It’s no secret that Florida’s got quite the greenhouse-grown marijuana industry. Our own Francisco Alvarado wrote about Florida’s pot-growin’ ways back in 2007, when the Sunshine State officially became the second-leading pot producer in the nation.Today, federal prosecutors announced the end of a statewide operation targeting residential grow houses –…
A couple weeks ago, we brought you the story of Dahlia Canes and her fight to overturn Miami-Dade’s county-wide ban on pit bulls.New Times spoke to Miami pit bull owners about life under the ban, like “Jose,” a 25-year-old Mercedes-Benz employee who hides his dog in his room all day…
All team names are far from created equal. Some basic math: Celtics > Raptors; Red Sox > Devil Rays; Colts > Texans; and everyone on a field, rink, or pitch outside of Anaheim laughed their asses off at the Mighty Ducks until they wised up and lost the Disney adjective…
As we reported in February after a visit to Guantánamo Bay, President Obama faces some pretty damn thorny decisions as he tries to close the notorious prison camp in southeastern Cuba, none tougher than what the heck to do with all the prisoners. The logical solution — bring them to…
Do you know a black Hispanic guy named “Nacho”? Does he drive a black or mustard-colored SUV and hang out in Little Havana? If the answer is yes, the police would like to speak with you pronto. “Nacho” is a “person of interest” in the Osben Laparra case, Officer Kenia…
A little after noon, some serious storms blew through South Beach and the rest of Miami. I was in my apartment on Meridian Avenue at the time and it was a hellacious thunderstorm — 60 mph winds, about an hour straight of hail, palm fronds flying through the air. The…
For the third day in a row, Miami Police officers began their morning fishing in the bay for dismembered body parts. Just before 9 this morning, cops surrounded the bay shore near NE 96th Street, Miami PD spokesman Delrish Moss tells Riptide, after reports of human remains spotted in the…
Yesterday, someone biking near the waterfront next to the 79th Street Causeway noticed a sketchy-looking bag bobbing in the water and called the cops. Police found human remains inside it. Later that afternoon, divers discovered another bag full of body parts about a quarter-mile away. This morning, police identified the victim:…
Everglades Restoration Isn’t Good for Everyone
Just before 9 a.m. this morning, someone was walking near Pelican Harbor — the water next to the 79th Street Causeway — when they noticed a bag bobbing in the murk.Something didn’t look right, so they called 911. Miami Police pulled out the bag around 11 a.m. Inside, they found…
Back in January, we brought you the story of Janoris Jenkins, the latest in a staggering list of football superstars to emerge from the small towns around Lake Okeechobee, about 80 miles northwest of Miami. Like Fred Taylor and Anquan Boldin before him, Jenkins joined the pantheon of football greats…
Last Thursday, a gray Toyota Tundra was driving west on NE 6th Street next to the Freedom Tower when it slammed full-speed into a southbound, red Honda CRV on Biscayne Boulevard.The truck spun out and skidded onto the sidewalk in front of the Freedom Center. Two women stood in its…
First Fidel Castro’s cronies took his father’s car dealership. Then, they took his father’s life.Now, Gustavo Villoldo has a legal verdict for $1 billion against El Commandante himself. And he fully intends to collect, as crazy as it sounds.Miami-Dade County Judge Peter Adrien awarded Villoldo $1.179 billion today for lost…
Fresh off including a $215 million boost in Everglades restoration funding in his newest budget, President Obama sent another strong signal today that he’s serious about saving the River of Grass by sending Interior Secretary Ken Salazar out for an afternoon airboat ride off Alligator Alley.Half of Florida’s political power…
What’s the deal with Florida International University and controversial hires these days? First FIU plucks Isiah Thomas off the New York tabloid trash heap and gives him the reins of the basketball program. Now, the school is handing its law school over to U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta, who might…
Disabled Reggaeton Star Sues Calle Ocho
What’s worse than having to go to the hospital? How about spending days in the hospital recovering from surgery or serious illness, finally going home, and then realizing that some jackass in the ER stole your identity?That’s exactly what happened to close to 50 patients at Palmetto General in Hialeah,…
In his 17 years, Bryant Amastha has survived 56 major surgeries caused by a rare muscular disorder. So when he started rapping, he felt like he’d earned his nickname: El Valien-T. In March, the budding Reggaeton artist was looking forward to his biggest concert yet: a Coca-Cola sponsored stage at…
An undercover FBI sting unraveled a South Florida wing of the infamous Bonanno Crime Family, leading to charges this morning against 11 members who are accused of running a dizzying criminal empire.Allegedly, the men smuggled cigarettes and committed bank and mail fraud. They laundered money, sold drugs and extorted business…
Pit Bull Ban Spurs Dog Fight
You remember Bill Brasky, right? The guy whose friends are always hooking up in SNL skits to drink scotch and talk about the manly, insane stuff he does? Like: “He used to shoot whiskey in his neck with a syringe.” And, “We once had a bachelor party for Bill Brasky…
Mary is a 38-year-old stay at home mom. She loves animals. And, in the eyes of Miami-Dade Animal Services, she’s a criminal.That’s because Miami-Dade is Death Row for pit bulls, thanks to a 20-year-old county-wide law banning the whole breed. Animal Services kills hundreds of pit bulls every year in…
