Police chief fires five command officers over overtime
The police overtime probe ends in firings, two restaurants pick West Palm, and Clematis by Night returns Thursday.
West Palm Beach's police chief has fired five command officers after a nearly two-year probe into overtime misconduct and double dipping. The fact that all five were command officers gives this weight beyond a routine personnel story. WPTV reported that the chief was expected to address the firings publicly. Their names have not been released. The department has not detailed the rest of the investigation's findings. The firm takeaway for residents is narrower but significant: the department's long-running investigation has concluded with five senior employees losing their jobs. The number of firings and the officers' senior ranks make this outcome significant for the department.
Niwa will mix Japanese and Latin flavors
APM Restaurant Group is opening a restaurant here called Niwa. The concept melds Japanese and Latin flavors. That combination has worked elsewhere in South Florida and is still thin on the ground in West Palm Beach proper. The address, opening date, chef, and price point have not been announced. That leaves would-be diners waiting on the practical details. So this is a plan, not a reservation you can make. Still, an established group chose West Palm over Miami or Fort Lauderdale. That is its own small signal about where the restaurant money thinks the city is heading.
Drift Palm Beach is coming, with breakfast
Drift Palm Beach is planning a West Palm Beach location. The menu leans toward healthy breakfast dishes, sandwiches, and salads. That puts it in the daytime category rather than the dinner-and-cocktails one. It is a real gap around here. Plenty of places will feed you at nine at night. Fewer will do a decent breakfast that is not a diner plate of eggs. No opening date, address, or pricing was given in the announcement. File this under things to watch rather than things to try. Two restaurant plans surfacing in the same week is a decent read on local demand.
The 27-story Mr. C tower keeps climbing
Construction is moving along on Mr. C Hotel & Residences West Palm Beach. The 27-story project is rising in the city. Florida YIMBY reported the progress this week. Twenty-seven stories is not a modest building. Towers like this reshape a skyline and a street long before anyone checks in. Expect the usual accompaniments while work continues: cranes, closed sidewalks, and trucks where you would rather be driving. No completion date, unit count, or pricing has been announced. The visible progress confirms that the downtown building cycle has not slowed down, whatever you make of that.
A cat cafe in Northwood, with Pilates
Nine Lives Cafe has opened in the Northwood district. The pitch is exactly what it sounds like. Shelter cats, specialty coffee, and Pilates classes all sit under one roof. It runs as a nonprofit. That is the part that matters. The cats are adoptable. A slow morning with an espresso doubles as a shot at getting an animal out of a shelter. WPTV described the place as "Cat Heaven," and that is roughly the energy. Hours, class schedules, and pricing are not posted yet. Check before you plan a Saturday around it. Northwood keeps quietly collecting places like this.
Clematis by Night brings back the Naughty Iguanas
Clematis by Night returns Thursday, August 6 at 6 p.m. on the Great Lawn. The Naughty Iguanas are playing 90s rock. That tells you most of what you need to know about the setlist. This free waterfront concert series has anchored Thursday nights downtown for more than three decades. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket. Plan on breezes off the water. If you have been meaning to get back down there, this is the easiest possible week to do it.