Local 10 News This Week In South Florida Anchor Glenna Milberg interviews Rodney Jacobs and Chad Klitzman, Democrats running for the Florida State Senate District 35 seat against Barbara Sharief, a former Broward County mayor.

There has been drama and allegations of deception in a South Florida State Senate race.

An event from 2017, a new libel lawsuit, a flurry of flyers with misinformation and disinformation and more are the hallmarks of the Democratic primary race to succeed term-limited State Sen. Lauren Book.

An event from 2017, a new libel lawsuit, a flurry of flyers with misinformation and disinformation and more are the hallmarks of the Democratic primary race to succeed term-limited State Sen. Lauren Book.

After a bitter battle, Lauren Book will keep her senate seat.

Broward County voters have heated races to decide, including two veteran politicians who are vying for the state Senate in the newly drawn District 35 which includes most of western Broward County.

The Democratic challenger to Gov. Ron DeSantis is just one of the highly anticipated races that was decided Tuesday night in Florida’s Primary Election.

On the latest episode of This Week in South Florida, host Michael Putney is joined by Broward County District 35 candidates Lauren Book and Barbara Sharief and Miami-Dade District 6 candidates Jorge Fors and Victor Vazquez.

Two veteran politicians are vying for the nomination for the state senate in newly-drawn District 35 that includes most of western Broward County.

Signs went up early Saturday morning at 23 sites around Broward County as polls opened for early voting in the Aug. 23 primaries.

Former Broward Commissioner Barbara Sharief filed a lawsuit against her Florida Senate District 35 opponent on Friday in Broward County.

The Democratic dogfight for one state Senate seat is getting downright nasty.

The heated race for Florida Senate District 35 is getting nasty. Two Democratic women who agree on most issues are resorting to personal attacks as they both campaign for votes in Broward County.

Two experienced Democratic women have engaged in a contentious campaign for the Florida Senate District 25 in Broward County.

Two well-known women are running for the right to represent western Broward County in the Florida state senate.

Republican coal lobbyist Mike Carey has defeated a two-term state lawmaker to win an open U.S. House seat in central Ohio, while Democrat Shontel Brown coasted to victory in a second up-for-grabs congressional district in the Cleveland area.

On the latest episode of This Week in South Florida, hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg speak to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former prosecutor Gail Levine and congressional candidates Barbara Sharief, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Dale Holness.

Congressman Alcee Hastings passed away in April, opening up a stampede of candidates hoping to fill his seat in the 20th Congressional District, which covers parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Commissioner Barbara Sharief said she wants Broward County to enjoy more name recognition. She said it’s annoying when people outside of Florida mistakenly refer to Broward County as “the Miami area.”

Holness is looking to replace Alcee Hastings, who served more than 28 years in Congress until his recent death at the age of 84.

Broward County commissioners are meeting Tuesday to discuss relaxing restrictions as more people are getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Like clockwork, residents of John Knox Village in Pompano Beach received their second COVID-19 vaccine shots Tuesday. Broward County leaders are now working with the state to figure out how they can get shots into the arms of more seniors. “I received a call from the governor’s office asking if we knew of any churches that would be willing to be vaccine distribution sites,” Sharief said. “I think it’s a way to target, to get the vaccines to the senior community quicker. “I think we’re only going to get 50% of the adult population to agree to take it,” Broward Mayor Steve Geller said.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The creation of a racial equity task force has been approved by Broward County commissioners. The 37-member group will be asked to “identify systemic and racial inequities and develop a detailed plan aimed at eliminating racism and create greater racial equity in Broward,” the commission announced Wednesday. Juneteenth a paid holiday? Commissioners are also considering making June 19 an official paid holiday for the county in recognition of Juneteenth, which commemorates the official end of slavery in the United States. “I think that this date needs to be given as much the same consideration as any other paid holiday that we’re taking off in Broward County,” Commissioner Dr. Barbara Sharief said.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – “People on the street are crying for justice, for fairness, for transparency,” Broward County Mayor Dale Holness says. And in response to those cries for racial justice and police reform, county commissioners met Tuesday to create a criminal justice review board made up of 23 members of the community. “We’re not just looking at policing and police abuse, but also the whole criminal justice system,” Holness said. What happens when someone goes before a judge?”At Tuesday’s county commission meeting, the proposal for a board was hashed out. Most of the time in chambers was spent debating who would be allowed to sit on this review board to look at cases and come up with changes.

MIAMI – Miami-Dade and Broward counties decided to continue to enforce the local orders to wear face masks during the coronavirus pandemic. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said Gov. Ron DeSantis' Phase 3 delays the county’s request for collections for some time in the future. “The reason it has gone down is because we have taken all these steps,” said Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernández. Dr. Andrew Pastewski, intensive care unit medical director at Jackson South Medical Center, said he is concerned about all of the pictures he has seen of people socializing in South Florida.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. Leaders is Broward County will hold a news conference Wednesday morning at a new coronavirus testing site in Pembroke Park. The news conference at the Koinonia Worship Center and Village at 4900 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd. is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.Broward County Mayor Dale Holness will speak at the press briefing, along with Rep. Shevrin Jones, Broward County Commissioner Dr. Barbara Sharief, Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony, West Park Vice Mayor Brian Johnson and West Park Commissioner Felicia Brunson. The walk-up testing site will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday only. No appointments are need to be tested and testing is free to all.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Broward County commissioners held a moment of silence for George Floyd at their meeting Tuesday morning and then they got down to brass tacks discussing what they say is longterm structural and institutional racism that led to the protests this weekend. Theyre looking to add programs to the county budget for minority employment and youth services, even enhancing existing programs to change the arrest rate. They framed it as a historical overhaul to address injustice, insisting everyone in the community has been affected by this outrage in one way or another. We are praying for peaceful protest.Sheriff Gregory Tony also spoke about what his department is doing and its budget. The discussions on the budget, and how they can make some of those plans a reality, are continuing.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Local officials are debating whether to allow a cruise ship with sick passengers to dock in Fort Lauderdale. Holland America Line’s MS Zaandam cruise ship is on its way to Port Everglades in hopes of docking there next week. If it all goes as planned by Holland America Line, it will arrive at Port Everglades March 30, according to the statement. But Cruise Mapper and other ship tracking services showed its Port Everglades arrival to be April 7. Some of the first COVID-19 cases reported in Broward County had links to workers who were in contact with cruise ship guests arriving at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.

Broward County commissioners discussed the divisive emergency tower, which residents want placed in the Circ Residences. "This commission could be at least open to the option that the Circ could be a possibility," Broward County Commissioner Beam Furr said. Several of Broward County's commissioners said they want the tower built in West Lake Park, citing an expert report that said the park was the best possible location. "I don't care if we have to put a million pounds of concrete to get it to the right height in West Lake Park." Tuesday's vote on building the tower in West Lake Park was approved 8-1, but residents have said they will sue to stop it from happening.

Broward County commissioners discussed the divisive emergency tower, which residents want placed in the Circ Residents . "This commission could be at least open to the option that the Circ could be a possibility," said Broward County commissioner Beam Furr. Several of Broward's commissioners say they want the tower built in West Lake Park, citing an expert report that said the park was the best possible location. "I don't care if we have to put a million pounds of concrete to get it to the right height in West Lake Park." Tuesday's vote on building the tower in West Lake Park was approved 8-1, but residents have said they will sue to stop it from happening.

Irma's core slammed Barbuda before moving over St. Martin and Anguilla and parts of the British Virgin Islands. On Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands, Kennedy Banda said fierce winds blew out the windows of his home. The hurricane earlier battered a string of northern Caribbean island nations, situated east of the more populous Virgin Islands group and Puerto Rico. Roughly 10 of these smaller islands -- such as St. Martin, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis -- were pounded by hurricane conditions. -- In the US Virgin Islands, Gov.

SUNRISE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers faced some high stakes Tuesday; not on the ice, but at Broward County Hall. With opposition building against the Florida Panthers' request for $86 million for free rent at the county-owned BB&T Center in Sunrise, a majority of county commissioners made it clear at a workshop meeting Tuesday that they're in favor of a major public giveaway to the hockey team. "If the Panthers leave and there is no professional sports team as a tenant then the value plummets," Kiar said. "I'm leaning somewhere between $4 million and $5.6 million," Sharief said. "My understanding of a partnership is there is a sharing of the responsibility, a sharing of the profits," Ryan said.