Congressional Candidate Marleine Bastien Robbed at Gunpoint

In today's roundup of the sins of South Florida: A congressional candidate has her purse snatched after a man points a gun at her head outside a church; some students will spend their first month of class in a fancy hotel; a traffic accident claims one life; and another storm gets a name.

Marleine Bastien is one of the local Haitian community's most tireless and selfless activists. She's also one of the leading candidates running to replace Kendrick Meek in his vacated congressional seat. During a stop at a church this past weekend, Bastien and her sister were robbed at gunpoint.

The incident occurred outside the House of the Living God at 13700 NE Tenth Ave. Bastien and her sister were sitting in a car when a man approached. He pointed a gun at the candidate's head and demanded their purses and cell phones, which they handed over. Police say the same gunman pulled off a similar heist involving another woman just minutes before.

The suspect is believed to be a "black male, 18 to 24 years old, about 5-foot-3-inches tall, weighing 145 pounds and with medium-length dreadlocks." [Herald]

• Renaissance Charter Middle School welcomed its first students today, but its building is not complete. For the first month, students will attend class at the Hilton Miami Airport. [CBS4]
• Following a janitors' strike a few years ago, landscapers and cleaners at the University of Miami are threating to strike. However, contract negotiations today might prevent a strike. [WSVN]
• One person is dead and another three are injured after a car accident on the Palmetto Expressway. [WSVN]
• Tropical Storm Danielle is the fourth named storm of the season. At the moment, it poses no threat to South Florida. [CBS4]