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| [Least Competent Criminal] Police in New Castle, Delaware, received a call on Dec. 10 from Kayonne Baxter, 21, who wanted to retrieve some items from a Hyundai Sonata that had been towed. Oh, and he had stolen the car the day before. Baxter was taken into custody on the same street where the Hyundai had been stolen; he was charged with felony theft of a motor vehicle. There’s no crime in being stupid |
 Why leaks keep happening is not mystery. It’s physics and salt.Saltwater corrodes. Even lined ductile iron degrades over decades in brackish soil. Ground movement. The Keys sit on limestone and fill. Heat, tides, and settling cause constant micro shifting. Pipes hate that. Hurricanes and storm surge. Pressure changes, debris impact, and soil washout stress joints. Traffic vibration on US-1. That road runs right over or beside the mains for long stretches. Constant vibration loosens joints over time. Aging joints, not pipe walls. Most failures happen at connections, valves, and bends, not mid-pipe.~Florida City to Upper Keys (Key Largo, Tavernier) Mostly 1970s to 1990s ductile iron. Some steel remnants. This stretch sees heavy pressure and traffic vibration. ~Middle Keys (Islamorada to Marathon) Mixed ages. Original mains from the 1970s with spot replacements from the 90s through 2010s. Marathon has seen more upgrades due to break frequency. ~Lower Keys to Key West. Oldest infrastructure. Some sections date back to the 1960s and 70s with layered repairs. More joints, more failure points. All operated and maintained by Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority the entire way. The system was engineered well for its time, but it’s pushing 40 to 60 years in a brutal environment. Spot fixes help, but until entire runs get replaced, leaks are baked into the system. Some Keys residents think FKAA does a good job, I think they do not. |
 After this weekend, Florida’s black bears will be able to breathe more easily as the state’s first bear hunt in a decade comes to an end. |
| Northern Lights photography. Link |
 [New Year’s Resolutions] And why do we do this (or pretend that we will)? The ritual began about 4,000 years ago in the town of Babylon when somebody got the bright idea that the start of the new year would be a great time to: Pay their debts and Return all borrowed objects. Link |
| [Day Care Fraud] Federal authorities launched a “massive” investigation in Minnesota after a viral video by independent journalist Nick Shirley raised allegations of widespread fraud involving daycare centers. This is the ‘process’ working the way it should: Independent reporting uncovers potential wrongdoing, the public takes notice, and federal investigators move in. Any hint of widespread fraud in daycare centers demands serious scrutiny. Kids and taxpayers deserve accountability, not excuses. |
 [Fueling] The inventor of the arrow on a car’s dashboard which indicates which side of the vehicle the fuel filler is located on has died at the age of 80. Link |
| [1440 Web Site] Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed. |
 [Tourist Season] Every time I went into a theatre there was a big sign: Max Number Allowed. We need one of those signs on the 18 mile stretch! |
| The AARP calendar of activities is here for January. Full Menu > Ongoing Events > AARP |
 This is Jakub Bursa from Evergreen Islands LLC, a local landscape maintenance and tree service company located in Big Pine Key, and I was wondering if you would be able to get us listed in your business directory. I am the owner, our phone number is (305)-902-7447, Please visit our website. Link. Happy Holidays!Full Menu > Business Directory > Landscape, Lawn Care |
| The British Empire’s resilient subsea telegraph network. Link |
 [Obsolete] Just like the penny, look what else is becoming a thing of the past. Why passport stamps may be a thing of the past. I wish I still had my first passport, it had stamps from all over the world. |
| [Receive Honest News Today] Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed. (Editor: Everyone thinks their news is the honest news.) |
 The 10 best global albums of 2025 that you’ve probably never heard. Link |
| Google is dead. And AI did it. Where do we go now? It’s anecdotal, I know, but my main entertainment business revenue is down 50% over the past 3 months. Our main paid source of leads was Google Ads, which have served us well over the past 10 years or so – I think I know what I am doing in adwords by now. Link |
 [Times New American: A Tale of Two Fonts] A less romantic truth is that aesthetic standards rarely travel alone; power tends to follow in their wake. An episode at the U.S. State Department this month makes exactly this point. On December 9, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a memo titled “Return to Tradition” that required all State Department documents to switch back to 14-point Times New Roman, overturning a Biden-era directive from 2023 that had turned to 15-point Calibri. |
| [American Gestapo] Body cam footage shows feds threatening U.S. citizen detained in Key Largo. The woman who was dragged out of her car by federal immigration agents in Key Largo while screaming she was a U.S. citizen said the feds had already stopped her twice within a few weeks. Video |
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 [Driving on US1 During Tourist Season] The left lane campers doing 40 are the worst. No awareness, no moving over, just blocking traffic like it’s their job. Sudden braking for no reason, people pulling out with zero urgency, and nobody seems to understand flow anymore. It’s not just tourists either, locals are doing it too. Driving down here has turned into a daily test of patience. |
| A Venezuelan oil tanker contains about $62,000,000 of oil. |
 [State Bird Recommendation] I would choose the Florida Scrub Jay. If more people knew birds and what the qualifications should be to make the best representative for Florida, they would vote for the scrub jay as well. |
| The current Coconut Telegraph was published on 12/30/25 at 9:26 am. |
 [House For Rent] Big Pine Key. 3 bedrooms. 2 full bathrooms. House on stilts over full concrete slab. Bay window in Kitchen plus a pantry. Stainless steel appliances. Plenty of kitchen cabinets and granite counter tops. Dining area/living room. Big front porch. Large, locked storage room downstairs. Covered parking for two vehicles. Central air conditioning plus heat. Back two bedrooms have additional mini-split A/Cs. Very bright and clean and in a quite neighborhood. Laundry area in hallway. Electric bill is about $165 a month. No smokers or dogs. 1100 square feet. $3000 a month. First, last and $1000 security. 1125 square feet. $7000 total to move in, utilities not included.See it on Craigslist: Link |