Miami Herald

Should Florida's electric companies be required to reward customers who install energy-efficient light bulbs, buy energy-saving appliances, replace inefficient windows or make other investments that save electricity? Full Story »

The Broward School Board may sign off on a more restrictive policy for lobbyists Tuesday, following a board member's arrest that called lobbyists' influence into question. Full Story »

A bicyclist was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Southwest Miami-Dade Monday night, police said. The man, whose name was not immediately released, died on the shoulder of the road in the 15300 block of Southwest 157th Avenue. He was riding home from work on a light-blue bicycle when he was struck by a car heading north, said Det. Roy Rutland, a Miami-Dade police spokesman. Full Story »

Barbara Kingsolver would like to thank you, Miami. As part of what she calls ``evangelizing for literature,'' the author of the beloved novels The Bean Trees and The Poisonwood Bible told a full house Monday night at Miami Book Fair International that ``the real beating heart of democracy is the place people love books. I salute you for your love of reading.'' Full Story »

Haiti and Guyana are the two countries in the Caribbean that are expected to post positive growth this year, despite a global economic crisis that sent financial shock waves through the region. Full Story »

Three of the five teenagers accused of setting fire to 15-year-old Michael Brewer of Deerfield Beach will be charged as adults, the Broward State Attorney's Office said Monday. Full Story »

For eight months Hollywood officials warned the owners of the Yellow Green Farmer's Market that they couldn't hold their grand opening until permit violations were addressed. Full Story »

A sex offender living under the Julia Tuttle Causeway has been cleared of accusations that he went to a park when children were present, violating state and county restrictions. Full Story »

A pilot was killed Sunday evening when his small plane crashed in the Everglades, authorities said. The man, whose name has not yet been relesed, was traveling from the Kendall-Tamiami Airport to Ocala, said Kathleen Bergen, spokeswoman from the Federal Aviation Administration. It's unclear what caused the plane to go down, but the crash was reported at 6:45 p.m. near mile marker 40 on ... Full Story »

A head-on crash Sunday morning in Miami Gardens has left one man dead and closed traffic on Northwest 199th Street. West-bound 199th Street is closed from Northwest 27th Avenue to the Turnpike entrance, Miami Gardens police said. Full Story »

More than 130 people were arrested after a team of law enforcement agencies swept across Broward County for two straight nights, ending early Saturday. Full Story »

A weakened Tropical Depression Ida was expected to emerge into hot Caribbean waters late Friday night and quickly regain strength as it moves north toward the United States and, possibly, landfall somewhere along Florida's Gulf Coast. Full Story »

Veterans thinking of going back to school are invited to an open house Monday at Broward College in Davie. Leading the event will be representatives from several organizations that provide services to veterans for education, healthcare and employment. Full Story »

And then there were two. Gabrielle Redfern eked past Alex Fernandez during a Friday morning recount, earning the challenger spot in a runoff for Miami Beach Commission Group 3. Full Story »

An estranged Miami-Dade couple are dead after a fight late Thursday that ended in gunfire. Police were called to a ``woman in distress'' at a home in the 19000 block of Northwest 57th Avenue, authorities said. Full Story »

The city of Hialeah will swear in its mayor and three City Council members during a noon ceremony at City Hall Friday. Julio Robaina, who was overwhelmingly reelected mayor Tuesday, will be sworn in alongside City Council President Carlos Hernandez and council members Luis Gonzalez and Katharine ``Katy'' Cue. Full Story »

With shrinking revenues and widening deficits, state lawmakers will be sharpening their budget axes when the Legislature meets in March. Odds are high that they'll once again target Florida Forever, the state's widely praised land preservation program. Full Story »

During a raid of the Fort Lauderdale offices of attorney Scott Rothstein, federal agents seized 44 boxes of documents, including settlement statements, bank records, Rothstein's flight itinerary to Morocco and the key to his Ferrari. Rothstein is under investigation for allegedly masterminding an investment scam that could reach hundreds of millions of dollars. Full Story »

Teachers in Pembroke Pines' charter schools will be getting their annual salary increases based on years of experience, after the Broward Teachers Union and city negotiators reached a tentative contract agreement Wednesday night. Full Story »

The University of Miami received two honors this week. It made the list of Kiplinger's 100 Best Values in Private Colleges for 2009-10. It was also recognized by the state as a ``Top Businesses for Commuters.'' Full Story »

Miami Herald staff writer Jennifer Lebovich contributed to this report. Full Story »

Hollywood commissioners on Wednesday fired the director of a taxpayer-funded agency that oversees beach redevelopment, citing massive financial mismanagement. Full Story »

Two men were injured in a police-involved shooting in downtown Fort Lauderdale Wednesday afternoon, authorities said. Both men were taken to Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale for treatment. Full Story »

Andrea Ivory will tell you that the worst thing that ever happened to her -- being diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago -- also proved to be the best thing that ever happened to her. Full Story »

Fort Lauderdale police are at the scene of a police-involved shooting that happened Wednesday afternoon in the city's downtown area. No details were available, but police cordoned off an area in the 300 block of Northwest First Avenue. Full Story »