Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives have caught up with two men who burst into a Deerfield Beach business in January terrorizing the store clerk and customers to get their cash and belongings.

Just before 10 p.m. on January 17, the two armed robbers, with bandanas over their faces, went into the Brazilian Depot Food Court, punching the cashier in the face and ordering all the patrons to get on the floor. Surveillance cameras were rolling as the two men emptied the register and a lockbox underneath it, then proceeded to take jewelry, money, cell phones and other valuables from every customer in the restaurant.

Acting on an anonymous tip, BSO Robbery detectives identified Russell Brooks, 37, and Reginald Black, 36, as the two men involved in the robbery. Armed with a warrant, BSO’s Fugitive and Robbery detectives searched for the suspects in the area of Deerfield Beach on Friday, April 29 and spotted them near Deerfield Beach High. They took them into custody without incident.

Brooks was released from prison October 2008 after serving a sentence for obstructing a crime investigation and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and has prior convictions for robbery.

Black was released from prison July 2006 for attempted murder, robbery with a firearm and shooting/throwing a deadly missile into a building or conveyance.

They each face a charge of robbery with a firearm and are being held at the BSO Main Jail.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the Deerfield city commissioners are expected to discuss a tentative date offered to hold a special election to replace suspended District 2 commissioner Sylvia Poitier.

Poitier was recently suspended after being arrested on misdemeanor corruption charges.

Previously, Deerfield City Attorney wrote in a memo to commissioners [as stated in the April 21 Observer newspaper] that is was his “opinion that the temporary vacancy created by the suspension of Commissioner Poitier should be filled by a special election to be held no sooner than 45 days nor later than 75 days from the date the vacancy was created …”

Recommendation was based on the city charter, Section 3.10 discussing filling of vacancies.

At that time, Deerfield was looking at May 30, June 30 — or whenever the Supervisor of Elections can do it per advertising requirements.

Maurodis went on to say: “It is also clear that if the commissioner is cleared of the charges during her elected term, the governor will reinstate her to that position and the person elected to fill the vacancy will be divested of his/her position.”

Beginning this Saturday, April 30 at 6 AM, NE 2nd Avenue in, front of City Hall, will be closed to vehicular traffic between NE 1st and NE 2nd Streets, due to work on the clock tower. The road will be closed for one week, reopening on Saturday, May 7 at 6 PM. Questions can be directed to the city’s Facilities Maintenance division at 954-480-4315.

On April 20,  FPL began to remove electrical poles and wires along Hillsboro Boulevard, which were previously de-energized as part of the Hillsboro Boulevard Streetscape project. Overnight work by FPL crews will continue over the next several weeks, with this portion expected to be complete by May 20, 2011. This phase is proceeding during evening hours to lessen the impact on traffic in the busy corridor. Work on Hillsboro Boulevard will commence at the A1A intersection and proceed west to the Federal Highway intersection. There will be temporary lane closures associated with this work. For more information about the project, call the Community Redevelopment Agency at 954-480-4263 or the Environmental Services Director at 954-770-4246.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson announced this month that Deerfield Beach is among 32 communities in 26 states that will receive assistance with tools that can help them get the type of development they want. The City of Deerfield Beach is the only community in Florida to be selected for this opportunity. Under the Sustainable Communities Building Blocks program, the selected communities will get help on a specific development-related challenge as well as explore general sustainable communities strategies. The City of Deerfield Beach requested assistance with an assessment of smart growth strategies, which can help the community become stronger economically and fiscally.”EPA has seen a demand for tools and resources to help communities strengthen their economies, protect human health and the environment, and create more housing and transportation choices at the local level,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “The Building Blocks program will bring in private-sector experts to train communities to use tools that have been applied successfully in other places, spreading our technical assistance program’s positive effect to our nation’s communities.” 

In consultation with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), EPA selected the 32 communities through a competitive process. Each community chose a specific, proven tool to be the focus of the assistance from a list that included zoning code reviews, walkability assessments, economic and fiscal health assessments, complete streets evaluations, water quality audits, and sustainable design guidelines. The City of Deerfield Beach will receive guidance in using smart growth to produce fiscal and economic health. At an upcoming day-long session with EPA-funded, private-sector experts, the city along with key stakeholders, will explore the selected tool, as well as other ways to make progress toward community goals for environmentally responsible, economically healthy development.

“In this economic climate, the city is looking for new ways to maintain services with a significantly smaller budget,” said Planning and Growth Management Director Gerald Ferguson. “This training will focus on how smart growth can stimulate private investment, provide fiscal stability in times of economic uncertainty, reduce the tax burden, and spur job creation.”

The Building Blocks program is part of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, a joint effort between EPA, HUD, and DOT to coordinate federal actions on housing, transportation, and environmental protection. This interagency collaboration’s primary goal is to invest federal funding more efficiently in infrastructure, facilities, and services that meet multiple economic, environmental, and community objectives.

Mayor Peggy Noland believes this assistance comes at an essential time for Deerfield Beach. “Across the board, we have to do more with less. This is an opportunity for city leaders to bring together stakeholders from both the private and public sectors, so that we can develop plans for our future.”

In addition to Deerfield Beach, the selected communities are Bemidji, Minnesota; Bluffton, South Carolina; Cambridge, Maryland; Chelmsford, Massachusetts; Dover, New Hampshire; Erie County, New York; Essex, Connecticut; Fitchburg, Wisconsin; Granville, Ohio; Helena, Montana; Hellertown, Pennsylvania; Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania; Kayenta Township, Arizona; Lincoln, Nebraska; McKinney, Texas; Muskegon, Michigan; Nashville/Davidson, Tennessee; Northampton, Massachusetts; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Portland, Maine; St. Louis, Missouri; Pike’s Peak Council of Governments, Colorado; Ranson, West Virginia; Reedsburg, Wisconsin; Renton, Washington; Rockport, Texas; Shelburne, Vermont; Spencer, North Carolina; Syracuse, New York; and Wichita, Kansas.

EPA received 354 letters of interest requesting assistance through the Building Blocks program. This level of interest shows how many places around the country want to improve their development planning to spur economic development while safeguarding the environment and public health.

The workshop date for Deerfield Beach will be announced in the coming weeks.

More on the Building Blocks program

An elderly victim was robbed of her purse as she stepped off a bus near her Century Village home.  The victim sustained minor injuries during the attack.  Detectives from the Deerfield Beach District and the BSO Robbery Unit worked jointly to identify and apprehend the suspect.  The suspect was charged with Strong Arm Robbery.

Burglars struck The Hammocks and Gates of Hillsboro communities yesterday morning stealing items left in plain view in unlocked vehicles. In some cases, garage door openers were targeted which would allow thieves to return and burglarize the victim’s home. Please lock your doors and do not leave anything in your vehicle. Detectives are diligently working leads in an effort to solve these cases.

Join Special Olympics athletes and approximately 300 law enforcement officers from agencies throughout Broward County as they take part in a 32-mile countywide torch relay to raise awareness and funds for Special Olympics. The Special Olympians will run with the Olympic torch at the beginning and at the end of run and will then celebrate the completion of the run with a fun picnic at Dan Witt Park, located at 4521 NE 22nd Avenue in Lighthouse Point

The Broward Law Enforcement Torch Run is part of a 1,400-mile statewide relay that will culminate at the opening ceremonies of the Florida Special Olympics Summer Games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista on May 13, 2011.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office is also asking for support and sponsorship from local businesses and organizations. All contributions will go directly to Special Olympics programs in Broward County. The goal this year is $75,000. Anyone interested in making a charitable donation is asked to contact Ms. Linda Mills at Special Olympics Broward at (954) 262-2150. For additional information concerning the run, please call Broward County Torch Run Coordinator, BSO Lt. Colonel Tim Gillette at (954) 321-4895.

8:30 am Start at A1A and Miami-Dade/Broward County line in Hallandale Beach

9:00 am A1A and Hollywood Boulevard

9:30 am A1A and Dania Beach Boulevard

10:10 am Federal Highway and Eller Drive (North of Griffin)

10:30 am 17th Street Causeway west of bridge

11:00 am A1A and Terramar

11:20 am Federal Highway and 13th Street

11:40 am Federal Highway and Oakland Park Boulevard

12:00 pm Federal Highway and NE 55th Street (North of Commercial)

12:15 pm McNab Road (SE 15th Street) and Federal Highway

12:30 pm Atlantic Boulevard and Federal Highway

12:45 pm Federal Highway and NE 24th Street

1:00 pm Federal Highway and NE 39th Street

1:20 pm Federal Highway and SE 10th Street

1:45 pm Broward/Palm Beach County line (followed by picnic at Dan Witt Park in Light House Point)

At the Jan. 11, 2011 City Commission meeting, the Commission approved increasing the fee for the annual parking pass to $100, effective at 8 AM on Friday, January 14, 2011.

The City of Deerfield Beach offers residents the opportunity to purchase an annual parking permit which allows parking in municipal parking lots.

Passes are available at the first-floor customer service counter at City Hall, Monday-Friday, 8 am – 4 pm. City Hall is located at 150 NE 2nd Avenue.

To be eligible to purchase a parking pass, a resident must show a utility bill (electric, water, phone), OR a voter registration card AND their vehicle registration. All documents must show a Deerfield Beach address. Parking passes are $100 each, and are valid through December 31 of the calendar year in which they are purchased.

For questions, call 954-480-4229.

South Florida from Palm Beach to the Keys is currently under a tornado watch as weather conditions deteriorate across the region. This is not the day to be in the water as water spouts and rip currents are highly likely.  A slight risk of tornadoes will be present over much of South Florida late this morning through the afternoon, primarily from the Cape Sable area northward through the Southeast Florida metro areas, with lesser chances over the western half of the peninsula.

Light to moderate rain will continue to spread north and affect all of South Florida through the midday and early afternoon hours. Clusters of heavy showers and a few thunderstorms will also move northeast and affect most of Miami-Dade County through noon, then Broward and Palm Beach counties between noon and 2 pm. These showers and storms will also spread over the near shore Atlantic waters and Biscayne Bay through 2 pm. The main threat with this activity will be lightning strikes, along with wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph in the stronger storms. Persons involved in outdoor activities today should be on the lookout for rapidly deteriorating conditions as the showers and thunderstorms approach from the southwest, and be ready to take shelter from the lightning strikes.