News You Should Know

ICYMI: Lessons Learned After ValuJet Tragedy, Programs Aim to Clean Miami's Waterways

Here are some of the top stories from the past week from NBC 6 News

NBC Universal, Inc.

Here are some of the top stories from the past week from NBC 6 News:

New Programs in Miami Aim to Prevent Pollution From Destroying Waterways

Plastic pollution in the waterways is a big problem in South Florida. It kills marine life, destroys the ecosystem and is an imminent threat to places like Biscayne Bay.

At a news conference along the Miami River in Little Havana Wednesday, City of Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, who represents District 2, addressed the problem and announced several new programs to help combat it.

Wednesday, the city announced its partnership with the Ocean Conservancy and Ph.D. students from the University of Georgia and Florida International University to find ways to prevent plastics from entering the water, which is ultimately destroying the Biscayne Bay.

A Florida judge ruled Thursday that two deputies who were fired for inaction during a high school mass shooting in 2018 should be reinstated with back pay.

Judge: Deputies Fired Over School Massacre to Get Jobs Back

A Florida judge ruled Thursday that two deputies who were fired for inaction during a high school mass shooting in 2018 should be reinstated with back pay.

Broward Circuit Judge Keathan Frink concluded that arbitrators last year were correct in ruling that the fired Broward County deputies, Brian Miller and Joshua Stambaugh, should get their jobs back, with back pay plus other benefits, the Sun Sentinel reported. That includes accrued sick and vacation time, overtime and off-duty detail pay, among other benefits that they would have been paid had they not been fired.

One arbitrator had ruled in September that Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony acted 13 days too late when he fired deputy Stambaugh in 2019 for his conduct during the February 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The shooting left 17 dead.

Hialeah police say Kenia Robles, 38, is the mastermind behind a rental scheme that lasted from October 2020 to May 2021. Thursday morning, she faced a judge for some 70 counts.

Hialeah Police Arrest ‘Mastermind' Behind Rental Scheme Scam

Hialeah police say Kenia Robles is the mastermind behind a rental scheme that lasted from October 2020 to May 2021.

Thursday morning, the 38-year-old faced a judge for some 70 counts.

Hialeah police say they have been working this case for two months before making the arrest. They also say she has an active warrant out of Marion County for a similar scam.

NBC 6's Willard Shepard speaks to the families who lost loved ones in the 1996 ValuJet Crash.

How the 1996 ValuJet Crash Changed Air Safety Regulations

A memorial was held Tuesday to honor the lives lost 25 years ago when ValuJet Flight 592 went down in the Florida Everglades killing all 110 people on board. 

Retired police divers and firefighters gathered with other first responders to remember the victims and shed tears over what they witnessed that day. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the plane crashed after oxygen canisters ignited a fire in the cargo bay. Aviv Tzur, who now is the president of the Greater Miami Aviation Association, told NBC 6 the tragedy brought big changes. Click here for those changes in a story from NBC 6 investigator Willard Shepard.

NBC 6's Amanda Plasencia spoke with a 30-year-old firefighter, who

May Is Stroke Awareness Month: A Young Survivor's Story and What You Should Look For

May is stroke awareness month and knowing the signs of a stroke can be the difference between life and death. For Eric Jacobowitz, he never thought it would happen to him.

The firefighter and paramedic with Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue was used to saving lives, but in November of 2019, he was the one who needed saving when he suffered a stroke. 

The 30-year-old said he had done fire training a few days before, but never noticed anything odd beforehand. He was doing a long workout at Freakin' Crossfit in Pembroke Pines when he started feeling off. The gym owner, Storm Kaufman, immediately noticed something wasn't right. Click here to find out what happened next in a story from NBC 6 reporter Amanda Plasencia.

Contact Us