Students at Mater Academy in Hialeah Gardens filled the Lion’s Den with screams to welcome UFC fighter and former champion Conor McGregor. McGregor visited the middle/high school at 7901 N.W. 103rd St. on Sept. 23 to honor six student-athletes for their scholarship and community service. The event was sponsored by the charity Buddy’s HELPERS in partnership with the PepsiCo Foundation, and TIDL Sport, an athletic performance...

The Giving Gators charitable organization is collecting canned goods to help complete family meal boxes which will be distributed before Thanksgiving. Donations may be taken to the Mayor’s Cafe, 15478 NW 77th Ct. in Miami Lakes. Students at Barbara Goleman Senior High School may drop off goods at the main office. Requested canned items are: Cranberry jelly; gravy; sweet corn; green beans and yams. Also sought are boxes of...

JetStream Federal Credit Union is a 73-year-old non-profit, cooperative financial institution that has served members in Miami Lakes for more than two decades. Among its member-owners are those who live, work, worship, attend school, or have a business or other legal entity in Miami-Dade County, according to the credit union’s website. Membership is also extended to folks in Carolina, Trujillo Alto and San Juan, in Puerto...

Gloria M. Garcia, 47, is an attorney in Miami Lakes who practices workers compensation law. She lives in town with her husband and three children. Garcia is also a volunteer with the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, where she says she advocates for laws that benefit cancer patients. Q: Where are you from and what is your background? A: I was born in Cuba and moved to the United States when I was five. My...

The Miami-Dade County Public Schools VEX Robotics Virtual Programming Competition on Sept. 25th drew students from 36 elementary, middle and high schools. The middle school kids teamed up to write 200 lines of code to direct the movements of a robot, said teacher Jessica Hernandez of the Miami Lakes K-8 Center. Hernandez is the school’s robotics and computer science instructor. Students Daniel Lopez, Grade 6, shown above, and...