It's Friday, Jan. 29th, and NBC 6 has your top news stories of the day.
Be sure to break out the jackets and coats today, South Florida. We’ll be seeing some chilly temperatures after much of the region woke up to the 50s. Read your full forecast here.
Here are your six things to know.
No. 1: New surveillance video released in fatal I-95 shooting:
A family is hoping new surveillance footage will help police find the suspect who shot and killed a 22-year-old woman on I-95 last year.
Melissa Gonzalez, a recent graduate of Florida International University, was fatally shot while driving on the interstate with her boyfriend back on Jan. 3, 2020. The two were on the way to visit a relative in the hospital when she was struck by a stray bullet, and investigators don't believe she was the intended target.
Surveillance footage released by police Thursday shows someone getting into a dark colored 4-door car and then speeding off not far from the scene and around the same time of the shooting.
Local
Police are hoping someone comes forward with new information.
Click here to read the full story.
No. 2: Florida completes nursing home COVID-19 vaccination plan
The state of Florida has completed its program to vaccinate residents and staff members at long-term care facilities.
Florida’s director of emergency management says that the plan frees up more resources -- and possibly more vaccines -- for the state’s broader inoculation strategy against the coronavirus.
Click here to read the full story.
No. 3: South Florida leads state in more contagious COVID-19 variant
A more contagious variant of the COVID-19 virus is emerging across the country, and Florida is leading the nation in the number of those mutated cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Florida and California have 92 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, the CDC says, which was first identified in Britain last September.
Of Florida’s 92 cases, 60 are in South Florida, according to the state’s department of health.
Read more here.
No. 4: Miami-Dade demands better coordination from City of Miami Over vaccine distribution
Some Miami-Dade County commissioners are demanding more communication and coordination from the City of Miami when it comes to vaccine distribution.
“This is very chaotic, and the last thing we want to do is misinform our residents,” said County Commissioner Raquel Regalado.
At Thursday’s County Commission meeting, Commissioner Regalado brought up the fact that Miami City commissioners were distributing vaccines at county-run public housing buildings.
She expressed concern that the lack of coordination could lead to more confusion and inequitable distribution of the vaccine since, she says, the county doesn’t have records of who got shots and who didn’t.
“We’re grateful that the city of Miami decided to go to these buildings and use it there because it is very difficult for them to leave and they have been locked up for a long time,” she said. “But we need more information and we need to know who there didn’t get the vaccine.”
Read more here.
No. 5: South Africa variant detected in United States
A new variant of the coronavirus emerged yesterday in the United States.
The mutated version of the virus, first identified in South Africa, was found in two cases in South Carolina.
Public health officials said it’s almost certain that there are more infections that have not been identified yet. They are also concerned that this version spreads more easily and that vaccines could be less effective against it.
Read more here.
No. 6: First Alert Forecast
From Meteorologist Adam Berg:
Happy Friday! Look for brisk north winds and widespread 50s early Friday morning. That combination will have you digging for your thick jacket, but grab your sunglasses as well. Mostly sunny skies will be there to start your day with just a few afternoon clouds. No rain today. Highs will struggle to hit 70. The average highs for this time of the year comes in at 76 for Miami.
Click here for your full forecast.
