Joelle Embres's (jembres) Blog

Deadline looms for short sales Like many South Floridians, Victoria Woolford is trying to sell her home for less than she owes -- while doing her best to brush off the nagging reminder of a ticking clock. Unless Congress grants an extension, a law created in 2007 to help troubled homeowners expir...

    Non-native ficus hedges and trees are under attack by fig whiteflies. First observed in Homestead in 2007, fig whiteflies have since spread through Miami/Dade County and north to Broward County, leaving a wide path of defoliation along streets and property lines. A loss of leaves is the most...

Coral Springs mother reunites with daughter after nearly 50 years     For nearly 50 years, Joan Courchene Wehrmeyer wondered where her daughter was. The answer came when Rodney Phillips sent her a message on Facebook. Fourteen years ago, Phillips promised his wife, Stephanie Phillips, he would fi...

Broward voter households should be on the lookout for a generic Primary Election Sample Ballot arriving in the mail. The Sample Ballot contains the candidates for the Primary Election and important election information that will help voters prepare to vote. As a result of reapportionment and red...

Each year, public schools in Florida receive a school grade of A, B, C, D or F based primarily upon achievement data from the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test, or FCAT. School grades indicate how well a school is performing based on state standards. For elementary the grades are based enti...

10 DIY projects to sell your home faster With the troubled housing market of the past five years and banks still reluctant to lend, its no wonder homeowners hoping to sell are sitting on the market for months at a time. Buyers, meanwhile, are trying to find a balance between their dream home and...

5 tips for moving with young kids in tow When my daughters were 3 months old and 21 months old we said goodbye to our home and took a leap of faith. We leaped all the way to England, where we lived for three years before returning to America. Though our destination was something different, we are...

Why hire a landscaper instead of choosing plants yourself? 3 reasons 1. They know how mature plants will look year-round. A landscaper will be familiar with the structure of a plant and how it will look throughout the year. You might not know until the plant grows and you've had a chance to see i...

South Plantation salutatorian Tiffany Maher makes it to the top 20 in Fox competition. Shortly after she learned to walk, Tiffany Maher was dancing. And performing. She was 2 years old and in her stroller, watching her sister, Brittany, rehearse when instructor Joan Bartoletti summoned Tiffany to...

The Parkland Adult 5-on-5 Touch Football team is seeking players for its Saturday morning pick-up games. The action takes place from 10 a.m. to noon at Terramar Park, 6575 NW 76th Dr., west of State Road 7 on Hillsboro Blvd. Game-time is set for residents and others. There isn't any cost to play...