Here are some of the top stories from the past week from NBC 6 News:
South Florida Hospitals See Uptick in Patients with Flu-Like Symptoms
South Florida hospitals are seeing an increase in patients with flu-like symptoms.
“Fortunately here in the Memorial Healthcare System we do have the capacity to manage volumes that we’re not used to seeing," Dr. Randy Katz said. "For instance, in pediatrics we typically see this time of year 5,000 patients a month, this past month we saw almost 8,000 patients, so a fairly large increase in volume.”
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Memorial's Emergency Medicine Director said they've had days in which more than 300 kids have come in with viral symptoms.
“It’s been a busy, busy month, particularly for pediatricians," Dr. Katz said. "There’s definitely a lot of viral infection, not just flu, COVID and RSV. We’re seeing rhinovirus, paramyxovirus and they’re all happening at the same time so it’s making it really difficult to handle the volume of patients coming in with influenza-like illness.”
The volume, however, seems to be lower at Jackson Memorial Hospital according to the chief medical officer.
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For the full story, click here.
Out With the Old, in With the New for Broward School Board
The revolving door of Broward County School Board members is still spinning.
Of the five members appointed by the governor, four of them are gone, and four people were elected to fill their seats.
Only three, however, were sworn in Tuesday.
After the ceremony at Fort Lauderdale High School, the new board chose two Parkland victims to lead them: Lori Alhadeff as chair and Debbi Hixon as vice chair.
Two re-elected board members were sworn into new terms along with the three newly elected members, Dr. Jeff Holness, Brenda Fam, and Dr. Allen Zeman.
For the full story, click here.
Body Identified as Missing Woman, Husband Charged in Murder Moved to Broward Jail
Officials have identified a body that was found in unincorporated Miami-Dade last week as a Broward woman who was allegedly murdered by her husband.
Mimose Dulcio, 39, had been last seen the evening of Nov. 10 at her home in unincorporated central Broward, and a missing person alert was issued for her two days later.
Detectives found a body Nov. 16 in a wooded area near Northwest 204th Street and 55th Court. Though officials hadn't released her identity at the time, family members said it was Dulcio's body.
But on Tuesday, authorities confirmed the body was Dulcio.
Days after she went missing, police arrested her estranged husband, 36-year-old Jose Luis Pacheco, in Miami-Dade on a second-degree murder charge in the killing.
For the full story, click here.
South Florida Student Loan Borrowers Patiently Waiting for Forgiveness
The Department of Education sent out emails over the weekend notifying some borrowers their student loan forgiveness applications were approved, despite several pending legal challenges.
The emails stated, “We reviewed your application and determined that you are eligible for loan relief under the Plan. We have sent this approval on to your loan servicer.”
It went on to say, “Unfortunately, a number of lawsuits have been filed challenging the program, which have blocked our ability to discharge your debt at present. We believe strongly that the lawsuits are meritless, and the Department of Justice has appealed on our behalf. Your application is complete and approved, and we will discharge your approved debt if and when we prevail in court.”
The email also told borrowers they did not need to take any further action.
Currently, President Joe Biden’s debt relief program has been halted after several lawsuits challenged the program.
For the full story, click here.
‘Horrific, Senseless Violence': South Florida Politicians React to Colorado Springs Mass Shooting
In the wake of the mass shooting Saturday night at the gay nightclub Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado that killed five people and injured over two dozen more, politicians across South Florida are expressing their sorrow.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis issued a statement saying the shooting awakened "painful memories" for those in the LGBTQ community of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando that killed 49 people in June 2016.
"Club Q and Pulse were supposed to be safe places where people could come together to socialize and have fun, and instead, they now stand as gruesome reminders of our nation’s failure to address gun violence," Trantalis said. "Violence against the LGBT community cannot be tolerated, and sensible gun regulations are needed in order to ensure everyone’s safety — in church, in school, at work, at a movie theater and everywhere else.”
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz tweeted her condolences while also criticizing gun legislation in the wake of the shooting.
For the full story, click here.
Mom Warns of Gift Card Scam After Falling Victim
When a group of parents found out their children's first-grade teacher was celebrating a birthday in September, they each pitched in to make it extra special.
"They all agreed we needed to give her something," Yolanda Bauza said. "She's so great. The kids love her. They gush about her all the time."
The class surprised their teacher with a customized book showcasing special messages from each of the students and a $375 gift card Bauza said she purchased at a local pharmacy.
"It just seemed more elegant, you know," she said about why they decided to buy a gift card instead of giving the teacher cash. "And I wanted it to be a VISA gift card just because she could use it anywhere."
A receipt provided to NBC 6 shows the card was purchased on Thursday, Sept. 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Bauza said they gave the teacher the card the next day. But by the time the teacher went to use it on Saturday, Sept. 10, the money was gone.
For the full story, click here.
