WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Here are the top stories with the most viewed photos from this week.
Rapper Kodak Black receives key to Florida City, celebrated for community contributions
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (WPEC) — A famous rapper returned to his stomping grounds to receive the key to his hometown city in Florida.
According to CBS12 News partner the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Bill Kapri, known to the world as Kodak Black, received the key to the city in his hometown of Pompano Beach on Tuesday.
Pompano Beach Mayor Rex Hardin described Kodak as “an individual whose journey from these very streets to international acclaim has been remarkable, but whose heart has never left this community.”
At the ceremony, a burst of applause could be heard as Hardin acknowledged the good deeds that led to the famous rapper receiving the key. Some of those deeds include donating air conditioning units to families in public housing, giving away turkeys during the holiday seasons, giving Christmas gifts and bicycles to children and helping 200 Pompano families pay their rent, not once but twice.
Read the full story here.
Ball python crashes Florida pool party, deputy saves the day
LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. (CBS12) — A weekend pool party in Florida had an unwanted guest when a ball python was found on the pool deck.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) said on Saturday, Deputy Roedding responded to the scene and quickly took control of the situation at a home in Leigh Acres. The deputy, showing no hesitation, calmly removed the reptile, ensuring that the only disturbance was a few goosebumps among partygoers.
The deputy reassured the concerned partygoer in the videos, saying, “He’s okay,” as he gently handled the snake.
Deputy Roedding joked, “Wanna pat him?” while the snake remained calm.
Read the full story here.
Illegal med spa in backyard shed leads to arrest in Port St. Lucie
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — What began as a routine cosmetic procedure gone wrong ended in an arrest after a multi-agency investigation exposed a makeshift backyard Med Spa operating illegally out of a shed in Port St. Lucie.
On July 9, the Port St. Lucie Police Department, in partnership with PSL Code Enforcement, the Building Department, Business Tax officials, and the Florida Department of Health, arrested 50-year-old Rosa Mena following a months-long investigation triggered by a report of facial paralysis from an unlicensed Botox injection.
The investigation began in May 2025, when a woman reported suffering facial paralysis after receiving what she believed to be a Botox injection at Mena’s unlicensed Med Spa. The procedure took place in a converted shed behind Mena’s home, according to police. When confronted, Mena refunded the victim’s $325 — but then urged her to return for a second round of injections, this time with vitamins allegedly meant to reverse the paralysis.
PSLPD said the victim requested proof of Mena’s qualifications, to which Mena responded with an altered certificate in phlebotomy, which was later confirmed to have expired in February 2024. Mena allegedly attempted to reassure the victim by claiming she was a licensed doctor from the Dominican Republic.
Read the full story here.
Florida dispatches rescue teams to assist in Texas flood recovery efforts
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — With floodwaters receding but the toll still climbing in Texas, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is sending rescue teams to aid in recovery efforts.
On Sunday, Florida Governor announced that he directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to deploy swiftwater rescue teams to assist with response and recovery in the Texas flood zones.
He added that the state will continue to stand by to lend more help as it’s needed.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava also offered support in a post to X, stating, “Miami-Dade County stands at the ready to send support if needed.”
Read the full story here.
DHS disputes dire conditions at Alligator Alcatraz
OCHOPEE, Fla. (CBS12) — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is denying reports of improper living conditions for detainees at Alligator Alcatraz after reports of a hospitalization surfaced.
Reports this week have claimed that the detainees at the detention facility in the Florida Everglades are surrounded by toilets that don’t flush, temperatures ranging from freezing to sweltering, little to no access to showers, less confidential calls with an attorney, and even a hospitalization, according to the Miami Herald.
However, DHS took to X to debunk those claims, stating that the detainees are properly cared for.
Furthermore, the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, said on X that no detainees at Alligator Alcatraz have been hospitalized. She continued to state that one was transported but was returned to the detention center in an hour and a half.
Read the full story here.
Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day’s top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can’t miss video.
