HERITAGE VILLAGE, A FRENCH-SPEAKING COMMUNITY IN THE HEART OF FLORIDA
Heritage Village is considered one of the most beautiful parks in Florida.
Located in Okeechobee, in the heart of the state, it is about forty minutes from the east coast.
The park offers an almost exclusively French-speaking environment. Owners and renters of homes or RV lots appreciate the large size of the lots and the quality of the amenities. Several services are available at no charge, and there are many points of interest nearby. The site offers a quiet and organized environment for extended stays in Florida.
For more information, see their ad on page 7 or visit www.heritagevillageflorida.com.
PEMBROKE PINES INAUGURATES ITS NEW WASTE RECYCLING PLANT
The new Waste Management plant, located at 1285 SW 208th Ave, will have cost $90 million. With 11,800 m2, it is one of the largest in the United States and will recycle 275,000 tons of waste per year, or 60 tons per hour. Now open to the public, visitors can discover high-tech machines and a center dedicated to visitor education.
Only 32% of Broward residents practice selective sorting, while the stated goal is 75% at the state level. School groups are therefore welcome to visit, in order to reinforce the education of younger generations. Behind a glass wall, they can watch magnets, screens equipped with artificial intelligence, and other machines sort waste by category: aluminum, tin, fibers, cardboard, plastic, and others. Bales (or bundles) are then formed by category, as well as bales of laundry detergent bottles, milk cartons, and cans. Other companies will collect them for processing and reuse.
As Tara Hemmer, senior vice president of Waste Management, explains, “We want to show you that recycling is real, and that everyone should be recycling always.”
RESOUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE END OF PROPERTY TAXES, BUT…
The battle is not yet won for those in favor of eliminating property taxes in Florida. Although the bill has been approved by the House of Representatives, the Senate is rejecting any rush to make such a decision. As Senator Ed Hooper explains, « So we’re being very careful about what we do. Sixty-seven totally different counties are impacted in a totally different way, and we’re considering all of that. »
The Senate’s bill will certainly be less radical than the House’s. Its president does not seem to be in a hurry, and negotiations behind closed doors are well underway, but no official proposal has yet emerged. According to Fort Lauderdale Democratic Representative Daryl Campbell: « In an affordability crisis, cutting property taxes sounds helpful, but in practice, it often does the opposite of what people intend. Property taxes fund local services people rely on every day. »
According to the Florida Policy Institute and state figures, the shortfall would be $18.3 billion for local governments, which would have to be made up by increasing or creating other taxes, or by reducing public services. Or both.
HEAVY LOSSES FOR AGRICULTURE AFTER THE FREEZE
Potentially estimated at $3.1 billion, the damage from the two cold snaps that hit Florida in January 2026 could be felt heavily, especially since farmers were suffering from a lack of labor, space to store plants, and crops that were not ready to be harvested.
According to Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, this was one of the worst frost events Florida has ever experienced. It impacted vegetable crops as well as melons, citrus fruits, sugar cane, other fruits, horticulture, and aquaculture. By comparison, Hurricane Ian caused $1.07 billion in losses, three times less.
The sugarcane industry suffered the most, with nearly $1.15 billion in losses: it is a perennial grass, and frost can burn the stalks that are still standing and weaken regrowth. The damage will affect crops in the coming years, which had just been planted for the next season.
FIRE IN THE EVERGLADES
A bush fire was moving through the Everglades in the Big Cypress National Preserve on February 18. Strong winds and dry soil, as well as the recent effects of frost, created conditions conducive to its spread. Nicknamed the “National Fire,” it had consumed 97 square kilometers as of February 26. Firefighters continued to battle the blaze on the ground and from the air.
It was located in wilderness areas, but its smoke, carried by the winds, reduced visibility in some neighboring communities. Some sections of road near Alligator Alley (I-75), State Road 29, and U.S. Route 41 were impacted and sometimes temporarily closed.
Several other areas of Florida were placed on maximum fire alert, including Central Florida (Orlando and Daytona Beach).
COCO MARKET SUSPENDED FOR THREE MONTHS IN DELRAY BEACH
This is the city council’s punishment for Cocoyogi, the company that manages the popular Coco Market franchise, following a serious incident that occurred at a market on February 8. A 16-year-old girl approached a H3 Dog Rescue kiosk, which offers animals for adoption, and asked to pet a dog. After receiving permission from the manager, she was bitten in the face by a two-year-old Jack Russell Terrier. She will be left with a scar from the bite.
However, according to its municipal permit, Cocoyogi is not authorized to organize a market with animals or to have a kiosk with animals at Coco Markets.
As this is Cocoyogi’s first offense, the permit has not been completely revoked, and the market will resume in Delray Beach starting in June 2026.
A MONUMENT DEDICATED TO HISTORIC FIRSTS
America250, a bipartisan initiative to engage all Americans in the 250th anniversary of the United States, states that the city of Pompano Beach is now home to the only monument in the continental United States dedicated to the Battle of Nassau, the first amphibious assault in which American forces raised their flag for the first time on foreign soil (March 3-4, 1776). It is the southernmost monument dedicated to an event of the American Revolution in the continental United States.
The organization raised $295,825 from 246 donors, enabling the completion of this memorial, which is located at the entrance to Fisher Family Pier (222 N Pompano Beach Boulevard).
The monument is scheduled to be unveiled on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 10 a.m.
America250 points out that Pompano Beach welcomes approximately 230,000 visitors to the pier and surrounding village each year.
