Hot housing market, concerts & more top stories: Your Pembroke Pines week in review

From ballot measures and a federal arrest to a coffee shop comeback and an AI-generated city roast, Pembroke Pines saw a busy news week.

Missed the headlines? Here’s a roundup of the top stories from this week in your city:

• Ballot measures ahead: Pembroke Pines commissioners are weighing three potential November ballot items, including two charter amendments and a public safety bond, with district town halls planned in early June ahead of the Aug. 18 deadline.
• Badge still missing: More than a month after the city commission unanimously voted to end the ceremonial badge practice, Commissioner Jay D. Schwartz had not returned his badge, Mayor Angelo Castillo told the Pembroke Pines News. All other elected officials issued ceremonial badges have returned them to administration.
• Federal arrest: A 33-year-old Pembroke Pines man was arrested by the FBI after agents discovered child pornography on his devices and evidence he solicited explicit videos from roughly 30 Snapchat users, at least six of whom were minors. He faces charges related to possession, distribution and production of child sexual abuse material, plus coercion and enticement.
• Free kids event: Mayor’s Kids Day returns for its 17th edition on Friday, June 12, offering kids 15 and under a lunch with the mayor, character meet-and-greets and free prizes from local businesses. Pre-registration with proof of residency is required.
• Hot housing market: Pembroke Pines single-family home sales jumped 17% year-over-year in April, outpacing Broward County’s 7.6% gain, while inventory plunged 30% to just a three-month supply, new MIAMI Association of Realtors data shows. Single-family home prices in Pines dipped 8% from April 2025.
• Art meets healing: Memorial Cancer Institute opened a new art gallery at its Moffitt Malignant Hematology & Cellular Therapy center, featuring patient artwork alongside pieces from Eli Lilly’s Oncology on Canvas collection. The opening also included a pinning ceremony honoring oncology nurses.
• New FLL routes: Allegiant Air announced four new nonstop routes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport — to Boston, Omaha, Kansas City and Pittsburgh — starting in early October with fares from $59. The expansion follows Spirit Airlines’ May 2 shutdown, which left a 24.5% passenger share gap at FLL.
• Skating returns: Boogie on Wheels is rolling back into the Charles F. Dodge City Center on Friday, July 24, with family skating from 5-7 p.m. and an adults 21+ freestyle session from 8-10:30 p.m. featuring DJ Sama spinning ’90s freestyle, with tickets now on sale. Family tickets are $21.30 each and adult tickets are $27.45.
• Pet store bankruptcy: Violet’s Puppies, LLC, the Petland franchisee at 356 N. University Drive, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy over a $2.9 million small business loan from First Internet Bank of Indiana, federal court records show. The store is expected to remain open while reorganizing the debt.
• Throwback concert: The free Throwback Thursday concert series returns to the Charles F. Dodge City Center quad on Thursday, May 28, from 6 to 9 p.m. with a “High School Reunion Night” theme spanning hits from the 1960s through 1980s.
• ChatGPT roast: A Pembroke Pines woman’s request for ChatGPT to “roast” the city went viral in the “We Love Pembroke Pines” Facebook group, with the chatbot calling it the “Toyota Camry of South Florida cities”. The AI skewered Pines for its retiree demographic, chain restaurants, lack of nightlife and Pines Boulevard traffic — and locals largely agreed.
• Coffee truck reopens: Little V’s, the clown-themed coffee and matcha truck that closed its Pembroke Pines location in late March, has reopened in a brick-and-mortar spot inside Makom, a secondhand furniture store at 4264 Davie Road. The new shop is open Tuesday through Saturday.

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.