It’s Friday, September 30th – and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day
No. 1 - The wrath of Hurricane Ian has left an open wound on Southwest Florida, and it will take time to heal as search and rescue efforts uncover more devastation and death.
Around 700 people between Lee and Charlotte counties were rescued after the storm hit, officials said. "We had a couple thousand plus calls that were holding," said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno. "What did we do? The second we could, we were out there answering those calls with teams." But the sheriff fears hundreds have been killed. As of Thursday evening, officials confirmed at least 10 deaths across three counties. Those who survived the storm while hunkered down in their boats and homes agree that Hurricane Ian topped any of the other storms.
No. 2 - Ennette Cuervo can breathe easy Thursday night now that she knows her family in Sanibel Island is safe after Hurricane Ian caused widespread devastation.
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"I’m so grateful and relieved. Those are the words," she said. "And thank you, Jesus!" The island community has been completely cut off after the monster storm destroyed a section of its causeway, which connects the island to the mainland. "The only thing that I have are photos that were sent to me by a search and rescue organization," Cuervo said. "They sent me photos. They said my name. They’re like, 'We’re fine.' But I haven’t been able to connect with them because the lines are still down." For more than 24 hours, Cuervo couldn’t get in touch with her grandmother, 79-year-old Amparo Toledo, and her aunt and uncle, Desiree and Richard Rodriguez, who all live together on the island. They didn’t evacuate because they rescue animals and didn’t want to leave them behind.
No. 3 - On a regular day, security specialists with Kingsman Philanthropic group rescue women, sometimes children, who are victims of kidnapping and human trafficking.
During weather calamities, they shift operations to rescuing senior citizens and people with special needs. “We are able to redirect, or reallocate funds from doing rescues of kidnap victims to something like this,” said Michael Evans, a member of the group who is based in South Florida. “We are still in our same demographic which is women and children." USPS Nationwide Security is a specialized security guard and fire watch company. About 40 members of the group are in Southwest Florida trying to pluck people out of their flooded homes. They’re part of the company’s nonprofit component, called Kingsman, which is a squad of security experts who are laser-focused on rescuing victims of kidnapping and human trafficking.
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No. 4 - Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World Resort expect to reopen Friday after being closed for days due to Hurricane Ian.
Ian made landfall on Florida's west coast Wednesday as a destructive Category 4 hurricane, crossed the peninsula, and is expected to make a second U.S. landfall in South Carolina. Universal Orlando Resort, including Halloween Horror Nights, is anticipating reopening on Friday "as conditions permit" after it closed Wednesday and remained closed Thursday. Walt Disney World Resort will resume theme park and Disney Spring operations "in a phased approach" starting Friday.
No. 5 - The brother of a woman who was shot and killed while driving down Interstate 95 in Miami traveled from Cuba in the hopes to find more answers nearly two years after his sister's murder.
Investigators still don't know who shot 22-year-old Melissa Gonzalez back in January 2020 as she drove with her boyfriend southbound on the highway near Northwest 79th Street. "I don’t understand how the person could still be at peace," Adolfo Gonzalez said. Adolfo, Melissa's brother, made it to Miami for the first time since she was murdered. He — along with his daughter and son — made the long journey as migrants, traveling 19 days. They came from Cuba, then to Nicaragua, and then to Miami, where he was approved to enter the country on Thursday.
No. 6 - Tua Tagovailoa stumbled to the ground, his legs wobbly and unable to walk to the huddle after banging his head Sunday. And then Thursday night, he was carried off the field by stretcher after another hit caused his head to violently slam against the turf and his hands to freeze up.
The Dolphins said the third-year quarterback was conscious and had movement in all his extremities. He was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center but was released and expected to return to Miami with the team. “It was a scary moment. He was evaluated for a concussion and he’s in the concussion protocol,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. Some who watched the scary injury want to know why Tagovailoa was playing just four days after his quick return Sunday prompted a joint review by the NFL and NFL Players Association. Many former players were critical of the decision to allow Tagovailoa to return against Buffalo and start against Cincinnati.
