🌱 Champlain Towers S. Site Bought By Trump Partner + Electric Buses

Hello, everybody. It's Wednesday in Miami and I'm back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening locally. Because community information is power! Let's do it...

First, today's weather:

Winds subsiding with a shower. High: 87 Low: 80.

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Here are the top five stories in Miami today:

1. The site of Champlain Towers South, a 12-story condo tower that collapsed in Surfside last summer, has sold for $120 million to Dubai developer DAMAC Properties, a Trump business partner. Ninety-eight people were killed in the tragic condo collapse. (Miami Patch)

2. Some staff members estimate that 30 to 50 percent of Miami's Federal Detention Center medical positions are currently vacant. Mary Melek, the chief shop steward for the local union that covers employees at FDC Miami, says the prison is short on manpower in almost every department, and blames a federal hiring freeze and the pandemic. (Miami New Times)

3. Local Broward County leaders met Tuesday to discuss solutions to address the shortage being felt in the county for 911 call center dispatchers. The short-term solution is the approval of $5 million to hire new dispatchers and give raises to those already working to increase retention. (WSVN)

4. Miami-Dade Commissioners have approved 15 new electric buses for the South Dade Transitway starting in August 2023. The total cost is $17.47 million, of which the state will pay $8.7 million and the county the remainder from half-penny transit surtax funds. (Miami Today)

5. A former resident at Miami Beach's Mount Sinai Medical Center has been arrested for an attempted sex trafficking of a young girl, FBI officials said. Alan Li, 26, is charged with attempted sex trafficking of a minor under 14 and attempted coercion or enticement of a minor, according to an arrest affidavit. (NBC Miami)

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Today in Miami:

• Om Garden - Vinyasa Yoga Class at Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. (7:30 a.m.)
• DJ Basics For Beginners at Miami-Dade Main Public Library. (3 p.m.)
• National Bike Month Coconut Grove Community Ride at Coconut Grove Playhouse. (5 p.m.)
• Mangolandia Battle Of The Bartenders at VEZA SUR Brewing Co. (6 p.m.)
• FilmGate Miami Presents: FilmGate Short Film Festival 2022 - Documentaries at Silverspot Cinema - Downtown Miami. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Miami-Dade County has launched a $70 million Building Blocks Fund for affordable housing, in an effort to address the ongoing affordability crisis. (Miami-Dade County)
• A woman from Houston paid $20.5 million for a mansion on Sunset Islands in Miami Beach. The property gained almost $7 million in value in a year and a half. (Subscription: South Florida Business Journal)
• El Al Israel Airlines has announced plans to move its U.S. headquarters office to Miami, according to Globes. (The Next Miami)
• Qatar is paying for Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to be part of a VIP tour of the country this week. Her top political consultant is also joining in the tour, according to the Miami Herald. (Subscription: Miami Herald)

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That's it for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with your next update!

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Miami Daily? Contact me at carlosreportsnews@gmail.com