Latest news with #Doral
Miami Herald
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Doral Academy rallies to advance to state softball final with walk-off in eighth inning
With the Class 6A state softball semifinal on the line on Friday, Doral Academy freshman Zoey Abdullah stood in the batter's box against Bloomingdale senior Natalie Cable, a UCLA recruit. Despite the fact that Cable has struck out more than 1,000 batters in her prep career, Abdullah got the job done, lofting a walk-off sacrifice fly in the eighth inning as Doral prevailed, 5-4, in Longwood. 'I don't usually celebrate much,' Doral coach Willie Viruet said, 'but I had to throw up a couple of fist pumps after this one.' Doral (30-1) will play the Pace Patriots (24-3) on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the state championship. A victory would give Doral its second state title and its first since 2021. But the Doral Firebirds, ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 4 in the nation, according to MaxPreps, almost didn't make it to Saturday's final. Doral fell behind 3-1 in the fourth inning despite the fact that two of the Firebirds' greatest former players were in the dugout on Friday, helping Viruet and his staff coach. Those two players are: Amanda 'Tuta' Ramirez, who just graduated from the University of Pittsburgh where she served that team's catcher; and Louisville pitcher Alyssa Zabala. 'There were a bunch more of our alumni sitting in the stands,' Viruet said. Perhaps all that support inspired Doral senior Sarah Breaux, a Clemson recruit who homered in the bottom of the fourth, cutting Bloomingdale's lead to 3-2. That was Breaux's 14th homer of the season, which is one behind team leader Anabela Abdullah, who is a Texas recruit and Zoey's older sister. Doral then trailed 4-2 entering the bottom of the sixth. But the Firebirds started a rally with a Breaux walk and single from Leyani Viruet, the coach's daughter. Both runners came home, including Viruet, who scored the tying run on an RBI single from Sara Utera. The game then went to extra innings, where the designated runner starts each frame at second base. So, with a speedy runner on second and no outs, Doral pitcher Meagan Villazon retired Cable on a pop-out in one of the game's biggest moments. Earlier in the game, Cable had slugged her 15th homer of the season on a Villazon curve. This time, Villazon won the battle. 'I was a little worried because I had missed my spot and she homered off me in her previous at-bat,' Villazon said. 'This time, I just tried to spin the ball as best I could. 'I got the result I wanted, and I was hyped.' Villazon got the next two batters, also on pop-outs, ending the threat. 'Meagan didn't have her best stuff today, but we battled the whole game,' Coach Viruet said. 'We didn't make any errors, and we defended the bunt well.' After escaping that jam, Doral started the bottom of the eight with Utera on second as the designated runner. Ashley Tremont got on base with an infield single, moving Utera to third. Then, after an unproductive out, Abdullah delivered against Cable, who finished with 10 strikeouts. Abdullah's fly ball to right-center was not hit that deep, though, causing an anxious moment or two. 'The ball hung there for a second,' Viruet said. 'Everything paused in my mind until I saw it was deep enough.' This was the first time all year that Doral played extra innings. And it was just Doral's second one-run game. Next up is Pace, which is ranked fourth in the state and 18th in the nation. Pace won the 6A state last year with Jayden Heavener, who is now pitching for LSU. This year, Pace relies on sophomore pitcher Hannah DeMarcus, who is 23-2 with a 0.29 ERA and 15 shutouts. In fact, Pace has shut out its past four opponents. Overall, this season, Pace has posted 18 shutouts and held opponents to just one run five times. Also, Pace has lost just two games all season to Florida schools. Doral, which is undefeated against Florida schools, will counter DeMarcus with Villazon, who is 25-1 with a 0.66 ERA. This will be the first meeting between Doral and Pace, according to Viruet. 'We've checked them out,' Viruet said when asked about scouting Pace. 'We do our homework. Coaching travel ball for more than 10 years helps. We've seen a lot of their kids. '(DeMarcus) is a competitor. They have elite pitching in that Pace program. But we are 'ride or die' with (Villazon).'
Washington Post
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
US business owners are concerned about Venezuelan employees with temporary status
DORAL, Fla. — As a business owner in the largest Venezuelan community in the United States, Wilmer Escaray is stressed and in shock. He is unsure what steps he needs to take after the Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump to strip legal protections from hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants.
Associated Press
20-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
US business owners are concerned about Venezuelan employees with temporary status
DORAL, Fla. (AP) — As a business owner in the largest Venezuelan community in the United States, Wilmer Escaray feels is stressed and in shock. He is unsure what steps he needs to take after the Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump to strip legal protections from hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants. Escaray owns 15 restaurants and three markets, most of them located in Doral, a city of 80,000 people known as 'Little Venezuela' or 'Doralzuela.' At least 70% of Escaray's 150 employees and many of his customers are Venezuelan immigrants with Temporary Protected Status, also known as TPS. The Supreme Court on Monday lifted a federal judge's ruling that had paused the administration's plans to end TPS for 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially exposing them to deportation. Doralzuela, a city surrounded by Miami sprawl, freeways and the Florida Everglades, is coming to grips with the Supreme Court decision. Like many business owners with Venezuelan employees, Escaray lacks direction. He does not know how long his employees will have legal authorization to work or if he will be able to help them, he said. 'The impact for the business will be really hard,' said Escaray, a 37-year-old Venezuelan American who came to the U.S. to study in 2007 and opened his first restaurant six years later. 'I don't know yet what I am going to do. I have to discuss with my team, with my family to see what will be the plan.' TPS allows people already in the U.S. to legally live and work here because their native countries are deemed unsafe for return due to natural disaster or civil strife. The Trump administration said immigrants were poorly vetted after the Biden administration dramatically expanded the designation. Immigration attorney Evelyn Alexandra Batista said the Supreme Court did not specifically address the extension of TPS-based work permits, and some work authorizations remain in effect. She warned, though, that there is no guarantee that they will continue to remain valid because the Supreme Court can change this. 'This means that employers and employees alike should be exploring all other alternative options as TPS was never meant to be permanent,' said Batista, who has received hundreds of calls from TPS beneficiaries and companies looking for advice in the months since Trump returned to office and began his immigration crackdown. Among the options they are exploring, she said, are visas for extraordinary abilities, investment visas, and agricultural visas. The American Business Immigration Coalition estimates that TPS holders add $31 billion to the U.S. economy through wages and spending power. There are no specific estimates of the impact of Venezuelans, although they make up the largest percentage of TPS beneficiaries. They work in hospitality, construction, agriculture, health care, retail, and food services.
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
US business owners are concerned about Venezuelan employees with temporary status
As a business owner in the largest Venezuelan community in the United States, Wilmer Escaray feels is stressed and in shock. He is unsure what steps he needs to take after the Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump to strip legal protections from hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants. Escaray owns 15 restaurants and three markets, most of them located in Doral, a city of 80,000 people known as 'Little Venezuela' or 'Doralzuela." At least 70% of Escaray's 150 employees and many of his customers are Venezuelan immigrants with Temporary Protected Status, also known as TPS. The Supreme Court on Monday lifted a federal judge's ruling that had paused the administration's plans to end TPS for 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially exposing them to deportation. Doralzuela, a city surrounded by Miami sprawl, freeways and the Florida Everglades, is coming to grips with the Supreme Court decision. Like many business owners with Venezuelan employees, Escaray lacks direction. He does not know how long his employees will have legal authorization to work or if he will be able to help them, he said. 'The impact for the business will be really hard,' said Escaray, a 37-year-old Venezuelan American who came to the U.S. to study in 2007 and opened his first restaurant six years later. "I don't know yet what I am going to do. I have to discuss with my team, with my family to see what will be the plan.' TPS allows people already in the U.S. to legally live and work here because their native countries are deemed unsafe for return due to natural disaster or civil strife. The Trump administration said immigrants were poorly vetted after the Biden administration dramatically expanded the designation. Immigration attorney Evelyn Alexandra Batista said the Supreme Court did not specifically address the extension of TPS-based work permits, and some work authorizations remain in effect. She warned, though, that there is no guarantee that they will continue to remain valid because the Supreme Court can change this. 'This means that employers and employees alike should be exploring all other alternative options as TPS was never meant to be permanent,' said Batista, who has received hundreds of calls from TPS beneficiaries and companies looking for advice in the months since Trump returned to office and began his immigration crackdown. Among the options they are exploring, she said, are visas for extraordinary abilities, investment visas, and agricultural visas. The American Business Immigration Coalition estimates that TPS holders add $31 billion to the U.S. economy through wages and spending power. There are no specific estimates of the impact of Venezuelans, although they make up the largest percentage of TPS beneficiaries. They work in hospitality, construction, agriculture, health care, retail, and food services.
Business Wire
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Powering the Future Together: BrightSource Partners with Doral Energy to Enhance Renewable Energy Management
JERUSALEM--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BrightSource announce today the collaboration with Doral Energy on cutting-edge renewable energy management! As part of this partnership, BrightSource's OASES™ Energy Management System (EMS) will be deployed across Doral's PV and energy storage projects to maximize efficiency, enhance grid stability, and drive profitability. "We are proud to work alongside Doral Energy, a leader in the renewable energy sector, to develop smarter and more sustainable energy solutions," said Izik Kirshenbaum, CEO of BrightSource. "Doral's trust in our OASES EMS underscores our commitment to innovation in clean energy management, and we look forward to expanding this partnership with more groundbreaking projects in the future." Yaki Noyman, CEO of Doral Energy, added: "At Doral, we are constantly seeking innovative solutions that align with our vision of advancing clean energy management. BrightSource's EMS technology provides the tools we need to optimize storage and generation while maintaining grid reliability. We are eager to see the positive impact of this collaboration on our projects and the industry as a whole." This partnership represents a significant step forward in intelligent energy management, reinforcing both companies' commitment to driving the future of renewable energy. About BrightSource BrightSource Energy is driving the transition to a sustainable energy future with OASES™, its AI-powered Energy Management System (EMS). This advanced SaaS solution optimizes renewable energy and storage assets, enhancing profitability, reliability, and efficiency. With smart pricing and bidding strategies, OASES™ maximizes revenues while ensuring grid resilience. BrightSource empowers clients with cutting-edge tools for a smarter, more sustainable energy landscape. About Doral Energy Doral Group is a global renewable energy leader, specializing in the development, construction, and operation of renewable energy projects, including solar and energy storage systems. Doral Group is a publicly traded company on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in Israel and is active, inter alia, in Israel, Europe, and the United States. Its global project backlog is about 17.1 GW (DC) of solar projects and 17.3 GWh of storage.
