Here are some of the top stories from the past week from NBC 6 News:
Sensors Were Adjusted on Florida Amusement Park Ride Where Teen Fell to Death
Sensors on a Florida amusement park ride had been adjusted manually to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, resulting in a 14-year-old boy not being properly secured before he slipped out and fell to his death, according to an initial report released Monday by outside engineers.
The average opening for restraints on the seats on the 430-foot, free-fall amusement park ride located in the heart of Orlando's tourist district was 3.3 inches. However, the opening of the restraint for the seat used by Tyre Sampson was as much as 7.1 inches, and the one for another seat was 6.5 inches, according to the report commissioned by the Florida Department of Agriculture, which is investigating the accident.
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Sampson was only 14 but already 6 feet, 5 inches tall and well over 300 pounds when he slipped out of his seat as the ride plunged to the ground at speeds of 75 mph or more.
An inspection of the seats showed that sensors used to activate safety lights on the two seats, indicating the harness safety restraints were in place, had been adjusted to allow for the wider openings. As the ride slowed down, Sampson slipped through a gap between the seat and safety harness, the report said.
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Local
Strange Bedfellows Team Up to Tackle Inter Miami Stadium Deal in Viral Video
When South Floridians think of bad stadium deals, fairly or unfairly, the Marlins Park deal comes to mind. Taxpayers shelled out about $600 million for the baseball stadium to be built on the Orange Bowl site, and they’re still on the hook for millions of dollars every year to cover the bonds which were used to finance the construction.
The face of the Miami Marlins in those days was team president David Samson, and he now stars in filmmaker Billy Corben’s viral takedown video of the Inter Miami CF proposal to build a soccer stadium on the city’s Melreese Golf Course, calling it “a billion-dollar heist happening in broad daylight.”
The video starts with a Miami Vice-style montage. A narrator says, “Miami is known for sun, fun, and sex and Miami, you’re about to get (bleeped)!”
Except, the word they use is not “bleeped.”
As the video rolls on, the narrator is revealed to be Samson.
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Court Reveals Questions Asked Of Potential Jurors In Parkland School Shooter Case
As expected, Broward Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer deleted or altered several questions the defense wanted to ask prospective jurors in the death penalty sentencing trial of the Parkland school shooter.
The questionnaire, released Tuesday in response to media requests — and over the objection of the defense — does not include a defense-proposed question about whether they or a family member has been a victim, witness or otherwise involved in child abuse or neglect.
Nor does it ask if they or family members have experience with children with emotional, behavioral or developmental problems, as the defense had requested.
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Have a Car Lease Coming Up This Year? You Could Pocket Some Serious Money
If you have a car lease coming up this year, you could pocket some serious money - your car may be worth way more than the lease payoff. That's good news for some drivers, but others are hitting roadblocks trying to cash in.
Evan Anziska leased an Infiniti back in 2019. His lease is coming up and he's in a sweet spot. That's because the booming used car market is driving up trade-in values. Anziska says Carmax offered to buy his car for $30,000, and his lease buyout is just $22,000. That means he could pocket the $8,000 difference.
"My initial reaction was, 'Wow, there's a lot of money to be made here,'" said Anziska.
The car experts at Edmunds say Anziska's not alone. If you have a lease coming up this year, you could make money, too. Edmunds says consumers who sell their leased cars are walking away, on average, with $7,000.
Click here to read the full story.
Watch: Large Alligator Saunters Through Florida Neighborhood
Sheriff's deputies captured video of a large alligator crawling through a front yard in Florida before making its way into a community lake.
The video was taken Sunday morning in Venice, Florida, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.
Deputies estimated the gator to be about 10 feet long.
The sheriff's office notified the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They also warned neighbors to be on alert because the alligator sauntered down to Harrington Lake to take an Easter morning swim.
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‘We Will Step Up': Miami-Dade Mayor Vows to Tackle Housing Discrimination
Landlords across South Florida have raised rent prices to historic levels, pushing many people out of neighborhoods. And as a recent NBC 6 investigation revealed, more people are reporting discrimination when applying for housing in Miami-Dade County.
It’s an issue that caught the attention of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
“We know that landlords are increasing the rents at record levels. Any discrimination is not to be tolerated,” Levine Cava said.
Miami-Dade County has a specific office dedicated to fighting housing discrimination – the Commission on Human Rights.
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