Biscayne Bay Beacon
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Biscayne Bay Beacon
Biscayne Bay Beacon
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Officials at a podium inside a government commission chamber with a municipal seal on the wall.

Miami approves $3.7B budget, restores Grove festival funds

The Miami City Commission adopted a record $3.7 billion budget after a last-minute amendment reversed proposed cuts to festival funding, but the new structure leaves Coconut Grove's Goombay Festival allocation largely in the hands of one commissioner.

Officials at a podium inside a government commission chamber with a municipal seal on the wall.

Miami approves $3.7B budget, restores Grove festival funds

The Miami City Commission adopted a record $3.7 billion budget after a last-minute amendment reversed proposed cuts to festival funding, but the new structure leaves Coconut Grove's Goombay Festival allocation largely in the hands of one commissioner.

Officials at a podium inside a government commission chamber with a municipal seal on the wall.

Miami approves $3.7B budget, restores Grove festival funds

The Miami City Commission adopted a record $3.7 billion budget after a last-minute amendment reversed proposed cuts to festival funding, but the new structure leaves Coconut Grove's Goombay Festival allocation largely in the hands of one commissioner.

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Health

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Health

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Health

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Classroom bookshelves with a 'Read Banned Books' sign on a bulletin board.

Florida threatens M-DCPS funds over school library books

Florida Education Commissioner Henry Mack directed all school districts, including Miami-Dade County Public Schools, to proactively audit and remove sexually explicit books from libraries within 90 days or face the loss of state funds, grants and lottery money.

Education

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Education

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Education

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Man, computer, screen, desktop, imac, apple products, desktop computer, workspace, workplace, working, technology, indoo

Miami-Dade magnet applications move online Oct. 1

Miami-Dade County Public Schools magnet applications go fully online through the Parent Portal starting Thursday, Oct. 1, with a deadline of Jan. 15, 2027. The shift affects Key Biscayne and Coconut Grove families eyeing nearby magnet schools MAST and Carver Middle.

Two-story teal wooden building with white-trimmed windows surrounded by palm trees.

Proposed IRS rule threatens Ransom Everglades tax-exempt status

A proposed Treasury and IRS rule would strip tax-exempt status from private schools with race-based or DEI policies by May 2027, putting Ransom Everglades and its $8.5 million financial aid program squarely at risk.

Silvia Tarafa pitches educator's skills for Key Biscayne Council

Silvia Tarafa, a 37-year public education veteran and former Key Biscayne K-8 Center principal, is running for one of three open Village Council seats in the Nov. 3 election, pledging to rethink flood control, push utility undergrounding forward and demand more transparent governance.

A bright empty classroom with wooden tables and chairs, ready for students.

Key Biscayne K-8 middle school drops to 12 sixth-graders

Key Biscayne K-8 Center's middle school has just 52 students, with only 12 in sixth grade, as Education Advisory Board Chair Robert Duzoglou asks the Village Council to renegotiate the MAST Academy agreement and boost the school's budget ahead of a Sept. 8 hearing.

Multi-story academic building with a sign listing MAST @ FIU, surrounded by palm trees.

MAST @ FIU earns No. 31 spot in national public school rankings

MAST @ FIU, a magnet school popular with Key Biscayne families, ranked No. 31 nationally and No. 2 in Florida in U.S. News & World Report's latest best public high schools list, leading six Miami-Dade schools in the top 100.

Exterior entrance of MAST Academy with a glass-block tower and palm trees.

Key Biscayne board urges council to revisit MAST seat agreement

Key Biscayne's Education Advisory Board voted to ask the Village Council to revisit a 2012 agreement that gives qualified island students priority access to about 1,100 MAST Academy seats, citing just 50 middle-schoolers at KBK8 and a shift toward ninth-grade entry.

Wilson leads District 1 primary, heads to Nov. 3 runoff

Katrina Wilson finished first in the Aug. 18 Miami-Dade School Board District 1 primary and advances to a Nov. 3 runoff against Linda Cothiere, carrying a platform centered on an independent enrollment study, tackling absenteeism and charter-school accountability with direct implications for Key Biscayne K-8 and MAST Academy.

Public Safety

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Public Safety

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Public Safety

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Satellite view of a large hurricane spiral over the Atlantic Ocean near Florida.

King tides, rough seas bring rip current risk to Key Biscayne

The National Weather Service issued a high rip current risk and coastal flood statement for Miami-Dade's Atlantic coast through Saturday evening, as king tides and building seas create hazardous conditions for Key Biscayne boaters and beachgoers.

Multiple cloud-to-ground lightning bolts strike near a dark tree line at night.

Lightning near Key Biscayne surges 525% in September

Lightning near Miami has jumped 525% in early September compared to the 10-year average, with six deaths statewide and storms forecast through Sept. 22, prompting safety warnings for Key Biscayne boaters and beachgoers.

Satellite view of the Atlantic Ocean showing several swirling tropical storm systems.

Tropical Storm Dolly forms in eastern Atlantic, poses no threat to Key Biscayne

The National Hurricane Center began issuing advisories for Tropical Storm Dolly at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, with the storm located about 1,555 miles east of the Leeward Islands; forecasters expect it to weaken before reaching the islands this weekend, and no watches or warnings are in effect.

Turquoise ocean water seen from a wooden boardwalk with sea oats in the foreground.

Miami-Dade hauled record 9,000 tons of sargassum off beaches in July

Miami-Dade County removed a record 9,000 tons of sargassum from beaches including Key Biscayne's Crandon Park in July 2026, spending $3 million annually on cleanup, as county commissioners voted to seek faster state permits for mechanical removal at new hot spots.

Community

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Community

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Community

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Runners in race bibs jog along a road lined with orange traffic cones and a Road Closed sign.

Great Miami 10K closes Coconut Grove roads Oct. 4

Road closures on Douglas Road and Grand Avenue in Coconut Grove will block traffic from 6:30 to 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, as about 2,000 runners compete in the Great Miami 10K.

A white pickup truck drives through standing floodwater on a sunny urban street lined with palm trees.

King tides push Virginia Key water 2 feet above normal

King tides and weeks of rain drove the Virginia Key tide gauge to its fourth-highest reading on record Sunday, flooding South Florida streets with about 2 feet of water above normal, and more high tides are expected Monday morning and evening before conditions ease later in the week.

Tall white lighthouse surrounded by palm trees along a sandy pedestrian path.

Cape Florida bash unveils Bill Baggs journalism award Sept. 30

A birthday celebration for journalist Bill Baggs at Cape Florida State Park on Sept. 30 features lighthouse tours and the unveiling of a new fearless journalism award, while Commissioner Pardo hosts a zoning and flooding meeting the same evening and the Coconut Grove Sailing Club's fall regattas hit Biscayne Bay Oct. 17–18.

Blue roller coaster with riders at a theme park surrounded by palm trees.

Key Biscayne teachers get free SeaWorld admission through 2027

Florida-certified K-12 teachers at Key Biscayne K-8 Center, MAST Academy and other local schools can claim free unlimited SeaWorld Orlando admission through Sept. 2, 2027, by registering online, with a deadline for discounted guest tickets on Oct. 2.

Business

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Business

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Business

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Grove thrift shop gives $290K yearly amid rising rents

This 'N That, a 69-year-old thrift shop run by Plymouth Congregational Church on Commodore Plaza, distributes nearly $300,000 a year to local charities while selling $3 shirts — surviving Coconut Grove's luxury makeover because the church owns the building outright.

A close-up of a vibrant brunch scene featuring fresh berries, juice, and a diverse group of people.

Coconut Grove plans neighborhood-wide brunch event Sept. 20

The Coconut Grove Business Improvement District will host "Brunching in the Grove" on Sunday, Sept. 20, combining restaurant brunch deals, retail promotions and live music on McFarlane Road in an expansion of last year's inaugural National Brunch Day event.

Sports

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Sports

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Sports

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Tropical campus with a teal pagoda-style building, patio umbrellas, and palm trees.

Ransom Everglades freshman Hart wins Bobcat Invitational 5K title

Ransom Everglades freshman Juju Hart won the girls 5K at the Bobcat Invitational in 19:27.73, the program's first individual girls cross country title at a major invitational in at least a decade, while the Raiders placed four runners in the top 11 and finished second as a team.

Female field hockey players and a goalkeeper compete near a goal on a turf field.

Key Biscayne's Somigliana makes USA field hockey All-Star list

Key Biscayne Field Hockey Club center midfielder Elena Somigliana, a sophomore at Coral Gables Senior High, was named to the 2026 USA Field Hockey National Club Championship All-Star List after competing in the national tournament in Virginia Beach.

Three football players in helmets and pads run a blocking drill on a grass field.

Ransom Everglades reaches 4-0 after 39-14 win over Somerset

Sophomore quarterback Alfonso Llanes threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns as Ransom Everglades beat Somerset Pembroke Pines 39-14 on Sept. 17, pushing the Raiders to 4-0 heading into a district showdown with unbeaten Immaculata-La Salle on Friday.

From the Editor

From the Editor

From the Editor

Megan O'Neill

Megan O'Neill

Editor

Megan published her first poem in the Sun Sentinel at the age of 11 and has been locked in ever since. She attended UF and FIU and has a degree in Communication Arts. Her professional background includes photography, editing, writing, translation, and graphic design. Megan enjoys learning language, art and vegan foods.

Megan O'Neill

Megan O'Neill

Editor

Megan published her first poem in the Sun Sentinel at the age of 11 and has been locked in ever since. She attended UF and FIU and has a degree in Communication Arts. Her professional background includes photography, editing, writing, translation, and graphic design. Megan enjoys learning language, art and vegan foods.

Megan O'Neill

Megan O'Neill

Editor

Megan published her first poem in the Sun Sentinel at the age of 11 and has been locked in ever since. She attended UF and FIU and has a degree in Communication Arts. Her professional background includes photography, editing, writing, translation, and graphic design. Megan enjoys learning language, art and vegan foods.

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