Miami Beach agrees to reopen Ocean Drive to cars, remove bike lanes
Why it matters: A judge ordered that the iconic tourist strip, which the city converted into a pedestrian promenade during COVID-19, be returned to its pre-pandemic traffic flow following a lawsuit from the Clevelander South Beach Hotel.
Catch up quick: Miami-Dade Judge Beatrice Butchko Sanchez, who determined city no longer had a valid permit to modify the road configuration, originally gave the city until Jan. 31 to comply with her order to reopen Ocean Drive.
City officials have used court-granted extensions and a recent appeal to delay acting on the Jan. 8 order.
Butchko Sanchez ruled again on Wednesday that the city must comply with the order while it awaits a hearing before the Third District Court of Appeal.
The latest: City manager Eric Carpenter said Friday that work crews would immediately begin removing the two-block pedestrian plaza between 13th Street and 14th Place.
Crews are expected to begin converting Ocean Drive back to two-way traffic and removing the existing bicycle lane on Monday, according to a city memo sent to commissioners Thursday night.
The city memo said staff has been unable to obtain approval from Miami-Dade County to keep the one-way traffic flow and bicycle lanes.
The conversion of Ocean Drive will require the entire roadway between Fifth and 15th Street to be closed for two days while crews paint and re-stripe the road, the memo says.
What's next: Beyond the legal battle, city leaders said at a meeting Friday that they want to act on the city's long-term vision of pedestrianizing Ocean Drive — in a way that helps business owners, locals and tourists.
"The street right now is as safe, as clean and as family friendly [and] inviting as we've ever had on Ocean Drive," Mayor Steven Meiner said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
10 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
Right now is the worst time to buy a new iPhone — here's why
When someone asks me when it's the right time to buy an iPhone, I usually tell them "Whenever you need to get a new phone." And I truly believe that — you can drive yourself batty holding out for the latest and greatest hardware, since the nature of technology is that there's always something promising to be more impressive right down the road. But note the "usually" in my "buy a phone when you need a phone" advice. There's one time a year when I think it's a bad idea to spend money on a new iPhone. And folks, we're in that period right now. If you find yourself in the market for one of the best iPhones, better check the calendar first. That's because if you're within a few weeks of an Apple event, it's best to hold off, if possible, just to see what Apple might have in store for its latest devices. And the closer you get to that Apple event, the better idea it is to hold off on a purchase. We don't know exactly when Apple's going to hold its fall launch event, but given Apple's history, it's not to hard to guess an iPhone 17 release date. And we are close enough to that window to where my usual logic about upgrading when you need to no longer applies. Even a casual glance at the last few iPhone releases reveals a pretty universal fact — Apple likes releasing iPhones in the first two weeks of September. That gives the company enough time to get the new devices into stores before the end of the month, so that it has a full quarter worth of sales to show Wall Street for the three months culminating in holiday shopping — the most important time of year in Apple's fiscal calendar. Only once in recent memory has Apple gone through a September without releasing an iPhone. That would be in 2020 — the year the Covid-19 pandemic delayed production on the iPhone 12 and pushed the release later into the fall. No one wants a repeat of that, certainly not Apple. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. But don't take my word for it. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a pretty good source of Apple-related info, has forecast an iPhone event for the second week of September. And if you want to get even more specific, a German site is listing a September 9 event date, with the new iPhone 17 models going on sale September 19. Again, that 10-day window between the announcement and the actual launch is pretty consistent with Apple's recent history. So we have a pretty good idea about when the iPhone 17 models are arriving. And thanks to all the rumors out there about Apple's latest phones, we have a pretty good idea of what new features are on the way, too. At this stage in the evolution of smartphones, we're at a point where we don't see dramatic changes every year. That said, rumors point to some pretty significant improvements coming to the existing iPhone models — and there could be an entirely new device from Apple this fall. The iPhone 17 could be getting one of the more significant changes in the form of an LTPO display. If you're not up to date on the merits of low-temperature polycrystalline oxide panels, don't fret — all you need to know is that it's the technology that enables the adaptive refresh rate on Apple's ProMotion displays. In other words, the entry-level iPhone will finally be able to support a fast refresh rate, allowing for smoother scrolling and more immersive graphics. That alone could make the iPhone 17 worth the price of admission, and that's before you get to more traditional year-over-year improvements to the chipset powering the phone to the battery size. The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max could be in line for a marquee edition of their own, as rumors tip those phones to adopt a 48MP telephoto lens. There's some dispute over what kind of optical zoom the upgraded camera would support — some say 3.5x, others are arguing 8x — but there's no doubt that the high-resolution sensor would mean more detailed close-ups from this year's Pro models. Other Pro-specific features like a vapor cooling chamber to help boost performance could also be in the works for the iPhone 17 Pro. Then there's the fourth phone reportedly coming this fall, the iPhone 17 Air. This is supposed to be Apple's attempt at an ultra-thin phone in the vein of the Galaxy S25 Edge, only Apple's version might be even thinner if measurements of an alleged dummy unit prove to be accurate. It's unclear what else the iPhone 17 Air will bring to the table, but if you're in the market for an entirely new design, this phone could be of interest to you. To put it another way, these shouldn't just be run-of-the-mill upgrades from Apple in the fall. And even if you ultimately decide that there's not enough there to justify an upgrade, you're at least putting yourself in a position to make that call should you hold off on a purchase for another few weeks. There is a wrinkle to this year's buy-or-wait decision, and it comes down to iPhone 17 prices. Specifically, there's a concern that ongoing economic turbulence and in flux tariff policies might have an impact on what you pay for Apple's new phones. Earlier this year, a Wall Street Journal report said Apple was considering an increase to the cost of its iPhones, while a more recent analyst forecast had prices going up by $50 from the equivalent iPhone 16 models. That would mean a starting price of $849 for the iPhone 17, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max costing as much as $1,249. While it may be tempting to buy an iPhone 16 now and avoid any iPhone 17 price hikes, I think the window to do that closed during the summer. We're close enough to the rumored iPhone launch to see what features the new devices bring to the table. And if they're not impressive enough or fail to justify any price increase Apple imposes, you can always fall back to the iPhone 16, which should be available at a lower rate in a post-iPhone 17 world. Apple usually keeps a handful of older models around at reduced prices following one of its product launches. So the combination of an Apple event that will be here before you know it and rumored improvements that sound worth examining should put any planned iPhone purchase on hold at this point, no matter what kind of prices we ultimately see.
New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
LI fraudster sentenced to 4 years after blowing nearly $2M in COVID cash on watches, luxury hotels and crypto
A Long Island man who blew almost $2 million in COVID relief money on Patek watches, luxury hotels, and crypto coins was sentenced to four years in prison Wednesday. Niall Alli, 52, of Inwood, pleaded guilty in December 2023 to disaster relief fraud and wire fraud for swindling the Small Business Administration out of more than $1.7 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans during the height of the pandemic, federal prosecutors said. He will now have to pay back every cent — along with an extra approximately $135,000 in asset forfeiture from corporate bank accounts and Ethereum from a corporate Coinbase wallet. Watches made by Swiss watch brand Patek Philippe SA are seen on display Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in New York. AP 'Alli saw the COVID-19 programs and the deadly pandemic as an avenue for stealing money from the government and taxpayers,' said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. '[Alli] now knows the price of such conduct is the loss of his freedom and full restitution to the Small Business Administration.' From April 2020 to November 2021, Alli used two companies he controlled — Allicorp, Inc. and Oxypaper, Inc. — to file bogus PPP applications stuffed with fake payroll records and phony financial data, officials said. Once the cash hit his accounts, he doubled down with fraudulent forgiveness requests backed by fabricated statements. Prosecutors said the cash fueled Alli's lavish lifestyle, including nearly $500,000 in cryptocurrency, two Patek Philippe wristwatches worth about $140,000 each, and $36,000 for just one single stay at a luxury Manhattan hotel on top of other luxurious hotel stays for over $10,000 each. Alli pleaded guilty in December 2023 to disaster relief fraud and wire fraud for swindling the Small Business Administration out of more than $1.7 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans during the height of COVID-19. Yuriy T – They added that Alli also used the PPP funds to pay for private school tuition for his child, and nonchalantly splurged on $800 champagne and $600 Scotch at high-end restaurants. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters 'Alli's compulsion for fraud exploited funds meant to keep struggling businesses alive during the pandemic,' said USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel Brubaker. 'Today's sentencing proves we will relentlessly pursue anyone who uses the U.S. Mail to defraud the government and steal taxpayer money.'
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Disgraced news achor admitted to COVID fraud scheme in text to hubby: ‘We don't quite qualify'
A former Emmy-nominated TV news anchor convicted in a billion-dollar COVID fraud scheme sent a scandalous text to her partner in crime that joked about cheating taxpayers out of taxpayer money. Stephanie Hockridge-Reis, who worked for a local station in Phoenix before becoming a fintech entrepreneur, sent the message to her husband, Nathan Reis, after applying for Payment Protection Program (PPP) loans during the height of the pandemic. 'This is us trying to apply for free money — when we don't quite qualify. lol,' she texted Reis, 47, according to a federal indictment obtained by The Arizona Republic. 5 Former TV anchor Stephanie Hockridge-Reis sent an scandalous text to her husband joking about cheating t taxpayers out of government funds. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis The couple was accused of fraudulently obtaining over $300,000 in PPP loans for themselves, including one application that falsely claimed he was a veteran and an African American. Reis took a plea deal on Monday and will be sentenced in November. Hockridge-Reis, 42, was found guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in June by a jury in the Northern District of Texas. She was acquitted on four additional counts of wire fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 10. She faces up to 20 years in prison. The Post has sought comment from the duo. 5 The anchor and her husband, Nathan Reis, were convicted of a billion-dollar COVID cash scheme in June. Facebook / Stephanie Hockridge The couple's Scottsdale-based fintech firm, Blueacorn, which the couple co-founded in 2020, processed over $12.5 billion in PPP loans — with somewhere between $250 million and $300 million going to the company's ownership, including Hockridge-Reis. Blueacorn received over $1 billion in taxpayer-funded processing fees for facilitating PPP loans but spent less than 1% ($8.6 million) on fraud prevention and only $13.7 million on eligibility verification, according to a congressional investigation. The PPP was an $800 billion federal loan initiative launched in 2020 to help small businesses keep workers employed during the pandemic. It was part of a broader effort — including grants, tax credits and emergency loans — aimed at stabilizing the US economy and preventing mass business closures and layoffs. 5 The former KNXV-TV anchor claimed that her actions were a 'sincere effort to support small businesses' in navigating a chaotic government problem during an era of 'unprecedented need.' Facebook / Stephanie Hockridge Investigators claimed that the couple used the proceeds to enrich themselves personally, however. The former KNXV-TV anchor claimed that her actions were a 'sincere effort to support small businesses' in navigating a chaotic government problem during an era of 'unprecedented need.' As part of the proceedings, Congress said it obtained a video created by Reis and Hockridge-Reis showing off large amounts of cash in a bar on Dec. 21, 2021. According to public records, Reis relocated to San Juan, Puerto Rico, which has no capital gains tax, following his work at Blueacorn. 5 Reis took a plea deal over his role in the funding scandal. KPNX Another video months earlier showed Hockridge and Reis on the balcony of a luxury beachfront apartment in San Juan, The Post previously reported. A congressional report found that Blueacorn routinely failed to properly vet applicants and charged illegal 'success fees' to borrowers — violating Small Business Administration rules. The report also detailed how Blueacorn's leadership instructed staff to prioritize speed over accuracy. 5 Hockridge-Reis was once a familiar face in Arizona households. She spent seven years as an anchor at KNXV- TV, the ABC affiliate in Phoenix. Facebook / Stephanie Hockridge Hockridge-Reis was once a familiar face in Arizona households. She spent seven years as an anchor at KNXV-TV, the ABC affiliate in Phoenix, and had previously worked as a reporter for CBS News Radio in London. She was nominated for an Emmy and named 'Favorite Newscaster' by Arizona Foothills Magazine. Her conviction marks one of the highest-profile PPP fraud cases to date involving a public figure. Fraud related to COVID-19 relief programs was unprecedented in US history, with losses estimated in the hundreds of billions. The PPP, Economic Injury Disaster Loans and unemployment insurance programs were especially vulnerable — with watchdogs reporting widespread misuse, insider abuse and systemic failures in fraud prevention.
