Ernest Hemingway spent the 1930s in Key West, Florida, and more than six decades after his death, fans, scholars and relatives continue to congregate on the island city to celebrate the author’s award-winning novels and adventure-filled life.

Two women, Cassie Aran and Lauren, completed their 500-mile drive down the coast of Florida in an attempt to claim the Guinness World Record for “Longest Distance by Toy Cars.”

Two women are attempting a 500-mile drive down the coast of Florida to receive the Guinness World Record for longest distance by toy cars, and their journey began right here in Duval County.

Margaritaville at Sea is saluting military members, first responders, healthcare workers, and educators once again.

A busy Atlantic hurricane season is now coming to a close.

A decade after swimming nonstop for more than two straight days from Cuba to Florida, Diana Nyad has returned to the Key West beach where she completed her epic journey.

From Key West, Florida, and beyond, the world became an extension of Jimmy Buffett's musical kingdom of “Margaritaville.”.

Almost 140 bearded men who resemble Ernest Hemingway have converged on Key West to compete in the Hemingway Look-Alike Contest.

New York had its hot dog eating contest to celebrate Independence Day.

The Navy commissioned it newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer

A Minnesota husband is taking a 3,500-mile stretch from Key West to his home in Albany, Minnesota to help find a cure for breast cancer after his wife was diagnosed with the disease. The catch? He’s doing it on a bike.

Two Cuban migrants used a motorized hang glider to fly the approximately 90 miles from the communist island to Key West, Florida.

A Canadian woman and a pediatric cardiologist from Georgia are winners in Key West’s annual Conch Shell Blowing Contest.

The Coast Guard has returned another 177 Cuban migrants who were caught off Florida’s coast to the island.

Cuban migrants are still arriving by boat in the Florida Keys even as the Biden administration promises a crackdown.

Biking from Maine to Key West sounds taxing enough, right? Well, imagine making that nearly 2,000-mile ride on a unicycle.

An Atlantic hurricane season with 14 named storms has ended, leaving residents in the Florida Keys to celebrate even as others around Florida and Puerto Rico continue to deal with the damage caused by Hurricanes Ian, Nicole and Fiona.

All eyes remain on Hurricane Ian as it continues to track towards the Florida Gulf Coast in the coming days.

The Southernmost Point marker in Key West, Florida, a landmark delineating the continental United States’ southernmost spot of land, became a memorial to Queen Elizabeth II when city workers installed a British flag and royal purple banner at the much-photographed site beside the Atlantic Ocean.

Two people died and five were missing after a boat believed to be carrying migrants capsized off the coast of the Florida Keys.

Officials say two people died in the Florida Keys during the first day of lobster mini-season.

Some came in wool fisherman’s sweaters, and other contestants had sportsmen’s attire.

A U.S. Coast Guard crew rescued nine pepole when their pontoon overturned near off the Florida Keys.

Always remember to tip your server, if you know what’s good for you.

Restoration has been completed on Key West’s Southernmost Point marker, one of the most photographed landmarks in the Florida Keys, following damage from a fire intentionally set early New Year’s Day.

The Big Orange isn’t rising up the side of the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami this year, and a festival with food trucks and performers in a northeast Florida beach town has been canceled.

Two sheriff’s deputies have been suspended after they were arrested for an off-duty brawl with sailors in Key West.

The 40th edition of an Ernest Hemingway look-alike contest has begun at an iconic Key West bar formerly frequented by the author.

As Tropical Storm Elsa barrels towards Florida, schools on the west coast of the state made the decision to shut down on Tuesday.

Weather conditions in southern Florida were deteriorating Tuesday as Tropical Storm Elsa passed the Florida Keys and neared hurricane strength as it hit the west coast of the state.

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for 10 Cuban migrants who went missing last week after their boat capsized 16 miles south of Key West.

Officials say two people are dead and 10 others are missing after their boat overturned near the Florida Keys.

After skipping a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the annual Hemingway Look-Alike Contest is set to return to the Florida Keys this summer.

An effort to overturn a 2020 vote in Key West that limited cruise ship operations is ready to go before the full Senate.

The Senate continued moving forward Wednesday with an effort to overturn a 2020 vote in Key West intended to limit cruise ship operations. The Senate Community Affairs Committee voted 5-3 to approve a bill (SB 426) that had been narrowed to address municipal-run ports in Key West, Pensacola, Panama City and St. Petersburg. Of the municipal-run ports, only Key West has cruise ship operations, though negotiations are underway to bring cruise ships to Panama City. Lobbyist Josh Aubuchon, representing the group Florida Ports for Economic Independence, said the Key West referendum didn’t ban cruise ships. And there’s jobs because of the businesses that sell to these tourists and entertain these tourists.

A 41-year-old man was rescued off a raft without food or water by the U.S. Coast Guard Station Key West. KEY WEST, Fla., – The U.S. Coast Guard says it rescued a 41-year-old man who was drifting aboard a makeshift raft off the coast of Key West near Fort Zachary Taylor Saturday afternoon. According to USCG, the man had no food, water or radio on the raft. USCG Station Key West says they spotted the man at around 3 p.m. It’s unclear how he ended up on the raft, or how long he was out at sea in this condition.

This Sept. 13, 2017 photo shows chickens in Key West, Fla. Key West is considering a law that would make it illegal to feed the chickens that freely roam the Southernmost City. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)Feral chickens run free in Key West, just one of those things that keep the Southernmost City charmingly weird. It’s a heated thing on both sides.”The city's wild chickens don’t need help finding food, Tom Sweets, executive director of the Key West Wildlife Center, told the newspaper. “I’ve never seen a skinny chicken in Key West unless it’s sick or injured. They’re quite capable of taking care of themselves.”The wildlife center says it doesn't remove healthy Key West Chickens, but it did take in about 1,500 injured, sick, and orphaned chickens last year.

File photo of past winners of the "Papa" Hemingway Look-Alike contest in Key West. KEY WEST, Fla. – Ernest Hemingway look-alikes are being used by the Florida Keys tourism council to encourage visitors and residents to wear masks to protect against COVID-19. “We look at Key West as being our adopted town,” said longtime contest entrant Dusty Rhodes in the video. The look-alikes wear masks over their signature white beards. COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the 40th annual “Papa” Hemingway Look-Alike Contest at Sloppy Joe’s last July.

A fisherman found the cocaine bricks about 15 miles south of Sugarloaf Key on Wednesday, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. KEY WEST, Fla. – Almost 75 pounds of cocaine were found this week floating off the Florida Keys. A fisherman found the cocaine bricks about 15 miles south of Sugarloaf Key on Wednesday, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Drugs floating off the Florida Keys are nothing new, according to the Miami Herald. In July, more than 50 pounds of cocaine washed up near Grassy Key.

KEY WEST, Fla. – The city of Key West is scaling back its normal New Year’s Eve celebrations following recent surges in the spread of coronavirus. Key West Mayor Teri Johnston signed an emergency order Friday that sets an island-wide curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 p.m., running Thursday, Dec. 31, through Sunday, Jan. 3. The curfew does not apply to unincorporated Monroe County, which includes the remainder of the Florida Keys, said county mayor Michelle Coldiron. Duval Street typically attracts tens of thousands to celebrate the New Year and watch a giant red shoe with the drag queen inside drop at midnight. Health officials continue to stress that residents and visitors should wear facial coverings, which are mandatory in the Keys, practice social distancing and wash hands frequently.

KEY WEST, Fla. – A $5 million grant will help restore one of the major coral reefs located in federally protected waters around the Florida Keys. The reef is about seven miles (11 kilometers) southeast of Key West and is part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded the $5 million through the National Coastal Resilience Fund. In 2019, NOAA announced Mission: Iconic Reefs, a plan to restore nearly much of the Florida Reef Tract. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects 3,800 square miles (6,100 kilometers) of waters surrounding the Florida Keys.

The Miami Herald reported the three were rescued by police, the U.S. Coast Guard and some commercial fishermen on Thursday. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says the boy, Avani Perez, called 911 on a cellphone to report that his grandparents were in the water and drifting away. Avani also described how far his grandparents were using football yards as a reference until he couldn't see them. “He was raised on a boat.”The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and U.S. Coast Guard responded and alerted mariners and commercial fishermen in the area. The Coast Guard invited the boy on Friday to give him a gold coin and commend him for his actions.

KEY WEST, Fla. – Sloppy Joe’s, the iconic Key West bar that Ernest Hemingway frequented during the 1930s, reopened Thursday after closing six months ago because of the coronavirus pandemic. By noon, the bar had already reached the 50% capacity allowed by law, including three Ernest Hemingway look-alikes. The Duval Street bar has been associated with the legendary author since he lived in Key West during the 1930s. With the noted exception of the Key West Marlin Tournament, most other area festival events were canceled as well. “With the pandemic, we did the best we could to minimize our costs," Sloppy Joe’s brand manager Donna Edwards said.

MIAMI Two residents of the Florida Keys have been jailed for failing to quarantine after testing positive for the new coronavirus. Jose Interian, 24, and Yohana Gonzalez, 26, are facing charges of violating isolation rules for a quarantine and violating emergency management disaster preparedness rules, according to jail records. They were arrested Wednesday in Key West, officials said. The Miami Herald reports Interian and Gonzalez had been ordered by the health department to quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19, but neighbors said they were ignoring the order. Someone videotaped the couple and gave it to Key West police, according to Greg Veliz, Key West's city manager.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. When it comes to sunscreen, skin cancer and coral reefs, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken the side of sun worshipers who have gotten tacit approval to slather away. The bill was one of 28 signed into law by DeSantis late Monday. But DeSantis sided with health and sunscreen advocates who argued that people's health outweighed the threat to coral reefs. With a stroke of his pen, the governor also repealed Chapter 363 in its entirety from Florida statute on Monday.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Further acknowledging that climate change is a growing concern in his state, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a measure requiring public coastal construction projects to first be reviewed for impacts on the state's fragile seashore because of rising sea levels. But environmentalists have been pushing the governor to act more aggressively in the arena of climate change by supporting alternative energy and reducing the state's reliance on carbon fuels that contribute to climate change. The bipartisan bill DeSantis signed on coastal construction is limited to public projects that rely on state money. Rodriguez has said the measure is another baby step in a political climate that has made it challenging to take quick action on climate change.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. A controversial proposal intended to block Key West and other local governments from imposing bans on certain types of sunscreen was among 38 bills that landed on Gov. The Republican-dominated Legislature passed the bill (SB 404) in February, but it was not formally sent to DeSantis until Tuesday. E-verify proposalA bill that would require all government employers to use a federal electronic system to check the immigration status of new workers was also sent to DeSantis on Tuesday. Until this spring, years of attempts to pass an E-Verify bill failed in the Republican-led Legislature. The E-Verify bill sent to the governor on Tuesday, however, does not go as far as DeSantis initially wanted.

Key West is the only city in Florida that has voted for a ban on sunscreens that contain the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, which studies have found can contribute to coral bleaching. Roach, R-Fort Myers, argued skin cancer is a threat to people who live and visit Florida and that sunscreen use should be encouraged. The House Health Quality Subcommittee approved the bill. A Senate committee Monday approved a bill (SB 172) that is identical to Roach's measure. That could indicate lawmakers are fast-tracking the proposals ahead of the 2020 legislative session, which starts in January.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - In light of Key West banning the sale of sunscreens that contain chemicals believed to harm coral reefs, Florida lawmakers are fast-tracking proposals that would undo the local regulation. "You have to apply (the chemicals) directly, in an intense matter to the coral reefs over a long period of time in a little, small space. We are talking about a large ocean around the coral reefs here, so the OPPAGA study supports what we are doing right here," Bradley said. While environmental groups support Key West's ban on certain sunscreens, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Retail Association and the Florida Society of Dermatology and Surgery supported Bradley's bill. Bradley echoed that sentiment Monday, while also chastising Key West for prohibiting the use of popular sunscreens.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - With the sponsor pointing to concerns about skin cancer, a Senate committee Monday approved a measure that would prevent local governments from banning over-the-counter sales of sunscreen. Key West passed an ordinance that made it illegal to sell sunscreen that contains the ingredients oxybenzone or octinoxate without prescriptions. Lobbyists for the Sierra Club of Florida and the Surfrider Foundation urged senators Monday to be cautious on the issue. Sen. Gary Farmer, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat who voted against the bill, said lawmakers need to find a "balance" to protect reefs and protect people from skin cancer. "This is a tough one because we love our reefs," said Farmer, who added he has had three bouts with skin cancer.

Create scuba divers compete in an underwater pumpkin carving contest in the waters off Key West, Florida.

MAYPORT, Fla. - The Navy's newest littoral combat ship sailed into its new home port Wednesday as Naval Station Mayport welcomes the USS Billings. We will have unmanned boats, unmanned helicopters and unmanned submarines." For years after that, the defense department kept saying the long-range plan was to base another carrier at Mayport. While there's still no carrier at Mayport and none of the needed upgrades were completed, DoD has made Mayport a major home port for these Littoral Combat Ships. The Navy expects 14 of these small ships to be based at Mayport.

iStock/KnickohrMIAMI - Conspiracy theorists took to social media in a flurry of excitement Wednesday after a mysterious flying object resembling an orange fireball streaked across the Florida sky. The American Meteor Society reported two dozen sightings from Jacksonville to Key West after midnight and tweeted there's "no real explanation yet." No, we were not invaded last night by Martians but we appreciate the level of confidence you have of us to stop intergalactic invaders. Here are some exclusive videos that were taken by our Deputies and a 911 call from a concerned citizen regarding the sightings last night. The time and location from videos posted on social media made it easy to compare with the orbital data about what debris was slated for reentry around that time.

iStock/KnickohrMIAMI - Conspiracy theorists took to social media in a flurry of excitement Wednesday after a mysterious flying object resembling an orange fireball streaked across the Florida sky. The American Meteor Society reported two dozen sightings from Jacksonville to Key West after midnight and tweeted there's "no real explanation yet." No, we were not invaded last night by Martians but we appreciate the level of confidence you have of us to stop intergalactic invaders. Here are some exclusive videos that were taken by our Deputies and a 911 call from a concerned citizen regarding the sightings last night. The time and location from videos posted on social media made it easy to compare with the orbital data about what debris was slated for reentry around that time.