Top Miami Area Local News Stories
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<p> Police are investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl in Miramar.</p><p> Naketa Leiba, 17, has been missing since Wednesday. After almost four days of searching for her and hoping for leads, her mother said she seems to have vanished.</p><p> "No texts. No tweets. Nothing. It's like she just fell off the face of the earth," said mother Sharon Leiba.</p><p> On Wednesday, Leiba said the school bus dropped off her daughter in the 6800 block of SW 34th Avenue in Miramar. Leiba was unable to pick her up to drive her home.</p><p> "So when she called me at 3:30 I said, 'I won't be able to pick you up. Do you want to wait by Publix for me?' And she said, 'no I'll walk,'" Leiba recalled.</p><p> Leiba said when she called her daughter again several minutes later to check up on her, the conversation was cut short because the call dropped. Leiba said she kept trying.</p><p> "Did it again, nothing. Did it again, nothing. And that was the last time I heard from my baby," she said.</p><p> By nightfall, the family said they knew something was wrong, so they called police.</p><p> As Miramar detectives investigate the case, volunteers have been canvassing the area where the teenager was last seen. A Facebook page has been set up to organize the search, where strangers have been posting messages of encouragement.</p><p> On Sunday, a local chapter of the Guardian Angels organization drove down from Orlando to assist.</p><p> "We're going to go door-to-door, store to store, vehicle to vehicle, giving out flyers," said Guardian Angel William Cruz.</p><p> Leiba said she hopes anyone who sees her daughter or has any information on her whereabouts to call authorities.</p><p> "Call the Miramar police or just dial 911. I need my daughter to come home," Leiba said.</p><p> Naketa Leiba has short black hair, is 5-foot-2, and weighs approximately 135 pounds. The South Broward High School student was last seen wearing a short-sleeve red shirt from Abercrombie and Fitch and blue jeans.</p><p> The Miramar police department is asking anyone with information about her whereabouts to call 911.</p>
Published: Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:57:46 GMT
<p> A broad area of low pressure extending from western Cuba northward into the Florida straits is interacting with a mid to upper-level trough. </p><p> While this system is producing a large area of showers and thunderstorms, there are no signs of an organized surface circulation and upper-level winds are expected to become less favorable for subtropical cyclone formation. </p><p> While Sunday this system had a medium chance of forming into a tropical cyclone, the atmospheric conditions have become less favorable for formation. </p><p> On Monday, the National Hurricane Center says this system has a low chance, near 0 percent, of becoming a subtropical cyclone during the next 48 hours. Regardless of any additional development, the system will produce widespread rainfall and isolated gusty winds over portions of northern Cuba, the Florida keys and South Florida today as it moves generally northeastward near 15 mph. </p><p> Already during the past 24 hours parts of the Florida Keys have received more than two inches of rain. Miami-Dade county and Broward county started seeing the rain early Monday morning and can expect the potential of about 0.75 inches to about 1.25 inches of rain before the rain finally stops late Monday night.</p>
Published: Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:36:00 GMT
<p> The Ruby Princess Cruise Ship arrived at Port Everglades just after 6 a.m. Sunday morning. On board, a reported 92 passengers and 13 crew members who were infected with norovirus.</p><p> One passenger told Local 10, "I was very disappointed--this will be my last cruise with Princess Cruise Line."</p><p> The outbreak of the norovirus also spread to the Crown Princess Cruise ship. On board, there were a reported 150 sick passengers and crew members.</p><p> While there were several sick passengers, there were others who say the crew members did the best they could. </p><p> Passenger Teresa Winegar told Local 10, " Sometimes it seemed a little much. We would use hand sanitizer before we ate and then we still could not touch anything. But I guess it was good because they wanted to be safe. "</p><p> The cruise line says as soon as people began reporting their illness, the crews stepped up cleaning procedures . The sick passengers were quarantined, asked to stay in their cabins. The remaining passengers were told not touch to many surfaces.</p><p> Sunday morning, all the common areas on board the Ruby Princess will be cleaned for the next round of passengers.</p>
Published: Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:32:56 GMT
<p> A teacher at Blanche Ely High School defended herself Saturday evening after the Broward County Superintendent recommended she be suspended for reportedly referring to a student as a "little chocolate boy."</p><p> According to an administrative complaint, Leslie Rainer, a teacher at Blanche Ely High School, engaged in inappropriate conduct by pointing a pointer in a Haitian student's face in a threatening manner and making the statement, "Look little chocolate boy."</p><p> READ: Runcie's letter to Rainer</p><p> The student recorded Rainer on video pointing the pointer at him and making the statement, "You got one time, chocolate," with the classroom subsequently erupting in laughter, according to documents.</p><p> "There's nothing negative about chocolate," Rainer told Local 10's Sasha Andrade.</p><p> "I said, 'Not that particular chocolate,' meaning he could not get the chocolate on my desk," said Rainer.</p><p> Rainer said she was referring to actual pieces of chocolate on her desk that she hands out as treats during class.</p><p> Rainer also told the student that he "was chocolate that nobody wanted," and told the student to "shut up," according to documents.</p><p> "We were discussing the different chocolates and how the kids don't like dark chocolates so that's when the comment was made," Rainer said.</p><p> Rainer has had a history of inappropriate conduct towards her part-Haitian, minority students, and has been verbally counseled in the past, according to Runcie.</p><p> In 2010, Rainer and fellow teacher Djuna Robinson were re-assigned after another teacher at their school alleged the women threw holy water on her because she is an atheist.</p><p> Their attorney claimed it was a joke using a perfume bottle.</p><p> The incident is still under investigation by the Broward County School Board.</p><p> Runcie is now recommending Rainer be suspended without pay for three days, and require completion of diversity training.</p>
Published: Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:47:03 GMT
<p> The powerball jackpot rolled over again Saturday and that means more than $200 million will be up for grabs this week.</p><p> No ticket matched all of the winning numbers so that jackpot is now worth an estimated $250 million.</p><p> Saturday's winning numbers were 15, 23, 43, 45, 56 and the powerball was 7.</p><p> The next drawning will be Wednesday night.</p>
Published: Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:41:31 GMT
<p> A memorial service to honor a Ohio man who died after being shot while volunteering in Haiti was held on Sunday.</p><p> Dave Bompart's wife, Nicolle Bompart, said her husband was shot Jan. 24 as he was leaving a bank in Haiti with money for an orphanage the couple was building there. </p><p> Bompart was in Haiti working with the non-profit organization Eyes Wide Open International.</p><p> According to Eyes Wide Open International, Bompart's wife wants to hold the service to thank those who worked with Dave in Haiti, and those who worked to save his life at Jackson Memorial Hospital.</p><p> Nicole told Local 10 she does plan to see her husband's vision through and complete the orphanage with room for 40 children. She said they had purchased the land and had just laid down the foundation when the shooting happened. At just 10 percent complete, Nicole said they are continuing to accept donations to help finish the project. Visit eyeswideopenint.org to help. </p><p> Bompart will be buried in Ohio.</p>
Published: Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:02:17 GMT
<p> Protesters gathered with signs at a Homestead gas station where a teen, who police say had a gun, was shot and killed by police earlier in the week.</p><p> Danny Cruz, 16, was shot and killed by police at a Chevron station at Southwest 312th Street and U.S. 1 at 11 p.m. Thursday.</p><p> Police said a gas station clerk used a silent alarm to call for help during a confrontation with Cruz. </p><p> When officers arrived, they said they told Cruz to show his hands, which were in his pockets. When he didn’t comply, shots were fired, police said. </p><p> On Saturday, protesters held up signs reading "We want our Danny back" and "Murder is murder, badge or no badge."</p><p> But there were also signs reading "R.I.P. Danny... Lil Mexican Thug."</p><p> Miami-Dade police are combing through surveillance video from cameras at the gas station as they work to answer several questions, including whether Cruz ever pulled a gun, whether he threatened the clerk with a weapon, whether he was carrying a real gun and what made the officer shoot.</p>
Published: Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:17:06 GMT
Think your job's stressful? Careercast.com ranks the jobs that make blood pressures rise the most.
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:08:17 GMT
Nothing's really funny at the gas pump these days; but thanks to these fuel-challenged folks, you'll be able to fill up your face with smiles.
Published: Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:33:50 GMT
Click to see the latest mugshots from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.
Published: Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:53:56 GMT
<p> Citibank won approval to issue its own credit card in China, making it the first non-Asian bank to enter that market.</p><p> The approval from Chinese banking authorities was announced by the bank's parent, Citigroup, Monday. The card is expected to be issued sometime later this year.</p><p> "This approval represents a significant milestone in the continued expansion of Citi's business in China, a priority market for Citi," said Stephen Bird, CEO of Citi's Asia Pacific unit.</p><p> Citi has had a co-branded credit card in China since 2004 through a joint venture with Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB). But those card holders are considered to be SPDB's customers, not Citi's. Citi has 16 million other credit card customers elsewhere in Asia.</p><p> The Bank of East Asia, based in a Hong Kong, is the only other bank from outside of China that's permitted to issue cards by itself in the country.</p><p> The United States, through the World Trade Organization, been pushing China to open its market to U.S. credit card and debit card issuers without the use of domestic joint venture partners which the Chinese regulators typically require.</p><p> For example, last month Citi won approval to establish a joint-venture securities firm in China, together with Orient Securities Company Ltd. The entity, Citi Orient Securities Co Ltd, will be based in Shanghai, and will engage in investment banking business in the Chinese domestic market, including securities underwriting, as approved by China Securities Regulatory Commission.</p><p> General Motors is another example of a U.S. firm that is forced to operate only with joint venture partners. It has the leading share of the rapidly-growing Chinese market for autos, which is the now the largest in the world. But virtually all those sales are through various joint ventures that GM has with Chinese automakers.</p>
Published: Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:29:36 GMT
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