News

“Owl-catraz” is no more.

But it seems the controversy over a private prison company’s efforts to buy naming rights to Florida Atlantic University’s stadium is far from over.

In a letter to FAU’s Dean of Students, the American Civil Liberties Union criticizes the university for an alleged retaliation against seven students for rallying against the defunct deal. 

The second annual PhilanthroFest kicks off Saturday at noon in downtown Miami. The event is like speed-dating for volunteers, donors, nonprofits and the people who may need them.

More than 100 organizations are participating in the event that runs from noon until 6:30 p.m. at Miami-Dade College’s Wolfson Campus, at 300 NE Second Ave.

PhilanthroFest co-founder Estrellita Sibila says the festival is helpful for local nonprofits, which sometimes have to compete with organizations from out-of-town.

A $6 million deal that would have given a private prison company naming rights to Florida Atlantic University's stadium is now off. And that's leaving some FAU students wondering if another donation that size is coming around any time soon.

Barrel-chested Leo Thalassites squints like Clint Eastwood, hops around like Jackie Chan and has been an active cop for nearly six decades. He is 86 years old.

He first joined the Miami-Dade Police Department in 1956. He moved to the Hialeah Police Department in 1963, where he has been on active duty ever since.  And now, according to the International Police Association, he is the oldest active police officer.

President Obama traveled to PortMiami Friday to talk about the importance of the nation’s infrastructure to the economy. He outlined a plan for state and local governments to fund large-scale infrastructure projects through private sector partnerships.

PortMiami provided the perfect backdrop for the announcement. The port is undergoing a series of multimillion-dollar improvements including a $915 million project to dig a tunnel under Biscayne Bay that will directly connect the port to I-395.

Sometimes people stand up for their beliefs by refusing to stand on them.

Ryan Rotela, a junior at Florida Atlantic University and devout Mormon, claims he was thrown out of class by his instructor after refusing to step on the name of Jesus as part of a classroom exercise.

Not everyone remembers the moment when they lost the innocence of their childhood. But Paul Novack is reminded of that moment every day.

“Something about the Goldman house is that I drive by it at least twice a day,” says Novack. “It’s a constant reminder of what happened here in 1966.”

What happened in 1966 was suddenly the town of Surfside – Paul Novack’s town – became a place where horrendous crime happened. It began when a robber slipped in through the unlocked back door March 28, 1966, while the Goldman family slept.