The Cooler

Here are some of the stories I found interesting in this morning's news outlets.

A- Herald: A city for sale.

The measure, sponsored by Commissioner Frank Carollo, would amend Miami’s code to exempt the city from prohibitions on advertising on “any portion’’ of the public right-of-way.

That includes “trash receptacles, lamp post, electric light, telegraph, telephone or utility line pole, hydrant, parking meter, bus bench or shelter, news rack, shade tree or tree box, any wall, fence or barricade, or upon the piers, columns, trusses, girders, railings, gates or other parts of any public bridge, overpass or viaduct, or any public structure or building.’’

The stated goal: “To generate additional revenue for the City.’’ The proposed amendments would require only that the ad proceeds go to support city or city-sponsored “transportation programs.’’

B- Herald: Video, South Florida firefighters at yesterday's a Secretary's Day luncheon.

C- Herald: PortMiami's dredging project settles with environmentalists.

Environmentalists, who had argued that two years of blasting and digging in the port’s main channel would leave long-lasting scars in Biscayne Bay, agreed to drop an administrative challenge that threatened to delay the work for months or longer.

In exchange, Miami-Dade County has agreed to an additional $2.3 million in restoration and monitoring projects and other tweaks, such as a narrower daily blasting window, intended to enhance protection for corals, sea grass beds and other marine life.

[...]

Laura Reynolds, executive director of the Tropical Audubon Society, said the settlement didn’t address all of environmentalists’ concerns but had “raised the bar’’ on protecting the bay’s surrounding, fish-rich waters.

D- CBS4: The latest controversy at the Miami Beach PD.

The officers went into the crowd and arrested the man in blue shorts portrayed in the video. Police say he was drunk and after he was handcuffed, and he continued to lunge away from officers and began spitting in the lieutenant’s face.

That’s when, the chief said, the lieutenant applied a so-called “distraction blow” – a quick punch followed by a strike with an open hand. The chief said the officer did that to get control of the man and stop him from spitting.

The chief told CBS4’s Maggie Newland that the lieutenant reported the incident to his superiors, who conducted an investigation, standard protocol any time any kind of force is used. The chief said he viewed the video and it matched the lieutenant’s report.

E- CBS4: Life in South Florida.

Zita Staples, 83, was robbed in a Plantation neighborhood Tuesday afternoon, but did her best to keep her attacker from getting away, even using a walker as a weapon.

F- WSVN: Classic South Florida.

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (WSVN) -- A misspelled sign at an elementary school has one South Florida community buzzing.

The misspelling was found on the marquee outside Tradewinds Elementary School in Coconut Creek, where the school's motto is "We're in a Sunshine State of Learning."

Wednesday morning, parents like Debbie Ferreir realized the word "kindergarten" was actually spelled "kindegrten" on the sign. "I noticed that they take a while to get them updated," she said. "I think that's crazy, here at an elementary school."

G- WPTV: "Down here?"

Several law enforcement agencies across Palm Beach County and into the Treasure Coast say red light violations by officers are reviewed.

Allan Ortman with the City of West Palm Beach Police Department said 99.9 percent of the time, officers can justify running a red light.

[...]

"Down here, especially, people panic with blue lights and sirens behind them," Ortman said. "So if an officer doesn't have to use them, he finds it safer to go without them than to use them."

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