Hialeah’s five-member traffic unit begins patrols
A dedicated Hialeah police team began patrolling Oct. 19 to enforce against aggressive and dangerous driving.
Florida
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Weston man found dead in pool identified as Gustavo Ormo
The Broward Sheriff’s Office identified Gustavo “Gus” Ormo in a report published Oct. 19, three days after he was found in a Weston pool.
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Palm Beach officials advise avoiding water at nine sites, including Sandoway
Palm Beach County health officials advise against water activities at nine locations after Oct. 19 tests found the water did not meet Enterococcus criteria.
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Ocala seeks $190,936 for fire vehicles after missed discount
Ocala staff are asking City Council to authorize $190,936 beyond its original approval for four fire vehicles after the city missed a vendor prepayment discount.
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Pembroke Pines voters weigh moving city elections to November
Early voting runs through Nov. 1 as voters consider a charter change that would shift future city elections and extend current officials’ terms during the transition.
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Winter Garden man, 71, killed in alligator attack at park
Steven Hamilton died while fishing at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park. A contracted trapper removed an 11-foot-8-inch alligator from the area as police and wildlife officials investigated.
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Cape Coral targets Oct. 23 for Parkway East lane change
Cape Coral expects three through lanes in each direction between Coronado Parkway and Del Prado Boulevard to open by Oct. 23, weather permitting. Overnight work and construction congestion will continue.
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Brevard schools continue Promethean-board inspections
Brevard Public Schools says districtwide inspections and investigations remain underway after a display fell on Bellamy Dawkins-Morris at Riviera Elementary and he died.
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Tavares earns two America in Bloom awards; employee also honored
Tavares received awards for environmental initiatives and a Main Street gateway. City employee Traci Anderson received America in Bloom’s Cheerleader Award.
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Orlando approves $12.62 million Pulse memorial contract
The updated agreement sets a guaranteed maximum price of $12,624,837. Construction still depends on permits, and the schedule’s listed start date is not confirmed.
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Las Olas Boulevard to close Oct. 17–18 for art fair
East Las Olas Boulevard will close between SE 6th and SE 11th avenues for the Las Olas Art Fair, with the city warning of congestion.
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Tallahassee canceled outdoor sports as some storm sites reopened
The city canceled outdoor sports for Oct. 9–10, 2026. Later updates listed some facilities as open before the initial Monday reopening plan.
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Hialeah firefighters set to vote on two-year pay offer
Hialeah firefighters represented by IAFF Local 1102 are scheduled to vote Oct. 11–13 on the city’s reported offer, which differs from the union’s three-year proposal.
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Missouri freshman DJ Jones receives heart transplant
Eighteen-year-old Missouri freshman Johnnie “DJ” Jones received a heart transplant Oct. 7 and was recovering, coach Eli Drinkwitz said.
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Demings proposes $836 million in Orange County hotel-tax spending
The proposed package includes $400 million for Dr. Phillips Center and a narrower $46 million UCF athletics plan; the county commission has not approved it.
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Florida projects Medicaid ABA spending $980 million below earlier forecast
Florida’s fiscal 2026–27 Medicaid projection for applied behavior analysis is $2.88 billion, $980 million below an earlier forecast. The difference is not documented savings, and the state also reported provider oversight actions.
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Florida appeals court orders full expungement of Hope Florida report
Florida’s First District Court of Appeal directed a Leon County court to expunge a grand-jury presentment in full, citing its contents and the state attorney’s disclosure of the confidential document.
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Florida districts set different school closures as Isaias nears
Four districts listed Oct. 8–9 closures; 10 others set different schedules. FSU also changed operations at several locations.
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Isaias reached 80 mph as warnings stood in Oct. 8 update
A 4:23 a.m. update listed hurricane warnings for Escambia Coastal and Escambia Inland, with a storm-surge warning for the coastal zone.
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$85.1M Kentucky grant nearly matches Florida’s for highway projects
Twelve projects in 12 states will receive $426.7 million in itemized federal awards, including near-equal grants for Kentucky and Florida.
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John Brennan subpoenaed in Justice Department investigation
Former CIA Director John Brennan is scheduled to appear Oct. 15 before a Florida grand jury as prosecutors examine an unproven theory involving Trump.
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Tampa water customers may notice a chlorine smell during three-week treatment change
Tampa is switching from monochloramine to chlorine from September 14 through October 5, 2026. The city says the water remains safe, but some customers may notice a stronger taste or smell.