🌱 Miami Freedom Park Approved After Battle + Little Havana Convicts

Happy Saturday, people of Miami! Here's everything you need to know to start today off on an informed note, shall we? Here's what's going on today in Miami.

First, today's weather:

A shower and thunderstorm. High: 81 Low: 74.

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Here are the top five stories in Miami today:

1. Miami's Evelt Jeudy is facing a list of public corruption charges includes racketeering, organized fraud, 15 counts of official misconduct, six counts of grand theft, and unlawful compensation or reward for official behavior. Records show Jeudy was active in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. (WPLG Local 10)

2. The City of Miami and a property developer had been locked in a stadium showdown for months. Thursday night, Miami commissioners agreed to kick off a new era of sports in South Florida and fund the Miami Freedom Park soccer complex at the tune of $1 billion. The facility will include a 25,000-seat stadium, shopping center, hotel, office park and public park. (WSVN)

3. A violent crash in Hallandale Beach sent at least six people to the hospital early Friday morning. According to Hallandale Beach Police, a Range Rover and a GMC collided at the intersection of Federal Highway and Hallandale Beach Boulevard around 12:40 am. (CBS Miami)

4. The owner of the property where the Diesel Living condos are planned in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood has completed a utilities deal supplying water and sewer to the new project. The project is planned to include 159 apartments and 17,415 square feet of retail. (The Next Miami)

5. Three leaders of a violent Little Havana drug trafficking and money laundering organization have been found guilty of various gun, drugs and money laundering crimes, authorities said Thursday. Ulysses Cabrera, 32, Bernardo Quinonez, 34, and Victor Smith, 26, were convicted by a federal jury following a nine-week trial, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida said. (NBC Miami)

Today in Miami:

• Free Family Mini Photo Sessions at Wynwood Arts District. (9:00 AM)
• 5th Annual South Florida Fertility Expo at Miami Lakes Hotel. (10:00 AM)
• CABARET at University of Miami College of Art and Culture. (2:00 PM)
• Alton Food Hall Grand Opening/Ribbon Cutting. (3:00 PM)
• 7th Annual Sankofa Jazz Festival at African Heritage Cultural Arts Center. (3:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC (FGT) will conduct pipeline maintenance work on its 12-inch Miami Lateral natural gas pipeline. Expect delays from May 1 to May 15. (Twitter)
• Qualifying owned and operated small businesses in Commissioner Eileen Higgins's District 5 may apply for a Mom & Pop Small Business Grant and receive up to $5,000. Register to attend the next info session on May 4 at 10:30 a.m. for more information. (Twitter)
• A new study shows Miami's median monthly rental rate for a one-bedroom unit is $2,630, while a two-bedroom unit goes for roughly $3,550. Miami's rise to the top of Zumper's national rent report display's the region's affordable-housing crisis. (Miami New Times)
• Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, will appear at Aspen Ideas: Climate on May 9, in conversation with Susan Goldberg in Miami Beach. (Twitter)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday. I'll see you soon!

— 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