Alex Rickert

A full house at Marathon’s Dec. 3 city council workshop had no shortage of passionate opinions as the board weighs a request for additional building allocations from the state.

Students and staff at MHS were under lockdown for more than an hour after the school reportedly received a recorded bomb threat on the morning of Dec. 10. While officials told the Weekly they do not believe the threat was credible, multiple law enforcement agencies conducted a full interior and exterior sweep of the school and its campus.

Whether you like to spend your weekend sipping cocktails by day or you’re looking for a family-friendly winter wonderland at night, this weekend is for you.

Randy Mearns, one of Marathon’s founding councilmen, honors the legacy of recently-deceased councilman Frank Greenman at the council’s Dec. 10 session. Greenman will be honored with a memorial day of civic service and music appreciation each November. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly

A line through the parking lot from the moment the evening began is the norm for one of Marathon’s favorite family-friendly traditions, and the crowds didn’t disappoint as they showed up to see Santa and Mrs. Claus at Coldwell Banker Schmitt Real Estate Co. on Dec. 6. Kids decked out in their holiday best waited their turn to bend Santa’s ear and send their five-star requests to the North Pole, while the crew at Coldwell Banker provided free goody bags as Mr. and Mrs. Claus’ team of dutiful elves. Photos by ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly.

Drinks flowed and the race was on for Santa, the Grinch and an army of reindeer and elves to complete the best poker hand in the inaugural 7 Mile SantaCon on Dec. 14. Entry to the event included a complimentary holiday-themed cocktail and card pull at four local bars before the Santas boarded the Pigeon Key Express to join the Holiday Spectacular and complete their hands for a final showdown.

The stage at Marathon High School’s performing arts center got an overload of holiday cuteness on Dec. 14 as dozens of young dancers had their moment under the lights for Prodigy Dance Center’s ‘Story Book Christmas’ holiday recital. Oversized presents served as the backdrop to 18 numbers in costumes fitting the season, from ballerinas in tutus to jazz dancers in slumber party pajamas.

“Florida Man” may be the stereotype, but there are plenty of times each year when “Florida Keys Man” (or woman) steals the spotlight from the bigger moniker. Stories like these are the gifts that keep on giving, and here are a few of the headlines that made us scratch our heads and go “Wait…what?!?”

The Monroe County Commission weighs elements of a request for additional building rights throughout the Florida Keys at a special session on Dec. 19 in Marathon. ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly