Miami, FL
City leaders in Miami trying to drum up new cruise ship business
MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – Two days after Carnival Spirit left the Port City — Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, City Director of Transportation & Maritime Joe Snowden, and Visit Mobile President & CEO David Clark are in Miami for the annual “Seatrade Cruise Global 2024″ — the leading event for all things cruise industry. Expect all of of the major players at the 4-day event. This time around — Mobile has some leverage — riding off the success of Carnival Spirit’s inaugural season.
“Good news spreads fast — and when you have success and you get the Carnival with cruise lines coming back with the Carnival Spirit — a new ship for Mobile with newer itineraries. It always kind of creates dominoes and other cruise people saying — hey it’s successful in Mobile — so we’ve actually had a couple of other calls recently — so that’s exciting,” said Clark.
And if you have a connection to the cruise ship industry — Seatrade Cruise Global — is THE event you want to attend. At this year’s event — expect more than 10,000 attendees, 600 exhibitors, more than 120 countries represented, and more than 240 speakers.
The Miami Convention Center serving as a backdrop for the cruise ship industry and stakeholders to explore different areas of the business: everything from elevating guest experiences, the latest cruise ship designs and interiors, as well as safety and security. And according to Seatrade Cruise Global’s website — perhaps one of the most enjoyable perks in attending — indulging in the future of cruise dining and specialty drinks.
But more importantly — it’s another opportunity to go before all the major cruise lines. Mobile’s leaders are already meeting with Carnival and others for a chance to lock in a ship during the vacant six months.
“So there’s all the major cruise companies are there and we have preset meetings with a couple. And actually this time — they called us first! So that kind of never happens. I’ve been doing this show — going down to Miami for the past 7 consecutive years — and that hasn’t happened yet. So that’s good news,” said Clark.
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Miami, FL
Dolphins Select Two Players in The First Round of The 2026 NFL Draft
The Dolphins wrapped up Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft with two first-round selections, selecting Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor with the No. 12 pick and cornerback Chris Johnson 27th overall out of San Diego State.
The Dolphins were active early, sending their original No. 11 pick to Dallas in exchange for the Cowboys’ 12th, 177th and 180th overall selections. Miami then moved up to select Johnson, trading its 30th and 90th selections to San Francisco for picks Nos. 27 and No. 138.
A consensus All-American and a first-team All-SEC selection in 2025, Proctor spent three seasons with the Crimson Tide (2023-25), where he started 40 games at left tackle. He helped Alabama to an SEC title in 2023 and to College Football Playoff appearances in 2023 and 2025. He was named to the 2023 SEC All-Freshman team and earned second-team All-SEC honors in 2024.
“He’s unique. He’s rare,” said General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. “He’s a 350-pound man with unique athletic traits that can play four spots across the line of scrimmage – left tackle, right tackle, both guards…We brought him in on a 30 visit. I could feel his conviction and his desire to be a good football player and do the things that he needs to do to be the best pro that he can be. All I can tell you is that there wasn’t another one in the draft like him, period.”
Proctor is the fifth Alabama player and the first Crimson Tide offensive lineman to be drafted by Miami in the first round. At No. 12, Proctor is the third-highest drafted offensive tackle by the Dolphins behind Jake Long in 2008 (1st overall) and Richmond Webb in 1990 (9th overall).
Miami, FL
5 arrested in undercover teen sex trafficking bust in Miami, authorities say
Five men are facing charges after an undercover teen sex trafficking investigation in Miami, authorities said.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force and Miami Police Department’s Special Investigations Section had posed as a mother to offered her daughters, ages 13 and 15, for sexual services in exchange for money, arrest reports said.
The five suspects agreed to pay for sex and when they showed up at a hotel for the encounter they were taken into custody by tactical officers, the reports said.
“I knew it, I knew, I knew that it was this,” one suspect kept repeating in Spanish as he was taken into custody, the reports said.
When the suspect’s duffel bag was searched officers found 18 condoms, 7 different lubricants and lotions, adult toys and bondage restraints, among other items, the reports said.
Another suspect said he’d never engaged in that type of activity before and “requested forgiveness,” the reports said.
The five face charges including human trafficking, records showed.
Miami, FL
Miami-Dade deputies detain elderly father who they say shot and killed his son after a domestic dispute
A 75-year-old man has been detained after Miami-Dade deputies say he shot and killed his son after a domestic dispute in Palmetto Bay.
This happened, according to investigators, at approximately 4:49 p.m. in the area of SW 168th Street and 92nd Avenue.
When deputies arrived, they found the elderly man, who had not yet been identified, and immediately detained him for questioning.
Afterwards, they conducted a security sweep and found an adult male, 47, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
Deputies say this isn’t the first time they have responded to the home.
“We have responded to this particular residence in the past due to mental health-type incidents,” MDSO PIO Detective Argemis “AC” Colome said.
Deputies say the dispatcher heard a dispute happening over the phone during the 911 call, but it’s unclear what led to the shooting and who was having the mental health crisis.
“The individual who shot was the father, and the male deceased on the scene was the son,” Colome said.
Neighbors reacted to this family tragedy with shock.
“So sad, a little bit concerned cause maybe you’re, you know, you’re staying somewhere, and you don’t know what’s actually happening at the other houses,” Giorgos Kollilekas, who lives in the area, said.
Colome said that there is no danger to the community as this was the result of a domestic dispute.
“There’s always help, please, there’s a lot of hotlines, there’s a lot of numbers. You can call us. At the end of the day, getting help early can mitigate situations like this,” Colome said.
No other information has been released, including the identities of those involved or what caused the dispute.
The investigation is ongoing.
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