Miami Private Investigator: Former Commander, FHP LT. Florida State Police

Miami commissioners discuss changing government
Miami city commissioners are meeting just before noon Monday to discuss overhauling the system of government the city has used for 15 years.

Carollo’s victory: Diaper changing stations coming to Miami men’s rooms
A few months after Miami Commissioner Frank Carollo blasted the administration for having too few baby-changing stations in mens’ rooms around town, the city will install hundreds of them.

Uninsured woman’s search for surgery shows challenges faced at Jackson Health System
The case of a Hialeah single mother illustrates key issues — uninsured patients with complicated cases — facing Miami-Dade’s beleaguered public health system.

Weather alert: Rain could last a few days
South Floridians will see plenty of rain and hear rumbling thunder on Monday.

Midtown Miami Walmart would force art fairs out
With plans for a proposed mega Walmart store in Midtown moving forward, reality sets in for many art fair organizers who will have to start looking for new venues once the project breaks ground.

Super Bowl ads? Seen ’em all
I almost smiled during that Super Bowl ad where the dog goes on a diet so he can slip out his pet door and chase a Volkswagen. Almost. And if I hadn’t already seen it 30 times on the Internet...

Candle causes fire in mobile home
A burning candle is to blame for a fire in a Pembroke Pines mobile which caused thousands of dollars in damages.

Hialeah has $12 million Florida Lotto winner
A Lotto ticket sold in Hialeah won Saturday night’s $12 million jackpot, the Florida Lottery said Sunday.

Little Haiti Farmers Market Opens To The Public
Residents who live near Miami neighborhood of Little Haiti will now be able to get fresh fruits and vegetables grown on local farms.

Key West man who called 911 arrested over drugs
A Key West man who called 911 three times on Sunday was arrested after deputies allegedly found him with drugs.

Ros-Lehtinen could be redistricted out of Florida Keys
Redistricting moves made by the Florida Legislature this week mean Monroe County voters should expect to cast ballots for a different congressional representative.

2nd “Sick” Ship Arrives At Port Everglades
The second of two Princess Cruises ships that reported an outbreak of norovirus arrived Sunday morning at Port Everglades and set sail again in the afternoon — after a delay — once crews disinfected the vessel.

Stalker accused of bizarre plot to woo doctor — by kidnapping her
Convicted stalker Felix Velazquez hoped the plan to kidnap his former girlfriend would have a happy ending — winning back her affections and bringing about a reconciliation.

Titanic documentary cinematographer dies in helicopter crash
SYDNEY — Award-winning American cinematographer Mike deGruy, director of undersea photography for The Last Mysteries of the Titanic, died in a helicopter crash in eastern Australia on Saturday.

Brush Fire Near Card Sound Road Controlled
Continuing dry conditions helped the spread of a brush fire near Card Sound Road and US1 south of Florida City, but late Saturday afternoon, firefighters who worked all day on the blaze believed they had it mostly contained.

Corruption probe targets Miami undercover cops
An officer who faced prison implicates his boss, as the FBI probes alleged drug-dealing and corruption by undercover cops.

Miami-based troops answer call to duty
Awash in pride, anxiety and patriotism, an Army Reserve unit based in Miami gets a rousing send-off en route to Afghanistan.

Push is on to reward South Florida’s WWII vets who served in France
More than six decades after the fighting in France ended, U.S. veterans of World War II are getting rewarded with the French Legion of Honor.

Super Bowl ads? Seen ’em all
I almost smiled during that Super Bowl ad where the dog goes on a diet so he can slip out his pet door and chase a Volkswagen. Almost. And if I hadn’t already seen it 30 times on the Internet...

Fort Lauderdale artist paints ‘Visions of the Apocalypse’
A Fort Lauderdale artist has produced more than a thousand paintings and collages about the joys, hopes and horrors of the apocalypse.

Candle causes fire in mobile home
A burning candle is to blame for a fire in a Pembroke Pines mobile which caused thousands of dollars in damages.

Key West man who called 911 arrested over drugs
A Key West man who called 911 three times on Sunday was arrested after deputies allegedly found him with drugs.

2nd “Sick” Ship Arrives At Port Everglades
The second of two Princess Cruises ships that reported an outbreak of norovirus arrived Sunday morning at Port Everglades and set sail again in the afternoon — after a delay — once crews disinfected the vessel.

Stalker accused of bizarre plot to woo doctor — by kidnapping her
Convicted stalker Felix Velazquez hoped the plan to kidnap his former girlfriend would have a happy ending — winning back her affections and bringing about a reconciliation.

Volunteers organize search for missing Miramar girl
Volunteers have organized a Sunday morning search for a Miramar teen missing from home since Wednesday afternoon.

Defense: ‘G-word’ is a slur against Fort Lauderdale psychics
Defense attorneys for a Fort Lauderdale family of accused psychic con artists are objecting to the word “gypsy” being used in court.

Local saxophonist is singing the blues after theft
After a gig at a Dania Beach venue, a one-of-a-kind instrument is stolen out of the musician’s Jeep.

Woman in bedroom wounded by bullet sailing through wall from neighbor’s apartment
A woman in her apartment’s bedroom was shot in the leg by a bullet sailing through the wall from an adjoining apartment.

Capitol Buzz: Biden visits Tallahassee to talk jobs
Here’s what we’re watching on Monday edition’s of the 2012 Legislature:

Marco Rubio pushes back at Obama contraception rules under healthcare plan
Sen. Marco Rubio, a Catholic who has always opposed abortion, has emerged as one of the leading national warriors in the politically explosive cultural war over birth control.

Marketing the Romney brand
Like a product in any ad campaign, Mitt Romney is a brand. He has a slogan: “Obama isn’t working.”

Key West man who called 911 arrested over drugs
A Key West man who called 911 three times on Sunday was arrested after deputies allegedly found him with drugs.

Stalker accused of bizarre plot to woo doctor — by kidnapping her
Convicted stalker Felix Velazquez hoped the plan to kidnap his former girlfriend would have a happy ending — winning back her affections and bringing about a reconciliation.

Henry Flagler, his town, and the fire
Did Henry Flagler have an explosive secret? Some in Palm Beach County say yes.

Lives intersect on deadly stretch of Fla. highway
There was a single mom who loved to dance, in the car with a boyfriend who had moved from Virginia to be with her. A pastor and members of his family, originally from Brazil, returning home to Georgia from an Orlando church retreat. A father, his wife and his daughter headed south from the Panhandle for a family funeral. A young man coming home from bowling.

Ex-kin: Heather Hutchins, adopted girlfriend of John Goodman, is ‘a social person’
In the nationwide hoopla surrounding the adoption in Miami-Dade of his 42-year-old gal pal by troubled polo club owner John Goodman, little attention was paid to his new daughter, Heather Hutchins.

Obama campaign army ready to take Florida in November
Four years ago, then Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama won Florida with the largest voter mobilization effort ever seen in Florida. This year’s effort could be even greater.

Capitol Buzz: Biden visits Tallahassee to talk jobs
Here’s what we’re watching on Monday edition’s of the 2012 Legislature:

As bill dies, future of mega-casinos remains uncertain
The debate over Las Vegas-style casinos has ended in defeat for supporters, who now have to wait until next year to try again to revive the gambling legislation.

Ethics bill left on cutting room floor of state capitol
Senate President Mike Haridopolos and his staff effectively killed an ethics bill for 2012 by assigning it to five different committees before the beginning of the legislative session.

House approves ‘downsizing” Citizens Property
The House passed a bill to allow surplus lines carriers to take over some insurance policies from Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

Mega-casino gambling is dead – or is it?
Time to exhale, at least a little, and take down names.

House okays new redistricting map
The House approved new redistricting maps amid opposition from Democrats who said the political boundaries favor Republicans.

PIP insurance reform advances from state Senate committee
The bipartisan measure, which must still pass the full Senate and House, would tweak allowable treatments for those injured in car crashes and strengthen efforts to fight insurance fraud.

Casino bill appears headed for House defeat
The bill to bring three resort casinos to Florida may have to wait until next year to pass because sponsors don’t appear to have mustered enough votes to get it out of a crucial House committee.

Capitol Buzz: Redistricting, Redistricting, Redistricting
Here’s what we’re watching on Day 24 of the 2012 Legislature:

Redistricting maps are shuffling Florida’s political landscape
By pitting dozens of incumbents against each other, the new map of the Florida House has set off political dominoes.

Gingrich shunned lobbying, but hired lobbyists
Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich says his consulting group never lobbied for clients. But his business hired state and federal lobbyists to work with clients, and some staff left to take lobbying jobs, according to lobbying disclosures and corporate reports.

RNC organizers looking for 7,500 volunteers
Organizers of the Republican National Convention are looking for 7,500 local volunteers to help welcome the thousands of people who will come to the area for the political event.

Probe finds Broward ME office mishandled narcotics
An inspector general's investigation has found mismanagement of powerful prescription drugs at the Broward County medical examiner's office. Thousands of pills are missing.

Alabama's union membership rate leads the region
Authorities say Alabama's rate of union membership remains far above that of other states in the Southeast, despite a slight decline last year.

2 children killed in Fla. Panhandle house fire
Fire officials say two children died in a house fire in the Florida Panhandle.

Iraqi war vet fatally shoots wife, himself in Fla.
Police investigators say a highly decorated Iraqi war veteran shot and killed his wife before fatally shooting himself in their Daytona Beach apartment.

3rd US cruise ship sails after virus outbreak
A third U.S.-based cruise ship with an outbreak of stomach illness has sailed again after being decontaminated in South Florida.

Autopsy planned for SC college football player
An autopsy is planned to determine the cause of death of a Presbyterian College football player.

Woman swerved to avoid dog in fatal crash
The Florida Highway Patrol says a woman died after she swerved her SUV to avoid a dog in the road.

Former Miss. Medicaid official promoted by VA
Rica Lewis-Payton, a former director of Mississippi's Medicaid program, will oversee 10 Veterans Affairs medical centers in eight states.

Miami commissioners discuss changing government
Miami city commissioners are meeting just before noon Monday to discuss overhauling the system of government the city has used for 15 years.

Few answers in death of sons of missing Utah mom
Josh Powell's note was simple and short, a farewell to the world after two years of being scrutinized in the media, hammered by police and questioned by judges, prosecutors and social workers, living his life under a microscope since the day his wife vanished.

Man with shorts on head, not covering face, tries to rob Keys bank
A 43-year-old man who wore a pair of shorts on his head has been charged with trying to rob First State Bank on Stock Island near Key West.

Weather alert: Rain could last a few days
South Floridians will see plenty of rain and hear rumbling thunder on Monday.

Palestinians move toward end of political rift
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday took a decisive step toward reconciliation with the Islamic militant Hamas, agreeing to head an interim unity government that would prepare for elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Carollo’s victory: Diaper changing stations coming to Miami men’s rooms
A few months after Miami Commissioner Frank Carollo blasted the administration for having too few baby-changing stations in mens’ rooms around town, the city will install hundreds of them.

US closes embassy in Syria
The Obama administration has closed the U.S. Embassy in Damascus and pulled all American diplomats out of Syria.

South Florida PI

Miami Private Investigator