Jim McCarthy
Jim McCarthy is a Western New Yorkers who escaped the snow and frigid temperatures for warm living by the water. A former crime & court reporter and city editor for two Western New York newspapers, Jim has been honing his craft since he graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 2014. In his 3-plus years in the Keys, Jim has enjoyed connecting with the community. “One of my college professors would always preach to be curious,” he said. “Behind every person is a story that’s unique to them, and one worth telling. As writers, we are the ones who paint the pictures in the readers minds of the emotions, the struggles and the triumphs.” Jim is past president of the Key Largo Sunset Rotary Club, which is composed of energetic members who serve the community’s youth and older populations. Jim is a sports fanatic who loves to watch football, mixed martial arts and golf. He loves to hit the links and play some softball with his Make A Play team. He also enjoys time with family (he's expecting a little boy in October).
ONE MAN DEAD IN MORNING STABBING IN TAVERNIER, FLORIDA
A man is dead and a woman is recovering following a Thursday morning stabbing at a Tavernier residence.
According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a Pacific Avenue home at 4:55 a.m. on Thursday for the report of a disturbance involving a stabbing. Deputies arrived to find...
$1,000 PAY INCREASE FOR ISLAMORADA COUNCIL AMONG THE AGENDA ITEMS
An ordinance to place a proposed pay increase for council members before the voters in November and a feasibility study to revamp bus stops within Islamorada are among the items on the Islamorada Village Council’s Aug. 4 agenda.
The meeting is the first for new Village Manager Ted Yates. He...
SPENDING IN STATE HOUSE RACE GROWS AS AUGUST PRIMARY APPROACHES
Just weeks remain before registered Republican and Democratic voters select a Florida House candidate to represent their party in the Nov. 8 election. With an Aug. 23 primary approaching, candidates are collecting and spending money as they make their names and platforms known through mailers, advertisements and more.
Republican incumbent...
FWC OFFICER SAVES SNOOK FOUND CHOKING ON A COWFISH
A snook is breathing new life thanks to the efforts of one Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation officer who noticed that the fish wasn’t swimming right.
Officer Mike Janzen was patrolling the waters under Jewfish Creek bridge in Key Largo recently when he noticed a snook at the surface of...
ON-THE-WATER TIPS FOR A SAFE SUMMER EXCURSION IN THE FLORIDA KEYS – ONBOARD MAGAZINE
Off the shores of the Florida Keys, the waters bustle with summer activities. A two-day lobster sport season saw many boats and people dipping beneath the surface in search of bugs. Meanwhile, scores of boats will pack local sandbars with their floats, coolers and music. Whether you’re exploring the...
KEYS HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY 1ST DENGUE CASE CAME FROM OUTSIDE THE COUNTY
County health officials said an individual tested positive for dengue fever in Monroe County on July 25. The Florida Department of Health said it was a travel-related case, meaning the person didn’t contract the virus locally.
“They got it outside of Monroe and got tested here in Monroe County,” said...
ISLAMORADA TALKS CONES ALONG THE FILLS YET AGAIN
Orange cones spanning the Fills will remain in place following a lengthy conversation among Islamorada council members on whether to remove them and rely on no-parking signs.
Councilman Mark Gregg took a moment during a recent village council meeting to hear out Vice Mayor Henry Rosenthal’s desire for months to...
4 DEATHS & MULTIPLE ARRESTS DURING WEEK OF LOBSTER MINI-SEASON IN THE FLORIDA KEYS
Issuance of warnings, citations and some advice were among several steps Monroe County Sheriff’s marine deputy Nelson Sanchez took during the start of a two-day lobster mini-season in the Upper Keys on July 27. In the Lower Keys, law enforcement said two men died while on the water on...
STOLEN CAR CHASE THAT STARTED IN MIAMI-DADE ENDS IN KEY LARGO
A 32-year-old Key Largo man was arrested after a stolen car pursuit that started in Miami-Dade County on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Florida Highway Patrol and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, a white pickup truck previously reported stolen out of Monroe County was spotted traveling southbound on the 18-Mile Stretch....
SCHOOL BUDGET PROPOSES MORE TAXES & MORE SPENDING
Monroe County School District’s preliminary 2022-23 budget proposes $20.4 million more in spending for day-to-day operating expenses than the year before. Some school board members wary over the proposed increase suggested less spending and more saving to cover what could come about in the future budget cycle.
A tentative, $293-million...
ISLAMORADA COMMUNITY BOAT RAMPS CLOSED AHEAD OF UPCOMING LOBSTER MINI SEASON
Two public boat ramps in residential neighborhoods in Islamorada will be closed off throughout the two-day lobster mini-season.
Per a press release by the village of Islamorada, the ramps at East Ridge Road and Blackwood Drive will be blocked off to boat launching beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July...
LOUD MUSIC & SMOKING AT BEACHES ADDRESSED BY NEW LAWS TAKING EFFECT IN FLORIDA
State legislators sent a number of bills that appropriated funds and set policy to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk for approval during the last legislative session in Tallahassee. Of the 269 bills signed by DeSantis, 145 set policy that took effect July 1. Several Keys-specific bills passing through the legislature...
