Big Lottery Winner, Small-town Mystery

MIAMI — Last year’s success does not dictate this year’s results. The Heat know that. “The past is the past,” Heat forward Caleb Martin said Tuesday. “Nobody lives off that. What’s done is done. Nobody cares about that, starting tomorrow or starting the beginning of this year. Nobody cares about that, including myself.” While the Heat (46-36) survived the play-in round last year, that has no bearing on whether Miami’s season will continue past this week.

GAINESVILLE — Florida senior gymnast Ellie Lazzari waited her entire career to deliver her best performance at the perfect time. Lazzari captured her first all-around title April 7 during the Gainesville Regional to help propel the Gators into the NCAA Championships, set for Thursday and Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas, and culminate the 21-year-old’s odyssey back to the Gators’ lineup. “It’s been a long journey,” she said.

MIAMI GARDENS — Terron, Jevon, Jaelan and Jaylen. One of those four key players is almost certain not to be with the Miami Dolphins next season, and there’s a reasonable chance two of them depart. What’s the Dolphins’ plan? Net week’s NFL draft might offer us insight into how the Dolphins are thinking regarding left tackle Terron Armstead, safety Jevon Holland, edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. General manager Chris Grier said Tuesday the Dolphins will utilize the fifth-year option on the contracts of Phillips and Waddle, their 2021 first-round picks, by the May 2 deadline if they don’t reach agreement on a contract extension. So that leaves Armstead and Holland. From where we sit now, I think both will be gone for 2025. It seems like a likely scenario. What does that mean for the draft? Well, you never want to lock yourself into draft picks, but the more I think about it the more I think Dolphins need to draft an edge rusher and an offensive tackle in the first two rounds. Related Articles Miami Dolphins | Dolphins GM Chris Grier says team will pick up fifth-year options on Jaylen Waddle, Jaelan Phillips Miami Dolphins | Chris Perkins: Dolphins shouldn’t give Tua an extension, and certainly not superstar money Miami Dolphins | Dolphins have an apparent starting secondary in place, but Miami could look for depth at defensive back Miami Dolphins | Dolphins NFL draft options: Defensive backs Miami Dolphins | Chris Perkins: Meet Brandon Shore, the Broward native who is the Miami Dolphins’ financial wiz kid Miami Dolphins | Here’s where Dolphins stand at linebacker after parting ways with Jerome Baker, bringing in pair of free agents Miami Dolphins | David Furones’ 2024 NFL mock draft: Do Dolphins pick at 21 or trade up/down? I’m conflicted on the order. Yes, the Dolphins need a defensive tackle. No, you can’t ever have too many cornerbacks, and, yes, you might still need a No.

Water could become a whole lot more expensive — but safer — to drink for many residents. Last fall, Broward County hired a consultant to see what changes it can make to the water-treatment process to cut down on the volume of toxic chemicals known as PFAS in the drinking water. Toxic PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, can be widespread and long lasting in the environment. That county report, likely to be finished within a “couple months,” is expected to show a “hefty dollar amount” to replace the water plants, said County Administrator Monica Cepero.

Writing this sentence was hard. There were so many other things I could have gone with. That set of words seemed right at the time, roughly 90 seconds ago. Now I’m not so sure. Joan Didion once said that writing the first sentence of anything is difficult but by the time you’ve written two, you’re committed and should just keep plowing ahead.

Dr. Peter Licata announced “with great sadness” Tuesday that a medical condition will force him to leave the job he loves as Broward Superintendent of Schools after only 10 months on the job. DEVELOPING: Superintendent Dr. Peter Licata announced his resignation during a Broward School Board meeting, Tuesday morning. https://t.co/PZtCyXQjll — WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) April 16, 2024 “It is best that I retire from this incredible role as an educator after 30-plus years,” Licata told the School Board that hired him last June.