It’s Monday, October 4th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - Deputies located what they believe to be the body of missing 19-year-old Miya Marcano, the Orange County Sheriff said Saturday.
At news conference, Sheriff John Mina said what they believe to be Marcano’s body was found in a wooded area in the area of Tymber Skan on the Lake Condominiums in Orlando at approximately 10:45 a.m. Saturday. Marcano had not been seen since Wednesday, September 22. Although an official identification has not been made by a medical examiner, Mina said they are very confident it is Marcano. Her family is now calling for justice in the wake of her death and taking aim at the apartment complex where she lived. "We believe that this apartment complex was negligent in a number of things that they did," Marcano family attorney Daryl K. Washington said at a news conference with the family Sunday. Washington said the family plans to "hold those responsible accountable" in her death.
No. 2 - New video shows the moment an explosion that leveled a shopping center in Plantation in 2019. The incident was the result of a gas valve that was left on for hours. In all 22 people were injured.
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Dash camera video captured the moment an abandoned pizza shop in a Plantation shopping center exploded. Attorney Sam Coffey, who says he represents about 30 people and businesses impacted by the blast, tells NBC 6 the explosion was preventable. A computer glitch within TECO Peoples Gas software, Coffey says, canceled the request to turn off the gas in December 2018. “What they were supposed to do was take a lock bolt like this, and put it in place, and close off the gas service,” Coffey said. “Had they done that, the explosion couldn’t have occurred.” TECO Gas told state investigators in 2019 that gas service had been turned off since December 2018.
No. 3 - Hundreds of demonstrators made their voices heard in a march for reproductive freedom in Fort Lauderdale Saturday.
The march, along with one held in Miami, were two of more than 600 demonstrations for reproductive rights happening across the country. The protest comes about a week after a controversial new bill was filed in the Florida state legislature. HB 167 would make it illegal for a doctor to perform an abortion if there’s a detectable heartbeat. “We just want to warn the Florida legislature that this can’t happen here,” said organizer, Jasmen Rogers. “We’re hoping that the Supreme Court will uphold Roe v Wade. And we’re hoping that the Florida legislature is not dumb enough to pass something like this that would endanger so many lives,” Rogers said. The 40-page bill would require doctors to test for fetal heartbeats which can happen six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women even know they are pregnant. The bill closely mirrors the controversial Texas Heartbeat Law.
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No. 4 - Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo has less than 24 hours to respond to a hand-delivered letter from Miami City Manager Art Noriega.
The chief acknowledged receiving the letter Thursday, the day before an explosive special commissioners meeting Friday dealing with the chief’s future. “If not to shut his big mouth,” Noriega said, expressing concerns about the chief’s performance just a few months into Acevedo’s tenure. The letter gives the chief a Monday deadline to submit plans on how to improve several issues laid out by Noriega. The letter says, in part “the very public, personal and insensitive comments which permeate national media have decreased officer morale, and continues to threaten the public’s confidence in the ability of the [miami police department] to carry out directives related to public safety.” Noriega’s letter then directs the chief to respond with an action plan by the close of business Monday, a plan Noriega says should address five issues, including: changes or reforms to the policing plan, management structure, officer morale, a plan for how Miami MPD and Acevedo will interact with the media and plans to repair relationships with elected officials.
No. 5 - On Friday, the U.S. Postal Service started implementing service changes that will impact the delivery time of some first-class mail and periodicals. The changes also mean shipping packages will be more expensive during this year's holiday season.
The move is part of the agency’s 10-year plan intended to improve service and achieve financial sustainability. Click here to see how your mail may be impacted by the changes.
No. 6 - Dozens of Miami-Dade public school bus drivers protested in Miami, saying they’re tired of being overworked and underpaid. The drivers voiced their frustrations along U.S 1 and SW 153nd Street Saturday.
They argue that a driver shortage has resulted in long hours and little pay. “We cannot live off of this pay,” driver Carla Delaford said. Delaford has been a bus driver with M-DCPS for 27 years and she says she’s grown tired. “A lot of our co-workers are working two or three jobs to feed their families and pay the high rent in Miami-Dade County,” Delaford said. The bus driver shortage in the county has also resulted in longer commutes for students. “We’re tired of being paid little money,” bus driver Dan Dasher said. “Been there 25 years, 30 years, not even making $20 an hour. We’re tired, overworked, underpaid and we want to be paid.”
