Officials decided to shut down much of Miami International Airport after a database showed a scientist with a suspicious item in his luggage had once been charged with illegally transporting bubonic plague, a senior law enforcement official said Friday.

No dangerous material was found on 70-year-old Thomas Butler after he was detained Thursday night, the official told The Associated Press on Friday.

Pending home sales were up 33.7 percent in Miami-Dade County in August compared to the same month last year, according to data released Thursday by Miami Realtors.

Pending sales — signed contracts that have not yet closed — were up to 10,119 last month, compared to 7,570 in August of last year in Miami-Dade County. Month-over-month, pending sales were up 0.6 percent.

A Miami man has pleaded guilty to two identity-theft related charges after federal agents found more than 26,000 credit card numbers stored on his computer, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Juan Javier Cardenas, 45, purchased stolen credit card numbers over the Internet between February 2008 and May 2009, the DOJ said in a press release. Cardenas., known as Maceo, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to traffic in and possess unauthorized credit card numbers with intent to defraud, and one count of trafficking in unauthorized credit card numbers, the DOJ said.

Miami imposed $76.9 million of salary, health-insurance and pension cuts on city employees to address a budget deficit that led to reductions in its credit rating.

Commissioners at a special meeting voted unanimously today to accept Mayor Tomas Regalado’s plan to cut base salaries as much as 12 percent, raise health-insurance deductibles and co- payments, and reduce pension payouts. Miami mandated the actions through a “financial urgency” declared in April under a state statute.

Chris Bosh was just engaged to his girlfriend Adrienne Williams over the weekend. Apparently Bosh proposed to Williams on Friday at at their new home in Miami. They then went to Liv Nightclub to celebrate.

The 26 year old Bosh has had a very eventful few months. He recently just signed a $100 million contract with the Miami Heat, and will join LeBron James and Dwayne Wade there this season. Now he has been engaged to his girlfriend of 1 year.

Bosh’s representative, Tammy Brook has confirmed their engagement.

A mediation session meant to resolve a lawsuit filed by rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight against hip-hop star Kanye West was not successful.

Knight’s attorney, Marc Brumer, says the two sides did not reach an agreement during Thursday’s meeting in Miami, which West attended by phone. The attorney says the case will likely go to trial.

A young and injured sperm whale that surfaced in the shallow waters of a Miami Beach marina has disappeared.

Experts who examined the animal found injuries to its head, back and tail flukes – possibly from a boat. The calf was miles from its deep-water home and without its mother.

Some call it substance, others call it semantics, but Miami-Dade voters in large numbers Tuesday said smaller is better.

Citizens approved a charter amendment that will eliminate the position of County Manager, currently held by George Burgess. Burgess won’t lose his job right away, though. The measure takes effect in 2012 after Burgess’s boss, Mayor Carlos Alvarez leaves office.

It was the closest thing to a “trade” you can get in college football — USC offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson for Miami receiver Thearon Collier.

With all due respect to Collier, who has gone through saddening personal issues, Miami got the better deal.

Nevin Shapiro, the former owner of Capitol Investments USA Inc. accused of leading an $880 million Ponzi scheme, is to plead guilty, court papers showed.

Shapiro, 41, of Miami Beach, Florida, is charged with defrauding more than 60 investors in his bogus wholesale grocery distribution business. He is accused of using new investors’ money to pay earlier ones, as well as to fund his lavish lifestyle.