Comment on Northwest Florida good Samaritans spread holiday cheer with selfless good deeds

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’m going to be wed soon and plan to have a receiving line. This will be during the cocktail hour between the wedding and reception, while the venue is rearranged. Related Articles Advice | Miss Manners: Is the traditional meaning of the white wedding dress history? Advice | Miss Manners: I uninvited a flu-stricken holiday guest, then she turned nasty Advice | Miss Manners: How does one give a wedding gift without a checkbook? Advice | Miss Manners: How do I deter these self-invited party crashers? Advice | Miss Manners: When did ‘welcome in’ become the default greeting? Is there a way to politely decline hugging people during this? I’m dreading the mishaps that will occur while holding food and drink, not to mention mussing up my hair.

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 1, the first day of 2025. There are 364 days left in the year. This is New Year’s Day. Today in history: On Jan. 1, 1863, U. S. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War, declaring that all enslaved people in rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” Also on this date: In 1804, Haiti declared itself independent from France, becoming the world’s first Black-majority republic. Related Articles National News | Blake Lively sues ‘It Ends With Us’ director Justin Baldoni alleging harassment and smear campaign National News | Silver Airways files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in South Florida, will continue operating National News | Fumes in the cockpit prompts Hawaiian flight’s return to Seattle National News | Wall Street indexes lose ground as market closes another record-breaking year National News | It’s called the ‘Winter Arc.’ And for some, it’s replacing New Year’s resolutions In 1808, the federal law prohibiting the importation of enslaved people to the United States took effect. In 1818, Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” was first published in London, when Shelley was 20 years old. In 1892, the Ellis Island Immigration Station in New York formally opened, processing nearly 700 immigrants on its first day; nearly 12 million immigrants would ultimately pass through the station before its closure in 1954. In 1959, Fulgencio Batista resigned as Cuban president and fled the country, marking victory for Fidel Castro’s rebel troops and the end of the Cuban Revolution. In 2000, an anxious world held its breath as computers silently switched to the year 2000, but the dreaded “Y2K bug” caused few serious issues. Today’s Birthdays: Filmmaker Frederick Wiseman is 95. Actor Frank Langella is 87. Musician Country Joe McDonald is 83. Actor-comedian Don Novello is 82. DJ Grandmaster Flash is 67. Actor Morris Chestnut is 56. Rapper Ice Spice is 25.

It’s the start of a new year and the Christmas tree branches are crispier than chicharrones, which means it’s the perfect time to speculate – and salivate — about all the new South Florida restaurants we’re looking forward to in 2025. And by “South Florida,” we mean Broward and Palm Beach counties — not Miami-Dade.

The new year is finally here, and it would be easy to fall in with the mopes and misanthropes. “I have measured out my life with unused gym memberships,” my drinking buddy Al Prufrock said at the Shuck N Dive the other day. He says the same thing every year. This one, 2025, seems particularly ripe with, let’s call it potential.

Here are the top stories for today. Get the weather forecast for today here. SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get our free Morning Update email. Sign up here. Questions unanswered as chief says fire engine crash with Brightline will be ‘a turning point’ Older than 200 years, a family business reaches its end in South Florida ‘Mold-like growth’ on fruit, dead fly in ice cream mix: 3 South Florida restaurants shut 10 changes that will affect Florida healthcare in 2025 A Broward Democrat joins the GOP she once scorned | Editorial Plantation police officer hospitalized after crash in Davie Best brunch in South Florida?

Q: How long is this first-rounder for Terry going to sting for? Watching similar players go for second rounders and his play right now, it makes you think what could have been? Does Terry Rozier have any value in the trade market to get a piece back?  – Chris, Oceanside. A: At the moment, it is difficult to see much in the way of trade value for Terry Rozier, based on his uneven play.