Here are some of the top stories from the past week from NBC 6 News:
Local Fire Departments Stretched by Pandemic
Fort Lauderdale firefighter Julio Castillo’s job is not the same now as it was a year ago. From disinfecting vehicles after COVID calls to cleaning personal protective gear, more precautions and time is involved in every step.
Castillo caught the virus last summer and had to separate from his family, quarantining away from work at Fort Lauderdale.
The head COVID-19 researcher at Fort Lauderdale, Battalion Chief Garrett Pingol, tells NBC 6 Investigators more than 200 employees had to quarantine in 2020, with 51 confirmed cases.
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Major Effort to Combat Child Pornography Cases in South Florida
The subject of crimes against children gained national attention after two FBI agents were killed while serving a warrant in Sunrise this week.
Agents Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger were experts in the field of protecting children from these predators, but how prevalent are these cases in South Florida and what’s being done to combat the issue?
The local non-profit Child Rescue Coalition works hand in hand with law enforcement, giving them free technology to help track and prosecute child predators across the globe. Since January of 2021, NBC 6 has reported on two Broward doctors arrested on charges related to child pornography.
UM Researchers Team Up with Veterans for Super Bowl-Themed Reef Restoration Project
As Super Bowl weekend approaches, several organizations have partnered up for a football-themed restoration project that aims to bring Miami's coral reefs back to life.
South Florida's coral reefs are difficult to spot from above, though they have a significant impact on the area's economy.
Sadly, parts of the reef have withered away, but 30 feet below the surface, delicate restoration work is being carried out: the NFL, the University of Miami, the Florida Aquarium and the Frost Museum have all teamed up with military veterans to help save them.
Local Group Aims to Change the Narrative as Black Gun Ownership Soars
The cry for social justice is echoing for Black Americans not only in the streets with protests but in gun shops across the nation, including in South Florida.
In the weeks following the social unrest of summer 2020, Black gun ownership soared.
Gun sales shot up and most of the people buying them are African American. Many in the Black community say they are afraid of the things currently ailing society and could harm their families, from the coronavirus to racism, to the sometimes-violent encounters Black people have had with police.
See All the Best Super Bowl Ads Released So Far
It might not have seemed likely early in the pandemic, but the 55th Super Bowl Sunday is upon us yet again.
Each year advertisers pull out all the stops to entertain the crowd of 100 million viewers expected to tune in to the CBS broadcast on Sunday. This year there are more than 20 newcomers as well as old favorites.
Amazon shows off a sexy new body for its Alexa assistant, Dan Levy apologizes for eating M&M's and Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade makes a downpour of lemons a metaphor for 2020's troubles. And as always, expect some surprises, too.