Here are some of the top stories from the past week from NBC 6 News:
Proposed House Bill Would Allow Cameras in Florida Classrooms, Mics on Teachers
A bill making its way through the Florida Legislature would allow school districts across the state to put cameras inside of classrooms and record students and teachers.
Two Republican members of the Florida House of Representatives introduced HB 1055, which states the purpose of the cameras would be “to record incidents such as bullying, or neglect performed by a teacher or student.”
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Teachers would be required to wear microphones while classes are in session. The recordings would not be able to be live-streamed or used on teacher evaluations.
Parents and teachers would be notified before cameras are installed and parents would have access to recordings within a week if an incident occurs.
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It's Down to Three: Who Are the Candidates to Replace Carvalho?
And then there were three.
Tuesday afternoon, the Miami-Dade County School Board narrowed its list of candidates to replace outgoing Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to three applicants: Jose Dotres, Rafaela Espinal and Jacob Oliva. A final decision will be made at an upcoming board meeting.
At this point, Dotres appears to have the inside track. He is currently an assistant superintendent in Collier County but has a long history in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Last month, the board called him back to give him a lifetime achievement award and showered him with praise.
“I began as a teacher, serving children,” Dotres said at that meeting.
Most E-Scooter Companies Told to Cease Operations in Miami
The city of Miami has revoked the permits of five of its seven electric scooter operators that participate in the city’s pilot program, telling them to cease operations, NBC 6 has learned Thursday.
“We can confirm that the City sent letters to five electric scooter operators — Bird, Bolt, Lime, Lyft and Wheels – on January 18th and 19th, revoking their operating permits for the City’s Motorized Scooter Pilot Program,” Josh Heferman, the assistant director of communications for the city, wrote in a statement.
Helbiz and Spin are now the only remaining options for e-scooter riders in the city of Miami.
This is the second time in less than three months that there’s been a significant pause in e-scooter operations in Miami. Back in November, the city briefly suspended the program altogether due to safety concerns before reinstating it a week later.
COVID-19 Hospitalizations Hit Plateau in Florida; State Records 289k Cases This Week
Florida's hospitalizations for COVID-19 held steady as the state reported more than 289,000 cases for the past week.
There were 11,468 inpatient beds in use for COVID-19 in Florida hospitals, according to figures released Friday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
As of Friday, 1,601 intensive care unit beds are being used for COVID-19 in Florida, according to HHS.
According to the Florida Hospital Association, which reports its own numbers for COVID-19 hospitalizations, there were 11,140 hospitalized in the state as of Friday, which is a decrease of 132 from Thursday.
Florida Gov. DeSantis Again Won't Say Whether He Got COVID-19 Booster Shot
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is again declining to say whether he has or would receive a COVID-19 booster shot.
During a Friday morning news conference in Sarasota, DeSantis was asked by a reporter if he had gotten the booster.
“That’s something that I think people should just make their own decisions on,” he said. “I’m not going to let that be a weapon for people to be able to use. I think it’s a private matter.”
DeSantis has declined to say in the past whether he would receive the booster shot. The Governor’s office confirmed he received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in spring 2021, saying he preferred the single-dose vaccine because it was still effective at preventing serious illness.
NBC South Florida News: A New Way to Watch Local News Anytime – For Free!
Here is a new way you can watch local news, 24 hours a day and seven days a week – for free!
Today, we launched NBC South Florida News on Peacock.
Here, you will see around-the-clock local news coverage. At launch, the channel will feature simulcast and encore news programming from NBC 6, with the ability to add breaking news and original content in the future.
Our lineup delivers news, weather, sports, investigative reporting, lifestyle content and our local storytelling, wherever you want to watch on your Peacock app.
