An aerial view of one of the oil pads operated by Breitburn in the Raccoon Point field in the Big Cypress National Preserve, an area just west of the Broward County line. The drilling rig, at left, is only in place when wells are initially drilled. A service rig, at right, is periodically used to replace well pumps and other gear.

ENERGY

Oil industry eyes South Florida again

Fueled by rising oil prices and new technology, the oil industry is planning to expand exploration and drilling across a huge swath of Southwest Florida. Photo Gallery Available

Child Welfare

The Miami-Dade mother accused of leaving her child to die in a hot car will remain in jail pending trial

Declaring it was necessary to “protect the safety of the community” and the “integrity of the [court] system,” a judge ordered a western Miami-Dade woman to remain in jail, at least for now, while she awaits trial on charges she killed her infant son by leaving him to bake in a hot car.

Bruce Rich is the plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Corrections that would require kosher food for Jewish inmates who want it. He was sentenced to life in prision in 1999 for killing his parents in North Miami Beach.

FLORIDA PRISONS

Kosher prison food lawsuit goes forward

A Miami-Dade man serving life for killing his parents is leading the fight for kosher food in Florida prisons Photo Gallery Available

Natalie Hoberman's Jetta, The license plate was a clue that her boyfriend was up to someething.

promposals

The prom invite you won’t say ‘no’ to

Promposals, the act of asking someone to accompany you to the school prom, have become over-the-top productions splashed all over social media. Photo Gallery Available

Federal court

Former Hialeah Mayor Robaina and wife released on bond in tax-evasion case

Ex-Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina and his wife have to surrender their passports and limit travel while awaiting trial on tax-evasion charges. Video Available Photo Gallery Available

Django, a 1-year-old Belgian Malinois shepherd dog, was stolen from his pen at a Miami-Dade County animal shelter Tuesday evening. Anyone with information is asked to call the Animal Services Investigations Unit at 305-418-7172. Photo courtesy of the Miami-Dade Animal Services Department.

Police seek thieves who stole purebred dog from Miami-Dade shelter

Miami-Dade Animal Services is seeking the public’s help in identifying two people who stole a purebred Belgian Malinois shepherd dog from a county animal shelter on Tuesday. Photo Gallery Available

NCIS officer Noel Zuniga, stationed in Panama, had an acute heart attack and was whisked away to UM Hospital, where he woke up. Unable to be treated by doctors in Panama successfully, doctors at UM Hospital flew to Panama and operated on Zuniga and implanted a mechanical intraaortic ballon pump to maintain his circulation. Zuniga and his wife Diana talk to the media with Dr Carlos Alfonso at the UM Hospital, May 17, 2013.

HEALTH/MEDICINE

University of Miami Hospital sends team to Panama to save NCIS agent’s life

University of Miami Hospital sent a team to Panama with the special Impella heart pump to help save an NCIS agent’s life.

WORKPLACE

Many workplaces insure domestic partners, some now also pay the tax on benefits

Many Florida businesses and public institutions provide domestic partner benefits for unmarried employees. Some now also cover the tax on the benefit.

Karla Hernandez-Matz, the newly sworn in Secretary Treasurer of the United Teachers of Dade is the first to hug, Fedrick Ingram, after he was sworn in Thursday evening, May 16, 2013, as the new president of the United Teachers of Dade.

Miami-Dade Schools

New teachers union boss rose from poverty to president

Fedrick Ingram grew up in the inner city, became Miami-Dade’s teacher of the year and rose to become president of the United Teachers of Dade. Photo Gallery Available

Turks and Caicos

Turks and Caicos authorities drop gun charges against American tourists

Authorities in the Turks and Caicos have dropped charges against a retired Florida neurosurgeon and Texas businesswoman arrested at an airport after a bullet was found in their luggage.

Ivanna Villanueva in the courtroom for a plea deal this Friday afternoon, May 17, 2013. Ivanna is a University of Miami student who drove drunk and killed a McDonald's manager after a night of partying.

MIAMI-DADE COURTS

Former UM student to serve three years prison for DUI death

Ivanna Villanueva, 21, was drunk when she killed Eyder Ayala, a grandmother driving home from work in 2011. Photo Gallery Available

Jackson Health System has enough money to pay its bills, administrators said this week in declaring Miami-Dade’s safety net hospitals financially solvent for the first time in five years.

Healthcare

Jackson Health System solvent for first time in five years

For the first time in five years, Jackson Health System is solvent, administrators say, but many financial challenges remain for Miami-Dade’s public hospitals.

Miami-Dade

Hearing clinic opens house Tuesday-Thursday for audio tests

The Hearing and Speech Center of Florida is be offering free hearing screenings and consultations with an audiologist during an open house May 21-24.

Pérez Art Museum Miami

Miami’s art museum gets anonymous $15 million gift

An anonymous donor has given $12 million in cash and more than $3 million worth of art to the future Pérez Art Museum Miami.

Child welfare

Miami-Dade mom of tot who died in hot car has DUI history

A Miami-Dade mom who left her infant son in a sweltering car, where he died, has a history of drug- and alcohol-related arrests.

MIAMI

Charges dropped against brothers in Miami murder scene scuffle

Brother Antwan Carl Walker, 27, ran under police crime-scene tape, spurring a struggle as officers tried pushing him away from the body. Video Available Photo Gallery Available

Former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina and his wife Raiza on May 24, 2011.

Hialeah ‘Shadow banking’

Former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina and wife surrender to authorities on tax evasion charges

Julio Robaina and his wife are accused of receiving undisclosed cash payments as interest on more than $1 million in personal loans. Photo Gallery Available

Miami woman killed in Monday’s Keys crash identified

A Miami woman killed in a head-on collision in Islamorada on Monday has been identified.

PORTMIAMI

Army Corps of Engineers awards contract to deepen Miami port

A dredging contract ws awarded to make the port’s channels deep enough for the ships that will traverse an expanded Panama Canal

Executive Editor Mindy Marques packs boxes as The Miami Herald prepares to leave 1 Herald Plaza for its new office in Doral.

RELOCATION

Future of Herald building site in hands of Genting

Genting plans to demolish the newspaper’s Miami Herald headquarters as part of its plans to construct a luxury hotel with up to 500 rooms and hundreds of luxury condos. Photo Gallery Available Audio Available

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