MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County, in partnership with SoilMate Composting and sponsored by Baptist Health South Florida, has extended its Upper Keys Food Waste Collection Pilot through Feb. 27, thanks to a generous donation from a local resident.

The pilot project allows residents to divert food scraps from landfills and turn them into nutrient-rich compost. The extension provides additional weeks for participants to continue dropping off food waste at designated sites as Monroe County evaluates long-term options to reduce landfill use and help address South Florida’s regional waste challenges.

Residents must register to participate and may drop off food waste free of charge at any of the following Upper Keys locations:

• Ocean Studies Charter School – 11-27 Rock Harbor Drive, Key Largo (behind playground)
• Atlantic Trash and Transfer – 300 Atlantic Drive, Key Largo
• Coral Isles Church – 90001 Overseas Highway, Tavernier (behind fellowship hall)

Biodegradable bags are available at all locations. Only food scraps will be accepted; no yard waste, paper products, unapproved compostable bags, or plastics should be placed in the bin.

“This program gives residents a simple, convenient way to be part of a solution,” said Monroe County Recycling Coordinator Melody Tuschel. “Every pound of food waste diverted is one less pound ending up in the landfill.”

Residents can register at www.your-soilmate.com/pages/monroe. After attending a brief education session, an access code is given for the drop-off sites.

MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County is hosting two community workshops to discuss proposed regulations relating to food trucks (mobile food-dispensing vehicles) that operate at a fixed location for more than six months.

Workshop Details:

• Key Largo: Murray Nelson Government Center: Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m.
• Stock Island: Bernstein Park Conference Room: Friday, Feb. 27 at 5:30 p.m.

In July 2025, the Board of County Commissioners directed the Planning and Environmental Resources Department to proceed with an amendment to the county’s Land Development Code to create specific regulations pertaining to food trucks. The goal of these workshops is to gain insight from community members into the impacts of each proposed regulation. The workshops are open to the public. Residents, food truck vendors, business owners, and anyone interested in the process are invited to attend. There will be additional opportunities to discuss the proposed regulations at public meetings once the proposals are ready to move through the county text amendment process.

Staff have also prepared an online survey regarding food trucks in unincorporated Monroe County. The survey should take about 7 minutes to complete and will close on March 6.  Survey link: www.surveymonkey.com/r/mcfoodtruck

For information on the current regulations related to food truck uses within unincorporated Monroe County, visit www.monroecounty-fl.gov/181. For additional questions, email [email protected] and [email protected].

This Valentine’s Day, join the History of Diving Museum for guided tours of the exhibits at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Come learn about famous underwater photographer couple Hans and Lotte Hass, and how local couple Drs. Joe and Sally Bauer created the Museum over 40 years of passionate collecting and research. Take advantage of the Museum’s buy one get one free admission promotion, which is valid only for Saturday, February 14th. Be sure to mention the Valentine’s Day promotion at the door to claim your free ticket.
 
On Wednesday, February 18th at 7 p.m. events continue with the Museum’s monthly free Immerse Yourself program. Join author and shipwreck expert John Christopher Fine as he takes us through the fascinating tale of the SS Springfjord. John is a Master Scuba Instructor and author who has dived on shipwrecks all over the world. His bibliography includes Treasures of the Spanish Main: Shipwrecked Galleons in the New World and Lost on the Ocean Floor: Diving the World's Ghost Ships. He has also written extensively on ocean pollution, and is the liaison officer of the United Nations Environment Programme and the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. John is a fellow of the Explorers Club and a member of the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences.
 
In this presentation, John will take us through the story of the SS Springfjord, a ship sunk by the CIA as part of a coup designed to overthrow the elected government of Guatemala. The program will also cover the destruction of a protected biosphere by organized criminals to steal jadeite, the most valuable gemstone in the world found now only in quantity in Guatemala.
 
The History of Diving Museum will have extended hours on Immerse Yourself night, with the last admission at 6:45 p.m. The free presentation with John Fine will begin promptly at 7 p.m.
 
If you are interested in attending the Immerse Yourself lecture either in-person or online via Zoom, visit divingmuseum.org to register. This session will also be recorded and posted to the HDM YouTube channel. The Museum would like to thank this month's sponsors: EZ Storage and the Newton Family.
 
 The History of Diving Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit located in Islamorada (MM83). Divers and non-divers alike are amazed by over 5,000 years of “the quest to explore under the sea.” The Museum has 14 core exhibits plus two annual limited-time Featured Exhibits as well as a Museum Store with unique gifts. Check out DivingMuseum.org for more details, to become a member or shop online.

Key West, FL — The Key West Artisan Market continues its 2026 season on Sunday, February 15, from 10 am to 2 pm at Indigenous Park at Higgs Beach with the It’s For the Birds Edition, featuring the Key West Wildlife Center. This Market shares space with the Center and invites locals and visitors to shop local while learning more about the vital work being done to care for injured and orphaned wild birds and native wildlife in the Florida Keys.

At the Artisan Market, guests are invited to experience a thoughtfully designed open-air showcase featuring fine crafts and art by accomplished Florida Keys makers, elevated food and libations, and sweeping ocean views. The market offers an inspired mix of handcrafted jewelry, original artwork spanning acrylics, watercolor, papercuts, ceramics, and turned wood, bespoke home décor, carefully selected apparel and textiles, artisan breads and cheeses, fresh seasonal produce, local seafood and premium butcher selections, slow-smoked barbecue, indulgent desserts, and authentic global flavors from the Mediterranean, France, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and the Caribbean. Great Events Catering offers a full-service bar featuring handcrafted, next-level Bloody Marys and mimosas, while guests may also enjoy fresh-brewed coffee, nitrogen-infused teas, pressed fruit juices, artisanal ice cream, and tropically flavored boozy popsicles.

This market puts the focus on the Key West Wildlife Center and its ongoing efforts to protect and rehabilitate local wildlife. Representatives will be onsite promoting their upcoming fundraiser at West Martello Tower, with tickets available for purchase during the Market, as well as offering tours of the Wildlife Center by donation and selling branded merchandise to support their work.

Keys Yacht Rock Station 93.7 will broadcast live from the market throughout the day, sharing island tunes, interviews, and community highlights. Guests can meet local authors signing books, watch artists at work, and enjoy a gorgeous day wandering through Indigenous Park.

The Key West Artisan Market blends community spirit with local creativity and entrepreneurship, pairing nonprofit partners with a vibrant open-air shopping experience by the sea. Each edition supports a different charitable organization working to strengthen the island community. Admission and parking are free, and guests are encouraged to BYOB — bring your own shopping bags or pick up a branded bag at the Artisan Market info tent.

The Key West Artisan Market takes place select Sundays at Indigenous Park at Higgs Beach, offering a rotating lineup of themes and nonprofit partners throughout the season.
Next Market: Sunday, February 22 — Key West Artisan Market: Lights, Camera, Community Edition featuring Tropic Cinema.
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For updates and upcoming editions, visit https://www.facebook.com/KWArtisanMarket. For vendor information, email [email protected] or apply online at https://bit.ly/KWAMVENDOR

From Wednesday, July 1, through Sunday, July 5, Key West, Florida’s annual Key Lime Festival returns to celebrate the world’s most legendary citrus with a zesty lineup of events, staged on the very island where Key lime pie was conceived.

The five-day festival features the wildly popular annual World Famous Key Lime Pie Eating Championship; a gravity-defying Key lime pie drop competition – from the top of the Key West Lighthouse; an irresistible menu of Key lime-inspired dinners and brunches, a Fourth of July 5K; and for those with a taste for limey libations, Key lime rum tastings and a bar Sip & Stroll. There’s much more, including numerous family-friendly activities.
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The Key Lime Festival 2026 is presented in part by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council and We’ve Got the Keys. For more information visit http://www.keylimefestival.com.

Duval Square’s Jag Gallery welcomes two artists who put new twists on what many think to be simple, mundane and everyday drawing inspiration from nature to cereal brands when THE ART OF THE QUOTIDIAN…celebrating the art of the every day opens on Wednesday February 18th.
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Nataliia Nosyk, whose work was enthusiastically applauded during her outing at The Studios of Key West last year returns with plain air oil paintings exploring light, color and atmosphere, capturing the quiet and ordinary moments found in nature, emphasizing their subtle beauty and emotional presence.

Brendan O’Connell, dubbed by The New Yorker Magazine as the “Warhol of Walmart” merges contemporary and traditional styles to reimagine familiar subjects, from grocery aisles to pop culture icons.  His bold, thought-provoking art captures in bold and vibrant color the surreal essence of consumer culture.

Join us for a gallery reception to meet the artists on Wednesday February 18th from 5:30 - 7:30.
Gallery events are free and all are welcome.

Considered a top destination offering carefully curated exhibits featuring the work of prominent, emerging and guests artists from Key West and beyond, Jag Gallery is located at 1075 Duval Street, Duval Square with ample no-fee parking through the Simonton Street entrance to the Square.  Gallery hours are Tuesday - Sunday, noon - 5.  For additional information visit jaggallery.art or contact the gallery by phone, 305.407.6202 or email at [email protected]

KEY WEST, FL, February 5, 2026— The College of the Florida Keys Academy (CFK Academy) will host virtual office hours and an onsite tour with the Principal, Dr. Ja-Ronika Veldheer, on Thursday, February 12. Virtual office hours will be held via an online meeting room from 12:00-12:30 p.m. and the onsite tour will be from 5:30-6:00 p.m. at CFK Academy. At both events, Dr. Veldheer will answer any questions about the A-rated, tuition-free public charter high school, its academic offering, and application process.

Those interested to attend one or both can register via email to [email protected] before 12:00 p.m. on February 12th for access to the online meeting room and/or to register for the onsite tour.
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CFK Academy focuses on college and career readiness with a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and Career Technical Education (CTE) curriculum. Teachers use a Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach to give students hands-on engagement beyond the traditional classroom and better develop critical thinking and communication skills.

CFK Academy students are encouraged to earn college and high school credit simultaneously through the College’s Dual Enrollment program. College classes are conveniently located on the same campus as the high school. Motivated students can graduate with their high school diploma as well as an associate degree, certificate, and/or industry certification.

There is no cost to attend the CFK Academy, including the college level classes, potentially saving families tens of thousands of dollars.

The CFK Academy has earned an “A” grade from the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) since it opened in 2023. FDOE’s school grading system pulls from various student success metrics, including student achievement, learning gains, graduation rates, acceleration success, and focus on students who need the most support.

Applications are now open for grades nine through 12 for the 2026- 27 school year and can be found online at CFK.edu/CFKAcademy. Space is limited. Applications are due by February 24 and a lottery will be conducted on February 26.

Duval Square’s Jag Gallery welcomes our friends at Key West’s Fringe Theater who will exit the stage for a one night only fundraising evening on Monday February 16th from 5:30-7:30.  Proceeds from Canvases and Curtain Calls  a “Sealed Bid” auction featuring artwork from the private collection of Wende Shoer and Michael Longeran will help support the continuing efforts of  Key West’s favorite community-focused theater group first organized in 2009.  The auction will showcase work from such prominent and respected artists as Peter Vey, Nyla Whitmore, Michael Palmer, Bill Thompson, Michael Norveil, Todd Bonita, and others.

The event is free and all are invited to get in on the act,  and join us for an evening of music, bubbly and bidding supporting the arts through art on the 16th at Jag Gallery, 1075 Duval Street, Duval Square with ample no-fee parking through the Simonton Street entrance to the Square.  More information at fringetheater.org or jaggallery.art.

KEY WEST, FL, February 5, 2026— The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) is set to strengthen its nursing program and expand support for future nurses with a $100,000 contribution from Lower Keys Medical Center (LKMC) that unlocked matching funds through the state’s Linking Industry to Nursing Education (LINE) grant. Through LINE, CFK is working to help address Florida’s critical nursing shortage by supporting nursing faculty, acquiring state-of-the art nursing simulation mannequins, and providing student scholarships to eligible students.

Established by the Florida Legislature in 2022, the LINE grant program is a competitive, matching grant that incentivizes partnerships between nursing education programs and healthcare providers to recruit faculty, expand program capacity, and graduate job-ready nurses in response to the growing nursing shortage in the state.

“Our strong relationship with The College of the Florida Keys is vital to the development of future clinical leaders in the Lower Keys,” said Drew Bigby, Chief Executive Officer of Lower Keys Medical Center. “This donation helps to continue the education programs offered by the College. We are proud to have many CFK graduates providing quality care at LKMC and serving our community.”

LKMC, located adjacent to CFK’s Key West Campus, has served for decades as the primary clinical training site for CFK nursing students in the Lower Keys. Many graduates transition directly into full-time registered nurse positions at LKMC upon licensure.

“This partnership with Lower Keys Medical Center exemplifies the power of collaboration to address critical workforce needs,” said Dr. Jonathan Gueverra, CFK President.  “LKMC’s commitment is vital to the pipeline of skilled healthcare professionals who will serve our island community for years to come."

The LINE grant funds will support student enrollment and faculty, while LKMC’s matching contribution will be used to provide scholarships to reduce financial barriers for eligible students in CFK’s Associate and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The LKMC scholarships are now openat https://cfk.academicworks.com/opportunities/3555 and applications are due by March 8, 2026.
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For more information about donating to the CFK Foundation to benefit CFK students and programs, contact Dr. Lana Gaspari, CFK Vice President of Advancement and CFK Foundation Executive Director, at 305-809-3214 or [email protected].

Key West, FL — Few journalists can speak as personally about the cost of truth as Roxana Saberi. An award-winning reporter, author, and former CBS News correspondent, Saberi will join The Studios of Key West for Between Two Palms on Tuesday, February 24, sharing insights from a career spent covering global conflict—and from her own imprisonment in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.

Led by Stephen Kitsakos, Artistic Associate and Executive Producer of the series, Between Two Palms offers audiences intimate, in-depth conversations with acclaimed artists and thinkers. In this special evening, Saberi will speak about the courage, clarity, and ethical responsibility required in modern journalism.

Saberi’s reporting has taken her across the globe, covering major human rights stories and international crises. In 2009, she was imprisoned on false charges of espionage while reporting in Iran, an experience that profoundly shaped her understanding of power, truth, and freedom. Her memoir, Between Two Worlds, offers a rare and deeply human account of incarceration, resilience, and the cost of bearing witness.
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Saberi is currently also a Peyton Evans Artist Resident (PEAR) at The Studios of Key West — part of the organization’s residency program, which provides time, space, and community for writers, composers, musicians, artists, and interdisciplinary creators to develop new work while engaging with Key West’s rich cultural landscape.