WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Here are the top stories with the most-watched videos from this week.
Multiple people injured after explosion at golf course in Martin County
STUART, Fla. (CBS12) — Multiple people were hurt after an explosion at a clubhouse on a golf course in Stuart on Wednesday.
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), five people were injured — three seriously — all of whom were workers at the building under construction. The sheriff’s office says two of the workers were flown to a burn unit in Orlando and another was taken to a hospital by ambulance.
The other two are believed to have driven themselves to a nearby hospital.
Martin County Fire Rescue (MCFR) said crews responded to reports of an explosion at 3535 SW Kanner Highway around 2 p.m.
Read the full story here.
Billion-dollar Boom: Major music festival adding to downtown West Palm Beach’s expansion
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Valentines’ Day is a day full of love, but next year, it will also be a day full of music.
The highly anticipated ‘Palm Tree Music Festival’ is coming to West Palm Beach on February 14th, 2026, just adding to the rapidly growing downtown scene.
One of the partners for the music festival is a familiar name in the building community, Related Ross.
As CBS12 News has reported in recent months, Palm Beach County is undergoing a dramatic transformation, fueled by billions of dollars in new investments that are reshaping the skyline, infrastructure, and economic landscape of West Palm Beach and its surrounding areas. Related Ross is spearheading a development boom that is redefining the future of Palm Beach County.
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Governor calls, deputies answer: Martin County team sent to Alligator Alcatraz
MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — The Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has deployed 11 deputies to Florida’s controversial Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility in the Everglades.
Sheriff John Budensiek confirmed the team, part of the agency’s federally certified Rapid Response Unit, began a week-long deployment Oct. 5.
The request came from the governor’s office through the Florida Sheriffs Association, which organizes statewide manpower rotations.
“This was not an emergency operation,” Budensiek said. “They asked us several months ago to help with that rotation our rapid response team has federal certifications in crowd control and dealing with riots, insurrections, anything that would have huge impacts. This is just an extension of that same program where we do manpower sharing with our state and federal partners.”
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Florida open carry law forces deputies to rethink 911 calls
STUART, Fla. (CBS12) — What would you do if someone walked past your home with a rifle on their back? In Florida, that question isn’t hypothetical anymore.
A sweeping court ruling made open carry the law of the land — forcing both families and deputies to think twice before reacting.
Reactions in local neighborhoods are divided.
“Walking around with guns, where you can see them openly, is a little bit threatening to people in general,” said Kim Alexander, a grandmother visiting her family in Stuart.
Read the full story here.
Candidate files lawsuit to force Gov. DeSantis to call special election in Palm Beach Co.
A Democratic candidate for the Florida House is suing Governor Ron DeSantis, accusing him of failing to follow state law by not calling a special election to fill a vacant legislative seat in Palm Beach County.
The lawsuit, filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court by Emily Gregory, seeks a court order requiring the governor to set a special election for House District 87, which has been without representation since August 18. That’s when Rep. Mike Caruso, a Republican, resigned from the seat after being appointed Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller for Palm Beach County.
Gregory’s filing argues that the governor’s delay violates his statutory duty to ensure representation for the more than 114,000 residents of the district, which includes parts of coastal Palm Beach County and Palm Beach Island — home to President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
“The people of coastal Palm Beach County are being denied representation,” Gregory told CBS12 News. “At a time when the affordability crisis is affecting all of us — with skyrocketing property insurance and rising grocery bills — we need a voice in Tallahassee. This lawsuit is asking the governor to simply follow the law and set a date for the special election.”
Read the full story here.
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