Monroe County

With a measuring tape and waterproof notepad in hand, genealogist Shellie Baxter swims around a shipwreck embedded into the ocean’s floor in the Florida Keys. The water is warmer than the San Diego shores she’s used to, but this is still her most challenging dive yet – she is learning how to document slave shipwrecks.

Coral scientists and nursery operators are taking steps to protect fragile coral as water temperatures rise.

Kevin Renly, a former San Diego resident who now operates Southernmost Bees in the Florida Keys, secured the victory on his third attempt at the title, devouring a full 9-inch pie in less than a minute (59.60 seconds to be exact).

If passed, the state's mosquito control districts that rely on ad valorem taxes could lose a third of their funding, according to the Florida Mosquito Control Association.

A proposed Florida constitutional amendment aimed at slashing property taxes could offer immediate relief to homeowners, but county property appraisers are warning it will spark a major financial challenge for local governments and alter how public services are funded.

Key West is this week celebrating the LGBTQ+ community “with a little bit more passion” — as it hosts its last Pride festival to be aided by public funding before a DEI ban kicks in.

Monroe County Mayor Michelle Lincoln sent a letter Friday to members of the Florida Legislature expressing deep concerns over the proposed bill, known as SJR 2-F, just ahead of the start of Monday's special legislative session in Tallahassee.

Registration is open for the 2026 Florida Python Challenge, a 10-day competition that offers participants a shot at $25,000 in prizes for removing invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades. The event runs from July 10 through July 19.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said a looming El Niño weather pattern could help produce a below average season, but warned uncertainty about the forecast put the odds for a slow season at just 55%.

By mid-April the seaweed, which looks a lot like a watery sweet potato casserole with the brown, crusty topping, had spread across the entire Caribbean Sea, with substantial amounts pushing into the Gulf. Huge amounts washed up along many Caribbean shorelines in what USF researchers call "beaching events" in the bulletins issued at the end of every month.

“I am monitoring the situation, but I have not been contacted by any government agency and I don’t believe there is any reason to be concerned,” said the Monroe County sheriff in a statement.

Union leaders, citing local rents now averaging more than $3,100 per month, said the economic pressures facing South Florida families have reached a tipping point.