Local Politics · Broward County
In-person early voting for Florida's 2026 midterm elections runs Monday, Oct. 19 through Sunday, Nov. 1 at 30 locations in Broward County and 28 in Palm Beach County, open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents wanting a vote-by-mail ballot must file a request with their county Supervisor of Elections by 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22; mail ballots must be received at the elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. Broward added two new early voting sites near the busy Davie-Cooper City Library, while Palm Beach added Lake Worth and Loxahatchee Groves campuses of Palm Beach State College. Voters need a current photo ID with signature; student and retirement center IDs are accepted this election but not future ones. Ballot measures include Broward's sales tax increase for health screenings, Palm Beach's parks-and-recreation tax, and numerous city referendums (10 in Fort Lauderdale, 9 in Deerfield Beach, 8 in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea).
Crime · Boynton Beach, FL
Boynton Beach police announced Monday that a third teenager, a 17-year-old from Boynton Beach arrested Oct. 15, faces an accessory-after-the-fact-to-a-capital-felony charge in the Aug. 8 shooting death of Nigel Beckford, 19, near Sara Sims Park on Northwest Eighth Avenue. The first two suspects—Sebastian Abdul Miller, 18, of Boynton Beach, and Jamill Jean-Baptiste, 17, of Lantana—have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder with a firearm and discharging a firearm in public, Palm Beach County court records show. Surveillance video recorded Beckford riding a scooter as a black Honda Accord pulled alongside him and fired shots; license-plate cameras linked the Honda to a white Kia rented by Jean-Baptiste days earlier. Both Miller and Jean-Baptiste were found hiding together at a Boynton Beach home on Aug. 17, where they allegedly discussed their legal situation while wearing fresh matching face tattoos witnesses described as commemorative of the killing.
Community News · Broward County
A cold front has pushed through South Florida, bringing dry, windy, and slightly cooler conditions to Broward and Palm Beach counties this week, according to the National Weather Service in Miami. Rain chances will remain low at 10–15% Monday through Wednesday before rising to 40–50% Thursday and 50–70% Friday as moisture returns. Overnight lows will dip into the upper 60s and lower 70s, with highs in the low to mid-80s and wind gusts exceeding 20 mph. Meteorologist Robert Garcia noted the region has shifted from its summer rainy season into the fall dry season.
Local Business · Broward County
Florida's 2026-27 stone crab season began Thursday, Oct. 16, with suppliers reporting bountiful hauls after Hurricane Isaias churned coastal waters and drove crabs into traps. Wholesalers and fish markets in Broward and Palm Beach counties say prices are holding flat compared to last season despite high diesel costs, with medium claws ranging from $22 to $42 per pound depending on the vendor. The season runs through May 1 under Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission size limits designed to curb overfishing. Local restaurants offered all-you-can-eat specials at $99-$105 during opening weekend, and the South Florida Seafood Festival is scheduled for Nov. 8 at Miami's Wynwood Marketplace.
