Keys Life Magazine

08/06/2026

The Tiki Island Wear Process

1. Concept & Design
Every great hat begins with an idea. We work with our clients to create a custom concept that reflects their brand – from logos and colors to unique underbrim artwork and premium finishing details.

2. Crafted with Precision
Each element is carefully assembled by skilled craftsmen. From weaving and stitching to patches, trim, binding, and chin cords, every component is meticulously put into place.

3. Every Detail Matters
Before a hat leaves production, every detail is inspected to ensure it meets our standards. We believe the little things – from perfect alignment to quality materials – make a lasting impression.

4. Built for Your Brand.
The result is a custom line of premium straw hats created exclusively for your business – ready to represent your brand on the water, at the beach, on the golf course, and wherever your customers take them.

08/06/2026

🌴✨ Stay connected to the real heart of the Florida Keys with Keys Life Magazine — the locally owned monthly publication that celebrates authentic island lifestyle, culture, and community.

Distributed from Florida City all the way down to Mile Marker 38 at Bahia Honda, they place 26,000 fresh copies every month across 94 high-traffic magazine racks throughout the Upper and Middle Keys. Inside each issue you’ll find engaging local stories, upcoming events, dining highlights, adventure ideas, and the genuine details that make living and visiting the Keys so special.

It’s the go-to free read for both residents who want to stay in the know and visitors looking to experience the islands like a local.

Grab your free copy today and dive deeper into paradise!
keyslifemagazine.com
[email protected]
305-453-6674

08/06/2026

Just Ask Jaclyn ~ August 2026
Is Your Home Ready? Insurance
Market, Hurricane Season and Resale?
Oh my.
See this month's "Just Ask Jaclyn" read, along with Better Homes And Gardens Destinations and Star Rental Properties Destinations on Page 46!
305-451-1020
Star Properties:
305-680-9852

08/06/2026

08/06/2026

🌴 KEYS LIFE MAGAZINE 🌴

📅 TOMORROW’S FLORIDA KEYS EVENTS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2026

Here’s what’s happening tomorrow from Key Largo south to Key West.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

📍 KEY LARGO

📚 STORY TIME
⏰ 10:30 AM–11:30 AM
📍 Key Largo Branch Library
101485 Overseas Highway

Stories, songs, playtime and a simple craft for children ages 0–5.

🎨 T(W)EEN COLLAB
⏰ 4:00 PM–5:00 PM
📍 Key Largo Branch Library
101485 Overseas Highway

Tweens and teens can stop in for a creative collaborative activity.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

📍 ISLAMORADA

📖 BOOK CLUB
⏰ 12:30 PM–1:30 PM
📍 Islamorada Branch Library
81830 Overseas Highway

Join the monthly adult book-club discussion.

🏛️ VILLAGE COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOP #3
⏰ 3:00 PM
📍 Founders Park Community Center
87000 Overseas Highway

The Village Council continues its public FY 2026–2027 budget workshops.

🎨 KID’S ART CLUB
⏰ 4:00 PM–5:00 PM
📍 Islamorada Branch Library
81830 Overseas Highway

Kids and teens can drop in for hands-on art projects.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

📍 MARATHON

✏️ HOMESCHOOL LEARNING ACTIVITIES
⏰ 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
📍 Marathon Branch Library
3490 Overseas Highway

Homeschool families can join themed activities, games and crafts.

🎨 KIDS CRAFTS
⏰ 3:30 PM–4:30 PM
📍 Marathon Branch Library
3490 Overseas Highway

Kids and teens can stop by for Thursday crafts and activities.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

📍 BIG PINE KEY

👶 BABY RAVE
⏰ 10:30 AM–11:00 AM
📍 Big Pine Key Branch Library
213 Key Deer Boulevard

A fun move-and-groove activity for children ages 0–4.

🏛️ MONROE COUNTY DISTRICT 2 SATELLITE OFFICE
⏰ 2:00 PM–5:00 PM
📍 Big Pine Key Community Park
31009 Atlantis Drive

District 2 staff will be available for scheduled community appointments.

📷 FLORIDA KEYS WILDLIFE SOCIETY PHOTO CLUB
⏰ 6:30 PM–8:30 PM
📍 Nature Center — Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges
30587 Overseas Highway

Photographers of all skill levels are welcome for the monthly photo-club meeting.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

📍 KEY WEST

🏛️ KEY WEST CITY COMMISSION — MORNING SESSION
⏰ 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
📍 Commission Chambers
1300 White Street

The Key West City Commission holds its morning public session.

🧘 PRIME OF LIFE YOGA
⏰ 10:00 AM–11:15 AM
📍 Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden
5210 College Road

A gentle yoga class focused on strength, flexibility and balance.

🀄 ADULT MAHJONG CLUB
⏰ 12:30 PM–3:30 PM
📍 Key West Branch Library
700 Fleming Street

Mahjong players of all skill levels are welcome.

🥕 KEY WEST FARMERS MARKET
⏰ 1:00 PM–6:00 PM
📍 Truman Waterfront Park
21 E. Quay Road

Shop fresh produce, food, plants, crafts and local goods at the weekly waterfront market.

🏛️ KEY WEST CITY COMMISSION — EVENING SESSION
⏰ 5:00 PM–10:00 PM
📍 Commission Chambers
1300 White Street

The City Commission reconvenes for its evening public session.

🦞 KEY WEST LOBSTERFEST — LOBSTER BOIL
⏰ 6:00 PM–9:00 PM
📍 Porter Mansion Courtyard
429 Caroline Street

Kick off lobster season with a traditional seafood boil, live music and drinks at the historic Porter Mansion.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🌴 Keys Life Magazine 🌴

Your guide to what’s happening from Key Largo to Key West.

📞 305-453-6674
📧 Sales .com

Memes Miami Herald WSVN-TV Key West Island News NBC 6

08/05/2026

🦞🚨 YES, THE CRAZY LOBSTER MINI-SEASON STORY IS REAL — BUT IT DID NOT HAPPEN IN THE FLORIDA KEYS 🚨🦞

When we first saw this story making the rounds on social media, we weren't sure we believed it. 👀

A man allegedly shutting off the air supply to a young diver underwater over a lobster spot? 🤿🦞 There were even people saying the whole post was fake.

So Keys Life Magazine decided to wait before sharing it.

✅ Now the arrest and court case have been confirmed.

📍 And before the story gets mixed up with the Keys, this happened off Fisher Island in Miami-Dade County — NOT in the Florida Keys.

According to Miami-Dade investigators, 51-year-old Michael Joseph Simpson got into a confrontation with people on another boat during lobster mini-season on July 29.

Investigators allege Simpson intentionally shut off a Brownie's Third Lung system supplying air to a juvenile diver underwater. 🤿

The young diver was brought back to the surface gasping for air and disoriented, but thankfully was not reported seriously injured. 🙏

Simpson has since turned himself in and posted a $10,000 bond.

⚖️ But there is another side to this story.

Simpson's attorney says his client never shut off the equipment and maintains that video and eyewitnesses will prove his innocence. Simpson intends to plead not guilty.

His attorney has also challenged the original attempted felony murder charge, saying the state agreed that particular charge was not supported and prosecutors could proceed differently.

👀 One other interesting twist: Miami-Dade County confirmed Simpson previously served on its Boater Safety and Bay Education Task Force.

So while the arrest itself is real, exactly what happened on the water is now something the courts will have to sort out. Simpson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. ⚖️

And once again, because this story has been circulating heavily in our boating and lobster community:

📍🚨 This did NOT happen in the Florida Keys. It happened off Fisher Island in Miami-Dade County.

We waited to share it because we'd rather be a little late with a story than share something with our community before knowing whether it's actually true.

Now we know the case is real — and we'll be interested to see what that video ultimately shows. 👀

👍 Please LIKE & SHARE this post to help us make the Florida Keys community aware of what actually happened and, just as importantly, where it happened. 🔄

🦞 QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Have you ever seen people get into an argument over a lobster spot? 🤔

⚖️ LEGAL DISCLOSURE: Any person accused or charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Allegations described in this article are based on information attributed to law enforcement, court proceedings and publicly reported information and should not be considered a determination of guilt.

08/05/2026

Experience. Integrity. Results. - Your Florida Keys Waterfront Specialists!
Carlos Lorenzo & Shelby Morris with American Caribbean Real Estate.
Be sure to see their feature properties on page 22 in this month's Keys Life, and don't miss their additional listings in our Living The Island Life section!

Carlos: (786) 251-4823 • Shelby: (305) 393-3686

08/05/2026

BTW sometimes it’s too windy for outdoor paddleboarding. Good news, you can still practice your balance and exercise your pulling and rotational movements indoors at Beyond Traditional Wellness!

08/05/2026

⚓💔 SAD DAY IN KEY WEST — FAIR WINDS, CAPTAIN RICK SANDS
--------‐-------

We got some sad news out of Key West this morning.

Captain Rick Sands, longtime captain of the beautiful schooner Spirit of Independence, passed away.

A lot of people around Key West knew Rick, and even if you didn’t know him personally, there’s a pretty good chance you knew his boat.

If you’ve spent any time around the Historic Seaport over the years, you’ve probably seen the Spirit of Independence sitting at the dock or watched her heading out into Key West waters. 🌊⛵

Rick spent decades on the water taking people sailing. Sunset trips, day sails, weddings, private charters — a whole lot of people stepped aboard that schooner over the years and went home with a great Key West memory because of Captain Rick.

He was also part of the sailing community around Schooner Wharf and sailed the Spirit of Independence in the Wrecker’s Cup races.

But mostly, Rick was just one of those familiar Key West faces.

You know what I mean if you’ve lived down here awhile. The people you see around the marina or the docks. Maybe you know them well, maybe you just wave or say hello, but after enough years you get used to seeing them there.

And then one day they’re not.

That’s what makes news like this hit home. ❤️

Our thoughts are with Rick’s family, friends, crew and everyone around the Key West waterfront who knew and loved him.

Fair winds and following seas, Captain Rick. ⚓🌅

You spent a lot of years taking people out to enjoy these waters.

Now it’s your turn to set sail.

Rest easy, Captain.

If you knew Rick or ever sailed aboard the Spirit of Independence, please share a picture or a memory in the comments. I’m sure there are a lot of good Captain Rick stories out there. ❤️


Key West Historic Seaport History of Diving Museum Florida Keys History & Discovery Center Museum of Florida History History In Pictures HISTORY WSVN-TV Memes Key West Island News NBC 6