Boca lands on a name for its next police chief
A national search ends with a name, and a Publix lottery ticket worth nearly $30 million sits unclaimed.
Boca lands on a name for its next police chief
Boca has its choice for the next chief of police: Jarad L. Phelps, named Monday after a national recruitment process. The city has extended a conditional offer of employment. Phelps currently serves as chief of police in Jacksonville, North Carolina, leading an agency with 136 sworn officers and more than 40 staff members. Before that, he spent nearly three decades with the Prince William County Police Department in Virginia, rising to deputy chief and acting chief. Of the 105 applications received, 77 candidates met the job requirements, and last week the city named Phelps and Nicholas R. Augustine, an assistant chief in Montgomery County, Maryland, as the two finalists. City Manager Mark Sohaney called it a highly competitive process that surfaced an exceptional group of candidates, and thanked the command staff who led the department through the transition. Phelps holds a master's in public administration from George Mason University and a bachelor's from James Madison University, with executive training that includes the FBI National Academy and the Harvard Kennedy School. His start date and a community introduction will be announced later. TAPinto Boca Raton
A $30M Lotto ticket is sitting unclaimed in West Boca
Someone who shopped a West Boca Publix could be holding a near-fortune and not know it. An unclaimed Florida Lotto ticket worth nearly $30 million was sold at the Publix at 19595 S. State Road 7 — the only ticket statewide to match all six numbers in the May 30 drawing: 3-6-7-35-36-39, according to the Florida Lottery. The jackpot stands at $29.25 million. The winner has to claim in person at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee, and the clock is ticking: winners have 180 days from the draw date, with the cash lump-sum option disappearing after 60 days, leaving only a 30-year annuity. For this ticket, the 180-day deadline lands on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26. TAPinto Boca Raton
Curaçao picks FAU, and a free World Cup watch party comes to Mizner
The Curaçao men's national team has chosen FAU's athletic facilities as its training base for the group stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, putting Boca on the map as one of 48 FIFA Team Base Camp locations across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The tournament runs June 11 through July 19. Curaçao, a Caribbean island nation of roughly 150,000 people, is making its first World Cup appearance and, per the city, is the smallest nation ever to qualify. To mark it, the city will host a free "Goals & Good Times" watch party on Saturday, July 11, at the Mizner Park Amphitheater as part of its Summer in the City series. Doors open at 4 p.m., with a World Cup quarterfinal match in Miami shown beginning at 5 p.m. The event is free and includes food and entertainment. TAPinto Boca Raton
Charge filed in April killing at Camino Gardens Boulevard
Police arrested Willie Byrd Jr., 42, of Boynton Beach on Friday and charged him with first-degree murder with a firearm in the death of Arman Motiwalla, 37. Motiwalla was found dead next to his vehicle at 350 Camino Gardens Boulevard on April 8 with multiple gunshot wounds. According to a probable cause affidavit, investigators tied a silver Chrysler 200 bearing a stolen tag to the parking lot through surveillance footage and license plate reader data, and found the same car backing into the same space five days before the shooting. A search of the car turned up a handwritten note listing the crime scene address, the victim's name and the name of Motiwalla's fiancée, along with 9mm ammunition, magazines and gloves. Cell-site data and Ring footage further placed Byrd at the scene, the affidavit said. He is being held at the Palm Beach County Jail without bail, and the case remains under investigation. TAPinto Boca Raton
Free Summer in the City concerts continue at Mizner
The city's free Summer in the City concert series continues at the Mizner Park Amphitheater. Summer in the City: Billy Joel Tribute by Turnstiles plays Friday, June 12, from 7 to 11 p.m., and Summer in the City: Eagles Tribute by The Long Run follows Friday, June 26, also 7 to 11 p.m. Both are at 590 Plaza Real. Mizner Park Amphitheater calendar
Comedy and magic on tap at The Studio at Mizner Park
The Studio at Mizner Park hosts comedians Yaqiao Yang and Sean Madden on Friday, June 26, at 7:30 p.m. at 201 Plaza Real. Looking further out, the venue's Summer of Magic series continues with a July 24 show at 7 p.m. The Studio at Mizner Park events
A mindfulness night at the Boca Museum of Art
The Boca Raton Museum of Art hosts "Practicing Kindness: Deepening Brain Regulation at the Museum" on Thursday, June 11, at 6 p.m. Boca Raton Museum of Art events
Code hearings set for June 10
A Special Magistrate code hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, beginning at 1:30 p.m. at 201 W. Palmetto Park Road. City Council and public meetings