Alex Rickert
Alex Rickert made the perfectly natural career progression from dolphin trainer to newspaper editor in 2021 after freelancing for Keys Weekly while working full time at Dolphin Research Center. A resident of Marathon since 2015, he fell in love with the Florida Keys community by helping multiple organizations and friends rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Irma. An avid runner, actor, and spearfisherman, he spends as much of his time outside of work on or under the sea having civil disagreements with sharks.
STORM UPDATE: TROPICAL STORM IAN’S TRACK CONTINUES WESTWARD SHIFT; NO DECISIONS YET ABOUT SCHOOL CLOSURES
Cautiously optimistic news about potential impacts from Tropical Storm Ian continued in Monroe County’s 3 p.m. briefing on Saturday as the storm’s projected track continues to shift slightly west. After passing over Cuba, Ian is still projected to intensify into a major hurricane that will pass through the Gulf...
HOST OF NEW CATEGORIES & WINNERS HIGHLIGHT 2022 BEST OF MARATHON
You asked, we listened. If we’ve learned anything over the past few years, it’s that Marathon residents are extremely passionate about what should – or shouldn’t – constitute a separate category for our city’s annual awards. While the 2021 Best of Marathon awards were distinguished by a staggering number...
BUILDING ALLOCATIONS TRUMP BUDGET AT MARATHON SPECIAL CALL MEETING
The “budget” portion of the Marathon City Council’s final budget hearing special call meeting on Sept. 21 took less than 10 minutes, and for the second time was unanimously approved with no public comment.
Instead, the council spent the majority of its time discussing the city’s building allocations and permitting...
MARATHON NEIGHBOR OF THE WEEK: WESLEY BARNES
No matter how many individuals appear in the pages of each edition of Keys Weekly, there are always so many more of our community members who deserve to be recognized. In an effort to shine a spotlight on more of the incredible individuals who live and work in these...
IN PICTURES: LANDRY SAYER SPEARHEADS SECOND ANNUAL CLEAN THE CURB DAY
What began with a 6-year-old’s petition to the Marathon City Council in 2021 has now turned into an annual trash removal effort, as the City of Marathon joined together with Landry Sayer for a second Clean the Curb Day on Sept. 10. Starting before the sun rose and continuing...
MARATHON CITY COUNCIL APPROVES BUDGET & MOVES CLOSER TO BOAT RAMP FEES
With a unanimous vote, the Marathon City Council approved Marathon’s tentative tax rate and 2022-2023 budget at its first public hearing ahead of the regularly scheduled city council meeting on Sept. 13.
City finance director Jennifer Johnson proposed a tentative millage rate of 2.72 mills – in other words, $2.72...
COUNTY CONTRACTORS BOARD URGES PUBLIC TO HELP TACKLE HOUSE BILL 735
The clock is still ticking on specialty contractors in the Florida Keys. And though it could not provide a definitive resolution, a Sept. 13 meeting of the Monroe County Contractors’ Examining Board saw plenty of ideas put forward to combat House Bill 735.
Passed in 2021, the bill prevents local...
IN PICTURES: CORAL SHORES HURRICANES DOWN MARATHON DOLPHINS IN VOLLEYBALL
Coral Shores and Marathon kicked off the new month with a volleyball match on Sept. 1. Though the Fins battled through the first set, the Lady ’Canes’ talent proved too much for Marathon as Coral Shores improved its season record to 1-2. For full game coverage, see the Keys...
KCB COMMISSION CANDIDATES: WHAT IS KEY COLONY’S BIGGEST ISSUE?
In an effort to provide greater familiarity and communication between the Key Colony Beach City Commission candidates and our readers, the Marathon Weekly sent each of them a series of questions concerning their backgrounds and stances on pressing city issues. The Weekly will continue to print each candidate’s responses...
IN PICTURES: HAWKS CAY HOSTS HEROES SALUTE 5K
Labor Day weekend was spent honoring “heroes in action” at Hawks Cay Resort on Duck Key, as the vacation hotspot put on a weekend of events to pay tribute to members of the military, fire rescue, police and medical personnel who serve our community and country. The morning of...
9/11: REMEMBERING THE MAN IN THE RED BANDANA
“What would you do in the last hour of your life? Where would you be? Who would remember it?”
I’ll be honest: My memory of 9/11, the day itself, is foggy at best. I was in fourth grade at the time, and what I remember most other than the utter...
AQUARIUM ENCOUNTERS JOINS REEF RENEWAL USA IN CORAL RESTORATION EFFORTS
Recent years have seen various companies throughout the Florida Keys stretch the definition of “ecotourism” as an attractive advertising buzzword.
Training volunteers, and eventually tourists, to prepare nearly 1,000 fragments of living coral for eventual outplanting on the reef? Yeah, we’re going to say that counts.
Enter Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters’...
