Coronavirus, JLO, Levine Cava: Top Stories In Miami For 2020

Miami FL

30 December, 2020

4:01 PM

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MIAMI, FL — The coronavirus pandemic dominated headlines – and the interest of Patch readers — in South Florida in 2020. And for good reason. These are unprecedented times and new information about COVID-19, as well as how communities have battled the spread of the virus, has been released daily. But other stories unrelated to coronavirus grabbed readers' attention in 2020, as well. Here are some of the top Patch stories in South Florida this year. Coronavirus in the news From the start of the pandemic, Miami-area residents turned to Patch for answers. The top-read story in Miami – pandemic-related or otherwise – this year was published in April, when Gov. Ron DeSantis first issued an executive order suspending foreclosures and evictions throughout Florida as the state shut down and many were out of work. Readers were also interested in a March article about Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, speaking from self-imposed quarantine at the time, first considering a shelter-in-place order for non-essential travel. Likewise, many readers gravitated towards a story about the city of Miami first imposing its daily curfew at the end of March. Though the times have been tweaked a bit, that curfew is still in place today, running from midnight to 6 a.m. daily. Much of the state shut down in March around spring break and readers were intrigued as two of Florida's most popular spring break destinations — Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale — took measures to shut down the revelry. And of course, South Florida readers, who enjoy year-round gorgeous weather and have easy access to beautiful, scenic shores, wanted to know how beaches were affected by the coronavirus outbreak in April. They paid attention when Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said in April that the city's famous beaches wouldn't reopen before early June. Elections 2020: Levine Cava Defeats Bovo In County Mayoral Race Danielle Levine Cava made history in Miami-Dade County's 2020 mayoral run-off election. By defeating Esteban Bovo, the former county commissioner was sworn in as the county's first female mayor in November. Strong Hurricane Season Could Hit Florida After Coronavirus Peak Floridians are always interested in seasonal hurricane forecasts – especially when forecasters say the state could face a brutal hurricane season just after the novel coronavirus outbreak peaked. Richest Place In Florida Has $310K Average Income: Ranking The city of Palm Beach, with an average household income of $314,090, climbed up Bloomberg's top 50 list of 2020 Richest Places in the U.S. to No. 18. This was up 17 spots from its No. 35 ranking the previous year. Naked Woman Startles Travelers At Miami Airport In January, a woman wearing only her undergarments nonchalantly walked through baggage claim at Miami International Airport. The 27-year-old began removing what little clothing she was wearing as she made her way toward ground transportation and even broke into a little dance as she left the baggage claim area. Spirit Airlines Breaks Ground on $250 Million FL Headquarters Spirit Airlines, the Florida-based discount air carrier, broke ground on its planned $250 million headquarters building and business campus near Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in January. JLO in the news Miami-based performer Jennifer Lopez made numerous Patch headlines in 2020 and South Florida readers loved it. Ahead of her performance at Super Bowl LIV's halftime show in Miami, JLO challenged fans on social media to learn the dance moves for her hit "On the Floor." In April, she and her fiancé, Alex Rodriguez, donated thousands of meals to Miami-area hospital workers keeping long hours during the pandemic. Readers also enjoyed learning about the power couple's new $40 million home on Star Island, which they purchased in August. Florida Woman Finds Antique Wedding Dress Lying In Road A Boca Raton woman, Deb Salazar, and her husband found a boxed and preserved lacy antique wedding dress lying in the road on a trip to Costco. Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Shot And Killed on I-95 Trooper Joseph Bullock, a 19-year veteran of the Florida Highway Patrol was shot and killed after he stopped to assist a disabled vehicle in February. The shooting took place along the northbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Martin County, about 40 miles north of West Palm Beach. A passing Riviera Beach police officer witnessed the shooting and shot and killed the gunman. Car Falls Off Miami Area Ferry; 2 Women Inside In February, a car fell off the Fisher Island Ferry. Divers searching the waters off Government Cut later found the submerged vehicle with two women inside, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. John Lennon's Former Palm Beach Estate For Sale John Lennon and Yoko Ono's former oceanfront compound in Palm Beach was put on the market for $47.5 million in May. The Beatle, who bought the estate just one year before being killed by a gunman in New York, paid only $725,000 for the estate in 1980. Golf Clubs Filled With Cocaine Discovered In Miami Drug smugglers came up with an unusual plan to bring cocaine into the United States in March. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Miami International Mail Facility found nine golf clubs with shafts filled with cocaine. The clubs were shipped from Colombia. Missing Mom's Disappearance Called 'Very, Very Mysterious' By FBI Leila Cavett, a 21-year-old mother of a toddler, disappeared the day after she arrived in South Florida in August. The woman's 2-year-old son was found wandering alone in a South Florida apartment complex.