Judge won’t reconsider tossing case against nursing home administrator
A hearing is being held Monday in Broward County after the state filed a motion for reconsideration following Broward County Judge John Murphy’s decision last week to toss the case against a former nursing home administrator charged with nine counts of manslaughter.
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Man gets three years for lying about hurricane damage
ORLANDO, Fla. – A Florida man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for lying about damage caused by Hurricane Irma. Records show 49-year-old Steven Rembert was sentenced Monday in Orlando federal court. He pleaded guilty in December to disaster assistance fraud. An indictment says Rembert falsified records concerning his primary residence in September 2017 when submitting an application for assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Hurricane Irma struck Florida in September 2017, causing about $50 billion in damage throughout the state.

North Bay Village awarded $11 million in grant money to bury power lines
NORTH BAY VILLAGE, Fla. - Burying power lines is something often requested by South Florida residents, but it rarely happens due to the high costs. After Hurricane Irma, many residents in the town of North Bay Village went weeks without power. Workers from Florida Power & Light restrung the power lines that Irma knocked down. Tuesday, though, North Bay Village, with about 9,000 residents, was granted $11 million for burying its power lines. "Its certainly not an everyday occurrence that we're providing mitigation grants for burying power lines," FEMA spokesman Dave Mace said.

4 charged in 9 deaths at Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - Prosecutors filed charges in the deaths of nine Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills residents during a power failure that prompted an evacuation of more than 100 residents after Hurricane Irma. Authorities ruled 12 of the 14 deaths at the nursing home in September 2017 were homicides. Carballo, the former chief administrator, faces nine counts of aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult. Colin, a registered nurse and night shift nursing supervisor, faces nine counts of aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult. Meggie, a registered nurse, faces two counts of aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult and two counts of tampering with or fabricating evidence in connection with medical records.

4 face charges in 9 nursing home deaths in Hollywood
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - Prosecutors filed charges in the deaths of nine Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills residents during a power failure that prompted an evacuation of more than 100 residents after Hurricane Irma. Authorities ruled 12 of 14 deaths at the nursing home September 2017 were homicides. Carballo, the former chief administrator, faces nine counts of aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult. Colin, a registered nurse and night shift nursing supervisor, faces nine counts of aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult. If convicted, the aggravated manslaughter charges carry maximum penalties of up to 30 years in state prison and the charges of tampering with or fabricating evidence in connection with medical records carry maximum penalties of up to five years in state prison.

Miami Fire Rescue makes history with new armored vehicle
MIAMI - The city of Miami is making history with a first-of-its-kind armored rescue unit built to withstand winds in excess of 35 mph. The Miami Fire Rescue Department purchased the MedCat after Hurricane Irma. Firefighters said they reached out to the Miami Police Department to borrow its armored vehicle, known as a BearCat, which inspired the MedCat. "We've always had high water but not high wind vehicles, and so we really wanted to start looking at what we could do to address that." Zahralban said the MedCat is basically an armored vehicle that can sustain both higher winds and higher water, and is also outfitted for medical use.

21 nursing homes, ALFs in Miami-Dade, Broward counties listed as noncompliant
MIAMI - In the wake of a dozen deaths at a Hollywood nursing home after Hurricane Irma, Florida changed its laws to require backup generator powers at all nursing homes and assisted living facilities. You can come and see for yourself," Mildrene Jeudy, who owns Love & Peace ALF in Miami, said. Jeudy was proud to show off the ALF's brand-new generator, having no idea that her business is listed as noncompliant with the state's new rules. After six months and $16,000 later, Peace & Love has peace of mind that their backup generator will keep the power on for the medically fragile beings who live in their facility. Jeudy said she isn't sure why her business comes up on the state list of 21 Miami-Dade and Broward facilities that are noncompliant with the new law.

Numerous South Florida nursing homes still not in compliance with state law
In the wake of a dozen deaths at a Hollywood nursing home after Hurricane Irma, Florida changed its laws to require backup generator powers at all nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

Hurricanes: Can't we just nuke them? (Spoiler alert: No)
A damaged home and streets littered with debris are seen after Hurricane Irma passed through the area in 2017 (Joe Raedle/Getty Images). The odds are increasing for Florida, Georgia and possibly the Carolinas to see a major hurricane hit as Dorian barrels toward them. We are just beginning to embark on the peak of hurricane season as this latest threat rears its head. Heres why not, according to Landsea: The main difficulty with using explosives to modify hurricanes is the amount of energy required. Finally, its pretty impractical to think that we could attack weak tropical waves or depressions before they have a chance to grow into hurricanes.

Police anticipate more arrests in heat-related deaths at Hollywood nursing home
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - The Hollywood Police Department is expected to make more arrests in connection with the heat-related deaths of 12 patients at a nursing home after its air conditioning stopped working in the days after Hurricane Irma in 2017. The arrests mark the first criminal charges involving the September 2017 incident at the nursing home. "Additional arrests are anticipated," Hollywood Police Chief Chris O'Brien said Tuesday during a news conference. Jorge Carballo (left) and Sergo Colin (right) were arrested in connection with the Hollywood nursing home deaths after Hurricane Irma. Althia Meggie (left) and Tamika Miller (right) were arrested in connection with the Hollywood nursing home deaths after Hurricane Irma.

4 people facing charges over heat-related deaths at Hollywood Hills facility
Four people are facing charges in connection with the heat-related deaths of 12 patients at a Hollywood nursing home after its air conditioning stopped working in the days after Hurricane Irma in... Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

4 charged nearly 2 years after heat-related deaths at Hollywood nursing home
Four people are facing charges in connection with the heat-related deaths of 12 patients at a Hollywood nursing home after its air conditioning stopped working in the days after Hurricane Irma in... Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

4 charged nearly 2 years after heat-related deaths at Hollywood nursing home
Four people are facing charges in connection with the heat-related deaths of 12 patients at a Hollywood nursing home after its air conditioning stopped working in the days after Hurricane Irma in... Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

Attorneys: Charges expected in Hollywood Hills nursing home deaths
The storm knocked out a transformer linking the main air-conditioning unit to the power grid at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, sending temperatures soaring . Hashish said the attorneys dont yet know what specific charges would be, but he expected those would likely entail some form of manslaughter offense. Police have been investigating the deaths for nearly two years but no charges have been filed thus far. The attorneys said they didnt have any further details about expected charges and planned to negotiate a bond agreement before an expected hearing Monday morning. Paramedic Craig Wohlitka and other paramedics from Hollywood Fire-Rescue testified last year that he was haunted by the deaths of patients there.

Bone washed ashore during hurricane belonged to missing teen
GULF STREAM, Fla. - Authorities have used DNA to help figure out what happened to a high school student six years after he disappeared while swimming in the surf off South Florida. Police in Gulf Stream, Florida notified Rodelson Normils family that a bone that washed ashore during Hurricane Irma belonged to the 17-year-old student. The femur was found by a Gulf Stream family after the hurricane pounded South Florida in 2017. The Palm Beach Post reports that last weekend the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification determined the bone was Normils. Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
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Homeowner thanks Leave It To Layron for helping to raise awareness of danger
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – After Hurricane Irma in 2017, Antonio Pitre noticed there were at least three precariously posititioned utility poles at his neighborhood in Southwest Miami-Dade County that were potentially deadly. Pitre said the utility poles that are outside of his home, near the corner of Southwest 168th Street and 122nd Avenue, near Zoo Miami are totally rotted. He has seen the wind sway a teetering utility pole back and forth and has felt fear. Pitre believed that if the poles cause someone's death or injury it will be because of the their negligence, so he called Leave It To Layron. AT&T worked with Florida Power & Light to transfer its equipment and the job got done.
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Rebuild Florida aims to help homeowners in need
"There are those that no amount of money is ever going to be enough," said Florida Lt. Gov Carlos Lopez-Cantera. Cantera was in Fort Lauderdale for the launch of the Rebuild Florida office. The program offers assistance to Floridians to help repair, or rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Irma. Rebuild Florida is an arm of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. You can do so by visiting a Rebuild Florida center, or calling 844-833-1010.
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The truth and lies about Zello during Hurricane Irma
MIAMI – Ever since Hurricane Irma became a serious issue for those in South Florida, a lot of talk and misinformation has been spread about a popular app that can supposedly allow communication without cell or WiFi service. Zello is a free voice app that is currently No. The Zello app operates as a walkie talkie-like service. The app allows people to connect with one another without phone numbers. However, incorrect information is being spread that says Zello can work without internet through cell data or wifi.
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Hurricane Irma: Powerful storm blamed for two deaths
Irma's core slammed Barbuda before moving over St. Martin and Anguilla and parts of the British Virgin Islands. On Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands, Kennedy Banda said fierce winds blew out the windows of his home. The hurricane earlier battered a string of northern Caribbean island nations, situated east of the more populous Virgin Islands group and Puerto Rico. Roughly 10 of these smaller islands -- such as St. Martin, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis -- were pounded by hurricane conditions. -- In the US Virgin Islands, Gov.