George Texs blog

Miami Beach, Fla. — One person died and another six people, including a child, were taken to the hospital after an older woman drove her Bentley into the outdoor dining area of ​​an Italian restaurant on Miami Beach, authorities said. Miami Beach police said on Twitter that the woman was attempting to parallel park Thursday at about 6 pm when she instead accelerated onto the sidewalk cafe where several people were seated. “Horrific accident,” police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez told WSVN. The condition of those taken to the hospital is not immediately known. Robert Deburro told WPLG that he and others ran to help. “I heard the screeching, crashing, screaming,” he told the television station. “There was a small boy and a few people trapped under the vehicle. We grabbed the vehicle, a bunch of people grabbed the vehicle, and counted ‘One, two three!’ And lifted the vehicle up. A waiter pulled the young boy out.” The woman, who was not n...

The shape of Louisiana’s congressional districts will likely be decided in a federal court now that the Republican-led state Legislature has overridden Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards’ veto of a map that limits the state to one majority-Black district out of six in the U.S. House of Representatives. Edwards and voters’ rights groups have said a second minority district needed to be added to account for the nearly 33% of Louisiana residents who are Black. A lawsuit challenging the GOP’s map in House Bill 1 was filed shortly after the veto session adjourned Wednesday afternoon. “We have done simple math ad nauseam,” Rep. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, said before the House voted to override Edwards’ veto. “One-third of six is two. This body continues to disregard simple math… We continue to disregard the fact that House Bill 1 is rife with politics.” Lawmakers held a special redistricting session in February to create new political maps based on the 2020 Census. Although 40% ...

NARANJA, Fla. – Detectives have yet to make an arrest in the murder of 24-year-old TSA Officer LeShonte Jones in Miami-Dade County. Her three-year-old daughter was injured during the shooting and thinks about her mother and the killer every day. Darlene Dukes, Jones’ mother, said she has custody of her granddaughter who is still processing her memories about the shooting on May 3 at the Coral Bay Cove Apartments in the Naranja neighborhood. Dukes said the trauma runs deep. “Every day she talks about the bad guy: What she wants done to the bad guy, why the bad guy won’t let the police get him, why the bad guy did that to my mommy,” Dukes said. After a dark gray four-door Nissan sedan pulled up, a gunman jumped out and started shooting, police said. Jones died near the first-floor staircase. Her daughter was treated at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. “This has been the worst six months I have ever had to endure in my years of living,...

A capacity Grandstand crowd was treated to one of the matches of the season as Carlos Alcaraz battled past Stefanos Tsitsipas, 7-5, 6-3, Tuesday night at the Miami Open presented by Itau. In a rematch of their five-set epic at the US Open, the second installation of this budding ATP Head2Head rivalry exceeded the considerable hype with another instant classic. The same could be said for the 18-year-old Alcaraz, who has managed to overdeliver in the face of sky-high expectations early in his career, this fourth-round performance just his latest tour de force. The Spaniard, who improved to 15-2 on the season with the win, is now one win from back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 semi-finals after reaching that stage for the first time at that level in Indian Wells. After surrendering an early break to a motivated Tsitsipas, Alcaraz took charge of the match by winning seven straight games from 2-5 down in the first. He reached an otherworldly level in doing so, leaving the third seed pe...

Wylie James Prescott, 3, had to wait more than a year after his autism diagnosis to begin behavioral therapy, even though research shows early treatment of autism can be crucial for children’s long-term development. His mother, Brandie Kurtz, said his therapy wasn’t approved through Georgia’s Medicaid program until recently, despite her continued requests. “I know insurance, so it’s even more frustrating,” said Kurtz, who works in a doctor’s office near her home in rural Wrens, Georgia. Those frustrations are all too familiar to parents who have a child with autism, a complex lifelong disorder. And the pandemic has exacerbated the already difficult process of getting services. This comes as public awareness of autism and research on it have grown and insurance coverage for treatment is more widespread. In February, Texas became the last state to cover a widely used autism therapy through Medicaid. And all states now have laws requiring private health plans to cover the thera...

Ah, spring break in Miami Beach. A magical time that comes with all the clichéd trappings of a classic vacation movie: sun, surf, tropical drinks. That is, until the police occupation and violent shootouts. This week, the City of Miami Beach declared a state of emergency during spring break for the second year in a row following multiple shootings, injured police officers, and throngs of spring breakers taking over the streets, spurring city leaders to all but shut down the barrier island after midnight beginning this Thursday, March 24. Has spring break in Miami Beach always been this unhinged? Well, there’s no shortage of wacky and disturbing headlines from Miami Beach — particularly the South Beach entertainment district — over the years. Here, we’ve compiled five of the most out-there Miami Beach incidents from years past. click to enlarge Twerking at Full Throttle Twerking on top of cars has become a titillating and dangerous spring break trad...

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – ‘Operation Green Light’ is now underway in Broward County. From now until April 9th, you can pay for outstanding fines without paying the 33 percent collection charge. READ MORE: Senate Judiciary Committee Sets Vote For Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson Officials said, “Operation Green Light Broward is an opportunity to pay your fines without paying the extra 33 percent collection surcharge. Individuals paying their felony, traffic tickets, misdemeanor and overdue court costs in full may be eligible to restore their driving privileges.” If you have a suspended license, this could help you get back on the road faster. READ MORE: NFL Requiring All Of Its Teams Hire A Minority Or Female Offensive Assistant Coach Now, you can go online, call or go in person. The event is an annual event across the state. No word yet on when or if Miami-Dade will take part. MORE NEWS: No Curfew This Weekend On Miami Beach Click here for more inf...

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Rashaun Jones was arrested last week, accused of killing his University of Miami football teammate Bryan Pata back in 2006. Jones’ wife tells Local 10 News that her husband is being wrongly accused. “This is not something he is capable of,” Ishenda Jones said in an exclusive interview Tuesday afternoon. “He’s not a murderer. He’s not.” While Ishenda Jones says police have the wrong guy, prosecutors believe they have enough evidence for a conviction. Pata’s murder was a mystery that left its mark on the University of Miami. He was a star defensive lineman for the Hurricanes with the NFL draft in his reach. But on Nov. 7, 2006, Pata was shot dead execution-style outside his apartment complex in Kendall. Pata, then 22, would have turned 37 on Aug. 12. Investigators honored in on Rashaun Jones, a UM defensive back who had some bad blood with Pata. Jones’ wife said even though the two football players ...

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is requesting billions in its fiscal 2023 budget from Congress to fund police departments, despite progressive Democrats’ calls for some of that spending to be reallocated to social services. President Joe Biden’s budget request to Congress, unveiled Monday, asks for $30 billion for state and local governments to add more police officers across the nation. Biden has countered the narrative that Democrats want to “defund the police,” bringing up the administration’s commitment to police departments in his State of the Union address to Congress , and in a recent visit to New York City , meeting with Mayor Eric Adams, after two police officers died in the line of duty. The “defund the police” slogan means to redirect funding away from police departments and instead use it for alternatives through other government agencies that would place more stress on public health solutions, prevention, intervention, and social services. The movement grew...

It’s as if legendary Florida educator and civics leader A. Quinn Jones is looking over the shoulder of museum coordinator Carol Richardson. For more than eight months, Richardson has been carrying out the mission of the A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center which operates in partnership with Gainesville’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network. As museum coordinator, Richardson has stayed busy trying to bring the rich history of the center to life by not only reminding visitors of the contributions Jones made as an educator, but by scheduling events focusing on culture in the form of readings, music, and performances that “reflect the needs and desires of the community.” A Quinn Jones Museum: Celebrating A. Quinn Jones, HBCUs Awards: A. Quinn Jones teacher selected for 2022 award for supporting behavioral health More: Book about African American Studies program at UF to be launched “It’s ...

The Final Four field is almost set, and the tournaments have been nothing shy of madness. Mike Krzyzewski will take his team to the Final Four in his final season with Duke after a win over No. 4 Arkansas. No. 2 Villanova wants to join Duke after hanging on against No. 5 Houston on Saturday. Sunday’s action brings day one of the women’s Elite Eight and the final two games of the men’s Elite Eight, beginning with No. 1 Kansas against No. 10Miami. No. 15 Saint Peter’s – the lowest seed ever to advance this far – plays no. 8 North Carolina at 5:05 pm (CBS). In the women’s field, Dawn Staley and the no. 1 Gamecocks take on Cinderella and No.10-seed Creighton (7 pm, ESPN) and No. 1 Stanford, the reigning national champions, battle it out against No. 2 Texas (9pm, ESPN). DUKE: Coach K’s young Blue Devils growing up fast NOT MIDNIGHT YET: 10 most surprising Cinderellas of NCAA Tournament include Saint Peter’s ELITE EIGHT: ...

Tennis analyst Prakash Amritraj acknowledged what Jenson Brooksby didn’t right by any means but added he feels the American deserves a second chance after a sincere apology. A frustrated Brooksby threw his racket, which bounced and hit a ball boy at the Miami Masters. Brooksby avoided a disqualification and managed to beat Federico Coria 3-6 6-2 6-3 in the Miami second round. Tennis fans weren’t too happy about Brooksby only being given a point penalty as many argued that the American definitely deserved to be disqualified. After the match, Amritraj reflected on the incident during his appearance on Tennis Channel and one angry fan wanted some answers from the former tennis player. “So sad that you pandered to Jenson Brooksby like you did. How could you sell out like that,” a fan asked Amritraj in the comment section on Instagram. Amritraj: Brooksby admitted he made a mistake and sincerely apologized Amritraj responded to the fan: ...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Forty years of feeding families from all across the Big Bend. It’s a feat certainly worth celebrating, and that is exactly what Second Harvest of the Big Bend will do with their newest signature event, appropriately called The Harvest! Second Harvest of the Big Bend CEO Monique Van Pelt joined Sunrise Weekends to talk about the event. On Thursday, March 31 at 6 pm, The Harvest will take place at the Goodwood Museum and Gardens. The event will feature food, an open beer and wine bar, a luxury silent auction and Tallahassee Nights Live. Standard tickets include admission, hors d’oeuvres from a variety of local restaurants, and an open beer and wine bar for $40 each. VIP tickets cost $100 each and include early admission at 5:30 pm, hors d’oeuvres from a variety of local restaurants, an open beer and wine bar, access to VIP area – featuring Food from Blu Halo & Mom & Dad’s Italian Restaurant, a specialty cocktail a...

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Police in Miami-Dade County are still searching for shooters after a deadly attack Monday evening. Two men were killed and two others injured while standing along Northwest 44th Street and 29th Avenue. Police arrested one man, Johnson Oscar, on two counts of second degree murder and two counts of attempted second degree murder. Homicide detectives are still looking for additional subjects. The shooting took place just before 7 pm Monday. Officers nearby heard the gunshots and responded to the area, eventually pursuing a black sedan that was fleeing the scene. The driver of that sedan crashed into a marked police cruiser, injuring two officers inside. According to court documents, police found two assault rifles inside the sedan. Authorities found Oscar hiding in a nearby yard and took him into custody. He eventually confessed to being inside the sedan and fleeing after the crash. The two victims have been identified as 25-year-old Tho...

LAUDERDALE LAKES, Fla. – The woman killed Wednesday morning in Lauderdale Lakes is LaWanda Hall, known affectionately by her nickname Ms. Pinky, and neighbors say it was her brother who did it. The Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Aaron Collier, 62, was arrested and faces one count of premeditated murder. He was in court Thursday morning. BSO has not confirmed the relationship between Collier and the victim but stunned neighbors identified him as her brother. “It’s unbelievable. It shouldn’t happen, because like I said, she was a good neighbor,” said Lucille Desouza, who lives next door. “She would call me and … ask me if she can help me, or she’d take me to the store or whatever. So she was good like that.” Desouza said that around 9 am she heard something going on at Ms. Pinky’s house in the 3100 block of Northwest 39th Street but couldn’t tell what was happening. Ad “There was just, you know, people just...

Murder almost certainly increased substantially in the US in 2016, one year after it rose at its fastest pace in a quarter century. The government won’t release official 2016 crime statistics for another nine months. But data from individual police departments indicates that murder rose in most of the country’s biggest cities in 2016, in some cases dramatically. Because a large share of murders take place in big cities, a substantial increase there means that the country’s overall murder total almost certainly rose as well. Using a combination of official police data and local media reports, I was able to collect murder counts through at least November 2016 for 73 of the 83 US cities with populations above 250,000, and partial data for all but one of the rest. The counts are preliminary and could be subject to change before they are submitted to the FBI for inclusion in the Uniform Crime Report that will be published in September. This year’s rise appe...

click to enlarge “Say Gay Panel and Speak Out” Facebook live stream State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (far right at table) speaks against the “Don’t Say Gay” bill along with other representatives, LGBTQ+ activists and students at a panel discussion on Wednesday. Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist said that the “Don’t Say Gay” bill is wrong, unconscionable and hurts Florida’s students, teachers and LGTBQ community at a panel on Wednesday. Crist was joined at the “Say Gay” panel discussion by Orlando-area State Reps. Anna Eskamani and Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, LQBTQ+ activists and UCF students to speak out against the bill after it passed the Florida Legislature earlier this month. The would prohibit classroom discussions of sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. The bill passed the state Senate on March 8 and is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk. ...

Aaron Dietrich says Mayor Ken Welch recently sat down with the People’s Council of St. Petersburg to discuss policy options that could help renters. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — We have heard call after call for action in St. Petersburg to address affordable housing. In February, a coalition of groups rallied in front of city hall calling for rent control, threatening a potential tent city protest if change didn’t come. “Everyday people are looking at the reality of becoming homeless,” said Aaron Dietrich of the People’s Council of St. Petersburg. Dietrich recently says St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch sat down with the group to discuss policy options to protect renters. “We are seeing price gouging of everyday working residents in our city,” Dietrich said. “The government needs to step in at some point to protect these people.” Dietrich says the meeting was a positive step in trying to talk solutions with the mayor. At pa...

2018 champion Sloane Stephens of the United States was the first night session winner of the 2022 edition of the Miami Open, as the former World No.3 defeated Panna Udvardy of Hungary 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 39 minutes. Former US Open champion Stephens fought back from an early break down in both sets before earning victory, as she kicked off her 10th Miami appearance on Stadium Court. Surging Sloane: Stephens, one of the highest-ranked unseeded players in the draw at World No.38, defeated three Top 10 players to claim the Miami crown four years ago. Stephens had gone titleless since then until she at last claimed her seventh career Hologic WTA Tour singles title last month in Guadalajara. Stephens was able to ease past World No.83 Udvardy, who had been ranked No.360 a year ago and was seeking both her first tour-level hard-court victory and her first win over a Top 50 player. Match moments: Udvardy used superb backhand winners to earn the first break of the match and lead ...

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Several people were arrested in southwest Miami-Dade County on Saturday. Police said those people attacked officers who were trying to take a man into custody. Those officers were trying to arrest a man for illegally riding a dirt bike on the road, but they said he resisted, and then others at the scene got physical with authorities. Before all that happened, Miami-Dade police say they conducted a traffic stop on Marques and Derrell Christmas for riding an off-road dirt bike on the street. The duo pulled up to a home on the 10000 block of Southwest 175th Street when officers say they allegedly continued wheeling their bikes into the yard, refusing commands from officers to stop. “He said, with his gun, he was like hey put your hands up I was like this I had my bag and then I gave him my bag,” said Derrell Christmas. Fast forward a bit to the arrest. Officers can be seen in cell phone video trying to arrest Marques Christmas. P...