Local Politics · Broward County
Florida voters who requested mail ballots for the Nov. 3 midterm elections must have them back at county elections headquarters by 7 p.m. on Election Day; postmarks do not count and late ballots are not counted. In Broward County, a Postal Service processing-center closure in Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines means mail is sorted in Opa-locka, Miami-Dade County, increasing the risk of late delivery. Voters can drop completed ballots at secure ballot intake stations—30 locations in Broward and 28 in Palm Beach—open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 1, or at supervisors-of-elections offices on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 after early voting ends. Overseas and military ballots receive an additional 10 days beyond Election Day.
Public Safety · Miami-Dade County
A round of king tides that began Friday, Oct. 23, and lasts through Oct. 31 is expected to produce moderate to major coastal flooding in South Florida, peaking Tuesday and Wednesday with water about 2.5 feet above normal. The tidal gauge at Virginia Key recorded moderate flooding of roughly 1.6 feet above sea level for five consecutive days, a streak forecast to continue four to five more days. A gale warning is in effect from Sunday night through Monday evening, bringing sustained winds near 40 mph and gusts up to 45 mph, with high rip-current risk through Tuesday. High-tide times are listed for Miami-Dade (about 9 a.m./p.m. Sunday, shifting later each day) and Broward (about 8 a.m./p.m. Sunday). Experts note the tides are a natural annual event but are growing higher as sea levels rise roughly one foot per 30 years in recent decades.
Local Business · Broward County
The Broward County Board of County Commissioners is hosting the 11th Annual Florida International Trade and Cultural Expo (FITCE) November 18-19 at the Broward County Convention Center. More than 2,000 attendees representing over 70 countries are expected for two days of networking, trade development, and cultural exchange. Activities include a World Leaders Keynote Luncheon on November 18, tours of the Alan B. Levan | NSU Broward Center of Innovation and Port Everglades/Foreign-Trade Zone 25, a Water Taxi cruise, and the Fourth Annual State of the Arts Address on November 19. General admission is free; additional fees apply for the luncheon and some tours. Registration is available at FITCExpo.com.
Nearby · Crime · Miramar, FL
Joseph Pollard, an inmate already serving a life sentence for unrelated crimes, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in the 2002 stabbing death of 15-year-old Farrah Carter. The plea followed new DNA testing that linked Pollard to the crime scene in Miramar, where Carter was found dead in her home on May 22, 2002. Investigators had previously struggled for years to identify a suspect before advanced genetic analysis connected Pollard to blood evidence and a hat left at the scene. Pollard received a five-year sentence with credit for time already served since his arrest.
Nearby · Crime · Hollywood, FL
Broward County officials announced charges against four individuals for allegedly stealing the $300,000 home of a 71-year-old Hollywood man suffering from severe dementia. The suspects, including two real estate investors, a Margate Realtor, and a notary, are accused of forging documents to transfer ownership and abandoning the victim in Miami Gardens. Hollywood Police began investigating after relatives reported suspicious circumstances surrounding the property transfer.
