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Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Miami Dolphins legend Jason Taylor to bang Panthers drum at Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final
The Florida Panthers reportedly are going to a Hall of Famer to bang the drum before Game 4 of their Stanley Cup Final series against the Edmonton Oilers. Jason Taylor, a Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman who played most of his career with the Miami Dolphins and is now the defensive ends coach with the Miami Hurricanes, is slated to get the crowd going prior to opening faceoff on Thursday at Amerant Bank Arena, as reported by WSVN. Taylor, a third-round pick out of Akron in the 1997 NFL Draft, played 15 seasons in the NFL — 13 of which were with the Dolphins. In 233 career games (199 starts), he had 774 tackles, 139.5 sacks, 46 forced fumbles, 29 fumble recoveries, six fumbles returned for touchdown, eight interceptions and three interceptions returned for touchdown. He was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 after logging 13.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles and a pair of pick-sixes. Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, the first year he was eligible. Taylor will be the third person with Dolphins ties to bang the drum this playoff run, after tight end Jonnu Smith took part in Game 4 of the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning and defensive lineman Zach Sieler did it in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes. The running list of those who have banged the drum this postseason: ▪ First round vs Tampa Bay Lightning: Inter Miami midfielder Banjamin Cremaschi (Game 3) and Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith (Game 4) ▪ Second round vs Toronto Maple Leafs: Boca Raton-based social media personalities A.J. and Big Justice, former Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle (Game 4) and former Marlins catcher Charles Johnson (Game 6) ▪ Eastern Conference final vs Carolina Hurricanes: rapper Trick Daddy (Game 3) and Dolphins defensive lineman Zach Sieler (Game 4) ▪ Stanley Cup Final vs Edmonton Oilers: Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (Game 3) and Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame defensive lineman/Miami Hurricanes assistant coach Jason Taylor (Game 4).
Miami Herald
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Going to Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final? What to know about pregame entertainment
The Stanley Cup Final series between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers has shifted to Sunrise for the next two games of the best-of-7 series on Monday and Thursday. And beyond the entertainment that should take place on the ice — the first two games have been thrillers, with Game 1 going to overtime (4-3 Edmonton win) and Game 2 going to double overtime (5-4 Florida win) — there will be plenty of excitement and entertainment at Amerant Bank Arena leading up to Game 3's 8 p.m. start time on Monday. Another one While there is no concert outside the arena like there was for Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final last year, the Panthers announced Monday afternoon that DJ Khaled will perform in the arena both pregame and during the first intermission. It's the second consecutive year Khaled has been part of Florida's Stanley Cup Final festivities. He performed outside the arena ahead Game 2 in last season's Cup Final. It's also the second time this postseason the Panthers will have an in-arena performance midgame. Cedric Gervais performed during the first intermission of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes. Adebayo on the drum Meanwhile, Miami Heat star center Bam Adebayo is scheduled to bang the drum pregame prior to opening faceoff. He's the latest big name from South Florida to get things started before a game this playoffs. The running list of those who have banged the drum this postseason: ▪ First round vs Tampa Bay Lightning: Inter Miami midfielder Banjamin Cremaschi (Game 3) and Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith (Game 4) ▪ Second round vs Toronto Maple Leafs: Boca Raton-based social media personalities A.J. and Big Justice, former Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle (Game 4) and former Marlins catcher Charles Johnson (Game 6) ▪ Eastern Conference final vs Carolina Hurricanes: rapper Trick Daddy (Game 3) and Dolphins defensive lineman Zach Sieler (Game 4) Rally towels take jabs at previous opponents For every home game this postseason, the Panthers have laid out rally towels for fans to wave throughout the game. Each one generally has a theme or saying that fits into messaging the Panthers have had all season. For Game 3 on Monday, the saying is 'Rats Rule,' featuring a rat with a hockey stick and helmet and a Florida crest on its chest in front of a shield. The Panthers have embraced the rat throughout basically the franchise's entire history, going back to the Year of the Rat in 1996 when they went on to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time. It's become even more ingrained this year with Florida's aggressive style of play, led by agitators Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. But look closer at the rat itself and you'll notice the logos of the three teams Florida has knocked out in the playoffs to reach the Cup Final for a third consecutive year. A lightning bolt on the rat's left leg. A maple leaf on the rat's right ear. A hurricane flag on the knob of the stick. They're subtle, but give a reminder of the path Florida has taken in its quest to repeat as champions. Getting to the arena For those parking at Amerant Bank Arena, the parking gates open at 5 p.m. and doors to the arena open at 6:30 p.m. Parking is $75 per car.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Top 6 concerts this week in Sarasota, Bradenton, Englewood, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda
Now that we're in June, and out of snowbird and tourist season, this concert picks installment is composed almost entirely of musicians from throughout Florida. We do start with one notable exception, with a Canadian-born, now St. Louis-based blues-rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. The rest of this week's music acts all have ties to the Sunshine State, however — including a returning Sarasota native, a fundraiser concert for the Bradentucky Bombers roller derby team, a Fort Myers ska-reggae-soul group, a Boca Raton-based, Blues Music Award-nominated band, and a Miami sacred steel ensemble. Here are this week's highlights. Event details are subject to change. RIP: 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo' rocker and former Sarasota resident Rick Derringer dies 75-plus things to do in June in Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Punta Gorda Ticket Newsletter: Sign up to receive restaurant news and reviews plus info on things to do every Friday Although Joyland is primarily associated with country music, the Sarasota area venue occasionally holds concerts by musicians from different genres, such as blues-rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Anthony Gomes, who will return there for another show Friday. Born in Toronto to a French-Canadian mother and Portuguese father, and now living in the St. Louis area, Gomes visits the venue shortly after releasing his latest album "Praise the Loud." His other releases include the 2022 full-length "High Voltage Blues," which hit No. 1 on Billboard's blues album chart, with Gomes himself making Total Guitar magazine's list of the 100 greatest blues guitarists of all time last year. 8 p.m. doors, 9 p.m. show Friday; Joyland, 8341 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota; $28 advance, $35 day of; 941-210-4110; Bradenton venue Oscura will host this concert raising funds for another local institution, the Bradentucky Bombers roller derby team, and their travel to New Orleans to take on the Big Easy Roller Derby. Among the acts performing are Las Nadas, a self-described "gaggle of old people playing punk rock music" that includes Bradentucky Bomber GiGi RaMoan among its members (along with Doug Holland, owner of Bradenton record store Jerk Dog Records). Other musical acts will include No Pants Maurice, Kid Red, Luminosity and GDSOB. 7 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. show Friday; Oscura, 816 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton; $10 advance, $15 day of; 941-201-4950; Punta Gorda Irish pub and venue Celtic Ray Public House's live music lineup this week will kick off Friday with the return of ska-reggae-soul group The Freecoasters. While the group hails from nearby Fort Myers, they've found fans nationally, playing Washington, D.C.'s famed venue Black Cat in December 2023 with two big names in ska, The Slackers and Mustard Plug. Jesse Wagner of Los Angeles reggae band The Aggrolites also produced their two full-lengths, 2021's "A Different Kind of Heat" and 2016's "Show Up." 8 p.m. Friday; Celtic Ray Public House, 145 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda; 941-916-9115; Guitarist, singer-songwriter and Sarasota native Chris Anderson will play Stottlemyer's Smokehouse this weekend, as well as The Twisted Fork in Port Charlotte. Anderson is a former member of Tampa-formed Southern rockers the Outlaws, best known for the songs "Green Grass & High Tides" and "There Goes Another Love Song." Anderson also released the 1995 solo album "Old Friend," with its title track co-written with Warren Haynes and later recorded by the Allman Brothers Band as the final song on their final studio album, 2003's "Hittin' the Note." 7 p.m. Friday; Stottlemyer's Smokehouse, 19 E. Road, Sarasota; free; 941-312-5969; 6 p.m. doors, 6:30 p.m. show Saturday; The Twisted Fork, 2208 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte; $31 VIP including dinner buffet, general admission also available; 941-235-3675; Miami-based group The Lee Boys, one of the biggest acts of the sacred steel music genre, will return to Sarasota's Big Top Live for a free concert Saturday. Featuring brothers Alvin, Derrick and Keith Lee, the group plays in the sacred steel tradition, originating from church services featuring steel guitar for a sound that blends gospel with a hard-driving, blues-based beat. Their albums include 2012's "Testify," which features Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers Band and Gov't Mule and Jimmy Herring of Widespread Panic as guest musicians. 7 p.m. Saturday; Big Top Live, 975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; free; 941-371-2939; Sarasota County restaurant and venue Englewoods on Dearborn will welcome back Boca Raton blues guitarist and singer-songwriter J.P. Soars this week with his band the Red Hots. The group was nominated for four Blues Music Awards in 2022: Band of the Year, B.B. King Entertainer and Instrumentalist — Guitar for Soars, and Instrumentalist — Drums for bandmate Chris Peet, who scored another nomination in the same category this year. Soars also plays in the supergroup Southern Hospitality with Grammy-nominated pianist Victor Wainwright and fellow Floridian Damon Fowler. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 12; Englewoods on Dearborn, 362 W. Dearborn St., Englewood; $7; 941-475-7501; If you would like to be considered for this story, please submit your event to at least 10 days before our Thursday publication date. Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at Support local journalism by subscribing. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Top 6 concerts Sarasota Bradenton Englewood Port Charlotte Punta Gorda
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boynton's half-finished Town Square project gets $35 million from city to finish work
BOYNTON BEACH — After weeks of deliberation and nearly eight years for it to come to fruition, the Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency approved Time Equities' request for a $35 million tax-increment financing plan to complete the city's long-delayed Town Square Project. 'We're here to do our best,' said Francis Greenburger, owner of Time Equities, who was seated in the front row at the May 13 board meeting. 'We're committed to realizing what we hope will be a high-quality project consistent with the vision that Boynton had for itself. … Give us the tools and we'll go to work.' Following lengthy discussions with the New York-based development company and much input from the public the past several weeks, the CRA voted to approve the $35 million request, passing it 4-1. The vote came after an attorney-client closed-door session, also known as a shade meeting, between city commissioners that lasted about an hour. A shade meeting is a session that allows a city's board or commission members to meet privately with an attorney to discuss public matters in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law. Boynton Beach Mayor Rebecca Shelton, along with commissioners Thomas Turkin, Aimee Kelley, and Woodrow Hay, all voted in favor of the TIF request. Commissioner Angela Cruz was the sole vote against the deal. 'Metrics don't lie,' Turkin said. 'This isn't a perfect situation. This isn't a perfect project. You know how I feel about the project in its entirety. You know how split and divided residents are. But, I think if you look at this economically and you look at the metrics … they don't pick sides.' 'I'm not going to let perfect be the enemy of good,' he added. Despite formerly expressing disapproval, Turkin believes that the project will positively stimulate the city's economy, creating what he calls an 'economic boom.' 'I think it's in our best interest to move forward with this,' he said. Cruz said she felt the tax-increment finance request, or TIF, was too high and expressed discomfort with placing such a hefty investment in just one project. 'I don't feel comfortable with providing 95% of our TIF,' Cruz said. 'We have multiple things that we're going to have to pay for as we grow as a city … (and) 95% is too much in my view. However, I do understand the reason for needing the tool.' The Town Square project began development in 2018. It started as a 16.5-acre mixed-use redevelopment project that included a city hall, library, fire station and an amphitheater in the heart of Boynton Beach. This portion of the project, the public sector, was completed in October 2020. However, the second half of the project, a private development in partnership with Boca Raton-based JKM Developers, sat idle for nearly seven years. After a lengthy standstill, Times Equities reimagined The Square and proposed a new plan — two eight-story complexes, hosting close to 900 apartments that stretch from Boynton Beach to Seacrest boulevards. The project was approved in April 2024. However, with a funding gap bringing the proposed eight-story complexes to a halt, developers turned to the city for money. The amount — a $35 million TIF, a price that had many residents up in arms and the CRA board divided. APRIL 2025: After hearing from residents, Boynton wants more feedback before Town Square project vote APRIL 2025: Boynton Town Square project is still only half-finished and new developer wants more money AUGUST 2018: New renderings released of Boynton Beach's Town Square project SEPTEMBER 2016: Boynton hopeful private group wants in on Town Square A TIF is a public financing plan intended to help community redevelopment projects and stimulate private investment in areas that need economic revitalization. Yet on May 13, the CRA voted to move forward with the project, approving the developer's expensive request. Robert Singer, Time Equities' director of development, assured the board their vote will not be in vain, maintaining his stance that the new development will create economic growth in Boynton Beach once completed. 'This is what drives jobs,' Singer said. 'What this is speaking to is permanent spending, permanent jobs, good jobs and businesses opening.' 'This is capturing the new people that come in, but then you have also the people that are living here who are going to have an opportunity to spend money. … It's a massive impact.' This vote may come as a surprise to some, as both residents and select board members — Turkin included — were initially against the request, stating that $35 million was an egregious ask from developers. In a previous CRA meeting, Turkin called the TIF request a 'bad deal' and said he could not agree to the developers' terms, nor the high amount. Local residents also expressed concerns regarding the height and density of the project, as well as the traffic and safety concerns that such a large development would welcome. 'I'm totally against this,' said Susan Oyer, Boynton Beach local and Realtor. Yet, with a sort of change in tune, she urged the board to approve the TIF request in hopes that developers would work with area residents to meet the needs of the community. 'There's no way to turn down this project,' she said. 'It's not a change of heart. It's acknowledging the reality of the situation, and if you play nice, hopefully you can get some accommodations … ways to make a project that no one's happy with a little bit better.' TE developers hope to begin the project by spring of 2026. They rejected the board's request to accelerate the projected start date. Yet, after nearly eight years of a vacant and 'blighted' lot surrounding Boynton's city hall, other residents are excited for the new development to take shape. 'I think the project is well designed. I think it's going to be impactful on our community in a very positive way,' said Anthony Barber, a resident of Boynton Beach. 'These are the kind of people we want to be in partnership with. … They're not here to just take,' he said regarding TE developers. 'The train is at the station. We need to be sure that we're on it for the benefit of our community.' This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boynton Beach votes to complete Town Square project
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House resurrects bid to restore attorney fees in insurance disputes
In an effort to keep alive their bid to resurrect the availability of so-called 'one-way attorneys fees' in lawsuits against insurers, the Florida House adopted a bill that added their proposal to an unrelated Senate bill on Friday. But if the House had hoped the amended bill would slip by the Senate, proponents of reforms that reduced insurers' legal costs are urging senators to reject it when it comes back to them in the coming days. 'I hope the Senate will do the right thing and be the adults in the room,' said Stacey Giulianti, chief legal officer at Boca Raton-based Florida Peninsula Insurance. The effort to restore the right of plaintiffs to claim attorneys fees in lawsuits against insurers has overshadowed dozens of other insurance-related bills introduced for the session, leaving only a handful with minor impacts poised for enactment. Citizens Insurance's letters broil frustrated customer in a 'depopulation' stew New insurer says it will be open to South Florida homeowner business It's time once again for insurers vs. attorneys in Florida's Legislature Until the late bid emerged, the Senate seemed content to ignore bills that would require insurers to once again pay fees incurred by policyholders who sue them. In arguing for the reforms three years ago, insurers said that the industry had become unprofitable due to an avalanche of frivolous lawsuits filed under a century-old Florida law. That law required insurers to pay legal fees if they agreed to settle litigation by paying as little as $1 over their original settlement offer. However, insurance customers were held harmless if they sued their insurers and lost. The reforms placed Florida's legal system on equal footing with most of the country, insurers said. Plaintiffs who sue are now required to pay attorneys out of their own pockets or a percentage of what they win. But attorneys say that leaves plaintiffs unable to challenge denials or underpayments of small claims because attorneys can't make enough money to justify taking their cases. Knowing that emboldens insurers to treat policyholders unfairly, attorneys say. A bill introduced prior to the current Legislative session by state Rep. Hillary Cassel, a Broward County Democrat-turned-Republican who is also a plaintiffs attorney, was approved by two House committees but still awaited a hearing by a third committee. Typically, bills must pass three committee hearings in both the House and Senate. But the Senate — potentially responding to warnings from insurance industry leaders, the state's insurance commissioner and Gov. Ron DeSantis — failed to schedule it for a single committee hearing. The Senate also ignored a bill by its former president, Don Gaetz, that would also have empowered judges to award attorney fees to plaintiffs who prevail in their lawsuits. On Wednesday, House member Berny Jacques attached language from the Cassel bill to an unrelated bill approved by the Senate clarifying that certain levels of radiation must be recorded before lawsuits could be brought against owners of former phosphate mines. Rather than 'one-way attorney fees,' supporters insist that the bill should actually be called a 'prevailing party' or 'loser pays' measure. It would require insurers to pay plaintiffs' attorney fees if a court awards them more than an amount offered by insurers, but plaintiffs would be required to pay insurers' fees if a court awards them less than the insurer proposed. During debate over the bill on Friday, Rep. Michael Gottlieb, who represents part of Broward County, predicted the prevailing party provision would 'discourage litigation because you're not going to want to, number one, prolong litigation, and number two, get involved in litigation that you're going to lose.' Rep. Tyler Sirois, from Brevard County, said the bill would reinstate 'balance.' He added, 'We made it too easy for insurers to delay, deny and underpay claims — making it harder for honest Floridians, whether they're carrying a hammer or a calculator, to fight back.' During the debate, no member of the House spoke against the amended bill and it was adopted by a vote of 80-20. As part of the back-and-forth that must occur to get a unified bill approved by the entire Legislature, the amended bill now goes back to the Senate, which could vote on the House's version, remove or change the amendment, or just let it die. Jacque's filing of the amendment on Wednesday set off a flurry of activity by industry supporters who again warned that passage would undermine progress tracked since the reforms were enacted, drive up litigation and force insurers to increase premiums. It also prompted Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky to send an email warning Peter Cuderman, Gov. DeSantis' director of legislative and intergovernmental affairs, that the bill could dismantle 'the hard-won progress' achieved by the 2022-2023 reforms. That progress, Yaworsky wrote, includes declining reinsurance costs for insurers, 65 rate filings that were either reduced or included no increases, introduction of 12 new insurers into Florida's market, and a 23% decrease in lawsuit filings year over year. Potential impact of the House's bill, he warned, included increases in lawsuits, insurer costs, reinsurance rates, private investment, and the population of state-owned Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the insurer of last resort. After the vote, the pro-industry Florida Chamber released a statement saying it would continue fighting to stop the bill, which also removes restrictions on medical claims by patients, from becoming law. 'Going backwards is the wrong move for Florida,' the statement said. 'We should allow these reforms to continue to work, not re-allow scamsters to artificially drive up medical costs to inflate verdicts and incentivize litigation over small dollar amounts with the promise of attorneys' fees for the people on the billboards.' Brian Murphy, who owns a Brightway insurance agency franchise in Palm Beach Gardens, said after the hearing that he favored keeping the reforms as they are. If positive trends continue, he said, 'it's a sign that the state's efforts to revitalize the insurance landscape are working.' Dulce Suarez-Resnick, an insurance agent based in Miami, said supporters predicted reforms wouldn't be felt for three years. 'We are two years in and I've already seen a lot of impact,' she said. 'The Legislature needs to be patient. We have one more year to go.' William Large, president of the Florida Justice Reform Institute, said the House proposal would bring back 'one-way attorney fees.' 'Unless an insurer gets a zero verdict, they're going to end up paying attorneys fees,' he said. Also troublesome, Large said, is a provision of the bill that would allow attorney fees to be awarded if a plaintiff wins a 'declaratory judgment,' which is simply a declaration by the court that an insurer is responsible for paying a claim. It's 'going to create an incentive for attorneys to litigate declaratory judgment actions to generate fees,' Large said. The handful of bills headed to the governor's desk after approval by both chambers include: — SB 114 / HB 1097 — Transfers hurricane loss projection modeling from Florida International University to Florida State University. — SB 1076 / HB 715 — Expands roofing contractors' scope of work to include evaluation and enhancement of roof-to-wall connections; narrows cancellation window for contracts signed after emergencies. — SB 176 / HB 1041 — Limits property tax increases for homes elevated to prevent flood damage if voters approve constitutional amendment in November 2026. — SB 948 / HB 1015 — Requires landlords to provide flood risk information to tenants before signing leases. Gives tenants 30 days after a flood to terminate a lease if the disclosures are not provided and the tenant suffers flood damage. Meanwhile, a long list of bills received no hearings in committee, made it through fewer than the required number of committee stops, or were ignored by one or the other chamber. Giulianti doesn't want to see any of them enacted this year. 'It's best for the Legislature to continue to let all the (2022 and 2023) changes work their way through the system through all of the insurance renewal cycles, and then decide next year if anything needs tweaking,' he said. Property insurance bills left on the table would have allowed policyholders to: — Hold the owners of fallen trees responsible for damage to their properties. — Protect personal information entered into Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection forms. — Access rate transparency reports or see rating examples for their counties in filings to the Office of Insurance Regulation. — Learn how their premiums are being distributed among subsidiaries, captive vendors, management companies and reinsurers. — Require that their insurer pay specific fees for services provided by affiliates. — Tap into a $500 million emergency trust fund if they are having trouble paying their insurance bill. — Hold their surplus lines insurer responsible to pay up to the full amount of the insured value set in their policy. — Require that their insurer participate in mandatory dispute resolution hearings prior to litigating. — If they are a Citizens customer located outside of a FEMA flood zone, get out of the new requirement to hold flood insurance. — Weigh advice from an Insurance Solutions Advisory Council or have access to a consumers guide to homeowner insurance. — Be protected from cancellation while trying to repair damage from floods or hurricanes. — Seek reimbursement for wind and flood damage mitigation projects through the My Safe Florida Home program. Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071 or by email at rhurtibise@
