the movement of maturing and migrating fish.

“One of the points of doing the different designs is to actually see if certain species have an affinity for

4 certain designs,” said Koch. “Are some promoting greater levels of biodiversity? Are some more amenable for certain resident species versus migratory? We’ll be able to answer those questions.”

The installations are backed by $15 million in state funding, awarded to the county in 2023 and 2024.

The first power pole reef (Gulfside 10 Mile Reef) cost $440,000, Koch said, while the three deployments in summer 2026 – known as the Gulfside 5, 8 and 9 Mile Reefs – totaled just under $1 million. Taken collectively, the projects represent the first major artificial reef deployments in the Keys since the sinking of the Vandenberg shipwreck in 2009.

The three new sites now include 156 specialized concrete structures to create 12 patch reefs across the three areas, with two more deployments set to go to bid later this year for deployment in summer 2027.

Koch said she’s also hopeful for a smaller installation in nearshore waters off Marathon and Layton.

She’s working on final permit conditions for what would be her first installation within the boundaries of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

More information, including coordinates for all the newly-installed reefs, is available at monroecountyfl.gov/1325/artificial-reefs-program.

1. A Reefmaker barge works to deploy 15-foot pyramid structures for the Keys’ newest artificial reef, using a GPS beacon installed on the crane to ensure precision placement. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly 2. Florida limestone rocks embedded in concrete create a rough surface, perfect for the settlement of sponges, corals and more on the Keys’ artificial reefs. HANNA KOCH/Contributed 3. Sonar imagery confirms the placement of the pyramids in the Gulfside Network. HANNA KOCH/Contributed 4. Monroe County Artificial Reefs Director Hanna Koch sneaks in a selfie with one of her newest placements.

HANNA KOCH/Contributed

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

CLEAR SAILING New window cleaning company helps Keys homeowners with their million-dollar views JEN ALEXANDER www.keysweekly.com

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or many Keys homeowners, the view of the water is everything. It’s mostly why they live here. That is, until salt spray and summer storms leave a hazy film on the glass. This everyday problem has now been solved by Sea Clear, a window cleaning company launched just over a month ago by co-owners Chris Faber and Chris Gleadall.

Faber, who also works at Dolphin Research Center and with Keys Media Studio, said the idea grew out of what he and Gleagall were seeing on photo and video shoots across the area.

“We noticed how at a lot of these house shoots, and when we're at a lot of friends' houses, that a lot of the windows with great views are very salty and pretty dirty, just from the salty environment and the rains and storms that we can get,” Faber said.

“We figured that this would be a great problem to try and solve, so people can kind of enjoy their great views with no blemishes.”

Their new business, Sea Clear, focuses primarily on residential window cleaning, but is open to a wide range of jobs.

“We do commercial jobs as well, and we're not really limited to anything,” Gleadall said. “If it has a window, we'll clean it.”

To tackle the salt, sand and streaks, Sea Clear uses both traditional

Owners Chris Gleadall, left, and Chris Faber are the brains – and muscle – behind Sea Clear window cleaning. CONTRIBUTED

and specialized equipment. Crews rely on classic squeegees alongside a water-fed pole system that uses deionized water.

“We have our traditional squeegees, so when we use those, we bring our own water,” Faber said. “We have six-gallon buckets, so it's very easy to transport.”

The water-fed pole system, he added, is especially effective for tough coastal buildup.

“A water-fed pole uses deionized water, which is great for removing salts and other debris and keeping it off,” Faber said. “When it dries, it dries streak-free because it’s soluble and removes everything.”

Right now, Sea Clear hooks up to the homeowner’s water supply, but the owners are already planning for growth.

“We're in the process of getting a 60-gallon tank with some pumps, though, so we can be more mobile,” Gleadall said.

An online system for price quotes and booking, along with more precise in-person options, is intended to make the experience easy. Once scheduled, most standard jobs can be completed in a single visit.

“For a normal house, it takes between one and two hours for us to clean the windows,” Gleadall said. “If we do just the exterior, probably an hour. Interior, probably two.”

The company operates with flexible scheduling seven days a week.

More information is at seaclearkeys. com or 561-405-5030.

COMMERCE CORNEr Established in 1991, Decks & Docks is a supplier of high-quality, marine-grade building materials serving the Florida Keys. Decks and Docks provides professional contractors, homeowners, and DIY enthusiasts with trusted materials for docks, seawalls, and a wide range of waterfront projects.

With a deep understanding of the coastal environment, Decks & Docks carefully selects products designed for durability, performance, and longevity in harsh marine conditions. Their knowledgeable team offers expert guidance to help customers choose the right materials for every project—large or small.

Built on a commitment to quality products, dependable service, and local expertise, Decks & Docks takes the time to understand each customer’s needs. This personalized approach has been central to the company’s long-standing success.

Proud to be part of the Keys community, Decks & Docks supports the builders and homeowners who help preserve and enhance the Florida Keys’ unique waterfront lifestyle.

30641 Overseas Hwy Big Pine Key, FL 33043 305.902.3325 www.decks-docks.com sauch@decks-docks.com

GREATER MARATHON CHAMBER OF COMMERECE 305.743.5417 • 1.800.262.7284 visitus@floridakeysmarathon.com www.floridakeysmarathon.com 12222 Overseas Highway • Marathon, FL 33050

14

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

JENNIFER NASET Birkenstock of Old Town JEN ALEXANDER www.keysweekly.com

N

o matter how many individuals appear in the pages of each edition of Keys Weekly, there are always so many more of our community members who deserve to be recognized. In an effort to shine a spotlight on more of the incredible individuals who live and work in these islands, Keys Weekly is proud to present our Neighbor of the Week feature, dedicated to celebrating a community member with each issue.

Our Neighbor of the Week is Jennifer Naset, who manages her family’s Birkenstock store in Marathon. When she’s not in the store she enjoys fixing up her house and spending time with her husband and son. She loves getting ice cream, playing with her fur babies and watching the fabulous sunsets of the Florida Keys.

How long have you been in the Keys and what brought you here? I was originally a snowbird. My family came down every winter since I was young. My parents retired and came down full-time in the ’90s and have been living the amazing Keys life ever since. My parents got bored and bought a Birkenstock store, which I now run and I couldn’t imagine living or working anywhere else.

If you could wear one pair of shoes for the rest of your life, what would it be? Obviously Birkenstocks are my absolute favorite. I have been wearing them for 30-plus years and can’t imagine going a day without them.

If you had a time machine, would you travel to the future or to the past and why? Back to the ’90s for sure. Times were simpler, people conversed and I didn’t have as many responsibilities (teenager years).

The music was awesome then too!

What’s the most embarrassing moment of your life? You’d think someone who sells sandals wouldn’t trip over their own feet, but I’ve definitely stumbled walking across my own sales floor more than once.

My customers were kind enough to pretend they didn’t notice.

If you won the lottery, what would you spend the money on?

Of course, travel and see the sights of the world, but I will always come back home.

If you were a foot, which part would you be and why? Which part depicts you the most? I’d be the arch of the foot. It quietly supports everything, absorbs pressure and keeps you balanced.

Describe your most bizarre life experience thus far. Making it to my 40s.

What part of the human face is your favorite and why? The smile.

When you smile at someone it has the ability to make them smile back and change their whole mood.

What are three essential items you pack in your suitcase when going on vacation? Birkenstocks, eyeglasses and comfy PJs. Which three famous people would you invite to a dinner party and why? I would much rather have my friends and family with me at dinner than anyone famous. I would first invite Kari May. She has been my friend since elementary school. She moved to Branson, Missouri and I miss her like crazy. I would also invite Samantha, who’s been my friend since the day we met almost 20 years ago.

She moved to Edgewater, Maryland and I miss her too. I would also invite my brother Jeff Naset, because he lives in Fort Collins, Colorado and he doesn’t get to visit as often as we’d like.

Describe your ultimate day.

The ultimate would be going on a safari with elephants and lions with all my friends and family there too.

Know someone who would be a good “Neighbor of the Week?” Email keysweeklyjen@gmail.com.

PUPPY CHULO 12-year-old male rat terrier mix.

Looking for: A home for me and my best friend Jethro Turnoffs: People keep calling me “too old.”

TOBY 5-year-old male husky.

Looking for: Someone who understands me.

Turnoffs: Not getting to do what I want.

SWIPE RIGHT

Adorable furry faces are waiting for families at the Florida Keys SPCA Keys Weekly is thrilled each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for their perfect adoption “match” at the Florida Keys SPCA’s Marathon campus – complete with their best qualities, preferences and turnoffs to ensure the best fit.

From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you at one of the SPCA’s two campuses, in Key West and Marathon. The SPCA’s knowledgeable staff will help with advice and care tips while working to ensure a good fit between each pet and its people.

See all the animals waiting for a home at fkspca.org. To contact the Marathon campus, call 305-743-4800 or visit 10550 Aviation Blvd.

TACO 5-year-old male domestic shorthair.

Looking for: I’m your typical friendly orange cat.

I love everything.

Turnoffs: No, I don’t like lasagna.

Hurricane fosters needed.

With hurricane season upon us, the SPCA needs volunteers and fosters in case of a storm. Over 100 animals would need to be evacuated, so it is crucial they all have homes in place before an impending storm. The SPCA provides everything you need;

all you do is give an animal a safe haven during the storm and return them to the shelter once it’s safe – that is, if you don’t fall in love. For more information on becoming a hurricane foster, visit https://fkspca.org/volunteer/become-a-foster-volunteer/ or call 305-743-4800.

16

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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17

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

TRAPPED KEY DEER GO FREE Animals were sedated on CFK’s Big Pine Key property, evaluated by vet

Left: A fawn leaves a temporary holding pen after evaluation by veterinarian Dr. Douglas Mader. Right: A doe and fawn settle in a nearby habitat together after being safely relocated from CFK’s Big Pine Key Property. ANNA MARLOW/National Key Deer Refuge

L

ocal, state and federal agencies collaborated to safely remove Key deer from the Big Pine Key property of the College of the Florida Keys on Aug. 4, following a months-long planning process. The deer were relocated to a nearby open habitat without incident. The college and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will monitor the property to ensure that no other deer remain.

Wildlife professionals individually sedated each deer using a widely-accepted, standard method for capture and relocation. Each deer was then moved to a holding area, where veterinary staff closely monitored their condition and confirmed they were stable and alert before releasing them into the neighboring habitat together.

“I assisted with the transfer of the Key deer from the prison site,” said veterinarian Dr. Douglas Mader.

“The animals received a thorough physical examination before release. All the deer, including a 3- to 4-month-old fawn, were in excellent physical health. Each animal was also administered a medication to treat internal parasites and lice, common problems in all deer.”

Mader has over 40 years of experience caring for wildlife, including 29 years with Key deer, and has partnered directly with federal officials on the treatment of injured Key deer throughout that time.

The planning involved CFK, U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, veterinarians and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The fish and wildlife service led the development of the plan for the property, which is covered in dense brush and 16 deteriorating structures.

“People have asked why we didn’t just open the gate and let the deer walk out on their own,” said Nikki Colangelo USFWS’ Florida Ecological Services field office. “In practice, deer that have grown used to an enclosed area with reliable food and water often won’t leave, even when there’s a clear way out — and an open gate also risks more deer wandering in. During our previous attempt to remove the deer, the thick brush, poisonwood and debris on this property made it more complex to reach the deer and guide them out of the gates than people might expect. … We determined that sedation and relocation by trained and authorized veterinarians and USFWS staff were the best options to safely remove the deer given the challenges of the site and the deer’s instinct to seek cover when people approach or are nearby.”

The agencies have been coordinating since January, with formal removal planning beginning in March. The timing was based on recommendations from wildlife professionals. Throughout that period, wildlife experts and veterinarians monitored the deer, confirming

their health and access to adequate food and water.

The college has had a longterm lease with the state since 2021 to develop the site that previously housed the Big Pine Key Road Prison to expand educational and workforce training opportunities in the Lower Keys. Located on Key Deer Boulevard, the property is zoned as suburban commercial and is not within the boundary of any refuge, including the National Key Deer Refuge.

Since the prison closed in 2017, the buildings and structures have deteriorated significantly, creating safety hazards. The college bears the responsibility of securing the site to prevent humans from encountering the myriad dangers on the property. However, securing the perimeter has presented challenges.

The gate and lock were vandalized twice, and the back fence and side fences were damaged within the past month. The college has repaired the gate and fences, replaced the lock, installed security cameras and reinforced the fence line. To help prevent future deer entry, the college is installing deer grates along the gates.

More information is at cfk.edu/ bpk/.

— Contributed

S

taff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.

What: “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (1982) Why: There have been, so far, 13 movies in the Star Trek franchise and this is my favorite by several light years. It’s miraculous it was even made after the snore-fest of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” – and what a relief it was at the time. In this installment, the old Enterprise crew is pulled back together and encounters one of the greatest villains from the original series, Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban).

On the TV episode (“Space Seed”), the Enterprise crew left Khan and his shipmates on an uninhabited planet.

In the movie, Khan is out for revenge, specifically against Capt. Kirk.

Montalban and William Shatner are perfect antagonists, competing to see who can chew the most scenery.

Kirk is also coping with advancing age and unexpected family – but mostly this is good old-fashioned swashbuckling, entertaining Star Trek, with some light literary dressing from “A Tale of Two Cities” and “Moby-Dick.”

Where: This film is available on DVD and Kanopy, the library’s streaming app.

How: You can browse and request DVDs by logging in to your account at keyslibraries.org. To view our collection of streaming movies and TV, go to kanopy.com/keyslibraries and set up an account with your library card. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? keyslibraries.org/contact-us Recommended by: Nancy Klingener, community affairs manager.

See previous Reel Recs at keyslibraries.org/post/reel-recs.

18

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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BEN DANIELS 1966-2026 On Thursday, July 30 at 9:49 p.m., after an unexpected, twomonth-long stay in Broward North Health hospital, Ben Daniels passed peacefully in Pompano Beach, Florida. He was surrounded by loved ones, both family and friends.

Ben was something of a local celebrity in Marathon, known for his work in real estate, his family’s local advocacy and his own bright spirit and bubbly personality. Ben grew up in Marathon and would often recall his glory days as a teenager attending Marathon High School, where he played volleyball and tennis and formed many friendships that would last a lifetime. After graduating from MHS, he attended and graduated from Florida Atlantic University.

Upon returning to the Keys after college, Ben met Lisa Ritchie, née Lisa Curivan, and the two married in September of 1994. Ben and Lisa were married for 12 years and raised two children, Dakoda and Noah “Juno” Daniels.

As his children grew older, Ben began to branch out into different areas of the community, such as coaching Little League sports teams for soccer, tee ball and his personal favorite, tennis. Ben was an active athlete in the community and loved to participate in recreational matches whenever he could. Ben also took part in the community theater with his youngest child, Juno.

Ben worked in banking at many different institutions, such as First National Bank, Barnett Bank, Marine Bank and First State Bank.

He served as the president of the Marathon Jaycees as well as on the Marathon Chamber of Commerce. Later in his life, Ben would make the transition into the world of real estate. He worked with Sotheby’s for many years before eventually beginning to work freelance.

No matter where he went, regardless if the occasion called for business or pleasure, Ben was always determined to make those around him laugh. Everywhere he went, he would leave with at least one new friend. His infectiously lively presence was celebrated by old friends, and embraced by new friends alike when he moved up to Deerfield Beach a few years ago.

Ben was a beloved son to William and the late Jane Daniels, a treasured brother to Bill, Pam, Debi and LuAnn, a devoted uncle to his siblings' children, and a loving father to his own children, Kody, Noah, and fur baby, Stewie. He is survived by his loving family and many loyal friends.

A celebration of life will be held for anyone who would like to honor Ben’s memory at Castaway Waterfront Restaurant on Saturday, Aug. 15 from 2 to 5 p.m.

19

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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BACK TO THE BOOKS MHS & Switlik welcome students on the first day of school ALEX RICKERT alex@keysweekly.com

T

he start of the 2026-27 school year began before dawn at Marathon High School on Aug. 12.

The Class of 2027 held the annual Senior Sunrise breakfast at the school’s football stadium before taking over the MHS courtyard, applauded by their classmates and teachers, to start their final year as Dolphins under Principal Christine Paul. Parents filled their camera rolls with fervor documenting the “last first day,” with some seniors toting before-and-after signs with their baby pictures.

Across town at Stanley Switlik

Elementary, fresh haircuts, hugs with friends and a few nervous goodbye tears with Mom and Dad all blended together as kindergartners through fifth graders returned to the halls.

Principal Melanie Martinez was front and center, welcoming new students as the parade of cars rolled through the parking lot, while a full cohort of deputies from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office kept crosswalks clear and speeds under control on the Overseas Highway.

The entire staff of the Keys Weekly Newspapers wishes all of our students, teachers, administrators and families a safe and happy year filled with the love of learning.

Photos by Ross Smith and Alex Rickert

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

21

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

FUNCTIONALLY CAFFEINATED WELLNESS

WHICH CAME FIRST: THE CHICKEN OR THE MARKETING?

I

t starts like every other grocery trip. You’re just there for eggs.

Then you find yourself standing in front of the egg cooler questioning everything. Should I buy the white eggs? The brown eggs? The expensive ones? The ones that cost roughly the same as a tank of gas?

Then you start reading the cartons.

Free range. Cage-free. Pasture-raised. Organic.

It all sounds very similar, yet somehow completely different. It all feels better because, let’s be honest, who wants to buy or eat anything that was ever in a cage? But my intuition has always told me not to assume these labels mean what I think they mean.

Are they all just marketing? Are some actually better than others? And if I’m paying half my paycheck for a dozen eggs, I’d at least like to know what I’m paying for.

You better believe I was going to figure this out before my next trip to the grocery store because I refuse to be that person who stops dead center in the middle of the aisle during mini-season or spring break (or a casual Tuesday, it seems these days) and stares at the egg cooler for five straight minutes while everyone else is trying to get by. I walked into the store with an ounce of patience. If I find myself needing to decode the egg marketing world before I can make breakfast, I’m done for.

So, naturally, I did what I always do when I have a wellness question. I went down the rabbit hole.

The first surprise was that these labels aren’t interchangeable. They each describe something different about how the animal was raised, what it ate or how the food was produced. The problem is that most of us see them all grouped together and assume they’re basically saying the same thing.

Let’s start with cage-free, because this one sounds better than it actually is.

Cage-free simply means hens aren’t kept in individual cages. That’s certainly an improvement over traditional battery cages, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re outside pecking around in the sunshine. Many cage-free hens still spend their lives indoors in large barns with thousands of other birds. They have room to move around, but not necessarily much room.

Free range takes it one step further.

To earn that label, hens must have access to the outdoors. That sounds wonderful until you learn the rules don’t say how big the outdoor space has to be, how often the chickens actually

use it, or even how inviting that outdoor area is. Technically, a small door leading outside can satisfy the requirement.

Then there’s organic, which many people assume is the gold standard.

Organic has much more to do with what the hens are fed than where they live. Their feed must be certified organic, they can’t routinely receive antibiotics and the farms have to meet specific USDA standards. Organic hens also have outdoor access, but just like free range, the quality and amount of that access can vary.

Finally, we get to pasture-raised.

This is generally considered the highest standard for animal welfare when it comes to eggs. Pasture-raised hens spend a significant amount of time outdoors with much more space to roam, forage, scratch, chase bugs and behave like actual chickens. While “pasture-raised” itself isn’t regulated by the USDA, third-party certifications like Certified Humane require minimum outdoor space standards that are much more meaningful.

Here’s the part that really surprised me: The egg itself can actually be different.

Research has found that pasture-raised eggs often contain more omega-3 fats, vitamin D, vitamin E and antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, thanks in part to what the hens eat and how they live. That makes sense when you think about it. Chickens spending their days eating grasses, seeds and insects are going to produce eggs that look a little different than chickens eating only commercial feed.

Does that mean every pasture-raised egg is dramatically healthier than every conventional egg? Not necessarily. An egg is still one of the most nutritious foods you can eat regardless of the label. They’re packed with high-quality protein, choline for brain health, B vitamins and plenty of other nutrients. Think of pastureraised eggs as an upgrade, not a completely different food.

So, which one would I buy?

If my budget allows it, I’d reach for pastureraised eggs first. If I also find organic pastureraised, even better. If not, organic is still a great option because of the feed standards. Freerange offers some improvement over cage-free, and cage-free is generally an improvement over conventional eggs.

Does that mean you have to buy the most expensive carton every single time? Absolutely not.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned after years of working in wellness is that perfection

isn’t what makes people healthier. Consistency does.

Buying the best option that fits your budget is almost always better than stressing over finding the “perfect” one.

The grocery store has become a place where every JENNIFER package is trying to convince HARVEY us it’s the healthiest choice.

Sometimes that’s helpful. ...is a MarathonSometimes it’s just confusbased ACSMing. But once you understand certified personal trainer and what these labels are actually precision nutrition telling you, the egg aisle sudcoach who owns denly becomes a whole lot and operates less intimidating.

Highly Motivated Now if you’ll excuse me, Functionally Caffeinated LLC. I’ll be grabbing my eggs and moving right along. The tourists behind me have places to be.

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25

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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We’re Ready. Are You? FKEC can keep you informed—but only if we can reach you.

FKEC sends outage and restoration updates through What would SmartHub using the email addresses and mobile phone be a good numbers in message your Contact Methods. Follow the steps below example? to ensure you receive them. Even if you already receive bill reminders by text or email, please verify your enrollment.

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

NEW JIMMY BUFFETT DOCUMENTARY TO BE SHOWN See ‘Occupational Hazard: The First Coral Reefers’ Sept. 7

OPEN O PEN AUDITIONS AUDITIONS The Stage is Waiting for You!

Saturday, August Saturday, August 22nd 22nd Sing/Dance 10am-12pm Sing/Dance 10am-12pm Reading 1pm-3pm Reading 1pm-3pm

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“O

ccupational Hazard: The First Coral Reefers” is a feature documentary that takes audiences back to the 1970s and early ’80s to tell the story of Jimmy Buffett’s original Coral Reefer Band.

The film will be shown Monday, Sept. 7 at 2 p.m. at Key West Theater, 512 Eaton St. It will be followed by a Q&A with the director, producer and Key West resident John H. Cunningham; producer Ted Haynes; and cast members / first Coral Reefers, including Roger Bartlett and Josh Leo, and local Chris Robinson. A musical performance

by Bartlett, Leo, Robinson and maybe surprise participants will follow.

Set against the creative backdrop of Key West, the film explores the musicians, friendships, touring years and studio sessions that helped shape Buffett’s legendary sound.

Through never-before-seen archival footage and personal interviews with founding members, tour managers, producers and music legends, “Occupational Hazard” captures the

camaraderie, chaos and magic of an era that thrived on freedom and lived without a rulebook.

The film is a tribute to Buffett and the original Coral Reefers, the places and people that shaped them, the beauty of a musical moment that couldn’t last but changed everything, and their candid sentiment toward Buffett.

The film premiered this year at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and has gone across the country on the festival circuit.

It features interviews with Kenny Chesney, Mac McAnally, songwriter Keith Sykes and the Coral Reefer Band, and is narrated by Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges.

A trailer is on YouTube by searching “Occupational Hazard: The First Coral Reefers.” More information is at occupationalhazardfilm.com and on Facebook and Instagram.

— Contributed

‘Occupational Hazard: The First Coral Reefers’ is a 90-minute documentary about the early days of Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefers Band in Key West and on tour. Key West Theater will host a showing on Sept. 7. Photos by MICHAEL OCHS, CHRIS LAUBER, LIZ LEAR, MIAMI HERALD and GREENE STREET ENTERTAINMENT

28

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

FLORIDA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR VISITS KEYS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER

F

lorida Lt. Governor Jay Collins visited the Monroe County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Marathon on Aug. 5, meeting with officials and public safety leadership to discuss emergency preparedness, response capabilities and the challenges of protecting community members and visitors throughout the Keys.

Collins met with Monroe County Mayor Michelle Lincoln, commissioner Jim Scholl, Emergency Management Director Cory Schwisow and Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Mark Hemeyer. The group discussed the county’s emergency operations, Trauma Star and the coordination among local, state and federal agencies before, during and after emergencies.

The EOC is the coordination point during activations, bringing together emergency management, fire rescue, law enforcement, municipalities, utilities, healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations and state and federal agencies.

“We appreciate Lt. Gov. Collins taking the time to visit our EOC and meet directly with the people responsible for protecting our community,” said Lincoln. “In the Florida Keys, strong partnerships with the state of Florida are critical to our ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. Having our state leadership see firsthand how we operate and understand the challenges we face is extremely valuable.”

— Contributed

Florida Lt. Governor Jay Collins meets with Monroe County Mayor Michelle Lincoln, commissioner Jim Scholl, Emergency Management and Fire Rescue officials at the county Emergency Operations Center on Aug. 5. MONROE COUNTY/Contributed

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026 An adult short-tailed hawk seen recently over the Key West Cemetery. MARK HEDDEN/Keys Weekly

K

ids scream, and by kids I mean fledgling hawks trying to get their parents to feed them. And by scream I mean make a noise that sounds a lot like stepping, full-footed, in the dark, on a dog’s squeaky toy, during a late-night, bleary-eyed trip to the bathroom.

MARK A high-pitched “eeeeeee” that HEDDEN drops a register down to a slightly lower- pitched “eeeeeee.” ... is a photographer, writer, and There has been a lot of that semi-professional in recent weeks over Passover birdwatcher. He Lane and the Key West cemetery. has lived in Key The screamer was a shortWest for more tailed hawk, one of the rarest than 25 years and may no longer birds in North America, with an be employable in estimated population of about the real world. He 500, nearly all in Florida. They is also executive are pretty common in Central director of the Florida Keys Audu- and South America, and they will bon Society. occasionally cross the Mexican border into Texas (hence the “almost” all in Florida), but there is thought to be no crossover between the two populations. And while the North American population is small, it seems to have been holding steady for at least a century.

The thing about the Keys is, historically, excepting ospreys, the occasional bald eagle, and the occasional red-shouldered hawk, all the raptors vacate the area in the summer. It’s usually a little bit of a ghost town, birds of prey-wise. But in recent years something seems to have changed.

Short-tailed hawks bred in Central Florida in the summer, then migrated down to South Florida and the Keys in the winter. This was not always the understanding.

The first reports I can find of short-tails comes from the 1880s.

Short-tailed hawks come in two color morphs – light and dark. In Florida there are thought to be more light morph birds than dark morph, though in Central and South America, it’s thought the white morph is more prevalent. There is no intergradation as far as plumage goes. Birds are either one or the other. And you can’t identify their sex by looking at them.

For a long time it was believed that the two color phases were separate species. It wasn’t until March 1889, when W.E.D. Scott, curator of the museum of biology at Princeton University, found a nest near Tarpon Springs with both a light morph and a dark morph adult; collected (shot) them, and measured them, that it was understood they were the same species.

For a while after that ornithologists only knew that short-tails were in South Florida and the Keys in the winter. It was believed that they migrated out of the state, possibly even out of the country.

No one knew where. But it turns out, they’d just slid on up to the middle of the state. With only about 200 breeding pairs spread out over that much land, it was easy to miss them. It didn’t help that they tended to build their nests high and on the edges of lakes or deep in cypress swamps.

Short-tailed hawks were never known to nest in the Keys. But over the last decade or so, I’ve had my suspicions, largely due to the fact I’ve seen them

VERY LOUD RARE BIRDS

in every month of the year, including the ones they weren’t supposed to be here.

Some time in the summer of 2022 someone told me about a couple of hawks making a racket over on Passover Lane, where I only found an empty nest.

In the summer of 2023, a juvenile short-tail was hanging around the cemetery, making a racket. I went over and managed to catch sight of it once.

Unfortunately it was electrocuted, probably on a power line. Key West Wildlife Rescue managed to capture the bird, but it eventually succumbed to its injuries.

In 2024 we documented the first short-tail nest in a Norfolk pine in the Meadows neighborhood of Key West, as well as a juvenile light morph bird, and both a light morph and a dark morph adult birds.

In late May of this year I was walking the dog around the cemetery when I briefly caught sight of a light morph short-tail from the corner of Frances and Olivia. A little while later on Angela Street, just past Catholic Lane, I caught sight of a dark morph bird. The dog was pretty happily sniffing some grass so I watched it for a while, hoping to see where it landed. But it caught a thermal and kept rising higher and higher. I watched it climb until my neck started to ache and the dog decided she would like to sniff something else now please.

Pretty much any time I’ve walked or ridden by there since, I’ve seen or heard at least one short-tail.

The volume, though, has apparently been increasing.

A couple weeks ago my friend Dave texted from Galveston Lane asking, “Mark, there’s a hawk flying around my neighborhood and screeching constantly.

What’s all the ruckus about?” My friend Wendy said she heard them in the morning while walking her dog on Olivia. She also sent a poindexter emoji for me knowing what it was.

Arlo Haskell texted me a photo of a white morphed short-tail bathing in the new fountain at the Elizabeth Bishop House on White Street with the question, “What do we have here?”

Last week I ran into Rob, who I knew from my brief career as a pub quiz host. He was telling me about birds he thought were maybe broad-winged

hawks breeding near his house. I asked if he lived near the cemetery. He said he did. I told him they were short-tails.

I’ve been buried in a long-term project and didn’t manage to give the birds any serious attention until this week, when I decided to go spend some time seeing how it was working out.

I set up just behind the USS Maine plot. Passover Lane and the trees above looked a little like a stage set.

The life history of short-tailed hawks is not all that well known. It’s known the male collects most of the sticks for the nest and the female does most of the construction; that the female does all the brooding while the male brings her food; that it takes 34 to 39 days for eggs to hatch. It’s unclear how long it takes for the young to fledge.

It’s known that the short-tailed hawk’s diet consists mostly of small birds (though I did see one take a very young and small iguana once on Frances Street). It is unknown how long their parents continue to feed them after they fledge, or how long before the young are capable of hunting on their own.

The bird I saw most recently was a young dark morph, speckled in the breast and underwing, flying low over the treetops and calling every few minutes.

It would disappear for a while, then come back, occasionally landing in the same tree as the nest, but not on the nest. Mostly he would just fly over, as if he was checking in. I’m guessing it was five or six weeks old.

I caught sight of both of the adults, the light morph doing a flyover, then heading down to the Frances Street end of the cemetery, and the male flying over, but from way high up.

The scenario in my mind was that the parents were keeping an eye on their offspring, but also giving it some tough love, pushing it to fend for itself, and the juvenile was throwing a teenage temper tantrum about it. But honestly, that is just a guess.

Even when they are this close, the lives of shorttails are still mostly a mystery.

31

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

FKEC WANTS YOU CONNECTED DURING POWER OUTAGES

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A Florida Keys Electric Cooperative lineman tends to an area during an outage caused by Tropical Storm Eta in 2020. FKEC is asking members to ensure they receive outage and restoration updates by verifying their contract information.

FILE PHOTO

F

lorida Keys Electric Cooperative is asking members to take two minutes to ensure they can receive outage and restoration updates when they need them most. This is especially important during hurricane season, when timely communication can help members stay informed before, during and after a storm.

FKEC sends outage and restoration updates through SmartHub, its online account management tool. To receive these notifications, members must be registered for SmartHub and enrolled in outage texting.

Even if you already receive bill reminders by text or email — or have received outage notifications in the past — FKEC encourages members to verify your enrollment. Billing reminders and outage notifications are managed separately, so receiving one does not automatically mean you’re enrolled in the other.

Verify your contact information Log in to SmartHub and go to “Settings” then “Contact Methods” to verify your primary email address and mobile phone number. If you choose text messaging, be sure to complete the verification process by responding to the confirmation text sent to your mobile phone.

Enroll in outage texting Go to “Settings,” “Manage Notifications,” “Service” and enable “Outage Texting.” You can also choose to receive other important notifications.

Don’t have SmartHub? To register, visit www.fkec.com and click the yellow login button. If you’re using a mobile device, you’ll be prompted to download the SmartHub app.

If you have questions or need assistance, call member services at 305-852-2431.

— Contributed

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026 1. Over nine nights in late July and early August, mature elkhorn and staghorn corals in the Reef Renewal USA Tavernier nursery spawned. MOTE MARINE LABORATORY/Contributed 2. Reef Renewal USA volunteer Denise Nedimyer helps move two mature staghorn corals to the spawning stations. TIFFANY DUONG/Keys Weekly 3. After successful fertilization, coral larvae are cared for until they settle and recruit onto a permanent surface. MOTE MARINE LABORATORY/Contributed

SPAWNING SUCCESS Corals ‘get it on’ during annual event TIFFANY DUONG tiffany@keysweekly.com

F

or coral, sex is a numbers game.

Every summer, days after the July full moon, elkhorn and staghorn corals release eggs and sperm into the water in a carefully timed event called mass spawning.

When enough mature colonies spawn together, their gametes can meet and mix in the waves, fertilize each other and hopefully settle back onto reefs to grow into new colonies.

In the Keys, that ancient biological process has become surprisingly difficult.

Elkhorn and staghorn corals, species which used to dominate Florida and Caribbean reefs, have declined so dramatically that they are now considered “functionally extinct” across much of Florida’s coral reef. Remaining colonies which are large enough and healthy enough to spawn are often too few and far apart for their eggs and sperm to reliably find each other.

It’s a little like having all the eligible singles in neighboring towns hoping to meet – but nobody having a car, phone or internet to help them connect.

Rather than bet on poor odds for this summer’s spawn, Florida’s coral restoration community is coming together to play matchmaker.

“The temperature is rising so fast, and the population is functionally extinct — it’s basically gone — so there’s no chance it can recover naturally through natural selection,” said Reef Renewal USA’s technical director Ken Nedimyer, who will host the spawning event.

The timing couldn’t be more important.

The deadly 2023 marine heat wave devastated Florida reefs. Anticipating this summer’s ocean temperatures again running dangerously high, scientists are racing to beat the heat and preserve genetic material from some of Florida’s hardiest remaining corals. One way to do that is in living coral biobanks.

The other, which is what this year’s big spawning event focused on, endeavors to create new genetic mixes from remaining coral genotypes that will hopefully be more resilient to ocean conditions in the future. These offspring could, in best cases, be replanted on degraded reefs in a few years.

2 1

Reef Renewal’s offshore nursery in Tavernier is home to an unusually large collection of mature elkhorn and staghorn corals that were used for the spawning effort. These were not chosen at random.

During the 2023 heat wave, Reef Renewal left many of its mature corals in its Tavernier nursery rather than evacuating them all to land-based tanks. The heatwave effectively created a massive, uncontrolled experiment for those remaining corals. Some colonies bleached badly; others barely did.

“We scored every coral during that summer, and we took photo records,” Nedimyer said. “Now we know which ones bleach and which ones don’t, and we focus most effort on the ones that don’t.”

The scientific and restoration goal now is to see whether those traits can be passed to the next generation — and potentially strengthened through selective breeding. Scientists will use some of those 2023 survivors for this year’s spawning efforts, capitalizing on the valuable opportunity to identify and propagate corals that demonstrated unusual heat tolerance.

And so, the matchmaking began as researchers endeavored to help the corals “get it on.”

Before the big event, Nedimyer set aside 100 large elkhorn colonies representing 48 unique genotypes for spawning, including 22 genotypes identified as having exceptional or good heat resistance.

Another 200-plus large and extra-large elkhorns in the Reef Renewal nursery represent 68 additional unique genotypes that could potentially spawn, he said. Finally, hundreds of mature staghorn colonies representing 18 unique genotypes were also selected for the effort.

Nedimyer’s decades of experience paid off: “The corals are spawning like gangbusters,” he told the Weekly on Aug. 1. On Aug. 4, Nedimyer sent another update: “The corals went wild last night. Best night ever.”

Over nine nights of spawning, dive teams collected coral eggs and sperm from the Reef Renewal nursery and raced them back to a temporary laboratory at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.

Scientists took over, working around the clock to separate the gametes, create genetic crosses and begin rearing the resulting larvae. Some sperm will also be cryopreserved to create a genetic bank for future restoration efforts.

3

The 2026 effort brings together 11 leading coral conservation and restoration organizations, funded through NOAA’s Re5 initiative. Reef Renewal has mature corals and nursery infrastructure, while partners including Mote Marine Laboratory, the Florida Aquarium, the University of Miami, SECORE International, the Reef Institute and others bring expertise in fertilization, larval development, cryopreservation and growing young corals.

“It’s the perfect storm.” Nedimyer said. “We’ve all come together at the right time. Best of the best working together.”

For Nedimyer and his colleagues, the summer matchmaking may be coming to a close, but the real work is just beginning. The baby corals produced through the effort will be distributed to partner facilities for growout and, hopefully, eventual restoration back on the reef. These tiny recruits represent something Florida’s reefs have been missing for years now: new genetic combinations, more corals and renewed hope.

33

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

THE GANG’S ALL HERE Capone and the cronies’ ties to the Florida Keys

I

t was the late 1920s when an open-air roadster rambled away from Miami, through Homestead and over the Card Sound Bridge.

Two men occupied the vehicle.

After the bridge, the car rolled over State Road 4A, the original path of the Overseas Highway, and down Key Largo. While still traveling across North Key Largo, the roadster came to a stop at a roadside motel and restaurant called the Key Inn. In those days, traffic was light and the establishment’s proprietors, Ed and Fern Butters, heard the car before it pulled into their place. Fern watched her husband approach the roadster as the driver stepped out and stood up.

He said to her husband, “This is Al Capone. We are going to pull into your dock with our loads, and we will give you $25 a load.”

Ed declined the offer.

The associate replied, “But this is Al Capone, and he is pulling into your dock.”

“I don’t care if he is the Lord himself,” Ed said. “No one is pulling into my dock, and that’s final.”

Ed turned and walked away. Fern watched, thinking she was about to watch her husband be shot in the back. Instead, Mr. Capone’s associate sat down in the car, closed the door and continued driving down the dusty, bumpy road.

The Key Largo excursion was not Capone’s only Monroe County dalliance. It is rumored that he maintained a mansion on the mainland, in an Everglades outpost community called Pinecrest, that was used as a brothel.

Once found on the old Loop Road, Pinecrest was home to about 200 people who lived without electricity, running water or telephone lines. Hurricanes and the Great Depression took their toll on Pinecrest.

Capone’s move to South Florida seems to be the beginning of his end.

For all his bad deeds, it was tax evasion that put Capone in jail. He was incarcerated, for the last time, for seven years, six months and 15 days. Al was not in good shape and was suffering from diminished control of his vol-

untary motor skills as a result of contracting syphilis.

His mental faculties deteriorated during his imprisonment, too. His state of FLORIDA mind was likened to that of a 12-year-old KEYS boy.

HISTORY Released from WITH prison on Nov. 16, BRAD 1939, he spent the BERTELLI remainder of his life Brad is a local in relative seclusion historian, author, speaker and Hon- at his Palm Island home in Miami. orary Conch who loves sharing After a stroke and the history of the a bout of pneuFlorida Keys. monia, Al Capone died of heart failure in his home on Jan. 25, 1947. Organized crime in South Florida did not pass with his death. People, including members of his former group combined with a new guard, became recognized as the New Capone Gang.

Angelo Labriola was regarded as the head of the new guard, though Capone’s people were still involved and might have disagreed. The New Capone Gang was linked to the Florida Keys, if not before, then for certain on or about Feb. 20, 1948, when the attempted robbery of a café in South Miami went bad. Police shot one of the gang members, Bruno Tassione, in the stomach several times.

What happened next brought the crime to the Keys. The following events were recorded in several newspapers, including the Miami Herald on Feb. 21, 1948. At about 3 a.m., Sigmund Stocki, manager of Key Largo’s Caribbean Club, received a phone call informing him that “a good friend had a beef with the fuzz.” Stocki told the caller to find a doctor in Key West

who would “forget reporting the wounded man.”

Stocki and an unidentified associate proceeded to steal a blue 1947 Lincoln four-door sedan and drive it to 3090 N.W. 77th St., where they found Tassione bleeding from his wounds on a couch in the property’s guest house. They helped him into the sedan and drove him to Key West, where they were unable to find a doctor to treat Tassione. Frustrated and fearing for Tassione’s life, they decided to leave him on a section of the old Overseas Highway on Stock Island. He was dressed only in shorts, but they covered him with a blanket, anonymously phoned the hospital and informed them of his whereabouts and condition. He arrived in critical condition.

After police investigated the shooting, three people connected to it were arrested. Among them was Stocki, 37, of 2226 Monroe Ave., Hollywood, Florida. He was identified as the driver of the stolen sedan. It was not his last run-in with the law. In 1951, he was charged with running a gaming house at 1749 Cleveland Ave., Hollywood, Florida. There were other arrests, but that is not why the man is remembered.

Stocki was born on Oct. 20, 1910, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was there that he met Tom Hanley, who eventually brought him to the Florida Keys.

He worked for Hanley, managing the Caribbean Club and was there when John Huston and his writer, Richard Brooks, stayed at the club to work on the script for the Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall movie, “Key Largo.”

The Ziggie in the film is said to have been named after Stocki.

Ziggie is the name people in the Florida Keys remember, still. When

Hanley’s in Marathon in 1955.

Copyright Edwin O. Swift Jr. from the archives of Edwin O. Swift III. FLORIDA KEYS HISTORY CENTER/Monroe County Library Poker chip from Hanley’s Place circa 1968. CASSANDRA KIRBY CONAHAY/ Contributed

Hanley moved to Marathon, Ziggie went with him and managed Hanley’s Place and the Sombrero Beach Club.

Both establishments were known for gaming. Stocki parted ways with Hanley, moved to Islamorada, and opened a small restaurant at the Olney Inn. When Hurricane Donna struck in 1960, the Category 4 storm left a wake of damage behind, including the Olney Inn. The property has since become home to Cheeca Lodge.

After the storm, he left his biggest footprint. In 1962, Stocki bought a small restaurant on Upper Matecumbe Key and opened Ziggie’s Conch. The building is still there, his name is still attached to the restaurant and the old neon sign that used to hang in the original Ziggie’s is still glowing. Did gambling once occur on the property?

Maybe. Ziggie was certainly affiliated with the New Capone Gang and was practiced in running gaming operations.

Sigmund Bernard Stocki – Ziggie – died on Nov. 8, 1977.

34

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

BRIEFLY

City wastewater rates to increase Oct. 1 Effective Oct. 1, 2026, customers receiving wastewater service from the city of Marathon will see a 7% increase in the city sewer’s base facility, customer and flow charges. The increase was approved by Resolution 2024-65, which allowed for a 7% increase in fiscal years 2025-27 and a 1% increase in FY 2028. Customers currently paying $30.74 in base facility charges will pay $32.89 starting in October. The customer charge will increase from $19.23 to $20.58, and the flow charge (per 1,000 gallons) will rise from $10.89 to $11.65. The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority provides third-party billing services for the city by including sewer charges on applicable FKAA bills.

Sewer rates are established by the city and are separate from FKAA’s water rates, which will increase 8.4% on Oct. 1. For information on the city’s wastewater rates, contact deputy utilities director Libby Frazier at 305-289-5005.

For information on FKAA’s water rates, visit www.fkaa.com.

MCSO/Contributed

Man stranded in Everglades found with stolen boat A 32-year-old Fort Myers man who reportedly stole a vessel from a Marathon residence on Aug. 1 was arrested by federal authorities in the Everglades National Park. Dustin Southwick was charged with grand theft. The U.S. Park Service found a stolen 26-foot Edgewater boat beached along a shoreline around 11 a.m. on Aug. 4. The law enforcement and U.S. Coast Guard search ended after a good Samaritan notified park officials of Southwick’s presence on the shoreline. He stated that the vessel ran out of fuel, causing him to beach it. According to Southwick, he had been surviving on crackers, water and electrolyte drinks while stranded.

There were no life-threatening injuries reported. A warrant for Southwick’s arrest was obtained by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office after the boat was reported stolen from a residential dock on 85th Street in Marathon. The victim knows the suspect and stated Southwick took the boat without his permission. The investigation remains ongoing and additional charges may be pending.

Michigan man dies while diving off Marathon A 64-year-old West Bloomfield Township, Michigan man died after being found unresponsive while diving in the waters off Marathon on Aug. 10. Stephen Matheny was pulled from the water around 11:20 a.m. CPR began immediately. The U.S. Coast Guard responded. Matheny was taken to Fishermen’s Hospital in Marathon, where he was pronounced dead.

Foul play is not believed to be a factor. Autopsy results are pending.

Georgia man arrested for $22K phone scam A 20-year-old Savannah, Georgia man was arrested on Aug. 7 for allegedly stealing more than $22,000 from a Marathon man in a common phone scam where suspects pretend to be local law enforcement officers. Thomas Kelly Pullen was charged with grand theft, organized scheme to defraud and impersonation of a law enforcement officer. The victim reported in May 2026 that he received multiple phone calls from individuals claiming to be with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Lee County Sheriff’s Office. The callers falsely told the victim he missed jury duty and needed to pay money to avoid arrest. The victim ultimately agreed to pay $22,450 to an unknown man posing as an undercover law enforcement officer at a Marathon grocery store parking lot.

The victim received another phone call requesting another $31,500 later that same day, at which point the victim suspected he was being scammed and notified the real Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges and arrests may be pending.

Felony offender sentenced to state prison time In a recent case, County Judge Derek Lewis sentenced Keith Devon White after resolving three separate felony cases in Monroe County. White admitted violating his probation in a 2011 robbery with a firearm case and entered no contest pleas in two additional felony cases involving the sale of cocaine, lewd or lascivious exhibition in the presence of an employee, and threats to a law enforcement officer.

Lewis revoked White’s probation and imposed a 15-year state prison sentence on the robbery case, along with concurrent 36-month prison sentences in each of the remaining two cases.

According to the original investigation in the 2011 case, White arranged for an On Time Taxi driver to pick him up in Marathon during the early morning hours of Nov. 16. After another

passenger exited the taxi, White directed the driver to another location, produced a handgun, demanded the driver’s money and stole about $140 before threatening to kill the victim if law enforcement was contacted. After serving roughly 12 years in prison for that offense, White was released on probation. He then repeatedly violated the conditions of his probation by committing new criminal offenses. As a designated Violent Felony Offender of Special Concern, those repeated violations ultimately resulted in the revocation of his probation and the imposition of the 15-year sentence.

Slips are available at 7-Mile Marina The city of Marathon is offering commercial slips at its recently redeveloped 7-Mile Marina. The marina, located at 1090 Overseas Highway near the east end of the Seven Mile Bridge, is expected to open in the next 30 days. Reservations are being taken for the available 15 slips and will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. The slips will cost $35 per foot of vessel.

The city’s goal is to ensure smallbusiness owners get an opportunity to secure a spot; therefore, slips cannot be resold or sublet. There will be one slip per person/agency. The city requests insurance, income verification, a background check and a commercial license. Work remains underway at the marina, which will offer cleaning tables and water. Electricity will be available at a later date. If interested or in need of additional information, email marina@ci.marathon.fl.us.

Election sign recycling to be offered Monroe County, the Monroe County Supervisor of Elections and Waste Management are partnering to provide free recycling for election signs and campaign materials during the 2026 fall election season. Residents and campaign sign collectors may recycle corrugated plastic election signs, metal sign stands and paper campaign materials starting Aug. 19 and continuing through Dec. 15. The Long Key Transfer Station at MM 68 is the designated collection site for Marathon businesses and residents. Participants should look for marked collection bins at each location. Election signs require special handling and should not be placed in curbside recycling bins. Metal stands should be removed from the signs and placed in the appropriate marked container. In the city, signs placed at locations in violation of city code are removed and brought to Marathon City Hall for candidates or their representatives to retrieve. Signs

not retrieved will be recycled, according to city Code Compliance Director Ted Lozier. Marathon City Hall is located at 9805 Overseas Highway. For information, email Monroe County Recycling and Outreach Coordinator Melody Tuschel at tuschel-melody@ monroecounty-fl.gov.

Keys residents can become storm spotters Monroe County Emergency Management invites residents to participate in a free storm spotter program on Saturday, Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Monroe County Public Library Marathon branch. National Weather Service Key West’s Jon Rizzo will teach the certification class. The program will provide participants with the knowledge needed to recognize and report potentially severe weather.

Trained storm spotters can play an important role in public safety by providing timely, real-world observations during severe weather events. Topics will include the basics of thunderstorm development, fundamentals of storm structure, identifying potential severe weather features, information needed when making a report, how to report severe weather information and basic severe weather safety. Respond by Friday, Aug. 14, to Holly Winhoven at 305-797-1154 or winhoven-holly@ monroecounty-fl.gov.

Foster parent licensing classes on Aug. 25 Every child deserves a safe, loving and supportive home. Foster parents make that possible by opening their hearts and homes to children in need — including sibling groups who need to stay together.

Wesley House Family Services is offering foster parent licensing classes beginning Aug. 25. If you can offer love, stability and support to a child or sibling group, you can be a foster parent.

To take the first step, call Amy Eichen at 305-809-5020 for more information about becoming a foster parent.

Come take a class at the Marathon library The Marathon library has a wide variety of class offerings, ranging from photography to book clubs, robots, virtual reality and more.

Scan the QR code here to see the schedule and get involved.

36

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

Batten down the hatches and CHRIS heighten your McNULTY senses. We have is an astrologer, entered the wanderer, barwondrous and tender and advocate for queer disarming time justice. He is a of eclipse season. loquacious Gemini On Aug. 12, we with a cozy Cancer had a total solar rising. Find him at eclipse in Leo, hearthandheraldand a partial astrology.com lunar eclipse will happen at the end of the month on Aug. 27-28.

Eclipse seasons represent times when monumental changes occur in ways that we might not be able to clearly understand right away.

The two luminaries, the sun and the moon, come together in such a way that their light becomes obscured, which also obscures our immediate knowledge of the events taking place. Under this eclipse, it is quite possible that we will experience the downfall of a leader, an ego death or an impactful lack of recognition. We are being reminded that we shouldn’t idolize our heroes because we risk deep disappointment, but rather we should learn how to personally embody the characteristics of our heroes that we find particularly worthy of respect and admiration. What we desire is not something to be found outside of ourselves, but something to be nurtured within ourselves. At the same time, we cannot wait for what we need to come to us; we must learn how to care for ourselves. The state or the government will not save us. We must create our own communities to meet our needs and the needs of those around us. This eclipse season, ask yourself what you have been willfully ignoring because that is the seed to lifechanging awareness.

Here are your horoscopes for the solar eclipse in Leo. Read for your rising and sun signs.

LEO July 23 - Aug. 22 What definition of yourself is no longer serving your needs or representing the growth that you’ve experienced? This eclipse is about releasing a version of your-

self that is outdated. Do not be beholden to your old patterns or hold yourself to the expectations of others. This may ultimately require really feeling some vulnerabilities in groups that have known you one way. Discomfort can be growth.

VIRGO Aug. 23 - Sept. 22 When you’re alone, do you actually spend time with yourself or do you reach for every possible distraction? We are surrounded by so much digital distraction that we do not even know how it feels to be in our own company. Take time in the quiet to see if you can parse out your own voice from all the competing noises. What is it asking of you? You may find that on the other side is an unexpected life partner.

LIBRA Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 During this eclipse season, you may find that people aren’t always what they seem. Your biggest cheerleaders may have ulterior motives. This doesn’t mean that there needs to be accusations thrown around or dramatic unveilings, but it is up to you to maintain boundaries with people who may not have the capacity to show up. You may need to learn to do things differently and put in more work, but at least you’ll know where you stand.

SCORPIO Oct. 23 - Nov. 21 This eclipse season is about a change of leadership at work. Your boss may resign, you may be given a new supervisor, or you may see your leadership in a new light. Your lesson is to find your footing even when the structures around you are changing. You are your own leader, and you have your own reputation to maintain. When things get chaotic, how do your ground yourself in creativity?

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22 - Dec. 21 New isn’t always better. We live in a society that is constantly trying to innovate and grow, but there is always fallout in growth

for growth’s sake. Perhaps the real innovation is to seek maintenance and sustainability. In what ways has growth become the wool over your eyes, and how can you reconnect to your roots and home life? As the ground shifts, can you strengthen your foundation?

CAPRICORN Dec. 22 - Jan. 19 Trust is something that takes time to earn and seconds to destroy.

This eclipse portends a situation or revelation that will have you questioning whom you trust. While this can certainly be unsettling, treat it as an awakening. People are trustworthy; it just might mean that more emphasis needs to be placed on communication and clarity. If bonds need to be broken, forge new ones.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20 - Feb. 18 Partnership is a continuous process of uncovering. We grow and change with the partners in our lives, whether they are romantic or platonic. In this eclipse season, you may learn something about a partner that feels like a major revelation, or your image of them may tarnish a bit. Can you treat this news with curiosity rather than defensiveness? What does it teach you about your personal values?

PISCES Feb. 19 - March 20 Habits form because of repeated action, and eventually they become automatic. We don’t even realize we are performing habits until something breaks the flow, like dropping a dish while washing it. This eclipse season will bring awareness to your unconscious habits and have you questioning whether they are serving you or not. Do your actions reflect who you are?

ARIES March 21 - April 19 The creative act is a conversation between you and the mysterious spirit of creativity. Ancient Greeks referred to a daimon, a personal inner voice that comes

GRIEVE YOUR HEROES

from elsewhere. That’s why the things we create are never really fully our own, and they can turn out in unexpected ways. This eclipse season may have you questioning what you’ve created and push you into retreat, but it is an opportunity to practice humility and get to know your personal daimon.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20 Home is a place and certain people, yes, but home is also an idea, and ideas can change. This eclipse season, you may find yourself questioning exactly what home is. You may look around and realize that home just doesn’t feel like home anymore. It’s perfectly fine to wander for a time. You will find the people and the places that let your soul rest.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20 Communication is central to living. How you communicate and how it is received are core to identity because we are social beings. This eclipse season may be a revelation that you haven’t been received the way you thought you were. Misunderstandings happen. How will you address them? You may find that you need to make some changes for your reputation’s sake.

CANCER June 21 - July 22 In our society, our values are typically tied to money in some way. We show our values in how we make money, how we spend money, and how we think of money. This eclipse season, you may realize that your values aren’t what they once were. Drastic change is sometimes necessary, so pay attention to the opportunities that present themselves. This can open up a whole new pattern of growth.

38

MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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MARATHON WEEKLY / AUGUST 13, 2026

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1

KEYS WEEKLY COMICS, LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / AUGUST 13, 2026

In The Bleachers

Brevity

Adam Dailies

NEWS OF THE WEIRD Facing the loss of federal grants for a program that studies marmots, a group of researchers from the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory has turned to an unusual source for financial support: an OnlyFans page called OnlyMarms, UPI reported on July 28. Professor Daniel Blumstein, the head of the program, says they will also continue to seek traditional funding sources. “[The OnlyMarms page is] going to be G-rated, and we’re not going to sexualize this,” Blumstein said. “We’re just going to have fun with sharing.” Masters student Emily Renkey runs the page. “Sometimes I’m just posting the videos I think will get the most ‘awws,’” she said. “But my favorite is when I find footage of a particular behavior and I can use that to educate people.” Fans of the page can leave tips to support the group’s research.

2

KEYS WEEKLY COMICS, LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / AUGUST 13, 2026

Nancy Dailies

TODAY’S SPORTS

In 1948, Baseball Hall of Famer Satchel Paige pitched his first complete game at age 42.

TODAY’S NUMBER

Brevity

305 - women who enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (women were allowed to enlist for office, clerical and secretarial duties) in 1918.

TODAY’S FACT

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Annie Oakley (1860-1926), sharpshooter; Alfred Hitchcock (18991980), film director; Ben Hogan (1912-1997), golfer; Fidel Castro (1926-2016), Cuban president; Don Ho (1930-2007), singer; Philippe Petit (1949- ), tightrope walker; Dan Fogelberg (1951-2007), singersongwriter; Paul Greengrass (1955- ), film director; John Slattery (1962- ), actor; Valerie Plame (1963- ), CIA agent/author; Shani Davis (1982- ), Olympic speedskater; Sebastian Stan (1982- ), actor; Devin and Jason McCourty (1987- ), football players.

Alfred Hitchcock never won an Academy Award for directing. When he was honored with the AcademyÕs Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1968, his speech was five words long: “Thank you, very much indeed.”

3

KEYS WEEKLY COMICS, LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / AUGUST 13, 2026

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KEYS WEEKLY COMICS, LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / AUGUST 13, 2026

TODAY’S HISTORY

• 2 teaspoons cumin • 1 teaspoon chili powder • 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained • 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped • salt to taste

What to do: 1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion, peppers and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent.

2. Stir in cumin and chili powder. Add beans and chopped cilantro. Season with salt as desired.

3. Heat through and serve. Serves 6 to 8.

7 Little Words for Kids Use the letters in the boxes to make a word with the same meaning as the clue. The numbers in parentheses represent the number of letters in the solution. Each letter combination can be used only once, but all letter combinations will be necessary to complete the puzzle.

1. vegetable on a cob (4) 2. allowed by law (5) 3. stomach area (7) 4. U.S. capital city (10) 5. dog with curly fur (6) 6. what you put on before shoes (5) 7. awe-inspiring (9)

HING

RN

PO

ABD

SOC OMEN WON

KS

LE

FUL

CO

DER ODLE GAL

TON

WAS

In 1521, Hernando Cortes captured the capital of the Aztec empire, Tenochtitlan (later Mexico City), after a three-month siege.

©2026 Blue Ox Technologies Ltd. Download the app on Apple and Amazon devices.

You’ll need: • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1/2 onion, chopped • 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped • 1 large jalapeño pepper, chopped • 2 garlic cloves, minced

* You’ll need an adult’s help with this recipe.

Mexican Pinto Beans

Answers: corn, legal, abdomen, Washington, poodle, socks, wonderful.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

David Cifaldi, 32, was hiking Granite Mountain in Montana on July 20 when he tripped over a rock and impaled himself with one of his hiking poles -- and managed to hike the 10 miles back with the pole through his side, the New York Times reported. Cifaldi, an ER nurse, assessed his wounds and determined that because there was no blood and that he could take deep breaths, he was in good enough shape to get himself to safety. One friend radioed ahead for help and walked ahead to warn other hikers -- especially those with children -- about the “gnarly” sight. The other friend walked behind him to watch for further signs of injury. The trek took about six and a half hours, and Cifaldi was in good enough spirits to joke around with his friends. They “starated making shish kebab jokes,” Cifaldi said.

“By the end, they were calling me ‘Bob’ on the way out.” He was cared for in Billings, at the very hospital where he works. Doctors there successfully removed the pole, but additional surgery could still be in Cifaldi’s future. “I’m not an amateur hiker,” he said, adding that this was “just a freak accident.”

In 1918, Opha May Johnson became the first woman to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps.

TODAY’S NUMBER

“Embrace your differences and the qualities about you that you think are weird. Eventually, they’re going to be the only things separating you from everyone else.”

— Sebastian Stan

In 1961, East German soldiers began constructing a barbedwire barrier between the eastern and western parts of Berlin.

5

KEYS WEEKLY COMICS, LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / AUGUST 13, 2026

Founded by Betty Debnam

Give Them Shelter

Mini Fact: Animal shelters take in many kinds of animals, including guinea pigs, lizards, ferrets and snakes.

What is a shelter?

Most shelters are places that care for animals for a short while. Few can care for animals for the rest of their natural lives.

Shelters care for the animals while workers search for good homes for them. They find homes for millions of animals every year.

Dogs and cats are the main animals in shelters. However, they also care for many other animals people have as pets. Sometimes wild animals end up in shelters, too.

What do shelters do?

Shelters take in abandoned or injured animals. Often they care for lost or stray dogs and cats until their owners claim them.

Animal control officers also rescue animals from situations where the animals are being treated cruelly. Animals that have been pets don’t do well on their own. Shelters look after these animals.

Shelters provide food, water, housing and medical care. Workers pet and play with the animals.

Spaying and neutering Experts say the most important thing

This mother cat and her three kittens are feral (FAIR-uhl), or wild.

They live by hunting.

photo by Chriss Haight Pagani

I

f you have a pet at home, there’s a good chance it came from an animal shelter.

Animal shelters care for millions of abandoned or injured dogs and cats each year. There are about 5,000 animal shelters in the United States.

people can do to help their pets is to get them spayed or neutered. This means the animals get an operation to be sure they can’t have kittens or puppies. They are asleep during the operation, so they aren’t scared or in pain.

Spaying and neutering are important because there are so many animals needing care and not enough homes or shelters for them.

One cat or dog can have many litters in its life.

Its kittens or puppies can have many litters, too.

This can end up creating thousands of new cats and dogs.

Good homes needed!

Unfortunately, shelters cannot care for all the hurt or abandoned animals that come through their doors. Experts say that from 6 to 8 million dogs and cats are brought into shelters in America each year. About half of those are euthanized (YOU-thuh-NIZD), or painlessly killed.

How to help If you see an animal you think is being mistreated, tell an adult you trust. Never approach a strange animal. Do not go onto someone else’s property. Tell a parent, a teacher or a police officer. Animal cruelty is illegal everywhere in America.

You can volunteer at a local shelter.

You can volunteer in person or do other things to help out the shelter workers.

You could: • Stuff envelopes for the shelter’s mailings.

• Collect and deliver items shelters need*, such as:

pet food and treats kitty litter washable toys first-aid supplies soft towels and blankets * Call your local shelter first to see which supplies they most need.

RESOURCES On the Web: • bit.ly/MPshelters At the library: • “Give Me Shelter: Turning Shelter Dogs and Cats Into Family Pets” by Yellow Duck Press • “Milton Makes a Move” by Jonathan Graziano

The Mini Page® © 2026 Andrews McMeel Syndication

FIND IT

Words that remind us of animal shelters are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:

ADOPT, ANIMAL, BLANKETS, CARE, CAT, DOG, FERAL, FOOD, HOME, LITTER, LOST, NEUTER, PET, SHELTER, SPAY, STRAY, TOWELS, TOYS, TREATS, VOLUNTEER, WATER.

L H C Z Z V A S U F

O A D O P T I G R S

S R L A R E F L E P

T S T E K N A L B Z Y Y Y A R T S N B W S R Z Z E L O L I F Q H S E L G S T I M P Q E L H E W O T A A T O L E O P T D D A L L W T W M V E N O K E M L E O E Z A T U O T R R R T O K R F O L F A T U E N X L H J Y O U C A Y L C A R E M S V C C

ECO NOTE Nearly a mile beneath the waters surrounding the Galápagos Islands, scientists encountered a tiny flash of blue unlike anything they had seen before. Barely the size of a golf ball, the newly discovered octopus emerged from one of the least explored environments on Earth — the dark, cold seafloor of the tropical Pacific Ocean.

Researchers described a sense of wonder as cameras captured the little creature moving across the ocean floor, its vivid blue body glowing against the darkness.

6

KEYS WEEKLY COMICS, LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / AUGUST 13, 2026

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES •

305.743.0844

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Bali Bar located at 325 Duval Street, Key West, FL 33040 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: The Key West Hotel LLC Publish: August 6 & 13, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

and other persons who have claims or demands against the decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with this court WITHIN THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. THE DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE IS: AUGUST 13, 2026.

Personal Representatives: JEFFRY A. BLUMENFELD 290 Laramie Blvd.

Boulder, CO 80304 jeff@blumenfeldpr.com ROBERT M. BLUMENFELD 12 Robin Hill Road Mount Kisco, NY 10549 bobby@blumenfeldgroup.com Attorney for Personal Representatives: JOHN MICHAEL LYNN, P.A. JOHN MICHAEL LYNN, ESQ. Florida Bar No. 0147273 7 Barracuda Lane Key Largo, Florida 33037 Telephone: (305) 367-0911 turnerlynnpa@gmail.com Publish: August 13 & 20, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CIVIL DIVISION CASE#: 44-2026-CA-000780-KW JUDGE: TIMOTHY J. KOENIG PINEAPPLE HOUSE LLC A DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, DAVID RICHARD STACK AND TREVA STACK, Plaintiff, Vs. ROBERT H. GIVENS, deceased, his unknown heirs, devisees, grantees, creditors, and all other parties claiming by, through, under or against the aforesaid parties; and all unknown natural persons, if alive, and if dead or not known be dead or alive, their several and respective unknown spouses, heirs, devisees, grantees, creditors, or other parties claiming by, through or under those unknown natural persons; and the several and respective unknown assigns, successors in interest, trustees or any other person claiming by, through, under or against any named defendant; and all claimants, persons or parties, natural or corporate, or whose exact legal status is unknown, claiming under any of the abovenamed or described defendants or parties or claiming to have any right, title or interest in and to the lands hereinafter described, Defendants.

NOTICE OF ACTION TO: ROBERT H. GIVENS, deceased, his unknown heirs, devisees, grantees, creditors, and all other parties claiming by, through, under and against the aforesaid parties; and all unknown natural persons, if alive, and if dead or not known to be dead or alive, his several and respective unknown spouses, heirs, devisees, grantees, creditors, or other parties claiming by, through, or under those unknown natural persons; and the several and respective unknown assigns, successors in interest, trustees or any other person claiming by, through, under or against any named defendant; and all claimants, persons or parties, natural or corporate, or whose exact legal status is unknown, claiming under any of the abovenamed or described defendants or parties or claiming to have any right, title or interest in and to the lands hereinafter described, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that a Complaint has been filed against you by the Plaintiff in the above-style court for the purpose of quieting title to the following described property situate and being in Monroe County, Florida: Parcel 1: The Northeasterly one-half (1/2) of the following described parcel of land: A parcel of land on the Island of Key West, being a part of Tract 5 according to William A. Whitehead's map delineated in February, A.D. 1829, said land being more particularly described as a part of Lot 7 of Block 2 of W.C. Maloney's Estate Subdivision according to Plat Book 1, Page 2 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida and being more particularly described by metes and bounds as follows: COMMENCE at the intersection of the Northeasterly Right-ofWay line of Elizabeth Street and the Southeasterly Right-of-Way line of Olivia Street and thence N76°09'56"E along the said Southeasterly Right-of-Way line of Olivia Street for a distance of 71.00 feet to the Northeasterly corner of the lands described in Official Records Book 3157, at Page 2228 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida, said point being the Point of Beginning of the parcel of land hereinafter described; thence continue N76°09'56"E along the said Southeasterly Right-of-Way line of Olivia Street for a distance of 3.00 feet to the Northwesterly corner of the lands described in Official Records Book 3179, at Page 968 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida; thence S13°50'04"E along the Southwesterly boundary line of the said lands described in Official Records Book 3179, at Page 968 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida, for a distance of 100.26 feet to the Southwesterly

corner of the said lands described in Official Records Book 3179, at Page 968 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida; thence S76°21'50"W for a distance of 3.00 feet to the Southeasterly corner of the lands described in Official Records Book 3157, at Page 2228 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida; thence N13°50'04"W along the Northeasterly boundary line of the said lands described in Official Records Book 3157, at Page 2228 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida, for a distance of 100.25 feet back to the Point of Beginning ("Parcel 1").

Parcel 2: The Southwesterly one-half (1/2) of the following described parcel of land: A parcel of land on the Island of Key West, being a part of Tract 5 according to William A. Whitehead's map delineated in February, A.D. 1829, said land being more particularly described as a part of Lot 7 of Block 2 of W.C. Maloney's Estate Subdivision according to Plat Book 1, Page 2 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida and being more particularly described by metes and bounds as follows: COMMENCE at the intersection of the Northeasterly Right-ofWay line of Elizabeth Street and the Southeasterly Right-of-Way line of Olivia Street and thence N76°09'56"E along the said Southeasterly Right-of-Way line of Olivia Street for a distance of 71.00 feet to the Northeasterly corner of the lands described in Official Records Book 3157, at Page 2228 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida, said point being the Point of Beginning of the parcel of land hereinafter described; thence continue N76°09'56"E along the said Southeasterly Right-of-Way line of Olivia Street for a distance of 3.00 feet to the Northwesterly corner of the lands described in Official Records Book 3179, at Page 968 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida; thence S13°50'04"E along the Southwesterly boundary line of the said lands described in Official Records Book 3179, at Page 968 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida, for a distance of 100.26 feet to the Southwesterly corner of the said lands described in Official Records Book 3179, at Page 968 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida; thence S76°21'50"W for a distance of 3.00 feet to the Southeasterly corner of the lands described in Official Records Book 3157, at Page 2228 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida; thence N13°50'04"W along the Northeasterly boundary line of the said lands described in Official Records Book 3157, at Page 2228 of the Public Records of Monroe County, Florida, for a distance of 100.25 feet back to the Point of Beginning YOU ARE REQUIRED to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on Richard J. McChesney, Esq., Spottswood, Spottswood, Spottswood, & Sterling, PLLC, Attorney for Plaintiff, whose address is 500 Fleming Street, Key West, FL 33040, on or before the following date: September 14th, 2026, and to file the original with the Clerk of the Court either before service on Plaintiff’s attorney or immediately thereafter, otherwise a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

WITNESS my hand and seal of this Court on 7TH day of August, 2026.

Kevin Madok, CPA as Clerk of the Court By: Britney Bethel as Deputy Clerk Publish: August 13, 20 & 27 and September 3, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

and NAJEE D. STITH, Respondent.

NOTICE OF ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE (NO CHILD OR FINANCIAL SUPPORT) TO: NAJEE D. STITH RESPONDENT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: UNKNOWN YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for dissolution of marriage has been filed against you and that you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to it on KASSANDRA MAE MANGUBAT, whose address is 3333 DUCK AVE, APT. G101, KEY WEST, FL 33040 on or before SEPTEMBER 10, 2026, and file the original with the clerk of this Court at 500 WHITEHEAD STREET, KEY WEST, FL 33040 before service on Petitioner or immediately thereafter. If you fail to do so, a default may be entered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

The action is asking the court to decide how the following real or personal property should be divided: NONE Copies of all court documents in this case, including orders, are available at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office. You may review these documents upon request.

You must keep the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office notified of your current address. (You may file Designation of Current Mailing and E-Mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915.) Future papers in this lawsuit will be mailed or e-mailed to the address(es) on record at the clerk’s office.

WARNING: Rule 12.285, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, requires certain automatic disclosure of documents and information. Failure to comply can result in sanctions, including dismissal or striking of pleadings.

Dated: August 4, 2026 Kevin Madok, CPA, Clerk Clerk of the Circuit Court Monroe County, Florida By: Britney Bethel Deputy Clerk Publish: August 13, 20 & 27 and September 3, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers

HIRING: Office Administrator in Marathon. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), experience with QuickBooks or other accounting software preferred and must have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. Full time – Mon-Fri. Pay TBD - based on skill.

Email: Natalie@cecflk.com

LOOKING FOR EXTRA CASH? Part-time help needed in Marathon & Lower Keys. Must be able to lift 50-70 lbs. Starting pay $22.25/hour.

Pay rate will rise at intervals. 305743-5555 catlabflkeys@gmail.com HIRED!!!

FICTITIOUS NAME NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned, desiring to engage in business under the fictitious name of Kar Bar located at 325 Duval Street, Key West, FL 33040 intends to register said name with the Florida Department of State, Tallahassee, Florida.

By: The Key West Hotel LLC Publish: August 6 & 13, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the vessel below will be sold at public sale on the date listed below at 10AM for monies owed for storage pursuant to Florida Statutes 328.17.

SALE DATE: August 28, 2026 at 10AM LOCATION: Caloosa Cove Marina, 73501 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, Florida 33036 VESSEL: 1986 Catalina Sailboat, HIN: CTN3361G586, Registration: FL5492GX BALANCE DUE: $9,257.04 OWNER: Michael Zutevez Caloosa Cove Marina reserves the right to accept or reject any and/ all bids.

Publish: August 13 & 20, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE EASY STORAGE NOTICE OF SEIZURE Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Florida Statutes 83.805/83.506, Easy Storage, 82990 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036 will sell or otherwise dispose of the personal contents of the following unit to satisfy the delinquent storage lien.

ALL CONTENTS IN: UNIT # 15C - Estate of Stephen Buzzell SALE: Thursday, August 25, 2026 at 10:00 A.M. LOCATION: EASY STORAGE 82990 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036 Terms of the sale will be cash only.

Easy Storage reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids.

Publish: August 6 & 13, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 26-CP-000404-P IN RE: ESTATE OF MARVIN A. BLUMENFELD Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of MARVIN A. BLUMENFELD, deceased, whose date of death was June 19, 2026; is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division; File Number 26-CP-000404-P; the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Plantation Key, FL 33070. The names and addresses of the personal representatives and the personal representatives’ attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, and who have been served a copy of this notice, must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION FILE NO.: 26-CP-000260-P IN RE: ESTATE OF DIANNE E. PARIDY Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS The administration of the estate of DIANNE E. PARIDY, deceased, whose date of death was April 18, 2026; is pending in the Circuit Court for Monroe County, Florida, Probate Division; File Number 26-CP-000260-P; the address of which is 88770 Overseas Highway, Suite 2, Plantation Key, FL 33070.

The names and addresses of the personal representative and the personal representative’s attorney are set forth below.

All creditors of the decedent and other persons having claims or demands against decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, and who have been served a copy of this notice, must file their claims with this court WITHIN THE LATER OF THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE OR THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SERVICE OF A COPY OF THIS NOTICE ON THEM. All other creditors of the decedent and other persons who have claims or demands against the decedent’s estate, including unmatured, contingent or unliquidated claims, must file their claims with this court WITHIN THREE (3) MONTHS AFTER THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE. ALL CLAIMS NOT SO FILED WILL BE FOREVER BARRED. NOTWITHSTANDING THE TIME PERIODS SET FORTH ABOVE, ANY CLAIM FILED TWO (2) YEARS OR MORE AFTER THE DECEDENT’S DATE OF DEATH IS BARRED. THE DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS NOTICE IS: AUGUST 6, 2026.

Personal Representative: JOHN MICHAEL LYNN 7 Barracuda Ln Key Largo, FL 33037 turnerlynnpa@gmail.com Attorney for Personal Representative: JOHN MICHAEL LYNN, ESQ. Florida Bar No. 0147273 7 Barracuda Lane Key Largo, Florida 33037 Telephone: (305) 367-0911 turnerlynnpa@gmail.com Publish: August 6 & 13, 2026 The Weekly Newspapers IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE SIXTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA CASE NO.: 26-DR-790-K KASSANDRA MAE MANGUBAT, Petitioner,

AUTOS WANTED AUTOS ALL YEARS! Junk or Used Cars, Vans, Trucks.

Runs or Not.$CASH 305-332-0483

BOAT SLIP/RACK FOR RENT Boat Slip &/or Rack For Rent in Marathon at The Boat House, Vaca Key. Call Tony 561-346-6400 PLACE YOUR BOAT SLIP FOR RENT AD HERE! $25/ week for up to 5 lines of copy!

Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@keysweek ly.com

HANDYMAN WANTED- Seeking a reliable handyman in Marathon for general home repairs & misc. maintenance items. This is a part time position and hours may vary. Must be dependable, expierenced, and have references.

Call 305-395-0478 Specialty Hardware of Marathon - Looking for full time or part time person. Hardware knowledge an absolute must. Must have knowledge of hardware, plumbing and electrical. Apply in person at 10730 Overseas Hwy. Marathon 1-305-743-3382 The Housing Authority of the City of Key West now hiring the following positions: Full-time Carpenter, Journeyman Electrician, Protective Service Aide, Grounds Caretaker, Custodian (Marathon).

To apply, please contact Human Resources at: greenel@kwha. org or 305-296-5621 ext. 225.

Applications are available at the Administrative Office located at 1400 Kennedy Dr., Key West, FL 33040 or online at www.kwha. org - EOE & Drug Free Work Place.

This opportunity is covered under Section 3 of the HUD Act of 1968.

Marathon Yacht Club is hiring a part-time dishwasher. Private club, evening shifts Tues-Saturday, 4-8 pm. Pay raise negotiable if you can also help with prep work. Must provide photo ID, social security card or passport, and checking account. Email o f f i c e @ m a r a t h o n y a c h t c l u b. com or call 305-743-6739 to schedule an interview.

Serve/Bartend on the ocean! The Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club is seeking a customer serviceoriented Server/Bartender.

Serve on pool deck, beach and/ or bar lounge. Open year round, 9:30am-7pm daily. Full time/Part time. Small friendly staff. Above average hourly wage plus tips.

Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-219-3359 and ask for Dave.

Hiring for busy pediatric office in Tavernier. Full-Time Medical Assistant - Pediatric experience preferred. Must multitask in fastpaced setting. Pay is commensurate with experience. Email resume to: flkeyspeds@gmail.com HIRED!!!

PLACE YOUR EMPLOYMENT AD HERE. $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy!

Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@keysweek ly.com

HOUSING FOR RENT ANNUAL RENTAL - Key Largo 3BR/2BA new kitchen, Spacious Doublewide modular on canal w/40’ dock, direct ocean access.

Very nice community $3500/ month 786-258-3127 2 BR / 1 BA for rent in Key Colony Beach. 800 Sq Ft, fully furnished, public beach access and tennis/pickleball courts nearby. 6 month min. $2,975/ month F/L/S 786-285-9476 LONG TERM RENTALS: EFFICIENCY, $1,400/month, 1 Bedroom $1,950/mo, 2 Bedroom $2,200 limited elect. included.

Located in Marathon. On the water, gated property. Section 8 possible.

First/Security Call 305-610-8002 3BR / 3BA fully furnished home for rent in Marathon available Aug-Dec 2026. $3,500/month. Call 618-559-9143 RENTED!!!

Studio Rental in Marathon, long-term, partially furnished, price includes internet, water, electric gas, garbage, pest, and lawn @ $1,800/mo + utilities.

Call or text 305-433-0515 RENTED!!!

PLACE YOUR HOUSING FOR RENT AD HERE! $25/ week for up to 5 lines of copy!

Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@keysweek ly.com

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Experienced FT Line Cook needed at the Cabana Club, an ocean front private swim club. 10AM - 5PM, Good Pay. Small friendly staff.

Apply in person at 425 E. Ocean Dr. Key Colony Beach or call 404-219-3359 and ask for Dave.

EMPLOYMENT

NOW HIRING: EXPANDED FUNCTIONS DENTAL ASSISTANT WHO IS DEDICATED TO CHILDREN'S CARE! Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children? Our Dental Center is looking for a Chairside Dental Assistant to join our dedicated team delivering Dental Care in the Florida Keys across multiple sites.

Candidate must have dental experience and being bi-lingual is a plus.

This isn’t just a job—it’s a promise to our Kids. You’ll work hands-on with children who may otherwise go without essential dental treatment. Services are delivered at multiple school and office sites countywide. This program brings high-quality, accessible care directly to patients who need it most.

• Position is in the Florida Keys, full Time (4 days per week) • Competitive hourly wage + health insurance + travel pay • Work with compassionate professionals in a supportive team Send your resume to michael@keysahec.org

7

KEYS WEEKLY COMICS, LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / AUGUST 13, 2026

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES 305.743.0844 • CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES • •305.743.0844 LOT FOR SALE

WANTED TO BUY

Lot with active permits. Stilts in place. Save money, time, hassles with this private (Hammocks behind, no rear neighbors, ocean beyond) lot cleared, electric, walk to Harry Harris, boat ramp, beach.

186 Dove Creek Drive, Tavernier. $350,000 OBO Owner/Agent 305-933-9594 Contigius lot avail.

PRIVATE COLLECTOR WANTS Rolex, Dive Watches and Pilot Watches. Old Model Military Clocks & Watches.

Call 305-743-4578

MISC. FOR SALE Scooter For Sale - excellent condition, 7,541 miles, all service records, individually owned. $800 OBO. Located in Key West.

Call Denny 305-294-5568

PUPPIES FOR SALE

TURN YOUR CARDS INTO CASH! Marathon collector buying any and all Pokemon cards & collections.

Call 401-256-0645.

YARD SALES PLACE YOUR YARD SALE AD HERE! $25/week for up to 5 lines of copy! Call 305-743-0844 or Email Anneke@keysweek ly.com

NOW HIRING IN ISLAMORADA

BOAT RENTAL STAFF

FLEXIBLE HOURS & COMPETITIVE WAGES Need to have experience driving boats and a working knowledge of the Islamorada area by water.

Duties include taking reservations, giving captains lessons and routine boat maintenance.

Email Matt at eliteboatrentalsmatt@gmail.com.

Please include contact information and any relevant experience.

MOM & DAD HAD BABIES! German Shepards For Sale. Avail. in September w/health certificate.

Duck Key resident. Call Glenn at 305-481-1316 or Email glenn.3232@yahoo.com

WE’RE HIRING

PIZZA MAKERS, PREP & CASHIERS NEW KEY LARGO LOCATION – OPENING SOON: PIZZA MAKERS* PREP & CASHIERS MARATHON: PIZZA MAKERS* *Pizza maker experience is a must.

For all positions, applicant must be self-motivated, quick learner and team player. Salary includes 401k match up to 6% and negotiable based on experience.

Please call Nicole at 305-433-0515 or email nicole@themoongroupfl.com

NOW HIRING IN ISLAMORADA

MARINA CASHIER Must have customer service experience working in a retail environment and using a point of sale system. Additional duties include restocking, completing purchase orders, daily ordering of basic items in the store, and maintaining a clean appearance in the store. This is an hourly position and compensation is based on experience. Work hours are flexible and we try to maintain a set weekly schedule.

Please respond by email (Matt at islamarinamatt@gmail.com) with any relevant previous experience and at least two references.

Keys Energy Services, in Key West, Florida, is accepting applications for the following position in its Transmission & Distribution Department:

SUBSTATION ELECTRICIAN

(High Voltage Substation Electrical Technician)

3

A Great Place to Bank, is a Great Place to WORK!

Starting pay rate for this position, depending on qualifications and experience: $48.47/hr. - $54.28/hr.

For more information, including job duties and required qualifications, and to apply for the job, please visit their website at www.KeysEnergy.com.

KEYS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

KEYS promotes a Drug-Free Workplace.

Key West Full Time Teller

Certain service members, veterans, the spouses and family members of service members and veterans, receive preference and priority in employment, and are encouraged to apply for positions being filled.

Islamorada Assistant Branch Operations Manager

MARATHON GARBAGE SERVICE

Apply Online @

We are now hiring for the following positions:

KeysBank.com/Careers

Diesel Mechanic Truck Helpers CDL Drivers Applicants must apply in person to be considered.

4290 Overseas Hwy, Marathon

NOW HIRING CDL DRIVER WITH HAZMAT ENDORSEMENT

Please apply at Charley Toppino & Sons, 129 Toppino Industrial Drive, Rockland Key ask for Cheryl, 305-296-5606 ext 126

NOW HIRING! wants you to join their team!

RETAIL GIFT SHOP ASSOCIATE Full-time. $19/hour to start.

EMAIL resume to: TurtleHospital@TurtleHospital.org APPLY in person: 2396 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL

SUNSET GRILLE NOW HIRING BARTENDERS WAIT STAFF - HOST/HOSTESS BUS PERSONS Apply in person at

SUNSET GRILLE & RAW BAR 7 Knight’s Key Blvd, Marathon

NOW HIRING • DIVE INSTRUCTOR Pay: $160.00 per day Guaranteed Pay + Tips + Commission.

Affordable employee housing available.

• TOUCH TANK ATTENDANT • GUEST SERVICES Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

EOE-M/F/V/D

Call 305-407-3262 or email info@floridakeysaquariumencounters.com 11710 OVERSEAS HWY, MARATHON

8

KEYS WEEKLY COMICS, LEGALS & CLASSIFIEDS / AUGUST 13, 2026

• CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC && LEGAL NOTICES • • 305.743.0844 • CLASSIFIEDS, PUBLIC LEGAL NOTICES 305.743.0844

D'Asign Source is seeking the following professionals.

Overtime and benefits are available.

Home Décor Sales Consultant Customer-focused sales professional with experience in retail or customer service.

Creativity and interest in home décor a must. Help customers discover pieces that turn everyday spaces into something special.

Kitchen Design Specialist Individual who brings creativity, functionality, and style together in kitchen and bath design.

Design kitchens that become the heart of the home.

For complete details and to apply, please visit DAsignSource.com/careers

The Guidance/Care Center, Inc. a division of “Uplifting the human spirit since 1973”

THE GUIDANCE/CARE CENTER, Inc.

IS HIRING!

JOIN A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE NONPROFIT HELPING PEOPLE COPE AND CHANGE FOR 53 YEARS! We provide Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs to the Florida Keys community while valuing and rewarding our employees.

KEY LARGO

Behavioral Health Counselor (CAT) Case Manager (Adult) Mental Health Technician

KEY WEST

Case Manager (Children) Crisis Counselor Behavioral Health Counselor (Children) Behavioral Health Therapist (Children) (FT)

MARATHON

Driver (CDL NOT required) (FT, PT) Registered Nurse (PT) Behavioral Health Therapist (Adult, PT) *Support Worker (Assisted Living) (FT, PT) *Behavioral Health Technicians (FT, PT) *No experience required for this position. Will train.

A caring heart & helpful hands necessary.

Background and drug screen req. EEOC/DFWP COMPETITIVE PAY! EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS!!!

Apply at guidancecarecenter.org - Get Involved/ Join our team/Job Opportunities/location/zip

OPENINGS AVAILABLE PHYSICIAN PRACTICE OPENINGS

- Medical Assistant, Ortho-Tavernier, $5k Bonus - Medical Assistant, Primary Care Marathon, $5k Bonus - Medical Assistant, Cardiology, Upper Keys, $5k Bonus - Medical Assistant, Ortho, Key West, $5k Bonus - Radiology Technologist, Ortho Surgical, Key West, $25k Bonus

MIAMI CANCER INSTITUTE KEY WEST - Director Nursing Services, Operations Support Key West, $5k Bonus - Medical Assistant, Outpatient Procedures, $5k Bonus - Patient Access Scheduler, Operations Support Key West, $5k Bonus - Pool Radiation Therapist

TAVERNIER MARINERS HOSPITAL

- Chaplain, Chaplaincy Spiritual Care, Per Diem - Clinical Partner, Multispecialty Acute Care Center, $3k Bonus - Clinical Pharmacist, $5k Bonus - Customer Service & Membership Coordinator, Mariners Wellness Center - Exercise Assistant, Mariners Wellness Center, Per Diem - Exercise Physiologist, Per Diem - MC Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, CT Scan, $50k Bonus - Mechanic, FT, 7A-3:30P - Medical Staff Coordinator, Mariners Hospital, FT - Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, Echocardiography, Per Diem - Multi-Modality Imaging Tech, (CT & X Ray), $25k Bonus - Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 2, (Echo & Vascular w/Ultrasound Preferred), $25k Bonus - Pharmacy Technician, Mariners Hospital, $4k Bonus - Pool Clinical Pharmacist, Per Diem - Pool Group Exercise Instructor, Per Diem - Pool Medical Technologist - Registered Nurse, Multispecialty Acute Care, $25k Bonus - Registered Nurse, ICU, $15k Bonus - Registered Nurse, Surgery, $15k Bonus - Supervisor Chef, Dietary

MARATHON FISHERMEN’S COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

- Cook, Dietary, PT - Multi-Modality Imaging Tech 1, (CT & X Ray), Radiology, $25k Bonus - Phlebotomist, Laboratory, Per Diem, 7A-3:30P - Pool Physical Therapist, Per Diem - Registered Nurse, Emergency Department, Per Diem - Registered Nurse, Multispecialty Acute Care Center, Various Shifts & Statuses - Registered Nurse, Surgery, $15k Bonus - Registered Respiratory Therapist, $25k Bonus - Registered Respiratory Therapist, PT, $12,500 Bonus - Security Officer, FT, 7A-7:30P - Security Officer, Per Diem All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. *Sign-on bonuses are available only for select full-time positions based on candidate experience.

APPLY AND LEARN MORE careers.baptisthealth.net

THEME: BACK TO SCHOOL ACROSS 1. Eye affliction 5. Mowgli to Raksha in “The Jungle Book” 8. Cured pork product, pl.

12. *Every lap you run in gym class completes one 13. Ripped 14. Throw up 15. Mythological ship 16. Agitate 17. Like worthless promise 18. *”Go to the ____’s office” 20. Hatchling’s home 21. Wasted on the young?

22. “Amazing!”

23. *____ Core, academic standards 26. *”Rock N’Roll High School” band 30. Be obliged 31. Orange ____ tea, pl.

34. Of low density 35. Earthenware pots 37. Farm layer 38. Bagpipes sound, in Scotland 39. Vessel’s “spine” 40. “Mary, Mary quite contrary” place 42. Radio knob, abbr.

43. Blended family family member 45. Trotters 47. Owned 48. San Diego baseballer 50. Castle defense 52. *a.k.a. lunch room 56. “____ little cubby all stuffed with fluff” 57. Knight’s breastplate 58. Bit of smoke 59. Willow twig 60. Pub arrow 61. Popular street-lining trees 62. Post-deductions amount 63. Opposite of WSW 64. Somebody ____

DOWN 1. Dueler’s blow 2. Unit of pressure 3. Jellystone Park denizen 4. Amerigo to America 5. *Plagiarize, technically speaking 6. Heep of “David Copperfield” 7. *School signaling device 8. *Unwelcome load 9. Current unit, pl.

10. Catcher’s catcher 11. Chester White’s home 13. Three in one 14. Animal toxin 19. Poultry houses 22. “It ____ a dark and stormy night...”

23. Too many in the kitchen?

24. Baby owl 25. Free-for-all 26. Tear 27. Lacking guile 28. Baseball fielding mistake 29. “She ____ sea shells...”

32. *____ Academy, online study aid 33. “____ the land of the free...”

36. *Reading building blocks 38. Stall call 40. *Character in Greek Mythology reading assignment 41. Firstborn 44. Nymph chaser 46. Diminutive 48. Like nature worshipping, e.g.

49. Flamb 50. Dante’s Beatrice, e.g.

51. Passing mention 52. Relinquish 53. Small brook 54. Doctrines 55. Part of church 56. *Unit in measurement and weight math lessons