Lolita the Killer Whale may be the main attraction for kids visiting the Miami Seaquarium, but by the time the show is over, what’s fired children’s imaginations is the thought of growing up to be just like Shanna Simpson, the senior whale trainer.
By BILL ANDREWS
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – The show started with a bang. Literally. The percussionist snapped the audience to attention with a loud rap on the bass and snare drums.
“Wake up!” a man yelled, and “1, 7, 4, 5, 1, 7!” a woman replied. Other musicians, a violinist and flutist, joined the percussionist with [...]
Hit hard by the recession and the popularity of American Indian-owned casinos, the Florida pari-mutuel industry — including dog and horse tracks and jai alai frontons — saw a 17 percent decline in wagering and a 13 percent dip in slot revenue from July through October of last year. But a lifeline remains: Voters in Miami have approved the addition of Las Vegas-style slots to these venues, granting them a reprieve.
Would-be guinea pigs end up on waiting lists as participants flock to potentially earn thousands of dollars for getting poked and prodded for the sake of science.
When Darlene Johnson walks her granddaughter to school near Liberty City in the mornings, the 11-year-old honor roll student often darts toward the entrance, and Johnson smiles. It’s the type of scene any school administrator would love to encounter, especially in Miami-Dade County, where officials face a constant struggle to bring low-income schools up to state performance standards.
Doug Rodriguez, the new principal at Miami Central High School, has been given one task: Turn this struggling 50-year-old high school around in six months.
The first time Terry Durham preached, he wasn’t in front of a group of people or even inside a church. His first sermon was in the bathroom of his grandmother’s home in Fort Lauderdale, where he spoke surrounded by toothbrushes, soap and towels. He was six years old.
After battling homelessness for 10 years, Todd Hill, 41, a decorated Marine who fought in the first Gulf War, found an apartment and a job as a security guard. But his newfound stability did not last.
While some locals have reacted with hostility toward one another in light of the Gaza crisis, Muslim and Jewish leaders here say most in the community are trying to coexist peacefully.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Marcella Cataño found herself at the 21st annual Las Olas Art Fair by chance on Sunday. Although she had a credit card to treat herself to artwork or jewelry, not even 40 percent off could persuade her to swipe it.