Alex Rickert

Marathon

Marathon Editor at Keys Weekly

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Articles

FLORIDA KEYS OFFICIALS SIMULATE POST-STORM RECOVERY WITH EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER DRILL

1 week ago | keysweekly.com | Alex Rickert

On June 13, Monroe County officials, first responders and partner agencies took the county’s Emergency Operations Center for a test drive through a protocol they hope to use as few times as possible during the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. The three-hour drill tested lines of communication and chains of command as dozens of Keys officials worked through a simulated post-storm disaster recovery, headed by new emergency management director Cory Schwisow.
INCOMING CAPTAIN ADAM GARRISON TAKES THE REINS FOR FWC IN THE FLORIDA KEYS

1 week ago | keysweekly.com | Alex Rickert

As FWC Capt. Dave Dipre prepares to put a bow on 33 years in state law enforcement, a lieutenant already deeply familiar with the Keys community is ready to take his place in Adam Garrison. “You, my friends here in the Keys, are getting an outstanding captain, leader, friend and partner in Adam,” Dipre said in a social media post announcing the promotion.
NOAA OFFICIALS CONSIDER SCRAPPING RESTORATION BLUEPRINT AFTER DESANTIS’ REJECTION

1 week ago | keysweekly.com | Alex Rickert

Three months after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rejected the comprehensive Restoration Blueprint for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in state waters, officials with NOAA say they may end up scrapping the original plan entirely. Released in January 2025, the Restoration Blueprint’s final rule represents the culmination of 14 years of work by the sanctuary and partner organizations.
GONZALEZ WILL JOIN AQUEDUCT BOARD WITH DESANTIS’ APPOINTMENT

1 week ago | keysweekly.com | Alex Rickert

On June 9, former Marathon Mayor Luis Gonzalez Sr. was appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to join the board of the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority as its District 4 representative. He applied in December to fill the seat of departing board member Toni Appell, whose term expired at the close of 2024. DeSantis announced the appointment, as well as the reappointment of District 5 representative Nicholas Mulick, in a press release.
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY: SALUTING THE RAD DADS OF MARATHON

2 weeks ago | keysweekly.com | Alex Rickert

Whether they’re a whiz with a wrench, the ultimate providers and protectors, or just ready at all times with a good (bad) joke, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate Dad this Father’s Day. Ahead of the holiday, Grace Jones Community Center hosted the Weekly to speak to the little ones who love fathers the most: their kids. We asked them each why they have the most “rad Dad,” and found a laundry list of great reasons. MANNYMy dad is the greatest because…he’s my true hero.
DEBBIE STRUYF DECLARES FOR MARATHON CITY COUNCIL RACE

2 weeks ago | keysweekly.com | Alex Rickert

Local business owner Debbie Struyf is officially the second to declare her candidacy for the Marathon City Council’s 2025 race. Struyf, 63, told the Weekly she was ready to enter the race herself after working on multiple campaigns since Marathon’s incorporation in 1999. Her first, she said, was with founding Marathon councilman Frank Greenman, who later appointed her to the city’s Parks and Recreation Board to develop the initial designs for Marathon’s city parks.
MARATHON COUNCIL WEIGHS RISING CONTRACTOR CONCERNS AND EXTRA COSTS ON SOMBRERO BLVD.

2 weeks ago | keysweekly.com | Alex Rickert

A relatively quiet Marathon City Council session on June 10 saw the board lay the groundwork for addressing contractor issues, hire a new public information officer and address six figures in added costs for an ongoing drainage project on Sombrero Boulevard.
MARATHON DIVVIES UP $149K IN NONPROFIT GRANTS

3 weeks ago | keysweekly.com | Alex Rickert

A total of $149,000 will fund vital initiatives for Middle Keys nonprofits this summer, courtesy of grants officially approved at the Marathon City Council’s May 27 workshop session. The third annual funding cycle, brought back in 2023 for the first time since Hurricane Irma, saw 35 groups apply for grants. Their requests totaled $362,852 – an average request of just over $10,000 per organization. The nonprofit awards are drawn from the city’s general fund.
THIS TOWN IS JUST AWESOME: AN OPEN THANK YOU TO MARATHON

3 weeks ago | keysweekly.com | Alex Rickert

I should have known. Or at the very least, I shouldn’t have been surprised. When I made the decision to run the Boston Marathon last fall, it came with a price tag I was more than happy to pay. For those who don’t know, you can’t just “sign up” to take the line along with 30,000 other runners each year. For most participants, to enter the race, you have to provide proof of running ANOTHER marathon under a certain time limit determined by your age.
ROBYN STILL IS FIRST TO FILE FOR 2025 CITY COUNCIL RACE

3 weeks ago | keysweekly.com | Alex Rickert

Continuing her trend from 2022, Marathon councilwoman Robyn Still became the first candidate to file for the 2025 city council race last week, turning in her candidate materials to the Supervisor of Elections office on May 30. “I am running for re-election so I can continue to represent everyday working residents of our city,” she told the Weekly. “I am a small business owner, a parent and an involved community member.