Mourning Jimmy, joyfully; KWV goes on hiatus - Weekly briefing - 04 September 2023

Human-curated Florida Keys news, all in one place. 

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(Beloved beta editions readers of  Key West Voices: We are most grateful for your candid feedback as we continue to shape and tune the KWV concept of 'human-curated Florida Keys News, all in one place.' While much work remains to be done, we hope you'll agree we've established a solid foundation for growth. Because of personal plans made before KWV was conceived, we now go on hiatus until the issue to be published on 31 October. Soon thereafter, we plan to begin promoting free subscriptions, and aim to have hundreds of readers before year end. Thanks, again.)  

   

Our Community

Keys favorite son and international icon Jimmy Buffet died 1 September at 76 in his home in Sag Harbor, Long Island, New York, from a rare form of skin cancer. (Facebook, USA Today).  

• National, international, and industry news outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, BBC, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, France 24, Variety, Yahoo News Canada, and many others quickly echoed the news worldwide. Coverage by the Associated Press was carried in publications nationwide.  
• Local and regional news outlets, including The Citizen, Keys Weekly, FLKeysNews, Tampa Bay Times , Local10 Miami, and many others offered more personal remembrances. An avalanche of local coverage continued all weekend.   
• Local reporter, national reach. Key West's own Nancy Klingener quickly penned a timely and heartfelt capsule of local reaction for the New York Times. 
• One Key West resident echoed the sentiments of many. "Many of you know that Jimmy Buffett is directly responsible for this current chapter of my life. His songs got me though high highs, and the lowest of lows, and he is the original reason I came to Key West the first time. I am proud to say I remain a diehard Parrothead, and have raised two Parakeets." Dozens of similar remembrances from others local and afar continued on Sunday. (Facebook) 
• Married 45 years. Yahoo!entertainment ran a brief, yet intimate glimpse of Buffett's wife of 45 years, Jane Slagsvol. (Yahoo!entertainment) 
• Second line for Jimmy. An estimated 2,500 people marched in a second line parade beginning at 5 o'clock (naturally) Sunday afternoon on Duval. CBS 4 Miami streamed coverage live, and social media was flooded with photos (below).
• Margaritaville was at first a Mom and Pop Shop in Key West. Robin Smith-Martin reposted the history of his family's role in launching the Margaritaville empire. (Our Key West) 
• Jimmy's style. The Washington Post noted Buffett's influence on casual style for men. (Washington Post).
• Timely premiere. A new short film in which Tom McGuane and Jimmy Buffett recall the 1970s Key West literary scene was scheduled to premiere at the Telluride Film Festival before Buffett's death was announced. (Variety)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

In other news...

Keep an eye out: new storm brewing? The National Hurricane Center is closely watching the development of a potential tropical storm in the mid-Atlantic that may be on track for us. (Weather.com)

Idalia's impact in the Keys was mostly confined to storm surge and tidal flooding. The hurricane made landfall Wednesday in Keaton Beach, Florida, as a powerful Category 3 storm. 

• Snub. DeSantis snubbed Biden as president toured Hurricane Idalia damage in Florida. (Guardian)

Even more passengers for constrained EYW. United Airlines announced additional routes and larger planes to begin service at Key West International Airport beginning in November, well before the expansion project there is set to be completed. (Keys Weekly)

• Congressional victory lap for airport repair. U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez, R-Fla, toured EYW after successfully lobbying for emergency repairs to a critical safety feature of the airport's single runway.  (Keys Weekly)

Court consolidation opposed. Local political and law enforcement leaders spoke out against the plan to consolidate Florida's circuit court districts. (Keys Weekly)

• A full-on howl. Linda Cunningham didn't mince words. "...opposition has grown from a handful of raised eyebrows to a full-on howl from an alliance of folks who might not have given each other the political time of day in, say, May." (Key West Island News) 
• Poorly designed survey. The state's Judicial Circuit Assessment Committee extended its deadline to complete a slanted, amateurish, and tedious survey that pays lip service to public input to 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 4. Locals were encouraged to complete it anyway.
• Public Zoom meeting. The Judicial Circuit Assessment Committee will hold a meeting on Friday, September 15, 2023, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM (ET). The meeting will be accessible virtually through Zoom.   

Former police chief challenges proposed deputy chief job. Former KWPD chief Donie Lee stated his professional opinion that a proposed new position is not needed. (Keys Weekly)

Small pond. Mark Hedden met his target of ten unique bird species at the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden's Desbiens Pond  (Keys Weekly)

Our Eyes

• ROB O'NEAL / Keys Citizen
  
  

• ROB O'NEAL / Facebook
  

Previously in Key West Voices

Jacksonville shooting. A 52-year-old woman who was born and raised in Key West was one of three Black people fatally shot Saturday at a Dollar General Store in Jacksonville, Florida, by a white man on a racist rampage. The shooter killed himself at the scene. (Keys Weekly)

• Unwelcome. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was booed at a vigil for the victims. (NPR)
• White House statement. President Joe Biden said that "white supremacy has no place in America." (whitehouse.gov)

Brown water. Summerland and Cudjoe residents shared photos and water quality concerns for large stretches of Niles and Bow channels. (Citizen)

Court consolidation.

• A plan to consolidate Florida judicial circuits drew widespread concerns. (WFTV)
• Florida’s Supreme Court chief justice convened a committee to hear input. About 50 speakers all told the committee some version of “please don’t do it.” Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward opposed the plan. (local10.com)
• Monroe County leaders mobilized in opposition. (Citizen)

Failing grade. The Keys again received a failing grade for the carrying capacity on U.S. 1, which could result in a prohibition on new commercial development. Coupled with the recent FKAA water main line breaks and reduced water pressure into the Florida Keys, Last Stand said that the travel study is another example that the chain of islands has reached its carrying capacity. (Citizen)

• Water rate increase? The City of Key West included a notice in monthly water bills advising rate-payers of a proposed 3% increase in water rates. This follows a reduction in system-wide water pressure necessitated following a series of water main breaks earlier this year. A public hearing will be held at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall on 7 September. (Not yet officially posted)

A FIRM no. Thanks in part to lobbying by Monroe County advocate Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe (FIRM), the state blocked Citizens' latest property insurance rate increase. (Citizen)

Rick Worth recovering. Well-known and widely-appreciated Key West artist Rick Worth was recovering from a 13 August stroke. Locals raised money to help him out. (Keys Weekly)

Drag queen running for House District 120. Michael Travis, who performs as “Erika Rose” in Key West, filed to challenge Republican incumbent, Rep. Jim Mooney in Monroe County’s House District 120. (Florida Politics)

Confiscated. A Florida prison confiscated a copy of the Key West Citizen because in included a feature that "may be used to create coded messages indecipherable by staff.”

Compelling census data. Linda Cunningham gleaned compelling facts about the Keys from U.S. Census data and lamented the trends they revealed. (Key West Island News)

Bee careful. A swarm of angry bees was unleashed after a bad decision by a resident near the Triangle intersection. Nearby hotels were evacuated. (Keys Weekly)

Driveway moments. Mark Hedden wrote about panic-inducing white-crowned pigeons. (Keys Weekly)

 

Hurricane Idalia update... plus - Weekly briefing - 29 August 2023

Human-curated Florida Keys news, all in one place. 

Subscribe to Key West Voices for free. See something that should be in Voices? Send us an email with a link.

Hurricane Idalia

Idalia intensified to a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. Frequent updates are being issued by the National Hurricane Center. You should always make decisions based on current official forecasts, not static information or word of mouth. Here are key messages as of Tuesday morning:

FOR THE LATEST AS OF 4:00 A.M. EDT TUESDAY, CLICK HERE. 

BULLETIN
Hurricane Idalia Advisory Number  11
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL       AL102023
400 AM CDT Tue Aug 29 2023

...IDALIA NOW A HURRICANE...
...EXPECTED TO RAPIDLY INTENSIFY INTO AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MAJOR
HURRICANE BEFORE LANDFALL ON WEDNESDAY..
SUMMARY OF 400 AM CDT...0900 UTC...INFORMATION
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...
* Lower Florida Keys west of the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge.

Monday

• Keys schools, government offices remain open. Florida Keys schools and government offices will remain open on Tuesday, Aug. 29, but a tropical storm warning remains in place for the Dry Tortugas area and a tropical storm watch for the Lower Florida Keys. (Citizen)
• No evacuation orders. The Keys were under a tropical storm watch on Monday. Impacts may include flash flooding due to rain and storm surge, amplified by king tides happening as the storm passes. 
• Storm briefing. National Weather Service meteorologist Jon Rizzo briefed Keys governments, schools, law enforcement and hospital officials on Tropical Storm Idalia on Monday morning. The hurricane is expected to pass at least 300 miles to the west of Key West. A "messy rain squall" on the east side of the tropical storm will bring an estimated 1 to 3 inches of rain, with the possibility of higher amounts in isolated areas. (Citizen)
• Florida-wide impact. Per the National Weather Service, "there is a danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation along portions of the Florida Gulf Coast where a Storm Surge Warning is in effect, including Tampa Bay and the Big Bend region of  Florida. Inundation of 7 to 11 feet above ground level is expected somewhere between Chassahowitzka and Aucilla River. 

Our Community - Weekly briefing

Jacksonville shooting. A 52-year-old woman who was born and raised in Key West was one of three Black people fatally shot Saturday at a Dollar General Store in Jacksonville, Florida, by a white man on a racist rampage. The shooter killed himself at the scene. (Keys Weekly)

• Unwelcome. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was booed at a vigil for the victims. (NPR)
• White House statement. President Joe Biden said that "white supremacy has no place in America." (whitehouse.gov)

Brown water. Summerland and Cudjoe residents shared photos and water quality concerns for large stretches of Niles and Bow channels. (Citizen)

Court consolidation.

• A plan to consolidate Florida judicial circuits drew widespread concerns. (WFTV)
• Florida’s Supreme Court chief justice convened a committee to hear input. About 50 speakers all told the committee some version of “please don’t do it.” Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward opposed the plan. (local10.com)
• Monroe County leaders mobilized in opposition. (Citizen)

Failing grade. The Keys again received a failing grade for the carrying capacity on U.S. 1, which could result in a prohibition on new commercial development. Coupled with the recent FKAA water main line breaks and reduced water pressure into the Florida Keys, Last Stand said that the travel study is another example that the chain of islands has reached its carrying capacity. (Citizen)

• Water rate increase? The City of Key West included a notice in monthly water bills advising rate-payers of a proposed 3% increase in water rates. This follows a reduction in system-wide water pressure necessitated following a series of water main breaks earlier this year. A public hearing will be held at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall on 7 September. (Not yet officially posted)

A FIRM no. Thanks in part to lobbying by Monroe County advocate Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe (FIRM), the state blocked Citizens' latest property insurance rate increase. (Citizen)

Rick Worth recovering. Well-known and widely-appreciated Key West artist Rick Worth was recovering from a 13 August stroke. Locals raised money to help him out. (Keys Weekly)

Drag queen running for House District 120. Michael Travis, who performs as “Erika Rose” in Key West, filed to challenge Republican incumbent, Rep. Jim Mooney in Monroe County’s House District 120. (Florida Politics)

Confiscated. A Florida prison confiscated a copy of the Key West Citizen because in included a feature that "may be used to create coded messages indecipherable by staff.”

Compelling census data. Linda Cunningham gleaned compelling facts about the Keys from U.S. Census data and lamented the trends they revealed. (Key West Island News)

Bee careful. A swarm of angry bees was unleashed after a bad decision by a resident near the Triangle intersection. Nearby hotels were evacuated. (Keys Weekly)

Driveway moments. Mark Hedden wrote about panic-inducing white-crowned pigeons. (Keys Weekly)

Our Eyes

‘Self Portrait’ by Rick Worth. JAG GALLERY/Contributed

Previously in Key West Voices

Capacities Constrained 

• US 1 gets a D. Monroe County issued a press release with draft results of the U.S. 1 arterial travel study. This could mean that the County may limit certain new development. Expect further reporting on this issue this week. (Keys Weekly) 
  
• Not if, but when. Linda Cunningham noted the striking similarities between Lahaina and Key West and that the tragic fire in Hawai'i could be repeated in Key West.  Recent reductions in water pressure by FKAA could adversely affect firefighting, and the Key West Fire Department's Class 1 rating, which may result in higher insurance costs. FKAA's CEO had not yet responded to some critical questions. (Key West Island News)
  
• Cautionary tale. Ahead of Biden's visit to the devastation in Hawai'i, the New York Times questioned government entities' role in disaster preparations. (New York Times) 

Violations. Monroe County reported in a press release that more than 1,900 structures in unincorporated Monroe County may not comply with FEMA standards for downstairs enclosures, and submitted a plan of action to research the structures to determine if violations exist. Insurance rates countywide could be adversely impacted. (Keys Weekly)

Aldi Winns. The German supermarket chain Aldi purchased Winn-Dixie as part of a 400-store deal expected to close in early 2024. The branding of some stores may be retained, but the fate of Keys Winn-Dixie stores has not yet been announced. (New York Times, Miami Herald)

Voter registration. The Monroe County Supervisor of Elections reached out to voters to remind them to check their vote-by-mail (VBM) registration. Previously, a VBM request was good for two federal elections, but under state law passed after the 2020 election, all requests expired in December 2022 and new ones must be made for each election cycle. Visit the supervisor's web site to be sure you can vote by mail next year. (Citizen)

Prothonotary. Mark Hedden taught us about a lovely yellow warbler after seeing a few at the Botanical Garden, including how to pronounce its name. (Keys Weekly)