A longtime Miami-Dade physical education teacher is working to rebuild his life after a fire destroyed the only home he has known for decades.

Edward Brown Jr., who spent 35 years teaching physical education and mentoring students, lost his home to a fire last week. Flames tore through the house, leaving it uninhabitable and forcing Brown to move in with his adult son.

“It’s hard not to think about it,” Brown said. “Even if I’m not there, I think about what was burned. But I know that’s material stuff. It can be replaced.”

Rebuilding, however, will not be easy. Brown said he does not have homeowners’ insurance to help cover the costs. He paid off the home last year and decided not to renew his insurance policy because of rising costs on a fixed income.

“Just like in life, it’s a chance you take,” Brown said. “I knew before I made the final decision. I didn’t do it in haste.”

Now, the financial burden of rebuilding falls largely on Brown and the community he has supported for years. Known by neighbors as someone who was always willing to help, Brown has received an outpouring of support in the days following the fire. Friends, former colleagues, and community members have dropped off care packages and shared words of encouragement.

An online fundraiser has also been launched by Brown’s family and friends to help cover rebuilding expenses. When told about the effort, Brown became emotional, pausing before expressing his gratitude. He said the support he has received has helped him stay focused on moving forward.

Brown acknowledged the road ahead will be challenging but said he remains hopeful. “I think about it,” he said. “But I need some help. I can tell you that.”

Those hoping to support Brown’s recovery can find information about the fundraiser through family and community organizers.

24-year-old Italian tennis superstar Jannik Sinner is set to face 28-year-old United States tennis star Frances Tiafoe (who is the No. 20-ranked player in the world right now, according to the ATP) in the Quarterfinal of the 2026 Miami Open on Thursday.

The stakes are high for both men. While Tiafoe finding a way to defeat Sinner (who is the No. 2-ranked player, only behind Carlos Alcaraz) would likely make for the biggest victory of his career to this point, both men will still have to win two more games before being crowned the Miami Open champion. The winner of this match will face the winner of Alexander Zverev and Francisco Cerundolo, who also face off on March 26.

Both Sinner and Tiafoe have influencer girlfriends. Tiafoe has been dating Canadian former professional tennis player turned social media influencer Ayan Broomfield, who follows him to his various tennis tournaments and is always a vocal supporter in the stands.

Sinner has been dating Danish model and influencer Laila Hasanovic since at least the summer of 2025, although there’s no official indication of when their relationship began. What’s for sure is that Sinner and Hasanovic brought their dog, Snoopy, to the ATP Tennis Finals in Turin, Italy, last November, which made for several wholesome photos of the trio.

While Hasanovic was present at that tournament last year, she hasn’t been at the Indian Wells Open in California earlier this month, nor the Miami Open.

The reason for this is surely because these events are across the Atlantic Ocean, and Hasanovic has pressing matters to attend to in her own life.

Laila Hasanovic Turns Heads in Workout Fit Post During Jannik Sinner’s Miami Open Run

One example of what Hasanovic has going on is her NRD55 brand, which is a line of skin care and self-tanning products that she has created.

Hasanovic typically relies on herself to promote her new company. An example of this came on March 26, when the @nrd.55 account posted several photos of Hasanovic posing with a new product. She can be seen wearing a black sports bro and applying the product in several different places on her body.

Hasanovic posted this to her Instagram story on Thursday morning, showing that she’s behind the beauty product.

While she might not be there in person, one would imagine that Hasanovic will be watching her boyfriend compete against Tiafoe on TV.

A man is in jail after police say he broke into a Miami Beach business where he worked and stole hundreds of dollars. But that’s not all police say he did while he was inside.

Brooks Vanderbush, the sales manager at South Beach Brewing Company, said someone they trusted and welcomed in went behind their back.

“He seemed like a really decent guy,” Vanderbush said. 

On Sunday, Vanderbush said he got a text that their chef, Alfredo Julien, was acting strange and then left.

“He was a chef on Sunday, and for some reason, mid-shift in the middle of making a sandwich, took that sandwich and walked out,” he said. 

Vanderbush said they didn’t know at the time, but before Julien left, he stole the key to get inside the business. When they were able to get in on Monday, they noticed someone had ransacked the place, and the cash register was gone, along with, according to an arrest report, $500.

They checked out the surveillance cameras, and sure enough, Vanderbush said they saw their employee getting comfortable.

“He took a bottle of wine, drank about half of it,” Vanderbush said. “He wandered around, made food and took a short nap on the couch, and inspiration from a dream, he said I’m going to rob the place and that’s what he did, he started tearing stuff apart.”

According to the arrest report, Julien is homeless. He was arrested later that day, and officers picked him up on a warrant in Miami-Dade County for petit theft.

“It’s heartbreaking, you work so hard to make a place work, and this happens, and then some of these details came out, and everything was OK, then it started to become comedic, what is this guy doing?” Vanderbush said.

Vanderbush said they’ve already moved forward.

“I just don’t know what made him do that,” Vanderbush said. “I hope that whatever is going on in his life gets repaired. We all forgive him, but you can’t forget.”