Broward Mayor Steven Geller: Unvaccinated County Employees To Pay $20 Per Week, Vaccinated Employees Eligible For $500 Bonus

MIAMI – Students across South Florida are settling into their second week of school and while this is the most normal start to the school year since the start of the 2019 school year, COVID-19 does remain an issue for students to deal with.  Miami-Dade, Broward and Archdiocese of Miami schools all have specific rules for dealing with the virus, should your child test positive, or be a close contact.In Miami-Dade, students who are sick with flu-like symptoms should remain home.  Parents must notify the school immediately if their child tests positive. The type of test does not matter.  Both...

MIAMI - Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava took advantage of early voting on Saturday afternoon. She voted at the Coral Reef Library Early Vote Site in Palmetto Bay ahead of Tuesday's Primary Elections Mayor Levine Cava was joined by Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins who is running for her first full term in District 8 and former Governor Charlie Crist. Mayor Levine Cava talked about the importance of the August elections and urged Miami-Dade voters to make their plans to vote on or before Tuesday, August 23rd.

FORT LAUDERDALE - With members of the Broward Sheriff's Office standing behind him at the county's courthouse, Gov. Ron DeSantis touted election reforms enacted during his administration. Included in the reforms was the creation of the Election Crimes and Security Office. On Thursday, he announced that they had charged 20 people with voter fraud. Despite saying they were mostly in Miami-Dade and Broward, that was not the case when 17 of the 20 names were released. The list from FDLE was as follows: Hillsborough CountyRomona Brown, 55, of TampaDouglas Oliver, 59, of Tampa Tony Patterson, 43, of TampaNathan Hart, 49, of...

MIAMI - On Sunday afternoon, a full ceremonial processional escort was held for Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent Jose Perez, who succumbed to his injuries at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital. Perez died Sunday as a result of an August 2 line of duty injury sustained while serving as a Special Agent.    The procession to the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office capped a heartbreaking week for law enforcement in South Florida. "That doesn't even do the justice for the type of man that he is and, in my opinion, he's a good man, good father, good husband,...

MIAMI – Assistant Miami Police Chief Armando Aguilar is deeply affected by the loss of FDLE Special Agent Jose Perez.Aguilar said Perez was his boss and good friend when they worked together. Numerous agencies, including Miami, Miami-Dade Police and FDLE were part of the honor guard procession remembering Perez.Aguilar was humbled by the procession, which saw Perez's body moved from HCA Florida Kendall Hospital to the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office."This tribute given to him today and in approaching days that come forward with the funeral services just serve as a reminder to his family and broader law enforcement family that...

MIAMI – Wednesday was day one of the Middle Class Summit at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The theme: Building, elevating and sustaining the middle class.Event organizers told CBS4 that a big part of that means helping people get good jobs. "A job is about so much more than income. It's about prosperity. It's about elevating people. It's also about leaving a legacy for your children. That you are modeling a behavior that eradicates vicious cycles of poverty," said Newton Sanon, the president and CEO of OIC South Florida.  The nonprofit group OIC of South Florida is hosting...

MIAMI - Hundreds of law enforcement officers from across South Florida, standing shoulder to shoulder, lined the path as the body of Miami-Dade Detective Cesar Echaverry was taken from Jackson Memorial Hospital to the Medical Examiner's Office. There was a stillness in the air as a flag-draped casket was loaded into a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue ambulance. Many of the officers saluted as it passed, others held their hands over their hearts. The ambulance was escorted to the ME's office by an honor guard and members of the Miami-Dade police department on motorcycles. The procession passed under an American flag,...

MIAMI - Despite the show of support from law enforcement following the death of Miami-Dade police detective Cesar Echaverry, there have been two controversies over comments that were made. On the night of the shooting, the Miami officer said over the police radio, "Let them know they're going to have another officer down if they keep going at 70 miles an hour near my car." The comment was made as other officers sped past his car as they were rushing Echaverry to the hospital. Tommy Reyez, President of the Fraternal Order of Police Miami Lodge #20, said Thursday night, "(The...

MIAMI - Authorities have given the all-clear at Falcon Cove Middle School in Weston after it was placed on lockdown Friday afternoon, following reports of a gun on campus. "BSO has concluded their investigation. No weapon was found. Falcon Cove will begin dismissal procedures with bus riders and walkers. Parent car loop will follow," officials said. One student overheard another student saying he had a bag in his backpack, according to school officials. Earlier, officials said, "All students and staff are safe. The principal has communicated to the school families that dismissal is delayed until they receive the all-clear from law enforcement."CBS4 cameras showed students flowing out of the school and boarding school buses. Parents could also be seen picking up their children. BSO said the investigation continues. The school is located in the 4200 block of Bonaventure Blvd.

MIAMI – A family of three turns to CBS4, feeling hopeless in their housing crisis. They tell us they are in a dire situation financially, paying for two residences, including one they never wanted in the first place. We share their plea for help.Craig Shubin's family juggles two big housing payments. They juggle their mortgage in Plantation while paying rent in Weston.They never intended to pay for two homes at once.Shubin tells CBS4 his homeowner's association is to blame, failing to live up to a legal settlement to fix the damaged condo."I never imagined we'd be in this predicament, to be...

MIAMI – Thousands of students are back in school in Miami-Dade. The main consensus from parents Wednesday was an excitement to have kids back in school full time, learning from classrooms. "We're excited, we're nervous but we're blessed to have them back in school.  We'll have some normality and go back to work," said Alexander DeLeon, a parent.After years of constant change and COVID protocols, going back to school this year comes with new excitement."Our kids, they woke up actually before we did!  They came into our room looking forward to it," said one parent we spoke with.Superintendent Jose Dotres...

MIAMI – A Miami police officer is temporarily out of a job after he allegedly attempted to drive a city police cruiser under the influence.Investigators with the city's anti-corruption unit were monitoring Jeffrey Marcano as part of an ongoing internal affairs investigation.Detectives say they spotted Marcano driving his police cruiser before stopping at a restaurant in Brickell and drinking what appeared to be alcohol. When Marcano walked back to his car, investigators say he appeared to stagger and sway. Detectives approached his vehicle when they noticed Marcano turn on the cruiser. They found two small bags with a substance believed to be cocaine on him.Marcano was taken into custody and has been suspended without pay pending an investigation.Since this report was filed, Marcano has bonded out of jail and is awaiting his next court appearance. 

MIAMI — Miami-Dade Police Detective Cesar Echaverry has died after being shot in the head while trying to arrest a suspect tied to an armed robbery in Broward County."Officer Echaverry died in the line of duty while serving & protecting our community. Our law enforcement family will continue to stand beside & support the Echaverry family through this difficult time. We'll never forget Officer Echaverry's bravery & sacrifice. Godspeed, brother," wrote Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez.Echaverry was with RID, the Robbery Intervention Detail, that works in some of the county's most crime-ridden neighborhoods.According to police, RID detectives spotted a vehicle...

MIAMI - As Miami-Dade School Superintendent Jose Dotres prepares for the start of a new school year Wednesday, he worries about buses getting kids to school, having enough teachers in the classrooms and kids getting a good meal in the morning. "My day will start with visiting a cafeteria kitchen where staff will be preparing breakfast for the children," said Dotres, who is preparing for his first opening day of school as superintendent of the fourth largest school district in the nation.Dotres plans to visit six schools on the first day of classes, starting at Hialeah Gardens High School and...

MIAMI - The court decided to not show Nikolas Cruz's qEEG's brain scans to the jury.The quantitative Electroencephalogram (qEEG) is a tool used to track brain activity, frequently used to monitor epilepsy and brain damage."Basically, we use qEEG's to record brain waves, and different electrical activity from the brain," said Dr. Carlos Oliu, a Neurologist from HCS Florida Kendall Hospital.For the Cruz trial, the scans could have potentially shown the jury that Nikolas Cruz could have a brain defect."They (Cruz's attorneys) want to be able to say, 'see, there is something different in his brain waves, they're not like the brain waves of these normal people that we've collected,'" said Maria Schneider, former Broward County State Attorney's Office prosecutor."Therefore, that supports their contention that there's something wrong with him."However, its accuracy has been questioned by the judicial system for decades."It's not widely acceptable or admissible in court," said Schneider.Dr. Oliu says mental illness is often not seen through qEEG scans."The majority of patients with isolated mental health diagnosis or psychiatric diagnosis, the brain waves don't show that abnormality," said Oliu.The trial with the jury is set to start again on Monday.

MIAMI - A YouTube video involving a Miami-Dade police officer, a driver and his pregnant wife has gone viral. The video, which had almost 137,000 pageviews on Friday evening, starts with a vehicle trying to get to Jackson's West Medical Center's emergency room.It happened on July 28, 2022. The driver is seen getting behind a police cruiser that was stopped at a stop sign, while another cruiser stops next to the first cruiser. Then, when the officer does not move, the driver says he honked his horn at the officer.That is when the officer is seen getting out of his vehicle and...

MIAMI - Dozens and dozens of law enforcement officers from a number of departments lined the emergency entrance at Jackson Memorial Hospital on Monday night in a show of support for a Miami-Dade officer who was shot in the head. That officer, who is part of the Robbery Intervention Detail, or RID, was shot by a robbery suspect after a short chase in Liberty City. Steadman Stahl, the President of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, said RID's main objective is to rid the streets of criminal thugs. "RID is one of those specialized units", he said. "They go after...

DANIA BEACH – Known the world over for its seafood, the Rustic Inn in Dania Beach is making headlines for all the wrong reasons.In July, the manager confirmed a customer got sick and died from eating a raw oyster that was contaminated with the bacteria known as vibrio vulnificus."Vibrio vulnificus is seen in shellfish harvested from salty or brackish water," says Dr Ade Bamgboye, an internal medicine specialist with HCA Florida Northwest Hospital. He says most people can fight off the infection, but it can be deadly if you have underlying conditions, especially a suppressed immune system."Things like cancer with chemotherapy treatment, HIV, diabetes," he said.The restaurant does have signs in the building and on menus warning diners that eating raw shellfish may increase your risk of foodborne illness.The manager says he believes the bad oyster came from Louisiana.State agencies are investigating. The restaurant had an inspection in late July and passed.  The manager says the identification tags from the oysters were taken by state regulators. Last week, another Florida man in Pensacola died from eating raw oysters.Dr. Bamgboye says as a rule of thumb it's better to get your shellfish cooked to avoid any illness.

MIAMI - Some Broward students got an out-of-this-world experience Friday. It was all part of Space Day Broward. Students at Rock Island Elementary School learned they can be anything they want to be through an interactive, space-themed celebration. The students really seemed to enjoy the experience."It's great and amazing and I'm super excited about going to space," said student Miranda Delva.The event was hosted by Blue Origin's non-profit Club for the Future, in cooperation with STEM2Hub and Space Florida. Space Day Broward brings students a front-row seat to their futures. The students also heard from experts in the field."What we've discovered is that...

MIAMI - A perceived threat caused a person to be temporarily detained and Miami Dade College Kendall Campus to be placed on lockdown on Wednesday morning. Police said a third party called them saying they had seen someone walking around campus wearing a bulletproof vest and a rifle. A public information officer from the college would later say that someone spotted someone riding a bike and carrying a backpack, with the handle sticking out of the bag. The man was stopped, but no firearm was found in the backpack. That person was questioned and then released.  Miami-Dade police had placed the campus on lockdown while they investigated.