The race in the democratic primary for Florida’s 20th Congressional District has been a combative one.

On the latest episode of This Week in South Florida, hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg are joined by North Miami Councilwoman Mary Estime-Irvin, Congressional candidates Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormack, Dale Holness and State Rep. Anika Omphroy, and Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo.

The battle for the Broward and Palm Beach County congressional seat is becoming one of the nastiest on record.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick said her political opponent during this election season, former Broward Commissioner Dale Holness, has gone too far.

Incumbent Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is locked in a contentious rematch with former Broward Commissioner Dale Holness.

Damara Holness, former president of the Broward County Democratic Black Caucus and daughter of longtime Broward politician Dale Holness, was sentenced Monday to 20 months in prison.

Dale Holness refuses to concede defeat in the Nov. 2nd Democratic primary election for the 20th Congressional District candidacy.

Holness claims Cherfilus-McCormick is "ineligible to hold office."

Jared Moskowitz and Torey Alston are being appointed to open commission seats by Ron DeSantis, the governor announced at a news conference Tuesday morning.

On the latest episode of This Week in South Florida, hosts Michael Putney and Glenna Milberg are joined by Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Dale Holness, Jason Mariner, Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat and Veronica Williams.

In a case of the saying that every vote counts, the cliché is more of an I told you so in what may have been the closest Congressional race in South Florida history.

After overseas and military votes were counted, there was little change in results, which means that Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick could be the Democratic contender for the 20th Florida Congressional District in January.

Without a clear in the 20th Congressional District winner after machine and manual recounts, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Dale Holness spend Friday in Broward County court.

Voters who were late putting their ballots in the mail are partly to blame. But it appears the real culprit is the U.S. Postal Service.

Elections officials received hundreds of late ballots in the race for a congressional seat in Florida’s District 20.

A recount is underway for the Democratic Special Primary Election for U.S. House District 20, which encompasses both Broward and Palm Beach counties, after the race was too close to call.

Canvassing boards in South Florida are starting a recount in the District 20 Democratic congressional primary that was separated by just nine votes after Tuesday’s election.

The 29-year-old daughter of a Broward County commissioner who is running for U.S. Congress appeared in federal court on Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale after primary election day.

The ballot count continued on Wednesday afternoon in Fort Lauderdale for the Democrats’ special primary contest to run against Republican Jason Mariner on Jan. 11.

Voters in Broward and Palm Beach counties cast their ballots for who they hoped would be their Democrat and Republican winners.

Many of the people who live in the historically Black community where the new building is being slated to go up do not want it there.

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.

Broward County commissioners say they were caught by surprise when controversial rapper Kodak Black received a proclamation last week issued by Commissioner Dale Holness.

Gov. Ron DeSantis' announcement of election dates to fill the 20th Congressional seat left vacant when Alcee Hastings died in April is creating controversy.

A stretch of Northwest 8th Street in Broward County will be named in honor of late Congressman Alcee Hastings, county commissioners announced Friday.

The school board is expected to discuss the recent events surrounding Broward County Superintendent of Schools Robert Runcie who was arrested on a charge of perjury Wednesday.

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 leaders met on Tuesday for a budget workshop and released some details about the state of the tourist-centric economy during the coronavirus pandemic. This is a slide shown during a Broward County budget workshop on Tuesday. (Broward County)There are still projects in the works in Broward County, including the construction of a new airport terminal, a convention center, and transportation improvements. Broward County Vice Mayor Michael Udine thinks residential prices are going to shoot up even higher because of the supply-demand imbalance. This is one of the slides used during the Broward County commissioners' budget workshop on Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale.

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.

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Debra Hixon defeated Jeff Holness for Broward School Board Seat 9 in a runoff election Tuesday after neither candidate received at least 50% of the vote in August’s primary. Holness is the cousin of Broward County Mayor Dale Holness and has worked in the Broward School System for 17 years as an educator. This was Holness' fifth attempt at running for public office, having unsuccessfully ran for Plantation City Council three times and the Sunrise City Commission once. In the August primary, Hixon received 41.6% of the vote while Holness picked up 25.9%. The Broward School Board seat became available when Robin Bartleman, a longtime member of the board, was elected to a seat in the Florida House of Representatives.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – By unanimous vote last week, Broward County created a police review board, but it’s not intended to look into specific use of force cases. The 24-member panel will look at patterns and practices of the Broward Sheriff’s Office. Broward County Mayor Dale Holness drafted the idea in the wake of George Floyd’s death, and the social justice protests that followed. The mayor joined This Week in South Florida hosts Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney, and their conversation can be seen at the top of this page.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward County commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to install a new 24-member board to focus on police and criminal justice review. “This is not for anything specific on any specific isolated case.”Commissioners will be choosing nine of the 24 members. Kimberly Maroe, a spokeswoman for the Broward County Board of County Commission, said all of the members will have the power to vote. Broward County Mayor Dale Holness drafted the ordinance to implement the board after George Floyd died at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis. “It doesn’t have the ability to do so.”The other 15 panel members will be nominated or represented by several local agencies.

Because of that, county leaders are considering relaxing some of coronavirus restrictions. It’s been good to so far,” Broward County Mayor Dale Holness said during a press conference Saturday. With schools reopening, Holness said there is possibility of a surge. We hope that business can come out like it used to be before.”:Also taking a big hit is the cruise ship industry. It’s the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, that has the final say on when cruise ship operators can being sailing again.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward County Mayor Dale Holness held a press conference Saturday to discuss the county’s response and reopenings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The full video of the press conference can be seen below:

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.

Ron DeSantis lifted all restrictions on restaurants and other businesses in Florida on Friday in a move to reopen the state’s economy despite the spread of the coronavirus. Local governments, however, may still impose restrictions for their areas, although they are not allowed to limit restaurants to reopen at less than 50% capacity. Restaurants in Broward County can also now have live performances, providing those performers be at least 10 feet away from patrons. In Miami-Dade County, restaurants have been operating with a maximum of 50% capacity. “I don’t think anyone in Miami-Dade County knew this was coming,” Gelber said.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward County Mayor Dale Holness held a news conference Friday morning to announce changes to the current emergency orders in place. Holness said he is proud of residents for doing their part to continue the decline in COVID-19 cases, and said the county now has had a positivity rate of less than 5% for the past two weeks. There can be no more than 100 people in a room, however, no matter how large the facility is. He said restaurant bar counters may also reopen to patrons, although there must be plexiglass between people and no alcohol may be served in those areas. Restaurants can also now have live performers, providing those performers be at least 10 feet away from patrons.

But for now, they are still shuttered in Miami-Dade and Broward, even as those counties join Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan. “I don’t understand it.”City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said Monday that he disagrees with Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s view that bars shouldn’t open until there’s a coronavirus vaccine. “I don’t agree with saying that we need to wait for a vaccine [to reopen bars],” Suarez said. Monroe County’s classrooms reopened to students Monday, and Miami-Dade and Broward are considering their plans to do the same. “For parents, there probably isn’t a bigger issue right now.”But when it comes to bars, there’s still no date in sight for them to be able to return to work.

MIAMI – A downward trend in coronavirus cases has South Florida preparing for Phase 2 of reopening. Some businesses will remain closed though, as the region is still keeping some precautions in place. One of the biggest impacts will be paving the way for schools to start in-person teaching in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. “Next week, we’re going into a special board meeting where these matters will be discussed,” Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said. Meanwhile, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said he would release more details about what exactly can reopen on Monday, but there was one thing he wanted to make clear.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Despite fewer coronavirus cases and a downward trend in positivity rates, don’t expect big changes Monday when Broward County is officially allowed to join Phase 2 of Florida’s reopening plan. Holness’ comments were not long after the governor announced that Broward and Miami-Dade could move into that next phase of reopening after this weekend. Reopening bars and nightclubs will not be a part of those talks just yet. The governor’s push to make that happen is leading to a little bit of confusion, but local leaders say they’ll have changes in the coming weeks — not days. Broward County Public Schools are already scheduled to hold a workshop Sept. 22 to further discuss their reopening plans.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Local officials decided the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show — an event that attracted more than 100,000 people last year — will be held this year as planned with new coronavirus safety rules. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis supported Broward County commissioners' decision Thursday to direct the county’s administrator, Bertha Henry, to negotiate the show’s new safety protocols. “We have to move cautiously,” Broward County Mayor Dale Holness said during the public meeting. ; Las Olas Municipal Marina at 240 E. Las Olas Circle; the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina at 1881 SE 17th St.; and the Greater Fort Lauderdale-Broward County Convention Center at 1950 Eisenhower Blvd. pic.twitter.com/yVameVBsdf — Broward County Commission (@browardinfo) September 10, 2020It is vital that we get our economy back on track.

MIRAMAR, Fla. – With the COVID-19 positivity rate under 5% percent in Broward County, mayor Dale Holness is talking about taking the next step in reopening the county. Positive coronavirus cases are declining and have have been for weeks now. Broward’s 14-day positivity rate has been hovering around 4.5 percent. Fourteeen days minimum is what is required [for Phase 2 of the reopening plan].”Hospitalizations are also going down. Holness will also be talking with the city mayors from across the county on Friday to discuss where they all stand when it comes to moving forward with the next phase of reopening.

There has been some positive news recently regarding COVID-19 in Broward County, as the positivity rate from testing has consistently been below five percent. Before the county can move into Phase 2 reopening, that rate needs to hold for 14 days. The Labor Day holiday weekend poses a concern for those managing the pandemic. Broward County Mayor Dale Holness was pretty optimistic at his news conference last week, and he joined This Week in South Florida hosts Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney to discuss. Their conversation can be seen at the top of this page.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Coronavirus safety guidelines are being enforced across South Florida on Labor Day Weekend. In Fort Lauderdale, the beach appeared to be a very popular place. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dale Holness said Sunday there is an increase in mask wearing and social distancing enforcement this weekend. The positivity rates in Miami Dade and Broward counties have been looking much better lately. Everyone is well aware of what happened after Memorial Day, so Im really hoping that people will keep all that in mind so that we dont see a huge surge two weeks from Labor Day, said FIU infectious disease expert Dr. Aileen Marty.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez has a word of caution for those venturing out for fun in South Florida for Labor Day Weekend. With Miami-Dade Countys coronavirus positive rate hovering around 7 percent, leaders are hoping holiday revelers dont mess that up. Beaches are staying open for the weekend, but Gimenez said there are rules: Continue to social distance and not gather in groups bigger than 10. A 10 p.m. curfew will be enforced through the weekend throughout Miami-Dade Count. Its a holiday weekend, its about family.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Broward County Mayor Dale Holness is holding a news conference Friday afternoon regarding Labor Day weekend. Holness is expected to address the enforcement of COVID-19 regulations, Labor Day beach enforcement, the Rental Assistance Program and the proposed Police and Criminal Justice Review Board.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Dale Holness, who has served as Broward County mayor for about 10 months, is facing scrutiny over his $19,343.98 debt to the county in property taxes. According to Broward County Property Appraiser’s records, most of Holness debt includes more than $11,000 in taxes for his home at 1660 SW 38 Ave., in Fort Lauderdale. Holness, 63, a licensed real estate broker with All Broward Realty, denied getting any special treatment for the delay and said he is among many who owe property taxes during the coronavirus pandemic. “That doesn’t mean I don’t have to take care of my finances and take care of my children like anyone else,” said Holness, a former vice mayor for Broward County and Lauderhill. Holness also owns six other properties in Lauderhill at 2611 NW 56 Ave., #A529; 4211 NW 19 St., #191; 5327 NW 27 St., #D4; 2630 NW 52 Ave., #11C; 5311 NW 27 St., #5C; and 2800 NW 56 Ave., #E-406.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Broward County continues to see encouraging trends in its coronavirus numbers, but with the Labor Day holiday weekend approaching, local leaders have actually decided to up the ante. $100 Fines will be coming for people not wearing masks indoors or near others, with code enforcement out patrolling. That was decided Friday as Broward Mayor Dale Holness held another meeting with the city mayors from across the county. We now have to prepare for the holiday weekend coming up, which means were going to see a lot of people coming into town, Holness said. The county has a 7-day positivity rate of 5.13% and a 14-day positivity rate of 6.2%, according to Fridays data from the Florida Department of Health.

MIAMI The head of South Florida's largest public hospital system is sharing some encouraging news in the fight against COVID-19. There are similar sentiments coming from hospitals in Broward County. Finally, in what has been an epicenter for coronavirus cases in the state, a slow, steady decrease does seem to be a valid trend. Hospital numbers are a leading metric that validates the new development. South Florida hospital bed availability currently hovers between 21 and 22 percent and ICU availability is just under 14 percent.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Bars in Broward County are still shut down, and at least 22 of them have sued, saying its not fair when other businesses are allowed to be open. That ongoing legal battle took a step in the countys favor Tuesday, with Browards attorney telling commissioners that a judge denied a temporary injunction pursued by those bars. The science tells us that that is a place that has a large propensity for spreading the virus, Broward Mayor Dale Holness said. Holness echoed what doctors have been saying, that the coronavirus numbers are finally moving back in the right direction in the county, but its too early to let our guard down. A meeting with all of the city mayors in Broward County to talk COVID-19 is expected again Friday.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. Restaurants with intricate outdoor setups to help customers social distance during the coronavirus pandemic are having to store it all. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Broward Mayor Dale Holness asked residents to prepare for flooding and power outages. Both Miami-Dade and Broward counties have public shelters on standby that will have a lower capacity to help people social distance. Miami Beach set up pumps and generators. Going shopping for dry goods and supplies wasnt easy for those who were trying to social distance during the coronavirus pandemic.

PLANTATION, Fla. – Broward County emergency managers say not panic but to just stay vigilant as Hurricane Isaias makes its way toward Florida. The county’s coastal areas are in a Hurricane Watch and Tropical Storm Warning, while inland areas are in a Tropical Storm Warning. “We are Broward strong, and again, we’ll get through this together.”[WATCH REPLAY: Broward Mayor Dale Holness gives Hurricane Isaias updates]As for shutters or sandbags, emergency leaders said to do what makes you feel safest. “We’re maintaining our vigilant stand, and the situation remains fluid.”Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport says it is still monitoring Isaias. The Broward County Residential Drop-Off Centers for the disposal of household hazardous waste and electronics recycling will also be closed Saturday.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Broward County Mayor Dale Holness announced a new executive order Wednesday that was issued by County Administrator Bertha Henry. The order extends the curfew currently in place until 5 a.m. Monday. The new order comes as Broward reported 31 more COVID-19-related deaths Wednesday. ICU capacity has reached nearly 92% in Broward, but the mayor says hospitals can increase space if needed. He sais close to 80% percent of the countys cases involve family spread.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. Broward County got tough this week on people and businesses violating mask and social distancing orders. In Fort Lauderdale, a lawsuit was filed challenging the county's mandatory mask order as unconstitutional. Broward County Mayor Dale Holness discussed the actions being taken with Glenna Milberg and Michael Putney on This Week in South Florida, and the entire interview can be viewed at the top of the page.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. Joining This Week in South Florida are City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Broward Mayor Dale Holness, Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, ICU Medical Director at Miami-Dades Jackson Health System Dr. David De La Zerda and Miami-Dade mayoral candidate Alex Penelas. The entire show can be seen at the top of this page.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Broward County leaders held a special COVID-19 workshop Thursday, where the discussion ranged from code enforcement to hospital space to the length of time it takes to get test results back. Broward Health said their positive COVID-19 admissions are down from 285 to 240. On Thursday, as the state set a new record for new coronavirus-related deaths reported in one day, Broward reported seven new deaths and 1,263 new cases of COVID-19. Browards positivity rate for COVID-19 tests conducted Wednesday was 14.1%, slightly higher than the 12.4% a day earlier. As for any relaxed restrictions going forward?

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 leaders stressed enforcement yet again Tuesday as Mayor Dale Holness held a call with mayors of the countys various cities plus doctors and members of the health department. The frustration at the county level was that some cities have been enforcing the emergency orders sending code enforcement out and shutting down businesses when necessary but others simply have not. We will be sending crews out to work those cities from our code department because we can do that.Most of the citations issued so far have come out of Fort Lauderdale. Police there have teamed up to help code enforcement officers investigate and shut down parties or discipline businesses in the wrong. We were quite busy this weekend, said Major Frank Sousa of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.

Its the highest percentage for the county since 22.5% were positive on July 8, and local leaders are trying to figure out why. The spike also comes as Broward surpassed 40,000 coronavirus cases and 512 deaths in the latest numbers released Monday by the state health department. The countys positivity rate for the week is over 15%. Below is a look at how Browards positivity rate has trended over recent days, according to state data. (This percentage is the number of people who test positive for the first time divided by all the people tested that day, excluding people who have previously tested positive.)

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. A normally bustling Ocean Drive was eerily quiet Saturday night thanks to a new curfew in place aimed at trying to stop the spread of COVID-19. The countywide curfew of 10 p.m. has been changed to 8 p.m. along South Beachs entertainment district. The move affects businesses and restaurants along Ocean Drive, Collins and Washington avenues between 5th and 16 streets. Miami Beach police officers were out patrolling the streets to make sure people are respecting the new early curfew. In the meantime, a new emergency order is in place in Broward County with a curfew there too, which went into effect Friday nightThe curfew is critical, said Broward County Mayor Dale Holness.

We are running out of [hospital] bed space because all of these stupid people who insist its nothing worst than the flu are wrong, said Steve Geller, a commissioner and the countys vice mayor. The flu doesnt fill our intensive-care units.Those are harsh words from a local leader who is trying to avoid a shutdown. Is it time to shut Broward down like in the early days of the outbreak? It looks grave from where we are, Mayor Dale Holness said. But as of today, I wouldnt say shut down.The mayor says the health department has told him that 80 percent of the cases spread within families and at gatherings.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Broward Countys mayors met again Tuesday, talking rules, talking enforcement, talking surge in cases of COVID-19 locally. County Mayor Dale Holness got input from all of the cities to go back to the drawing board and draft up more rules. Well also see some adjustment as far as it goes with the vacation rentals, and clamping down on these house parties, Holness said. [The Broward Sheriffs Office] indicated that since March [theyve received] 1,100 calls for these house parties. Several cities indicated that theyre going to go straight to citations, and no more warnings, Holness said.

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. Rising cases of COVID-19 have led to new rollbacks in Broward County. Broward is taking a much different approach than Miami-Dade County, which has closed restaurant dining rooms and other public spaces. Broward County Mayor Dale Holness joined Local 10s Glenna Milberg on This Week in South Florida to explain why hes kept things different in his county from the changes that have been made in Miami-Dade.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Broward Countys latest emergency order went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday. The latest rules: Restaurants have a table limit of 6 people and a 10 p.m. closure time. (See the complete document Broward County Emergency Order)Local leaders in Broward County met Friday to discuss the state of the region and what they say is a critical point in the latest battle with COVID-19. (WPLG)The meeting in commission chambers, titled the COVID-19 Special Workshop, was a place for updates the latest emergency order went into effect, heading into the weekend. Its one reason the emergency order was issued a bit of a rollback of the rules.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. At Cabo Blanco, a Peruvian restaurant on Hollywood Boulevard, manager Erika Sutton said she was relieved indoor dining wasnt coming to and end once again in Broward county. Mark Rowe, owner of Mickey Byrnes Irish Pub, said his employees have been tested weekly for COVID-19 and were happy to have their jobs back. The modified order on businesses calls for no more than six people at a table when dining at restaurants, and dine-in service must end at 10 p.m. each night, Mayor Dale Holness announced Wednesday evening. The first violation calls for a 24-hour closure, but subsequent infractions will come with a 72-hour shutdown. If we dont all take responsibility to reduce the spread of this virus, the economy will continue to be stagnant or be worse, the mayor said.

While it adds restrictions for restaurants and vacation rentals, some medical experts question if it goes far enough to prevent the rising coronavirus numbers in the county. The new rules include reducing the number of people allowed to eat out together to 6, forcing restaurants to close at 10 p.m. and limiting the number of people allowed in vacation rentals. Broward County reached a new high with 22.7% of tests processed Wednesday coming back positive, according to the states health department. Marty said that positivity rate indicates that indoor restaurant dining should be stopped entirely, as Miami-Dade County ordered this week. As for the other part of Browards order, vacation rental owner Phil Kaiser says limiting the number of people in rentals is a positive step.

Broward businesses are waiting to hear if the county will start re-imposing shutdowns. On Wednesday, Broward reported another 1,186 coronavirus cases and one death, bringing the countys total positive COVID-19 cases to 23,781, and deaths to 419. We know county leaders are drafting an emergency order but what exactly it will require is still unclear. Mayor Dale Holness is scheduled to hold a news conference at 5:30 p.m.Will the order be as strict as Miami-Dades new emergency order that forbids indoor dining at restaurants? Weve taken reservations, weve gotten people in the door and weve been able to keep a lot of our staff on, Formica said.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Broward County leaders are drafting an emergency order to further deal with the rising COVID-19 numbers. What well probably do is incremental, Broward Mayor Dale Holness said. A day earlier, Holness met with the city mayors within the county to discuss options. The health department confirmed 739 more cases in Broward on Tuesday morning, bringing the countys total to 22,595 since the start of the pandemic. Browards death toll from the coronavirus is now at 418 after four more were confirmed over the past day.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Many Broward County residents returned to the beaches Monday, as they reopened after a shutdown over the holiday weekend. With coronavirus cases setting record numbers over the weekend, Broward might be looking at shutting down gyms and on-site dining at restaurants, as Miami-Dade is putting into effect Wednesday. I think its very likely for gyms, for restaurants [to close], Broward Mayor Dale Holness said following that meeting. And residents are also frustrated the numbers keep climbing and we dont seem to have a grip on it. Before that, Broward had set a single-day record for new cases three days in a row, peaking at 1,664 new cases Sunday.

MIAMI A fractured response to the coronavirus pandemic by elected officials in Florida has many residents wondering who is actually in charge. Ron DeSantis held a long-winded news conference on Monday to defend his response to COVID-19. "You have seen the increase in positivity but there are a lot of parts of Florida that are still in the single digits," said DeSantis. DeSantis wears a mask more frequently to daily briefings, but has not wavered in his plan to let locals lead a patchwork of COVID-19 response. This weekend, state Rep. Shevrin Jones, who currently has COVID-19, asked the governor in a video diary what he and Democratic colleagues wrote in a letter.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Last Friday, two Las Olas Boulevard establishments passed code compliance, but this week, they didnt make the cut. The compliance division is continuing its unscheduled compliance checks of businesses throughout the weekend that are not following reopening guidelines. The other three establishments fined and shutdown Friday were Annas Florist Coffee and Wine Bar, 1003 E. Las Olas Boulevard, $250, for not enforcing social distancing, Fishtales, 3355 N.E. According to the city of Fort Lauderdale, businesses operating under the proper licenses are advised they can open after 24 hours if they correct the violations. >To see a list of businesses and violations, you can go to Broward Countys business complaint dashboard.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Empty beaches and surrounding shops and areas were a common scene on Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, despite the Fourth of July holiday. It's a much different look than in past years, with no feet in the sand and no swimmers in the ocean. The changes are due to new rules and closures across the county as South Florida continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic. "We have closed the beaches, unfortunately, because we have to look out for the wellbeing of all of our people in Broward County," said Broward Mayor Dale Holness. The beaches throughout Broward County will remain closed through the weekend.

LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. In Broward County, leaders say it was necessary to close beaches for the upcoming July 4 weekend, particularly with surrounding counties making that decision. We know if we stay open, well have a crowd here, Broward Mayor Dale Holness said. Our restaurants and our businesses will be open on the Fourth of July, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Mayor Chris Vincent said. Tables spaced out on the pier will stay open. We can still have a celebration as long as people stay social distanced and follow the rules.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. As cases of COVID-19 shoot up, code enforcement is cracking down on people and businesses not playing by the rules. Friday marks a new chapter for Broward County, whose leaders admit they were a bit lax in enforcing their orders earlier. The rules are familiar: forcing people to wear masks, practice social distance and follow hygiene protocols. We need to be more aggressive in our enforcement, Broward County Mayor Dale Holness said. ALSO SEEBroward concerned about the type of coronavirus patients county is seeingDozens of Broward businesses caught not following coronavirus guidelines

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. While hospitals in Broward County say they arent overwhelmed yet, there is major concern from local leaders who are seeing a disturbing trend. Broward Mayor Dale Holness says the continuing increase of COVID-19 cases in his county is incredibly concerning, but what is even more distressing to him is who is getting sick. The people that can least afford to be ill are the ones getting sick or catching this virus, Holness said Thursday. The latest data from the state released Thursday shows 367 new cases of COVID-19 in Broward, bringing the countys total to 12,584. Yes, theres increased testing also, but the positivity rate is up to 10%.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Broward County Mayor Dale Holness said he was surprised to learn on Tuesday that many mayors want to get tougher on businesses that are not complying with preventive measures. Holness and the mayors also discussed mandating face masks during the coronavirus pandemic. There is an inter-local agreement that gives cities funding for enforcement. Several cities have already signed on with a dozen more expected to join. Kimberly Maroe, a spokeswoman for Broward County, said Holness will be hosting a news conference on the subject on Wednesday.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Broward County commissioners are taking steps to provide civilian oversight of law enforcement agencies. County leaders discussed creating a civilian review board, bringing in more eyes to examine things like internal affairs, discipline and law enforcement behavior. Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony told county officials hes onboard, but says there needs checks and balances in place. Following the police involved deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, Broward County officials said things should change; not only with restructuring police departments but training officers as well. Broward County Mayor Dale Holness said the county is looking at ways to also decrease the jail population.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A petition to change the name of Broward County is gaining signatures as residents learn more about its namesake. By Monday afternoon, the Change.org petition to Rename Broward County had more than 500 signatures. That was the same reason why in 2017 local leaders removed a monument of him inside the Broward County Courthouse. Broward County Mayor Dale Holness said changing Broward Countys name to Fort Lauderdale County has been considered before for marketing purposes. Maybe we can benefit in two ways, harmony and healing, and to benefit the brand of Fort Lauderdale, Holness said.

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. Fort Lauderdale and Broward County will be under curfew again from 9 p.m. Monday until 6 a.m. Tuesday as police monitor chatter about possible future protests. The city and county enacted curfews Sunday night when largely peaceful afternoon protests were followed by unrest in the evening in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Other elements came in and basically worked to tarnish, in my mind, what was accomplished earlier, Broward County Mayor Dale Holness said. We must come together and fix that problem @HolnessD9 tells @WPLGLocal10 pic.twitter.com/YlNvyK8Hha Broward County Commission (@browardinfo) June 1, 2020Things took a turn in the evening after many protesters had already left. Saturday night we found out that they were going to go to the Galleria Mall and they were going to start looting there.

AVENTURA, Fla. Now that Miami-Dade and Broward counties have begun reopening, a big question looms: How are we going to stay safe? Local 10 News reached out to the state, both counties and some large cities to ask about their specific plans for contact tracing. Ron DeSantis office and state health department regarding the states strategy including how many tracers have been allocated to South Florida have continued to go unanswered since Sunday. In terms of contract tracing, the state is the delegated authority and responsibility for contact tracing falls under the [Florida Department of Health], City of Miami spokeswoman Stephanie Severino said. The cities cannot be any less restrictive than what Miami-Dade county is.Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis says he hopes everyone will do their part to prevent that from happening.

Holnes and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis say that they are targeting May 26 as the date to reopen their beaches. The biggest difference is that city officials in Fort Lauderdale have allowed for commercial gyms to reopen at 50 percent capacity. Fort Lauderdale mayor, local business leaders discuss citys reopening WATCH LIVE: Fort Lauderdale mayor, local business leaders discuss citys reopening https://bit.ly/3bDDqG9 Posted by WPLG Local 10 on Monday, May 18, 2020Holness said Fort Lauderdale is in direct violation of the countys order. Hopefully, we can work it out.Meanwhile, in Miami-Dade County, nonessential businesses reopened to the public with the exception of businesses in the cities of Miami, Miami Beach, Hialeah and Miami Gardens. Hialeah, Miami, Miami Beach and Miami Gardens are holding off and opening retail businesses on Wednesday.

Henry said Broward has met the federal requirements to start reopening and Gov. Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry answered commissioners' questions on Tuesday about reopening plans. NOT OPENING BEACHES YETDistrict 4 Commissioner Lamar Fisher and District 6 Commissioner Beam Furr said they want Broward to reopen beaches soon. Holness said there is a need to coordinate the reopening of the beaches with Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez. For more information about local restrictions and access to testing, call the Broward County COVID-19 Hotline at 954-357-9500 or email COVID-19@flhealth.gov.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward County Mayor Dale Holness is set to meet with city mayors on Tuesday afternoon to discuss reopening during the coronavirus pandemic. The 4 p.m. virtual meeting will focus on preparations for steps to the next reopening phase. During a Tuesday morning meeting, commissioners agreed the county needs to ramp up testing efforts. Commissioners said there is a need to improve coordination with cities and neighboring Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.

The ships can’t dock at Port Everglades or even enter U.S. waters until unified command approves the cruise line’s entry plan, which has to include measures to keep the passengers away from the general population in Broward County. Unified command is made up of members from the U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Department of Health. We have over 300 U.S. citizens, fellow Americans, on the ships,” Broward County Mayor Dale Holness said. Both vessels are on their way to Port Everglades, but on Tuesday unified command rejected Carnival’s entry plan. Holness said meetings regarding the ships plans are ongoing, with Carnival and unified command sending documents back and forth and working to solidify an entry plan by Thursday.

Ron DeSantis said Monday that he believes it’s a mistake to allow Holland America’s Zaandam ship to dock in South Florida. Four people have died on the cruise ship. Zaandam and its sister ship, the Rotterdam, are both on their way to Port Everglades. Four passengers died on the Zaandam during what was supposed to be a two-week cruise from Argentina to Chile. “But clearly, what must be done is that we safeguard the people of South Florida.

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.

Dale Holness was sworn in Tuesday as Broward County's new mayor. Steve Geller was appointed to Vice Mayor. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Broward County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Dale V.C. Steve Geller, of District 5, was sworn in as vice mayor. The Broward County Commission could bring it to a ballot sooner if six of the nine members voted to allow it.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - One by one, they took to a podium outside the Broward County Commission meeting room -- women representing more than 50 advocacy and community organizations. Local 10's Leave it to Layron investigation into the alleged incident prompted the Broward County public defender to look into the allegation. "What was done was horrific," said Broward County Vice Mayor Dale Holness during that June meeting. Holness acknowledged he and other commissioners vote on the budget for the Broward Sheriff's Office, but he advised the crowd that commissioners do not run the Sheriff's Office. The public defender said one of those inmates went without food and water for some time while in BSO custody.

"There are those that no amount of money is ever going to be enough," said Florida Lt. Gov Carlos Lopez-Cantera. Cantera was in Fort Lauderdale for the launch of the Rebuild Florida office. The program offers assistance to Floridians to help repair, or rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Irma. Rebuild Florida is an arm of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. You can do so by visiting a Rebuild Florida center, or calling 844-833-1010.