Tamarac officials want to keep deputies in teen beating out of city

Angry Tamarac city commissioners Wednesday morning demanded a third deputy involved in the forceful arrest of a Taravella High freshman be forbidden from working in the city. Commissioners voted 4-1 to ask Broward Sheriff Greg Tony to remove the deputy from any assignments in the city, after last week’s high-profile arrest and head banging of 15-year-old DeLucca “Lucca” Rolle. City spokeswoman Elise Boston said the “city manager will need to review the contract and move forward... Read More

Parkland shooter entitled to hefty inheritance; public defender asks to withdraw from his case

The Broward Public Defender’s Office has asked to withdraw from confessed Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz’s death penalty case, court records show. The teen is entitled to half of a nearly $865,000 life insurance policy as of April 23, the court filing shows. Gordon Weekes, assistant public defender, said “We have to withdraw.” The move will throw the criminal case off track. The judge had hoped to begin trial in January. Weekes said the public defender’s office just got new... Read More

Blood-stained crime scenes fuel Florida company’s popularity on Instagram | Graphic images

A Florida-based company that specializes in cleaning up grisly crime, death and injury scenes is doing what many other companies in 2019 are also doing: using the photo-sharing app Instagram as a marketing tool. But there aren’t many companies posting the kinds of images that Spaulding Decon does. Blood-stained floors, blood-spattered walls and other scenes of carnage are the norm on the company’s Instagram, which has amassed over 110,000 followers since it was created three years ago,... Read More

Gov. Ron DeSantis urges Florida Senate to finish Scott Israel hearing before session ends

Gov. Ron DeSantis wants the Florida Senate to oust suspended Broward Sheriff Scott Israel from office sooner rather than later. DeSantis said Wednesday he thinks there’s still time for the Florida Senate to decide whether Israel should be removed from office before the legislative session ends on May 3. If lawmakers can’t finish the job by then, DeSantis suggested calling them back for a special session. He also wants the Florida Senate to uphold his decision to remove Okaloosa... Read More

Patterns emerge in the way Hepatitis A is spreading in Florida

The state is starting to detect patterns in how Hepatitis A is spreading across Florida. In its search for the source, the state epidemiologist with Florida’s Department of Health has found Hepatitis A is concentrated in the homeless and drug using community, but has spread to other populations in Florida by those who have had contact with the homeless, or by people who have traveled to Florida from places where Hepatitis A is rampant. In the last 15 months, Florida has seen an outbreak of... Read More

Broward sheriff: ‘Politics is starting to impact justice’ in teen beating

Angry Tamarac city commissioners Wednesday morning demanded a third deputy involved in the forceful arrest of a Taravella High freshman be forbidden from working in the city. Commissioners voted 4-1 to ask Broward Sheriff Greg Tony to remove a third deputy from any assignments in the city, although his role isn’t completely known in last week’s high-profile arrest and head banging of 15-year-old DeLucca “Lucca” Rolle. City spokeswoman Elise Boston said the “city manager will... Read More

Flames torch trees near train tracks in Pompano Beach, fire officials say

Firefighters were battling a brush fire in Pompano Beach Wednesday afternoon. Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue crews began fighting the flames about 11:30 a.m. in the 4000 block of North Dixie Highway, in the Highlands Scrub Natural Area nature preserve. The flames were in an area near the Florida East Coast Railway tracks. The cause of the fire was unknown and there were no immediate reports of any injuries. The Florida Forestry Service and Pompano Beach Fire Rescue were also working to douse... Read More