Aventura Beacon
Hyperlocal news for Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, and Golden Beach, Florida
Aventura Beacon
Hyperlocal news for Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, and Golden Beach, Florida
Local Government
Miami-Dade commissioner spent $35,000 in county funds on Vatican ping-pong trip
Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert spent more than $35,000 in county funds, including $27,000 in business-class airfare, on a two-day Vatican table tennis conference where he met Pope Leo XIV. The trip was never publicly announced and surfaced as the county proposes bus route cuts and faces hundreds of millions in potential revenue losses.
Local Government
Miami-Dade commissioner spent $35,000 in county funds on Vatican ping-pong trip
Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert spent more than $35,000 in county funds, including $27,000 in business-class airfare, on a two-day Vatican table tennis conference where he met Pope Leo XIV. The trip was never publicly announced and surfaced as the county proposes bus route cuts and faces hundreds of millions in potential revenue losses.
Local Government
Miami-Dade commissioner spent $35,000 in county funds on Vatican ping-pong trip
Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert spent more than $35,000 in county funds, including $27,000 in business-class airfare, on a two-day Vatican table tennis conference where he met Pope Leo XIV. The trip was never publicly announced and surfaced as the county proposes bus route cuts and faces hundreds of millions in potential revenue losses.
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Local Government
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Miami-Dade commissioner spent $35,000 in county funds on Vatican ping-pong trip
Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert spent more than $35,000 in county funds, including $27,000 in business-class airfare, on a two-day Vatican table tennis conference where he met Pope Leo XIV. The trip was never publicly announced and surfaced as the county proposes bus route cuts and faces hundreds of millions in potential revenue losses.
Local Government
Miami-Dade spent $4,500 on two unused portraits of Commissioner Gilbert while proposing bus route cuts
Miami-Dade County paid $4,500 for two custom portraits of Commissioner Oliver Gilbert III that were never used, settling on a $280 print for a new gallery in the commission chambers, while the county's proposed budget eliminates 12 bus routes and more than 400 vacant positions.
Education
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Miami-Dade board narrows superintendent search to two finalists ahead of July 29 interviews
The Miami-Dade School Board voted Wednesday, July 22, to advance Rafael Villalobos and Ernie Lozano as superintendent finalists, with public interviews and a final selection planned for Wednesday, July 29.
Education
Free school lunches ending for Miami-Dade students who don't qualify for aid
The Miami-Dade school board voted Wednesday, July 22, to end universal free school lunches, meaning Aventura-area families will pay up to $4.20 per meal starting August 13, 2026, unless their children qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Public Safety
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Sunny Isles Beach officer honored for Intracoastal Waterway rescue
Sunny Isles Beach Police Officer Justin Llaurado was named Miami-Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police Officer of the Month for rescuing a special needs individual from the Intracoastal Waterway, with the award announced Friday, July 24.
Public Safety
Collins Avenue lane, sidewalk to close this weekend for St. Regis construction
A lane and sidewalk on Collins Avenue in Sunny Isles Beach will close from Friday, July 24, at 7 p.m. through Sunday, July 26, at 4 p.m. for construction at the St. Regis Residences, the 62-story luxury condo project at 18801 Collins Ave.
Community
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Miami-Dade leaders warn of deportation crisis as Haitian TPS court deadline arrives Monday
Miami-Dade Commissioner Marleine Bastien and Mayor Daniella Levine Cava rallied Saturday against the termination of Haitian Temporary Protected Status, which shields roughly 350,000 people nationally, as a federal court reprieve expires Monday, July 27.
Community
Free swim lessons available near Aventura as Florida child drownings hit record pace
Ana Nguyen, who lost her daughter Jenny to drowning in 2011, joined health organizations at a Fort Lauderdale press conference to warn families as Florida tracks toward its deadliest year for child drownings; her Swim for Jenny program offers free lessons at the Hallandale Beach YMCA near Aventura.
Business
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Boston's Bakey bakery opens minutes from Aventura, with local outpost planned
Bakey, a Boston-born kosher bakery specializing in fresh babka, opened its first South Florida location in Hallandale Beach on July 14, with co-owner Amir Vadash confirming plans for an Aventura outpost.
Business
Miami-Dade luxury home prices hit $3.61M average in Q2, up 22%
Miami-Dade County's luxury single-family home prices jumped nearly 22% to an average of $3.61 million in Q2 2026, with sales surging 32.5% to 1,000 transactions, according to a new report from The Keyes Company and Illustrated Properties.
About the Editor
About the Editor
About the Editor
Megan O'Neill
Megan O'Neill
Megan O'Neill
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©2026 Aventura Beacon
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