Palm Beach County workers who hate their morning commute might be surprised to learn they may have it better than many of their fellow residents The average Palm Beach County worker's commute has barely changed compared with the year before the COVID-19 pandemic began But some areas' commutes are much longer than others Census Bureau asks millions of Americans annually a slew of questions about themselves as part of its annual American Community Survey It also asks people how long their daily commute to work takes how they get to work and what time they leave home The Census Bureau has collected responses across Palm Beach County Residents countywide who do not work from home reported on average it took them just over 26½ minutes to undefined The margin of error in both surveys was about 36 seconds Palm Beach County in 2023 had 721,000 workers Most of them — 70% — drove alone to their jobs 15% of Palm Beach County workers did their jobs from home in 2023 But that work-from-home figure had declined slightly from 17% in 2021 as residents countywide got vaccinated against COVID-19 and businesses required employees to work in person more the increase in working from home has led to fewer drivers on the road — more than 572,000 in 2023 About 76% of workers say their households have at least two vehicles The largest number of workers in the county — 28% — leave for their jobs between 7 and 8 a.m About 24% of workers leave home for their jobs before 7 About 10% of residents work outside the county Read on to see how long residents in each part of the county said it takes for them to get to work Residents living in and near Palm Beach County's southernmost line are more likely than people in any other part of the county to work from home and have shorter morning commutes Average morning commute: About 21 minutes and 30 secondsEstimated number of workers: More than 63,000Percent of people working from home: 22%Percent of people commuting more than half an hour: 27%Percent of people leaving for work before 7 a.m.: 14%Percent of people leaving for work between 7 and 9 a.m.: 55%Percent of people leaving for work at 9 a.m or later: 31%Percent of people who drive alone to work: 67%Percent of people working outside Palm Beach County: 2%Riviera Beach: Palm Beach County's industrial heartHome to most of Palm Beach County's factories lumber yards and a Florida Power & Light Co Riviera Beach residents have some of the shortest commutes of anyone in the 561 area code The West Palm Beach areaWorkers living in and around the biggest city in Palm Beach County have shorter commutes than many other residents in the county despite traffic jams on big roads such as Okeechobee Boulevard or Dixie Highway Average morning commute: Just over 23 minutesEstimated number of workers: Nearly 82,000Percent of people working from home: 10%Percent of people commuting more than half an hour: 29%Percent of people leaving for work before 7 a.m.: 29%Percent of people leaving for work between 7 and 9 a.m.: 46%Percent of people leaving for work at 9 a.m or later: 26%Percent of people who drive alone to work: 71%Percent of people working outside Palm Beach County: 5%Jupiter and communities in its orbitMany residents working from home plus fewer overall workers compared with other urbanized parts of Palm Beach County means shorter commutes for residents living in and around Jupiter Here is what commutes are like in the rural towns of Belle Glade on the western border of Palm Beach County Average morning commute: About 25 minutesEstimated number of workers: More than 11,000Percent of people working from home: Less than 2%Percent of people commuting more than half an hour: 35%Percent of people leaving for work before 7 a.m.: 42%Percent of people leaving for work between 7 a.m and 9 a.m.: 42%Percent of people leaving for work at 9 a.m or later: 16.5%Percent of people who drive alone to work: 68%Percent of people working outside Palm Beach County: 8%Lantana to Delray Beach and communities westResidents in this stretch of Palm Beach County have commutes in line with county averages This part of Palm Beach County covers Lake Worth Beach Haverhill and communities between those cities Wellington and State Road 7Even as working from home has grown fast in the growing communities west of Florida's Turnpike Most businesses in this part of Palm Beach County operate close to State Road 7 Residents of the semi-rural Jupiter Farms community in the 33478 ZIP code west of Jupiter proper are less likely to report long commutes compared with Acreage residents on the other side of Beeline Highway Ibis residents have county's longest commutesWith few big employers in this semi-rural stretch of Palm Beach County residents of The Acreage and its neighboring country club community Average morning commute: Just under 39 minutesNumber of workers: More than 15,000Percent of people working from home: 14%Percent of people commuting more than half an hour: 70%Percent of people leaving for work before 7 a.m.: 36%Percent of people leaving for work between 7 and 9 a.m.: 41%Percent of people leaving for work at 9 a.m or later: 23%Percent of people who drive alone to work: 79%Percent of people working outside Palm Beach County: 8%Chris Persaud covers transportation in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post TrendingDevelopment South FloridaARiviera Beach seeks developers for waterfront entertainment complexMarina Village site was previously slated to become a Margaritaville Hotel — which wasted away After plans for a Margaritaville-branded hotel fizzled out Riviera Beach’s Community Redevelopment Agency is once again seeking bids from developers to build a mixed-use commercial project on publicly owned waterfront land Riviera Beach officials this week posted the new bid request on Bidnet Direct an online platform for local government agency contract bids The request for qualifications seeks developers willing to design and maintain a mixed-use “destination” project with restaurant entertainment and hotel uses at Marina Village a 90-acre site by the Intracoastal Waterway beside an event space building The project would be built as part of a P3 public-private partnership with Riviera Beach The CRA, headed by Executive Director Gedel Merzius, was previously negotiating with a development team led by Atlanta-based APD Solutions that offered to build a five-story project, with 150 rooms, a 875-space parking garage, and 225,000-square feet of retail and restaurant in partnership with Margaritaville a resort company founded by the late singer Jimmy Buffett However, the project was put on hold in November after Margaritaville informed Rivera Beach officials that it had no deal with APD to build such a project. In response, an attorney for APD sent the city a letter of apology for prematurely sending a “draft letter” by mistake, according to a report from WPTV News Channel 5 in West Palm Beach. SIGN UPAPD Solutions did not immediately return a call requesting comment Although the city’s plans for a new entertainment complex were delayed a separate residential project slated to be built on what is now used as a surface parking lot for Marina Village is moving forward A pre-bid conference between CRA officials and prospective developers for the Marina Village project with restaurant The deadline for developers to submit proposals is June 27 (CBS12) — Police are looking for a missing teen from Riviera Beach on Friday The Riviera Beach Police Department (RBPD) is urgently seeking the public's assistance in locating Jada Felder a juvenile who was last seen in the early hours of April 23 Jada was last seen leaving her residence at 1244 W She was wearing a white shirt and black pants and was wrapped in a pink Hello Kitty blanket from head to toe Jada is described as being approximately 4 feet 9 inches tall and weighing around 120 pounds Surveillance footage captured Jada entering an unknown sedan shortly after she left her home Authorities have officially entered her as missing in the Florida Crime Information Center and the National Crime Information Center databases The police department urges anyone with information about Jada's whereabouts or who may have seen her to contact RBPD immediately at (561) 845-4123 "Please share and help us bring Jada home safely," said the department — In a process that's been anything but traditional the Riviera Beach City Council picked their mayor in a special meeting Monday night WPTV reporter Michael Hoffman at the meeting where Lawson was appointed and asked Lawson what day one will look like "Hit the ground running," Lawson told Hoffman "Get back to what we've been doing in the city for the last six years to continue to progress with infrastructure to make sure the resident's voices are heard and to make sure that they know we're going to be here for them WATCH: WPTV speaks with newly-elected mayor Douglas Lawson Last December, WPTV journalist Ethan Stein reported that five different candidates for Riviera Beach city government were removed from the ballot after paying to register their campaign with a debit card rather than a check from a campaign account Three candidates said they were advised by Debra Buff the former city clerk for Belle Glade and former president for the Florida City Clerk’s Association The removal of all the city's candidates for the mayoral race led to council selecting its city's mayor on Monday who was removed from the ballot when he was still on the city council said Buff was the reason he paid with a debit card rather than a check like previous times registering for the ballot Riviera Beach residents like Rochelle Baker-Hughes says she's frustrated that she doesn't have a say the city's future leader following various problems with the city's infrastructure and reports of a toxic environment within City Hall “We didn’t get the opportunity to maybe have a debate with the applicants who want to be Mayor and hear what they want to do.” Former Riviera Beach Mayor Ronnie Felder told WPTV he was removed from the ballot after paying with a bad check when he needed to switch his payment from a debit card “My recommendation would be to terminate [Jonathan Evans],” Felder said in November 2024 Every department in the city is upside-down.” City Manager Jonathan Evans said there was a discussion within city administration to hire “additional support” for the acting clerk during registration to ensure there were no problems He said he got a recommendation from Buff from an outside legal firm According to the city’s finance department there is no record of Buff being hired or compensation in any form WPTV reached out to Riviera Beach City Administration and has not sent back a comment by publication Scott Fitzgerald influenced the French Riviera—and travelers can still experience that part of history today A century ago, the French Riviera beach town of Juan-les-Pins was the playground of American expats who swam in the crystal-clear Mediterranean produced two novels: The Great Gatsby and Tender Is the Night Juan-les-Pins was once the countryside of Antibes all soft sand and the pine trees for which it’s named The town was formally established in 1882 when the first residences were built A casino was de rigueur for any French seaside town in the early 20th century, and the one in Juan-les-Pins opened in 1909. (Four years later, before World War I, it went bankrupt.) By the 1920s the town had become a favorite of writers, artists, and musicians; Cole Porter, Picasso many as guests of wealthy art patrons Sara and Gerald Murphy Today Juan-les-Pins is still a thriving beach town the 1920s Americans replaced by plenty of French and Italian vacationers stretched out along nearly 16 miles of Mediterranean coastline “In the streets around the train station bordering the Pinède [park], [you can] uncover beautifully decorated buildings from the 1920s and 30s,” says Maryline Bailly, a long-time Antibes resident and an organizer of jazz festivals Jammin’Summer and Jammin’ Juan She adds that the town “has a rich history and architectural heritage and is full of surprises for those who stroll and observe.” is only a five-minute drive from Juan-les-Pins This year, Juan-les-Pins and its neighbor Antibes are celebrating 100 years since the publication of The Great Gatsby and Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgeralds’ arrival in town. It’s also been a century since Picasso leaned into surrealism; you can see some of his work at the Picasso Museum in Antibes The sun shines year round in the French Riviera but June and July are set to be banner months for Juan-les-Pins and Antibes and early summer (along with September) is the best time to visit The days are long and the weather speaks for itself—bright blue skies A big bang happens early in June at the Hotel Belle Rives on June 5 with the Bal des Rêves a charity gala in support of oceanic protection and exploration From June 4 to 8 is the yearly sailing race Voiles d’Antibes which sees yachts racing across the Mediterranean nearby and locals thronging the coast for food Hotel Belle Rives will celebrate the birthday of iconic composer and songwriter Cole Porter a friend of the Fitzgeralds who played in what is now the hotel’s Bar Fitzgerald A jazz band will perform Porter’s greatest hits while the bar slings Jazz Era cocktails a literary prize honoring American writers such as Joyce Carol Oates Nominees this year include Rachel Kushner for Creation Lake The French know how to ring in the summer solstice, and the Fête de la Musique, held annually on June 21, will see free concerts across Juan-les-Pins and Antibes One of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe, Jazz à Juan (July 10–20) has been bringing musicians to town since 1960 play with the Mediterranean as the backdrop Whether families want to relax on the beach or take in the culture of Juan-les-Pins Photos by Alexandre Rotenberg/Shutterstock but school summer vacation in France doesn’t start until July 5 Come earlier and you’ll have plenty of sand to yourself The town is on the train line that runs along the Cote d’Azur, from Cannes east to Ventimiglia in Italy. It’s 25 minutes from Nice, 7 minutes from Cannes, and 2 from its neighbor Antibes. These TER trains require no reservations and run roughly every 15 minutes from 6 a.m There are a handful of restaurants along the beach, but I tend to stop at L’Epicerie Italienne for picnic fare then spread out on the sand to watch the sun set AFAR participates in affiliate marketing programs which means we may earn a commission if you purchase an item featured on our site.© 2025 AFAR LLC Riviera Beach continues to pursue its plans for new mooring fields in the Lake Worth Lagoon — and Palm Beach officials plan to keep fighting the proposal Palm Beach's neighbor to the northwest wants to create three separate mooring fields one south of the Lake Worth Inlet and about 500 feet from the North End That differs from Riviera Beach's previous proposal which pitched two mooring fields instead of three Public Works Director Paul Brazil told the Town Council at the March 4 meeting As Riviera Beach seeks permits that would pave the way for the mooring fields and an expansion of the city's marina town officials shared their aversion to the proposal "The town has lodged some strong objections with Riviera Beach's ability to support the marina in terms of both patrol and upland facilities," Brazil said A mooring field is an area in a body of water where boats can be fixed to moorings instead of a dock Plans for the Riviera Beach mooring fields show a grid of buoys that would be anchored to the bottom of the lagoon north and south of the inlet According to a permit application filed with the U.S the south mooring field is proposed to have 100 spots for vessels across 208 acres It would extend from near Arabian Road in the north to its south end near Garden Road The existing restroom and pump-out facilities in the Riviera Beach Marina would serve the mooring field Palm Beach staff believe those facilities would not support the increased number of users Town staff sent opposition only to the part of Riviera Beach's proposal that lies south of the inlet and within the limits of Palm Beach Riviera Beach needs a permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection a separate permit from the Army Corps and a state submerged-land lease from Florida Public comment on the Army Corps permit application ended in April 2023 Both permits are in the application process and the state permit application was declared inactive after first being denied in September and then reopened earlier this year The town could again consider legal intervention if either the state or Army Corps issue a notice that they intend to approve the permit Many North End residents are concerned about the project and are watching it closely Council President Bobbie Lindsay asked whether officials should be concerned "We should not be worried," Town Manager Kirk Blouin said noting that the state permit application is inactive "They are in the first step of the process but we will continue to monitor it and will update you." At least one council member lodged her own opposition to the mooring fields following the March 4 meeting "I do not believe that their planned mooring fields will be adequately patrolled or serviced," Council Member Bridget Moran told the DEP in a March 11 email that was included in the permit application's online document portal "I also do not see the environmental benefits of allowing more to moor I am concerned about noise and light pollution as well as boaters who tender to our privately owned docks (already happening)." Those who wish to comment on the mooring fields permit applications should email geneva.alpert@floridadep.gov Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism BOCA RATON — Aden Perry was 17 years old when he heroically died trying to save a man from drowning is doing what she can to prevent anything similar from happening again every other child that has lost their life in the water About two years ago, Perry started an initiative to install life rings in waterways to prevent drownings, a move inspired by her son. Through her, the Aden Perry Foundation has since donated close to 500 life rings across South Florida The latest was installed at Boca Raton's South Inlet park May 1 "I didn't invent the life ring," Perry said Delray Beach: City's annual Pride Festival will go on, but officials worried about finances The installation of the life ring buoy station at South Inlet Park comes through a partnership between the Aden Perry Foundation and the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department At the May 1 unveiling, Ocean Rescue personnel performed a mock rescue in the inlet It included a jet-ski deployment with a victim and a rescue swimmer on standby while another guard demonstrated the proper use of the ring buoy station by throwing the life ring to assist the victim can be easily accessed by people of any age 'We're all in this together': Live Spanish translation the star of this 'High School Musical' production from the youngest child to grandma or grandpa can use one of my life rings to save a life," Perry said We install them at a height where they are easily accessible to a child or an adult instructions at the buoy stations encourage people to dial 911 And they state that the rescue rings are for emergency use only "It's important that somebody can grab them and go," Perry said emphasizing the instructions for people to throw the life rings rather than jump into the water themselves "Every second counts in a water emergency." SunFest: Will annual celebration return to West Palm Beach? First, ‘something’s got to change,’ director says South Inlet Park's buoy station isn't the only one residents in Palm Beach County will see this summer Three more of the stations were recently installed at Ocean Inlet Park in Boynton Beach Phil Foster Park in Riviera Beach and Jupiter Beach Park The initiative supports National Water Safety Month observed annually in May to raise awareness about water safety and drowning prevention Drowning is the primary cause of injury-related deaths in kids between the ages of 1 and 4 but it really means adult supervision at all times in some form," Fox-Levine said Fox-Levine suggests that parents enroll children older than age 1 in swim lessons she recommends a four-sided fence surrounding the pool with an automatic locking gate that should always be closed Fox-Levine also encourages all parents to learn CPR "You could really just Google 'CPR classes,'" she said 'City knew this was wrong': New 8-story Boynton affordable housing complex rankles neighbors was walking her dog with her son the night he died He had jumped into a lake where a driver had just landed "He had a heart to give back and make a difference Perry described Aden as the type of kid who always wanted to help others It's a prestigious honor given by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission for civilian acts of heroism in the United States and Canada Perry hopes to see her life ring initiative expand far beyond South Florida "I would like to take this anywhere and everywhere that I possibly can," Perry said and criminal mischief for damaging the holding cell panel (CBS12) — A convicted felon assumed his "charges would be dropped" after he told police he "accidentally" shot a woman The Riviera Beach Police Department (RBPD) said Allen Miller was arrested on April 29 following a shooting incident at the Azure Estates apartment complex where officers responded to reports of a shooting victim was shot in the arm while sitting in her vehicle with her friends There were also children reported in the vehicle during what was described as "horseplay," fired a shot through the front windshield Surveillance footage confirmed Miller's actions The arrest report stated that an officer observed Miller attempting to flee the scene upon arrival Miller was apprehended and found in possession of a firearm which he allegedly attempted to discard into a dried canal bank The victim and witnesses provided sworn statements with the victim stating the shooting occurred during playful banter and was accidental A witness told investigators that prior to the shooting people in the group were joking around when someone said to Miller I'm gonna run you over." According to the statment who had been walking in front of the vehicle the severity of the incident led to felony charges being filed "I don't care because the charges will be dropped." However including surveillance footage and witness statements The Department of Children and Families was notified due to the involvement of minors The arrest underscores the serious consequences of mishandling firearms It’s Instagram official: Mulligan’s Beach House Bar & Grill shut its Singer Island location we say goodbye to Mulligan's Beach House in Singer Island we still have three fantastic locations in Jensen Wishing the new owners all the best as they embark on their journey!" was also posted to the restaurant's Facebook page April 28 Management said gift cards will be honored at other locations but no information was provided about the new owners It’s one of the rare waterfront restaurants anywhere to stay open every day and night from breakfast through dinner the mini-chain was founded in 1997 by George Hart whose goal was to serve fresh affordable seafood to locals in a beautiful waterfront setting Its most recent health inspection was March 11 a follow-up visit after high priority violations were cited The restaurant is one of several oceanfront businesses at Ocean Walk As the Post previously reported that plaza is northern Palm Beach County’s sole retail space with shops restaurants and bars directly next to a public beach access Other restaurant and food tenants include Seaview Bagel Not the first saleIn 2016, Nation’s Restaurant News considered a must-read trade magazine for the hospitality industry reported that JPB Capital Partners had acquired a majority interest in what was then a six-unit restaurant group Three Florida outposts remain open in Sebastian According to Post archives Mulligan’s Beach House Bar & Grill made history in 2012 as “the first business to open its doors in the new $6 million casino building at Lake Worth Beach." Diana Biederman is the Palm Beach Post's new food and restaurant writer. If you have any news tips about the local dining scene, please send them to dbiederman@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today. Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Feds and cops bust 20-year-old; seize firearms marijuana in major crackdownby Skyler Shepard The Riviera Beach Police Department (RBPD) said it worked with the U.S Marshals to execute a search warrant at 1650 West 14th Street which led to the arrest of 20-year-old Jarel Howard (CBS12) — A 20-year-old man was arrested after local and federal agencies recovered multiple illegal firearms and narcotics from a home in Riviera Beach on Thursday See also: 73-year-old man accused of stabbing brother, slashing wrong tire Following the discovery of the drugs and guns police said Jarel Howard was arrested and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail for felon in possession of a firearm carrying a concealed weapon–unlawful carry These establishments are packing mom-love with champagne and blue crabs made-to-order omelets and full dessert bars While most of the specials center on a brunch menu there are a few dinner dining opportunities There's also a Mother's Day tea and a fashion show Moms can enjoy a complimentary glass of champagne before indulging in one of two specials The blue crab stack features jumbo lump crap frisee salad and a Cajun bloody mary sauce for $28 The stuffed yellowtail snapper is filled with shrimp and roasted corn and served with braised greens and roasted fingerling potatoes for $42 Details: 1116 Love St., Jupiter. luckyshuckjupiter.com The BeaconTake brunch to the next level with the 12-ounce marinated skirt steak and vegetable omelet dressed in a rich hollandaise sauce for $38 Elevate a traditional breakfast dish with the shrimp and grits featuring chimichurri char-grilled tiger prawns with cheesy grits for $32 consider the lobster risotto for $45 or pasta agnolotti with salmon Details: 1116 Love St., Jupiter. thebeaconjupiter.com five-star dining destination will offer an elevated brunch from 11 a.m with dishes including their avocado "croast" featuring crushed avocado hollandaise sauce and parmesan cheese on a buttery croissant for $28 Mother's Day dinner specials will be available from 5 to 9 p.m dressed in a roasted red pepper pesto and leek aioli for $32 or the surf & turf option tournedos & king crab featuring juicy tenderloin and king crab complemented with roasted garlic pomme puree and sherry-garlic butter for $98 Detail: 1000 N. US 1, Jupiter. 561-570-1000; 1000north.com The Jupiter GrillThey will host a Mother's Day brunch from 11 a.m raw bar and a 'full brunch buffet.' There will also be drink specials for mom on her big day including the Bottomliss Bliss for $25 It will allow mom to mix and match endless Aperol spritz cocktails passionfruit or blackberry) and Jupiter bloody mary's Details: 149 Soundings Ave., Jupiter. thejupitergrill.com Serving up Swedish-American food and craft cocktails this Gardens destination will host a special Mother’s Day brunch between 11 a.m Menu highlights include råraka with Swedish caviar (Swedish style caviar served on a butter fried potato pancake) for $24 potato purée) for $26 amongst other selections Details: 5300 Donald Ross Road, Palm Beach Gardens. waxins.com/waxins-palm-beach-gradens Treat mom to a coastal brunch at this seaside destination It will feature an appetizer station with an eight-foot charcuterie board A seafood display will be packed with crab The crudité display will be crafted with local vegetables and homemade baba ghanoush Main course dishes will include herb-crusted striploin with horseradish cream and jus and roasted chicken with a tangy chicken jus Brunch will also feature a pasta station and plenty of breakfast favorites with made-to-order omelets and build-your-own waffles The dessert station will include key lime pie limited-time seasonal desserts including the whimsical Not Your Grandma’s Garden Details: 3800 N. Ocean Drive, Riviera Beach. onacoastalcuisine.com this brunch will feature complimentary mimosas or bloody marys for moms with the option of turning those bottomless for $18 Classic breakfast favorites will also be available such as stuffed French toast The carving station will offer Dijon-roasted salmon and herb-crusted prime rib served with mashed potatoes and ginger-garlic broccolini Details: 951 US 1, North Palm Beach. northpalmbeachcc.com/the-clubhouse has put together a brunch menu for Mother's Day "The Bucc's" brunch menu will include everything spiced avocado toast and a cream cheese drizzle; banana foster French toast made with brioche drizzled with bourbon caramel; the crabcake benedict featuring an English muffin basil hollandaise sauce; the horiatiki salad with English cucumber and red wine vinaigrette with protein options including fish or lobster; lobster empanadas; brick-oven pizzas and a full raw bar Details: 142 Lake Drive, Palm Beach Shores. buccgrill.com More: Iconic Singer Island waterfront restaurant resurrected, helmed by 'Hell's Kitchen' winner this restaurant features gourmet bites and live music and will offer a special Mother's Day brunch from 11 a.m Details: 2020 Banyan Resort Way, West Palm Beach. marriott.com West Palm Beach's newest waterfront restaurant will offer delicious brunch offerings along with their specialty cocktail as well mimosas and Bloody Mary’s for a la carte prices Details: 4050 N. Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach. lamarinawestpalm.com More: New waterfront restaurant in West Palm Beach offers views, coastal cuisine In addition to their celebrated Italian brunch on Mother's Day guests can enjoy unlimited mimosas bottomless bloody and infinite Aperol spritzes for $18 (choose one) at both the West Palm Beach and Delray Beach locations Details: 185 Banyan Blvd., West Palm Beach and 32 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 561-342-6699; 561-560-6699; elisabettas.com Chef Mike Burgio has crafted a beautiful three-course price-fixe brunch to let moms feel the love and appreciation The entrée course will include a choice of smoked salmon omelet dig into dessert with either rum raisin bread pudding Details: 101 N. Clematis St., West Palm Beach. pistachewpb.com Celebrating over 25 years at the iconic shopping and dining destination CityPlace City Cellar will offer multiple specials for mom on her big day There will be free mimosas with any entrée purchase; lobster bisque for $9.50; quiche lorraine with spinach-berry salad for $22; oscar-style omelete with lump crab feta and hollandaise for $24; brown butter lobster ravioli for $44; pecan sticky buns for $9; bundt cake trio (banana blueberry with vanilla glaze) for $15 and more Details: 700 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach. citycellarwpb.com Don't miss out on an unforgettable brunch experience complete with live entertainment from 10 a.m The lavish buffet will feature everything from a made-to-order omelet station and live Parilla grill to an opulent raw bar loaded with crab oysters and smoked salmon and a decadent dessert display Details: 600 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. 561-231-6000; hiltonwestpalmbeach.com salads and more shop will offer a buffet brunch from 11 a.m bacon and sausages along with assorted mini desserts There will also be complimentary mimosas and bellinis Details: 1401 Clare Ave., West Palm Beach. cesart-boutique-delights.square.site Treat mom like royalty with a swanky and decadent dining experience at Pink Steak three-course Mother’s Day brunch menu features the choice of one item per course First course options include lobster Rangoon Main course offerings include a wild mushroom & gruyere crepe 8-ounce truffle butter filet or steak & eggs Decadent dessert options are chocolate fondant cake warm white chocolate matcha cake and raspberry sorbet Adults $149 (includes a glass of champagne for all moms) ages 11 and younger $39 for an entrée and dessert Details: 2777 S Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach. pinksteak.com This southern outpost along the 'Dixie Corridor' will offer a special menu for mom on her big day The uscan salad is $18 and features arugula sun-dried tomato and olives with lemon dressing The eggplant stak is $32 and includes eggplant cutlets basil and fresh mozzarella stacked on a bed of arugula The crab leek stuffed ravioli comes with yellow tomato sauce and fresh pesto for $32 moms can dig into Dubai chocolate cheesecake made with pistachio ice cream shredded toasted phyllo and chocolate cheesecake for $14 Details: 6611 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach. cafemedwpb.com In addition to a complimentary glass of champagne or cocktail for moms The House will offer a special prix fixe brunch featuring an appetizer and entrée from their menu for $36 Guests can choose from appetizers like monkey bread and brown sugar; chilled market oysters; margherita pizza; conch chowder and more For entrées consider the shrimp & avocado toast; The House breakfast and parmesan potato dauphine; Florida lobster omelet; blueberry waffles; or The House burger Details: 7301 Georgia Ave., West Palm Beach. thehousewestpalm.com This Argentinian-influenced restaurant concept will offer a prix fixe menu all day on Saturday The special three-course menu will include a choice of appetizer like their USDA prime center-cut sirloin and a dessert plus a complimentary glass of house sparkling wine Details: 116 N.E. Sixth Ave., Delray Beach. 561-450-6101; novecento.com More: Popular Argentinian steakhouse concept from Miami new in Delray Beach - What to know this Atlantic Avenue hot spot will serve up fan favorite dinner dishes this Mother’s Day Guests can indulge in elaborate seafood concoctions like the shrimp & scallops boke Save room for old fashioned creamy key lime pie Details: 213 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 561-272- 0220; cityoysterdelray.com located within Morikami Museum and Japanese Garden will offer two featured dishes for Mother's Day: purple sweet potato croquettes served with a creamy wasabi dipping sauce for $8 and a decadent strawberry roll cake served with chocolate-drenched pocky sticks Museum admission is required to visit the restaurant Details: 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach. 561-495-0233; morikami.org Transport your mom to a different time with several specials at this acclaimed French-Vietnamese restaurant For small plates their will be sui cao bi ngo Their large plate specials will include banh quiche chay The dessert special is a cherry almond tart coconut ice cream and toasted almonds for $15 Details: 601 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. lecolonial.com/delray-beach This premier chocolatier specializing in edible artistry has curated 10 new flavors for Mother's Day The limited-edition Mother's Day Collection includes sweet tea It is a French strawberry vanilla cake lavishly garnished with edible chocolate tulips white chocolate Chantilly and chocolate decorations They have Palm Beach County locations in Delray Beach and Boca Raton (opening in May) Details: 1911 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach; 21200 St. Andrews Blvd., Boca Raton. normanloveconfections.com Louie Bossi’s RistoranteElisabetta’s brother restaurant bottomless bellinis and infinite Aperol spritzes for $18 Details: 100 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton. 561-336-6699; louiebossi.com "Mangia with Mama" at Mia Rosebud with inspired dishes including shrimp de jonghe featuring plump gulf shrimp with fresh herbs and Madeira wine for $35; dover sole almondine presented with lemon and roasted almonds (deboned tableside) for $70; local red snapper with cherry tomatoes and EVOO for $65; 16-ounce prime rib with natural au jus and a baked potato for $65; filet mignon marsala with three four-ounce filet medallions cremini mushrooms and a rich marsala sauce for $58; and finally Italian ricotta cheesecake for $15 mothers will be given complimentary long-stemmed roses and glasses of Prosecco Details: 150 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton. 561-462-3000; rosebudrestaurants.com/our-locations/mia-rosebud Abe & Louie’s is celebrating Mother’s Day with a special weekend menu on Saturday guests can choose from a variety of benedicts including the Abe & Louie’s with smoked ham and béarnaise for $20 the crab cake topped with Old Bay hollandaise for $25 or the filet mignon with béarnaise for $23 Omelet options include the ham & gruyère for $19 the crab & asparagus with goat cheese and hollandaise for $26 spinach & tomato with Swiss cheese for $17 If mom's got a sweet tooth she (or anyone in the party) can enjoy caramelized banana French toast with maple syrup and pecans for $16 or crispy chicken & waffles with cinnamon-honey butter for $22 The cocktail menu features the grand mimosa with Grand Marnier or a mimosa or bellini for $14 per glass or $25 bottomless the land & sea entrée features filet mignon with oven-roasted parmesan tomato and asparagus enjoy the chocolate raspberry crème brûlée for $14 Details: 2200 Glades Road, Boca Raton. abeandlouies.com May 9 at The Ben in downtown West Palm Beach this event will feature a discussion with Morrison author of "Three Minutes For Mom," along with champagne Tickets are $95 and must be purchased by May 9 Details: 251 N. Narcissus Ave., West Palm Beach. thebenevents.com/event-details/tea-tales Want to help mom truly relax on her special day How about some quality time amidst 20-acres of beautifully landscaped and maintained gardens Enjoy this special day with free admission for moms Details: 531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach. mounts.org Held at The Mall at Wellington Green from 11 a.m this annual event celebrating moms will feature a fashion show The fashion show portion will feature clothing and accessories from numerous mall retailers Details: 10300 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington. 561-227-6900; shopwellingtongreen.com in partnership with the Downtown Merchant & Business Association will offer a free phalaenopsis orchid to shoppers who spend $200 or more at downtown Delray Beach business between May 1 and 10 These beautiful gifts for mom (or yourself especially if you're a mom) can be picked up at A Little Wyld Details: 561-243-1077; downtowndelraybeach.com/mothersday Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today (CBS12) — A woman is getting a fresh new coat of paint on her Riviera Beach home thanks to CBS12's "Sinclair Day of Service." The CBS12 News Team has joined forces with the United Way of Palm Beach County for the Solid Wast Authorities mission called the "Paint Your Heart Out." has lived in her residence for 21 years and has long desired an update With the help of volunteers from CBS12 and resources from Paint Your Heart Out Palm Beach County Although Pauline has not been home during the project her sister Yvonne Peck expressed her excitement "It's something good — she needed a facelift Now she has the chance to make that possible," Yvonne said thrilled for her sister to return and see the changes The exterior of her home is being painted in a fresh Beach Beige with Autumn Brown trim using recycled paint donated by the Solid Waste Authority See also: Best Buddies take over Dr. Garcia High School Pauline and her family cherish their time together during the holiday season in this home and this year’s celebration is sure to be especially memorable This initiative is part of a larger effort in partnership with Rebuilding Together of the Palm Beaches and Paint Your Heart Out Palm Beach County The organizations offer free repairs and paint jobs for qualifying homes applicants must be Palm Beach County residents with dozens of applications submitted each time the Vice President of United Way of Palm Beach County said and more than 7,000 gallons of recycled paint were donated for various community projects Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day's top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can't miss video Some disabled Palm Beach County residents fear being left stranded by Palm Tran cutting its main paratransit service area but the public bus operator is trying to reassure handicapped riders it would not end service for them Palm Tran will restrict its buses for disabled people to three quarters of a mile from regular routes Palm Beach County commissioners unanimously approved that plan during their April 8 meeting Handicapped riders at the meeting said they feared that the new plan would make it impossible for some passengers to get rides But Palm Tran officials said April 24 that the agency would contract with private companies to pick up disabled passengers uses buses run by the agency to pick up disabled people from virtually anywhere in Palm Beach County east of State Road 7 would leave out communities in eastern Jupiter and Juno Beach along with Singer Island in Riviera Beach and many neighborhoods west of Military Trail and south of Forest Hill Boulevard The Americans With Disabilities Act requires public transportation agencies across the United States to provide rides within three-quarters of a mile of transit routes Palm Tran says it will work with companies such as Uber Lyft and UZURV to help people outside Palm Tran Connection's smaller service area will have wheelchair-accessible buses run by those companies Palm Tran spokeswoman Janessa Croce said Thursday Scheduling trips with the new service will be "similar" to the current one, Croce said. Passengers book trips online at passweb.palmtran.org or through the Palm Tran Connection smartphone app Anyone who wants to sign up for Palm Tran's paratransit service must start by calling the service's eligibility department at 561-649-9838 pressing option 7 and asking to speak with an "Eligibility Representative." Palm Tran Connection users book trips on the website Handicapped riders express fear of losing serviceDuring the April 8 County Commission meeting Palm Tran Connection riders voiced their fears of losing service after the bus agency officials told county commissioners that their new plan would save the agency money Palm Tran's new plan "states we are going to cover the three-quarters of a mile and those of us who truly need the service will get the service but I feel like this plan should be placed on hold for the moment and we should have some community meetings to figure out an alternative," said Nicole Fincham-Sheehan "I also feel that the municipalities should step up and contribute to the cost of paratransit," she said Palm Tran officials discussed paratransit changes during their Feb Palm Tran spends $55 million annually on paratransit agency director of administrative services Lyne Johnson told county commissioners Palm Tran's budget is more than $300 million The agency did not provide an estimate on how much money it would save with Connection Plus Palm Tran's Connection Plus program won't be the first time the public bus operator has contracted out rides to private companies Palm Tran cut three regular bus routes in September and launched its BusLink service paying for Uber and taxi rides to and from parts of Palm Beach Gardens Boca Raton and Royal Palm Beach in September Last September: Palm Tran cut 3 bus routes, replaced them with Uber and taxis. Paratransit passengers who have disabilities but can walk and can ride regular Palm Tran buses will be given rides to and from the nearest bus stop if they are outside the three-quarter-mile zone Palm Tran Executive Director Ivan Maldonado said Palm Tran Connection's one-way fare will rise to $4 The paratransit service has charged $3.50 since 2013 That fare would remain the same for riders reporting incomes below the federal poverty line More than 18,000 people rode Palm Tran Connection in 2024 with 1,649 outside the three-quarter-mile zone "The customers understand now that this is partly on them to try to compromise because we have been giving them so much throughout the years and that's why we've invited them to the meetings we've invited them to the table to talk," Palm Tran Senior Paratransit Manager Lou Ferri said Chris Persaud covers transportation in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post A Riviera Beach man is accused of felony battery after brutally breaking a woman's eye socket over 'grill parts.' (RBPD) (CBS12) — A Riviera Beach man is accused of felony battery after brutally breaking a woman's eye socket over "grill parts." a Riviera Beach Police Department (RBPD) officer responded to a call that a 64-year-old woman wanted to report an assault The victim told the officer that three days earlier kicked down her door and violently assaulted her The victim told police that the attack was carried out after Wilson accused her of stealing parts of their grill RBPD says evidence corroborated the details of the victim's account According to the criminal probable cause affidavit when the victim grabbed a metal pan from the kitchen When she managed to grab her phone to dial 911 See also: 78-year-old woman killed by reversing truck in Lake Worth driveway She informed officers that Wilson uttered "Oh I'm finna show you how to be my woman." running out of the residence and across the street Mary's Medical Center where doctors say she received a fracture to her left eye's orbital floor and orbital wall A third roommate told police she witnessed Wilson pin down the victim and she saw the victim's eye swollen and bleeding when she returned to the residence A patrol vehicle located Wilson on March 1 pulling him over and talking him into custody near 300 W 20th Street Wilson was subsequently booked on counts of felony battery resulting from bodily harm Riviera Beach leaders have appointed a former City Council member as the city's new mayor who served two terms on the council before a paperwork error last year thwarted his bid for a third was picked by his former colleagues as the city’s ceremonial leader The mayor is an elected position, but the city found itself in an unusual position this year when all three candidates were declared ineligible Mayor Ronnie Felder and challengers Kendra Wester and Kendrick Wyly all paid their filing fees to run with a debit card last year State law requires election filing fees to be paid by a check drawn from an official campaign bank account All three candidates were ruled ineligible along with Lawson and two other City Council candidates With no eligible mayoral candidates after the filing deadline passed An application period was opened from March 26 to April 4 including applications from the three disqualified candidates But it was Lawson who council members selected The founder of a tax preparation business, Lawson said in his application letter that he was “eager for the opportunity to continue serving the people of Riviera Beach.” “With a deep understanding of the city's challenges and opportunities I am committed to advancing policies that support small businesses and enhance the overall quality of life for our residents,” he wrote Lawson was also involved in a physical altercation last year with another council member The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigated and found probable cause existed to charge both men with simple battery The case was dropped after both men agreed not to pursue charges RIVIERA BEACH NEWS: Bruce Guyton unseats Tradrick McCoy; Shirley Lanier wins third term Like most small and mid-size Florida cities Riviera Beach has a “weak-mayor system” in which the mayor has few administrative powers But Riviera Beach’s mayor does not vote as or form part of the City Council though he or she does have some veto powers and ability to take disciplinary actions Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at amarra@pbpost.com Three candidates filed last year to be Riviera Beach’s next mayor Somehow none of the three — including the current mayor — managed to do so correctly under the state’s exacting rules for paying filing fees After a lawsuit and an appellate court ruling in December all three would-be candidates — Mayor Ronnie Felder and challengers Kendra Wester and Kendrick Wyly — were declared ineligible Now, the city of 39,000 is facing an unusual situation: no eligible candidates to be its ceremonial leader in the March 11 election. When city voters go to the polls, the mayor’s race will not be on the ballot With the mayor’s office set to be vacant after the election the city commission plans to appoint someone to the position in April Any adult Riviera Beach resident who’s interested in the job will be able to apply by submitting a resume a letter of interest and proof of residency with no apparent precedent in recent times “It’s the first time that I know of that the board has selected a mayor,” she said The appointed mayor would serve for only two years City voters will be able to elect a mayor in March 2027 — the next city general election the brief absence of a mayor would not significantly affect the city’s operations Riviera Beach’s mayor does not vote as or form part of the city council though the mayor does have some veto powers and ability to take disciplinary actions Riviera Beach election: Political dreams dashed by debit cardsThe trouble that led to a mayor-less election started in November when the deadline approached for filing to run which is not a legally permissible way to pay under state law Courts have ruled that state law requires election filing fees to be paid by a check drawn from an official campaign bank account The two-term mayor realized his error before the deadline expired But Felder later told WPTV NewsChannel 5 that in his haste to correct his error deactivated campaign account and the check bounced Felder did not respond to messages seeking comment this week also filed to run and paid their filing fees in November with debit cards along with three candidates for city council seats Felder and a sitting city council member filed a lawsuit alleging Wester Wyly and the three city council candidates were ineligible to run because of their use of debit cards to pay and an appeals court upheld his decision in late December The March 11 city elections will now feature only two races with two candidates in each challenger Bruce Guyton faces incumbent Tradrick McCoy incumbent Shirley Lanier faces challenger challenger Cedrick Thomas Hall said the city will be accepting applications for mayor from March 26 to April 4 The applications must be hand-delivered to city hall RIVIERA NEWS: Why Riviera Beach could be a gem of a place to live in the future despite past struggles The council is tentatively scheduled to choose a mayor from the applicants April 16 “I haven’t received any feedback about who might be interested in submitting their resume and letter of interest.” ELECTION 2025: A city-by-city guide to the upcoming Palm Beach County municipal races Riviera Beach Police cracked down on probation violators with a Friday sweep that took down two alleged drug traffickers (CBS12) — Riviera Beach Police cracked down on probation violators with a Friday sweep that took down two alleged drug traffickers Multiple agencies collaborated with Riviera Beach Police (RBPD) to prevent criminals from slipping through the cracks of the probation system The operation resulted in narcotics seizures Search warrants were obtained for the residences of 23-year-old Deandre Watts and 49-year-old Gregory Gribble where police say a substantial amount of crystal methamphetamine and cocaine were located Both Watts and Gribble were booked for trafficking narcotics "We are aggressively pursuing subjects who have victimized the citizens of Riviera Beach for too long," said Riviera Beach Police Chief Michael Coleman "We will continue to seek justice and utilize every resource within the judicial system to keep our community safe." The operation was a joint effort between RBPD The Riviera Beach Police Department (RBPD) said at around 5:30 p.m. officers responded to reports of a child not breathing at the Sands Hotel & Resort at 2401 Beach Court officers found the 5-year-old was receiving medical attention from paramedics Mary's Medical Center in critical condition (CBS12) — A child left alone in a hotel room in Riviera Beach died after ingesting methamphetamine on Sunday The Riviera Beach Police Department (RBPD) said at around 5:30 p.m., officers responded to reports of a child not breathing at the Sands Hotel & Resort at 2401 Beach Court the child succumbed shortly after ingesting the substance RBPD said the child's mother — identified as 37-year-old Heather Opsincs — had left the child alone in the hotel room where the child was able to get ahold of and ingest the drug Several people who live near the area agreed to speak with CBS12 One person said parents should be more responsible "I mean that shouldn’t have happened at all Another person said the area is overall a pretty safe “It’s a real nice area and obviously if you go a couple blocks south it’s Palm Beach Shores Property values are up there," he said "It’s like once you get to the riviera beach section of stinger island at least this portion where the hotel is it just seems to bring the whole area down.” but used to live not too far from where the incident took place “Drugs are so bad these days," Vigianni said "Nothing surprises me anymore with drugs.” Opsincs was arrested and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail for aggravated manslaughter in connection with her child's death "extended its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the child during this difficult time." and additional information will be provided as it becomes available Riviera Beach is trying hard to outrun its "two-steps-forward-three-steps-back" image This city of 38,000 residents has the close-knit sense of community and civic pride that is second-to-none in Palm Beach County those qualities are undermined by some of the hijinks of its city government — from the cover-up fines and embarrassment of its aging water treatment plant the abrupt suspension of its city manager who has already been fired and then re-hired by the council and the scuffle in the parking lot between two councilmen at the end of a city hall meeting It's typically hard to go against an incumbent particularly one who is as experienced and knowledgeable about his community as Tradrick McCoy But it's his temperament that's been the problem and an opponent who has a proven track record in Riviera Beach The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board recommends voters elect Bruce A He's worked as a Palm Beach County employee for more than 20 years and four years with the town of Royal Palm Beach He currently serves as the vice-chair of the city's Planning and Zoning Board as a member of the Riviera Beach City Council The experience in government and on the council will help the city address a variety of issues ranging from the city's problems associated with its water treatment plant filling key vacancies in city administration and re-igniting the long-delayed marina project Guyton would make the water treatment plant his number one priority followed by addressing low employee morale and working to make progress in the marina project He'd also work with the private sector and other government agencies to bring more affordable workforce housing into the city He is an insurance agent and tax accountant and has used that experience to make sure his colleagues on the dais and city staff do right by the city — sometimes going too far The fact that his colleagues sent a compilation of complaints from staff and police reports to Gov Ron DeSantis in hopes that the governor would strip McCoy of his office is no indication of willingness to collaborate Post Editorial Board endorsements: Palm Beach Post Editorial Board endorsements for March 11 municipal elections the Post Editorial Board urged McCoy to resign He now faces the voters who have a better choice in Guyton This year's District 3 race amounts to a rematch of the contest three years ago in which Councilmember Shirley Lanier defended her seat against Cedric Thomas a private investigator and former Riviera Beach police officer who also served on the council The editorial board endorsed Lanier in that race and sees no reason to change its endorsement this time and voters would do well to re-elect her to another term has been a voice of stability on the council advocating continuity of policies that have brought positive changes to the community amid several council "issues" that have plagued the progress the community has made with the addition of new housing developments the completion of new fire stations and other infrastructure improvements Lanier said she would continue to push for new upgrades and ultimately the completion of a new water treatment plant She'd also seek initiatives to develop workforce housing for city firefighters and re-establish the Riviera Beach Workforce Development Taskforce to enhance employment and educational opportunities in the city Thomas did not meet with The Post Editorial Board to share his views would serve Riviera Beach residents better (CBS12) — A major crash on I-95 North in Riviera Beach is causing traffic delays on Wednesday morning Florida 511 reported a crash just before Exit 76 See also: Officer hospitalized after T-bone crash in West Palm Beach No injuries have been reported at this time (CBS12) — How does a city elect a mayor when all of the candidates have been disqualified That's a question Riviera Beach has to answer right now after a Palm Beach County judge ruled that all the mayoral candidates and 3 candidates for city council cannot appear on the March ballot This all started last month with a lawsuit challenging five Riviera Beach political candidates over a financial technicality Riviera Beach Mayor Ronnie Felder joined Commissioner Tradrick Mccoy in filing a lawsuit to boot five candidates off the march ballot The candidates used debit cards to pay their $1200 filing fees and Incumber Council Member Douglas Lawson Palm Beach County Judge Reid Scott ruled in favor of the plaintiffs citing a state law that requires those fees to be paid by check from the campaign account “Judge Scott essentially said the controlling statute was 99061,” said Attorney Dedrick Straughn who filed that lawsuit “He had to read the plain meaning of the law and it was clear and unambiguous that that was the statute that he had to go by.” Judge Scott also disqualified one of the plaintiffs: Mayor Ronnie Felder Felder originally paid his filing fee with a debit card He later changed his form of payment to a check that check was not from his current reelection campaign “They had an emergency council meeting on Friday night and he states publicly that he took full responsibility for the snafu because it was a snafu,” said Attorney Straughn CBS12 News’ Victoria De Cardenas has left messages and emails with the city attorney without a response which gives the City of Riviera Beach just 3 months to figure out how they will select a new leader (CBS12) — The Riviera Beach Police Department is asking for help finding a teenage girl who has not been seen since Valentine’s Day Authorities are not sure which way the car went after it took off She is described as standing 5’7” tall and weighing around 140 lbs Smith was wearing gray pants and a black shirt See Also: Delray Beach project paves the way for affordable homeownership Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call their local authorities immediately Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day's top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can't miss video (CBS12) — The City Council for Riviera Beach has tapped a new mayor Former councilperson Douglas Lawson was chosen to serve as the mayor through March 2027 See also: Elderly Floridians scammed by suspect tied to national crime ring Lawson and Shandra Stringer were the two candidates nominated by the council to run for mayor CBS12 previously reported on Lawson being booted off the ballot over financial technicalities back in December RIVIERA BEACH — A former City Council member on Tuesday unseated a controversial incumbent whose erratic behavior in office alienated colleagues and sparked two criminal investigations while another incumbent held off a challenge from a former Council member In Riviera Beach’s District 1 race Bruce Guyton defeated incumbent Tradrick McCoy with all 22 precincts reporting removing from office a city leader whose own colleagues had unsuccessfully tried to oust him last year McCoy is an insurance agent and tax accountant whose raucous behavior stirred up so much controversy in office last year that his fellow council members unanimously petitioned Gov That request came after McCoy had a physical altercation with a fellow council member in January 2024 after a contentious meeting in December a mayoral candidate alleged McCoy assaulted him at a barber shop Both incidents were investigated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office though charges were not filed in either case who has served three previous terms on the city council He is a transit planner for Palm Tran and is currently vice chairperson of the city’s planning and zoning board Guyton said that he would help the city to move forward collaboratively “I am a great deal more qualified to tackle the challenges facing the city,” he told The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board in January Guyton has had his own run-in with the legal system while serving on the Council Three weeks after losing his council seat in 2016 prosecutors charged him with violating the state's public meeting laws by having a private conversation with another councilman about city business He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of violating Florida's Sunshine Law incumbent Shirley Lanier won her third term by holding off a challenge from former Council member Cedrick Thomas said that in her new term she will prioritize construction of a new water plant and work to ensure more affordable housing is built in the city “I will continue to advocate for the completion of the new state-of-the-art water plant and move forward with upgrades to our current system to improve quality and reliability,” she told The Posts’s Editorial Board “I will also support workforce housing so that our firefighters teachers and police officers can live in the City they serve.” who served four terms on the council from 2007 and 2013 before leaving to work as a city police officer also ran unsuccessfully against Lanier three years ago RIVIERA BEACH NEWS: Huge waterslides and lazy rivers await as Riviera Beach waterpark opens for spring break RIVIERA BEACH NEWS: Why Riviera Beach could be a gem of a place to live in the future despite past struggles Residents were not able to vote for mayor this year because the three candidates who filed to run — Mayor Ronnie Felder and challengers Kendra Wester and Kendrick Wyly — were ruled ineligible because they paid their filing fees with debit cards The payment problems also claimed the candidacies of three city council candidates the city plans to appoint a mayor next month after the new council takes office The city is taking applications from interested residents Council members’ terms last for three years and they earn an annual salary of $19,000 Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at amarra@pbpost.com (This story has been updated with new information) UPDATE: The Singer Island beach is open again Riviera Beach announced on the social media platform X around 1:30 p.m that the beach is "officially open for swimmers after meeting water quality standards." The beach had been closed after the Florida Department of Health found the water unsafe because of bacteria ORIGINAL STORY: Riviera Municipal Beach on Singer Island has been closed to swimmers after a Florida Department of Health review found unsafe levels of a bacteria tied to fecal contamination The city alerted residents to the beach closure Wednesday through a posting on its X social media account which read: "Riviera Municipal Beach on Singer Island is closed to swimmers due to "poor" water quality from enterococci bacteria Please avoid entering the water until further notice A state DOH notification to Riviera Beach noted that as part of its Florida Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program it is testing 13 beaches in Palm Beach County on a weekly basis for enterococci bacteria which is normally found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals and can cause disease Only the water off Riviera Municipal Beach was found to have excessive levels of enterococci bacteria DOH measured the bacteria's presence in parts per 100 milliliters 36-70 being moderate and 71 or higher being poor The sample taken off Riviera Municipal Beach measured at 146 parts per 100 milliliter The measurement prompted an advisory to the city which DOH said in bold and underlined text "should be considered a potential health risk to the bathing public." DOH's advisory to Riviera Beach said the presence of the bacteria "is an indication of fecal pollution Neither DOH nor the city have given any indication that the enterococci bacteria found at Riviera Municipal Beach and the 2023 positive tests for fecal contamination in drinking water are related which is exploring ways to pay for a water treatment plant that could cost at least $350 million has long insisted that the drinking water is safe to consume Five candidates in the Riviera Beach race for mayoral and city council seats used debit cards which led to their removal from the upcoming March municipal elections by a panel of judges last month Now, Riviera Beach Councilman Douglas Lawson, the prominent District 5 incumbent and outspoken community activist, is pushing to change an election statute after a three-judge appellate court panel upheld a lower court's ruling that disqualified him and four other candidates from the March 11 ballot READ MORE: West Palm Beach mayor race kicks off — two years early. Two candidates launch their campaigns “I was actually shocked that it was upheld,” Lawson told WLRN The routine electoral process turned controversial just months before Lawson's run for reelection Lawson told WLRN he chose not to appeal to the Supreme Court but plans to lobby state officials in Tallahassee to allow debit cards for future election qualifying fees and it doesn't explicitly restrict,” said Lawson in referring to a state election law that requires a check for paying qualifying election fees but doesn’t explicitly say it doesn’t accept a debit card “So I think it needs to be clear and concise That’s why I called it frivolous because you’re taking the power from the people and putting it into one judge and then a panel of three as opposed to the 38,000 residents of Riviera Beach.” The appeals court rulings blocked mayoral candidates Kendra Wester along with city council candidates Madelene Irving-Mills It was a win for those who filed the lawsuit — District 1 Councilman Tradrick McCoy District 5 candidate Farcella Davis-Painter who was disqualified to run again due to a bounced check and was not mentioned in the lawsuit The dispute lies in the interpretation of Florida’s election law after a former Belle Glade city clerk advised Lawson and others that debit card payments complied with state law Based on their legal team's interpretation of the election law the stay — Lawson had hoped — signaled a favorable outcome Lawson said he’s advocating change in how candidates pay for qualifying fees because commercial banks have been slowly phasing out checks over the last two decades. Check-writing has declined nearly 75% since 2000 “How many people actually have a bank check in their repertoire right now I'm going to be advocating with clear language,” Lawson said “Allowing for debit card to be used is going to be one of the next steps so that nobody else is put into this position that we were here in Riviera Beach.” Lawson said the city’s main priority during Tallahassee’s legislative session in March is to seek funding to help address Riviera Beach’s ongoing water system failures — “an aging [water] plant that should have been replaced 25 years ago,” he said (CBS12) — Riviera Beach residents let their voices be heard and the results are in for both Council District 1 and Council District 3 Bruce Guyton took majority of the votes against Tradrick McCoy for Council District 1 and Shirley Lanier won for Council District 3 “I think it’s important to do all local elections because it starts from the bottom working up to the top," said Riviera Beach Resident Lanette Clayton Walker Shirley Louidor also took the polls Tuesday exercising her right to vote "And having a voice during this time is what’s most important.” it was scrapped after a handful of candidates used cards to pay a $1200 filing fee Law requires that fee be paid by check from the candidate’s campaign account Mayor Ronnie Felder was also disqualified after his check bounced “I think it’s important to have a really strong mayor," Kelvin Mcmiller "So if we can get a real strong mayor then I think the city could really boom.” The city is now seeking applicants for the job Judy Williams and Jeremiah are longtime Riviera Beach residents They said they hope a new council will bring change “I hope that the bills will go down and that we will see a difference in the new people that we putting in there," Williams said "Some people just get in there just to be getting in there and don’t do anything.” “We had issues in the past with the smell but nothing been done about it," Jeremiah "So we need new procedures to make the smell go down then we’ll be good.” We reached out to the city to see what they’re looking for in the next mayor and they provided CBS12 with this statement which reads in part: “Individuals who meet the bona fide residency and registered elector qualifications for the office of mayor may be considered for the vacant mayor’s seat.” -Riviera Beach City Clerk Debrah Hall (CBS12) — There are fewer people experiencing homelessness in the city of Riviera Beach the number of unsheltered individuals dropped from 236 in 2024 to 107 in 2025 The city says the drop highlights the impact the Riviera Beach Police Department’s Co-Response Model “This model is about more than enforcement—it’s about compassionate connection,” said Major Gordon The initiative pairs Riviera Beach Police officers with medical professionals and behavioral health specialists to engage those experiencing homelessness directly in the field The team will provide resources such as mental health support The initiative is also successful due to the partnerships with the St the Healthcare District of Palm Beach County Community Partners of South Florida and Integrated Healthcare Systems The Riviera Beach Police Department will continue expand its outreach efforts and deepen its partnerships with regional providers to create lasting change for the unhoused (CBS12) — Police detailed the climactic aftermath of the late-night Riviera Beach murder of a 31-year-old woman Riviera Beach Police (RBPD) officers say they responded to a shooting at 2536 Canterbury Drive North and located a woman in her car suffering from multiple gunshot wounds fired multiple shots at the woman in her car before fleeing on foot Mary's Medical Center where she later succumbed to her injuries See also: Publix parking lot argument ends in arrest 30 minutes after the shooting police say they received a call of a man with a rifle pointing it at a man near the intersection of West Blue Herron Blvd and North Military Trail Officers reported locating Sanders just South of the VA Hospital where they arrested Sanders and booked him into Palm Beach County Jail facing one count of first-degree murder he had a firearm with 22 rounds in a magazine and one in the chamber nine from the scene and two from inside the victim's car which matched the caliber of ammunition in the rifle The victim was shot in the right armpit and had a gunshot wound to the left chest the Riviera Beach Police Department commended the exceptional investigative work that led to an arrest within 24 hours of the homicide There was a heavy law enforcement presence in Riviera Beach on Monday morning as deputies were searching for suspects who bailed out of a stolen vehicle (CBS12) — There was a heavy law enforcement presence in Riviera Beach on Monday morning as deputies were searching for suspects who bailed out of a stolen vehicle there was a heavy law enforcement presence on Military Trail near the Thomas H See also: Police investigate shooting on Palm Beach Lakes Blvd. According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office they were unable to find the suspects after their extensive search This is the only information CBS12 News has received at this point Riviera Beach is about to unveil its newest fire station 30,000-square foot structure on Avenue H West that includes the city's first Emergency Operations Center The station, the second the city is set to open in 18 months underscores Riviera Beach's continuing transformation despite intense political infighting “This groundbreaking development is a testament to our unwavering dedication to serving and protecting the fine residents of Riviera Beach,” City Manager Jonathan Evans said Riviera Beach plans to hold an official unveiling of the new station on February 1 was designed and built by Kaufman Lynn Construction a 31,000-square foot facility located at 1920 W Fire Station 87 will house the city's first Emergency Operations Center on the second floor That will allow city officials to gather in one place to receive updates on emergency situations and to collaborate in response to them "This addition highlights our relentless dedication to disaster preparedness," Fire Chief John Curd said our highly skilled emergency management team will be equipped to conduct comprehensive assessments and coordinate life-saving operations during emergencies." Fire Station 87 was "designed with the health and wellness of firefighters in mind," the city said in a statement and "incorporates features that promote physical health Long in need of infrastructure and building replacement Riviera Beach is rolling toward both even as elected officials bitterly castigate one another during public meetings new recreational facilities and another fire station That new station would be on Singer Island those new facilities are likely to mean higher day-to-day costs for residents and businesses in the city in the form of higher water-sewer rates and higher property taxes A three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal issued a one-paragraph opinion that provided little explanation 12 ruling that blocked the five candidates Scott cited a state law that requires qualifying fees to be paid with a “properly executed check drawn upon the candidate’s campaign account.” Scott wrote that the law “does not make an exception for the use of a debit card to pay the qualifying fee The court finds that the plain language of the statute is clear and unambiguous.” More: Riviera Beach candidates blast lawsuit challenging how they paid campaign filing fee More: Riviera Beach City Councilman Douglas Lawsuit blasts election qualifying lawsuit Thursday’s appeals court opinion shared by Judges Robert Gross Spencer Levine and Jeffrey Kuntz cited a precedent in another election-qualifying case that said the law must be enforced “as written.” The rulings blocked mayoral candidates Kendrick Wyly and Kendra Wester and city council candidates Joseph J Madelene Irving-Mills and Douglas Lawson from running in the March municipal elections other candidates challenged a decision by the city clerk that Wyly Irving-Mills and Lawson had properly qualified to appear on the ballot The qualifying fee for the mayor race was $1,212 while the qualifying fee for the council races was $1,140 according to a brief filed in the appeals court by Mark Herron an attorney for the five blocked candidates on another state law that allows political candidates to use debit cards to pay campaign expenses debit cards are considered bank checks for such expenses He wrote that the two laws — about paying qualifying fees and campaign expenses — need to be construed together payment of a candidate’s qualifying fees by a debit card linked to the candidate’s campaign account is authorized by Florida law,” Herron wrote who represents those who filed the lawsuit — Mayor Ronnie Felder District 1 Councilman Tradrick McCoy and District 5 candidate Farcella Davis-Painter — filed a brief that drew a distinction between the two laws That brief contended that campaign “expenditures and qualifying fees are not interchangeable.” “The Florida Election Code contains no explicit language allowing the use of debit cards as payment for qualifying fees,” Straghn wrote “If this (appeals) court were to construe the Election Code allowing payment of the qualifying fee with debit cards in the absence of specific language it would literally be legislating by reinserting the language allowing such payments would undermine the statutory framework intended to ensure transparency A candidate qualification issue tripped up a previous race in Riviera Beach Julia Botel was not allowed to seek re-election to City Council earlier this year after she paid her campaign filing fee with a cashier's check and not with one drawn from her campaign account took her seat when her efforts to overturn that disqualification failed Lawson had told The Palm Beach Post that "we did have consultants and advisors that stated that they would accept a debit card." He said one of those advisors was former Belle Glade City Clerk Debra Buff hired by the city." Buff is a former president of the Florida Association of City Clerks and has been honored by that organization for her work But Lawson told The Post he did not blame Buff or anyone else for the legal turmoil "I blame the process of this being a frivolous lawsuit," he said Palm Beach Post reporter Wayne Washington contributed to this report FILE - The Riviera Beach Police Department (RBPD) said on May 15 16-year-old Benzino Gabriel was found dead with a gunshot wound to the right side of his chest at an apartment complex at 3305 Avenue J RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A 17-year-old boy has been arrested in connection to the deadly shooting of a teenager in Riviera Beach The Riviera Beach Police Department (RBPD) said on May 15 The call had come in by someone who had opened the door to their apartment to find Gabriel lying in front of her door Riviera Beach Fire Rescue also responded to the scene and pronounced the 16-year-old dead The investigation led to the recovery of a firearm from a nearby trash can which was determined to be the weapon used in the incident Witnesses provided statements to the police one person noting the presence of five teens — three boys and two girls — in the stairwell before the shooting One of the teens in the group identified the 17-year-old suspect among those present and reported hearing a gunshot The teenager stated that the suspect and Gabriel were playing with the gun before it went off See also: Two students detained at Indian River Co. high school Another teen from the group said that the suspect was playing around with the gun and showing it off to the girls before the shooting the 17-year-old suspect was crying in regret over what had occurred Based on witness statements and evidence collected RBPD said probable cause was established to arrest the 17-year-old suspect for negligent manslaughter on April 3 It’s not hard to find attacks these days on so-called DEI — diversity But you wouldn’t expect it coming from the city of Riviera Beach which lists “diversity” as one of the city’s bedrock values “We celebrate diversity as a core tenant and fundamental aspect of government and we look to be inclusionary in activities and programs in an effort to ensure everyone is equally part of the process,” the city’s value statement reads The mayor and four of the five city council members are Black Five of the eight members of the executive staff of the police department it was a bit of a shocker to read that the lead plaintiff in a newly filed federal lawsuit that a New York law firm is trying to cultivate against Target for the economic consequences of that retailer’s DEI policies is a city board in Riviera Beach Why is this City of Riviera Beach board suing Target?The City of Riviera Beach Police Pension Fund v Target contends that the investments of the pension fund suffered because of the national backlash to the retailer’s DEI policies which is chaired by a Black motorcycle officer working for the city’s police department paints itself as a victim of Target’s diversity initiatives which are characterized as a “misuse of investor funds to serve political and social goals.” the city’s police department notes that qualified applicants can request affirmative-action hiring “The Riviera Beach Police Department values diversity and strives to be inclusive in its activities and programs,” the department’s online site reads “The RBPD also has a community-oriented policing program that emphasizes diversity in representation.” know a thing or two about the advantages of diversity Target’s diversity initiatives grew from the 2020 police-custody homicide of George Floyd in Minneapolis Floyd’s death and the subsequent civil rights protests it generated became the impetus for wide-ranging diversity initiatives at the company Target pledged to grow its Black workforce by 20 percent and establish a Racial Equity Action and Change committee to “focus specifically on how we can drive lasting impact” for Black employees and customers Target also announced it would spend more than $2 billion in buying more products from Black-owned vendors while pledging millions more to support Black-led nonprofits and scholarships to Black students at historically Black colleges and universities The company also pledged to do more to support women Target’s CEO Brian Cornell characterized these wide-ranging initiatives as good business moves that would grow the company “The things we’ve done from a DE&I standpoint — it’s adding value it’s building greater engagement with both our teams and our guests And those are just the right things for our business today,” he said at the time But the political right painted a sinister portrait of DEI as the central evil of a “woke” ideology that constituted reverse-discrimination against straight white men And Target became a focal point in the evolving culture war incidents occurred when members of the public stormed the stores vandalized merchandise and threatened employees during Target’s LGBT-Pride campaign in the spring of 2023 The lawsuit filed by the Riviera Beach Police Fund contends that Target failed to warn its investors that its diversity initiatives could reduce the value of its stock And that the failure to warn the investors constitutes civil fraud “As the truth of the negative effect of these campaigns came to light Target suffered tens of billions of losses in its market capitalization from May 2023 through present,” the lawsuit contends An addendum to the lawsuit shows that the Riviera Beach Police Pension Fund bought about a thousand shares of Target stock in the fall of 2022 at $156.21 and $164.68 per share and then sold them the following year for $133.54 per share Opinion: Yes, Disney trips can be educational for students, even if you don't get it This stock represented a sliver of the pension fund's investments which require that no more than 5 percent of the fund can be invested in any one stock the founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council called Riviera Beach’s involvement in this lawsuit “insane.” “I’m shocked that they would be involved with an action that is totally against what Riviera Beach has stood for for so long,” Hoch said Opinion: Gov. DeSantis keeps Florida in the dark by obstructing government transparency The Riviera Beach police pension board is the only listed plaintiff in the suit a New York based firm that calls itself “a global leader in complex The lawsuit was filed in the Middle District of Florida a federal jurisdiction that doesn’t include Riviera Beach The law firm is advertising for more lead plaintiffs to join the lawsuit by the April 1 deadline in hopes of making it a class-action case Michael Brown is the officer who chairs the Riviera Beach Police Pension Fund and the person who authorized the fund’s participation in the suit Brown declined to talk about the suit and how Riviera Beach got involved in it He referred questions to the board’s Miami attorney Herrera referred questions to a lawyer in Philadelphia and all five city council members all failed to respond to questions about their prior knowledge of the lawsuit the company announced last month that it was ending most of its diversity equity and inclusion efforts due to “the importance of staying in step with the evolving external landscape.” This capitulation to DEI critics prompted some civil rights groups to call for a boycott of Target Frank Cerabino is a news columnist with The Palm Beach Post — The Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County is assessing the city of Riviera Beach’s Special Utility District with a fine worth more than $1.2 million Records show the fine, worth $1,238,307.18, was increased due to the utility’s history of noncompliance. This fine is related to the health department’s investigation for 189 different violations of which the state agency found evidence to assess the city utility with 155 violations most of those violations are related to the city not turning water quality tests into the health department The health department also said the city utility serving Riviera Beach and surrounding areas failed to notify the public and the health department about total coliform and other bacteria indicating fecal material was in the water is about 1.3% of the revenue the city collected in the 2023 fiscal year The city is still awaiting another possible fine after the health department claimed the city fabricated water tests It also paid a fine worth $80,000 due to the utility’s response to a water contamination event in June 2023 City leaders are grappling with how to pay the $1.2 million "settlement" with the Florida Department of Health over problems with coliform and fecal matter found in its tap and well water WPTV's Dave Bohman asked City Commissioner Glen Spiritis if ratepayers are going to have to pay more as a result of this fine "If the health department insists on us making the payment to them "We're a separate Utility District so the funds will come from the Utility District Spiritis says the utility will have talks with the state health department over the next few days The department calls the $1,238,307.18 a "settlement offer" for "penalties and administrative costs." In a letter to Riviera Beach Mayor Ronnie Felder the department says the Riviera Beach Utility District: The health department cited nine other failures in reporting and testing in its fine "All of us were blindsided by this," said City Commission Chairman Doug Lawson who hopes the health department allows the utility to spend that $1.2 million on Riviera Beach's aging water treatment plant "Our goal would be to make improvements to our infrastructure," Lawson said Riviera Beach has just five days to negotiate with the health department over the conditions of the settlement and 30 days to pay the $1.2 million if it accepts the settlement Last week the five candidates were told they would be able to stay on the ballot are officially off the march ballot over a technicality “This is a tragedy for the whole city of Riviera Beach,” said Campaign Consultant Richard Richard Giorgio An appeals court judge has upheld a lower court's ruling removing Riviera Beach mayoral candidates Kendrick Wyly and Kendra Wester and city council candidates Joseph Bedford and Douglas Lawson from running in the March municipal elections All of them used debit cards to pay a $1,200 filing fee but the law requires that fee to be paid by check from the candidates' campaign account the candidates were instructed to use a debit card to pay the filing fee "The five candidates that were removed And the separate consulted that the city hired Both of them told these candidates to qualify using their campaign credit cards and told them that it was legal they just followed the direction of the clerk and now they’ve all been removed from the ballot Riviera Beach mayor Ronnie Felder has also been disqualified after his campaign check bounced the city is faced with no mayoral candidates on the ballot See also: Man accused of stalking ex-colleague and tracking her Jeep in Palm Beach Gardens "Now there will just be two races on the ballot instead of four races," Giorgio said "So they’ll be the District 1 seat and the District 3 seat The District 5 seat is no longer on the ballot and the mayor's race is no longer on the ballot a new mayor must now be appointed by the future city council CBS12 News reached out to the disqualified candidates We only heard back from Councilman Douglas Lawson who issued this statement which reads in part i remain committed to serving the city as the representative for district 5 until march and am truly grateful for the opportunity the community has entrusted me with during my time in office.” Once a council is set they will appoint a new mayor who will serve a two-year term until 2027 parking for zero to two hours is anticipated to cost $2 RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Community members are invited to attend two meetings to discuss the proposed introduction of paid parking in the Ocean Walk and Marina District in Riviera Beach The meetings aim to gather feedback from business owners as well as provide information about the plan with fees varying by location and duration The most expensive rate is at the Ocean View Beach Premium The first meeting is scheduled for January 22 The second meeting will take place on January 23 at The Marina Village Event Center at Newcomb Hall Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the proposed parking changes — An investigation by Palm Beach County's Office of Inspector General (OIG) released Monday found that employees at Riviera Beach's water utility didn't carry out essential duties including failing to immediately report the presence of E The water quality issues in Riviera Beach have been an ongoing story that WPTV has covered substantially this year The new 115-page OIG report found that on at least 130 occasions between January and September 2023 utility district staff failed to report — or adequately supervise other employees responsible for reporting —water testing results for wells and water distribution points to the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) The OIG said this conduct by staff potentially put citizens' health at risk Other findings included that on multiple occasions senior staff at the utility district "ignored or provided misleading information" about the water testing results to the FDOH and the public wells were improperly reactivated for use as part of the city's drinking water system Employees and former employees cited in the report include: The report concluded that sufficient information was found to refer the findings to FDOH and law enforcement — along with copying the State Attorney's Office — to determine if the findings are criminal.The OIG said this report addresses alleged misconduct by city employees and not matters under the purview of the FDOH Read more of WPTV's recent coverage concerning Riviera Beach's water quality: — Tensions were high this afternoon as community members came out in Riviera Beach to say 'no' to proposed Ordinance 4250 which would have people pay to park in the Ocean Walk and Marina Districts of the city many of whom already signed a 28-page petition against the proposal did not hide their disdain during the meeting WATCH: Residents react to paid parking proposal in Riviera Beach Diana Dimeo has lived in Riviera Beach for 25 years and voiced against having any rate for the parking Charges could range from $2 for a couple hours Attendees at the meeting voiced that tourists are going to go somewhere else to avoid the parking situation or could get behind the wheel after drinking to not be charged overnight for leaving their car City Manager Jonathan Evans said all concerns are being taken into consideration he also offered possible solutions to the resident concerns such as designated parking areas for workers and passes for those who live in the city Evans also said any money made from parking charges will eventually help taxpayers "It will allow for more turnover in the parking and it will allow for more investments in mobility and infrastructure that will defray the actual tax burden on Riviera Beach residents," Evans said But those points were still not enough to get most people at the meeting on board "It's been free from day one I think the beach and the ocean belonged to everybody," Dimeo said There are two more meetings scheduled for the public to come out and voice their concerns on the proposal at The Marina Village Event Center in Riviera Beach The Riviera Beach Police Department believes no criminal activity was involved in the case of a missing 14-year-old girl who left for school RBPD held a news conference on Thursday asking for the public's help in bringing Yojana Juan Jacinto home The police department was joined by Jacinto's parents who were perplexed at their daughter's sudden disappearance (CBS12) — A teenage girl who disappeared after leaving home for school on Thursday has been located the Riviera Beach Police Department (RBPD) revealed Yojana Juan Jacinto was found safe in Bonita Springs Myers and Naples and is more than 150 miles from her Palm Beach County home The police department did not offer any other details about her being found investigators stated they did not suspect there was any criminal activity in her disappearance Friday's update also did not include any indication that someone was detained or sought in connection with her disappearance officers were joined by Jacinto's parents who were perplexed at their daughter's sudden disappearance please come back home," her father Bacilio Juan said "If you're with a boyfriend of whatever it might be we’re here waiting for you leaving the home and was headed toward the bus that would take her to her school at Howell L Jacinto never got on the bus and never arrived at school WEST PALM BEACH — Five years after the drive-by shooting that killed 21-year-old David Goodman Jr jurors convicted the Riviera Beach man they believe pulled the trigger Circuit Judge Daliah Weiss is scheduled to sentence Asbury on April 17 The first-degree murder conviction carries an automatic penalty of life in prison From the courts: Palm Beach County elementary teacher caught by 'predator catcher' convicted of traveling to meet minor for sex Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies found Goodman James Edwards and Jean Cajuste shot several times in the backyard of a home in the 900 block of South G Street about 2:30 p.m First responders pronounced Goodman dead at the scene PBSO Capt. Todd Baer told The Palm Beach Post in 2020 that the neighborhood was "a perennial hot spot" for violent crime. Days after the shooting, PBSO began Operation Full-Court Press. In six weeks the operation generated some 50 arrests and targeted problem landlords and others who law-enforcement officials said contribute to the crime problem Deputies identified Asbury as a person of interest in 2020 with the help of video-surveillance footage he was seen on surveillance footage leaving his home in a black Cadillac with his half-brother and co-defendant Assistant state attorneys Courtney Behar and Diva Casas said Asbury drove in the Cadillac to the Nissan Witnesses described the shooters as wearing dark clothing and masks which the prosecutors said matched footage of Asbury’s attire that day Ballistics analysis linked shell casings from the crime scene to a Glock 23c a firearm Asbury bragged about purchasing two days before the shooting Social media messages show Asbury discussing the gun both before and after the crime and investigators found spent shell casings inside the burnt Nissan that matched those recovered from the scene argued that prosecutors' case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence While video footage showed Asbury getting into the Cadillac the attorney said there was no direct evidence placing him inside the Nissan at the time of the shooting He also argued that cellphone data placing Asbury near the scene of the crime was inconclusive who said he was in the neighborhood for that purpose Simon declined a request for comment Tuesday This month's jury trial was not Asbury's first. Two months before Goodman's murder, a different jury acquitted Asbury, then 21, of attempted murder despite evidence that he fired nearly 40 shots at a former classmate Knowles' mother wrote a letter to the judge in 2020 imploring Weiss to "stop these young men from terrorizing our community." "I wish my community will rally like this when my son was shot one Saturday afternoon," wrote Demetrice Barnes-Pouncey say something when it is black on black crime." just like most of my people in my community to not trust the law But I trust in a law that supersedes the law of man and these boys need a time out somewhere in a lock facility in order to save their life and to keep them from taking other people's lives," she continued How can they just keep getting away with all these violent crimes She signed the letter from "a praying mother who just want to feel safe in my community." Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com A ruling Monday from Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Reid Scott upended the Riviera Beach City Council race Scott’s ruling means that six of 11 candidates The names of the five identified in the lawsuit should not appear on the March 11 ballot He anticipated an appeal but said he ruled on the basis of a clear and unambiguous state law “I don’t think there’s any ambiguity in the language,” Scott said at a Zoom hearing attended by about 50 people “And it certainly is not my job as a circuit court judge to legislate from the bench.” lawyers said the question raises an unsettled matter of election law Six candidates used debit cards in November to pay their qualifying fees for the March election — $1,212 for mayor and $1,140 for council The judge agreed with Delray-based attorney Dedrick Straghn for plaintiffs Ronnie Felder They argued that a debit card is not an acceptable form of payment under the law Only the District 3 race pitting incumbent Shirley Lanier against Cedrick Thomas would be unaffected In representing the candidates thrown off the ballot Tallahassee election lawyer Mark Herron pointed to a different election statute that says debit cards are the equivalent of printed checks for payment of campaign expenses defined as spending to influence the results of an election “The qualifying fee is essentially the penultimate expenditure intended to influence the results of the election,” Herron said The Legislature could have repeated that wording in the section applying to qualifying fees but didn’t The qualifying language simply says candidates must present “a properly executed bank check.” “The Legislature intended ‘the law to effect a true bright line,’” Straghn wrote citing an appellate court ruling earlier this year that removed incumbent Julie Botel from the ballot The court rejected her payment with a cashier’s check “Failure to pay the fee as provided in this subparagraph shall disqualify the candidate,” he said Herron said he would file a motion to stay said he would have to get guidance from the City Council as to whether to appeal who would hold office until the next general municipal election campaign manager for three council candidates This story was originally published by Stet News Palm Beach — Riviera Beach’s Special Utility District is under investigation for fabricating and changing water quality tests according to documents WPTV News journalist Ethan Stein received from a public records request The health department provided city officials with two versions of the same water quality test but one version had positive tests for total coliform removed from the page a “P” marking "positive" tests for total coliform were turned into an “A” for "absent," then submitted to the health department After submitting the changed water tests to the health department in Palm Beach County Anthony Williams asked for permission bring those same wells back into service According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the city of Riviera Beach total coliform is an indicator that human or animal waste is in the water The city could also face fines as a result of the investigation The utility district paid a fine for about $80,000 due to its response to a water contamination event in June 2023 where it waited seven months to notify the public about E The district also faces potential fines for 189 other potential violations of state and/or federal law related to water quality and testing The documents in question are signed by the Lisa Fiedor a project manager at a third party company called Capzer Pharmaceuticals WPTV News journalist Ethan Stein reached out to the company and Fiedor about the health department’s claim Fiedor told us she was instructed to not speak by the Office of Inspector General for Palm Beach County The Office of the Inspector General is also investigating the city’s response to the June 2023 water contamination event in a separate investigation which is using public funds from the city of Riviera Beach An employee also said last week he expects another investigation into him being told not to report problems related to the city’s sewer system The city of Riviera Beach didn’t immediately return our request for comment.