Helene had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph and was about 115 miles east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Once it moves closer to the Yucatan channel, it’ll have the opportunity to strengthen into a hurricane and then a major hurricane, the NHC said.

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Hurricane season Sep 23

State of emergency in Florida as tropical system expected to become a hurricane

Hurricane season 13 hours ago

DeSantis expands Florida emergency declaration for Helene, urges preparation

The forecast currently has Helene getting up to a major Category 3 hurricane as it approaches landfall by Thursday afternoon and evening in the Big Bend of Florida.

A hurricane warning was issued for the Anclote River to Mexico Beach, Florida, while a hurricane watch was in effect for Englewood to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay.

A tropical storm warning was issued for portions of Florida including the Lower and Middle Florida Keys west of the Channel 5 Bridge, while a tropical storm watch was in effect for Lake Okeechobee and the Palm Beach/Martin County line northward to the Savannah River.

Storm surge watches stretched along the state’s Gulf coast from the Big Bend all the way to the Florida Keys.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded a state of emergency to 61 counties ahead of the storm, as some residents began to evacuate on Tuesday.

Tropical storm force wind is expected to extend well away from the center of the storm. South Florida's wind begins picking up tonight and into Wednesday morning. TS force conditions in the Lower Keys could last into Thursday! @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/Qzm5lWpGVy

— Chelsea Ambriz (@ChelseaAmbrizTV) September 24, 2024

Major impacts

Heavy rainfall will come with this system, increasing the flooding threat. The flooding rain looks to track well inland and into the midsouth into the weekend.

Due to how large this system is forecast to be, storm surge, wind and rainfall impacts will extend well away from the center, especially on the east side of the system.

Hurricane watches are place through the Big Bend of Florida while tropical storm watches extend down into the Lower Keys.

This system is forecast to strengthen into a major hurricane before making a landfall on Thursday! @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/tqsImqd1iW

— Chelsea Ambriz (@ChelseaAmbrizTV) September 24, 2024

Timeline

Wind will begin to pick up Tuesday afternoon and evening across the South Florida area.

Outer rain bands from this system could start to move through the overnight hours on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. Surge in the Florida Keys could be 1-3 feet as the system passes.

For South Florida, wind will be the main thing we feel across Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Gusty conditions take over Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Wind could be sustained 20-25 mph and gust 35-40+ mph. 

Scattered tropical downpours are expected starting overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.

The scattered outer bands will last off and on into Thursday and lingering showers into Friday. Isolated and quick tornadoes can’t be ruled out. Rain totals should be 2-4 inches with localized areas seeing up to 6 inches.

In the Keys, winds are already starting to pick up and will continue to do so through Thursday. Sustained wind of 20-30 mph is expected with gusts of 50+ mph.

Rainfall totals will range from 4-6 inches, especially as we go into Wednesday, and this system is west of the island chain.

Rain looks to linger into the weekend. Storm surge will also be possible, with heights of 1-3 feet.

Helene was forecast to move into the Gulf of Mexico and possibly reach major hurricane status before an expected landfall in or near Florida’s Big Bend region.

A Miami Beach officer said he went into “dad mode” when he found a 2-year-old girl wandering alone in a building on Ocean Drive while her parents were allegedly out partying.

A picture captured the moment Officer Brandon Miller, of the Miami Beach Police Department, comforted the toddler he found screaming and searching for her parents at around 3 a.m. on Sept. 10.

“The little girl was just in her pamper and swimsuit top, completely soaked when we found her,” Miller said. “The person we received the call from actually works security across from the building and he said he could just hear her screaming, screaming, ‘Mama, papa.'”

Police body camera footage released Tuesday showed Miller and other officers responding to the building where the girl was found.

“Where’s mommy?” the officers ask the girl in the footage. “You’re ok, we’re here to help you, ok?”

At one point, Miller picks the girl up in his arms as officers begin searching the complex for the girl’s family.

“You alright?” he asks before the girl gives him a high-five.

Police said the couple was out clubbing and left the 2-year-old, as well as her 12, 11 and 5-year-old brothers alone, sleeping in the apartment they rented, for over four hours.

All four children were taken to the Department of Children and Families. The parents were arrested and then appeared in court, charged with child neglect.

Lentz and Hurd insisted they are good parents, saying the 12-year-old was supposed to be awake watching the younger three. They called this a horror story and a tragic mistake.

“It was a small, tragic mistake that I’m really hurt about and I don’t know what to do,” Lentz said. “We’ve been doing a lot of crying, a lot of crying, every time we see pictures we cry.”

While police searched for her parents, Miller comforted the toddler.

“I have a 2 and a 3-year-old at home and I guess I went into dad mode. I saw her, I thought about my son. I thought about my daughter,” he said.

Lentz and Hurd are desperate to get their children back.

“We are really good parents, we are good people, we don’t leave our children, this is not a regular thing for us,” Hurd said.

The judge said both parents are allowed to see their children while they’re in DCF custody. The couple is expected back in court in next month.

“I understand you want to come to Miami Beach on vacation, you want to have fun, but if you have your kids, obviously they take priority,” Miller said.

A man dressed as a clown was seen on the walkway over the Palmetto near Southwest 40th Street holding what appeared to be a large, black object – possibly a weapon, according to police.

Total Traffic also shared a video of the clown running from the walkway and officers later arriving to the scene. Police said the person was not located.

Miami-Dade Police believe he was last seen in the area of Westchester, near Southwest 35th Street and 76th Avenue.

If you have any information that might help investigators, call Miami-Dade Police.

Ignacio Antonio Amador, 34, also known as Antonio Balle, was arrested Monday on charges of attempted felony murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, records showed.

According to an arrest report, Amador and the victim have been in a relationship for seven years and have a child in common who lives in Nicaragua.

On Sunday morning, officers responded to reports of a woman stabbed in the neck at a home on Northwest 1st Place and found the woman with several stab wounds in her body and neck area.

She was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center where doctors found she had a blade lodged in her neck and was stabbed six times on her body, which caused a punctured lung, the report said.

A witness said they heard the woman screaming and saw the boyfriend covered in blood, then saw the victim who was asking for help while lying in bed covered in blood, the report said.

The witness told Amador he was going to pay for what he did and he replied “I found her with another guy yesterday,” the report said.

The witness saw the blade lodged in the victim’s neck, the report said.

Amador was found by the domestic violence apprehension team on Monday and taken into custody before he was booked into jail.

He appeared in court Tuesday where he was ordered held without bond and appointed a public defender.

The victim was shot in the 2500 block of Northwest 161st Street, after he and his uncle got into an argument, according to Miami Gardens police.

At some point “guns were produced, and the subject fired his weapon,” police said.

The suspect remained at the scene and was taken into custody for questioning, authorities said.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue flew the victim to a nearby hospital.

The identities of the men involved have not been released.

NBC6 is working to learn more.

The indictment, unsealed Tuesday, alleges that Ryan Wesley Routh “did intentionally attempt to kill Former President of the United States Donald J. Trump, a major Presidential candidate” when he was camped out near where Trump was golfing on Sept. 15 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The charges carries a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.

It also added two other charges: possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and assaulting a federal officer.

Routh had previously been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, the Trump nominee who dismissed the criminal classified documents against the former president earlier this year.

The Justice Department said the a grand jury in Miami returned the indictment with the additional charges late Tuesday afternoon.

The indictment comes one day after Trump issued a statement accusing the Justice Department of “downplaying” the alleged assassination plot against him this month and suggesting state officials in Florida take over the case.

“The Kamala Harris/Joe Biden Department of Justice and FBI are mishandling and downplaying the second assassination attempt on my life since July. The charges brought against the maniac assassin are a slap on the wrist,” Trump said in a statement Monday, alleging they have a conflict of interest “since they have been obsessed with ‘Getting Trump’ for so long.”

Federal prosecutors had indicated during Routh’s court appearance Monday that other charges were coming. Among the additional evidence they said they’d collected was a handwritten note from Routh addressed to “The World” that said, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you.”

Routh, 58, of Hawaii, has been ordered held without bail pending trial. He has not yet been arraigned.

In a statement Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “Violence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable.”

“This must stop,” Garland said.

Trump was the victim of an assassination attempt in Butler, Pa., in July. The gunman was killed by Secret Service after opening fire on Trump, with a bullet hitting his right ear, at a campaign rally.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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The forecast currently has Helene getting up to a Category 3 hurricane as it approaches landfall by Thursday in the Big Bend of Florida.

“[The National Hurricane Center] has never in their history forecasted a major at this stage of development,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Tallahasee. “I think the fact that this would be forecasted as a major at this point, without formation, shows that this has a potential to be a really, really significant storm.”

Tracking the Tropics 14 hours ago

Tropical Storm Helene could become a major hurricane as it approaches Florida

Hurricane season 18 hours ago

Florida residents evacuating as Tropical Storm Helene is expected to become a hurricane

DeSantis previously announced he was issuing a state of emergency for 41 counties ahead of the storm. Miami-Dade and Broward weren’t part of the declaration, but it did include Monroe County.

“The Big Bend and Panhandle should be especially prepared for a direct impact,” DeSantis said.

The area is still recovering from Hurricane Debby, which struck as a Category 1 in August, and Hurricane Idalia, which hit as a Category 4 in 2023.

“It is possible that we have an Idalia, Debby track… and this potentially could be even more powerful than Idalia, we’ll see. But it’s going to potentially impact areas that are in the process of rebuilding, not just in the Big Bend, but Panama City still,” DeSantis said.

The governor said he had activated the Florida State Guard, and 3,000 Florida National Guard soldiers were standing by, ready to assist.

DeSantis said impacts were anticipated “100, 200 miles outside of the eye of the storm, you could see with winds and you could see with surge. So if you’re in the Tampa Bay area, you anticipate that you’re going to see impacts. We could also see impacts in southwest Florida, just depending on what the track is.”

Outer rain bands from the system could start to move through the overnight hours on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. Surge in the Florida Keys could be 1-3 feet as the system passes.

The governor said though there is some uncertainty about the storm’s track, Floridians have time to prepare for power outages, flooding and evacuations. Residents should ensure they have enough essentials, including food and water, for seven days.

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie also encouraged people to heed evacuation warnings if they are implemented.

“People do not need to even leave their county in most instances,” DeSantis added. “It’s just getting away from when that water comes… The wind you can hide from. Anything that’s shelter in Florida is going to be able to withstand the wind, but it’s the water that can be really, really devastating.”

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

At 46th, FIU is the only South Florida school to make the top 50 in the list of 2025 Top Public Schools. This is its first time in the top 50, and it sits at 98th among all national universities, public and private, according to the report.

“FIU climbed 18 spots from last year among public universities and 26 spots overall to become one of the Top 100 universities in the nation,” the university wrote in a news release. 

FIU soars into the Top 50 among public universities and Top 100 overall @USNews, rising faster than any university in the last 10 years. We couldn’t have done it without you, Panthers! Read at more: https://t.co/CjOweJk8N0 pic.twitter.com/mC7zzYGmN3

— FIU (@FIU) September 24, 2024

Who took the top spots?

The top public school in the country is the University of California Los Angeles, the report says, followed by the University of California Berkeley. The University of Michigan Ann Arbor took the third spot.

How did Florida do?

The Florida school that ranked the highest on the list of best public schools was the University of Florida in Gainesville, which took the number 7 spot. 

Florida State University in Tallahassee and University of South Florida in Tampa, ranked 23rd and 45th, respectively.

The University of Miami ranked 63rd nationwide.

Miami Dade College made history with its highest ranking to date, placing 4th among Top Public Schools – Regional Colleges.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez took to X to congratulate his alma mater.

More reasons to have Panther pride

FIU also boasts the number 2 undergraduate international business program in the country, “a position that it has held for the last six years,” the school said in a news release.

“The success of our undergraduate business program, in particular, is a point of pride for FIU and our global city,” FIU Provost, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Elizabeth M. Béjar said. “FIU is preparing business leaders for South Florida and the world.”

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Hurricane warnings were issued for the northwestern Florida coastline and part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Hurricane watches were issued for parts of western Cuba and Florida, including Tampa Bay, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. A tropical storm warning was issued for parts of Cuba and Florida’s southwestern coastline, including the Florida Keys.

The storm was 150 miles south of the western tip of Cuba, had sustained winds of 50 mph and was moving northwest at 12 mph. It was expected to strengthen into Hurricane Helene on Wednesday as it approached the Gulf Coast and could become a major hurricane Thursday.

In the U.S., federal authorities are positioning generators, food and water, along with search-and-rescue and power restoration teams, as President Joe Biden declared an emergency in Florida.

Ahead of the storm’s arrival on the state’s Gulf Coast as soon as late Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis increased the counties included in the high-risk area Tuesday from 41 to 61.

The tropical storm prompted NASA and SpaceX to bump Thursday’s planned astronaut launch to at least Saturday. And Florida A&M University postponed its upcoming college football game against Alabama A&M.

Because the storm is so massive, it is important not to look just at where it is tracking, warned Larry Kelly, a specialist at the hurricane center, as around 10 Florida counties urged or ordered evacuations.

“It’s going to be a very large system with impacts across all of Florida,” he said. “Stay up to date with the latest forecast and heed your local officials.”

Hal Summers, a restaurant worker in Mexico Beach, Florida, needed no reminding after he barely survived Hurricane Michael in 2018. DeSantis has said Helene is reminiscent of that Category 5 hurricane, which rapidly intensified and caught residents off guard before plowing a destructive path across the western Florida Panhandle.

When it hit, Summers waded with his cat in his arms as waters began rising rapidly in his parents’ house. Their house and his home were destroyed.

“That was such a traumatic experience that that is not the place I needed to be for myself,” he said Tuesday as he evacuated with a friend to Marianna, a town farther inland.

If Tropical Storm Helene follows the same paths as two previous hurricanes that hit Florida in the past year or so, the state will have a quicker recovery and won’t take as big an economic hit, Florida’s chief financial officer said Tuesday.

That’s because Hurricane Idalia, which hit Florida in August 2023, and Hurricane Debby, which came ashore last August, took down vulnerable structures and trees which would have caused debris, said Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer.

Helene is expected to move over deep, warm waters, fueling its intensification. People in regions under watches and warnings should be prepared to lose power and should have enough food and water for at least three days, forecasters warned.

Helene, the eighth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, could strengthen into a major Category 3 hurricane — with winds of at least 111 mph — before approaching the northeastern Gulf Coast. Since 2000, eight major hurricanes have made landfall in Florida, according to Philip Klotzbach, a Colorado State University hurricane researcher.

Given the anticipated large size, storm surge, wind and rain will extend far from the center of the expected storm, especially on the eastern side. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency. And states as far inland as Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana could see rainfall associated with the storm.

A storm surge warning was in effect for Florida’s Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, and from Indian Pass south to Flamingo. Florida and Georgia’s eastern coasts, from Palm Beach to the Savannah River, were under a tropical storm watch.

A tropical storm warning for Grand Cayman was dropped. Authorities urged people to stay indoors as the storm moved away and said crews would soon fan out to assess damage.

The sun shone Tuesday in Tarpon Springs, Florida, but residents already filled sandbags as they braced for potential flooding.

Officials in the Cayman Islands closed schools, airports and government offices as strong winds knocked out power in some areas of Grand Cayman, while heavy rain and waves as high as 10 feet unleashed flooding.

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Many in Cuba worried about the storm, whose tentacles are expected to reach the capital of Havana, which is struggling with a severe shortage of water, piles of uncollected garbage and chronic power outages.

Helene is expected to slip between Cuba and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early Wednesday and then head north across the Gulf of Mexico.

Up to 8 inches of rain is forecast for western Cuba and the Cayman Islands with isolated totals of 12 inches. Up to 6 inches of rain is expected for the eastern Yucatan, with isolated totals of more than 8 inches.

Heavy rainfall also was forecast for the southeastern U.S. starting Wednesday, threatening flash and river flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center. Up to 8 inches of rain was forecast for the region, with isolated totals of 12 inches.

A storm surge of up to 15 feet was forecast from Ochlockonee River, Florida, to Chassahowitzka, and up to 10 feet from Chassahowitzka to Anclote River and from Indian Pass to Ochlockonee River.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season this year because of record-warm ocean temperatures. It forecast 17 to 25 named storms, with four to seven major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.

In the Pacific, former Hurricane John killed two people after it barreled into Mexico’s southern Pacific coast, blowing tin roofs off houses, triggering mudslides and toppling scores of trees, officials said Tuesday.

The route, dubbed the Floridian, has intermediate stops in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

Today, we’re proud to announce the launch of the Floridian!

This train combines two iconic routes — the Capitol Limited and Silver Star — and will offer traditional dining throughout the full journey. pic.twitter.com/XZbtfUptJq

— Amtrak (@Amtrak) September 23, 2024

The train will make its inaugural trip on Sunday, Nov. 10, and tickets are available for purchase now.

But the route won’t be around forever. 

“Amtrak is temporarily combining the Capitol Limited and Silver Star trains to create the Floridian due to the upcoming East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project in New York,” the company explained in a news release. 

“This move will free up badly needed equipment while taking pressure off Northeast Corridor infrastructure during the renovation of the ERT Project,” said Jim Mathews, President & CEO of the Rail Passengers Association. “Rail Passengers applauds Amtrak for this innovative solution to keeping passengers moving during critical state of good repair work. We believe riders will flock to this new service.”

The ride from Miami to Chicago takes about 50 hours, and ticket prices vary depending on the fare type.

“The Floridian (Trains 40 & 41) will operate on a similar schedule and make the current stops of the Capitol Limited (Trains 29 & 30) between Chicago and Washington, D.C., and the Silver Star (Trains 91 & 92) between Miami and Washington, D.C.,” Amtrak described. “The Silver Meteor (Trains 97 & 98) continues to operate daily between New York and Miami.”

Officials from the Florida Department of Education, led by an appointee of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, have been directing some of the state’s largest school districts to scale back their lesson plans not only on sexual activity, but on contraceptives, human development, abuse and domestic violence, as first reported by the Orlando Sentinel.

The shift reflects a nationwide push in conservative states to restrict what kids can learn about themselves and their bodies. Advocates are concerned that young people won’t reliably be taught about adolescence, safe sex or relationship violence at a time when sexually transmitted infections have been on the rise and access to abortion is being increasingly restricted.

Under recent changes to state law, it’s now up to the Florida Department of Education to sign off on school districts’ curriculum on reproductive health and disease education if they use teaching materials other than the state’s designated textbook.

About a dozen districts across Florida have been told by state officials to restrict their sex ed instruction plans, said Elissa Barr, a professor of public health at the University of North Florida and the chair of the Florida Healthy Youth Alliance, which advises school districts on developing and implementing comprehensive sex education programs.

Barr says comprehensive sex ed isn’t just about reducing teen pregnancy and protecting young people against HIV, at a time when Florida is reporting more HIV diagnoses than almost any other state, according to health policy research nonprofit KFF.

“Sex ed is sexual abuse prevention. It’s dating violence prevention. And it just helps young people develop healthier relationships and actually delay sexual initiation,” Barr told The Associated Press. “We still have 1 in 4 teens pregnant at least once before age 20. So for us to cut contraceptive information and education is really doing young people a disservice. It’s very harmful.”

Research has shown that comprehensive sex ed is associated with teens waiting longer to have sex for the first time, as well as reduced rates of teen pregnancy and STIs and the prevention of sexual abuse.

A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education defended the state’s approach, highlighting the importance of abstinence and recent changes to state law that require schools to teach that “reproductive roles” are “binary, stable, and unchangeable.”

“Florida law requires schools to emphasize the benefits of sexual abstinence as the expected standard and the consequences of teenage pregnancy,” department communications director Sydney Booker said. “A state government should not be emphasizing or encouraging sexual activity among children or minors and is therefore right to emphasize abstinence.”

In Broward County Public Schools, which includes Fort Lauderdale and is the nation’s sixth largest school district, state officials told the district that pictures of reproductive anatomy and demonstrations on how to use contraceptives “should not be included in any grade level,” according to a staff memo that was shared with the AP.

Florida Department of Education officials also told the district to remove the words “abuse, consent, and domestic violence” from a proposed lesson for first graders and replace it with language that’s considered more age-appropriate, such as “talking to a trusted adult when they feel uncomfortable.”

Barr said the concerns expressed about curriculum were “inconsistent” from district to district and were communicated verbally, not over email.

A representative for Orange County Public Schools, which includes Orlando, said the district revised its teaching plans in response to “verbal feedback” from the department.

“FDOE strongly recommended the district utilize the state adopted text,” district spokesperson Michael Ollendorff said.

Under Florida law, schools don’t have to teach sex ed. If they do offer lessons, they must emphasize abstinence as the “expected standard.” Florida parents have the right to opt their students out of that instruction, though surveys show the general public overwhelmingly supports schools teaching sex ed.

“Take politics out of it, take religion out of it and really focus on the science and what works for young people,” Barr said. “We have the answer, and it’s comprehensive sex ed.”

___

Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

The watch, in effect until further notice, sets the stage for the evolution of Tropical Storm Helene in the northwest Caribbean Sea and southern Gulf of Mexico over the next few days.

The storm, likely to grow in size and in strength, will have a large field of strong winds that could touch the Lower Keys Wednesday and Thursday.

Currently, the expectation is that winds could run at 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph with some of the stronger rain bands that sweep the area.

Locally heavy downpours will be possible through Thursday as rain totals of 3 to 6 inches remain possible from Marathon to Key West.

A storm surge up to two feet remains possible, based on the current track and trends. Adjustments would be made accordingly if the system tracks a little closer, or farther, from the Keys.

In metro South Florida, conditions are likely to change for the wetter on Wednesday, too. Passing downpours for the balance of the week could produce 2 to 4 inches of rain, with locally heavier amounts.

While the winds won’t be as strong, breezy conditions with gust to 45 mph in a few rain bands cannot be ruled out.  While the wet pattern sustains for the rest of the week, the weekend should yield subtle improvements.

But over the years, processes have been developed to make sure the water pumped to your home is safe, clear, and drinkable. 

NBC6 Responds visited the Alexander Orr Water Treatment Facility operated by the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department. 

Water from this water treatment facility ends up in homes South of SW 8th Street to 248th Street in Miami-Dade County. But with multiple plants across the county, the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department provides drinking water for about 2.3 million people. 

“In Miami-Dade County, the water quality is extremely high, and I am very comfortable with people drinking tap water. I drink the tap water,” said Roy Coley, the Director of the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department. 

He showed NBC6 the ins and outs of what it takes to filter and disinfect your drinking water.

How water is cleaned for drinking

When water is pumped from the aquifer to the Miami-Dade Water and Treatment facility, lime is added as the first step in a long process. 

Lime helps to soften the water, purify, and eliminate cloudiness. 

Next, disinfectants like chlorine and ammonia are used. Together they create what is known as chloramine. This helps to protect the water against bacteria. 

The water then travels through a series of filters to remove the remaining chemicals. 

Before the water is pumped out to your house, two more chemicals are added: a small amount of fluoride and a compound to reduce corrosion as the water travels through pipes in the distribution system. 

Because things like bacteria, heavy metals, and chemicals can leach through corroded pipes, microbiologists and chemists test the water multiple times before it gets to your home. 

Each year, roughly 320,000 analyses of water samples are taken to make sure contaminants regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency are under the federal limits for what’s considered safe in our drinking water. 

Water districts are required to publish a drinking water quality report each year. It’s a snapshot of the water quality once a year and it shows contamination levels. 

This report is published online by your local water district and is also distributed through the mail.

Broward Sheriff’s deputies arrested 26-year-old Manuel Collazo Diago on Thursday on a charge of battery on a person 65 or older, jail records showed.

The alleged incident happened at a home near Southwest 9th Street and Southwest 4th Avenue.

Videos showed the alleged attack and deputies taking Diago into custody. He was later booked into jail.

According to an arrest report, the victim said she’d found a small dog in front of her home that she knew belonged to Diago and went to his trailer.

She said he pushed her to the ground and started yelling at her for no reason, then started punching her in the face and all over her body, the report said.

He also dragged her by her hair and pushed her face against the concrete, and told her he was going to kill her, the report said.

At one point, Diago picked up a rock and tried to hit her with it, then bit her on the hand, breaking her skin, before he tried to push her head into a puddle of water, the report said.

When people who heard the victim screaming showed up, Diago ran inside his trailer, the report said. He was later taken into custody.

The 911 call is one of two obtained by NBC6 on Monday from the Sept. 18 incident that claimed the life of Cameron Day.

“I’m in front of my house and in front of the house there is a guy in the bicycle and he’s on the ground and it’s raining and thundering and he don’t move, he’s been there like for five minutes, or ten minutes,” a man tells the dispatcher in the call.

Loud thunder can be heard in the background as the caller tries to explain what happened.

“He’s over there and it’s thundering, you know, and he’s over there under the tree and he’s on the bicycle and he don’t move, I don’t know what happened,” the caller says.

Day was riding his bike home from McArthur High School when it appears he was struck in the area of Southwest 67th Avenue and Southwest 6th Street.

Pembroke Pines Police officials said the teen was found lying in the grass in the area and was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

In another 911 call released Monday, a neighbor said they found the teen’s belongings that were left at the scene.

“It was stormy and like thundery outside, there was kid that for some reason he ended up on the side of the road with his bike, and we saw paramedics arrive on the scene and they just took the kid but they left like his bookbag and his bike behind. We’re hoping that the kid is ok,” the female caller says.

She added that she found his wallet with ID and wanted to get belongings to him, not knowing he had died.

“We saw when he was taken away, we didn’t know what happened to him, we didn’t know if it was the lightning or something that might have hit him but we just noticed that everything was left behind so we didn’t want to leave it on the side of the road like that,” the caller said.

The teen was a junior and a proud member of the school band. His family said he was the youngest of four children and the only boy.

Ajeskca Lucas, 46, was arrested Sunday for tampering with an electronic monitoring device while on house arrest, records showed.

Lucas had been arrested back on Sept. 10 for violating a domestic violence injunction, an arrest report said.

According to the report, Lucas’ ex-girlfriend had obtained the injunction in July.

The ex-girlfriend went to police with video footage from her Ring camera that showed Lucas knocking on her door, the report said.

Lucas was booked into jail. Attorney information wasn’t available.

Edwin Amaya, 32, is facing a premeditated murder charge in the Saturday night incident that left 29-year-old Brenda Hernandez Amaya dead, Broward Sheriff’s Office officials said.

Amaya didn’t speak during Monday’s court appearance, where he was ordered held without bond.

The horrific crime unfolded in front of friends and family on Southwest 8th Street and was caught on camera.

BSO officials said Amaya and Hernandez Amaya had been involved in a dispute over their shared child and at one point, Amaya got into his Ford F-250 pickup and intentionally drove into Hernandez Amaya.

Cell phone video showed what appeared to be an argument in the street and the moments leading up to the impact.

A man was also struck by the truck and held onto the truck ad Amaya struck parked cars, officials said.

The man fell off as Amaya got out and fled on foot, officials said. He was taken into custody a short time later.

Hernandez Amaya was rushed to a local hospital but she died from her injuries.

The 32-year-old man who was hit by the truck suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Witnesses said Amaya was aggressive and got upset when Hernandez Amaya wouldn’t allow him to take their child.

Hernandez Amaya leaves behind three children ages 10 and younger.

Hernandez Amaya’s mother was in tears as she spoke with reporters in Spanish, describing her daughter as a good mother who loved her children.

According to a press release from his attorney, Hill has retained a legal team after that tense confrontation with Miami-Dade Police officers during a traffic stop back on Sept. 8.

Body camera video that has since gone viral on social media captured the tough police take down as Hill was pulled out of his car and detained over allegations of careless driving just hours before the Dolphins’ season opener against Jacksonville.

A 27-year veteran of the department who was involved in the incident, Officer Danny Torres, has been placed on administrative duty.

An employee profile released by the Miami-Dade Police Department showed Torres served as many as 50 days of suspension in six different incidents between 2014 and 2019.

The longest suspension was for 20 days. He also received four written reprimands.

“It is already clear that well before this incident, Miami-Dade County should have fired Officer Torres,” attorney Jeffrey Neiman said in Monday’s press release. “Instead, the County repeatedly returned Officer Torres to the street permitting him to use his police authority to terrorize people.”

Hill and his legal team are also demanding Congress pass the “George Floyd Justice in Policing Act,” which aims to increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct.

The system had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph as it moved north-northwest at 6 mph about 290 miles southeast of the western tip of Cuba, the latest update from the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

A tropical storm watch was issued for the Dry Tortugas and lower Florida Keys south of the Seven Mile Bridge and portions of the southwest.

Tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches were also issued for portions of Mexico and Cuba for the system, which was forecast to move across the northwestern Caribbean Sea and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico during the next couple of days.

The system was forecast to become a hurricane on Wednesday and continue strengthening as it moves across the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the NHC said.

Portions of Florida’s west coast and Panhandle were in the NHC’s potential forecast cone, but forecasters said storm surge, wind, and rainfall impacts will likely extend well away from the center, particularly to the east of the system.

In a statement Monday afternoon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he was issuing a state of emergency for 41 counties ahead of the storm. Miami-Dade and Broward weren’t part of the declaration but it did include Monroe County.

Residents from coastal Louisiana to the west coast of Florida are encouraged to monitor the forecast for the next several days. While it is too soon to pinpoint where the system will ultimately go, the Florida panhandle, through the Big Bend area, could be focal point for impact later in the week.

Locally heavy rainfall, isolated severe storms and a dangerous rip current risk for both sides of the Florida peninsula is possible. 

For South Florida, the weather will be determined by the anticipated storm’s position and intensity. This could include breezy conditions, passing downpours, high surf and dangerous marine conditions.

The next named system for the 2024 hurricane season will be “Helene.”

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According to Florida Highway Patrol, a Mercedes SUV was traveling east on SW 256th Street and a Toyota sedan was traveling South on Krome Avenue.

The Mercedes failed to yield the right of way, and drove right into the path of the Toyota. The Toyota then crashed into the right side of the Mercedes.

Two toddlers who were traveling in the Toyota at the time of the crash were ejected from the car, and landed on the roadway. Both were airlifted to Kendall Regional in critical condition.

The driver of the Toyota and the Mercedes were also transported with serious injuries.

Krome Avenue was closed for approximately two hours during the preliminary investigation, but has since reopened.

The incident happened on the third floor of a garage at 1567 San Remo Avenue after officials said it appeared the woman driving the SUV accidentally hit the accelerator.

Coral Gables Fire Rescue officials said the crash sent the SUV through a concrete barrier.

Aerial footage from Chopper 6 showed the white SUV over the edge of the garage and against a tree.

Officials said there was a woman inside the vehicle that was hanging halfway out but was being held up by the tree.

Rescue workers used ropes to bring the woman to safety, and she was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition.

“Pretty sure that she was pretty shaken up, but looking at it from outside, she was fairly calm considering how dramatic this incident was,” Coral Gables Fire Rescue Division Chief Xavier Jones said.

An employee of a doctor’s office across the street said they heard the moment of impact.

“I basically heard a car peeling out, like they hit the gas by accident or trying to go really fast. I heard a really hard crash, so I thought it was a car crash between two cars,” Katiana Polanco said.

Officials brought a crane in to remove the vehicle and said structural engineers would be taking a look at the garage.

The note was made public in a U.S. District Court filing asking that Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, be held in pre-trial detention. Later on Monday, a judge ordered he would remain in jail pending trial.

Law enforcement was contacted Sept. 18 by a civilian who said that Routh had dropped off a box at his residence several months earlier, the filing said. The witness opened the box after learning of the Sept. 15 incident at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. 

The box contained ammunition, four phones and letters. 

One handwritten letter addressed to “The World” said: “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you.”

The letter said in part: “He ended relations with Iran like a child and now the Middle East has unraveled.” 

Routh was arrested Sept. 15 after a Secret Service agent moving ahead of the former president as he was golfing at Trump International Golf Club spotted “the partially obscured face of a man” in the brush along the fence line and the barrel of a rifle “aimed directly at him.” The agent fired at the man, who fled. He was spotted by a witness and was soon after arrested on Interstate 95.

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Routh has since been charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

The FBI searched Routh’s Nissan Xterra and found six cellphones — one of which contained a Google search of how to travel from Palm Beach County to Mexico.

Cell site records from two of the phones indicated Routh had traveled from Greensboro, North Carolina, to West Palm Beach on Aug. 14.

Further, on “multiple days and times from Aug. 18, 2024, to Sept. 15, 2024, Routh’s cellphone accessed cell towers located near Trump International and the former president’s residence at Mar-a-Lago,” the filing said.

Also found in the vehicle were 12 pairs of gloves, a Hawaii driver’s license in Routh’s name, passport and documents. One of the documents was a handwritten list of dates in August, September and October and venues where Trump had appeared or was expected to. 

Agents also found a notebook with “dozens of pages” filled with names and phone numbers about Ukraine, discussions on how to join the fight on behalf of Ukraine and notes criticizing the Chinese and Russian governments.

The filing said law enforcement learned that the license plate on the Nissan Xterra was not registered to the vehicle, and two additional license plates were found in the car. 

A search of the area where Routh had been hiding near the golf course led to the discovery of a rifle with a scope attached and obliterated serial number, an extended magazine, a backpack and a reusable shopping bag that contained plates “capable of stopping small arms fire.”

On the rifle, investigators found a latent fingerprint on a piece of tape attached to the firearm that preliminarily matched Routh. 

NBC News observed heavy police presence and tape near a row of palm trees and bushes lining the golf course on Summit Boulevard after the apparent assassination attempt last week.

On Thursday, after law enforcement re-opened the road to the public, NBC News identified an opening in the bushes behind the palm trees, which is easily accessible from the public sidewalk. The gap had a view of the golf course and was large enough for someone to occupy.

Routh appeared in Florida court for nearly three hours Monday, where prosecutors alleged he went to Trump International Golf Club with the goal of assassinating Trump. 

“Any established ties to southern district of Florida is for one reason only and that was to kill former President Trump,” the prosecutor said to the judge.

His defense attorney said Routh’s sister is a licensed attorney in North Carolina and was willing to house him if he was released on bail. Ultimately, U.S. Magistrate Judge Ryon M. McCabe ruled Routh would be held pending his trial.

Routh appeared emotionless throughout the hearing, wearing a blue jumpsuit and shackled at his hands and feet. He appeared to nod his head when the defense questioned an FBI special agent about Routh’s social media posts about fighting for Ukraine.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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The incident happened shortly before 1:30 a.m. at Antojitos Mexicanos located at 3943 Davie Boulevard.

Fort Lauderdale Police said it appeared there had been a verbal dispute between the suspect and victim that led to the shooting.

Police later identified the victim as 54-year-old Socorro Camacho.

Images captured by NBC6 showed investigators walking in and out of the restaurant and medical examiners covering what appeared to be a body with a white sheet.

Investigators were also seen blocking off the area surrounding the restaurant with yellow tape while they conducted their investigation.

Mauro Bonilla wasn’t inside at the time of shooting but said he is a frequent customer of the restaurant and spoke to someone who witnessed the whole thing.

“Two guys got into an argument because one of them played a song [on the jukebox] and the other guy was kind of pissed off and insulted the guy,” Bonilla said.

The man by the jukebox playing the music then responded by pulling out a gun, Bonilla said.

“How they both got inside with a weapon I don’t know,” Bonilla said.

Camacho’s brother told NBC6 in Spanish that the family knew something was wrong when they couldn’t get in touch with his brother.

“I only know they fought over a song and that is it,” he said.

The brother said he is devastated that his brother is gone, since he was the only family he had here in Florida.

Employees at the restaurant say after the shooting customers ran from inside the building and the shooter took off.

Police said no arrests have been made but their investigation was ongoing.

Images from Chopper 6 showed major bumper to bumper traffic early Monday morning after at least three cars were involved in the crash.

At this time, drivers are urged to seek an alternate route.

One week after starter Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion, backup Skylar Thompson left the game midway through the third quarter of Sunday’s 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Thompson had what coach Mike McDaniel called a painful rib injury, leaving the Dolphins with more questions at the most important position on the field after just three weeks of the season.

Thompson’s final play was a 5-yard pass to De’Von Achane with 9:46 left in the third, but he took a hard shot on the previous drive when Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson hit him for a sack, one of five he took on the day.

Thompson finished 13 of 19 for 107 yards, and was replaced by Tim Boyle at quarterback.

“Half the pain or half of the frustration for him, I think was, he was really trying to find a way to not come out of the game,” McDaniel said. “And ultimately, it was pretty painful. He fought through it, but we’ll get a chance to look at him tomorrow.”

Thompson was slow to get up following the hit from Dodson and was slightly hunched over at the midsection as he ran off the field. He returned for the next series, but stayed down for several minutes after completing the pass to Achane. Thompson remained on his back for a few minutes before sitting up and walking directly to the locker room.

The injury to Thompson came a little over a week after Tagovailoa suffered his third concussion in the past two years in a loss to Buffalo. Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve earlier this week, meaning he’s not an option for the Dolphins for at least four games.

McDaniel didn’t reveal what the Dolphins’ plan is for the upcoming week if Thompson is unable to go for Miami’s home matchup against Tennessee next Monday night. Miami did sign Tyler Huntley off the Ravens’ practice squad earlier this week and he served as the third quarterback Sunday.

McDaniel sounded optimistic that the rest of the highly regarded offense would be able to bounce back, even with the team going through a roller-coaster couple of weeks under center.

“I think consistency has to be found from the nucleus in the group,” McDaniel said. “The guys that truly know the offense have to really be on it and we have to just keep chopping wood and get better fast. … Those things happen, and you know, every single season, there’s teams that find a way to win football games when their starter, or even their backup, is out.”

It was the third significant injury for the Dolphins in the game after left tackle Terron Armstead (eye) and cornerback Kendall Fuller (concussion) were injured in the first half.

Fuller was hurt during the first quarter, was evaluated then ruled out early in the second half. Armstead’s injury was announced late in the second quarter and Kendall Lamm stepped in as his replacement.

Seattle lost significant depth on its defensive line with injuries to Byron Murphy II and Leonard Williams in the first half. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald didn’t have updates on either injury.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

The incident was reported in the southbound lanes of I-95 near Northwest 2nd Street around 3:40 p.m.

Florida Highway Patrol officials said a green Toyota SUV and a blue Mazda SUV were involved in a crash that caused the Toyota to lose control, hit a barrier wall and overturn before it went over the wall.

The Toyota fell off of the I-95 overpass and came to rest on the Flagler St Bridge underneath, FHP officials said.

Video from Only in Dade shows a mangled SUV and the moment a Good Samaritan helped a man out of the vehicle.

Cameras also captured major traffic backups nearby and debris scattered across the roadway.

Witnesses told NBC6 that the SUV ended up dangling on the structures below the overpass.

“The front was leaning against the bridge and the rear was leaning against another wall. The door was pretty much just hanging in the air – probably an 8-foot drop between him and the floor,” Cristian Villalba said.

Villalba said he was giving out food to homeless people with members of his church before he heard the crash and rushed over to help.

“When we got there, we noticed that the car was technically in the air. It was leaning on the bridge. The man was a little confused. He wasn’t really aware of where he was,” Villalba said.

Villalba said the driver also couldn’t get his seatbelt off, so a homeless man used a knife to free him.

“The gentleman was about to step out of the car and fall. So, that’s when I got on the hood of the car and tried to pull him up from behind before he fell,” he added.

The driver of the Toyota was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.

Disturbing video showed the moment deputies said Edwin Amaya, 32, struck Brenda Hernandez Amaya, 29, with his Ford F-250 on Saturday night.

Broward Sheriff’s detectives said the two had gotten into an argument over their shared child near 130 S.W. Eighth Street before Edwin Amaya got into his truck and then intentionally drove it into Hernandez Amaya.

Edwin Amaya then drove into parked cars while another victim, Omar Munguia-Henrique, was trying to hang onto the vehicle and later fell to the ground, BSO said.

Family members said Munguia-Henrique was her ex-husband.

Meanwhile, Hernandez Amaya’s 10-year-old daughter said she witnessed the traumatic moment.

“I couldn’t cry. I couldn’t talk. I went down stairs, I started running,” she said.

Detectives said Hernandez Amaya and Munguia-Henrique were taken to the hospital, where Hernandez Amaya died.

Police say Edwin Amaya ran off from the scene but deputies later tracked him down in the 700 block of South Dixie Highway and arrested him on a premeditated murder charge.

Family told NBC6 that Brenda Hernandez Amaya leaves behind three children and they’re hoping to bring her remains to Honduras for a funeral.

Family members also clarified that she shared a 2-year-old son with Edwin Amaya.

Anyone with information on this incident should contact BSO Homicide Detective Steve Novak at 954-321-4325 or submit a tip through the SaferWatch App.

If you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), online at browardcrimestoppers.org, or dial **TIPS (8477) from any cellphone in the United States.  

As of Sunday afternoon, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami were giving the area of unsettled weather in the Northwestern Caribbean a 40% chance for development in the next day or two, with an 80% chance for development by the middle of the week.

In this period, it is expected that a tropical depression or tropical storm will form.

As a result, tropical storm watches or warnings could be issued as soon as Monday for portions of Cuba and Mexico.

The next named system for the 2024 hurricane season will be “Helene.”

The timing of the system’s development, and the movement that positions the storm in the Gulf of Mexico, will have an important impact on how it tracks towards the United States late-week.

Residents from coastal Louisiana to the west coast of Florida are encouraged to monitor the forecast for the next several days. While it is too soon to pinpoint where the system will ultimately go, the Florida panhandle, through the Big Bend area, could be focal point for impact later in the week.

However, exactly where the system tracks will not be the only focus. The size and the intensity of a storm can present far-reaching impacts, away from the storm’s center. This could include locally heavy rainfall, isolated severe storms and a dangerous rip current risk for both sides of the Florida peninsula. 

For South Florida, our weather will be determined by the anticipated storm’s position and intensity. This could include breezy conditions, passing downpours, high surf and dangerous marine conditions.

Review your hurricane plan with the free NBC6 hurricane guide found here.

The confrontation, which was captured on a Ring doorbell camera, and later posted to Only in Dade, happened late Friday afternoon, Hialeah Police said.

It not only prompted reaction from the man who owns the home, but also sparked a wave of praise on social media, where users have applauded the employee’s bravery and quick action.

A man, dressed in a gray hoodie and black shorts, approached the house and tried to pretend as though the package was meant for him, video shows.

Rather than ignore the situation, the worker immediately took action – confronting the man and driving him away from the property.

In the video, the FedEx driver is heard telling the man to open the door, in order to prove that he actually lives at the home. The worker then attempted to gather more evidence by taking out his phone to record the potential thief.

“Who are you?” the driver asks him, before challenging him to open the door to the home.

Amid the commotion, the homeowner, Anthony Peña, intervened through his Ring camera, trying to understand what was happening at his door.

Peña is heard asking for clarification, before the worker explains that a man in a red vehicle, identified as a Honda, had attempted to steal a package.

Thanks to the driver’s swift actions, the potential theft was foiled and the suspect fled the scene.

“He did the right thing, you know, defended my property,” Peña told NBC6’s sister station, Telemundo 51.

In a phone interview, Peña expressed his gratitude to the FedEx worker, and added that the driver knew the family well.

The Hialeah Police Department told NBC6 that it has opened an investigation.

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Morris, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was 77. In a statement, his family said his “talent and passion left an indelible mark on the sport.”

“Beyond the field, Mercury was a devoted father, a loving brother, a loyal friend, and a pillar in the community,” his family wrote in the statement. “His presence extended far beyond football, as he touched the lives of many throughout his time in Miami.”

Morris was the starting halfback and one of three go-to runners that Dolphins coach Don Shula utilized in Miami’s back-to-back title seasons of 1972 and 1973, alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick. Morris led the Dolphins in rushing touchdowns in both of those seasons, finishing with an NFL-best 12 in 1972 and then 10 more in 1973.

Those two seasons — the best in Dolphins’ history — just happened to be the best of Morris’ eight-year career as well. He rushed for a career-high 1,000 yards in 1972, then ran for 954 more along with a league-best 6.4 yards per carry the following season.

“I think Shula gave everybody a different kind of direction and purpose being coached by this guy,” Morris said in 2008. “We were middle-class people and middle-class fans, and Shula was a blue-collar worker. And he had kind of a work ethic that really allowed you to see that if you work hard and you do what you’re supposed to do, then things are going to turn out for you — not all the time but you adjust to that and do what’s necessary to try to do as best you can.”

Morris made no secret of being filled with pride about the 1972 Dolphins being the first — and still only — undefeated and untied team in NFL history, pulling off a perfect season.

He also tried to make this clear: No, the Dolphins were not rooting against the teams that came close to matching their feat of perfection and did not have champagne on ice waiting for the moment that the last unbeaten team in a season gets defeated.

“And for the record, we DO NOT TOAST every time an unbeaten team loses,” Morris posted on social media in 2015, when the Cam Newton-led Carolina Panthers started 14-0 before losing the next-to-last game of their regular season. “There’s no champagne in my glass, only Canada Dry Ginger ale! Ha!”

That sense of humor also got pointed at his beloved Dolphins at times. When Miami was 0-8 in the 2007 season, on its way to a 0-13 start and 1-15 record, Morris offered another of his many memorable quips.

“The Dolphins are not embarrassing me, because our record’s at the top of the heap,” Morris said. “That’s not my team. People say, ‘Your team is doing bad.’ I say, ‘My team all has AARP cards.’”

Morris had some personal struggles after his football career ended, most notably being sentenced to 20 years in prison after his 1982 conviction on cocaine trafficking charges. He fought the conviction, admitting he used cocaine — in part to deal with numerous lingering injuries — but never sold the drug. His conviction was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court in 1986 and Morris became a motivational speaker urging people to avoid drugs.

“Was I bitter? Not really,” Morris wrote in his book “Against The Grain,” published in 1998. “I would not recommend three days in jail to anyone, much less three years. But I must be honest: I needed to go through what I did to develop the character I had when I became a free man.”

Morris went into the Dolphins’ Walk of Fame in 2013. He remains fourth on the team’s all-time rushing list with 3,877 yards behind Csonka (6,737), Ricky Williams (6,436) and Ronnie Brown (4,815).

Ward tossed TD passes of 6 yards to Isaiah Horton, 5 yards to Xavier Restrepo and 76 yards to Sam Brown, the latter putting Miami (4-0) ahead for good late in the second quarter. Damien Martinez rushed for three TDs, including a pair of 1-yarders that finished long drives that built the lead to 36-15 in the third quarter.

Receiver Sean Atkins had 11 catches for 125 yards and also threw a 12-yard TD pass to quarterback Byrum Brown for USF (2-2).

The Bulls led 15-14 with 2:36 remaining in the first half after getting field goals of 58 and 51 yards from Nico Gramatica and 45 yards from John Cannon to give an announced crowd of 58,616 hopes an upset was in the making.

Ward entered the night needing 89 yards to reach 15,000 for his career and got there on a 22-yard completion to Horton late in the first quarter. Moments later, he threw 6 yards to Horton for a touchdown that finished an eight-play, 90-yard drive that gave the Hurricanes a 14-9 lead.

The only other active college quarterback with more than 15,000 passing yards is Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, whose career total entering Saturday was 15,779 in 53 games at three different schools. Ward reached the milestone in the 48th game of a career that began at FCS Incarnate Word, where he threw for 6,908 yards in two seasons.

The 6-foot-2, 223-pound quarterback spent the last two years at Washington State, passing for 6,968 yards there. He’s thrown for 1,439 yards in Miami’s first four games to become the first to start a stint at the school with four consecutive 300-yard games and hike his career total to 15,315.

Ward finished Saturday night 24 of 34 passing with one interception on a throw that glanced off the hands of Restrepo in the first quarter. Jordan Lyle finished Miami’s scoring with a 90-yard TD run in the closing minutes.

USF, in its second season under coach Alex Golesh, gave a Top 10 opponent problems for the second time in its last three games. The Bulls got Miami’s attention when they played No. 4 Alabama close before a fourth-quarter collapse left them with a 42-16 loss.

It was 14-13 going into the fourth quarter against the Crimson Tide, though, and Saturday night they only trailed 22-15 after Cannon missed a 31-yard field goal that would have trimmed the deficit to four just before halftime.

Ward threw for five touchdowns and Miami amassed a school-record 750 yards total offense in the previous week’s 62-0 rout of Ball State. His three TD passes against USF raised his season total to 14.

The takeaway

Miami: The Hurricanes passed what amounted to their first real test after opening the season with lopsided wins over Florida (41-17), Florida A&M (56-9) and Ball State (62-0). Now, they turn their attention to the start of Atlantic Coast Conference play.

USF: Golesh clearly has the Bulls, who begin the American Athletic Conference portion of their schedule next week, headed in the right direction after inheriting a team that went 1-11 two years ago. The one-time Tennessee offensive coordinator led a six-win turnaround to 7-6 in 2023.

Poll implications

Miami, which has scored 209 points in its four games, figures to protect its standing in the Top 10.

Up Next

Miami hosts Virginia Tech in ACC opener next Friday.

USF has its AAC opener at Tulane next Saturday.

___

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Walsh was in Kyiv as a nurse and aid worker in the early days of the war in Ukraine. Ryan Routh was there to recruit foreign soldiers to fight the Russians. But Walsh never saw him make much progress and instead watched him grow increasingly angry and unhinged, kicking a panhandler, threatening to burn down a music studio that slighted him and speaking of his own children with seething hatred.

Just as troubling, she said, was Routh’s obsessive, oddly specific plotting to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin, describing the various explosives, poisons and cross-border maneuvers that Routh would employ “to kill him in his sleep.”

“Ryan Routh is a ticking time bomb,” she recalled telling U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in an hourlong interview upon returning to the United States at Dulles International Airport near Washington in June 2022. She says she later repeated her concerns in separate tips to both the FBI and Interpol, the international policing group.

“There is one person you need to watch,” she said. “And that is Ryan Routh.”

Walsh says she never heard back about her tips and she did not think much more about Routh until she saw him in the news last Sunday as the 58-year-old accused of stalking Donald Trump at the former president’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, in an apparent assassination attempt.

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Walsh’s account was one of at least four reports to the U.S. government that, while not direct threats to Trump, raised suspicions about Routh in the years leading up to his arrest. Others included a tip to the FBI in 2019 about Routh being in possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, an online report by an aid worker to the State Department last year questioning Routh’s military recruiting tactics, and Routh’s own interview with Customs and Border Protection about those efforts, prompting a referral for a possible inquiry by Homeland Security Investigations.

What was done in response that could have stopped Routh or at least put him under greater scrutiny is not entirely clear. The agencies involved either did not respond to queries from The Associated Press, have no record of such a report or had questions about whether the report warranted further investigation.

But some people are asking whether federal agencies are vigilant enough or even equipped enough to deal with a growing number of potential threats that are brought to their attention every day.

“Federal agencies ought to be on the highest alert to detect and combat these threats,” said Republican Sen Chuck Grassley of Iowa, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Congress and the American people need assurance that the federal government is doing all it can.”

Walsh, who lives just a few miles from Trump’s golf course, said she cannot help but think all of this could have been avoided.

“The authorities have definitely dropped the ball on this,” she said. “They were warned.”

Sarah Adams, an ex-CIA officer who was behind the State Department tip, said she decided to act after learning Routh was trying to recruit former Afghan fighters with false promises of spots in the Ukrainian military.

She said she drafted a bulletin urging the 50 humanitarian aid groups she was helping in Ukraine to keep Routh at arm’s length, and she had her company send a similar online report to the State Department.

“There was plenty to look into,” said Adams, who lives in Tampa, Florida. “I don’t know if they even assigned someone to work it.”

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said there is no record of any complaints about Routh. He said he could not rule out that “someone didn’t have a communication with somebody somewhere.”

Similarly, Customs and Border Protection said it could not confirm Walsh had a meeting with one of its agents because it does not comment on individual cases. The FBI also declined to confirm Walsh’s warning, citing a policy of not commenting on ongoing investigations. Interpol did not respond to a request for comment.

Walsh showed the AP notes that she took while talking to Customs and Border Protection, and a text she sent to a friend about her messages to the FBI and Interpol with a time stamp soon after she sent them.

Routh, a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years moved to Hawaii, was being held on weapons charges related to the Trump case. His federal public defender, Kristy Militello, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh was never shy about speaking out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous, sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world.

He was interviewed by The New York Times, photographed by the AP and other news organizations and appeared in videos from Kyiv making his pitch for foreign fighters. He put out a self-published book last year on Amazon, “Ukraine’s Unwinnable War,” in which he writes of the wisdom of a well-timed killing of a world leader to change history.

“You are free to assassinate Trump,” Routh wrote, referring to Iran in retaliation for the former president’s decision to abandon the U.S. nuclear deal with that country. Routh went on to describe Trump, whom he had voted for in 2016, as a “fool” and “buffoon” for the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and for pushing a negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraine.

Walsh said she initially found the wiry, floppy-haired Routh to be just bizarre. But as time went on, she got a darker vibe from the way Routh lurked in the streets, seemed to be everywhere and kept tabs on everyone.

She watched as Routh kicked a homeless man begging for money and then snarled, “The Ukrainians should be paying me for what I am doing here!” She said he talked of his grown children with such hatred — “I wish I never had them” — that it frightened her. She remembers how he threatened to burn down a music studio because people there laughed at him over a song he wrote.

“Ryan was the kind of guy who would blow up a building on Tuesday, just because he felt like it,” Walsh said.

Routh’s musings about killing Putin were echoed in his book published last year that describes an even more far-fetched plan for someone with no military experience: launching thousands of weaponized drones to flatten Putin’s many residences.

But in the end, he wrote, the Ukrainians and disaffected Russians he hoped to recruit as accomplices lost their “courage and will” to pull it off.

In 2019, three years before Routh flew to Kyiv to build a foreign legion, the FBI followed up on a tip that he was in possession of a firearm despite felony convictions from years earlier.

But when questioned, the alleged tipster backed off and did not verify providing the initial information. The FBI then referred the matter to Hawaiian law enforcement for further investigation. Honolulu police confirmed this week they were looking into it.

In June 2023, Routh was pulled aside by Customs and Border Protection agents at the Honolulu airport when returning from Ukraine, Poland and Turkey, and asked about his activities overseas.

As first reported by the website Just the News and confirmed in congressional testimony this past week, documents show Routh told them he had been recruiting as many as 100 fighters from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan, and that his wife was paying for his efforts.

Routh also gave agents a business card that claimed he was the director of a group called the International Volunteer Center.

The documents state that the agents referred Routh’s case to Homeland Security Investigations for further scrutiny but it declined to pursue the matter.

In congressional testimony Wednesday, Katrina Berger, executive associate director of the agency, noted that it gets hundreds of such requests a day and that Routh’s comments did not rise to the level to take him into “immediate custody.”

Asked specifically to confirm whether a further investigation was declined, she said she was not sure and would look into it.

Routh’s criminal history in his native Greensboro, North Carolina, includes a 2002 arrest for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch-long fuse.

In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. Police alleged in an affidavit that he was selling the items to purchase crack cocaine.

In both felony cases, court records show judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence, allowing him to escape prison time.

Tracy Fulk, a now-retired Greensboro police officer who arrested Routh in the long-ago armed standoff, said she was not surprised by last week’s news about Routh.

“Remembering all the alerts and run-ins and stuff,” she said, “he was kind of ‘out there.’”

___

Associated Press writers Michael Biesecker, Eric Tucker, Matthew Lee and Rebecca Santana in Washington; Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu; Makiya Seminera in Greensboro, North Carolina; Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; and Joshua Goodman in Miami; and news researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.

Throughout the game, five different bills are featured to educate players on how legislation can prevent future tragedies.

If a player collects all the bills — then they have the option to survive or escape the game.

Joaquin was just 17 when he was murdered in the school shooting.

Since his death, his parents, Manuel and Patricia Oliver, have advocated against gun violence and for gun control policies.

The fire happened at the facility in the 17500 block of Northwest 2nd Avenue.

Footage showed smoke pouring out of the building as firefighters made their way inside.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said crews responded around 10 a.m. and found heavy smoke coming from the building.

Inside, they found multiple storage units on fire. Officials said the large amount of units inside the two-story building made it difficult and dangerous to fight.

“[It] presented a lot of challenges to actually get to the fire, because it actually had two levels inside and anytime you have a public storage facility there’s a lot of different various content in there that can catch fire and create a dangerous, non-visible smoke conditions as well,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Division Chief Michael Eng said.

Over 35 fire units responded to the scene as ladder trucks were deployed to access the roof and cut openings for ventilation.

The fire was brought under control, and crews were monitoring for hot spots.

Eng said it was hard to tell how many storage units were impacted but he said at least three were “fully engulfed.”

One firefighter who suffered minor injuries was taken to a local hospital.

Before Miami-Dade Fire Rescue showed up, Perry Hilton says he was at the storage facility trying to grab a few things out of his unit when he first noticed the smoke.

“When I opened the door I saw smoke coming from the back end of the storage unit,” Hilton said. “I grabbed the fire extinguisher from her and I tried to put out the flames.”

Hilton said the fire was too much.

“The fire and smoke was coming so fast. I told everybody let’s get out,” Hilton said.

Hilton said he later learned from a fire official that his unit was destroyed. He said he and his fiancé had many of their personal belongings inside.

“Everything that I had inside there was lost,” Hilton said.

Hilton admitted that he’s upset, but in that moment, he realized what was more important.

“I could have tried to get my stuff out and not worry about the fire but I chose to make sure everyone in the building got out,” Hilton said. “Had I not gone there this morning, the person working would have not known there was a fire in there.”

An employee told NBC6 they would be closed possibly until Monday.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani launched his 50th home run of the season into the left field stands at loanDepot Park in the 7th inning as L.A. routed the Marlins 20-4.

Video from Only in Dade showed a mad scramble among fans after the ball landed with one man eventually claiming victory and hoisting the ball in the air.

OHTANI MAKES HISTORY

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Experts believe the ball could be worth hundreds of thousands or possibly millions.

That’s because the home run was no ordinary homer, it placed Ohtani in a category all his own.

With that home run, one of his three hit that day, and a stolen base earlier in the game that was one of two in the game, Ohtani became the first member of the 50-homer, 50-stolen base club.

Five other players, beginning with Jose Canseco in 1988, have joined the 40-40 club, but Ohtani is the first to reach 50-50.

The fan who ended up with the ball has not yet been publicly identified or announced an intention to sell.

Other valuable baseballs that made their way into the stands in recent years included Albert Pujols’ 700th career home run in 2022 that sold at auction for $360,000 and Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run ball hit later that year that was auctioned for $1.5 million.

The 12 suspects are charged with conspiring with each other and others to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Broward and Miami-Dade, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said Friday.

Among those charged are:

• Edgar Garcia-Velasquez, a/k/a “Diablo,” 34, a citizen of Honduras
• Francisco Rangel, a/k/a “Casper,” 41, of Calif.
• Gabriela Rodriguez-Carrillo, 42, of Calif.
• Luis Portillo, a/k/a “Shadow,” a/k/a “Sombra,” 35, of Miami
• Jose Puga, a/k/a “Stranger,” 45, of Calif.
• Malinda Martinez, 42, of Fort Myers, Fla.
• Karina Martinez-Vazquez, 34, of Miami
• Rafael Gutierrez, a/k/a “Rafy,” 28, of Miami
• Jose Hernandez, a/k/a “Blue Demon,” a/k/a “Labomba3,” 39, of Belle Glade, Fla.
• Loupe Loredo, a/k/a “L3g3nd,” 39, of Lake Wales, Fla.
• Felipe Gonzalez, a/k/a “Wicked,” 41, of Calif.
• Hugo Cruz, a/k/a “Houdini,” 33, of LaBelle, Fla.

Five of the suspects are also charged with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.

Prosecutors said some of the suspects are members of the notorious international gang MS-13, Sur-13, and the Mexican Mafia.

Authorities began arresting the suspects on Sept. 12, and many have made court appearances.

If convicted they face up to life in prison.

The case is being investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Broward Sheriff’s Office, along with other agencies in Florida and California.

The “Guide to the Best Pizzerias in the World” from Italy-based ranker “Top 50 Pizza” was released this month and has two local spots listed in their top 100.

Coming in at No. 45 is Miami Beach’s La Leggenda on Espanola Way.

Founded by a man born into a family of Italian pizza makers, Giovanni Gagliardi, La Leggenda is known for its Pizza Napoletana and gluten-free pizza dough.

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At No. 55 on the list is O’ Munaciello, originally from Florence, Italy, but now with locations in the MiMo District and on Coral Way.

O’ Munaciello brand its pizza “true Neapolitan,” with “dough that rises for 48 hours, the best Italian products, and a wood-fired oven.”

La Leggenda had come in at No. 9 on the ranker’s “Top 50 Pizza USA 2024” list, while O’ Munaciello was at No. 11.

The No. 1 pizza spot on the world list this year is Manhattan’s Una Pizza Napoletana. It’s the third year in a row that the the Lower East Side eatery has been crowned as the top spot.

At No. 2 there was a tie between Diego Vitagliano Pizzeria in Naples, Italy, and I Masanielli – Francesco Martucci in Caserta, Italy.

Rounding out the top five were The Pizza Bar On 38th in Tokyo, Japan, Confine in Milan, Italy, and Napoli On The Road in London, England.

Click here for the full list of the top 100.

New data from Remitly, found that Miami secured the third top spot on a global ranking of top alternative relocation destinations – beating out Dubai, which was last year’s most desired city.

To determine the most desired destinations, researchers used Google search data.

They searched all languages to establish the annual search volume – from June 2023 to May 2024 – in 98 countries for the term ‘move to [city]’. All capital cities and the most searched-for destinations in each country were removed, according to Remitly.

The next most searched-for location was used as the top destination for the specific country and the overall rankings were created by totaling how many times each city featured as the number one choice of another country, researchers noted.

The results revealed that 10 countries across the globe actually chose Miami as their top “alternative relocation capital.”

Miami was beat out by Barcelona, which secured the second top spot, and Vancouver, which was the first choice for 17 countries – ultimately making it No. 1 on the list.

The 10 countries that chose Miami as their top alternative relocation destination were Canada, Chile, Grenada, India, Malawi, Myanmar, Suriname, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, data showed.

Remitly analysts said proximity to the sun and sea is on migrants’ minds when researching a new place to call home. They partially credit those factors for why Miami, Barcelona Dubai, and Valencia made the top five.

Miami also ranked as the No. 4 choice for Americans looking to move out-of-state.

Meanwhile, Kansas City was the No. 1 choice for people in the U.S., with 11 states choosing it as their top alternative relocation capital.

Chicago was No. 2 and Seattle was No. 3., while Charlotte secured the fifth top spot.

Police say Kentarian Cross shot and killed Johnny Stevenson in Florida City Tuesday. Minutes before, investigators say several girls were fighting, including Stevenson’s daughter, and he tried to intervene. Cross turned himself in Wednesday.

On Sunday in Homestead, police say someone shot and killed Martavious Ezell. A suspect hasn’t been arrested in his murder. His mother, Pamela Ezell, believes someone knows who killed her son.

“I never thought in a million years that I would be burying my son,” Ezell said. “My son was born on 11th Avenue and he died on 11th Avenue, so if you know something, please say something, because this is a pain no mother wants to feel.”

Ezell’s son was an entrepreneur and always had a smile on his face. All he wanted to do was take care of her and his three kids.

“His kids was the joy of his life,” Ezell said. “You don’t have to call me, call Crime Stoppers, tell somebody, so this person who took my baby life can serve justice.”

On Friday, both communities rallied behind Ezell and other grieving families for a “put the guns down” rally organized by Pastor Natasha Lee.

“This has been going on in our community far too long,” Lee said. “This is a plea, if we can get some necessary resources in here that can help with our youth, if we can get some type of assistance to help these mothers.. perhaps we can get ahead of the problem before it gets to this point.”

Florida City commissioners, school officials, Homestead and Florida City Police also joined the call for change.

“Those are our friends, family members and so everything that goes on in Florida City, these are the people it starts to affect,” Florida City Commissioner Walter Thompson said.

“Every time I hear about one of these incidents, it’s for something totally stupid, something that’s not worth the death on one side, incarceration on the other,” Florida City Mayor Otis Wallace said.

State Rep. Kevin Chambliss met with commissioners, Miami-Dade school officials and police at Homestead High School Friday to come up with solutions to move the communities forward. He hopes to take ideas back to Tallahassee. 

“We’re beginning to identify some things we know we need, whether that’s more resources for programming that targets young girls and boys, but also looking at different models elsewhere that work when it comes to safety not only in our classroom but also on our buses,” Chambliss said.

The alleged sham candidate, Alex Pedro Rodriguez, under oath, said former state Sen. Frank Artiles was behind his ghost campaign. Rodriguez never planned on winning, only disrupting the race – which ended up flipping the Senate seat from Democrat to Republican.

“The Democratic candidate had the same last name as me, and it would help save in votes away in exchange for me running, so he would give me $50,000, $25,000 before the election and 25 after,” Rodriguez told the court.

“I agreed to do it, I needed the money. I am ashamed, but I needed the money, so I said yes,” he said.

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Rodriguez pleaded guilty to election fraud charges and agreed to testify against Artiles. He was on house arrest for six months and on probation for three years.

Prosecutors say Artiles, a staunch Republican, convinced Rodriguez to change his party affiliation to independent and run against the incumbent Democratic Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez in November of 2020. The two share a last name.

Rodriguez, the sitting senator, lost the election and his seat to Republican candidate Ileana Garcia by 32 votes.

“We should get involved in the process,” the former state senator said in a prerecorded interview. “We should learn the issues, learn more about the candidates and put a stop to these tactics.”

Prosecutors say Artiles broke campaign finance laws and other committed election-related crimes. His lawyer told jurors backing a ghost candidate is not against the law.

“If you conclude that Alex Rodrguez was a ghost candidate, we are telling you he is. Ghost candidate, that in it itself is not a crime. Nor is it a crime to encourage to assist to support or contribute with legal limits to such a candidate,” defense attorney Frank Quintero said.

Rodriguez will continue his testimony on Monday.

“It’s women’s intuition,” Albrecht, the president of Florida Title and Trust said. “I just felt something was off.”

“The first red flag that I received was a driver’s license from West Virginia,” she said. “When we did our research, I noticed that the property tax bills since 1978 had been sent to Nassau, Bahamas.”

Albrecht did some more research and asked for a proof of life video.

“And we started getting pushback with, you know, she’s hard of hearing,” Albrecht said she was told about the owner.

A few days later, she got an unexpected email, saying the seller was ready for a video call. During the call, she said it quickly became apparent she was looking at a fake video, instead of an actual person. The video showed a woman, sitting in a room, looking straight at the camera. Albrecht could be heard asking the woman to raise her hand, but the woman did not react.

“After the second pause, I realized this is 100% a video playing on a loop,” she said. “It is not real.”

She said the video got her thinking about how many title companies would have actually accepted it as proof of life.

“If the woman says she can’t hear and you see the face and it looks similar, ok, check, done, let’s go on to the next,” Albrecht said.

“What I am really happy about in this situation is this title company really did the right thing,” said Marty Kiar, Broward County’s property appraiser.

Kiar said this wasn’t the first time he had heard of scammers using fake videos to try to trick closing agents.

“So far, we have one case dealing with AI,” he said. “I have a feeling it’s going to be much, much more very soon and that’s why people need to be very vigilant.”

Albrecht said she never heard again from the alleged seller, but she did do some more digging. A reverse image search of the picture on the identification provided by the scammer matched the image of a woman from California who was reported missing years ago.

“I felt really bad to have her picture come up,” she said. “The family already went through enough and to see their family member possibly come up again in this type of use, it’s just really sad.”

Kiar said you should be extra cautious if a seller is only communicating over text or email since that could be a red flag.

You can sign up to receive an alert if there has been a title change associated with your property.

Surveillance video clearly shows a man breaking open the front door of 899 West Avenue in Miami Beach. The video from 2 a.m. on Sept. 15 shows a man stealing mail, and then leaving the premises.

At 12:30 am on Friday, the man’s black SUV was spotted parked across the street from the residential building.

Surveillance video shows him breaking in once again, prying open mailboxes and stuffing away whatever he could find.

Moments later he is seen casually leaving the property.

“Definitely have the feeling that it was premeditated and that we’ve been scoped out and he’s a criminal of opportunity,” said Mark, a resident of 30 years. “I think he was waiting for it to happen.”

Multiple residents who spoke to NBC6 were shocked.

“It’s a concern. We are all on alert,” said Rosie Ciavolino, who has lived in the building for 10 years.

Some were disturbed.

“Feeling of being vulnerable and violated,” Mark said.

And others like Maria Gonzalez, who has lived in the building for 40 years, want justice in finding this thief.

“Hoping someone will get him soon,” she said.

And this isn’t the only building he’s targeted. A resident from a building a block away shared pictures with NBC6 from Sept. 6 of open mailboxes. The man looks similar to the man from this week’s robberies.

“We really just want to catch this guy,” Rosie said.

Miami Beach Police confirmed Friday that they are actively investigating the matter.

Street parking in South Beach is set to increase from $4 to $6 an hour for non-city residents starting on Oct. 1.

And if you live on the beach, you’ll also be paying more.

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A $1 hourly rate for those registered in the Resident Parking Discount Program will double to $2 for on-street spaces, parking garages and surface lots. 

Those same residents will also have to pay a daily flat rate of $8 per day at the 46 Street and Collins Avenue beachfront municipal lot, an increase from the current $6, according to information on Miami Beach’s website.

Visitor passes purchased by registered zone residents are also going up, from $3 to $4 per 24-hour period.

This is the first time Miami Beach has imposed parking rate increases since 2015.

Parking in Miami-Dade has become a pressing issue for its residents, marked by annual price hikes that contrast starkly with cities offering free street parking worldwide. In most Miami neighborhoods, sidewalks are monetized, requiring fees that escalate each year.

For instance, according to NBC6 in 2018, hourly rates in Little River surged from $1.75 to $2.50, with Wynwood seeing the steepest increase from $1.25 to $3 per hour. Fast-forward to July 2024, and Wynwood’s rates have climbed further to $3.40 per hour and $6.65 for two hours. In contrast, Time Out reported in 2018 that Bayfront Park’s hourly rate was $3.50, but by 2024, it had soared to $10.

For residents in a county like Miami-Dade, with its large population, hot climate, and long distances, the need for personal vehicles is more pressing. With public transportation ranked 52nd out of 100 cities, many rely heavily on their cars.

While parking fees contribute to street repairs, cleaning projects, and other improvements, the combined costs of parking, gas, and other driving expenses can be a significant burden for drivers.

And according to an arrest affidavit, it wasn’t the first time the suspect, 29-year-old Damon Smith, showed up to the victim’s home.

It was on Thursday, Sept. 12 when a man and his wife sitting on their backyard porch in Palm Coast, about 25 miles south of St. Augustine, first noticed a man creeping through the trees near their home, the affidavit states. 

The couple yelled at the man and he took off, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said. 

But the father was uneasy, and the next night, sat in a dark space of his yard to keep watch. 

Smith allegedly returned, and started peeking through the teen’s bedroom window. 

“He literally just went out there to make us feel safe and it just so happens that [the suspect] came back,” the teen’s mother, who did not want to be identified, told NBC affiliate WESH. “Who comes back two nights in a row after being busted, you know? But he did… He came sneaking around the house, came right up to my daughter’s window–so I have a feeling that he knows that that’s her window–so he came up and he cupped his hands around his eyes and was looking in, and so my husband came up and was like, ‘Surprise expletive!’ And then whacked him with the bat, and then he ran.”

The father told authorities that he immediately struck Smith with a baseball bat in between his shoulder blades, according to the affidavit. The suspect allegedly took off running, and the father chased but eventually lost sight of him.

Video captured two people running from the home as the victim’s father yells, “Call the cops, call the cops!”

NBC affiliate WESH said investigators later went to Smith’s residence, which is just a block away from the victim’s. The suspect told officials he was chased that night by “some guy” who “said something about by his window, I guess.”

In bodycam video, deputies ask Smith if he has any questions before arresting him. “No,” he replies.

The teen’s mother said she’s seen Smith before.

“We see him walking around the neighborhood, walking his little dog,” she said.

The affidavit states that Smith admitted to being between two homes and near a window, but said he was not being nosey.

Additionally, Smith allegedly told deputies: “Most of the time, I’m not gonna lie, I do run through yards and other than that, I work my way back on the roads.”

Authorities said Smith told them he gets a thrill out of going around people’s homes.

“I have to anticipate what he meant by that was sexual gratification, and that’s usually what Peeping Toms are, especially when they’re looking into young children or even adults,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Who knows how long he’s been doing that?… This is, in my opinion, a textbook sex offender on the escalation.”

Smith faces charges of prowling, voyeurism and aggravated stalking of a person under 16. He’s being held on an $86,000 bail. He was also arrested in 2013 for making a bomb threat at Flagler Palm Coast High School, when he was 18, records show.

The victim, identified by family as 16-year-old Cameron Day, was riding his bike home on Wednesday from McArthur High School when it appears he was struck in the area of Southwest 67th Avenue and Southwest 6th Street.

Cameron was a junior and a proud member of the school band. 

“He was on his way home from band practice when he was struck and killed by lightning,” said his cousin, Gwendolyn Broussard.

His family said he was the youngest of four children and the only boy. Cameron was diagnosed with autism at a young age, but with early intervention, he “BEAT THE ODDS!” 

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“Cameron was a tuba player at McArthur High School, a member of SGA, and an Ambassador of the Florida Atlantic University Upward Bound Math and Science TRIO Program,” his family said in a statement. He also had a passion for cooking.

“Cameron was LOVED,” the statement continued, and brought happiness to “everyone he came in contact with in their own special way!”

School officials said counselors would be on campus to help students cope with the sudden loss.

“Cameron was a very light-hearted kid. He cared about everyone and he just wanted to see people shine, and I really liked that about him,” one classmate said.

Jessica Santos set up a GoFundMe page to help support Cameron’s family on behalf of the school band.

“Cameron was a sweet soul who was a friend to all,” she told NBC6. “What I would love the community to know is that Cameron’s Mom barely ever missed a Game for March band, a performance, or  trip near or far. She is a dedicated booster mom and treasurer of the board. She is one of the Band Moms to ALL of our kids. The McArthur Herd of Sound family is asking the community to please donate and help her and her family. It is a tragedy and a moment where our Hollywood / Broward community MUST be her support during this tragic time.”

Doorbell video showed the strength of the storm when whipping winds and heavy rain came through around 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Zandra Laguna, who lives in the neighborhood, said moments earlier she was outside and saw the teen across the street on his bike.

That’s when she saw and heard the loudest thunder and lightning she has ever heard in her life and quickly ran for cover.

“I thought I got hit for a second because it was so loud and it was like a flash and I realized that I was fine, so I ran inside, but I heard lightning before but never that loud,” Laguna said. “No one thinks you’re gonna get hit like that, let alone pass away from it.”

Pembroke Pines Police officials said the teen was found lying in the grass in the area and was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

His family said: “His death and the way he died is unfathomable.”

Florida leads the nation in lightning-related deaths. According to the National Weather Service, about 30 people are killed by lightning each year in the United States.

The theft happened at around 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 14, when a couple dressed in all black and baseball caps sat down next to a pair of women having breakfast at a restaurant.

“When the gentleman comes in, he automatically starts looking at the victim’s purse, so he knew what he was gonna do,” South Miami Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Fernando Bosch said. “Moments later, you see him moving the table towards the victim to get closer.”

The surveillance video shows how the man discreetly inched his body, chair and table closer to the woman on his left, who was chatting with her friend. 

“He does several attempts to try to take the victim’s wallet out of the purse, but there’s people walking around, so he’s unable to do it,” Bosch said. 

But he keeps trying, until eventually, it appears he’s able to sneak the wallet out of the victim’s purse, which is hanging on the chair, and quickly hide it under the menu in his hands, video shows. 

Then the man gets up, goes to the bathroom, comes back for a moment and then leaves the restaurant. His companion leaves shortly after.

Twenty minutes later, the pair went to Brickell City Centre and tried to purchase two Apple computers, Bosch said. 

“Fortunately for the victim, she had canceled that credit card, but our investigation has revealed that they tried in several other stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue,” Bosch said. 

That’s where a third suspect tried to make a purchase, according to police. 

“We’ve kind of, during our investigation, learned that there’s approximately six individuals involved in this crime. Unfortunately, one of the credit cards was used for $2,900,” Bosch said.

Police are urging the community to do two things: keep a watchful eye on your belongings, and report the suspects if you see them. 

“They were right next to the individual. They were talking to each other and not paying attention. And that happens.  You know, unfortunately, nowadays, we have to be more aware of what’s around us,” Bosch said. “It’s a crime of opportunity.”

Anyone with information on the suspects should contact South Miami Police Department or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 or visit http://CrimeStoppers305.com.

We get day and night because the Earth takes 24 hours to rotate once. But the Earth is also revolving around the sun and is tilted at 23.5 degrees.

The summer solstice (or the first day of summer) for us here in Florida happens when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun.

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The winter solstice in December is when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted “away” from the sun, and that means the first day of summer for the Southern Hemisphere.

The halfway points are the autumnal equinox and the vernal equinox, when the Earth is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, allowing the equator to have exactly 12 hours of day and night on these two days each year.

The scene is at SW 40th Street and SW 75th Avenue, near Tropical Park. The building on fire appeared to be a warehouse.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said the fire is under investigation, and no one has been taken to the hospital.

A production and lighting company told NBC6’s Chernéy Ahmara that theirs is one of four businesses that uses the warehouse. They said they have an event later Friday for the Live Like Bella Childhood Cancer Foundation, so they’re hoping none of their equipment was damaged in the fire.

The flames appeared to be out and roads were reopened by about 7 a.m.

Miami-Dade police were also at the scene.

NBC6 is working to learn more.

Surprisingly, though, Florida actually ranks fourth in lightning strikes behind Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

But due to a much more densely-packed population, the ability to enjoy the outdoors year-round, and the fact that we are surrounded by water, more people are killed by lightning in Florida than in any other state.

How does lightning form?

Florida is the perfect breeding ground for lightning because of three key ingredients: heat, humidity and two sea breezes, one on each coast.

Storms that generate lightning begin with “lift.” Lift means taking air down on the ground where we live and lifting it so it cools and condenses into clouds and then rain. Lift can happen because the sun heats the ground and the air starts rising, or because of a cold front that forces the air up. But the interaction of the sea breezes on the east and west coasts might be the most important reason for so much lightning.

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Lift creates ice because as the water lifts into the colder air up high in the sky, it freezes. This can lead to hail if the ice balls get big enough to fall to the ground. But as the ice is forming and moving around in the clouds, the separation of positive and negative charges creates the environment for lightning.

Lightning can be up to 50,000°F. It can be cloud-to-cloud or cloud-to-air. But it is “cloud-to-ground” lightning that is the deadliest for obvious reasons. Florida averages more than 3,000 cloud-to-ground strikes per day and over a million flashes per year.

Lightning deaths in Florida

Florida averages seven lightning deaths each year. In 2024, the United States has seen 10 lightning deaths through the summer, one in Tallahassee, one in Davie, and one in St. Petersburg.

We are waiting to hear if the Pembroke Pines death of a 16-year-old on Wednesday will officially be blamed on lightning, but witness reports suggest that might be the case. That would be the eleventh of 2024 and Florida’s fourth.

“I’m numb. I’m numb most of the time. People talk to me, I can’t focus,” Antianette Edwards said.

The last six weeks have been some of the most painful times of her life.

“This one is a shock. And the family is like, their heart can’t take it,” Antianette said.

On Aug. 5, nine of her family members died after their SUV went off the road and into a canal near Belle Glade.

The victims were identified as 57-year-old Pamela Wiggins, who was the driver, 30-year-old Leiana Alyse Hall, 21-year-old Anyia Monique Lee Tucker, 14-year-old Michael Anthony Hall Jr., 8-year-old Imani Andre Ajani Hall, 5-year-olds Kamdien Edwards and Yasire Smith, 3-year-old Ziaire Mack, and 1-year-old Naleia Tucker.

The only survivor was 26-year-old Jorden Hall. The family said he had tried to rescue the others from the water but couldn’t.

One of the victims was Antianette’s son and only child: Kamdien Edwards-Raynor.

“He was funny. He was a daredevil even though he was small,” she said. “…. I just laid in the bed, crying and cried until I fell asleep. And that was 6 in the morning. I cried myself to sleep.”

She thought the pain couldn’t get worse until she got a call last week. Her sister, 42-year-old Andrea Edwards, died on Sept. 10.

“We just lost nine. And then lose another one on top of that,” Antianette said.

Family members believe Andrea died after having a seizure but Antianette believes it was from a broken heart.

Two of the nine victims were Andrea’s 21-year-old daughter Anyia and her one-year-old granddaughter, Naleia.

“She said her heart was so broken,” Antianette said. “She didn’t know how to deal with the reality of it.”

The family has had three funerals in the last few weeks and now has to plan a fourth. They set up a GoFundMe to support Andrea’s funeral.

“It’s too much. It’s too much,” Antianette said.