🏠 News From Your Neighborhood
Miami, FL
SNAP uncertainty leaves South Florida seniors scrambling for food aid
Many people are unsure whether their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will be replenished on Saturday.
With so much uncertainty, local food organizations are preparing for an influx of need throughout communities.
Senior citizens face rising food insecurity
One of the most vulnerable groups — and a significant portion of SNAP recipients — is senior citizens.
The Pantry of Broward County and Meals on Wheels South Florida told CBS News Miami they are being inundated with calls from elderly people who are terrified of what’s to come.
“We are hearing horror stories on a daily basis of folks just cannot make ends meet,” said Wendy Bourgault, executive director of Meals on Wheels South Florida.
Bourgault said that at the beginning of the week, her Broward County office was swamped with calls from people whose SNAP benefits would be ending.
She said one morning, they were hit with 20 calls looking for help with food.
“They have to choose, ‘Do I run electricity? Do I go to the doctor? Do I buy food?’” said Bourgault.
New relief program targets homebound seniors
After noticing a rise in the cry for help, Meals on Wheels South Florida established the Senior SNAP Relief Program.
“Over 60, homebound, and in need who have lost their SNAP benefits, we will kick in immediately two weeks’ worth of food. Maybe by then it will be ended. If it isn’t, you’ll immediately get another two weeks,” said Bourgault.
Empty shelf after empty shelf is becoming a trend at the Pantry of Broward County.
Pantry prepares for disaster-level demand
With the ending of SNAP benefits, staff said they are preparing for a natural disaster, like it’s a hurricane.
“It’s all hands on deck for the staff. It’s trying to get as many volunteers in as possible,” said Warren Lubow, chief operating officer of the Pantry of Broward County.
Lubow said the phones have been nonstop with calls from seniors seeking help.
Ninety percent of their clients receive SNAP.
“You take away those SNAP benefits — that’s less money in their pockets for rent, for food. For electric bills, water bills,” said Lubow.
Already serving 600 seniors across Broward County, the pantry is trying its hardest to serve everyone.
“We have been getting a lot more requests for new clients. We have a waitlist of over 150 people,” said Lubow.
Volunteers urgently needed to meet demand
Both organizations say there’s a great need for volunteers during this time.
Miami, FL
Injury Bug for Miami Basketball Gains Another Player Early in the Season
The Miami Hurricanes have won five of their last six games early in the 2025-26 regular season. Head coach Jai Lucas has done a great job recruiting and finding the right talent for the Hurricanes; however, that is when they get a chance to see the court.
Entering this season, the Hurricanes struggled to stay healthy. Four-star freshman Treyvon Maddox hasn’t even seen the floor yet, while the rest of the team is trying to find a good footing.
Against UL Monroe, star five-star freshman Shelton Henderson went down with a lower leg injury with 1:29 left in the first half. It seems he avoided a major injury, warming up in the second half, but Lucas decided not to put him back in the game.
“We’re still kind of evaluating and seeing what it is,” Lucas said after the victory over the Warhawks. “He tried to kind of go out there and start the second half, run around a little bit, so we’ll see.’
However this is the tip of the iceberg with the injuries for the Canes.
UM is playing playoff levels with this tight rotation. Starter are playing 30-plus minutes against quad-four teams because of the lack of bodies.
Marcus Allen and Donte Allen have missed every game since the Hurricanes defeated Ole Miss on the road. Ernest Udeh Jr. has been in and out of the line all season. Noam Dovrat has a nagging shoulder injury that will keep him out of the game; Tru Washington has missed time; Tre Donaldson is powering through some little nicks; and now the Henderson injury.
The Hurricanes have the talent to be a Sweet 16 team in the NCAA Tournament, but they have to be on the floor at all times. The Hurricanes are only playing seven players a game right now, and it will either help them or hurt them.
The Hurricanes are set to face the FIU Panthers, while they try to get healthy at the right time. The Hurricanes are dominating on both sides of the ball, but the challenges from opponents will continue to increase.
“I expect a war,” Lucas said. “They’re really good. [FIU head coach Jeremy] Ballard’s done a good job this year with his team construction,” Lucas said. “They play with confidence. They play free. They’re aggressive. They’re big. They got really good guards.”
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Miami, FL
Charging e-bike suspected in destructive Miami house fire
MIAMI — The smell of blackened, burned rubble still lingers inside the house where an early-morning fire left a family devastated. Outside, debris from the firefight remains scattered around the property.
The fire tore through a duplex near the 1800 block of Northwest 53rd Street Saturday morning around 10:30 a.m., forcing everyone inside to flee.
The blaze is believed to have been caused by an e-bike, though officials say the exact cause is still under investigation.
“With every step,” Josue Paz said as he walked through the damage, he faces heartbreak and devastation.
What was once his family’s living room is now reduced to piles of ash and rubble.
Paz said he was inside the home when an e-bike charging in the house suddenly caught fire.
“Yep, that’s part of the bike. Right there, right there,” he said, pointing to debris.
“I couldn’t really process anything and it just happened,” Paz said.
Paz rushed to get his family out before the flames spread.
“My first thought was getting everybody out of the house. I was trying to call everybody,” he said. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s get out.”
Fire officials say lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes and e-scooters have been linked to a growing number of fast-moving fires nationwide. Miami Fire Rescue is still working to determine the exact cause of this fire.
Despite losing everything, Paz said surviving the fire is what matters most.
“I’m glad that I got my neighbors out, I got my family out,” he said.
Six people escaped the fire, along with a dog. They are staying with loved ones as the fire department continues to work to pinpoint how the fire started.
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Miami, FL
Woman found dead on roadway in SW Miami-Dade
A woman was found dead on the roadway in Southwest Miami on Friday morning, deputies said.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, just before 6 a.m., deputies arrived at the 9800 block of Southwest 170th Street after receiving reports of a person who was unresponsive and lying on the roadway.
Once at the scene, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue pronounced the woman dead.
Her identity has not been released.
A death investigation is underway, and the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the woman’s cause of death.
MDSO said there are no suspects at this time.
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