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The open-access journal covers environmental, cultural, economic and social sustainability topics.
South Dade voters helped settle several local races Tuesday while sending others into the Nov. 3 general election.
With the primary election decided, South Dade voters can begin preparing for the next round of choices arriving on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
A Monroe County Sheriff’s Office veteran with more than 40 years of dedicated service has received one of Florida law enforcement’s highest honors.
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No one likes to think about it, but hurricane season is approaching.
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The College of the Florida Keys’ (CFK) Institute for Public Safety (IPS) held a graduation ceremony for Basic Law Enforcement Academy #94 on May 1 at Coral Shores High School Auditorium.
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For high school students looking to get a head start on life after graduation, the Cipriano and Maria Garza Skills Center — formerly known as the South Dade Skill Center — offers an alternative path focused on careers, credentials, and real-world skills.
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The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) welcomed Dr. Milan Hayward as the Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs earlier this month.
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The College of the Florida Keys Foundation received a $16,000 donation to establish the Nettie Lawson Oglesbee Nursing Scholarship Endowment Fund.
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The College of the Florida Keys invites the community to its annual Constitution Day event on September 17, at 11:00 a.m. in the library on the Key West Campus.
The College of the Florida Keys’ Institute for Public Safety (IPS) held a graduation ceremony for Basic Law Enforcement Academy #91 on July 25 at the Coral Shores High School Auditorium.
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Three hurricanes in 66 days landed in Florida in 2024.
For nearly 30 years, researchers at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute have been monitoring fish disease and fish kills across Florida, receiving around 2,000 reports of fish kills and other aquatic animal health incidents annually.
At its September meeting in Duck Key, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved rule amendments creating a block grant option within the already established FWC derelict vessel and public nuisance vessel removal grant program.
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Being underwater is always a pleasure. Doing good at the same time makes it even more so. Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) hosted its 2024 Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival, where fourteen teams snagged 1,527 of the invasive species.
Monroe County ranks in the top 25 counties in the state for traffic crashes resulting in serious and fatal injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists. In an effort to protect the safety of these most vulnerable road users, the Sheriff’s Office will conduct High Visibility Enforcement Details dur…
Monroe County Commissioners and staff are ready to celebrate the grand opening of 10 new pickleball courts at Key Largo Community Park, 305 St. Croix Place. The celebration will occur on Thursday, Aug. 22nd, at 8:30 a.m. The public is invited to join in for the inaugural dinks on the courts,…
The Sheriff’s Office will be out in force next week with safety in mind as children return to school beginning the morning of Aug. 14th, 2024.
Facing potential First Amendment challenges, Florida has proposed details about how it will carry out a new law aimed at keeping children off social-media platforms and blocking minors from accessing online pornography. Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office on Tuesday published three propos…
The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners met today to discuss the proposed $715.7 million Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget. The budget includes the Board of County Commissioners, the constitutional officers, which include the Sheriff, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Ele…
Nine mayors from across South Florida met for the Florida League of Mayors Regional Roundtable Discussion on Mental Health and Veterans Issues in Islamorada. Monroe County Veterans Affairs Director Cathy Crane and Village of Islamorada Mayor Buddy Pinder helped facilitate the meeting. Florid…
The Sheriff’s Office continues to warn residents of scams wherein thieves are posing as law enforcement telling victims they need to pay money to resolve some fake criminal/legal issue. Most recently, the Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of phone calls and certified mail from thieves fal…
For the second consecutive year, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers participated in a joint operation organized and led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement. The operation aimed at protecting endangered sea turtles i…
Monroe County Mayor Holly Merrill Raschein visited Canal 90 between Hilson and Ivanhoe courts on Key Largo yesterday to view the canal restoration efforts underway. The restoration work includes backfilling the canal. Backfilling raises the canal bottom to an optimum depth of about 7 feet to…
On April 17th, 2024, the Ocean Reef Community Foundation (ORCF) opened its doors to 79 organizations for a luncheon and distributed the grant funding they were awarded for the 2024 grant cycle. These organizations were gifted with a one-year grant term and received between $5,000 to $50,000.
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The newspaper you're holding in your hand (or reading on your phone, or computer) will be read by approximately 10,000 readers this week. Focused on local news that you won't find elsewhere, the majority of our readers—about 75%—devote around half an hour to thoroughly reading most, if not a…
According to the Florida Department of Health, in 2021 (the last year that stats were available) 91 children 14 years and younger died of drowning in Florida. Monroe County’s Department of Parks and Beaches, its community partners and sponsors, and volunteers are working through a program ca…
An endangered smalltooth sawfish is recovering today after being rescued from Cudjoe Key and transported to Mote Marine Laboratory’s facility yesterday. A member of the public reported the animal swimming in circles in Cudjoe Bay. Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Co…
From high school students to recent high school graduates to adults already in the workplace, College of the Florida Keys has three upcoming events. First was the press release, referencing the April 10, 2024 virtual event.
From high school students to recent high school graduates to adults already in the workplace, College of the Florida Keys has three upcoming events. First is the Press Release reference the April 10, 2024 virtual event. “The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) will hold a virtual event for Mon…
At a time when medical costs continue to rise, women who are pregnant or think they are, may face uncertainty about where to turn. The December 16th, 2023, South Dade News Leader Article, “Free Pregnancy Ultrasound Mobile Service Available,” shared information about services provided by the …
Monroe County will hold two public workshops for feedback on potential redesign efforts for the Harry Harris Park in Tavernier to make it more resilient and improve overall use. Harry Harris Park is a pet-friendly, oceanfront public park vulnerable to sea-level rise, storm events, and overal…
WHEN: Monday, April 22, 2024 through Friday, April 26, 2024
Congratulations to Monroe County Employee of the Year Janet Gunderson who was recognized at the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners meeting on Wednesday. She started with the County in June 2016, and the Board of County Commissioners recognized her as the Employee of the Second Quart…
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Three Miami-Dade County, Florida people were arrested Sunday on drug-related charges following a traffic stop on U.S. 1 in Key Largo.
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“Dale and Ann brought more to the table than just running the paper. They are community-minded individuals who care about the city's civic affairs. Over time, they have done more than just run the South Dade News Leader, they have become permanent fixtures in the community and personal frien…
The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners welcomes Hanna Koch from The Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration at Mote Marine Laboratory in Summerland Key, as the new Monroe County Artificial Reefs director.
Tucked away in The Protect Center at MM82, you’ll find an enchanted forest of Christmas Trees on display for the holiday season, bringing the Christmas Spirit to Islamorada and the rest of the Florida Keys. The Florida Keys Sea of Trees is open every night until January 7th, from 6:00 PM – 9:00PM.
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The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners hosted a special resilience and roads adaptation workshop in Key Largo on Tuesday.
Florida lawmakers are taking a closer look into fraud committed by contractors in the wake of hurricanes Ian and Idalia. The Florida House Select Committee on Hurricane Resiliency and Recovery met on Monday to discuss the growing number of fraud cases committed by contractors post-hurricane …
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ForEverglades Endowment campaign has raised more than $59 million to date
At Wednesday's Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board chose Mayor Pro Tem Holly Merrill Raschein to serve as Monroe County Mayor and Commissioner Jim Scholl to serve as Mayor Pro Tem for the next year.
Two Miami-Dade County, Florida women were arrested Sunday after stealing a car in Islamorada. Zaryanna Renee Marshall, 20, of Miami-Gardens, and Yemilla Nikkole Lucas, 18, of Florida City, were both charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle.
As we enter the holiday season and Americans across the country look forward to spending time with family, thousands of service members deployed overseas – many to the Middle East in response to the Israel Hamas war – will not have that luxury and will be spending the holidays far away …
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The health of our reefs, bodies of water, the Everglades, and other aspects of our unique South Florida environment are frequent topics for the South Dade News Leader.
Monroe County Code Compliance Director Cynthia McPherson updated the Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday with accomplishments regarding sewer connection compliance in the Florida Keys. Two years ago, more than 1,400 properties had not yet connected to the sewer system; today, only a f…
The College of the Florida Keys honored veterans as part of its Community Day on Saturday, November 4th at the Key West Campus.
The Florida Legislature's special session began Monday, with lawmakers aiming to work through several issues facing the state.
The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) celebrated the graduation of Basic Law Enforcement (BLE) Academy #85 with a ceremony on November 3 at Coral Shores High School’s auditorium.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and Florida law enforcement officials are urging Floridians to report suspicious activity after FBI Director Christopher Wray told Congress this week that “a threat of [a terrorist] attack against Americans in the United States [rose] to a whole other level.”
