James Duncan is the special projects administrator for the county’s Division of Environmental Resources Management program, or DERM as most people know it.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The line leading up to Big Mama’s house in Fort Lauderdale was as long as the eye could see Wednesday night. “As I sit there and start bagging, it energizes me,” said Essie Reed, better known in South Florida as Big Mama. 'Big Mama' hands out more than 1,000 Christmas gifts in Fort Lauderdale“I just think it’s a blessing, especially during this pandemic time,” said Shantavia Miller, a mother who arrived in an SUV with her children to pick up toys. Earlier in the day, the Miami Heat organization also hosted a drive-through gift giveaway outside the American Airlines Arena. Helping Others and Giving Hope, a nonprofit organization, donated gift cards to the Arias family so they could purchase clothing and Christmas gifts.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Heat made it a special Veterans Day for three local vets and their families. Heat greats Alonzo Mourning, Glen Rice and Shane Battier joined a caravan of team personnel to visit and honor veterans around South Florida on Wednesday. The first stop was the home of Tony Collins in Miami Gardens. “I was expecting someone to come and inspect the house,” Collins said. Collins is a veteran, and we just want to acknowledge him today on Veterans Day and thank him for the sacrifices he has made for our country,” Mourning said.