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...

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava declared Dec. 14 as Giving Gators Day. Manny Cid, Asst. Director for Small and Local Business Development for the county and a former mayor of Miami Lakes, delivered Levine Cava’s proclamation to members of the non-profit that is run by Miami Lakers. Among the group’s qualities, Cid read, are “unwavering dedication, compassion and commitment to serving Miami-Dade County and its...

Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School’s Speech and Debate team continued their winning streak at the Miami-Dade Urban Debate League’s Alumni Classic Tournament on Dec. 13. The Trojans took home lots of hardware: two 1st Place trophies, as well as 3rd Place, 4th Place, 6th Place plaques and medals.  “Once again, our students rose to the occasion and came home with a 1st Place sweepstakes trophy!” Speech and...

  Students in Miami Lakes Educational Center’s Culinary Program will return to Orlando in February to compete in the Universal Orlando Handheld Competition. The team’s Top 4 finish during the Dec. 2 contest at the University of Central Florida’s College of Hospitality allowed them to advance to the finals.       “Our student chefs participate in this competition for a chance to have their...

  Darryl “Tre” Bell, III, 18, signed with the Florida State University football program in December. Bell, of Miami, attends Barbara Goleman Senior High School, Class of 2026.       The Seminoles’ head football coach Mike Norvell visited the Miami Lakes campus in October to meet with Bell, a safety who is known for his ability to play both defense and offense on the field. During a signing rally...