Here are some of the top stories from the past week from NBC 6 News:
Story of Survival as Number of Pregnant Women With COVID-19 Rises
At hospitals across the south, doctors report treating more pregnant women with COVID than at any point in the pandemic.
One of those women was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital a little more than two weeks ago. Her condition was so bad, doctors had to induce labor to save her life.
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“I took her to Jackson and as soon as I dropped her off, it was like five different doctors rushing saying 'ok she needs help immediately,'” said Junior Laurent.
Laurent describes the night his wife was so sick, they rushed to the emergency room. The 31-year-old was pregnant with their second child.
“She’s having a hard time breathing, her oxygen saturation is quite low if we don't take the baby now she's gonna she’s gonna die," the doctors told Laurent. "I was like 'that’s pretty extreme' and they were like 'yeah, we’re taking the baby right now.'"
Local
Florida Senate President Says State May Consider Texas-Style Abortion Bill
A Leon County Circuit Judge denied to grant a temporary injunction that would have reinstated some federal unemployment benefits.
The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, known as FPUC, provided Floridians with an extra $300 a week in benefits.
In an 18-page decision, Judge Layne Smith stated the state has the legal right to stop participating in the program.
The lawsuit, originally filed in Broward County, alleged that the federal payments should have been allowed to continue until Sept. 6. The lawsuit also alleged the state’s decision to stop participating was against Florida law.
Lawyers representing the state denied this claim last week during a hearing.
No Vax, No Visit: South Florida Doctor Won't Treat Unvaccinated Patients in Person
Dr. Linda Marraccini accepts most types of insurance, but she says she won’t treat you in person in her office if you’re not vaccinated against COVID-19.
“I understand that people are free to choose, but to me, it’s a problem when it affects other people,” Dr. Marraccini said.
With the Delta variant fueling the latest COVID-19 surge, the doctor said she had to make a tough decision for her practice.
“When it comes to the safety of others, when it comes to the fact that it’s a global health problem and community health problem, at this point, I really say that this is where it draws the line in the sand for me,” Dr. Marraccini said.
The family practice physician based out of South Miami sent a letter to her patients saying they will no longer continue serving patients who are not vaccinated from COVID-19 by Sept. 15. She says their reason was based on science and not politics and that they didn’t want to subject other patients and staff to unnecessary risk.
Video Captures Group Fleeing Scene of Deadly Hit-and-Run Crash in Miami Last February
Police are searching for the people caught on video fleeing the scene of a deadly hit-and-run crash in Miami that took place in February.
Miami Police released video of the Feb. 13 incident that took place just after 2 a.m. near the intersection of Northwest 7th Avenue and 36th Street.
According to police, a 2017 Infiniti was speeding north on 7th Avenue when it collided with a 1996 Chevrolet Impala. The impact caused the Impala to split in half and eject the driver while also colliding with a 2009 Toyota Camry.
The driver, 38-year-old Lester Gomez, died at the scene. A passenger was taken to Ryder Trauma Center with serious injuries but was not identified.
Video footage showed the driver of the Infinity fleeing the scene before returning later with several other people, who are seen rummaging through the car before once again fleeing the scene.
Family Shares Sorrow After Losing Loved Ones to COVID as Deaths Rise Across Florida
The pain on Derek Harvey’s face said it all.
“That’s a hard pill to swallow and it takes time to heal from that,” he said from his home in Pembroke Pines.
Harvey’s painful journey is like 44,000 other families in Florida now. They lost someone they love to COVID-19.
Harvey’s wife, Pamela Ford Harvey, isn’t with him to make him laugh like the first time he laid eyes on her at a food truck.
“She was there taking all the special sauce and I said 'Could you leave some for somebody else?' She said 'I was fixing some for you' and from there we just jelled,” Derek told NBC 6.
The story brought a smile to his face, a memory of their first moment over the special sauce and Pamela’s great comeback that brought the pair together. Harvey said he didn’t think it was going to happen as about two weeks went by before she called him.
Derek says she had to pass her “background check”. Those were the good times.
Clear the Shelters: How to Train Your New Pet
This summer, Baxter, a golden retriever, will be attending doggie boot camp.
"Boot camp is a place where a puppy or a dog can get a jumpstart on leadership and a high level of socialization so a dog can find itself."
Nathaniel Silver is a canine behaviorist. At just five months old, Baxter is in the most impressionable stage of his life.
"In the first 18 months of a puppy's life, they go through eight developmental stages that we go through as humans in 21 years. Each week that goes by is like another window of development, so it's gonna be important to catch it early and give the dog the right direction," Silver said.
Silver, Baxter and Baxter's owner, Bill Roth, have been working together every day for the last couple of months.
"Well Nathaniel, within the first 15 minutes of coming here taught both of us the foundations of how to train a puppy, the foundation of leadership, the foundation of structure, the foundation of a routine," Roth said.
