Top Miami Area Local News Stories
Source: Top Stories
<p> A bomb squad was called to investigate a suspicious package in Miami on Monday afternoon.</p><p> The suitcase was found at about noon at 14th Street and Northwest 12th Avenue, between the State Attorney's Office and the courthouse. </p><p> The bomb squad was called to determine whether the suitcase contained anything dangerous. </p><p> Police have closed Northwest 13th Avenue between Northwest 14th and 12th streets for the investigation.</p><p> Miami police said they plan to detonate the suspicious package Monday afternoon.</p><p> Stay tuned to Local 10 and refresh Local10.com for more information on this breaking story.</p>
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:57:11 GMT
<p> Crews are working to clean up the damage left behind from the Occupy Miami camp in downtown Miami.</p><p> The water has been turned back on, and a dozer is hard at work on what once was the Occupy Miami camp. Protesters were evicted the end of last month, but they left behind quite a mess.</p><p> "All the sod here was dead," said Arturo Vidal, a member of the cleanup crew.</p><p> PHOTOS: Crews work on yard</p><p> Arturo Vidal said crews essentially had to scrape the park clean. </p><p> "We already put the new irrigation in, and I am trying to level it out so they can put down new sod and it will look nice and pretty," Vidal said. </p><p> But this kind of makeover costs money. The county will have to shell out $10,000 to $15,000 to put the park back together. The taxpayers are on the hook. </p><p> On the day of the eviction, however, Occupy protesters said don't blame them for the mess. </p><p> "We had an exit strategy that we offered and proposed to them to do the landscaping ourselves," said protester Kevin Young.</p><p> As park and recreation crews work to try and fix the damage that was done by Occupy protesters outside the Stephen P. Clark building, there is not much evidence left that they were here except for these organizer flyers that were left behind. </p><p> "I don't think the taxpayers should be responsible for that, and in fact, I am glad that they finally moved. I don't think their presence made any difference. They basically spoiled a beautiful park that we had," said Gui Elie, who doesn’t believe taxpayers should foot the bill. </p><p> "The people who made this revolution are supposed to pay for that," said Francisco Colon, who believes the Occupy Miami protesters should pay. </p><p> But others think the movement shouldn't be on the hook for the repairs. </p><p> "That’s just the price of freedom of speech," said Johnny Pearson, who thinks the taxpayers should pay. </p><p> "Does Occupy Miami have any money?" said James DuPree, who is skeptical whether the group can pay. </p><p> That is a moot point because the county refused to include the group in its cleanup efforts. It just wanted them out. In the end, the Occupy movement that called for jobs may have been successful without trying. </p><p> "It gives some guy a job anyway," DuPree said.</p>
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:19:27 GMT
<p> A man accused of taking his daughter and refusing to return her to Department of Children and Families caseworkers appeared in court in Miami on Monday morning. </p><p> Samuel Montes is being held without bond, Police said they believe Montes took the then-2-year-old girl, Angelina Montes, on Feb. 28, 2011.</p><p> Montes was taken into custody after a traffic stop in Pensacola, but police said he refuses to say where Angelina is. </p><p> Montes is charged with interfering with a custodial case. The charge normally would not require him to be held without bond, but investigators said they believe Montes to be a flight risk. </p><p> Some have said they believe Angelina may be out of the country, possibly in Venezuela with Montes’ parents.</p><p> Montes was due in court again at 1:30 p.m. Monday.</p>
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:06:09 GMT
Local 10 is one of the first stations allowed inside the new port tunnel. Take a look and see what lurks below the waves.
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:44:46 GMT
<p> His Florida Atlantic University students may call him professor, but the music industry knows Michael Zager as a platinum-record producing Hall of Famer.</p><p> In the 1970’s, it was Zager who took a chance on a 14-year-old girl named Whitney Houston.</p><p> He was in New York at the time producing music with the Michael Zager Band and working with Whitney’s mom, Cissy.</p><p> Zager said one day Cissy told him a back-up singer couldn’t make the taping and suggested that her daughter fill-in.</p><p> Whitney was still wearing her school uniform. Shy and sweet, Zager decided to see what she can do.</p><p> Her voice blew him away. It wasn’t long before Zager decided to give the teenager the lead female vocal on a singled called, “Life’s a Party”.</p><p> LISTEN: "Life's a Party"</p>
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:09:28 GMT
<p> They wore shirts that read, "Pit bulls are not the problem, bad owners are the problem," and held signs that said, "No BSL."</p><p> WATCH: Raw Video: Protestors demonstrate against BSL</p><p> BSL stands for "breed specific legislation." The protesters of Miami-Dade County's more than 20-year ban on the breed call BSL "canine profiling".</p><p> Dahlia Canes told Local 10 she started the "Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation" seven years ago.</p><p> During Sunday's rally outside Tropical Park supporters asked passing cars to honk if they support their cause. Their goal is to support lawmakers on a state level who are working to end Miami-Dade County's ban.</p><p> Bills are currently making their way through House and Senate committees.</p><p> Canes said if Miami-Dade County's ban is lifted it could save taxpayers millions of dollars each year and set precedent for smaller cities and counties nationwide to do the same.</p><p> Canes dismissed critics who argue Pit bulls are more likely to bite someone than a Maltese, for instance.</p><p> Miami-Dade County Animal Services told Local 10 that Pit bull enforcement is complaint-driven.</p><p> A USA Today article from 2010 found that despite the ban being in place for more than two decades, there was no solid evidence to show how effective it had been in preventing dog bites.</p><p> The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at data collected from the Humane Society and media reports from 1979-1998 that involved dog bite-related fatalities or DBRF. Here's what they found:</p><p> "Most victims were children. Studies indicate that Pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human DBRF reported during the 12-year period from 1981 through 1992, and Rottweilers were responsible for about half of human DBRF reported during the 4 years from 1993 through 1996. These data have caused some individuals to infer that certain breeds of dogs are more likely to bite than others and should, therefore, be banned or regulated more stringently."</p><p> READ: The full CDC report</p><p> The study goes on to say that drafting an effective breed-specific ban is problematic, in part because the dog breeds that have resulted in deadly dog bites have varied over time.</p><p> "Breed-specific legislation does not address the fact that a dog of any breed can become dangerous when bred or trained to be aggressive," researchers said.</p>
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:22:17 GMT
<p> A 19-year-old man was arrested in connection with the sexual battery of a woman in her Coral Springs home Sunday night. </p><p> Coral Springs police said the 25-year-old woman was with her newborn baby at their home in the 2300 block of Northwest 95th Avenue at about 8 p.m. when a man came in. </p><p> Police believe the man planned to burglarize the house, but when the woman confronted him, he pulled a knife and attacked her. The man beat, choked and sexually battered the woman, Coral Springs police said. The baby was not harmed. </p><p> The attacker stole the woman’s cellphone and escaped, police said. </p><p> The victim called police, who established a perimeter and arrested the suspect, whom they identified Monday as Gary Lenard Holmes, 19, of Pompano Beach. </p><p> According to the arrest affidavit, police said Holmes, who was wearing a bloody shirt, admitted to sexually battering the woman, stealing her cellphone and throwing it in the garbage. Police said he called an ex-girlfriend and told her what he had done. </p><p> The woman was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. </p><p> Holmes faces charges of armed sexual battery, burglary with battery, armed occupied burglary and petit theft.</p>
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:37:29 GMT
<p> Horticulture experts say a new strain of whiteflies is turning ficus leaves sticky and staining them.</p><p> According to reports, the new species is called Bondar's Nesting Whitefly. It was discovered about a month ago.</p><p> Officials say the whiteflies appear like while blotches on the top of ficus leaves.</p><p> Commercial horticulture agent Michael Orfanedes says the flies leave a sticky goo as they feed. The Broward County Extension agent says leads to black discoloration from sooty mold fungus.</p><p> Orfanedes says it's too early to know how much damage the whiteflies will cause. He says it is the third nuisance strain of whitefly to hit South Florida.</p><p> While he says the flies cause no harm to humans, it's "one more nail in the coffin" for ficus.</p>
Published: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:03:06 GMT
As hard you try, sometimes it's just impossible to defend the male species of the human race. Don't believe us? Just take a look at the agonizing proof that men appear to be dumb
Published: Thu, 07 Oct 2010 21:25:52 GMT
Are you a Birkenstock-wearing, self-professed tree-hugger? You'll feel right at home at the 10 best colleges for hippies.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:29:21 GMT
Click to see the latest mugshots from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.
Published: Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:10:30 GMT
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