By REBECCA BOONE Shirley Raines, a social media creator and nonprofit founder who dedicated her life to caring for people experiencing homelessness, has died, her organization Beauty 2 The Streetz said Wednesday. She was 58. Raines was known as “Ms. Shirley,” to her more than 5 million TikTok followers and to the people who regularly lined up for the food, beauty treatments and hygiene supplies she brought to Los Angeles’ Skid Row and other homeless communities in California and... Read More
Tri-Rail leader David Dech resigns to head Midwest commuter railroad
David Dech, the top Tri-Rail executive who led a variety of initiatives to upgrade South Florida’s aging publicly funded commuter railroad, has resigned to head a Midwest rail line. Dech, who is executive director of Tri-Rail’s governing body, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, stunned his staff with a phone call from Tallahassee announcing his resignation Monday, spokesman Victor Garcia said Wednesday. His new position: president and general manager of the Northern... Read More
Union workers rally at Fort Lauderdale airport to extend protection status for Haitian immigrants
Amid a wintry chill and the roar of jet engines, unionized workers staged an emotional but orderly march Wednesday past the airline terminals that are their workplaces at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, as they became advocates for halting a Trump Administration move that would strip Haitian immigrants of protections that allow them to live the United States. “Extend! TPS!” nearly 100 workers chanted as they walked past travelers who were customers of Spirit Airlines,... Read More
In some states, a push to end all property taxes for homeowners
By JEFF AMY ATLANTA (AP) — It is a goal spreading among anti-tax crusaders — eliminate all property taxes on homeowners. Rising property values have inflated tax bills in many states, but ending all homeowner taxes would cost billions or even tens of billions in most states. It is unclear if lawmakers can pull it off without harming schools and local governments that rely on the taxes to provide services. Officials in North Dakota say they are on their way, using state oil money.... Read More
Mailman arrested after spraying Lauderhill resident’s dogs with pepper spray, police say
A United States Postal Service employee was arrested Wednesday on aggravated animal cruelty charges after spraying a Lauderhill resident’s dogs with pepper spray, police said. While delivering mail at a home in the 1600 block of Northwest 51st Avenue on Jan. 2, Sian Spence, 47, a five-year USPS employee, was recorded on video spraying three dogs with pepper spray through a fence, Lauderhill Police said in a news release Wednesday. The dogs had been barking at the fence in their yard when... Read More
Coldest in 15 years: One-two polar punch could break South Florida records this weekend
If you think it’s cold now, just wait until Sunday and Monday morning. A second powerful polar air blast is on the way this weekend, and could produce the coldest temperatures in South Florida since the legendary and record-breaking freeze event of 2010. Fort Lauderdale and Miami should experience lows in the mid-30s Sunday morning, with wind chills at or below freezing, according to The Weather Channel. Daytime highs will only reach the mid-50s. The Keys will drop to the 40s Sunday morning... Read More
Men who drowned after fleeing into Deerfield Beach lake had troubled pasts, records show
The Broward Sheriff’s Office has identified the three men who drove into a lake while fleeing after allegedly burglarizing cars in a Deerfield Beach neighborhood on Tuesday. Two of the men, Weekenley Felix, 22, and Ashly Rosier, 20, drowned in the lake. A third, Pledidson Jeansam Philibert, 21, was arrested after he escaped the submerged car and swam to land. He is now charged with five counts of burglary of unoccupied conveyance and three counts of conspiring to commit burglary of an... Read More
Dolphins eyeing mauler from Georgia Tech at Senior Bowl
MOBILE, Ala. — Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge can’t be missed during Senior Bowl practices. He’s the mauler, the beast, the one pounding his opponents into dust. And he’s attracted the interest of the Dolphins, a team wanting to get better in the trenches. On Tuesday, Rutledge (6-foot-3, 316 pounds), projected as a mid-round pick, had a few impressive displays of physicality and aggression — including one against SMU’s Jeffrey M’Ba, and one against Texas A&M’s Scooby... Read More
Weekend things to do: Bailey Zimmerman, Greek festivals, Riverdance, Maple Bacon Coffee Porter party
As seen in a compelling new documentary film, the six-decade career arc of photojournalist Steve Schapiro, son of Brooklyn, was a balancing act. He took pictures of iconic faces in art and pop culture (Muhammad Ali, Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, James Baldwin, Samuel Beckett, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, David Bowie), but also scenes of great turmoil (Selma, the March on Washington and, before his death in 2022, Black Lives Matter) and seminal figures from the American tragedy written during... Read More
What’s the most romantic restaurant in South Florida? Nominate the ones you love here
A cozy booth. Linen tablecloths. Candlelight. Soft music. All the basic elements needed for a romantic date-night dinner, right? Sure, but this is South Florida, and we’re a little bit (OK, very!) extra. So add in waterfront or rooftop views, immersive experiences or other completely outside-the-box ideas. With Valentine’s Day just a few weeks away on Feb. 14 (yes, it’s a Saturday this year, so even more pressure to get those coveted reservations), we’re inspired to seek out the best... Read More