Here are some of the top stories from the past week from NBC 6 News:
MSD Memorial Garden Getting Revamped, Upsetting Creator, Victims' Families
A survivor of the Parkland school shooting says she feels betrayed by changes to a memorial garden she helped create for the victims three years ago.
Victoria Gonzalez and a teacher created "Project Grow Love," the memorial outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for the 17 people who were killed back in 2018.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
Now Gonzalez says items from the garden have been moved a few feet away to make way for what school officials call a rejuvenation project.
"It feels like utter betrayal and I don't see or feel the compassion from those who should be giving it," Gonzalez said.
Manuel Oliver lost his son Joaquin in the mass shooting and doesn't want the garden moved either.
Local
"You don't move things that organically became a location, you don't need to move it," Oliver said.
Nursing Home Operators Say Virus Brings “Significant Staffing Challenges”
Nursing home operators tell NBC 6 it is harder to find enough staff to consistently meet state standards as the coronavirus pandemic drives up the cost for healthcare workers. This comes as South Florida hospitals report they’re raising nurse-to-patient ratios and bringing in travel nurses to fill gaps.
In short, there’s a huge demand for healthcare workers and not enough supply. Friday brought another record day of hospitalizations as the delta variant and the unvaccinated drive an increase in cases.
Nursing homes are required to have workers care for residents at least 2.5 hours a day as part of their minimum standard of care. If they don’t, they could get fined by the state.
The non-profit, 120-bed Susanna Wesley Health Center in Hialeah has 155 staff on the job. They’re looking for up to 10 more certified nursing assistants, according to administrator Marco Carrasco.
The hiring process is a mad scramble.
“We are now at the gate of implosion if we don’t address it correctly,” Carrasco said.
Police Zero in On Couple Involved in Murder at Fort Lauderdale Bus Terminal
Fort Lauderdale Police aren’t backing down on their search for a young couple.
They say Kimani Brown and Shaniyah Kressin have been on the run for 10 months after Brown shot and killed a man inside a crowded Broward County bus terminal.
Newly released surveillance video shows a crowd of people dispersing and running for their lives at the bus terminal on Oct. 17, 2020.
According to Fort Lauderdale Police, Brown shot and killed 28-year-old Davonta Gaines. Two innocent bystanders at the terminal were also shot, and the entire situation unfolded in broad daylight.
"Clearly he wasn't thinking about anything but whatever he was focused on there because with all of the people there and as many rounds as he fired, we're lucky more people weren't killed,” said Det. Sgt. Steve Novak with Fort Lauderdale Police.
Detectives say just minutes before the shooting, the victim was inside a convenience store across the street from the bus terminal. Witnesses say he was talking to a woman, but police don’t know what the conversation was about.
Prosecutors Announce Human Trafficking, Prostitution Busts in Miami-Dade
The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office Human Trafficking Task Force announced two big arrests Friday of a man who was busted for allegedly trafficking a minor and of a woman who is facing charges related to prostitution.
Moise Junior Jasmin, 23, was arrested Friday, facing an array of felony charges, many related to the human trafficking of a minor.
The victim, according to the State Attorney’s Office, is only 15 years old and had been reported missing by her mother.
According to the arrest warrant, the victim had been living with Jasmin since she was 14. Prosecutors say they found cellphone videos of Jasmin having sex with the victim that Jasmin would upload to a pay-to-view website.
Jasmin is also accused of taking the victim to New York when she was just 13 years old with other men to allegedly sex traffick her.
NBC 6 went to the address listed for Jasmin on the arrest warrant, and a man who said he was Jasmin’s father said, “It’s not true. It’s not true.”
Changing Your Travel Plans? Travel Experts Weigh In On What to Expect
As the Delta variant continues to spread, some consumers are starting to rethink their upcoming travel plans.
“We’re just starting to hear about people canceling trips,” said Clint Henderson, senior news editor at ThePointsGuy.com.
Henderson said getting your money back for a plane ticket won’t likely be as easy as rescheduling your trip.
“You are unlikely to get a refund these days if you decide to cancel your trip on your own,” he said.
Still, Willis Orlando of Scott’s Cheap Flights said there is some good news.
“Most airlines are still offering to waive change fees on tickets above basic economy,” Orlando said.
Orlando said if you want a refund, you may want to consider waiting until the last minute to cancel.
