Unofficial Results
2020 (54)
By Paul Blythe
How red, or blue, are the towns and neighborhoods that make up The Coastal Star’s distribution area?
Red enough that Donald Trump won South Palm Beach, Manalapan, Ocean Ridge, Briny Breezes, Gulf Stream, most of Highland Beach and coast
By Mary Kate Leming, Editor
Most years at this time we’d be planning our annual Coastal Star holiday party. We like to kick off the new year by getting everyone who works for the newspaper together for an afternoon of socializing.
Many have worked t
By Larry Barszewski
The Coastal Star captured five first-place awards and eight other commendations in the annual Florida Press Club competition.
The press club held the annual awards ceremony online Dec. 19. The Coastal Star won top awar
State Rep. Mike Caruso easily won re-election to his District 89 seat, buoyed by in-person votes both early and on Election Day.
The final margin was 56% for the incumbent Republican to 44% for Democrat Jim Bonfiglio.
Bon
By Steve Plunkett
Talking points from the presidential contest are filtering down into this year’s rematch between state Rep. Mike Caruso and challenger Jim Bonfiglio.
The barrier island residents’ statehouse race in 2018 was decided by a scant 32 vo
Jody Sorrels stands amid dance props at her shuttered studio in Boynton Beach. She hopes to teach somewhere else.
By Mary Hladky
When Jody Sorrels closed her Boynton Beach dance studio on March 17 because of the coronavirus pandemic, she expected to
A late green sea turtle laid this nest Sept. 24 on the beach in Gulf Stream. The eggs were expected to hatch in about 60 days from then. Sea turtle season officially ends Oct. 31 and begins again March 1.
Photo courtesy of Sea Turtle Adventures
By L
By Jane Smith
Delray Beach commissioners passed a $151.4 million budget on Sept. 22 by drawing $5.2 million from reserves and making $2.76 million in cuts.
The reserves will be used to pay for one-time expenses, including a $150,000 generator for the
SEPT. 21 King tides and strong swells from tropical weather started the king tide season off with higher-than- expected flooding.
ABOVE: A stranded motorist calls for a tow truck after her car stalled out on Ocean Avenue in Ocean Ridge.
OCT. 19 Offsh
ABOVE: Workers prepare a socially distanced, pod seating layout at Old School Square in Delray Beach for the return of its Friday Concert Series on Oct. 23. The first concert featured ‘The Long Run: A Journey Through the Music of the Eagles.’ BELOW:
By Mary Thurwachter
Despite a robust boost in property values — an increase of $78 million to $1.21 billion for the new fiscal year (including $14.4 million in new construction), Lantana will still need to pull $37,937 from reserves to balance its $2
By Mary Hladky
The City Council held the line on its tax rate this year, approving $3.68 per $1,000 of taxable property value that is unchanged from last year’s rate.
But the rate is 6.6% higher than the so-called rollback rate that would have generate
Boca Raton will not have a holiday boat parade, a tree-lighting ceremony or a street parade this year “after exploring all options and out of an abundance of caution” during the coronavirus pandemic, the city announced on its website.
The city’s 25-fo
By Rich Pollack
Municipalities in southern Palm Beach County that are holding virtual meetings can continue to do so for another 30 days, but officials should be prepared to convene in person come Nov. 1.
An executive order signed by Gov. Ron DeSanti
The effects of the seasonal King Tides were amplified by strong winds and heavy surf that pushed water into the inlets and flooded low areas along the Intracoastal Waterway. On Sept. 21, flooding was bad enough that officials closed both Ocean Avenu
Gulf Stream School began its 82nd school year on Sept. 8. A majority of the faculty and students started the year on campus, although the school is also offering students in grades Kindergarten through Eighth the ability to attend classes virtually.
The Coastal Star brought home top honors in breaking news, local government reporting, sports photography and sports coverage in this year’s Weekly Newspaper Contest sponsored by the Florida Press Association.
The newspaper also collected five second
By Dan Moffett
Several Ocean Ridge commissioners have suggested that this could be the town’s most challenging budget year since the Great Recession.
That probably would have been the case even without the COVID-19 pandemic. But with the public health
By Charles Elmore
With a sped-up 2020 U.S. Census deadline fast approaching Sept. 30, 11 towns and cities along Palm Beach County’s southern coast risk what one mayor calls a “10-year hurt” as their response rates lag behind U.S. and Florida averages
