Meet Louie from Lake Katharine.      Louie is a four-year-old Labradoodle who is an avid lizard chaser, though owner Beth Martincic says he has not caught one yet.      “He is high energy, but he is very sweet,” Martincic said of the family pet she shares with her hus-band Ollie Martincic and their daughters, ages five and 9, in their Miami Lakes home.      Louie...

     The Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce and Miami Lakes AutoMall are accepting donations during the chamber’s July 8 luncheon at Miami Lakes Hotel on Main. Members and guests are encouraged to contribute any of the following: Canned goods Diapers Work gloves Industrial-size trash bags Masking tape Flashlights AA, AAA and D Batteries First aid kits Hygiene products Canned proteins Bottled...

When Alexander Brito isn’t helping to shape the next generation of football players or creative writers, he’s writing. Brito, 32, an English teacher at Barbara Goleman Senior High School and the offensive line coach for its football team, recently published his debut novel, “Creatures of Habit” with Current Words Publishing. “Creatures of Habit” is the story of Yovanni Guerra, told through journal...

Elsa Reus of Hialeah Gardens, who is vice chair of the Miami Lakes Cultural Affairs Committee, has traveled through much of Europe since she retired in 2024. Most recently Reus, 75, journeyed to Italy in May with a group tour to the southern area known as the “heel” of that country. Stops included Osuni; the domed Trulli limestone houses of Alberobello in Puglia, a UNESCO World Heritage Center, and Matera, ranked as the...

Kids in the Loch Ness neighborhood near Windmill Gate put aside their screens for a couple of Sundays each month and grab a bucket of colored chalks instead. They transformed community sidewalks into their own art gallery, with Batman and Godzilla themes, said Ibis Mendoza, a member of the Loch Ness Homeowner’s Association. While the kids are expressing themselves, parents have an opportunity to get together, she said. “They...