It’s Thursday, May 13th - and NBC 6 has your top stories for the day.
No. 1 - While Florida has declared a state of emergency amid concerns of gas shortages and price hikes after a cyberattack on a critical U.S. fuel pipeline, a spokesperson for AAA says the state has enough fuel to avoid panic.
In a news release Wednesday, AAA says the state is not heavily reliant on the Colonial Pipeline. Around 90% of Florida’s gasoline comes through ports, including Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, on cargo ships. In Miami-Dade County, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and other county officials emphasized in a news conference Wednesday that the county does not get its fuel supply from the Colonial Pipeline. The Colonial Pipeline shut down Friday after a ransomware attack by a gang of criminal hackers that calls itself DarkSide. The 5,500-mile pipeline runs from Houston to Linden, New Jersey, and delivers about 45% of the fuel used along the Eastern Seaboard.
No. 2 - The football coach of Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School was arrested and accused of having a romantic relationship with a 17-year-old student, police said.
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Edward Malachi Williams, 44, was arrested Wednesday and charged with offenses against students by authority figures, according to an arrest report. The student told detectives that she and Williams were waiting until she turned 18 to be together publicly as a couple, the report stated. She also told detectives that they never had sex and were also waiting until she was of legal age to do so, but they did kiss, held hands and "are in love," police said. Williams worked at Miami-Dade County Schools from 1999 until 2017. He returned last June and has no prior disciplinary history, the district said.
No. 3 - Some teens as young as 12 years old will get a chance to get doses of the Pfzier vaccine starting as early as Thursday.
Starting Thursday, participating CVS Pharmacy locations will begin administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to this newly eligible population. Parental or legal guardian consent is required, and children must be accompanied by an adult. Because the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the only FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents in this age group, patients are encouraged to schedule an appointment online at cvs.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app to ensure availability. Walk-ins are also accepted. To find out which locations are offering appointments, click here.
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No. 4 - When the missiles are flying in your direction, what is a parent supposed to do?
Families across South Florida are on guard having members of their families located in Israel as the latest conflict continues along the Gaza strip. Ofer Lichtig lives near Jerusalem and works for the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. He says the incidents which have happened recently in Jerusalem - including several Palestinians potentially being evicted from their homes - are no excuse for Hamas to launch thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israeli civilian neighborhoods. To hear what those on both sides of the conflict have to say, click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Ari Odzer.
No. 5 - Late night partiers on a stretch of South Beach have 10 days to keep the alcohol flowing up to 5 a.m. at nightclubs.
On May 22, last call is moving up by three hours - at least for now. Bar owners are planning to sue to stop the changes, and voters in November could vote to restore the 5 a.m. cut-off, effective Dec. 8. But, with recent scenes of unruly crowds, shootings and homicides fresh in their minds, four of the seven Miami Beach city commissioners Wednesday said enough was enough. Click here to find out more about what the change means for you in a story from NBC 6 investigator Tony Pipitone.
No. 6 - For the second straight season, the Miami Dolphins will open their schedule at the home of a longtime divisional rival.
The Fins will begin their 2021 slate at the New England Patriots on September 12th, with kickoff slated at 4:25 p.m. inside Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. One week later, the Dolphins will kick off the home slate of the 2021 schedule at 1 p.m. against the Buffalo Bills - a team who made it to the AFC Championship Game last season. In week six, the Dolphins will travel to London, England to play the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 17th at 9:30 a.m. For the complete 17 game schedule for the Fins, click here.
