The 15th Annual Florida Day of the Dead Celebration and processional took place on Saturday, November 2, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale. The free event included a festival at Esplanade Park, a Skeleton Processional along the Riverwalk, and a block party near Revolution Live. Highlights featured many performers, Mexican crafts, food trucks, and children’s activities. Sponsored by the city and other groups, the celebration is recognized as one of America’s top Day of the Dead events.
Organizers revealed Monday that Boca Raton’s Center for Arts and Innovation — a planned arts-oriented destination featuring many attractions — is millions of dollars behind in fundraising, drawing criticism from city officials.
The center, which is intended to be an extensive performing arts center at the north end of Mizner Park, was supposed to have raised more than $50 million by now, in order to be on track, according to city documents.
But during a public meeting on Monday afternoon, CEO Andrea Virgin told City Council members that about $32 million has been raised in “documented...
U.S. Sen Rick Scott, leading his opponent but hovering below 50% in most polls, campaigned with two of his Republican colleagues as he works to close the deal with early voting underway in Florida.
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Tom Cotton of Arkansas vouched for Scott’s conservative bona fides, and invoked the name of Florida’s most prominent Republican, former President Donald Trump, to sell Scott’s reelection.
Without a Republican majority including Scott, it would be impossible for Trump to implement his policies if he’s reelected president, they said.
“We know Donald Trump is...
Florida should reverse course on its “harmful” abstinence-only requirements for public school health classes and allow schools to teach a comprehensive sex education curriculum, according to a letter sent to state leaders Thursday from seven Democrats serving in Congress.
“Abstinence-only programs have been consistently proven ineffective, damaging to students’ health, and discriminatory against the LGBTQ+ community,” read the letter from the Florida congressional members. “This directive is another extremist attack on evidence-based, data-driven policies.”
The letter was sent to Gov. Ron...
MIAMI (AP) — A Florida man’s lawsuit has temporarily stopped Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball from being sold at auction after saying it was stolen from him moments after he secured it.
Max Matus’ representatives say their client gained possession of the Los Angeles Dodgers star’s historic ball on Sept. 19 — the man’s 18th birthday — before Chris Belanski took it away. The ball has since been turned over to Goldin Auctions, a New Jersey-based auction house specializing in trading cards, collectibles and memorabilia.
The Miami-Dade County judge said in an emergency hearing on Thursday...
Residents of a condo on Fort Lauderdale beach were ordered to evacuate by noon Friday after the building’s foundation was found to be unsafe, a city official said Thursday.
The evacuation order, relayed by the building’s engineer of record, had residents at the 18-unit Springbrook Gardens condo scrambling to find a new place to stay on short notice.
“Everybody was in shock,” said Warren Sackler, a retired professor from New York who moved into the condo nearly 20 years ago.
Sackler, 74, paid $370,000 for a one-bedroom unit in 2007. Nine years later, he bought the unit next door for...
Use a former hotel to serve as temporary housing.
Build small cottage homes, or even use shipping containers.
Designate “safe parking lots,” where people living in their cars could park.
These and many more ideas to help the homeless were raised for consideration in Palm Beach County on Tuesday as county officials brainstormed for much-needed solutions. Homelessness has remained a key issue ahead of a new state law kicking in.
The law, which takes effect Oct. 1, will ban Florida’s homeless from sleeping in public spaces such as in parks, bus stops, on the beach and on sidewalks.
“We as a...
It was almost time for happy hour, but the crowd was told there wasn’t much time.
And the 75 or so people — including a member of Congress and three east Broward mayors — packed into the side room of a restaurant and bar Friday afternoon weren’t there for end-of-the-week libations.
They were all about the work, specifically political outreach to voters between now and Election Day. With a little more than six weeks until Nov. 5, and with voting-by-mail about to begin, they were pushed to do more than hang out with other Democrats at the end of the work day.
“These events are wonderful, and...
Florida Republicans are supremely confident about victory in November — and wary of the perils of overconfidence.
Party activists, candidates and elected officials who gathered Saturday in Hollywood for a major Republican Party of Florida fundraiser predicted widespread wins.
“If anybody thinks we’re going to lose, if anybody thinks in any way that Donald Trump is going to lose Florida, they’re crazy,” said U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. “The turnout in Florida all across the state for Republicans is incredible. We’re going to have a great year.”
Scott, especially, hopes that’s the case. He’s...
Fort Lauderdale leaders struggling to come up with a spot to house the homeless continued the debate Tuesday, well aware that the city might face lawsuits from citizens if they don’t come up with a plan soon.
For months, the Fort Lauderdale commission has been prepping for a statewide law against public camping and sleeping that takes effect Oct. 1. Cities across Florida that fail to enforce the controversial state law — signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in March — can be sued starting Jan. 1.
Now Fort Lauderdale has been hit with a new unexpected wrinkle: Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony is making...