Local Politics · Broward County
The race for South Florida's newly drawn 22nd Congressional District between Republican Casey Askar and Democrat Pia Dandiya has shifted from a likely Republican win to one of fewer than two dozen national toss-ups, according to leading nonpartisan forecasters. The district spans western Broward, Palm Beach, Collier, and Hendry counties, with Trump having won the territory by 10.5 percentage points in 2024. Millions in super PAC spending have poured into the contest, including at least $9 million from a Trump-associated group opposing Dandiya. The open-seat district was created through redistricting signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May.
Local Politics · Broward County
Sunday, Nov. 1, is the final day for in-person early voting in Broward and Palm Beach counties ahead of the 2026 midterm elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Broward's 30 early voting sites and Palm Beach's 28 are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., each offering a ballot drop box during those hours. After early voting closes, voters may submit mail ballots at designated county elections offices on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3; postmarks do not count, and ballots must be received by 7 p.m. Election Day. On Election Day, voters must use their assigned neighborhood polling stations, open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and anyone in line at closing time is permitted to vote.
Crime · Boca Raton, FL
Kyrylo Khytrov, 42, of Boca Raton was extradited from Turkey on Oct. 29 and booked into Palm Beach County's Main Detention Center at 8:45 p.m., according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. He is charged with DUI manslaughter in the July 2, 2024, crash at Powerline Road and Palmetto Park Road in West Boca Raton that killed 93-year-old Audrey Milk of Boca Raton. A probable cause affidavit states Khytrov's blood alcohol level was .347 on hospital admission and .306/.307 on a subsequent blood draw, and that he fled the United States after the crash. On Oct. 30, a judge set no bond, appointed the Public Defender's Office, and ordered no contact with witnesses or Milk's next of kin; arraignment is set for Nov. 9 at 10:01 a.m. before Circuit Judge Donald W. Hafele. Khytrov is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Crime · Delray Beach, FL
Hassan Mohamed Soueid, 33, of Pompano Beach, was booked Oct. 28 at the Palm Beach County Main Detention Center on 11 felony counts tied to a PBSO Narcotics Interdiction Unit investigation into Not Your Bakery LLC, a hemp and THC products wholesaler with warehouse space on Northwest 17th Avenue in Delray Beach. The charges include money laundering exceeding $100,000, conspiracy to commit organized fraud, and sale of Schedule I controlled substances. Investigators allege the company sold THC products above state limits while reporting only a fraction of sales; financial analysis found roughly $2.58 million reported versus about $16.9 million in actual bank deposits, with approximately $32 million classified as proceeds of illegal sales. Soueid is the second person charged after Casey Anne Smith was booked Oct. 22 on similar charges. A judge set bond at $1.08 million and ordered GPS house arrest.
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Public Safety · Palm Beach County
The U.S. Secret Service requested military installation of Avenger Air Defense Systems near President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach and at President Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, citing a heightened threat environment. Two systems were placed on a barge in the Lake Worth Lagoon adjacent to the Mar-a-Lago seawall, while another occupies space on the south side of the airport. NORAD and U.S. Northern Command are providing Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System capabilities in support of protective operations. The FAA has proposed special air traffic rules restricting aircraft operations near the airport, with a public comment period that ended Oct. 20.
Crime · Wellington, FL
Brandon Mayer, 37, of Lake Worth was arrested Oct. 28 on a felony battery-by-strangulation charge after an alleged chokehold on a female player from the opposing team at Greenview Shores Park in Wellington on Oct. 20, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office affidavit. Mayer's teenage daughter was also arrested as a juvenile on a misdemeanor simple battery charge stemming from the same postgame altercation. A judge set bond at $75,000 and ordered no contact with the victim and no involvement in youth sports during a first appearance Oct. 29; Mayer was released that day. The charges are allegations, not convictions; a 30-day return hearing is set for Nov. 27.
Transportation · Boca Raton, FL
Boca Raton Police issued a traffic advisory at 3:57 a.m. Sunday closing the southbound I-95 ramp to westbound Palmetto Park Road following an accident. The closure affects motorists heading south on I-95 who planned to exit toward Palmetto Park Road and travel west. Police did not release details on injuries, vehicles involved, or a reopening time. The advisory directs drivers to seek alternate routes around the interchange.
Transportation · Boca Raton, FL
Boca Raton Police issued a non-emergency traffic advisory at 1:58 a.m. Sunday closing both eastbound and westbound lanes of Palmetto Park Road near Interstate 95 due to an accident. The advisory directs drivers to seek alternate routes but does not specify injuries, vehicles involved, or a reopening time. Palmetto Park Road is a major east-west corridor connecting neighborhoods and businesses to I-95, so the closure may push traffic onto nearby routes and ramps.
Crime · Osceola County
Jean S. Dorisca, 48, was arrested Thursday at a home in Boca Raton by Florida Highway Patrol troopers in a targeted enforcement operation, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles announced Friday. Dorisca allegedly tried to pass a semi-truck in a no-passing zone on State Road 60 near the Polk-Osceola County line on July 16, 2024, crashing into oncoming traffic and killing three people, including his mother. He faces three counts of vehicular homicide in Osceola County, where he will be extradited from the Palm Beach County jail. The department said Dorisca faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted and revocation of his lawful permanent resident status.
Community brief · Aventura, FL
Preventive full-body imaging services are expanding across South Florida, with Prenuvo operating centers in Coral Gables and Boca Raton's Mizner Park, Function/Ezra in nine cities, and Baptist Health offering outpatient MRI screenings. Swedish company Neko Health plans to open a $499 health screening center at Aventura Mall on Dec. 9, using proprietary imaging devices and blood panels rather than MRI. Medical experts note these scans can detect…
