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What stories made headlines this week in Coral Springs? What you need to know

By Edited by Mike Garbett. Story produced with AI assistance
Police direct traffic during funeral service for Coral Springs Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen at Church By The Glades on Friday, April 17, 2026, in Coral Springs, Fla.
The funeral service for Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen was held Friday, April 17, at Church by the Glades in Coral Springs. Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com

From the city mourning its vice mayor to an embezzlement sentencing and a fatal crash, it was a heavy week of news in Coral Springs.

Here’s a rundown of stories in case you missed them:

  • City mourns vice mayor: Hundreds of family, friends, elected officials, residents and city staff gathered Friday to celebrate the life of Nancy Metayer Bowen, the 38-year-old vice mayor and first Black and Haitian American woman to become a commissioner in the city’s history. Earlier in the week, Coral Springs held its first City Commission meeting since her death, with residents and officials sharing memories and grief. Commissioner Joshua Simmons said, “We are missing our heart.”
  • Filling the vacant seat: City officials plan to discuss how to fill Metayer’s commission seat during a retreat scheduled for April 22. A special election, possibly in November, is among the options.
  • Embezzlement sentencing: Former principal Lori Ann St. Thomas, 62, of Coral Springs, avoided prison after being found guilty of stealing over $238,000 from her employer. A judge sentenced her to 10 years of probation and $121,548 in restitution.
  • Fatal wrong-way crash: Nicholas Addis, son of longtime Coral Springs Mayor Vincent Boccard, was killed in a head-on collision on W. Sample Road. Investigators say another driver was traveling the wrong way over the Florida Turnpike overpass.
  • Strip mall shooting: A woman was shot and seriously injured behind a strip mall, cops say, and a man in custody faces multiple charges, including attempted premeditated murder. Police say the shooting was domestic related.
  • Girls’ travel hockey: The Florida Panthers announced a new Tier II girls’ travel hockey program to be offered out of the Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs and Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale starting this fall.
  • Top park in Florida: Cypress Park ranked No. 1 in Florida and No. 5 nationally for quiet, calming moments in a 3,000-person survey conducted by A Mission for Michael.
  • Broward school cuts: Broward County Public Schools notified roughly 300 employees their jobs will be eliminated or reduced next school year as part of a reorganization plan the district says will save approximately $45 million.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.