No matter what stretch of beach you’ve visited in recent months, you’ve probably seen huge piles of seaweed on the shoreline. The summer of sargassum has been particularly bad and, as Miami-Dade County continues early budget talks, cleaning up the smelly seaweed is a top priority. And it’s also a potentially pricey plan.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s budget proposal includes more than $500,000 in extra funding to help clean up the mess, but county staff estimate it will cost much more to truly remove all of the seaweed.

At a community presentation last month, the estimate for just a partial cleanup of miles of sargassum was $35 million, with another $10 million needed to really get the job done.

But the budget process isn’t finalized until September, so there’s still a chance for the county to devote more dollars to the cleanup.

In other news…

If you did a double take when you saw that Ultra could return to Bayfront Park, you weren’t alone. An attorney for the Downtown Neighbors Alliance, a group opposing the music fest’s return to Bayfront, says city officials are skirting past existing rules to accommodate the event. And records show that Ultra’s organizers have also recently donated to Commissioner Keon Hardemon’s campaign for a county seat. 🤔 (Miami Herald)

The state agencies that help promote the Sunshine State lost a big chunk of funding this year. And some lawmakers are already raising the alarm ahead of next year’s legislative session to ensure that Visit Florida and Enterprise Florida can stay afloat. One of their main arguments? The agencies help fight stereotypes about our state like the infamous activities of “Florida Man.” (Palm Beach Post)

Miami Beach’s November ballot is taking shape. In addition to two commission races, and voting for mayor, residents will also decide on six referenda. Two of the big ticket items? Increasing the mayor’s term from two to four years and increasing pay for commissioners. (Miami Herald)

Ten years ago, Bruno Ponce started making mozzarella from home with the help of YouTube and his friend Mimmo. Just a few years later, he opened Mimmo’s Mozzarella Market and Cafe, where he makes fresh cheese from scratch, and by hand, on the daily.

Stop by and you’ll find up to 30 selections of specialty cheeses to choose from. One is even aged with a lemon inside. And in case you’re looking for the jam to your cheese or a little something sweet (raw chocolate, perhaps?), they’ve got that too.

FUN FACT: Bruno and his team start making cheese by hand at 5 a.m. for eight hours a day, six days a week.

QUOTABLE: “We’re taking the risk of making cheeses with unique flavors. I fall asleep thinking about what I’ll experiment with the next morning, what new ingredient I can use.” – Bruno Ponce

CHECK IT OUT: Bruno’s hosting a mozzarella making workshop next Friday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. You can RSVP by giving the shop a call at 305-351-6826.

Hear more from Bruno in our video profile.

While the regular football season is still months away, you can get game-day ready right now. The Miami Dolphins Training Camp is free and open to the public for select dates in July and August.

Training camp practices happen at the Baptist Health Training Facility at Nova Southeastern University in Davie. They’re on a first-come, first-served basis, so you’ll need to RSVP to secure your slot for the opening of your choice.

Head over to our site for all the details. Game on!

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