It’s Tuesday, October 4th – and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - It was a scary moment for some students at a northwest Miami-Dade school on Monday when a child brought a weapon to campus.
Police arrived at the Eugenia B. Thomas K-8 Center, located 5950 Northwest 114th Avenue, around 11 a.m. Monday and placed the school on lockdown while searching the campus. Miami-Dade County Public Schools said the student was discovered with a weapon, but did not specify what weapon they had. The student is facing criminal charges, but police added no threats were made. Officials from the school and the Miami-Dade County Public School district have not released comment on the reason for the delay in notification.
No. 2 - The U.S. Coast Guard has been evacuating and assisting hundreds of people stranded on Pine Island, about 30 minutes from Fort Myers, since Ian made landfall.
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The largest barrier island off Florida’s Gulf Coast, Pine Island has been largely cut off from the outside world. Ian heavily damaged the only bridge to the island, leaving it only reachable by boat or air. Many residents didn't evacuate, deciding to stay and ride out the storm. The Coast Guard set up rescue operations with three teams using 12 flood response boats. So far, more than 400 people - elderly, women, children and even pets - have been quickly shuttled from the island to the mainland. Click here for more in a report from NBC 6’s Jamie Guirola.
No. 3 - There were more tears in the courtroom Monday as videos of the Parkland school shooter were played, including cold-hearted declarations of his intentions and his thoughts about the massacre years afterward.
With his testimony interrupted by Hurricane Ian on September 28, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Charles Scott was back on the witness stand for the state Monday morning. He countered the defense team’s assertion that the shooter suffered from a lifetime of emotional, physical, and mental health issues that prompted his cruel behavior. Scott noted the gunman had all kinds of psychological interventions beginning in elementary school and was not as impulsive and out of control as the defense claimed. There have been 26 days of testimony, so far. The state’s rebuttal is expected to run through Friday with closing arguments scheduled to begin on October 10.
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No. 4 - In Florida’s U.S. Senate race, Republican Senator Marco Rubio continues to lead Democrat Val Demings, according to a September 2022 Mason-Dixon poll released Tuesday.
With five weeks left before the November 8th election, 47% of Florida registered voters surveyed currently support Rubio, while 41% back Demings, the poll showed. Of the remaining 12% of those who responded, 2% support other candidates and 10% are undecided. Despite millions of dollars spent on campaign advertising by both candidates, Mason-Dixon said there has been very little change since a February poll where Rubio led 49% to 42%. However, the earlier poll did not offer the option of voting for other candidates.
No. 5 - Comcast announced that beginning Monday through October 16, its Comcast RISE initiative will be accepting applications from small minority-owned businesses in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
As part of the Comcast RISE Investment Fund Initiative, 100 South Florida businesses will be selected to receive $10,000 grants, for a total of one million dollars in grant money being awarded to our community. Only small businesses owned by people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic and Asian American owners, plus women are eligible for these grants. In addition, this year, small businesses owned by women, regardless of color, are also eligible to apply. Click here for more information and to apply.
No. 6 – The Jewish community across South Florida and around the world will end a ten-day period of repentance and reflection with Yom Kippur beginning at sundown Tuesday.
The holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur comes on the last of the 10 days of repentance that began with Rosh Hashanah. The day is usually observed with a fasting and extended time in deep prayer, before ending with the sounding of a "shofar," a trumpet made from a ram's horn.
