Miami Beach sets spring break curfew after 2 fatal shootings
Miami Beach officials imposed a curfew beginning Sunday night during spring break after two fatal shootings and rowdy, chaotic crowds that police have had difficulty controlling.
Spring break crackdown puts focus on future of South Beach
Miami Beach officials have spent recent years trying to control the raucous crowds, public drinking and growing violence associated with the cityโs world-famous South Beach neighborhood.
Miami Beach, after shootings, extends spring break curfew
Miami Beach city commissioners have voted to extend a curfew, a day after it was announced by the city manager in response to violent incidents surrounding spring break.
![Judge: $150M initially for victims in Florida condo collapse](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/WoiTkkNC1vl99wroBrjLgJ--N2U=/800x533/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5UBCOZ5POJBGDLPAPZ5EFCJVZE.jpg)
Judge: $150M initially for victims in Florida condo collapse
A judge says victims and families who suffered losses in the collapse of a 12-story oceanfront Florida condominium will get a minimum of $150 million in compensation initially.
![Judge: All options on table for site of collapsed building](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/aIG6oYAyCPXqerVXUc_S2kwbGvY=/800x533/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/SBURDKSJING2VKIHFW4BVQONA4.jpg)
Judge: All options on table for site of collapsed building
A South Florida judge says all options remain on the table as a decision is made over what to do with the property where a 12-story condominium tower collapsed last month.
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Miami Beach curfew aims to shut down Spring Break partying
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. โ A party-ending curfew imposed after fights, gunfire, property destruction and dangerous stampedes broke out among huge crowds of people in Miami Beach could extend through the end of spring break. AdMiami Beach Police said more than 1,000 people have been arrested this spring break season, with about 80 guns seized. The iconic Clevelander South Beach bar next door had to suspend all food and beverage operations. But Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber rejected the claim that anyone has been targeted for their race. They pointed to the handful of arrests in Fort Lauderdale, which has raised its hotel rates and promoted a โfamily friendlyโ spring break.
![Police chief says Miami partying โcouldnโt go on any longerโ](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/NamDY-nHClvoZkauARR5-MhIQmA=/1920x1080/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/76444KDEBRHVTOJUOVUHRRJZVM.jpg)
Police chief says Miami partying โcouldnโt go on any longerโ
After days of partying, including several confrontations with police, Miami Beach officials enacted a highly unorthodox curfew Saturday from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m., forcing restaurants to stop outdoor seating entirely during the three-day emergency period, and encouraging local businesses to voluntarily shut down. A military style vehicle was seen rolling down the palm-tree lined Ocean Drive as outnumbered Miami Beach police officers struggled to disperse the raucous crowds Saturday. โWe couldnโt go on any longer,โ Clements said during Sunday's meeting, defending the cityโs curfew. Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said he has trouble sleeping at night, worried about the out-of-control parties. Miami tourism officials say billions of dollars were lost when the pandemic first erupted last year, canceling spring break and forcing beach closures across the Sunshine State.
![Officers fire pepper balls at spring break partygoers breaking curfew in Miami Beach](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/3I0j9F1HP-Kq3-X5HS_Jv5t6Bwc=/2048x900/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/03-21-2021/t_6973c5705fdc414ca2840675231defb2_name_image.jpg)
Officers fire pepper balls at spring break partygoers breaking curfew in Miami Beach
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. โ WPLG reports the City of Miami Beach has declared an emergency as police and elected officials react to large crowds and lawlessness during Spring Break. Pepper balls were used to control crowds of people on South Beach Saturday night as law enforcement attempted to enforce a newly imposed curfew. Several roads were also closed in Miami Beach as officials hoped to stem the rise in crime. Pepper balls were fired into the crowds of hundreds of Spring Break partygoers on South Beach after multiple attempts by police to disburse them. โQuite frankly, I am concerned that the behavior is getting more for us to be able to handle,โ said Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Clements.
![In Miami Beach, live theater returns โ in vacant storefronts](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/a6FTdd0j3IjJG3CrfIJR2XNgLDA=/1600x1113/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/RMB5K6RUDJDWXBMVSLKHTEGV5U.jpg)
In Miami Beach, live theater returns โ in vacant storefronts
NEW YORK โ This fall, the seven deadly sins will be found all along an iconic Miami Beach thoroughfare โ but they'll be socially distanced, thankfully. โThis pandemic has shown in stark light the fragility of our world,โ said Miami New Drama Artistic Director Michel Hausmann. The Miami City Ballet recently took over a vacant storefront. The move by Miami New Drama is just the latest attempt by theatermakers to offer their art to the public despite the ongoing pandemic, which has stuttered traditional theater venues. The Public Theater in New York City has turned to audio plays, while the Vineyard Theatre plans digital and outdoor productions.
![Pandemic becomes politically fraught for Florida governor](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/KIimmiPKl3A6RiOt_9CZKUOG0g8=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/M2D26E74XNHXDB64HENTU3IG7I.jpg)
Pandemic becomes politically fraught for Florida governor
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, arrives for a roundtable discussion with Miami-Dade County mayors during the coronavirus pandemic, Tuesday, July 14, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)If you need help with the Public File, call 540-512-1554.
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Pandemic becomes politically fraught for Florida governor
Ron DeSantis, center, arrives for a roundtable discussion with Miami-Dade County mayors during the coronavirus pandemic, Tuesday, July 14, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The coronavirus pandemic has become politically fraught for Florida Gov. The video ends with the governor declaring, "I'm a hundred percent confident we're going to get through this." Susan MacManus, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of South Florida, said the governor struck the right message of unity in turbulent times. Another Republican, state Rep. Rene Plasencia, called reopening campuses potentially catastrophic" in a letter earlier this week addressed to school board members.
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The Latest: S. Korea baseball fans will have to wear masks
Residents wearing masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus line up for COVID-19 test outside the Worker's Stadium in Beijing on Tuesday, June 30, 2020. Test sites have sprung up through the Chinese capital as test have become a daily normal after the latest outbreak of the coronavirus, (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
![The Latest: S. Korea baseball fans will have to wear masks](https://www.wsls.com/resizer/1ed-JNW-HF45i6MDwK2UqNiV_xg=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FDKXAB4OLRCPRDJDLBXXQPJDZM.jpg)
The Latest: S. Korea baseball fans will have to wear masks
(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)SEOUL, South Korea -- South Koreas professional baseball league says it will require fans to wear masks, sit at least a seat apart and prohibit them from eating food in the stands as it prepares to bring back spectators in the coming weeks amid the coronavirus epidemic. The Korea Baseball Organization said Tuesday that teams will be initially allowed to sell only 30% of the seats for each game. South Korea has been actively tracing the contacts of virus carriers using credit card information, cellphone location data and surveillance camera footage. Virus cases worldwide hit 10 million and deaths have surpassed 500,000. Kansas health officials reported on Monday at least 14,443 confirmed coronavirus cases, an increase of 905 since Friday.
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Memorial Day tempts Americans outdoors, raising virus fears
Many Memorial Day commemorations have been canceled or downsized, including concerts and fireworks shows. I know I am.In Virginia Beach, Virginia, the famed 40-block boardwalk and sandy shoreline reopened, but with spacing guidelines and groups limited to 10. For the hard-hit tourism and hospitality industry, there is modest hope Memorial Day will mark the start of something resembling recovery. Data and consulting firm Tourism Economics projects travelers will spend $4.2 billion on Memorial Day weekend, compared with $12.3 billion last year. Oklahoma resident Seth Rott this week boarded a plane for the first time since the pandemic to visit a friend in Washington for Memorial Day.