It’s Wednesday, November 3rd - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - The Democratic primary to replace late Democratic U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings was too close to call Tuesday night after most of the votes had been counted in the South Florida district.
With nearly 99% of the vote counted, fewer than 100 votes separated the two leaders in a field of 11 Democrats. Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness and health care company CEO Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick led the crowded primary, each with nearly 24% of the vote. Businessman Jason Mariner won the Republican primary, defeating Greg Musselwhite, but is considered a longshot to win the general election in the overwhelmingly Democratic district that includes parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties. Turnout was about 16%. The district is more than 61% Democratic and about 13% Republican.
No. 2 - A South Florida father is speaking out after he says his son was attacked during a big fight at a Coconut Creek high school.
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The incident happened around three weeks ago at Monarch High School. Mario Gomez's son went to the hospital with minor injuries. Gomez's son — who asked to remain anonymous — said he was sitting in the cafeteria with his phone when a boy came up to him and said they were going to fight. The family says they were told at first by administrators they could file charges, but were later told that they couldn’t because the school believed Gomez's son started the fight. In a statement, Broward County Public Schools said Monarch High administrators discipline students accused of fighting according to the code of conduct — and that administrators and security intervene quickly if they see an incident.
No. 3 - The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office has charged Medley councilwoman Ana Lilia Stefano with two felonies, accusing her of defrauding a non-profit food bank out of $24,000.
The announcement came Tuesday in a joint statement with the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust which had investigated, reprimanded, and fined the councilwoman. Prosecutors accuse Stefano of using her role as the director of the Santana Moss Foundation, named after the former NFL star, to profit from selling donated food to local religious organizations and healthcare clinics in and around the town of Medley. Moss himself cooperated with the investigators. They said he had no part in the scheme and "was surprised that the Foundation still existed as a legal entity."
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No. 4 - Vaccinations finally are available to U.S. children as young as 5, to the relief of some parents even as others have questions or fears.
Late Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the final OK for youngsters age 5 to 11 to get kid-size doses of the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. Pediatricians and other doctors' groups praised the move and are gearing up to help families decide whether to vaccinate their children. The shots could be available as soon as Wednesday and will be offered at pediatricians offices, clinics and pharmacies. Like COVID-19 vaccines for adults, they are free.
No. 5 - Exactly one week after a South Florida man was killed in a construction accident in North Miami, his wife gave birth to a healthy baby boy who will continue his father's legacy.
Gabriel Alvarez, 44, was killed Oct. 25 after a large piece of machinery fell on top of him at a construction site where he worked as a manager in North Miami near Florida International University's Biscayne Bay campus, according to a family friend. His wife, Grace, gave birth to Gabriel Tomas on Monday at 1:05 p.m. — the exact time Alvarez took his last breath a week beforehand. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is looking into the incident and said they can’t discuss details of an investigation — but confirmed it initiated inspections at the worksite. Click here for more on this emotional story from NBC 6 reporter Cristian Benavides.
No. 6 - In the age of COVID-19, parenting can get hectic.
For Elisa Trucco, juggling 3-year-old twins amid the pandemic keeps her on her toes. Trucco, a working mom, often takes her son and daughter outside to expend energy. Sometimes she feels overwhelmed. So, what can parents do to help manage day-to-day activities without feeling overwhelmed or worn out? Moms With A Mic spoke to Dr. Sara Rivero-Conil, a psychologist at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, for some simple steps to help keep your sanity. Click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Julia and Marissa Bagg.
