South Florida hotels enjoyed a strong October

South Florida hotels enjoyed a strong October, as growing demand for rooms helped boost nightly rates.A new Smith Travel report showed the typical room in Broward County generated 9 percent more revenue per night than did it did in October 2011. For Miami-Dade, the gain in revenue-per-room (known as “revpar” in the lodging industry) was 8 percent. Improvements in two fronts...

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Pembroke Pines hosts winter camp for special needs kids

The City of Pembroke Pines is accepting registration for its two-week Winter Camp for special needs children ages 6 through 14.Participants will engage in indoor and outdoor activities, games, arts and crafts, and other activities.Participants must be independent in toileting skills and be able to administer, with supervision, their own medications. The...

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Facebook takes another shot at settling privacy lawsuit

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A U.S. judge said he would consider whether to preliminarily approve Facebook‘s second attempt to settle allegations the social networking company violated privacy rights.Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg rejected a proposed class action settlement over Facebook’s ‘Sponsored Stories’ advertising feature. But...

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Justin Bieber Wins Big at American Music Awardss

Justin Bieber gave an emotional thank you to his mom, Pattie Mallette, who stood on stage with the pop star as he accepted Artist of the Year, his third award of the evening, at the culmination of the 40th annual American Music Awards Sunday in Los Angeles. The Biebs, who brought his mother along as his date for the show, took home the first and the last award of the night, (Favorite Pop/Rock...

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President Obama discusses freedoms, offers 'hand of friendship' in Myanmar speech

APPresident Obama speaks in Myanmar Monday.President Obama spoke about freedoms and empowerment during a Monday speech in Myanmar, encouraging the country to continue its transition to democracy.“Hatred in the human heart can recede,” Obama said, suggesting that “the lines between races and tribes can fade away.”Obama offered a “hand of friendship” and...

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South Florida guide to corporate gift giving

Holiday gifts to clients and colleagues can help you strengthen both business relationships and your brand. While flashing your logo at holiday time seemed insensitive back when droves of people didn’t have jobs, manufacturers — several based in South Florida — have responded with more creative ways to include branding on some very usable products that people can actually...

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Interfaith Thanksgiving service planned for Wednesday night

Members of various faiths in Coral Gables will come together at 7 p.m. Wednesday in a spirit of unity for the annual Thanksgiving Eve Interfaith Worship Service hosted by Coral Gables Congregational United Church of Christ, 3010 De Soto Blvd., across the street from the Biltmore Hotel.The Rev. Dr. Laurinda Hafner, senior pastor of the church said, "We invite everyone - no...

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Buzzmakers: Lindsay Lohan Comes Clean & Janeane Marries

What had ET readers buzzing this week?1. Janeane Garofalo: I Didn't Know I was Married!Sometimes what happens in Vegas actually does stay in Vegas -- at least for two decades. Funny girl Janeane Garofalo is claiming she's been married for 20 years, and didn't even know it!The Reality Bites actress told the New York Post that she and Big Bang Theory producer Rob Cohen decided to wed at a Las Vegas...

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Tunnel vision

The Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel will be open for tomorrow morning’s commute, Gov. Cuomo announced.Both tubes of the tunnel — which was flooded with millions of gallons of water during Superstorm Sandy — will reopen to traffic in both directions starting at 6 a.m. Trucks are still banned from the tunnel until further notice.MTA Chairman Joe Lhota said reopening...

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Panama Canal’s $5 billion makeover could be boon for South Florida

PANAMA CITY, Panama -- Huge yellow dump trucks resemble Tonka toys in a sand pile as they haul tons of rust-colored dirt and basalt rock from a 56-foot gash in the earth that will become a new access channel in the $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal.The trucks keep rumbling up muddy terraced slopes as a quick-moving storm blurs the horizon. The rain chases away workers...

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