The Key West Post

Key West Organizations Help Feed Community: Florida’s economy in November 2025 is still growing faster than the national average, but food insecurity is a major issue due to recent SNAP benefit cuts during the government shutdown. Food pantries across the state are strained, serving more people than usual. Lawfully present immigrants (green card holders, refugees, asylees, etc.) can receive SNAP, though recent federal restrictions narrowed eligibility. Food pantries, which ar

District 4 City Commission Race Heats Up: The "One Human Family" has two distinct communities in Key West, and District 4 in the center of the island is a perfect example of the differences. Key West now has a third candidate running for the District 4 City Commissioner seat. Juan Llera, born in Cuba, and Sarah Compton from Missouri, are two outsiders hoping to lead District 4 residents in Key West. Commissioner Lissette Carey, a Key West native, has yet to announce a re

Remembering Commissioner Mary Lou Hoover

The Big Shark Catch in 1956 in Key West

District 2 City Commission Seat Draws Two Candidates: With Commissioner Sam Kaufman launching a mayoral bid, his District 2 seat will be open in the 2026 election. Two longtime Key West business owners have stepped forward, one with political experience and deep Key West roots, and the other a newcomer to Key West without political experience.

Sue Woltanski has filed for re-election to the Monroe County School Board, District 5. Though school board races are technically nonpartisan, Woltanski has long aligned herself with liberal policies. Just days before announcing her campaign, she published a blog post criticizing conservative leaders and organizations like Moms for Liberty as “far right” and accused them of “taking over” education.

How U.S. Presidents and the Military Defined Key West: While Key West champions "One Human Family" today, its historical motto might have been "One Military Family." The island's deep military connection, dating back to the Navy's 1820s establishment, has shaped its identity. During the Civil War, Key West, the sole Union city in Florida, strategically disrupted Confederate shipping. This vital role continued through two World Wars and Cold War aviation and submarine operatio

Atlantic Red Snapper 2026 Season Will See Big Changes: According to Governor Desantis, the Atlantic Red Snapper Season will no longer be managed by the federal government starting in 2026. This change is expected to boost local economies and benefit the entire recreational fishing community. Bait shops, hotels, restaurants, and charter fishermen are among those who will benefit. With over 4 million licensed anglers, Florida will continue to be the fishing capital of the world

Florida Legislators File Bills for 2026 Session: Florida lawmakers have filed a slate of bills for the 2026 legislative session that touch on employment verification, autism awareness in policing, regulation of emerging tobacco products, and flag display rules for government buildings.

Recommendations for Key West Poets: Past & Present: Emily Schulten is a poet, professor, and a prominent literary voice in Key West. Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1979, she earned her BA and MA in English from Western Kentucky University and her PhD in creative writing from Georgia State University. She teaches writing and literature at the College of the Florida Keys and has published three poetry collections: Rest in Black Haw (2009), The Way a Wound Becomes a Scar (2

Juana Borrero Pierra was a Key West poet and painter whose life, though brief, left a lasting mark. She died in Key West in 1896. Born in Havana in 1877 to a family of writers and patriots, she was a true prodigy—publishing poems by age 10 and studying fine arts before most kids learned long division.

Juana Borrero Pierra (1877–1896) was a remarkable Cuban poet and painter whose tragically short life beautifully encapsulated the worlds of Havana's literary elite and Key West's burgeoning exile community.