The U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced Miami Division team leader Miguel Rivera‑Cuadrado died in an off‑duty incident; the agency posted condolences but gave few details.

Organizers say Stronger Miami collected more than 20,500 signatures to add four commissioners, tighten redistricting rules and move city elections to even‑year Novembers. The petitions now head to the Supervisor of Elections for verification.

Rep. María Elvira Salazar secured $25.6M in the FY26 omnibus for 13 Miami‑Dade projects, from PortMiami cold‑chain capacity to FIU cancer research and neighborhood flood fixes.

Miami Beach‑based TRUBAR sold to Turkish snack maker ETi Gıda for $173 million in cash; founder Erica Groussman will stay on as CEO while the brand scales internationally.

Cry Baby Creamery opened two Kendall shops and kicked off a three-month Chef Series pairing hometown chefs with small‑batch, nostalgia-driven ice cream. The new spots join the original Palmetto Bay outpost.

A 12-story research tower at the University of Miami doubles Sylvester’s research footprint and stacks clinics over labs to speed trials and patient care. The Griffin building adds infusion bays, imaging and AI-driven labs for South Florida.

Housing Trust Group and Alonzo Mourning broke ground on Villa Jordana, a 96-unit, $47M affordable senior community in Hollywood with rents from $713–$1,555.

Waste Management opened a high‑tech recycling plant in Pembroke Pines with AI optical sorters and a community education room to boost local recycling output. The plant is meant to capture materials that previously fouled older machines.

A locksmith was fatally shot inside a West Miami apartment Friday; police arrested a 32‑year‑old suspect after reviewing surveillance footage and witness statements.

A 22-year-old Islamorada resident was jailed after deputies say he hit a family member with a broom and threatened her with a knife. He faces aggravated battery and aggravated assault charges.

Mayor Dean Trantalis' name appears in DOJ Epstein files; the reference is in a 2011 FBI memo, but the pages reviewed contain no charging language or evidence he communicated with Epstein.

City leaders announced an open‑container ban, Narcan kits at nightlife spots and increased patrols ahead of Spring Break. The rules run Feb. 28–March 31.

A newly disclosed 2001 police file and handwritten notes suggest Palm Beach detectives were alerted to Epstein and Maxwell years before later probes, but the earlier inquiry closed without charges.