South Florida News Service

On a recent afternoon, three Florida International University journalism students stepped into Fairchild Gardens to record virtual reality videos, their second location for the day. “It’s exciting,” said Andrea Perdomo, one of the leads on the history of Coral Gables project. “I’m getting to see what I never was able to as a kid, and to capture it in VR ...

North Miami Beach recently improved its trolley service by way of added routes and a tracking app, city officials said. What was originally a one-route service has now turned into three routes for the retro-looking trolleys. Though the exterior looks like a vintage mode of transportation, each offers Wi-Fi and is equipped with surveillance cameras. During operating hours, one trolley ...

The Little Free Library, with its iconic birdhouse look, recently made its way to the Aventura Mall, giving shoppers access to the free book exchange. One patron said it is heaven. Janoy Fuentes said he loves to read and thinks this is a great way to get people involved. “It’s cool because they have locations everywhere, so you go on ...

High school honors students in Palmetto Bay may soon be able to intern for businesses and in local government in exchange for school credit or cash. Palmetto Bay Education Advisory Committee chair Diane Quick and members Debby Hitchins, Greg Zawyer and Erica Watts voted unanimously on May 31 to recommend that the Palmetto Bay Village Council consider adopting two internship ...

As they face down an above-average hurricane season, South Florida residents need to be especially prepared this year, officials said. A report released in late May by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states  that this year’s hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, is expected to be especially heavy, with as many as 17 storms forming. ...

A Surfside resident, who has waited for four months to get approval from board members to install a fence — and is still waiting — said she feels town officials dragged their feet. Elena Rodriguez recently moved from downtown Miami to Surfside. She renovated the home at 500 Surfside Blvd., completing most work in February 2017. However, an essential component was missing. “I ...

Café Crème, a French café in downtown North Miami, has recently begun offering deli services, chocolate and wine, consolidating operations from two other stores, said one of the store’s owners. Co-owners Claude Postel and Corentin Finot closed the Buena Vista Deli and Buena Vista Chocolate & Wine earlier this year, both in the Miami Design District. Finot said a combination ...

Dayle Fragin held a three-dog leash in a tight grip on a recent Saturday as she talked to a child petting the salt-and-pepper Schnauzer at her side. She has six at home, all of which she’s adopted from the Humane Society’s Adoption Clinic in North Miami Beach. After retiring from her job as a Liberty City middle school teacher, Fragin ...

A Palmetto Bay musical tradition is returning to the Deering Estate with a performance by a South Florida jazz veteran, county officials announced. On June 17, keyboardist, vocalist and steel pan player Hal Roland will kick off the historical archeological and environmental preserve’s annual Summer Cabaret Concert Series with a solo live performance. This is the first of three monthly ...

Every Tuesday at 6:15 p.m., the North Miami Beach Public Library offers a free class to help people prepare for the American citizenship test. At the head of the class stands Cuban-native teacher, Yalilys “Lily” Pérez. She came to Miami in 2006 and became a citizen on 2012. “I know what the whole process is like, which is very difficult ...