Kimberly Trelles announced the winner of the inaugural Miami Lakes Local Lotto during the Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce’s Jan. 14 luncheon.      Tracey Gonzalez won the $500 prize that Mayor Josh Dieguez drew from a bag of entries.       From Nov. 7 through Jan. 7, residents and visitors had a chance to dine or shop from area businesses and restaurants and collect stamps...

The Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce presented three scholarships to college students during its January luncheon.       “This is one of the things [Past Chamber President] Fred [Senra] and I had spoken about, that what I really wanted to do was give out more scholarships,” Chamber President Ray Palacios said.       Hialeah Campus President Dr. Georgette Perez attended with...

Three businesses in Miami Lakes won places in the Miami Herald’s Miami-Dade Favorites contest.       Out of 373,000 votes cast, Specialty Smiles won a gold medal as Best Orthodontist; Fuster Financial Group won a bronze medal for Best Wealth Management firm and Lakes Weight Loss & Esthetics won a silver medal as Best Weight Loss Center, according to the Miami Herald.       For more...

 Money raised through the annual Miami Lakes Food & Wine Festival has helped fund $100,000 in grants for community projects dispersed by the Miami Lakes Town Foundation over the past eight years, officials said.       For 2025-2026, the foundation awarded $11,705 in grants to a civic organization and four local schools.       The town council congratulated Festival Co-founder Lynn Matos...

     Marcela Munera and Mary Varona launched Mama’s Cakes in December, and after appearing on Miami-Dade County’s Strive 305 podcast, an opportunity arose.      “We’re in conversations with a huge account, an elite VIP hotel,” Munera said. “We are so excited about opportunities that are coming our way.”      Strive 305 is a hub for anything a budding...