Fort Lauderdale opening more neighborhoods to sex offenders with change in strict law

Of the homeless sex offenders, nearly 80 percent of them are registered to Fort Lauderdale addresses, according to the Florida Action Committee. The city attracts more homeless people because of its easier access to food kitchens, the courthouse and mass transit, among other reasons. The Main Jail also is in Fort Lauderdale. ... Read More

Scot Peterson returned to Florida to clear his name, his lawyer says. Instead he wound up behind bars.

When the sheriff was contacted, he informed officers that Peterson was scheduled to appear for a hearing Tuesday. And that happened to be a coincidence: “To be clear, the State Attorney’s Office and FDLE were unaware that Peterson was expected to be in Broward County until after the warrant was signed,” the statement read. ... Read More

Look out for Nile monitor on prowl in Plantation area

Nile monitors can grow longer than five feet. They eat pretty much anything, judging from a list of their prey from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: “crabs, crayfish, mussels, snails, slugs, termites, caterpillars, beetles, spiders, grasshoppers and crickets, fish, frogs, toads, lizards, turtles, snakes, young crocodiles, and other reptiles, birds and their eggs, and small mammals.” ... Read More

Warehouse District: How West Palm Beach’s newest nightlife village found suds, spirits and ‘soul’

A sophisticated indoor food village, this 14,000-square-foot hub debuted in February 2018 as one of South Florida’s first food halls. Inside, there’s cuisine for every appetite, anchored by Clare’s Kitchen, a fried chicken stall. There is also El Cochinito, a café whose Cuban sandwich was recently crowned the best in the country at Tampa’s International Cuban Sandwich Festival; Locanta, a Mediterranean eatery; and Pumphouse Coffee, the first café from the Jupiter-based roaster.... Read More

Hispanic Planting: CPLF Gathering this July

On July 23-24, 2019, we will present the results of our latest Hispanic church planting research. One of the highlights of my year is the gathering of the Church Planting Leadership Fellowship (CPLF). Leadership from multiple denominations share wisdom, encouragement, and practice so that all can learn and all can be made better. During this gathering on July 23-24, 2019, we will present the results of our latest Hispanic church planting research, how to reach Hispanics, Hispanic culture,... Read More

And God Said to Pastors: Use More Sermon Puns and Plan More Parties

Three reasons to practice levity and humor in public worship. When I was a student at Regent College, I once impersonated J. I. Packer in a chapel service. I pretended he was C-3PO from Star Wars. He laughed, I laughed, people laughed. We laughed, I’d like to think, because the impression fit the man: Both J. I. and C-3PO are tall, lanky creatures, all joints and sockets. They’re both British, über-rational, uncommonly smart beings possessed of photographic memories that... Read More

Aid Cuts Threaten Central American Women and Children

IJM: Loving our neighbors abroad means giving them the kind of police we want for our own communities. What would it take for you to leave your home—to grab your kids, the bare essentials, abandon your house and run? Would you do it if there weren’t competent police in your town? Or if you realized that you aren’t living under rule of law but under rule of might, where the strong just take what they want even if it’s yours? Would you finally decide to leave the day... Read More

For ‘Big Little Lies’ fans, the houses are as much of a draw as the drama

Even the filming locations within the homes reflect them: For Madeline, who’s more of an emotional open book, many scenes take place in the open-concept kitchen (which is the actual kitchen of the Malibu house). For Nicole Kidman’s Celeste, who is closed off and hiding a big part of her life, most of her scenes happen in small, controlled spaces, such as the walk-in closet and the bathroom (both of which were constructed on soundstages). Bonnie is more earthy and grounded; the big dinner... Read More