Top CBSMiami.com News Stories Of 2011

Filed Under: Holiday Season, Holidays, Local, News, Photo Galleries

24_schoolRules It's time for another year in review as we begin our top stories of 2011 coming out of Florida, especially here at home in South Florida. At the very bottom of the list, looking at the top 24, was Lake County School Board wanting to ban students from wearing orange hair, bangs, and make-up that hides their eyes. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/qOW19b (Source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

23_solangeknowles_Solange Knowles is tweeting mad at the Miami Beach Police Department. According to the R&B singer, she was the victim of discrimination after an officer allegedly pulled a weapon on her for doing “nothing illegal” and now there’s an internal affairs investigation. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/oBBaca (Source: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Range Rover Evoque)

22_snakeonPlaneOn August 25th, officials at MIA charged and arrested a man who was trying to sneak seven exotic snakes and three tortoises held in nylon bags that were concealed inside the man’s pants. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/nA7vT4 (Source: TSA)

21_MPDCopA City of Miami Police officer was pulled over by the Florida Highway Patrol in October after allegedly excessively speeding on the Turnpike. The incident created a somewhat pull and tug inter-agency war. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/tzozNo (Source: CBS4)

20_TopCopArrestConsidered a role model by his peers and named “Officer of the Year” in 2010, Boynton Beach police officer David Britto has been charged with conspiring to sell more than 500 grams of methamphetamines between June 2009 and March 2011. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/quxqXc (Source:AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

19_MiamiTourism(Source: AP)

18_sobe-shootingWitnesses shared their view of the deadly shooting where three police officers and four bystanders were hospitalized just one day after two separate police-involved shootings in Miami Beach back in May. One person was also killed in the shooting which was caught on camera. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/k6bRuG (Source: CBS4)

17_teachercommentA 4th grade teacher at a Lincoln-Marti school in Homestead has been suspended after a 9-year-old, African-American student said the teacher called him “Haitian” and told him to stand up in front of the class. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/mJd2kn (Source: CBS4)

16_KatiaGainsstrengthBack in August, Tropical Storm Katia gained strength as it moved to the west over the eastern Atlantic. Was the storm heading our way? South Floridians and the Caribbean wanted to know. Hence, why the story made it on this list. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/qJ98vy (Source: NOAA)

15_HispanicOnlyDebateA Miami-Dade mayoral candidate along with students protested a campaign forum on May 11, 2011 to express their outrage and disapproval of FIU hosting a Spanish-only event. The event was open only to candidates Julio Robaina, Marcelo Llorente, Carlos Gimenez and Jose “Pepe” Cancio. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/jb3Oko (Source: CBS4)

14_fakeButtDocPolice arrested Oneal Ron Morris, 30, after they said he allegedly injected a substance consisting of cement, “fix-a-flat,” mineral oil, and “super glue,” into his victim’s buttocks for cosmetic surgery and then sealed the incision with “super glue." The story also made its way on CBS' Dr.Phil show. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/sOwBQR (Source: Miami Gardens PD)

13_murderedpoetIt was a story that touched many across South Florida and nationwide. Poet Willie Bell Junior was shot and killed on May 29, 2011 as he closed up his lounge, Literary Café and Poetry Lounge, in North Miami. According to police, someone drove up and the passenger got out of the car and shot Bell multiple times. Bell had appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam recently. Bell was known as “Da Real One,” and had also been featured on Rick Ross’ and Pit Bull’s albums. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/kuZdWi (Source: North Miami Police)

12+urbanBeachweekendSaying ‘enough is enough’ several community activists gathered forces for a rally On June 2, 2011in front of Miami Beach City Hall to urge city leaders to end Urban Beach Weekend. participants hoped the rally would send the message to city leaders that their neighborhoods should remain safe and respected, and not overrun by ‘Fear, Mobs & Filth’ during the Urban Beach Week. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/marP5s (Source: CBS4)

11_crocPopOnce on the endangered species list, the American crocodile has flourished in a most unlikely place. In the shadow of a nuclear power plant. The plant, FPL’s Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant uses over 150 miles of man made canals to help cool the atomic fueled operation. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/tLRABW (Source: CBS4)

10_copperwireIt’s a crime that is making driving more dangerous. Thieves are breaking into the bases of light poles along I-95 in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties, trying to get at the valuable copper inside. On August 29, 201, CBS4 reported that in a matter of months thieves have stolen copper wire from 100 lights in Palm Beach County, leaving drivers in the dark for 33 miles. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/oiwjbW (Source: CBS4)

9_copperthiefA thief apparently looking to steal copper from equipment on the roof of a Miami-Dade school fell more than two stories, a debilitating plunge that left him unable to walk, apparently with a broken hip or leg. The hapless Spiderman was captured by security cameras at Charles Wyche Elementary School in Miami Gardens. In the end, 21-year-old Anthony Luis Pepitone was arrested. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/uLG95x (Source: Miami-Dade Schools)

8_prostitute arrestPolice in undercover prostitution stings hear a lot of requests from suspects that are trying to determine if the customer is a cop or not. But, one officer in Manatee County, Florida found a unique way to get around one prostitute’s test to see if he was a cop. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/orTUAJ (Source: AP)

7_animal_crueltyFt. Pierce man has been charged with animal cruelty after he reportedly killed his dog by stabbing it more than two dozen times. Joseph Barker, 35, allegedly paid a friend $20 to drive him and his three year old pit bull to a canal on January 8th. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said once there Barker hit the dog several times on the head with a tire iron before throwing it into the canal. But when he saw that the dog was still alive and trying to climb up the embankment, Barker reportedly grabbed it and repeatedly stabbed it in the neck. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/l6mpMY (Source: AP)

6_ToiletPaperScamRemember this one? It made it in the sixth position on our list. A South Florida trio is facing up to two decades in prison after they were allegedly involved in a $1 million toilet paper scam in Palm Beach County. Federal prosecutors said the three conned elderly customers into buying unnecessary septic products, in some cases more than 70 years worth of toilet paper. Three of the suspects, Christopher Lincoln, Mary Moore and Joseph Nouerand, this week pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to commit wire fraud. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/s2qc41 (Source: CBSMiami.com)

5_UpAPoleNumber five on the list was a bit more visually pleasing. Miami police officer J. Brutus was OK, but possibly feeling a bit sheepish on December 13, 2011, after getting distracted while driving and running his patrol car up a pole. Not into it, but up it. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/tCeT44 (Source: CBS4)

4_urbanBeachAlthough he was one of the early pioneers of Miami Beach’s Memorial Day hip hop extravaganza, even Luther Campbell says he no longer makes his way to South Beach during that weekend because it’s become too rowdy. In 2001, however, the event went out of control – with fights breaking out on city streets. In 2011, the event ended in a barrage of gunfire. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/lQqOat (Source: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

3_Inter-Agency warsRecently released amateur video in November of two Florida Highway Patrol troopers apparently speeding down a highway appears to be the latest jab thrown at FHP. It appears to be a direct response to the video leaked last month of FHP Trooper Donna Watts pulling over and briefly detaining Miami Police officer Fausto Lopez at gunpoint for reckless driving while he sped to an off-duty job. Law enforcement sources say that incident caused major friction between the agencies, and the new video of the speeding troopers appears to be the latest in the slugfest. Read more: http://cbsloc.al/vTpihk (Source: FHP)

2_radioHostNumber two on the list was about a former Air America radio talk show host Nicole Sandler who was arrested back in April 2011 night after a raucous South Florida GOP town hall meeting. The meeting, held that the Calvary Chapel on West Crypress Creek Road, got off to a rocky start when a handful of protestors heckled speaker U.S. Rep. Allen West over Medicare and his requirement that questions had to submitted in writing. Police escorted them out of the room. Read more:http://cbsloc.al/mwIcvY (Source: CBS4)

1_droneThe Micro Air Vehicle, or MAV for short, is a small radio controlled drone aircraft equipped with a portable camera system. (Source: MDP)