One day a year is wildly insufficient to honor the women who gave us life, helped us create our own life and make us who we are. (Yes, dads are part of that, too, but we’ll get to them next month). LIke snowflakes, no two moms are the same — but, thankfully, they’re a heck of a lot stronger than snowflakes. My own mom, Mary Ann Bolen, is unlike any other, and she’s been my rock, my cheerleader, my very first editor and my soft place to land when I’ve tripped and fallen. Neither she nor my dad have ever let me doubt for a single second that I’m loved beyond belief. I just hope neither of them ..read more

Moms are the ultimate caretakers who possess a treasure trove of advice. They’re the bearers and deliverers of life. With Mother’s Day set for Sunday, May 12, the Keys Weekly is showcasing just some of the amazing moms in the Florida Keys. We heard from loved ones on what makes their mom special.  Hannah Brumbalow “She’s one of the most selfless humans I have ever met and loves with her whole heart. I have always admired her integrity and ability to find the good in everyone,” said husband Jeremy Brumbalow.  Erin Garcia “Erin is a pillar of strength, balancing love and guidance in ..read more

“One day, I decided I wanted to do something for women, mothers. You know it’s the old saying, ‘Without mothers, you can’t have a father.’ There’s no life without the feminine, the feminine is the whole earth and everything around us is the feminine,” said Armando Gonzalez, founder and owner of Blue Marlin Jewelry in Islamorada. This year is the ninth annual Saige Raiche Memorial Junior Designer Mother’s Day Contest. “Mothers never get appreciated as much as they should, so I wanted to do something special, and I love doing this for the kids,” Gonzalez said ..read more

Ready or Not  By Cara Bastone The two lines couldn’t have been more clear – Eve is pregnant. The girl who has been a lifelong rule-follower had a one night stand with a sexy bartender and finds herself at a doctor’s office confirming what she already knew. In her 30s and very single, Eve isn’t even certain she wanted children. To add to the turmoil, her best friend Willa, who has been trying to get pregnant for years, finds the news devastating. Of all people, Shep, Willa’s older brother, steps in. This once-nerdy computer geek has really grown up. He takes the reins, mentally and physic ..read more

A laundry basket is suspended in a Tavernier tree where three baby birds live with their parents. A recent re-nesting by local bird rehabbers and a landscaping company proved successful following an unfortunate fall.  Recently, rehabbers with the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center in Tavernier received a call from local landscapers regarding a fallen nest where two baby red-shouldered hawks were located. Landscapers were trimming a tree when the incident occurred. Erin Allison, executive director for the bird center, said the crew with Sal’s Landscaping moved the baby birds out of harm’s way ..read more

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of fake jury duty scams. Thieves are posing as law enforcement and telling victims they need to pay money to resolve a fake arrest warrant.   Recently, the sheriff’s office was made aware of certified mail from thieves falsely posing as real law enforcement agencies. They are using official-looking forged documents to scam residents.  Residents should be wary of any mail/email/text/phone call they receive from anyone claiming to be a law enforcement official, especially those seeking money/gift card information — a sure si ..read more

April showers played a part in the abrupt end to the seasons of two Keys baseball teams, while the third likely benefited from a May downpour. Key West was the latter.  On May 1, the Conchs, whose strength of schedule and record afforded them a bye in the first round of the playoffs, faced the Sabres of St. Brendan School in the FHSAA 4A District 16 semifinals. Senior Anthony Lariz was trusted with the start for what could have spelled the final game of his season, but the steady righty lasted all 7 innings, striking out 8, walking 2 and giving up just 2 hits in another fantastic perform ..read more

A distressed smalltooth sawfish originally rescued in early April passed away on May 2 after a month of exhaustive rehabilitation efforts, Mote Marine Laboratory announced in a press release. The sawfish was originally rescued on April 5 when Mote Marine Laboratory and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) responded to a call reporting the animal swimming in circles in Cudjoe Bay in the Florida Keys. Immediately after rescue, it was transported to an interim holding tank at Mote’s Lower Keys facility, which gave the team a temporary area where they were able to stabiliz ..read more

Monroe County’s lead prosecutor and public defender will return to their posts after a qualifying period ended with no challengers. A county judge will also return to the bench having gone unopposed.  Incumbents and challengers for state attorney, public defender and county court judge needed to qualify by submitting the necessary documents between April 22 and April 26. Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward, county Public Defender Robert Lockwood and County Judge James “Jimmy” Morgan III all were unopposed by the noon deadline on April 26.  A Republican, Ward bested two challen ..read more

A Monroe County judge issued an arrest warrant for the suspect in the 2017 murder of 59-year-old Matthew Bonnett on Stock Island, a case that became known as the “treehouse murder,” for the open-air location where a woman was living at the time. Franklin Tyrone Tucker, 52, has fended off prosecutors since then, and walked out of court in January on bond after a hung jury. He has been free after posting a $2 million bond in 2019. But on May 3, Tucker was arrested and booked into the Multnomah County jail in Portland, Oregon, after court officials said he violated the conditions of his pretrial ..read more