Here are some of the top stories from the past week you may have missed from NBC 6 News.
Lauderhill Family Loses Two Children to COVID-19 Days Apart
A Lauderhill family is in mourning after losing two children to the novel coronavirus just days apart.
Over the span of 11 days, both Byron and Mychaela Francis battled with the virus before tragically passing away.
“Having to plan two funerals is really hard,” Montete Hicks, mother of Byron and Mychaela, said.
On June 27th, Hicks says her 20-year-old son, Byron, had trouble breathing. Byron was rushed to the hospital where he later died.
A week later, while mourning the loss of Byron, Mychaela went to the hospital after she began having headaches and fevers. Mychaela needed oxygen, her blood pressure dropped and she eventually lost a kidney. She passed away this past Wednesday.
Local
To hear what the family is saying, click here for a report from NBC 6's Derrick Lewis.
Miami-Dade Employees Brace for Layoffs Amid Latest Countywide Closures
As Miami-Dade County businesses prepare for more changes some employees are bracing for potential layoffs.
“We went down to logistics and moved things around to see how we are all going to be able to survive through this,” Michael Pena said.
Pena works with La Bodeguita restaurant in Hialeah. He says the business is anticipating changes due to Miami-Dade County’s latest executive order expected to halt dine-in service at restaurants starting last Thursday. Click here for more on what business workers are saying in a report from NBC 6 consumer investigator Sasha Jones.
‘We Are Back to Square One': Local Health Care Workers Share Concerns in NBC 6 Survey
For over three months, the NBC 6 investigators have been surveying health care workers across South Florida getting their reaction to the coronavirus crisis in real time. Over 300 frontliners have participated since March.
The most recent results show they are worried.
More than eight of 10 of those who responded say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about the number of infections. For more, click here for a report from NBC 6 investigator Tony Pipitone.
Pandemic Causes Record Number of Vote-By-Mail Requests in South Florida
The amount of vote-by-mail requests in South Florida has never been higher.
Supervisors of Elections in Broward and Miami-Dade counties told NBC 6 that fears over catching the coronavirus at an in-person polling location caused more people to request to vote by mail.
In the State of Florida, any registered voter can vote by mail if they want to. Both political parties have encouraged it over the years, despite recent criticism from President Trump. Click here for more in a report from NBC 6 investigator Phil Prazan.
North Miami Beach Police Details Progress 5 Years After Mugshot Target Practice
It was an NBC 6 Investigation that went across the globe — five years ago, a South Florida police department was found to be using the mugshots of African American men for target practice.
Now in the wake of George Floyd’s murder — it's trending again. Five years later, the North Miami Beach Police Department says it's done a complete about-face and is now recognized as one of the top departments in Florida.
When the call comes for police in North Miami Beach, Chief William Hernandez told NBC 6 that these days you’re getting one of the most highly accredited departments in Florida. Click here for more in a report from NBC 6's Willard Shepard.
Group Threatens Lawsuit Over Key Biscayne's Non-Resident Bicycle Ban
Key Biscayne is facing a potential lawsuit after banning non-residents from riding bicycles in the village.
The emergency order, that went into effect Tuesday, cites the fight against the coronavirus as the reason.
However, some are accusing Key Biscayne of using the virus as an excuse to ban bicyclists from riding through the village.
