ROSEMARY BEACH Fla. (WMBB) A certain bunny has been making his rounds around the panhandle to celebrate Easter and made a stop in Rosemary.

Happy Easter, said Sean Couch and his family, who are local residents.

Families from all across the United States celebrated this Easter holiday in Rosemary Beach, with none other than the Easter Bunny.

We took a picture with the Easter Bunny! said Mary Compton and her family, traveling from Birmingham Alabama. Its new for us, its our first year down here.

Rosemary Beach staff tell News 13, each year they celebrate Easter with an egg hunt, but with COVID, they wanted to follow CDC protocol, so they found a different way to celebrate.

We got Easter eggs, said the Compton family.

The Easter Bunny brought To-Go bags with him. Inside there was candy, toys, and of course, Easter eggs.

We are going to the beach, said Camden and his family who are visiting from the Atlanta area.

Many families from out of town tell News 13, they all want to take advantage of the beautiful Florida weather.

Hitting the beach, hitting the pool, getting out, and enjoying the beautiful weather, said Heath Evans from Tulsa Oklahoma. This is our first time in rosemary and its truly amazing.

Just all of the outdoor festivities, just get outside and enjoy this Easter holiday, said Couch.

And from our News 13 family to yours, Happy Easter.

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Easter Bunny makes a stop in Rosemary Beach - WMBB - mypanhandle.com

Rip currents and heavy surf led to over 90 water rescues in Pensacola Beach over the weekend.

93 people. 93 times where, if things had gone differently, a family could be mourning a death. All that in 2 days. Please, please dont become a statistic. People die from this every year. And its usually tourists, and its usually in nice weather. https://t.co/X8Frosctn8 https://t.co/xj51RVYhR9

This is the reason youve seen us talking about this a good bit in the leadup to spring break. Its dangerous, and its a pretty big deal.

While the rip current risk wont be as high this week, the threat is still elevated.

You can check the forecast for the Alabama Gulf Coast and check the daily rip current forecast as well as learn about beach safety on our website. Just click the weather drop-down menu and select Gulf Coast Forecast, or just visit the link here.

Download Live Alert 19 foriOSorAndroid.

Alex PuckettFollow me onTwitterandFacebook

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Over 90 Beach Rescues Over The Weekend - whnt.com

Elementary students returned to classrooms in Long Beach, Calif., on Monday and campuses from Los Angeles to Boston prepared for significant expansions of in-person instruction as a majority of the nations districts have now begun to reopen school buildings, many of which have been closed for more than a year.

On Monday, Burbio, which monitors some 1,200 districts including the largest 200 in the country, reported that 53.1 percent of students were in schools offering daily, in-person classes, and that for the first time, the proportion of students attending school virtually or in hybrid classes had dropped.

The change, Burbio officials said, appeared to be driven by the return in elementary and middle schools to in-person classes, and by the new rules from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention permitting schools to allow three feet of social distance instead of six feet in elementary schools.

But a number of roadblocks to reopening remain. On the West Coast, large urban districts generally have lagged behind their counterparts across the rest of the nation. Surging infections in Southern California after the winter holidays were partly to blame for a slow rebound in the Los Angeles school system.

Part of the slow start can be traced to resistance from teachers, whose unions generally are more powerful in Democratic-led Washington, Oregon and California than in many other states, and who have been wary of returning to what they regard as a hazardous workplace, despite federal guidance that elementary schools in particular are safe when health precautions are followed.

Even some schools where teachers have agreed to return are still experiencing setbacks. Schools in Oakland and San Francisco, for example, are scheduled to reopen next month for elementary and special-needs students. But labor agreements in both of those California cities have allowed substantial numbers of teachers to opt out, leaving some schools without enough teachers to reopen and prompting others to scramble for substitutes.

Public schools in Californias top three districts by enrollment Los Angeles, San Diego and Fresno have said they will begin to allow grade-school students back onto campus later in April, as new coronavirus cases have fallen sharply statewide.

And on Monday, Long Beach the states fourth-largest district, with about 70,000 students began allowing about 14,000 elementary students back into school buildings for about 2 hours each day, five days a week.

The Long Beach school district was able to open earlier than other large California school systems because labor unions there agreed last summer to reopen as soon as health conditions permitted, and because the city was able to start vaccinating teachers earlier than other districts in the state.

Unlike most other cities in Los Angeles County, Long Beach has its own public health department, giving the city its own vaccine supplies and the power to set its own vaccine priorities, at a time when the county as a whole was making teachers wait until after other groups, like residents 65 and older, were vaccinated.

Updated March29, 2021

The latest on how the pandemic is reshaping education.

A city with its own health department has the ability to be more nimble, said Jill Baker, the citys schools superintendent, who called the return to classrooms this week exciting and momentous.

The school district is among the citys largest employers, and two-thirds of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, so vaccinating school employees and reopening classrooms was viewed as economically important, Ms. Baker said.

In-person classes for older students are scheduled to resume April 19, with grades 6 to 8 getting the option to return on April 20 and grades 9 to 11 on April 26. The last day of school will be in mid-June.

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Schools in Long Beach, Calif., Start Reopening This Week - The New York Times

Strong storms possible throughout the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast on Saturday

Heavy rain, lightning and the potential for strong, isolated wind gusts above 45 mph are in the forecast

Updated: 11:50 AM EST Feb 6, 2021

Strong storms are expected throughout the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast beginning on Saturday afternoon.Heavy rain, lightning and the potential for strong, isolated wind gusts above 45 mph are forecast to begin after 1 p.m. on Saturday. There is also the possibility of tornadoes.The expected thunderstorms are forecast to track to the northeast. Isolated severe weather is forecast for the early afternoon on Sunday as well.

Strong storms are expected throughout the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast beginning on Saturday afternoon.

Heavy rain, lightning and the potential for strong, isolated wind gusts above 45 mph are forecast to begin after 1 p.m. on Saturday. There is also the possibility of tornadoes.

Hearst Owned

The expected thunderstorms are forecast to track to the northeast. Isolated severe weather is forecast for the early afternoon on Sunday as well.

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Strong storms possible throughout the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast on Saturday - WPBF West Palm Beach

Continued high levels of marine toxins will keep razor clam digs on hold for at least another two weeks.

No future razor clam dates will be announced until domoic acid levels in razor clams drop below the action level, read an update from Fish and Wildlife Wednesday. We have no projections of when that might be.

The season has been spotty at best, despite high populations of harvestable clams, due at first to COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings. There were a couple of digs in February and March 2020, with good results, but in May the state shut down all razor clam digging due to the pandemic and the concerns of local jurisdictions along the beaches about the crowds razor clam digs always attract.

In August, state coastal shellfish manager Dan Ayres said there were about 26 million harvestable clams estimated for the 2020-21 season, about double the previous seasons number. In September there was some digging allowed, and tentative dates were set for October, but those were canceled when the domoic acid levels crept above levels considered safe to eat. All December and January tentative dates were canceled.

Levels too high at all beaches

In clam meat tests on all the beaches from Long Beach north to Mocrocks, all are above the domoic acid action level for safe consumption 20 parts per million. Levels ranged from 22 parts per million at Long Beach to 49 on the north end of Copalis Beach.

Test digs and testing will continue every two weeks, according to Fish and Wildlife. Before a beach can be opened for the harvest of razor clams, protocol requires that all razor clam samples collected from that beach must test under the action level on both of two required sample collections, that must be spaced seven to 10 days apart.

As we reported earlier this month, razor clams are following the historical pattern of slowly depurating (losing) domoic acid, read the most recent Fish and Wildlife statement. We also are observing the levels bounce around some, as they have in past events.

The bounce around is a result the individual 12 clams harvested for sampling. The toxin load can vary greatly between individual clams. The laboratory protocol requires the clams to be cleaned and then the meat from all 12 per area are blended together. Then a sample of that mixture is analyzed and one result is reported for that area.

Information on razor clam beaches, regulations and seasons can be found online at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfishing-regulations/razor-clams.

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Toxin levels still to high to allow razor clam beaches to open - The Daily World

I would say that Park Pointers are feeling kind of desperate with that shrinking beach there, from the canal to 13th (Street South), said Dawn Buck, president of the Park Point Community Club, describing the threat erosion poses to both public and private property.

So, we put pressure on the city to help solve that problem, she said.

Before Duluth dug a ship canal and constructed breakwalls to help safely usher marine traffic into the harbor, sediments and gravel used to be swept down the shore, steadily feeding the beaches of Park Point. But since human-made structures have disrupted that natural flow of material, lakefront beaches have steadily eroded.

Buck and other Park Point residents mobilized, urging city officials to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to bolster the beach. In response, the Corps arranged to place about 53,000 cubic yards of dredge material on the shrinking stretch of beach between August and September of last year.

Sally Rauschenfels, who lives in the area, said shards of metal began showing up on the beach shortly afterward. The problem first came to her attention when her dog, Daphne, started to limp during a beach walk, and an inspection of the standard poodles paw revealed a sharp piece of metal from a shredded can embedded in it.

Daphne made a full recovery, but Rauschenfels started to inspect the beach with greater scrutiny and found more and more metal glinting in the sand.

Before the onset of winter, Rauschenfels and a neighbor, Jan Karon, collected several bushels of what appear to be shredded tin and aluminum cans dating back to the 1970s.

Bags of partially shredded metal cans still have sand from the shore on Park Point on them at the residence of Sally Rauschenfels on Tuesday in Duluth. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)

In January, the Corps of Engineers finally agreed to announce that it had a problem, advising beachgoers to exercise caution in the area and pledging to address the issue, which remains of unknown scope.

Were still looking at what we can do and what options we have at this point, said Bill Dowell, public affairs chief for the Detroit District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Until winter passes and that assessment is complete, however, Dowell said he didnt want to even speculate what those options may be.

The emerging issue has left more than a few Park Pointers crestfallen.

I feel a little embarrassed myself, Buck said, explaining that she had worked hard to bring about the beach project only to discover later to her chagrin that in trying to fix one dilemma, another problem had been created.

The Corps said the metal cans were likely accidentally dredged up along with about 27,000 cubic yards of material from an area of the harbor laden with unknown trash. They appear to have been shredded as they passed through the dredging process.

Dowell said the Corps routinely tests sediments for toxins before dredging begins, but the process would not necessarily have flagged cans in the area.

We go in and we do sampling and we do testing. But that testing involves a small area. Its not a giant scoop, he said.

Now that the metal shards are intermixed with tons and tons of sand on the beach, a thorough cleanup could prove difficult, costly and perhaps impractical.

But Dowell expressed confidence the Corps will be up to the task.

It is a complicated situation. But we, as the Corps of Engineers, are the nations engineers. Were given complicated engineering situations that need to be taken care of, and we work hard and we do that, right? he said.

As many of the shredded cans are made of aluminum, magnets would likely be of only modest help in dealing with the refuse.

Meanwhile, continually beachcombing the area to remove emerging metal shards by hand strikes 3rd District Duluth City Councilor Roz Randorf as an inadequate solution.

I think that as the situation is unfolding, its getting more serious than we originally thought, she said. Who knew there were so many pollutants and so much dumping in the bay where they got this material? It just blows your mind to think that there was so much garbage dumped into the lake.

Jan Karon, left, talks to Sally Rauschenfels about the bags of metal shards theyve picked up along the beach of Lake Superior on Park Point in October while they stand along the area Tuesday afternoon. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)

Randorf suggested it may be necessary to actually dig up the dredge spoils and sift through them.

Its worse than they thought, she said. It may even be at the point where, you know what, we say: Just come get the material, and well replace it with something else. If its that time-intensive to start cleaning it, forget it. Removal is probably cheaper. Load it up. Take it somewhere else, and then bring in some new clean dredge materials.

Dowell said the Corps takes the situation seriously.

The men and women who work for the Corps of Engineers and the ones at the Duluth area office, a lot of them grew up there. Theyre members of the community. They have animals. They have pets. They use the beach. None of us want this. This is really a situation thats unfortunate. And as community members, we all just want to get this taken care of, he said.

Dowell offered assurances that the Corps will address the situation, although perhaps not to everyones complete satisfaction.

Meanwhile, plans are still in the works for more dredge materials to be placed farther down the same stretch of eroding beach yet this year at the request of residents, said Jim Filby Williams, Duluths director of parks, properties and libraries.

We have directed the Corps to develop and send us a written plan, describing how they will assess and mitigate the hazards from the 2020 beach restoration project and avoid any recurrence of those problems in future beach restoration projects, he said.

Sally Rauschenfels holds shards of cans, some from the 1960s, she found along the shore of Lake Superior near the dredging area in October. The cans are believed to have been kicked out from the dredging process. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)

But not all residents are onboard, fearing that yet more surprises could arrive with additional dredge spoils.

While Karon acknowledged significant erosion of the beach in front of her own home and a fear of property damage from the encroaching waves, she also expressed misgivings about using more dredge materials from the harbor.

Karon recalled watching as dredge spoils were pumped onto the beach last year and said she was overwhelmed by what she described as a terrible toxic smell that gave her an instant headache.

Some of the neighbors want this, no matter the cost to the environment of the lake. I dont, Karon said.

Willis Mattison, a retired ecologist for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency turned citizen environmental advocate, has taken an interest in the situation and warned of the risks of using dredge materials from an area known to contain pockets of industrial legacy contaminants, such as the Duluth-Superior Harbor.

You cant predict what youre going to find. They didnt know and werent prepared to handle a surprise like metal cans that got shredded and presented their own hazard out on the beach. But they are the proverbial tip of the iceberg, Mattison said.

The cans are emblematic of a larger problem with dredging that its difficult, if not impossible, to characterize the material youre going to dig up in such a way that you can assure the public that the public health is protected and that the lake is protected, he said.

Multiple ring-top beer cans are mixed in with more current can shards found along the shores on Park Point near the dredging area. (Jed Carlson / jcarlson@superiortelegram.com)

Mattison asked for a report detailing tests the Corps conducted on dredge materials both before they were exhumed and after they were deposited last year. But he said he was told he would need to file a Freedom of Information Act request to see them, which he did in November.

Were investigating the other unknowns that may alter the course of future dredging, and hopefully well get this straightened out before the summer dredging season, so that the needs are satisfied: The Park Point people get the beach protected, navigation continues, the lake is protected, and people are healthy out there, he said.

Buck, too, expressed a desire to know more.

I think people are wondering: Are there better options than dredge material from an industrial harbor for the pristine waters of Lake Superior? she said.

Dowel said the Corps would take added precautions if and when it takes up work again on the Park Point beach this year. He stressed that the discovery of shredded metal was extremely unusual.

Since 2013, we have put 1.1 million cubic yards of material in areas that need restoration around the Duluth-Superior Harbor, and this is the first time that we know of that anything like this has happened, Dowel said.

That may be the case, but Hamilton Smith, another Park Point resident, said to have the material show up on a popular public beach was a great misfortune.

They couldnt have picked a worse place for that to show up obviously, of all the restoration projects theyve done. It couldnt have been a worse place, he said.

Filby Williams remains optimistic that the fluke incident wont be repeated, however.

What happened in 2020 was an exceptionally unusual event, very nearly a unicorn. So, I think there is reason to be hopeful that with multiple additional meaningful safeguards and controls in the Corps process, that this already exceptionally unusual event will not recur, he said.

Filby Williams encouraged people to keep an eye on the big picture.

We have a longer-term public need to find a way to protect and restore that riverfront in a way that is protective simultaneously of the public beach and adjoining homes," he said. "That is a very difficult and exceedingly complex problem that is not going to go away. So, I think it is to the credit of everyone working on this that we are putting aside our frustration and staying focused on working the problem together.

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Duluth searches for solution to shredded metal cans found on Park Point beach - Duluth News Tribune

REVERE (CBS) It was as if Mother Nature bestowed a huge gift for the local seagulls. Tens of thousands of surf clams were deposited on Revere Beach by this weeks Noreaster.

This really fits the model of a large storm, washing animals up on the beach. Surf clams are known to be mobile. They like to be in the high-velocity zones. So they dont mind being in that surface zone, and they can dig down deep pretty quickly. So we think there were probably caught in the near shore, and with the waves, they washed up onto the beach, said State Marine Fisheries Jeff Kennedy.

There are so many clams, you can hardly walk where they are. State officials made sure this was a natural event, not influenced by humans.

We did review other wastewater treatment plants, operations, just to make sure there were no complicating or connecting factor, said Kennedy

These are not the small juvenile surf clams you find in chowder, or with linguini. These are big adults.

And dont go collecting some for dinner. Just leave them for the seagulls.

Revere Beach is classified as prohibited and the clams are contaminated, Kennedy said. Theyre not safe to eat. Its a sanitary classification.

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Not Safe To Eat: Thousands Of Clams Washed Up Onto Revere Beach After Storm - CBS Boston

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ While the nor'easter that dumped as much as 3 feet of snow in the northwestern corner of the state, the storm's wind and waves were leaving their mark on Ocean County's beaches.

Up and down the county waves that reached 12 feet at the height of the nor'easter carved away, leaving 10- to 12-foot vertical dropoffs in Bay Head and Ortley Beach, and damaging dune walkovers in a number of sites. Towns cordoned off walkways that normally lead down sloped paths to the beach, leaving damage that will need to be repaired in time for the summer beach season.

On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy said the federal government should be stepping in to address the severe erosion in Bay Head, Ortley Beach and other spots, and said his administration has been in touch with federal officials.

It's not just about getting some normal replenishment for the summer beach season, but about protecting the towns, he said. "They're completely exposed right now."

DEP officials surveyed the beaches in 81 sites from Raritan Bay all the way down the Atlantic coast and along Delaware Bay before the storm as well as after, so they could determine the extent of the damage, said Col. Patrick Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.

"That's a lesson we learned from Superstorm Sandy," Callahan said.

"All of our beachfill projects in New Jersey are done in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection," said Steve Rochette, public affairs officer for the U.S. Army Corps Philadelphia office.

"After storms, we coordinate with NJDEP on the extent of erosion to projects areas. We're still getting updates from the state, but preliminary information indicates several areas experienced significant erosion to beach berms as well as some dune erosion," Rochette said. "In some cases, we're able to get approval to place sand to areas damaged by 'extraordinary storm events.' However, based on initial information, it does not appear this particular storm meets the parameters to qualify for this."

Rochette said there is beach nourishment in Ocean County scheduled for Fiscal Year 2022, if there's enough funding.

"In between nourishments, all operation and maintenance is the responsibility of NJDEP and the municipalities there," he said.

The state Department of Environmental Protection described the damage as moderate to major along the northern barrier island in a report by its Division of Coastal Engineering, with most of the damage described as sloped erosion. Bay Head and Ortley Beach had vertical erosion. Seaside Park and Island Beach State Park also had vertical erosion to a lesser extent, but the Island Beach State Park damage was extensive enough that drive-on access for sportfishing has been suspended for the time being. Read more: Island Beach State Park Closes Due To 'Severe' Beach Erosion

DEP officials said they expect that much of the material eroded "will return to the 'dry' beach in time following the storm," though how long that will take is unclear.

Jeff Tittel of the New Jersey Sierra Club said the damage is proof that climate change is worsening issues along the ocean.

" Considering that it wasn't that strong of a storm, the amount of erosion that happened shows that climate impacts and sea-level rise are getting worse," he said. "We need action and we need it now. We must be able to adapt and adjust so that our coastal communities are prepared for the next storm."

He also criticized the dune replenishment projects that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has overseen along the coast, saying they "are not designed properly for sea-level rise and storm surge."

Army Corps officials said the dune projects provided the protection they were put in place to provide.

"These dune and berm projects are put in place to reduce the risk of storm damages to infrastructure (homes, businesses, boardwalks, roads, utility lines)," Rochette said. "These projects have been effective serving that purpose for many years in many different communities during numerous storm events. If not for the added beach and dune, erosion and associated wave and surge impacts could have threatened infrastructure in some of the hardest-hit communities."

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Murphy Calls On Feds To Address Severe Beach Erosion In Ocean Co. - Patch.com

Police said the shooting happened in the 1000 block of Mineola Drive.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. Police have arrested someone in connection to the deadly shooting that happened on Friday in Virginia Beach, near Indian River Road.

Virginia Beach Police said they received reports of gunshots being heard and that a person had been shot in the 1000 block of Mineola Drive.

When officers arrived on the scene they found 22-year-old Keyon Turner of Virginia Beach with gunshot wounds.

Virginia Beach EMS took Turner to a nearby hospital, where he later died from life-threatening injuries.

VBPD said it was able to identify and locate a possible suspect involved in the shooting through investigation.

Treshaun Lamont Snipes, 21, was arrested for 2nd-degree murder, use of firearm in commission of a felony and having a concealed weapon. He is currently being held at the Virginia Beach City Jail.

If you know anything about the shooting that might help investigators, call the crime line at 1.888.Lock.U.Up.

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Man dies following Friday shooting near Indian River Rd in Virginia Beach; One person arrested - 13newsnow.com WVEC

Three Neighborhood Road businesses with more than 165 years of combined service to the community were honored last week for their longevity by local civic organizations and town, county and state leaders.

Onofrios Italian Restaurant, in business for 70 years, was recognized, along with Mastic Beach neighbors Dicks Bait & Tackle and Johns Pizzeria.

These businesses have invested a lifetime into our community and have become true icons in Mastic Beach, Suffolk County Legis. Rudy Sunderman said. We are so very appreciative that they have stood with us in both the good times and the bad, and I look forward to many more years with them in the community.

At the Jan. 28 event, the three businesses were presented certificates thanking each for committing to Mastic Beach for 50 years or more.

It was refreshing to see community civics come together in yet another example of how supporting our common goal to make our community better makes us stronger, said Frank Fugarino, president of the Pattersquash Creek Civic Association (PCCA). PCCA Members agree: Congratulations to these businesses that stayed through thick and thin.

Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine noted that small, local businesses with longterm staying power are the backbone of every downtown.

These three businesses deserve accolades for their resilience, despite the ups and downs of the economy over the past 50 years, he said.

Each have been successful anchors on Neighborhood Road for a very long time, and I commend their commitment to serving their customers and the Mastic Beach community, Romaine added.

Also attending the presentations were members of the Mastic Beach Property Owners Association, New York state Sen. Alexis Weik and a representative of New York state Assemblyman Joe DeStefano.

Below are photos of the certificate presentations.

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Three Mastic Beach businesses honored for servicing the community for 50 years or more - GreaterMoriches

David Martin and Jackie Soffer, the developers of the planned Miami Beach Convention Center Hotel, are asking the City to make changes to their Development and Ground Lease agreement to better position the hotel for financing when the market for new-build convention hotels eventually reopens. Specifically, they want to make design changes to reduce the buildings height and mass and first floor programming, eliminate the on-site parking requirement, and the ability to utilize meeting space at the Convention Center. Theyre also seeking extension of the outside dates for completion in the development agreement due to the pandemic.

Martin, CEO of Terra Group, and Jackie Soffer, Chairman and CEO of Turnberry, formed MB Mixed Use Investment LLC (MBMUI) to build the hotel which was approved by Miami Beach voters in November 2018. In a memo to City Commissioners regarding the request, Interim City Manager Raul Aguila noted the developers had made significant progress on the project before the pandemic.

In 2019, MBMUI completed the necessary pre-development requirements to seek financing, including finishing the design and costing, assembling the construction team, obtaining Design Review Board and Land Use Board approvals, executing a process to select Hyatt as the brand, negotiating an Early Site Access Agreement with the City to begin site work, and had preliminary discussions with lenders and equity partners, Aguila wrote. The developer was in the formal stages of financing the hotel project in January of 2020 when news began to surface regarding a virus spreading around the globe, followed by declarations of a global health emergency in early February, and a declaration of a global pandemic in March 2020.

Many sectors of the economy have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the travel and hospitality industries, Aguila continued. New-build convention hotel capital markets have not been available since the beginning of the global pandemic as lenders address more immediate concerns with existing hotels. Moreover, the impact on the hotel industry and its potential recovery path have driven hotel developments to be physically and financially re-envisioned to recreate a feasible hotel development.

In December, Martin told the Convention Center Advisory Board the financing market for new hotels probably wont be open for at least another year and probably longer. For us its a question of not will it get built, because it will, Martin told the Board. Its just a question of when the market will recover. The vaccine, he said, is going to be a critical piece of the overall puzzle." Since then, distribution of multiple vaccines has started though progress has been slow.

Aguilas memo noted, Beginning in the summer of 2020, MBMUI began rethinking the physical and financial elements of the Citys headquarter hotel project to deliver all the needs originally envisioned by the City in the most efficient way possible, with a goal to have the project to be ready to finance once new-build hotel lending becomes available.

Taking into account issues such as projected hotel performance and the path to recovery, construction costs, lower loan-to-value lending, higher debt interest rates and higher equity return requirement from lenders, Aguila said, the developers have re-envisioned the project while still delivering on all the requirements of the citywide referendum approving the hotel including the number of hotel rooms [800], lease payments, height restrictions, gaming ownership restrictions, convention center connection obligation, and the requirement for no City funding.

Among the proposed changes, Aguila listed the following:

In an email to RE:MiamiBeach on Friday, Martin noted, [H]istoric shocks to the lodging industry indicate that recovery to pre-COVID levels of convention hotel performance will likely take 4-5 years and then RevPARs [Revenue Per Available Room] will grow from there. We also believe financial underwriting by lenders will be more stringent as the market gradually recovers. Consequently, we had to make some adjustments to adapt to the realities of the market.The proposal outlined in the referral delivers all the material elements for the Grand Hyatt Miami Beach Convention Center Hotel which are desired by the market and which are required under the Approved Referendum. There is also an added benefit of creating new revenue for the City from the proposed use of City parking and meeting space, so we see these modifications as a win-win.The proposed design changes are consistent with what was approved by voters and the Design Review Board. In fact, the building's podium height will be lower and improve the urban plan, Martin wrote.

We are asking the City to confirm that these modifications are acceptable now so we can mitigate the COVID pandemics impact on the delivery timeline. This will allow us to realize that the Grand Hyatt Miami Beach Convention Center Hotel opens as quickly as possible so it can become the economic engine for our City and bring the quality of tourism that Miami Beach deserves, he said.Our goal is to finance the hotel as soon as the capital markets for new-build hotels opens up. We are just now beginning to see lender interest in projects that will open in the four year horizon, Martin added. With the City's approval, we will be ready to go when lenders indicate they are ready to evaluate and underwrite this and bring this project to fruition.

At their meeting this week, Commissioners will consider a referral of the requests to the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee and the amendment to eliminate parking to the Land Use and Sustainability Committee. Recommendations from the Committees will come back to the full Commission for final consideration.

Rendering: Arquitectonica

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Developers of Miami Beach Convention Center Hotel Want to Reduce Height and Massing, Eliminate Parking - RE:MiamiBeach

City of West Palm Beach delivering update on water main break that prompted boil water notice

Updated: 6:04 PM EST Feb 5, 2021

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JOSSIE: MAYOR KEITH JAMES AND THE DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES FOR THE CITY JUST GAVE US AN UPDATE. WE ARE LEARNING THAT THE REASON THIS MAJOR BREAK HAPPENED WAS BECAUSE OF THE PIPES OLD AGE AND THE COLD WEATHER. THIS PIPE CAME FROM A NEARBY WATER PLANT. OFFICIALS SAY IT WAS LAST INSPECTED SIX MONTHS AGO BUT A SERIES OF UPGRADES ARE SUPPOSED TO BEGIN IN MARCH. >> THERE IS A $22 MILLION PROJECT, A PLAN WHERE THIS BREAK OCCURRED. THIS PROJECT WILL IMPROVE WATER, SEWER MY AND STREET INFRASTRUCTURE. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO ENSURE A REDUNDANCY. >> I SAW WATER COMING EVERYWHERE. IT WAS JUST, LIKE, EVERYWHERE. IT WAS ALL IN MY YARD, IT WAS GOING DOWN THE ROAD. IT LOOKED LIKE THE ROAD SPLIT. JOSSIE: A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE DIRECT AREA ARE IMPACTED. WE SPOKE WITH SOME PEOPLE WHO SAID THEY HAD THEIR CARS DAMAGED BY THE WATER BUT MAYOR KEITH JAMES SAYS THERE ARE NO PLANS RIGHT NOW TO PAY FOR THOSE DAMAGES. HE DID SAY THEY CAN CALL THE CITY IF THEY HAVE DAMAGES AND GO FROM THERE. IN THE MEANTIME, AS CREWS WORK ON REPAIRS, A BOIL WATER ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR PEOPLE IN WEST PALM BEACH, THE TOWN OF BEACH. THE CITY IS USING CHLORINE TO DISINFECT THE SYSTEM AND ARE GETTING SAMPLES COLLECTED TO DETERMINE WHEN IT WILL BE SAFE TO DRINK, BUT FOR NOW, THEY ARE ADVISING NOT TO USE TAP WATER UNLESS IT IS BOILED. REPAIRS SHOULD BE DONE BY THE END OF THE DAY.

City of West Palm Beach delivering update on water main break that prompted boil water notice

Updated: 6:04 PM EST Feb 5, 2021

City of West Palm Beach holding press conference after water main break along Tamarind Avenue prompted the city to issue a boil water advisory.

City of West Palm Beach holding press conference after water main break along Tamarind Avenue prompted the city to issue a boil water advisory.

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City of West Palm Beach delivering update on water main break that prompted boil water notice - WPBF West Palm Beach

Rebecca Rivera and her girlfriend, Dania Gomez, brought the boy's body to Galveston after he died in Houston. They dumped his body in the water off East Beach.

GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas The mother of a 4-year-old boy who was found dead on a Galveston beach more than three years ago has been sentenced to life in prison.

Rebecca Suzanna Rivera was convicted of injury to a child by omission causing serious bodily injury after a seven-day trial that ended Thursday.

The child, who is known publicly as Little Jacob, was found on East Beach in October 2017. After six months of investigating, authorities were able to identify the body as that of Jayden Alexander Lopez.

Rivera and her girlfriend, Dania Amezquita Gomez, brought the boy's body to Galveston after he died in Houston. They dumped his body in the water off the beach that it was found on a day later.

Little Jacob's body showed signs of torture, "including scarring from being beaten with hangers, cigarette burns all over his back, ligature marks on his wrists and ankles, and numerous blunt force trauma injuries," according to Galveston County's Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Erin Barnhart. He was also emaciated. His cause of death could not be determined.

Rivera admitted that she would hit the boy with anything she could find when she got frustrated with her girlfriend. Gomez is also charged with injury to a child and testified against Rivera as part of her plea deal.

Rivera will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years in prison.

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Mother of 'Little Jacob,' boy found dead on Galveston beach in 2017, sentenced to life in prison - KHOU.com

A 38-foot-long (11.5 meters) whale that washed ashore in the Florida Everglades in January 2019 turns out to be a completely new species. And it's already considered endangered, scientists say.

When the corpse of the behemoth washed up along Sandy Key - underweight with a hard piece of plastic in its gut - scientists thought it was a subspecies of the Bryde's (pronounced "broodus") whale, a baleen whale species in the same group that includeshumpbackandblue whales. That subspecies was named Rice's whale.

Now, after genetic analysis of other Rice's whales along with an examination of the skull from the Everglades whale, researchers think that, rather than a subspecies, the Rice's whale is an entirely new species that lives in the Gulf of Mexico.

The discovery, detailed January 10 in the journalMarine Mammal Science, also means that there are fewer than 100 members of this species living on the planet, making them "critically endangered," according to astatementfrom the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Related:Amazing new video shows baby humpback whales nursing from their moms

According to the study, the researchers looked at records of the Bryde's whale in the Caribbean and greater Atlantic Ocean and concluded the whales they spotted were evidence "of an undescribed species of Balaenoptera from the Gulf of Mexico."

The lead study author Patricia Rosel and her co-author, Lynsey Wilcox, both at Southeast Fisheries Science Center, completed the first genetic tests of this whale in 2008, finding that the skull of the Rice's whale was different than that of Bryde's whales.

In addition to having different skulls, Rice's whales are slightly different in size than Bryde's whales, the new analysis showed. They can weigh up to 60,000 pounds (27,215 kilograms) and grow up to 42 feet (12.8 meters) long, according to NOAA, whereas Bryde's whales have been known to reach upwards of 50 feet (15.2 m) and weigh more than 55,000 pounds (24,947 kg).

Rosel and her colleagues think the whales in the new species can live approximately 60 years, but given that there are so few in existence, researchers need further observation of the whales to get a better idea of their life expectancy.

Given their location in the Gulf of Mexico, Rice's whales are particularly vulnerable to oil spills, vessel strikes and energy exploration and production, NOAA added.

Related content50 of the most endangered species on the planetWhale album: Giants of the deepBig miracle: The real rescue in images

This article was originally published by Live Science. Read the original article here.

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Whale That Washed Up on Florida Beach Turns Out to Be an Entirely New Species - ScienceAlert

Los Angeles County beaches from Zuma to Marina del Rey reopened Friday afternoon after a threat of lighting amid a powerful winter storm passed.

Los Angeles County Fire Department, Lifeguard Division tweeted about the closure at 10:13 a.m. as a winter storm was pounding the region with much-needed rain.

But by 2 p.m., the threat had subsided and the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors officials tweeted that beaches were open again.

Officials worked with the National Weather Service in Los Angeles to monitor conditions and determined when beaches were safe to reopen, the tweet read.

A thunderstorm was detected about 17 miles west of El Segundo in the Santa Monica Bay at 9:30 a.m., the weather service said.

Beachgoers should be alert for potential dangerous lightning strikes across local beaches today, the agency tweeted before the beach closures.

At 10:42 a.m., the weather service reported a brief heavy downpour of 0.16 inches in 5 minutes in El Segundo.

The storm was expected to bring about 1.5 to 3.5 inches of rain to the Los Angeles and Ventura county valleys.

The Los Angeles County Public Health Department asked residents to avoid contact with ocean water amid storm drains, creeks and rivers through Monday amid the storm. Bacteria, debris and other hazards are washed away by the rain, officials warned.

Also on Friday, lifeguards shared images of snow and hail at El Porto in Manhattan Beach.

Well you dont see that everyday, a tweet read.

{BEACH LIGHTNING} Los Angeles County Beaches from Zuma to Marina Del Rey are closed due to the potential for beach lightning. We are working with @NWSLosAngeles to monitor the current weather and determine a time to safely reopen the beaches. https://t.co/vYLtzNVVx9

More rain and snow today, off and on showers through day. Isolated thunderstorms with small hail also expected. I-5 #Grapevine snow possible. All rain should be done by 4pm today. Drive safe today and watch out for flooded roads. #cawx #LArain pic.twitter.com/ZzKXsV41nR

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L.A. County beaches reopen after threat of lightning passes - KTLA Los Angeles

Members of La Jolla Parks & Beaches and other local community groups are teaming up to make suggestions to the city of San Diego to help reduce environmental impacts at La Jolla Heights Natural Park associated with the La Jolla View Reservoir replacement project.

We want to form a working group with LJP&B members to focus on the impacts to the trail and biological resources of the La Jolla View area, La Jolla Parks & Beaches trustee Patrick Ahern said during the boards Jan. 25 meeting. He added that the La Jolla Community Planning Association would be represented to focus on neighborhood impacts and the La Jolla Traffic & Transportation advisory group would be represented to focus on traffic.

Ahern was joined in his call for working group members by nearby resident and former city planner Jack McGrory, who said: We are not questioning the need for the project, which will expand the water capacity for La Jolla, create better pipelines and replace aging infrastructure. But the proposed method would close the park for at least four years, and we have been critical in review of the EIR [environmental impact report] that they are running over the environmental impacts to the park. There are many bird species that have been cited there, such as the gnatcatcher, [in addition to] coastal sage habitat and other plants.

The La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee determined Jan. 19 that the draft EIR was incomplete because it did not adequately address or propose mitigation for the projects environmental effects on the surrounding area.

The project would replace the 720,000-gallon La Jolla View Reservoir, an above-ground water storage tank, and the 990,000-gallon, partially above ground Exchange Place Reservoir with one new 3.1-million-gallon underground reservoir in La Jolla Heights Natural Park above the La Jolla Country Club area. The existing reservoirs and the Exchange Place Pump Station would be demolished and their sites would be returned to historical contours with native vegetation.

The La Jolla View Reservoir is located off Encelia Drive in La Jolla Heights Natural Park, and the Exchange Place Reservoir is near the corner of Country Club Drive and Pepita Way. The reservoirs were built in 1949 and about 1909, respectively, and are no longer able to keep up with water use demands.

The San Diego Development Services Department is accepting public comments on the EIR through February. The draft report and associated technical appendices have been placed on the city website at sandiego.gov/ceqa/draft under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) notices and documents.

The original deadline for comments was Feb. 15, but following the DPR Committee meeting, city spokesman Scott Robinson told the La Jolla Light that upon receipt of a request from the planning group, a 14-day extension of the public review period will be granted.

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LJP&B trustee Jane Reldan asked that the board do what we are supposed to do and protect open space.

Fellow trustee Tom Brady said the working group is absolutely necessary and that time is of the essence given the deadline for EIR comments.

A motion to form the working group passed 16-1, with trustee Mary Ellen Morgan objecting without comment.

The La Jolla View Reservoir proposal also is slated to be heard at the Community Planning Association meeting Thursday, Feb. 4.

New member seated: Brenda Fake, a Coast Walk resident and president of Friends of Coast Walk Trail, was seated as a new LJP&B board member after Janet Stratford Collins stepped down.

Friends of Coast Walk Trail President Brenda Fake is a new member of the La Jolla Parks & Beaches board.

(File)

Fake said she was excited to be joining the board. This seems like a good time to be working collectively, and we have opportunities here to bring this group together and keeping things transparent, she said.

For the past several years, Friends of Coast Walk Trail has worked with LJP&B to carry out improvement projects on the trail, which runs between Coast Walk (a short street west of Torrey Pines Road between Prospect Place and Amalfi Street) and Goldfish Point.

Trash in parks: Steve Hadley, representing the office of City Councilman Joe LaCava, whose district includes La Jolla, said the office has received reports of increased trash in parks, partly because people go to the parks with what they take out to eat from restaurants.

Hadley said the city Parks & Recreation Department has assured us they have not decreased the pickup; they have continued on their summer schedule. It is simply a volume issue. When people see a full trash can, they just kind of leave it wherever.

Hadley advocated for spreading the message that people need to take excess trash home or throw it away in a receptacle with space for it.

Pottery Canyon project: LJP&B member Alexandra Corsi said progress is being made on a brush abatement project in Pottery Canyon open space intended to reduce a perceived fire risk.

Some believe that fallen trees pose a fire risk in Pottery Canyon open space.

(File)

Corsi said LJP&B is partnering with San Diego Canyonlands, an organization whose mission is to promote, protect and restore natural habitats in San Diego Countys canyons and creeks.

They have worked with the city on various projects and have a right-of-entry permit, which is huge, she said. They will propose a project that will take eight weeks to be completed, and they are working with the citys natural resources manager to provide a three-phased proposal.

Because there are some environmental constraints, such as the gnatcatcher breeding season, which requires any work to be done before March 1 or after Sept. 1, we are recommending the work start in September, Corsi said.

Additional fundraising may be necessary but would be addressed over the summer when a better scope of the work is established, she said.

Next meeting: La Jolla Parks & Beaches next meets at 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, online. Learn more at lajollaparksbeaches.org.

What is a gnatcatcher?

According to the Audubon Guide to North American Birds, the California gnatcatcher is a small endangered bird native to Southern California and northwestern Mexico.

Its limited habitat along the Southern California coast is being taken over by housing tracts and other developments, the guide reads. California gnatcatchers live in coastal sage scrub, a low shrubby habitat that is also home to other specialized animals and plants.

Its diet consists mostly of insects. It may eat small berries at times.

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La Jolla Parks & Beaches forms working group to address impacts of reservoir project - La Jolla Light

JUPITER, Fla. Plenty of socially distant things to do outside this weekend including rhinos, rodeo, fair, Mutt Derby, and the exploration of the Palm Beaches' hidden spaces.

1) Baby Rhino first birthday party - Loxahatchee

On Saturday, Jan. 30 Lion Country Safari is hosting a birthday party for a rare South white rhino named Elna. The venue will place enrichments out around noon that look like birthday presents. Guests should arrive around 11 a.m. to get to the zebra and rhino area out on safari. One year ago she weighed 100 lbs. but a year later she weighs around 1100 lbs. WPTV NewsChannel 5 did witness Elna throwing two full-sized rhinos out of her pre-party on Thursday. She wanted her enrichments of hay all to herself.

Baby Rhino to turn one at Lion Country Safari on Saturday

2) South Florida Mini-Fair - West Palm Beach

This is the last weekend of the Mini-Fair. Because of the coronavirus pandemic organizers of the South Florida Fair plan to hold a mini-fair in January and a full-fledged fair in May of 2021.

Mini-Fair - What To Know

3) The Mutt Derby - West Palm Beach

The Mutt Derby Round 2 will take place at Palm Beach Kennel Club on Jan. 30, 2021 beginning at 11:30 a.m. This family fun event invites everyone to enter their pet dogs of all shapes and sizes to compete in a fun race series. The dogs will run 100 yards on the track without the use of the starting box or lure and will be called by their owner to the finish line. Winners will return for the finals that will award cash prizes including $1,000 to the overall champion. The registration fee is $20 for pre-registration and $25 on the day of the event (cut off 10 a.m.). Sign up early as this event typically sells out.

4) Professional Bull Riders Okeechobee InvitationalFor the first time in league history, the Professional Bull Riders will travel to Okeechobee at the Agri-Civic Center beginning at 2 p.m. on Jan. 30 - 31. The event will feature the top 30 bull riders in the worldTickets: Audlts $50 | Kids (5 - 12) $16 | Younger - free

5) Hidden Wild - PBSPalm Beach County has more than just beaches, resorts & golf courses. Hidden Wild follows a team of expeditioners on an adventure. PBC's tourism, environmental, and education arms produced a documentary to demonstrate all the types of environments and spaces Palm Beach County has to offer that rivals national parks that most people don't even know about. You can watch on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 5:30 on WXEL (PBS) or Sunday, Jan. 31 at 12:30 p.m. on WPBT2.

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Rhinos, Rodeo, fair, Mutt derby, and exploration of the Palm Beaches' hidden spaces - WPTV.com

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. Just hours after a new statewide COVID-19 vaccine appointment system went online Friday, Palm Beach County and Indian River County are not taking part in the program.

Martin County, however, will be among the counties using the system to pre-register for vaccine appointments. WPTV hasn't received word from St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties on their plans.

Florida residents who are 65 and older, health care personnel with direct patient contact, long-term care facility residents and staff, and those deemed to be "extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 by hospital providers" can register for COVID-19 vaccine appointments by clicking here.

However, the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County said late Friday afternoon it's not opting into the program yet, adding that "appointments are not available in Palm Beach County for those registering in this system."

Palm Beach County residents can still use the system to register. However, officials said you'll have to get vaccinated in another county.

"We do not want to create another waitlist," said Palm Beach County health director Dr. Alina Alonso in a written statement. "Our primary focus is completing our original chd50feedback emailed waitlist through the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. We prefer that the public wait until we can give them actual appointments."

RELATED: Florida to allocate portion of COVID-19 vaccines for western Palm Beach County communities

Alonso said earlier this week that on Tuesday, the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County will no longer receive first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the state.

Instead, Publix will be the primary distributor of the vaccine in Palm Beach County.

For the latest information about the COVID-19 vaccine in Palm Beach County, click here.

In Indian River County, Stacy Brock said her county is "opting out of the statewide system."

For registration, the county plans to use the Everbridge system, which already uses to send out emergency alerts, to implement a waitlist. The county has done injections at the Indian River Fairgrounds using an earlier system.

During the state preregistration process, residents will fill out their contact information and select their county.

Residents will be notified by phone call, text message or email once an appointment is available in your area. Officials said appointments will be given on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on when you register.

"Vaccine supply remains limited and appointments may not be available for several weeks in some counties," the Florida Department of Health said in a statement on Friday.

For residents who don't have Internet access, every county in Florida has a designated phone number to call and register.

Residents can find a list of each county's preregistration phone number by clicking here.

Earlier this month, Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees announced that only Florida residents will be allowed to get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the Sunshine State.

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Palm Beach, Indian River Counties not taking part in statewide vaccine registration - WPTV.com

Port of Palm Beach implements training to prevent human trafficking | 2021-01-29 | Security Magazine This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more. This Website Uses CookiesBy closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn MoreThis website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.

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Port of Palm Beach implements training to prevent human trafficking - Security Magazine

TOMS RIVER, NJ A "long-term" power outage in the Ortley Beach section of Toms River has prompted a warning from authorities that homeowners should check their pipes for freezing.

The Toms River Office of Emergency Management issued the warning Friday afternoon for Ortley Beach and said homeowners should contact Jersey Central Power & Light.

There were more than 1,500 homes without electrical service on the barrier island, including in Seaside Park, Toms River and Brick, as of 3:30 p.m. Friday, according to JCP&L's outage center.

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The cause of the power outage and its anticipated length were not immediately available. A message to JCP&L was not immediately answered.

Toms River officials said homeowners in the area from Colony Road to Fielder Drive need to take precautions.

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Water company officials from Suez offered the following tips about how to protect their water meters and appliances from freezing pipes.

By following a few simple tips, homeowners can avoid costly repairs:

Inside the home

If you won't be home

If the pipes freeze

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Pipe Freeze Warning Issued Amid Power Outage In Ortley Beach - Patch.com