Miami, FL
As congestion chokes Miami-Dade, transit on ballot as officials ponder Metromover to FIU
MIAMI – Advocates say Miami-Dade voters have a choice on the Aug. 20 ballot.
“More highways, more congestion, or a new option?” Mark Merwitzer, with Transit Alliance Miami, said.
A measure on the primary ballot includes a non-binding question about expanding rapid transit in the county, specifically the existing Metromover and Metrorail systems.
It comes as choking congestion prompts county commissioners to look at elevated rail along the county’s East-West Corridor: a Metromover expansion along Flagler Street to Florida International University.
“The number one complaint about quality of life in Miami-Dade County is the traffic,” Merwitzer said. “Traffic is a nightmare and public transit is the solution to that.”
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins summed it up thusly: “People are trapped in traffic.”
“We, as most of us know, do not have a good solution to the congestion out in the western edge of our county,” she said. “Our busiest bus routes happen to be on Flagler Street, alot of people are riding it, but if you start in downtown (Miami) and take it to 107th Avenue to FIU you are (spending) an hour and half on that bus.”
Higgins said her colleagues have unanimously supported a partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation, which maintains Flagler, to build the elevated people mover system out to FIU.
“FIU is a giant place, not just a place where people go to study, but where people go to work,” she said. “During the day in the middle of the school year there could be 100,00 people on that campus, so reducing congestion along that corridor makes it better for students, makes it better for workers and it better connects the folks that live out west with jobs that happen to be in downtown or closer to perhaps the Gables.”
Higgins also pointed out that there are “a ton of other things along Flagler, not too far from Marlins Park, not too far from the new headquarters building for Miami-Dade County.”
She said once the “spine” of the project is in place, the county is thinking of ways to add short connections to the system, perhaps by trolley or bus, to stops nearby, like downtown Doral.
FDOT, Higgins said, is expected to come back “in a few months with that they think this could look like and what it would cost.”
“We have a lot of space in the median to go down the center with elevated stations,” she said. “Metromover makes sense over Metrorail because (the trains) are a little thinner and they have rubber tires, so they are quieter and the structure does not require as must concrete as big, heavy loud trains require, so that is what FDOT is looking into .”
County Commission Chair Oliver Gilbert III was recently on Local 10′s “This Week in South Florida” to talk about the transit ballot measure.
“Ultimately if we are going to develop along corridors, high rises, density to bring down housing costs, ultimately if we are gong to move people from the far reaches of this county ultimately it is going to be by rail,” Gilbert said. “We are the largest urbanized area in the state of Florida, the capital of this part of the hemisphere, but to truly be a world class community, we have to invest in rapid mass transit.”
Higgins told Local 10 News, “We need people to vote yes to signal to the commission that the people of Miami-Dade County are loudly and proudly for transportation solutions to give us the political power we need to move forward.”
“We have four great corridors we are in the middle of planning for and we need to make sure they go quickly we need to tell our federal partners that you are behind us because we are applying for federal money for these projects as well,” she said.
Merwitzer defined his organization’s support for expanded transit as being about providing a choice that many South Florida residents realistically don’t have.
“It is not about forcing people out of their vehicles to go to different places,” he said. “It is about giving people the option to go somewhere on their own time and on their own terms.”
Car costs, he noted, are chaining people down financially.
“Auto loan rates are the highest right now as (they have) ever been, our insurance rates are almost as high as ever, plus the cost of owning a vehicle and housing is about 60% of median income for Miami-Dade County, 60% of their household budget, which is why households fall into debt because leaves little left for food, medical expenses,” Merwitzer said.
Higgins said she’s optimistic about the future of transportation alternatives in the county.
“The South Corridor (bus rapid transit) opens next April, the Northeast Corridor (commuter rail) will be under construction the end of next year,” she said. “We will have the North Corridor (Metrorail) and Baylink (Metromover) in process to finish the engineering and in the meantime we have Flagler off and running with the state. It is an exciting time. I think our commission is committed to not just talking about transit but doing something about it.”
Miami Beach officials have pushed back on Metromover expansion to traffic-clogged South Beach, however, the county does not need their approval for the project.
The city is testing a new ferry service that connects downtown Miami with Sunset Park on the northern end of South Beach.
Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
Miami, FL
7 more women arrested at southwest Miami-Dade massage parlors, accused of prostitution in undercover sting
Seven more women have been arrested at massage parlors across Miami-Dade, following a wave of arrests in an undercover prostitution sting operation run by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
All seven women appeared in bond court facing prostitution charges as well as running a massage business without a license. The arrests come a day after seven other women were arrested at massage parlors in southwest Miami-Dade. Those locations were closed after the first round of arrests.
According to arrest reports, the women would offer sexual acts to an undercover detective after a massage. They would also charge, according to the reports, prices ranging from $50 to $150.
The women’s ages ranged from 46 to 67 years old:
- Yaoying Lin, 58
- Xiufen Lin, 51
- Yan Xi, 48
- Zixuan Wang, 46
- Mei Hui Lin, 49
- Quirong Xu, 67
- Hongli Ren, 63
Judge Mindy Glazer presided over the bond court appearances. During the proceedings, she referenced charges of “committing a lascivious act and engaging in prostitution,” according to CBS News Miami’s reporting from the courthouse.
Yaoying Lin’s attorney, Paul Petruzzi, persuaded the judge to reduce her charge from a felony to a misdemeanor.
“She’s resided in Miami for many years. Married. And has never failed to appear,” Petruzzi said.
“They had my client held overnight. She was charged with a felony unfairly. To the point where a judge on her own dismissed it. It’s either real bad, bad, bad police work. Or it’s something else. A little bit more nefarious. I’m afraid the latter,” Petruzzi said.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said that they will not be providing any interviews regarding this undercover sting at this time.
This is the eighth edition of Miami Hurricanes on SI’s breakdown of each team on the 2026-27 Miami Hurricanes football schedule.
Miami, to this point, is coming off its biggest test of the year against Pitt. Now they will turn their attention to Bill Belichick and what he has accomplished to this point in his second season as a college football head coach.
North Carolina should be better than last season after a disappointing 4-8 2025 outcome. However, the Hurricanes also understand that this is the ideal trap game before they head on the road to face Notre Dame in one of the biggest games of the season, which could hold massive playoff implications.
Miami can’t look forward. All eyes will be on what the new season and another fun home game against a rising contender.
Here’s everything you need to know about UNC and its 2026 unit.
The Offense
Petrino03 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Thursday 17, 2014
After coming off one of the worst offensive outputs in the country last season, Belichick knew that he needed to make a move quickly. It started with hiring veteran coach Bobby Petrino as the teams offensive coordinator.
It won’t be the 126th ranked offense, but how much better could it get with Petrino making the calls? The Tar Heels will also have a new quarterback under center, but so far, no one knows who exactly it will be.
The most talented player in the quarterback room is Travis Burges. A 6-foot-4 freshman dual-threat quarterback with unlimited potential, but they also went into the transfer portal and landed some experience in former Wisconsin QB, Billy Edwards Jr., is expected to start, but the change could be made halfway through the season if things don’t work.
Two new starting receivers also entered from the transfer portal, but the consistency in the room was provided by Jordan Shipp. Last season, he led the team in receiving yards (671) and touchdowns (6), even with how bad the team was at scoring.
UNC’s rushing attack was also highlighted by returning sophomore Demon June. He rushed for nearly 500 yards in his limited snaps, averaging 5.5 yards a carry with two touchdowns.
Defense
Defense should be the calling card of the Tar Heels next season, led by their star pass rusher, Melkart Abou-Jaoude. The 6-foot-5, 260-pound rusher totaled 10.5 sacks and 47 tackles last season. Another year learning under Belichick would likely push him to be a first or second round pick in the 2027 Class, one that the Canes are paying close attention to.
Moreover, some familarity will be on the sideline and a likely starter during his freshman year in Keton Dopson, the former Miami Hurricanes commit. He reclassifed to the 2026 class, and flipped his commitment knowing that there is a better chance to get on the field quicker at UNC than the depth that he would have had to wait behind at least for this season.
UNC’s secondary is one of the more sound groups in the country compared to the rest of its roster. However, their linebacking core who rack up tackles, are transfers who have to learn the Belichick system.
Schedule
Schedule-wise, this game is the biggest trap game of the season for the Canes. If Miami finds its way past Pitt, it will be 7-0, and this game stands between the Canes and a rematch with the Fighting Irish.
This is the perfect time for Belichick to get his first signature win against a returning program like Miami, which puts a ton of pressure on the Canes to get the job done. However, the Canes can’t afford it, knowing what is coming next.
Moreover, this is the perfect chance for Darian Mensah to have a better game than last season’s outing against the Tar Heels. His one touchdown performance was one of his weaker games of the season, but it could be a step for him to get control of the Heisman conversation.
Outlook
MIami will be favored in this game, similar to how it will be for the rest of the season. UNC will give the Canes one of the better defensive matchups this season that will also test the offense.
Miami’s history against UNC in the Mario Cristobal era has shown it can have a high-flying offense but has to avoid self-inflicted wounds.
The Game
Date: October 31
Time: TBA
TV: TBA
Location: Hard Rock Stadium
Series History: UNC leads 16-11
Last Meeting: 2023
The Team
The Coach: Bill Belichick
Offensive Coordinator: Bobby Petrino
Defensive Coordinator: Steve Belichick
2025 Record: 4-8
2025 Rankings: 126th Total Offense, 70th Total Defense
Players to Watch: Melkart Abou-Jaoude, R-Sr, EDGE
Top Newcomer: C.J. Sadler, WR, Freshman
Biggest Question: How will Belichick adjust in his second year as a college football head coach?
The School
Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Founded: 1789
Enrollment: 32,099
Nickname: Tar Heels
Colors: Power Blue and White
Mascot (Symbols): Rameses the Live Ram
The Program
Last Win in the Series: 2023
Last ACC Title: 1980
National Championships: NA
Playoff Appearances: NA
Last missed bowl season: 2025
Heisman Trophies: NA
The Schedule
October 31, Time TBA, Pitt Panthers @ Miami Hurricanes
This is the eighth story in Miami Hurricanes on SI’s early preview series of all 12 regular-season opponents for Miami football in 2026.
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The NBA offseason is typically an interesting time for the Miami Heat organization. The fans are always pushing the organization to make big acquisitions and are always looking for the next star to play in the Kaseya Center. Because of the organization and the fans desire for star players, the media finds a way to talk about Miami as a destination.
The Heat consistently being mentioned for stars but not landing them has been a point of frustration for fans over the years. This year that frustration can be put to rest for a few more years.
What did the Heat add?
It would be foolish to have an offseason discussion without first mentioning the Heat pulled of the biggest move in the NBA in the past several years. That is of course the trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Heat made their best move since signing Lebron James and Chris Bosh to form the big three in 2010. They landed a top 5 player still at the height of his powers and they did not have to give up their best player. This allowed them to form what will be one of the scariest defensive duos the league has ever seen.
The other notable move was signing Heat legacy Tim Hardaway Jr., son of former Heat player Tim Hardaway. This was a fantastic signing as it lands them a quality shooter on a favorable contract. Shooting has been pointed out to be Miami’s biggest potential weakness after the trade and they addressed it immediately.
Another move that is seemingly turning out well is the drafting of Ryan Conwell in the second round of this year’s draft. Conwell has been a scoring machine in Summer League, scoring 21 points, 16 points, and 26 points in his three games so far.
Who did they keep?
Miami will return a good core of players from the previous season, notably Bam Adebayo. This alone was a massive win for the Heat. They landed an elite player and were able to keep their franchise pillar to pair with him. Miami did retain 2 players though that many thought might be playing elsewhere.
The Heat were able to sign Andrew Wiggins to an extension and though the first year’s salary was not decreased, the second of the contract will be an absolute steal. Then the Heat kept Simone Fontecchio on a veteran minimum contract. This will not make any headlines, but he was a 37.5% shooter from three and like previously mentioned the Heat need shooting.
What was lost?
The Heat did lose several players from their Play-in squad last season. Most notably former All-Stars in Tyler Herro and Norman Powell. Herro was traded in the Antetokounmpo trade and Powell signed with the Bulls in free agency.
These are notable losses, but the addition of Antetokounmpo plus the retention of other key players more than make up for it. Miami did lose several if the young pieces in the trade as well, sending Jaime Jaquez jr., Kel’el Ware, and Kasparas Jakucionis to Milwaukee. This of course is the price you have to pay when going, as Miami calls it, whale hunting.
How it grades
It would be embarrassing to grade the offseason anything less than an A. This is largely due to Antetokounmpo, but the other moves listed out are the cherry on top. The Heat have been able to sign a quality player to help an area of their biggest need, retain one of their key starters at a great contract price, and retain a three-point specialist that plays his role well.
When you add those things, the addition of the next Heat great in Antetokounmpo, and subtract what was needed to complete the trade, then you are left with an excellent body of work that any team in the league would be proud of. The offseason is not done either and the Heat might have one or two more tricks up their sleeve by the time it is all said and done.
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