ICYMI: Hurricane Vouchers Ending; Killing K-9 Punishment

Here are some of the top stories from last week for the NBC 6 Weekend Digest: 

Killing Police K-9s in Florida Could Earn Longer Prison Term

People who kill or seriously injure police dogs in Florida soon could face tougher penalties after the Senate unanimously passed a bill inspired by the shooting death of a canine named Fang.

"This bill has been a roller coaster of emotions," said Sen. Aaron Bean. "Fang was executed."

Fang was a 3-year-old German shepherd at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. He was fatally shot as officers chased a 17-year-old carjacking suspect. Bean said he decided to sponsor the bill after learning the penalty for killing the dog was a maximum of five years in prison. The bill would make the crime a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

For more information, click here.

People who kill or seriously injure police dogs in Florida soon could face tougher penalties.

Housing Vouchers Ending for Families Displaced by Hurricane Michael

Most of the almost 280 families still receiving federal aid to pay for hotel rooms after being displaced by Hurricane Michael are facing an end next week to their temporary housing vouchers.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is ending its Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program next Tuesday to all but 17 families who live in the county hardest hit by last October's storm.

The other families will have to pay for their hotel rooms themselves or be evicted.

For more information, click here.

Miami Gives Branson Celebrity Welcome for Train Renaming

Billionaire businessman Richard Branson got a rock star's welcome at Wednesday's public rollout of his Virgin Group's partnership with Florida's privately owned, higher-speed passenger rail service that backers hope will soon stretch from Miami to Orlando.

Branson said Virgin hopes to "sprinkle some of its magic dust" on the operation by delivering an experience with some panache.

For more information, click here.

The state’s Brightline passenger trains are being renamed Virgin Trains USA after Richard Branson invested in the new fast-rail project that is scheduled to connect Miami with Orlando. NBC 6’s Amanda Plasencia reports.

Miami Gets $99.7 Million Federal Loan for Wastewater Upgrade

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department with a $99.7 million federal loan to build 14 injection wells designed to stop wastewater from going into the Atlantic Ocean.

For more information, click here.

Runners Club of Miami-Dade Special Education Students Train for 5K

It started three years ago as a way to get special education students interested in fitness. Now the AP Runners club at American Senior High School in Hialeah has turned into a source of pride for the whole school.

"The student population recognizes them, salutes them, they're in the population," explained Annie Perez, the physical education teacher who created the AP Runners. (AP stands for American Patriots)

There are 40 kids on the team, and all 40 are either on the autism spectrum or have intellectual deficits. They each have reasons for joining the squad.

For more information, click here.

It started three years ago as a way to get special education students interested in fitness. Now the AP Runners club at American Senior High School in Hialeah has turned into a source of pride for the whole school. NBC 6’s Ari Odzer reports.
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