Connect with us

Florida

Exclusive | Florida couple proves it’s never too late to find love — no matter the age

Published

on

Exclusive | Florida couple proves it’s never too late to find love — no matter the age


True love never gets old — especially for 102-year-old WWII vet Harold Terens and his 98-year-old bride, Jeanne Swerlin.

The lovebirds, who tied the knot in 2024 and still gush that they feel like teenagers together, had some Valentine’s Day advice for the lovelorn.

“Never give up.”

“It’s never too late to find love, especially a great love — look at us,” Swerlin, a New York native who lives in Florida, told The Post. “You have to be open — love will find you.”

Advertisement
100-year-old American World War II veteran Harold Terens and his 96-year-old bride Jeanne Swerlin Terens arrive for their wedding ceremony in the Carentan-les-Marais Town Hall on June 8, 2024 in Carentan-les-Marais. Getty Images

Terens is among the last of the Greatest Generation, surviving a series of harrowing series of close calls during the war. After enlisting in 1942, he served as a radio repair technician in Great Britain attached to a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter squadron. 

He went on to repair planes on D-Day, returning from France to survive a secret mission that led to a robbery that left him naked in the desert of Tehran and fearing death until he was miraculously rescued by an American military police patrol.

The native New Yorker — who lost his first wife of 70 years in 2018 — declared he’s grateful “for every day I’m alive,” and swore he never looked at another woman until he met Swerlin.

The two were set up on a blind date in 2021 and the nonagenarian became instantly smitten.

Terens lost his first wife of 70 years in 2018. Getty Images

“It’s the greatest love I’ve ever known, by far,” said a vibrant Terens, who’s written a book, “Tomorrow Will be the Best Day of my Life.”

Advertisement

Life was “beyond remarkable,” even before Terens met his plucky bride. 

“My whole life changed. It went in a totally different direction,” he said, adding in French, “I regret nothing.

“All the adjectives in the world can’t describe how I feel about her.”

The feeling is mutual.

The two were set up on a blind date in 2021. Getty Images

“He always tells me, ‘I don’t know how I ever lived without you,’” said the youthful-looking bride.

Advertisement

The canoodling couple, who say they can’t keep their hands off each other, recalled their magical wedding day.

The extraordinary couple said they’ve never experienced so powerful a connection. 

“The day of our wedding is the greatest day I’ve ever experienced in 102 years of life,” Terens said of his June 2024 Normandy beach-area wedding that had thousands of well-wishers cheering them on.

The extraordinary couple said they’ve never experienced so powerful a connection. Getty Images

Terens, who plans to be bar mitzvahed this year, said finding life-changing love is about sticking to the basics.

“Remember why you fell in love with a person, and don’t try to change them,” said Terens, who still drives and meditates daily. 

Advertisement

Yet there’s another secret ingredient to their passionate romance: 

“The best secret about a successful love affair and marriage is that we don’t live together,” quipped Terens, who maintains a home 30 minutes from his his sweetheart in south Florida, where they see each other about four days a week. “We live happily ever after.”  

As for Valentine’s Day, he surprised his wife with two dozen pink roses with a love letter attached.

“Every day is Valentine’s Day,” said Terens, who plans to make his sixth visit to Normandy to mark the 87th D-Day anniversary in June.

Advertisement



Source link

Florida

Tallahassee gas prices rise due to Iran war; how to find cheapest pump prices

Published

on

Tallahassee gas prices rise due to Iran war; how to find cheapest pump prices


If you’re kicking yourself for not filling up your vehicle over the weekend or earlier this week, you have good reason.

Gas prices have been going up steadily — sometimes sharply — since the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran started Saturday, Feb. 28.

In Tallahassee, prices have jumped 26 cents from last week with an average gallon of gas currently sitting at $3.08, according to AAA. The highest price on record in Florida’s capital city was $4.84 a gallon in June 2022.

Advertisement

Since Monday, March 2, Florida gas prices have jumped almost 36 cents for a gallon of regular, according to AAA.

The war is spreading throughout the Middle East and at least six U.S. soldiers have been killed, including one from Florida.

Live updates: Senate won’t check Trump’s war

Here’s what you should know as the war with Iran continues.

Florida not alone in worrying about rising gas prices

Advertisement
play

Gas prices surge as Iran war closes Strait of Hormuz

Gas prices rise as Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz threatening oil supply and raising fears of global economic fallout.

Gas prices were already rising before the attacks on Iran began Feb. 28. It’s a regular seasonal swing as spring arrives, according to AAA. 

➤ Americans fret over gas prices as Iran war widens

Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks that have now killed at least six U.S. servicemembers, including one from Florida.

Advertisement

➤ Florida Army Reserve captain killed in Iran war

Analysts said the war will likely drive up prices by an additional 20 to 30 cents per gallon, partly due to supply issues and partly due to global uncertainty.

Here’s a look at gas prices per gallon of regular provided by AAA this week:

  • March 5: $3.251
  • March 4: $3.19
  • March 3: $3.061

Compare to:

  • Week ago: $2.983
  • Month ago: $2.891
  • Year ago: $3.107

What’s average price of gas in Florida?

AAA posted the average price in Florida on March 5 was $3.241, slightly less than the national average of $3.251.

Here’s a comparison of the daily average price of a gallon of regular this week as provided by AAA:

Advertisement
  • March 5: $3.241
  • March 4: $3.198
  • March 3: $3.068
  • March 2: $2.883

In comparison:

  • Week ago average: $2.940
  • Month ago average: $2.882
  • Year ago average: $3.084

Will Florida gas prices keep going up?

The national average price of gas is “likely to move toward $3.10 to $3.15 (per gallon) within one to two weeks … and to $3.20 to $3.25 within two to three weeks,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis with GasBuddy, on March 1.

On March 2, DeHaan said he expected gas prices “at average stations” nationally to increase by 10 to 30 cents in the coming week.

President Trump: Oil prices may be high ‘for a little while’

President Donald Trump told reporters March 3 oil prices may be high “for a little while.”

As soon as the war ends, “these prices are going to drop, I believe even lower than before,” Trump said. 

In a post on TruthSocial March 3, Trump said: “If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible. No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD.”

How can you find the cheapest gas?

Whether you’re traveling or at home, gasbuddy.com offers information to find the cheapest prices for gasoline.

Advertisement

Enter your state, city or ZIP code to find the Top 10 gas stations and cheap fuel prices.

Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://palmbeachpost.com/newsletters.



Source link

Continue Reading

Florida

Florida college Republicans group chat reveals racist texts: ‘Avoid the coloreds like the plague’

Published

on

Florida college Republicans group chat reveals racist texts: ‘Avoid the coloreds like the plague’


It only took three weeks for a group chat for conservative students at Florida International University (FIU) to become a place where participants eagerly used racist slurs, prompting widespread condemnation from community leaders.

Abel Alexander Carvajal, secretary of Miami-Dade county’s Republican party and a student at FIU’s College of Law, reportedly started the chat after the killing of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, in September 2025.

But on Wednesday, the Miami Herald published leaked WhatsApp conversations in which the college Republicans made racist, sexist, antisemitic and homophobic comments, including variations of the N-word used more than 400 times. Knowledge of the chat’s existence was revealed on the same day that Republican lawmakers in Florida pushed forward a bill to rename a one-mile stretch of road alongside FIU in honor of Kirk.

William Bejerano, who the Herald noted once tried to start an anti-abortion group at Miami Dade College, was the most prolific user of the N-word. Using the slur, Bejerano called for dozens of acts of extreme violence against Black people, including crucifying, beheading and dissecting.

Advertisement

Dariel Gonzalez, then the College Republicans’ recruitment chair, who has recently applied to become a GOP committee member, responded to the calls for violence by saying: “How edgy.” He repeatedly used “colored” to describe Black people, including writing: “Ew you had colored professors?!” and “Avoid the coloreds like the plague,” according to the Herald.

Carvajal, who was appointed to a two-year role on the city of Hialeah’s planning and zoning board earlier this year, confirmed to the paper that the group chat was his doing, but he denied knowledge of the problematic comments until the publication contacted him about its logs last week.

“It’s been five months since this was sent and this is the first time I’ve seen this message,” Carvajal told the Herald.

“I guess to an extent, I bear some responsibility, cause I created a chat. But if I had seen this at the moment, I would have removed [Bejerano] from the chat. I probably would have even blocked his number.”

The Herald found that Carvajal had deleted 14 messages sent by other participants in the chat and 42 of his own messages before the publication obtained the chat’s logs.

Advertisement

He also participated in some of the racist discussions. While referring to a Black student who allegedly left FIU’s College Republicans after a member of the group “called her a [N-word]”, the Floridian reported that Carvajal wrote: “Why didn’t miggress leave?” Elsewhere in the chat, the publication reported that Carvajal used “Miggress”, “Migglet” and “Migger” to refer to Black women, Black children and Black people, in general.

At one point, Gonzalez wrote: “You can fuck all the [K-word, a slur for Jewish people] you want. Just don’t marry them and procreate.”

Ian Valdes, the Turning Point USA FIU chapter president, responded, “I would def not marry a Jew,” before changing the group chat’s name from “Uber [R-word slur for disabled people] Yapping” to “Gooning in Agartha”. “Gooning” is a gen-Z slang term for male masturbation, while “Agartha” is a mythical white civilization promoted by Heinrich Himmler, one of the most powerful leaders in Nazi Germany next to Hitler.

Gonzalez reportedly described Agartha to the group chat as “Nazi heaven sort of”.

Kevin Cooper, the first Jewish chair of the Miami Dade Republican party, condemned the group chat in a statement published to X and called for Carvajal’s resignation.

Advertisement

“The majority of our board voted to request Carvajal’s resignation. We have commenced removal proceedings and look forward to resolution from the Republican Party of Florida,” he wrote.

That call was echoed by Juan Porras, a Republican state representative and Miami-Dade GOP state committee member, who said in a statement: “Leadership carries responsibility. When someone in a leadership role engages in this kind of behavior, it damages the trust placed in our party by voters across Florida. For that reason, I am asking the Miami Dade Republican party secretary to step down from this position.”

In a joint statement, Florida Republican state senators Alexis Calatayud, Ileana Garcia and Ana Maria Rodriguez denounced the chats and called for the expulsion from party leadership of its participants.

“The individuals in the group chat have exposed how profoundly misaligned their beliefs are to the views of the Republican party of Florida,” their statement said. “We call for the immediate expulsion of the individuals disseminating from any level of leadership of the Miami-Dade Republican Party … We will not tolerate bigotry or discrimination.”

Multiple leaked group chats from young Republicans have created controversy in recent years.

Advertisement

Last year, Politico published messages from a group chat of more than 100 conservatives across the country in which users also made racist and antisemitic comments. In 2022, a Young Republican group chat from North Dakota was revealed as a cesspool of homophobic and antisemitic rhetoric.



Source link

Continue Reading

Florida

Federal judge blocks DeSantis executive order declaring CAIR a 'terrorist organization'

Published

on

Federal judge blocks DeSantis executive order declaring CAIR a 'terrorist organization'


A federal court in Tallahassee has issued a temporary injunction blocking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) a “terrorist organization.” U.S. District Judge Mark Walker’s order comes nearly three months after DeSantis signed his executive order on Dec. 8. The order directed Florida’s executive and Cabinet agencies, as […]



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending