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Pembroke Pines weekly rewind: Catch up on the top stories you might have missed

By Edited by Mike Garbett and produced with AI assistance
It was another eventful week of news in Pembroke Pines.
It was another eventful week of news in Pembroke Pines. Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com

From a cyclist’s ongoing recovery from a traumatic brain injury to the closure of a restaurant known for its happy hour, Pembroke Pines saw another busy news week.

Here’s a roundup of the top stories you might have missed:

  • Cyclist’s recovery: A 56-year-old is navigating life with a traumatic brain injury after being hit by an SUV during a mid-March bike ride near Sheridan Street and Chestnut Court. Doctors say his recovery could take months to a couple of years, and medical bills have already exceeded $330,000.
  • Badge controversy: One city commissioner has not returned his ceremonial police badge weeks after the City Commission unanimously voted to prohibit the items, emails show. The resolution stems from a 2025 incident in which he allegedly misused the badge to question students at Charles W. Flanagan High School.
  • Repeat fraud arrest: A 52-year-old was arrested on fraud charges, just months after his release from prison and while on probation. He had previously been convicted in 2023 for operating a Ponzi-style scheme that scammed one victim out of more than $300,000.
  • School board delay: The Broward County School Board delayed a vote on cutting 856 positions to save $40 million, pushing the formal decision to May 19 amid declining student enrollment..
  • Restaurant closure: TGI Fridays shut down its Pembroke Pines location at 90 N. University Drive, leaving locations only in Hollywood and Plantation for Broward residents. The closure follows the chain’s late 2024 bankruptcy filing, which has reduced its U.S. footprint from 270 locations to 76.
  • Traffic crackdown: A weekend Pembroke Pines police operation resulted in five arrests and 378 traffic and parking citations. Violations targeted included speeding, driving with a suspended license and lack of insurance.
  • Murder charges: A 79-year-old man faces two second-degree murder charges after biking to Memorial Hospital West with claimed stab wounds. Detectives say he stabbed his wife and stepson to death inside their Miami Gardens townhouse following an argument over alleged stolen money.
  • DEI law impact: Pembroke Pines leaders are weighing how to comply with a new state law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that prohibits local municipalities from funding or promoting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The law takes effect Jan. 1 and could affect numerous proclamations and events traditionally held by the city.
  • Happy endings: Three dogs rescued in February from squalid conditions in a Pembroke Pines animal cruelty case have found their forever families. Their former owner still faces 12 misdemeanor charges and is scheduled to stand trial in October.
  • Million-dollar bet: A Broward County resident turned a $30.11 wager into a nearly $2 million payout with a six-leg MLB home run parlay. The bet, with odds of 1-in-65,760.31, became the longest-odds seven-figure parlay payout in Hard Rock Bet history.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.