🌱 Pig Pardoning Ceremony + Restaurant Violations + Iconic Publix Scales Could Be History

Happy Wednesday, people of Miami! Let's get you all caught up to start today off on an informed note.

First, today's weather:

A couple of showers. High: 79 Low: 73.

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Here are the top stories in Miami today:

1. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava hosted the fourth annual Pig Pardoning Ceremony at Latin Café 2000 in Brickell on Tuesday ahead of Noche Buena. Manchita, Sakura, Shlomo, and David were pardoned by the mayor. (NBC Miami)

2. Publix’s iconic entrance scales may soon be history. The scales have been a fixation for Floridians and visitors for nearly 81 years. A recent Florida store opening at Boynton Beach did not include a scale at all. The scales were often thought of as a great way to bring in customers, but have become a challenge after a manufacturer ceased production. (CBS Miami)

3. A former Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts supervisor created fake receipts so he could steal more than $100,000 in court fees from customers, according to the state attorney's office. 35-year-old Tyrone Derise Smith, Jr. is charged with one count of grand theft over $100,000 and one count of organized scheme to defraud over $50,000. Both are first-degree felony charges. (Miami Patch)

4. Brickell restaurant China Lee recently racked up 31 violations from inspectors including rodent activity from droppings next to sugar and flour containers in the kitchen. Live roaches were found including one in the hand sink near a drain in the kitchen. A Hialeah Boston Market and Hollywood's Sapore Di Mare were also cited. (WPLG Local 10)

5. Silverstein Properties, known for rebuilding the World Trade Center after 9/11, has provided $340 million in financing to Legacy Miami Worldcenter. It is the first loan in Florida ever and the third biggest construction loan in Florida history, according to the developer. (The Next Miami)

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Today in Miami:

• Food Trucks Wednesday at North Bay Village. (5:00 PM)
• Nights Of Lights at Pinecrest Gardens. (6:00 PM)
• Annual Holiday Wine & Unwind - End of the year BASH! at Women's Chamber of Commerce of Miami-Dade County. (6:00 PM)
• Cooking In The GRINCHMAS Spirit: Holiday Cooking And Cocktail Class at Phuc Yea. (7:00 PM)
• A Wonderful World at Colony Theatre. (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Miami-Dade County Public Schools: "Thank you to our students from Barbara Goleman SHS for spreading joy in our community and inspiring others to give back. #ValuesMatterMiami" (Facebook)
• Miami-Dade Parks: "With a ton of events, the holidays are in full swing at Deering Estate! In addition to a ton of holiday events, view this year's Historic Holiday Décor, these grand Nutcrackers welcome you as you enter the Richmond Cottage front porch de..." (Facebook)
• Miami Film Festival: "Multi-@theacademy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón is reuniting with cinematographer and longtime collaborator Emmanuel Lubezki. The filmmaker is set to write, direct, and produce his thriller series DISCLAIMER for @appletv, starring Academy ..." (Facebook)

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You're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another 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.