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A Caper That’s Genius for Its Simplicity

Jewel thieves tend to over-think the heist, often with disastrous results -- as you might remember from Before the Devil Knows Your Dead. A thief who hit Galleria Mall yesterday did not make this mistake. He simply walked into Zales and... let's let the Fort Lauderdale Police Department take it...
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Public Defender: No Campaigning for You!

Broward Public Defender Howard Finkelstein today officially banned his public defenders from contributing money to judges whom they practice before. It's a continuation from the controversy regarding prosecutor (and Sunrise commissioner) Sheila Alu's fundraising for Judge Elijah Williams, and I think it's good policy.  Here's the email he sent to all PD employees:...
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The Broward Teachers Poll: Perception Is Reality

A Broward Teachers Union poll taken of the county's school teachers illustrates just how much the people closest to the Broward County School Board feels that it is an abject failure. To put it lightly, teachers don't trust this board, and they don't think elected board members know what the hell...
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Lithium From Bolivia Could Reshape Miami and the World

Moises Chambi needs only two tools to survive on the world's largest salt flat: a wooden-handled pickax and a shovel beaten into a worn fold. The 23-year-old with sun-darkened skin, prominent cheekbones, and a quick, sarcastic smile grunts softly as he repeatedly slams his ax into the parched earth of...
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School Board Contractor Believes Bid Was Fixed

A little while back, I wrote about a $7 million project to renovate the football stadium and other athletic areas at Blanche Ely High School. The incredible thing about the award of the project to Balfour Beatty Construction was that the selection committee chose the firm despite the fact that it came...
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UPDATED: Wrongfully Convicted Caravella Being Freed From Jail

It's a good day for justice. Anthony Caravella, who was wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of Ada Cox-Jankowski when he was 15 years old, is being freed from the Broward County Jail right now, according to the Public Defender's Office. He's now 41 years old after losing 26 years...
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Beer of the Week: Brooklyn Lager

Unrepentant beer drinkers, rejoice! Each week, Clean Plate Charlie will select one craft or import beer and give you the lowdown on it: How does it taste? What should you drink it with? Where can you find it? But mostly, it's all about the love of the brew. If you...
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Order Up: Sicilian Oven – Updated With Slideshow

The Perfect Pizza is an elusive animal. Mostly because everyone has his or her own idea of what makes a great pie. But I'd like to think of the pizza at Sicilian Oven as the Great Uniter; no matter what the preference -- Napolitan or New York style, wood- or...
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“Cash for Clunkers” Has a Quiet End in South Florida

[jump] A salesperson at Maroone Chevrolet in Fort Lauderdale told me that location stopped taking in clunkers on Friday. Maroone is owned by AutoNation. The program (and indeed the president) has many detractors (something about not wanting to give away taxpayer money), and some dealers aren't totally confident they'll get...
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Scott Rothstein: The Crist Angle

Rumors are circulating that Scott Rothstein, whose current whereabouts aren't known, spent a marathon 18 hours in talks with federal prosecutors last night and this morning. Sources say he was not only confessing to his own crimes but pointing the finger at others, including Gov. Charlie Crist, who was so close to Rothstein...
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Crist’s “Culture of Corruption” is an Old Story

With Broward politicians and contractors in hot water over bribery allegations today, it's not surprising that Governor Crist has called for a statewide corruption Grand Jury. According to the Sun-Sentinel: Citing an apparent "culture of corruption" taking root in South Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday called for a statewide...
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Texas Hold ´Em BBQ Moves to Downtown Fort Lauderdale in Style

Over the years, the old Texas Hold 'Em BBQ location on Sunrise Boulevard felt sadder with each visit. It was always empty, especially near the end of its tenure there earlier this year. The benches in front of the brown- and cream-colored building looked lost and lonely; the only activity...
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Cheap Wine That Doesn’t Suck: Good, Cheap Pinot

Cheap pinot noir is a moron. Cheap, good pinot noir is an oxymoron.     Pinot noir, you see, is the Sarah Palin of grapes -- flighty, erratic, unpredictable, hard to handle -- though unlike the nitwit from Wasilla, the result can be anything but simple and stupid. It's that ornery nature...
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Let the Mild Rumpus Start!

Directed by Spike Jonze from a 400-word children's picture book first published in 1963, Where the Wild Things Are may be the toughest adaptation since Tim Burton fashioned a series of bubblegum cards into Mars Attacks! Tougher, actually: Burton was working with ephemeral, anonymous trash; Jonze is elaborating on a...
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Should Father Convicted in Baby’s Death Get Out of Prison?

When Antonio Balta saw his 9-month-old daughter, Veronika, her eyes were rolled back in her head. Her body was limp. When he lifted her up, a thick, milky substance seeped from the baby's mouth.Balta had been inside Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, waiting for his girlfriend to get off work...
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Embattled Greyhound Trainer Has Been Investigated Since Arrest

Ursula O'Donnell was arrested in 2002 for helping to kill more than 2,000 greyhounds. Last month we learned she was still working as a trainer in the state of Florida, where her alleged crimes took place. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation investigated O'Donnell, a member of the...
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Carousel Can Can in CityPlace Is All Sexed-Up With Nowhere to Go

The enthusiasm was infectious on a recent Friday night at Carousel Can Can in CityPlace. Surveying the half-empty dining room of mostly couples and well-coifed gals out on the town, you could almost hear the collective yawn. About the only person who showed any sort of interest in the can-can...