After a stormy and turbulent six months, the director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Bill Proenza, has been replaced by popular forecaster, Ed Rappaport on Monday, July 9.

Proenza, who was director of the NHC on December 5, 2006 found himself in two battles which he eventually lost. He succeeded Max Mayfield who retired after long years of service.

First, he took battle with his superiors at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), complaining last April about budget shortfalls, which could affect research and the effectiveness of hurricane forecasting, then a month later he again lashed out at the NOAA saying that the agency was spending millions of dollars on its 200^th anniversary instead, of replacing an important forecasting satellite called QuikScat, among other improvements. Proenza claimed that the satellite, which is critical in monitoring hurricane wind strengths over the ocean, and was pivotal to accurate hurricane forecasting, could be lost at anytime because of its age. He repeated often that the loss of the satellite would diminish the accuracy of forecasts between 10 – 16 percent.

However, senior forecaster at the NHC, although agreeing that QuikScat needed replacement, were not as pessimistic about the consequences of the satellite’s failure, which through alternative systems would not significantly affect hurricane forecasts. This led to a breach between some of the forecasters, who claimed that Proenza’s statements were undermining public faith in their forecasts and in Proenza, which widened as some members of the NHC claimed that Proenza was difficult to work with, and at times, verbally abusive.

As it heats up in South Florida, NBA all-star Dwyane Wade is teaming up with Staples to take it to the park - City Hall Park, that is - to celebrate the winner of the Staples Dream Park Challenge with D-Wade.

With more than 110,000 votes, City Hall Park of Lauderhill is the Challenge winner of $25,000 for park improvements. Now city residents can celebrate their accomplishment with D-Wade on Monday, July 16th at 12:30 pm at the Lauderhill City Hall Park at 1900 NW 55 Avenue, Lauderhill, FL.

Lauderdale Lakes Commissioner Hazelle Rogers is officially in the running for the August 26, 2008 Democratic Primary for the Broward District 94 seat in the Florida House of Representatives.

The 54-year-old Caribbean American formally announced her candidacy, flanked by Lauderdale Lakes mayor, Sam Brown and Broward Commissioner Carlton Moore on July 7 amidst chants of, “Run Hazelle, run” from a number of family members, friends and supporters who gathered in front of the municipal offices of the City of Lauderdale Lakes where she began her political service over a decade ago.

In response to the cheers of encouragement, Rogers said she is ready to lead and serve the district at the state level and that she is running because she has the experience and qualifications. “For 11 years, I have served the residents of Lauderdale Lakes and by extension this district. I know I can make a difference in the State Capitol,” she said. She added that as the Vice Chair of the Broward Charter Review Commission she is involved in reviewing what work and what changes are needed to make “the county ready for the 21^st century.”

Other declared candidates for the Democratic primary are Eric Hammond, 63, also a Caribbean-American, who previously campaigned for this seat in 2002 and 2004; and African Americans Robert L. Lynch, 54, and Rubin Young, 46.

Search is still on for Stepha

A Trinidadian mother desperate for answers returns to the spot where her daughter vanished to rally support from the community. Wearing shirts bearing her child’s picture and flyers in hand, Sylvia Henry along with family, friends and strangers came together to plead to residents in the neighboring area for information that would help authorities make a break in the case.

One month after leaving a popular South Florida nightclub, Stepha Henry is still among the missing. It was on May 29^th, when the 22-year-old college graduate from New York was last seen partying at Peppers Café in Sunrise.

The last images of the graduate from John Jay College were captured in a promotions company video.

Investigators from the Miami-Dade Police Department say a male friend driving a borrowed, dark colored Acura Integra picked Henry up at her aunt’s house in Miami Gardens and drove to the nightclub. But later that evening the friend left the vehicle and Henry at the Club.

An anonymous witness told NBC6 he saw Henry eventually leave the club with a group of people, including two females in that vehicle. Neither the vehicle nor Henry has been seen since.