A Deerfield Beach warehouse employee spotted a body floating in a canal near I-95 on Tuesday afternoon.

At 12:45 p.m., a Publix warehouse employee made the gruesome discovery of a body floating in the canal underneath the elevated SW 10 Street exit from southbound I-95. A BSO deputy was in the area and arrived on scene one minute later. Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue units were also dispatched.

BSO homicide detectives, divers and crime scene investigators were called out, as well. BSO divers recovered the body of an adult male and turned it over to the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office, which will conduct an autopsy. At this time, foul play is not suspected.

The National Weather Service forecasts low temperatures, including wind chill, in the mid-40s for Saturday and Sunday evenings, Feb. 11-12, for Broward County.

As a result of this forecast, Broward County has declared a cold weather emergency from 6:30 p.m. Saturday night to 7 a.m. Sunday morning, and from 6:30 p.m. Sunday night to 7 a.m. Monday, Feb. 13.

Homeless persons are advised to report to the following locations no later than 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday for transportation or access to special cold night shelters:

• Pompano Beach
Pompano Beach City Hall
100 W. Atlantic Blvd. (Southeast Corner)

• Fort Lauderdale
The Salvation Army
1445 W. Broward Blvd.

• Hollywood
Broward Outreach Center
2056 Scott St.

If you have any questions or need additional information on the plan for your area, contact Michael Wright, Broward County Homeless Initiative Partnership Administration, 954-357-7167 or 954-300-8739 (cell).

Canceled:

Due to possible inclement weather and thunderstorms, the Keeper’s Day parade tomorrow, Feb. 11, has been canceled. In addition, the festivities at Frank McDonough Park have also been canceled.

Still happening:

The nighttime festivities are still being held, including the 6 p.m. food, fireworks and live entertainment at Dan Witt Park. Bring a lawn chair. The Sunday, Feb. 12 Family Sports Day  from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at Frank McDonough Park is also planned to be held.

For additional information, call 954-784-3439.

Lighthouse Point Police Department is seeking help from the public in locating a missing/endangered adult.

Tiffany West, 21 years of age, ran away from her residence in Lighthouse Point, FL on 2/8/2012. She is 5 ft. tall, weighs 120 lbs. has blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink or orange shirt and blue jeans. Tiffany is mentally disabled and may place herself in potentially dangerous situations by associating with strangers. She is known to frequent the Oakland Park area.

Due to the circumstances, Tiffany has been entered as endangered into the FCIC/NCIC missing person database. If anyone has seen Tiffany or knows her location, please contact your local law enforcement agency or the Lighthouse Point Police Department, Detective Kevin Hancock at 954-942-8080.

Victim(s):

• Adult male (DECEASED)
• One male child. Age 9 (DECEASED)
• Adult female (INJURED)
• Male child. Age 7 (INJURED)

Suspect(s):

• adult male (DECEASED)

Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) investigators are trying to determine why a man fatally shot another man Thursday night, Feb. 9 at a quiet Deerfield Beach R.V. park before he barricaded himself inside an R.V. and attempted to kill his family. When BSO SWAT medics were able to get inside the R.V., they found the suspect and a 9-year-old boy dead. A woman and a 7-year-old boy were critically injured.

The bizarre ordeal, which lasted more than seven hours, started around 6:20 p.m. BSO was called to the Highland Woods R.V. Park after someone reported a shooting with a possible injured person. When deputies arrived, they saw a man lying unresponsive on the pavement. Inside a nearby R.V.just feet away from the victim, the suspected shooter said he was holding a woman hostage and that he would kill her if they approached. Initially unable to get to the injured man on the ground, deputies tried to convince the suspect to release the hostage and surrender peacefully. He refused. SWAT paramedics successfully extracted the shooting victim from the scene and determined that he had died from his injuries.

Around 7:30 p.m., a woman emerged from the R.V. unharmed. She told detectives that the suspect’s wife and two sons were with him. For hours, the SWAT Team tried to make contact with the suspect, to no avail. All the while, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue paramedics were staged nearby in the event injured hostages would need medical attention. The SWAT Team, with the help of Coral Springs Police Dept.’s SWAT Team, made entry around 1:30 a.m. Friday and discovered the victims. SWAT medics and BSFR paramedics rendered aid to the injured woman and boy before transporting them to North Broward Medical Center and Broward General Medical Center, respectively. Both were in critical condition. BSO Criminal Investigations Division detectives are investigating to determine what circumstances led to the attacks. They believe the suspect was a stranger to the shooting victim.

Supporters of newcomers Becky Lysengen (seat 3) and Earl Maucker (seat 1) gathered at Packy’s Pub in Lighthouse Point eagerly awaiting the results of the campaign.  At approximately 7:30 p.m., the results were in and Lynsengen had won out over incumbent Susie E. Gordon and Maucker won over Tom Hasis.

For complete story, look in Feb. 2 print issue of The Observer newspaper.    Interviews with winners on ObserverTV.

Congressman Allen West has announced that he will be leaving Dist. 22. In a statement released on Jan. 31, he announced his decision to seek reelection not for Dist. 22, but for the 18th Congressional District. In his statement, he said:

“After much prayer, reflection and discussion with my close friends and family, I am announcing today my decision to seek reelection in Florida’s proposed 18th Congressional district.  I have always believed the state of Florida would be best served by having both Congressman Tom Rooney and myself in the House of Representatives working to solve our nation’s most pressing problems.  I have never waivered from my vision; to work to create jobs, restrain federal government spending, reduce America’s ever increasing national debt, and provide for a strong national defense to ensure a safer and more prosperous future for our children and grandchildren.

Congressman Rooney is a statesman and has been an honorable public servant to the constituents of Florida’s 16th Congressional district.  It is my goal to continue the success Congressman Rooney has had in Florida’s 16th Congressional district in the newly proposed 18th district.  I welcome the challenges and excitement that lie ahead.

As a 22-year United States Army veteran who commanded troops in combat, one should never underestimate my ability to be a strategic thinker.  My voice for the restoration of constitutional principles for our Republic shall continue to resonate through Florida and on Capitol Hill.”

Voters were lined up at Dixon Hall before 7a.m.  voting was steady through

8:30a.m.  City residents were voting for Commissioners and some for

the Presidential primary.  Early polling by ObserverTV showed a 3 to 1

vote in favor of Romney at St. Ambrose Church for the Presidential primary.

We will be out all day and LIVE tonight in LHP

to call the city election results. To see video of early morning voting

click on ObserverTV

Becky Lysengen arrives at

Dixon Hall to cast her vote.

The Observers paperboy Paul Kepinski votes for the first

time in the presidential

primary as a republican

after just turning 18

a few weeks ago

No one knows at this time why 80-year-old Josefa Luz Garcia drove her Chevy Impala into a lake near Ashby D in Century Village in Deerfield on Jan. 27.

BSO Traffic Homicide Unit detectives have determined that she backed her car out of her designated parking space and proceeded to continue down the embankment and into the lake. Two onlookers tried unsuccessfully to help the woman escape as the car went deeper into the 12-foot lake. The first responding firefighters and deputies were able to pull her free from the brackish lake and worked feverishly to aide her. She was in cardiac arrest when brought to shore. After being cared for at North Broward Medical Center for two days, she, unfortunately, lost her life at 11:13 a.m. on Jan. 29.

Photo and story by Rachel Galvin

To see video, including interview with the deputies and firefighters involved in the rescue, go to ObserverTV.

(Deerfield Beach, FL) – Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue crews quickly brought a two-alarm fire under control in a Deerfield Beach apartment building Monday evening, Jan. 23. The fire was reported just after 6:30 p.m. at the Lime Tree Apartments, 1180 SE 4 Ave. First arriving firefighters encountered heavy fire in apartment 100 and began extinguishing the blaze. Other firefighters searched adjoining apartments and rescued several kittens and a cat from a smoke-filled neighboring unit. The male resident of unit #100 was found outside by firefighters with burn injuries and was transported by BSFR to North Broward Medical Center. His age and condition were not available Monday night. The kittens and cat were treated by firefighter/paramedics on the scene and administered oxygen through pet masks carried on BSFR rescue units. A total of five apartments were uninhabitable however, three of the five units were vacant at the time of the fire. The American Red Cross Disaster Action Team was called to assist six displaced residents. Inspectors from the Broward Sheriff Fire Marshals Bureau and State Fire Marshals detectives worked late into the evening investigating the cause and origin of the fire.