Fort Lauderdale Police and fire rescued arrived at the scene at the 6000 block of Northwest Ninth Avenue, Friday afternoon.

According to police, one male victim was found at the scene with non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to North Broward Medical Center for treatment.

No other injuries were reported.

Police said that suspects fled the area.

Officials are now investigating the shooting.

Less fortunate residents of the Oakland Park community rely on church, so they’ve put matters aside, at least for a moment, to make sure everyone had a happy Thanksgiving.

“No, no one has returned Jesus yet, but we’re still hopeful,” Father Bob Caudill said.

A flock without its sheppard carried on with their mission to feed the hungry on Thanksgiving.

“It was packed at mass this morning at 9 o’clock,” Caudill said. “As soon as the mass ended, they were in line.”

The congregation at All Saints Mission Church in Oakland Park served up meals despite being hit hard earlier in the week. On Wednesday, a figurine of Jesus Christ was ripped from a crucifix that stands at the doors of the place of worship.

“I think it’s someone either they’re upset with me or they just wanted it, like it for a collection piece, and we’re going to find it somewhere,” he said.

On Thursday, volunteers were at the church, including the hungry, who were in line for the fixins, turkey, ham and even a slice of pumpkin pie.

“Anybody could become homeless, all it takes is a sickness, a loss of a job, everybody needs to eat and Father Bob has been doing this,” a volunteer said. “This December will be 34 years.”

“I didn’t realize it when I first opened the church. The first night, I had a man asking for something to eat, and all I had was a sandwich and chips and coke for me, so I gave it to him,” Caudill said. “Well the next night, the same time, he brought a friend and it just mushroomed.”

In the last 34 years, Father bob has served thousands of meals, and in that same time, the holy sanctuary has been hit with hate with an incident happening in 2018.

While the front facade of the church may be bare for the holidays, the faith and generosity inside these doors were full.

“Everytime we get a push or something negative happens, God brings it around and everybody helps us out,” Caudill said. “We’ve gotten calls all day and this morning. Several because you guys had on Channel 7. Thank you all very much.”

The church has received plenty of offers to replace the Jesus figure, but Father Caudill is hoping that the person responsible for theft will do the right thing.

“It comes around and then they apologize, so they make up,” he said.

And as 7’s Karen Hensel shows, it’s a way you can score some cheap eats.

Restaurants are everywhere in South Florida, serving up plate after plate of fabulous food. But a lot of it never makes it to the table.

Mohammad Farraj/Talkin’ Tacos: “We estimate anywhere between 2 to 5% of revenues could have been from food waste.”

Mohammad Farraj is one of the owners of Talkin’ Tacos. It opened in 2020 as a food truck and quickly expanded.

Mohammad Farraj: “We’re now all over South Florida and also Jacksonville, Atlanta, with plans to open up more locations across the country.”

And each of those locations ends up with wasted food at the end of the day.

Mohammad Farraj: “You get it all the time. Customers order food, they’ll cancel their orders. But you have food that’s been made already.”

Typically the meal ends up in the garbage. But now, there is a way for you to grab it, without breaking the bank.

Sarah Soteroff: “What we’re looking to do is help people reduce the amount that goes into the landfill and get it into the hands of people who really want to eat it and can still enjoy it because it’s still delicious and still perfectly good to eat.”

And that help comes in an app called “Too Good To Go.” It’s an online service dedicated to helping restaurants and other businesses sell their leftover food, at a steep discount.

Sarah Soteroff: “It’s around one-third, 50% off.”

Too Good To Go launched in South Florida back in February, and has already signed on 160 businesses in Broward and Miami-Dade. And you will find more than just restaurants offering up extra food.

Sarah Soteroff: “Also, things like convenience stores, you have maybe some candy bars left over or some chips, anything like that. We can also do bakeries!”

All you have to do is download the app, choose a business, reserve a bag of food, and pick it up during the time frame listed.

Some bags are complete meals. Others are “surprise bags” full of food for less than $6.

Mohammad Farraj: “We have birria tacos, bang shrimp tacos, we have chicken tacos. You have customers and clients who otherwise would really not be able to get premium food and high-quality food at a price point that they could afford.”

How about some French macarons for the holidays?

“Janette & Co” makes and sells them for wholesale buyers. Often they end up with lots of extra cookies that would normally go in the trash.

Alejandra Barrera/Janette & Co: “Macarons, as you can imagine, very delicate. So sometimes, we did have a surplus and sometimes we just couldn’t sell those macarons just because they weren’t completely 100% perfect.”

With Too Good To Go, you can get a bag full of them for just a few bucks.

Alejandra Barrera: “So we feel great that now we don’t have the food waste and clients can actually enjoy it for a smaller price.”

And since you are helping local businesses and the environment at the same time, it makes the treat all the more sweet.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

Click here for more info on ‘Too Good To Go’.

The crash happened shortly after 6 a.m. near Southwest 24th Street. Emergency crews are on the scene.

As a result of the crash, all northbound lanes are currently closed.

Limited details are available, and drivers are strongly advised to steer clear of the affected area.

Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

The mistake occurred on West McNab Road.

Instead of the intended price of $3.29 per gallon, the pump was mistakenly set at a mere 32 cents per gallon.

Thrifty drivers quickly seized the opportunity, with one fortunate individual filling up with over 17 gallons for less than six dollars.

Word of the pricing glitch spread, leading to a lineup of eager drivers circling the station in hopes of capitalizing on the temporary bargain.

However, the joy was short-lived, as the gas station promptly rectified the mistake. The pricing has now been fixed.

The last time gas was priced at 32 cents per gallon dates back to the year 1964.

The crash occurred on South Nob Hill Road between 4th Court and Torchwood Avenue.

According to authorities, only one vehicle was involved in the crash.

Emergency responders pronounced the man dead at the scene, while the woman had to be extricated from her vehicle and was transported to Broward Health Medical Center.

Fathter Bob Caudill, of All Saints Mission Church and Soup Kitchen, called 7News after he realized a Jesus figure went missing from a cross.

“People are reaching out for help and sometimes you don’t know how to do it,” he said.

Caudill said he thinks the theft happened on Wednesday at around 3 or 4 a.m.

“Last night, I was here at 7, he was there,” Caudill said. “This morning, I came in at 6:30 to feed breakfast to the poor, and he wasn’t there.”

Video showed what the cross has looked like for the last 34 years, until now.

In 2018, 7News reported another incident that took place at the church in Oakland Park, along Powerline road, when a homeless man broke a statue.

“Pushed over the Virgin Mary and broke her head off and wrote on the side of the building, ‘I am going to burn this place,’” said Caudill. “I have people that were staying, working, cleaning the soup kitchen, and I have people that stay here at night. They were very afraid and barricaded themselves inside the building.”

This time around, the incident wasn’t as bad, but it’s not appreciated.

“It’s important to us because the symbol tells us that he’s with us,” Caudill said. “It’s a reminder, that’s all it is. It’s a sign like the American flag. It’s not America, it’s a symbol.”

Father Caudill is now hoping that whoever took the Jesus figure, see’s this story.

“We want it back, maybe you’ll come back and bring it, maybe you had a problem, maybe you’re angry, let’s talk about it. Let’s reconcile this,” he said. “Bring Jesus home.”

He also hopes the figure is returned for Thanksgiving.

“A day of good blessings for everybody,” Caudill said.

Caudill is not looking to press charges and simply wants the Jesus figure back.

The church will serve food for Thanksgiving, which will start at 9 a.m. and will end at 3 p.m. There will also be karaoke at the church at 1 p.m.

Gunshots rang out at an apartment complex along Northwest 79th Avenue and 70th Street, Wednesday night.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, a man was shot in a car and tried to drive away, but crashed into a pole.

When paramedics arrived at the scene, the man was dead.

Deputies have set up a perimeter in the area, but so far, the gunman has not been found.

Davie Police arrived at the scene at a Walmart, located at 4301 S. University Drive, Wednesday afternoon.

7Skyforce hovered over the scene where officers were near the truck.

According to police, the vehicle was parked at the Walmart for some time, but it’s unclear for how long.

There were no signs of foul play as police continue to investigate.

Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

Dr. Hernan Ruf was arrested and charged with a dozen counts of child porn.

Ruf works with children who have developmental disorders and used to own his own practice.

He is being held on a $240,000 bond.

Once he is out of jail, he will have to wear an ankle monitor.

Authorities believe there are more victims. If you have any information, contact police.

Officers are seeking the public’s assistance in locating Adolfo Fonseca, who was last seen driving a 2014 Red Hyundai Elantra.

According to police, the incident unfolded on Tuesday afternoon around 1 p.m. at 5950 Sheridan Street when officers responded to reports of a suspect who fled the scene with a child inside the car. The investigation revealed that Fonseca and a woman were involved in an argument.

Fonseca drove off with the child still inside when the woman exited the vehicle, police said in a news release.

Shortly afterward, officers responded to 4599 Sheridan Street, where the child, still in a car seat, was reportedly found at a store. The suspect had fled before the police arrived.

The child and mother were reunited, and the child was unharmed.

If anyone has information related to this incident, they are urged to contact the Hollywood Police Department at 954-764-4357(HELP) or 954-967-4567. Information can also be provided to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477(TIPS) or browardcrimestoppers.org.

The shooting occurred last week on Northwest 19th Street, right in front of a Boys & Girls Clubs location, following a 911 call reporting a child with a traumatic neck injury, just after 9 p.m.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the child suffered a gunshot wound to the neck, with the bullet coming from a neighboring unit.

The child, identified as Mike Saint Jean, was 9-years-old when he was shot. He was 10-years-old when he succumbed to his injuries.

The victim was transported to Broward Health Medical Center in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries after several days of fighting for his life.

As of now, the motive behind the incident remains unknown, and authorities have not identified any suspects.

If you have any information on this crime, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

The mysterious illness is described as an “atypical canine infectious respiratory disease,” the Oregon Department of Agriculture said in a November 9 news release. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, eye or nose discharge and lethargy.

Veterinarians in Oregon have reported more than 200 cases of the disease since mid-August. Other cases have been reported in Colorado, Illinois and New Hampshire.

“Based on the epidemiology of the cases reported at this point, the cases appear to share a viral etiology, but common respiratory diagnostic testing has been largely negative,” Oregon State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz told the American Veterinary Medical Association.

In other words, dogs with the unidentified illness show similar signs of an upper respiratory disease but generally don’t test positive for common respiratory diseases. And the disease is generally resistant to standard treatments, said Dr. David B. Needle, a pathologist at the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and clinical associate professor at the University of New Hampshire.

“Fatalities do not seem to be a large part of the syndrome we are investigating, with rare animals developing an acute and sometimes fatal pneumonia after the longer chronic disease,” Needle said. “We think these may represent secondary infections.”

Where did the disease come from?

Needle said he’s part of a team trying to identify the disease and find common DNA segments by collecting samples from local veterinary clinics and comparing the results.

“If what we have identified is a pathogen, it is likely that the bacteria is host-adapted bacteria with long histories of colonizing dogs,” Needle said. An “evolutionary event” like spontaneous mutation or getting a gene from a different source could then have led the bacteria to become virulent, he said.

He said researchers have received samples from Oregon and expect to receive samples from Colorado, Illinois and other states for testing.

The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory has also reported cases of a mysterious canine disease, the lab’s director told CNN in an email.

“There has been an uptick in the numbers of dogs with respiratory disease, (coughing, lethargy, fever) and the signs have been persisting longer than a few days,” said Kevin Snekvik, the laboratory’s executive director and a professor at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Snekvik said his Washington lab has not reported any canine deaths from the mystifying disease, but said labs in other states have reported a few deaths.

What can dog owners do?

While the news may be concerning, “We suggest caution rather than worry,” the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association’s website says.

While this particular disease is unusual, “Periodic outbreaks of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) can occur in a dog population. At least nine different bacteria and viruses have been linked as causes of CIRDC, which is transmitted by respiratory droplets,” the association said.

“Infection with more than one bacterial or viral agent is common. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, and lethargy. If your dog shows these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.”

Dog owners should help keep their pets healthy by making sure they’re up-to-date on all vaccines, such as those for canine influenza, Bordetella and parainfluenza, the association said. Other tips include:

• Reducing contact with large numbers of unknown dogs. Just like with other respiratory pathogens, the more contacts your dog has, the greater the risk of encountering a dog that’s infectious.
• Reducing contact with sick dogs. This can be harder to determine but if a dog looks sick (coughing, runny nose, runny eyes), keep your dog away from it.
• Keep sick dogs at home and seek veterinary care.
• Avoid communal water bowls shared by multiple dogs.

According to investigators, on Monday, Nov. 20, Judah Lion Sealy, a passenger in a vehicle, recorded himself filming a Broward Sheriff’s Office marked patrol car with his phone. In the video, he reportedly displayed a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine on his lap and turned the camera to show his face.

Authorities said the footage was posted on social media with Sealy using slang to declare his intention to shoot the deputy. Detectives later revealed he repeated the same action that day, this time targeting a Fort Lauderdale marked patrol vehicle.

On Tuesday, Nov. 21, Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Sealy and recovered the firearm.

He is currently held at BSO Main Jail, facing one count of written threats to kill, with additional charges pending.

April Davis was last seen on Sunday leaving the Egrets Walk community, and her current whereabouts remain unknown.

On Wednesday morning, police announced that she was located.

Authorities are urging anyone with information about her disappearance to contact Detective Sammarco at 954-431-2200.

Airline officials say they are confident they can avoid the kind of massive disruptions that have marred past holiday seasons, such as the meltdown at Southwest Airlines over last Christmas. As of Wednesday evening that appeared to be the case.

U.S. airports reported 59 flight cancellations into, out of or within the U.S. Wednesday and 2,750 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a tracking service. FlightAware said anything less than 300 cancellations and 4,000 delays per day is considered very good.

Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York said it was checking all vehicles arriving at the airport and performing additional security screenings after a car crashed and exploded at a nearby checkpoint on the U.S.-Canada border. But the airport said it remained open and fully operational. All four border crossings in the area were closed, the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission said.

Snow showers could snarl traffic in other parts of the country. The National Weather Service was predicting accumulating snow in northern New England Wednesday, including up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snowfall in northern Maine. Snow was also expected to hit the northern Rocky Mountains on Thanksgiving Day, bringing up to 1 foot of snow to parts of Wyoming by Friday.

Security lines at airports could be long. Delta Air Lines is telling passengers to arrive at the airport at least two hours before their flight if they are traveling within the United States, three hours early if they’re flying overseas — and maybe earlier on Sunday and Monday.

Jordan Sessions heeded that advice and got to the airport early Wednesday for a flight from Portland, Oregon, to Oakland, California. But the Portland airport wasn’t crowded and the check-in lines were short, so he wound up waiting a bit for his flight.

That wasn’t the case for Brittany Dandridge, who found lines out the door when she arrived for her flight from Dallas to Oakland.

“Luckily I was traveling with my dog and they allowed me to skip the line,” she said.

The Transportation Security Administration said it screened more than 2.6 million passengers Tuesday and it expected another 2.7 million passengers to come through airport security on Wednesday. On Sunday, it expects to screen 2.9 million passengers, which would surpass a previous record set on June 30.

Lines ebbed and flowed all morning Wednesday at Moynihan Train Hall in New York. Some travelers said they opted to travel by train for convenience or lower prices. Others said they just wanted to avoid any chaos at the airport.

Matthew Hudnall and Abby Greenbaum were traveling from Atlanta to New York to Boston to visit family with their 5-year-old daughter. By the time they reach Boston, they will have taken a total of nine trains, they said.

“I think we thought it would be calmer and less stressful than flying. So, far that’s true,” Greenbaum said.

Amtrak said it was expecting 750,000 passengers between Nov. 19 and Nov. 26. The company said travelers could see some boarding delays this weekend because of high passenger volumes.

The holiday will also test the Federal Aviation Administration, which faces shortages of air traffic controllers at key facilities that caused reductions in flights to the New York City area this summer and fall.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a news conference Monday that the government prepared for holiday travel by hiring more air traffic controllers, opening new air routes along the East Coast and providing grants to airports for snowplows and deicing equipment.

Airlines have also added tens of thousands of employees in the last couple of years, and Southwest says it bought more winter equipment to keep planes moving even during sub-freezing temperatures.

AAA predicts that 55.4 million people will travel at least 50 miles (80 kilometers) from home between Wednesday and Sunday, the third-highest forecast ever by the auto club. AAA says most of them — 49.1 million — will drive.

Drivers will get a break from last year on gasoline prices. AAA says the nationwide average for gas was down to $3.28 a gallon on Wednesday, compared with $3.63 a year ago.

Charging stations — not gas prices — were on the mind of Guy Maughan as he set out last week in his Tesla on a 13-day Thanksgiving road trip that will take him from his home near Seattle to his brother’s home in Los Angeles and then to his parents in Phoenix.

Maughan said he and his travel companion — a 7-month-old golden doodle named Nala — expect to spend only about $150 to charge the car along the 3,000-mile (4,800-kilometer) route.

“I love driving, I love road trips, and the car takes care of all the heavy lifting,” said Maughan, who is a real estate agent. “I just put in the destinations and it tells me where we’re going to stop. I’m thoroughly enjoying it.”

Air travelers will enjoy lower prices too. Airfares in October were down 13% from last year, according to government figures, and fares around Thanksgiving have been about 14% lower than a year ago, according to the travel site Hopper.

Even so, the high cost of rent, food, health care and other expenses were weighing on people’s travel plans.

Jason McQueary, a 25-year-old social worker and graduate student, said rent and other essentials eat up most of his paycheck and he was grateful for his credit card points, which brought down the cost of his roundtrip flight from Denver to Chicago from $450 to $150.

“I was just like, ‘Man, I’m glad I only come home once a year,’” said McQueary, who was waiting to get picked up Tuesday after arriving to Chicago O’Hare International Airport to spend Thanksgiving with family in his hometown of Byron, Illinois.

The vehicle crashed into a building along West Oakland Park Boulevard, near Northwest 35th Avenue, Tuesday afternoon.

No injuries were reported.

A bone marrow donor and recipient were honored at the Amerant Bank Arena during Hockey Fights Cancer night in Sunrise, Monday.

Owen Hern said that he was just doing a good deed with his college friends in 2018. Little did he know, he was saving the life of of William Anderson, who was battling leukemia.

“I was in college at the time, my entire fraternity was getting swabbed together, I didn’t really think much of it at the time,” Hern said. “And then a couple years later, I get an email that I was potentially a match. If you asked me in ’18 if you thought I’d be standing here, I’d tell you you’re crazy.”

“And actually, the crazy thing is, I was only on the list for like a month and they found a perfect match, and here I am,” Anderson said.

The match was made possible by the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Registry.

More than a million people in South Florida will not have enough to eat for Thanksgiving and one in nine don’t know where they will receive their next meal.

“Food insecurity here in South Florida is really getting out of control,” said Paco Velez, CEO of Feeding South Florida.

Valez said that for Thanksgiving, he hopes the organization will provide 7,000 families with meals.

“It’s getting to where you need to make over $70,000 for a family of four just to live in South Florida, and families can’t put that kind of money together and are struggling to put food on the table,” he said.

The organization’s warehouse in Pembroke Park holds 2.5 million pounds of food. In a single month, they will give away twice as much.

“If we stop bringing in food to Feeding South Florida, we will be empty in about eight days,” Velez said. “So the food just goes out.”

That’s why donations and volunteers are crucial.

“What we’re seeing here, is folks are inspecting the product,” Velez said.

7News cameras captured several volunteers as they prepared meals.

Students were among those volunteers.

“It makes me feel good because it makes me feel like I’m helping people out and it makes me feel like, I just feel like a better person,” said a volunteer.

“South Florida’s always been a giving community, regardless of what’s going on in the world or what’s going on just in South Florida, they’ve always come out,” Velez said.

For more information on how to donate or volunteer at Feeding South Florida, click here.

According to the Broward Sherri’s Office, the shooting occurred at 6501 Nob Hill Road, just before 2 p.m., Tuesday.

Upon arrival, deputies quickly took the suspected shooter into custody.

7Skyforce hovered over the scene where employees of the business where the shooting took place left the area.

Tamarac Fire Rescue rushed the man to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

What led up to the shooting is under investigation.

The area near the business has since been closed off.

Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

According to detectives, Angel Escamilla was last seen on Sunday, Nov. 19, around 11 p.m. near Dixie Highway and Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano Beach, riding a light blue beach cruiser bicycle.

Escamilla is described as weighing approximately 130 pounds, standing 5 feet 5 inches tall, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue hoodie, black jogger pants, and black Crocs.

BSO announced that he was located Wednesday evening.

Individuals with information on Escamilla’s whereabouts are urged to contact BSO Detective Leonard Charla at 954-321-4274 or reach out to the BSO non-emergency number 954-764-HELP (4357).

Isaiah Medina was last seen in the 6400 Block of Charleston St. in Hollywood, wearing a blue shirt and jeans.

If you have any information on Isaiah’s whereabouts, please contact the Hollywood Police Department.

The attack occurred just before 10 a.m. on Oct. 11, and Joseph McFadden was taken into custody on Friday, Nov. 17, near the 3300 block of North University Drive in Sunrise, according to detectives from the Broward Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit.

Surveillance video captured the disturbing incident as the elderly man exited the Walmart at 3001 N. State Road 7. McFadden, described as a tall and thin male wearing a navy sweater with grey lettering, black pants, and flip flops, punched the victim in the face without provocation. The attacker then fled on foot, heading north towards Oakland Park Boulevard.

“First time he hit me, right here,” said victim Deleus Simeon, pointing his fist under his left eye, on his upper cheek. “And the second time on the nose, third time, nose again. He just coming at me, and ‘Boom, boom, boom.’ Three times and I fell on the floor.”

Simeon told 7News that he lost vision in his left eye and can’t hear well after the attack.

“I got punched really hard, I don’t see good. This one, you see? Blood coming out this one,” he explained.

The victim told 7News that all he wanted was for his attacker to be arrested and put in jail.

Detectives confirmed that the victim, who sustained minor injuries, did not know McFadden, and no altercation or theft occurred between them. The motive behind the assault remains unclear.

Following an extensive investigation, detectives obtained a warrant for McFadden’s arrest. He now faces one count of aggravated battery on a person 65 years of age or older.

McFadden faced a judge who prohibited him from having contact with the victim and returning to the Walmart location. He remains in the Broward County Jail on a $10,000 bond hold.

The busiest days to fly will be Tuesday and Wednesday as well as the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 2.6 million passengers on Tuesday and 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday. Sunday will draw the largest crowds with an estimated 2.9 million passengers, which would narrowly eclipse a record set on June 30.

Meanwhile, AAA forecasts that 55.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home between next Wednesday and the Sunday after Thanksgiving, with roads likely to be the most clogged on Wednesday.

The weather could snarl air and road traffic. A storm system was expected to move from the southern Plains to the Northeast on Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing possible thunderstorms, sleet and snow. Parts of Maine, Vermont and northern New Hampshire are expected to get 3 to 7 inches (7 to 17 centimeters) of snow between Tuesday night and Wednesday.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a news conference Monday that the government has tried to better prepare for holiday travel over the last year by hiring more air traffic controllers, opening new air routes along the East Coast and providing grants to airports for snowplows and deicing equipment. But he warned travelers to check road conditions and flight times before leaving home.

“Mother Nature, of course, is the X factor in all of this,” he said.

The good news for travelers by plane and car alike: Prices are coming down.

Airfares are averaging $268 per ticket, down 14% from a year ago, according to the travel site Hopper.

Gasoline prices are down about 45 cents a gallon from this time last year. The national average was $3.30 per gallon on Monday, according to AAA, down from $3.67 a year ago.

A survey of GasBuddy users found that despite cheaper pump prices, the number of people planning to take a long driving trip this Thanksgiving hasn’t changed much from last year. Patrick De Haan, an analyst for the price-tracking service, said inflation has cooled but some things like food are still getting more expensive. Consumers are also charging more on credit cards and saving less.

“Sure, they love the falling gas prices, but a lot of Americans spent in other ways this summer and they may not be ready to open their wallets for Thanksgiving travel just yet,” De Haan said.

Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday travel season, and many still haven’t shaken last December’s nightmare before Christmas, when severe winter storms knocked out thousands of flights and left millions of passengers stranded.

Scott Keyes, founder of the travel site Going, is cautiously optimistic that holiday air travel won’t be the same mess. So far this year, he said, airlines have avoided massive disruptions.

“Everyone understands that airlines can’t control Mother Nature and it’s unsafe to take off or land in the middle of a thunderstorm or snowstorm,” Keyes said. “What really irks people are the controllable cancellations — those widespread disruptions because the airline couldn’t get their act together because their system melted down the way Southwest did over Christmas.”

Indeed, Southwest didn’t recover as quickly as other carriers from last year’s storm when its planes, pilots and flight attendants were trapped out of position and its crew-rescheduling system got bogged down. The airline canceled nearly 17,000 flights before fixing the operation. Federal regulators told Southwest recently that it could be fined for failing to help stranded travelers.

Southwest officials say they have since purchased additional deicing trucks and heating equipment and will add staff at cold-weather airports depending on the forecast. The company said it has also updated its crew-scheduling technology.

U.S. airlines as a whole have been better about stranding passengers. Through October, they canceled 38% fewer flights than during the same period in 2022. From June through August — when thunderstorms can snarl air traffic — the rate of cancellations fell 18% compared to 2022.

Even still, consumer complaints about airline service have soared, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. There have been so many complaints, the agency says, that it has only compiled figures through May.

The airlines, in turn, have heaped blame on the Federal Aviation Administration, which they say can’t keep up with the growing air traffic. In fact, the Transportation Department’s inspector general reported this summer that the FAA has made only “limited efforts” to fix a shortage of air traffic controllers, especially at key facilities in New York, Miami and Jacksonville, Florida.

Meanwhile, staffing levels in other parts of the airline industry have largely recovered since the pandemic. After shedding tens of thousands of workers early on, airlines have been on a hiring spree since late 2020. Passenger airlines have added more than 140,000 workers — an increase of nearly 40% — according to government figures updated last week. The number of people working in the business is the largest since 2001, when there were many more airlines.

Airlines are using their expanded work forces to operate more flights. Southwest is the most aggressive among the big carriers, planning to offer 13% more seats over Thanksgiving than it did during the comparable five-day stretch last year, according to travel data provider Cirium. United and Delta are growing 8% each. American will grow a more modest 5% but still have the largest number of seats.

Details on the crash remain limited, and authorities have not provided an estimated time for when the roads will reopen.

For now, drivers are advised to steer clear of the area until further notice.

Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

As the sole representatives from Broward County, the dedicated students are ready for their historic performance after months of intensive practice under the leadership of band director Steve Rivero.

“We were lucky enough to be in a program that changed our lives,” said one band member. “I grew up in New York and I never thought I’d be able to have an opportunity like this and I think this is really cool and we’re lucky enough to be in this amazing program to have so many new opportunities.”

The excitement among the students is evident as they embark on this prestigious opportunity, marking a significant milestone for Broward County.

“We got a huge fan base that’s coming with us, traveling with us to New York and everybody is just absolutely excited,” said Rivero.

The Eagle Regiment was selected from more than 100 applicants.

Randy Shillingford was charged with kidnapping, robbery, and child abuse.

Police said he snatched a 12-year-old boy off the street in Margate and forced the victim to kiss him.

He also tried to take bracelets off the victim’s arm.

It happened along North State Road 7 near Margate Boulevard on Saturday evening.

Shillingford is being held without bond.

The Broward County Schools Superintendent said he is trying to live up to his promise to see the needs of his students and their families up close.

“I made a commitment to the community that we would talk about going there first, listening to them, understanding them and making sure we aren’t doing anything until we hear from them,” Superintendent Dr. Peter Licata said.

On Monday, he and other staff toured the county and got a better look at the challenges that their district is facing.

“We do know we have a lot of under-enrolled schools, but we also know that the answer isn’t saying ‘You’re under-enrolled, it’s time to close it.’ That’s the last option,” said Licata.

The superintendent said there are empty seats across the county, not just in one area.

He said this year they dropped by about 3,000 students, and more than that last year.

The bottom line is, according to Licata, they don’t have the budget anymore to endure that kind of yearly loss.

One reason he believes is that some families have moved out due to property values being too high — Which is why this district wants to make sure they are doing everything they can to stay competitive.

“We want to look at the K-8 model, I’ve had success with that,” said Licata. “We also want to look at the K-12 model, is it working? Is it worth replicating? We’ll look at technical centers, can we build on that? Even look at a potential in-district charter school, but definitely some full-choice opportunities, some innovative programming.”

Those are a few of the ideas they are discussing, even looking at a boundary process, but the superintendent said nothing is set in stone.

They want to hear from the families in these communities and then come up with a game plan.

They’re aware that they have a need for housing and have even talked about selling land and repurposing some schools.

He’ll be back in front of the school board in June with the five schools they plan to re-purpose.

“We are in a good place. But it’s going to be a hard path simply because no one likes to hear these things but it’s time to change,” said the superintendent. “We don’t have any money and we need to make sure we’re not writing checks we can’t cash.”

There will be three to four town hall meetings for families to attend, however, they have not been scheduled yet.

Qui Nai Carter has been missing since Sunday after he ran away from home.

He was last seen wearing a black shirt and gray shorts.

If you have any information on Carter’s whereabouts, you are urged to contact police.

Larry Weston of Coral Springs is a world war II vet and turned 100 year old, Monday.

He was surrounded by friends and family at a local Chic-fil-A and got an outpouring of love from those closest to him, and his community.

“So, thank you all for coming,” he said. ‘Thank you very much. I, I’m really at a loss for words. I love you all.”

Among the birthday gifts were a blanket-portrait of Weston and his wife of over 80 years, who passed away back in January.

When asked for words of wisdom, Weston said the following quote, “You live your life as best you can. With people that you love”.

The incident occurred along the 1100 block of Jefferson Street shortly before 1 a.m., Monday.

No injuries were reported.

Authorities confiscated the guns and towed the stolen car as part of the ongoing investigation.

Hollywood Police are actively looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.

The Pennsylvania Republican and five other House members saw the blood-stained floors, the bullet-pocked walls, the shattered glass and the wilted flowers and balloons that remain from the Valentine’s Day 2018 massacre. They also spoke with loved ones who were left behind and are now advocates for stronger national gun laws and school safety programs.

“There are no words to describe the feelings that go through you walking those halls. I cannot even begin to imagine how the families feel when they’re walking through,” said Fitzpatrick, the only GOP member who took Monday’s tour.

Monday marked the second time House members have toured the three-story building, following a group of six Democrats and three Republicans who visited in August. The building — set to be demolished in the summer — and its contents were kept intact as evidence. The murderer, Nikolas Cruz, received a life sentence.

The congressional tours were organized by freshman Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Stoneman Douglas graduate whose district includes Parkland. He hopes visiting the building, which he called a “time capsule,” will create momentum in the House to pass measures that will prevent mass shootings and mitigate those that do happen.

“It’s important to see, unfortunately, what it looks like when a mass shooting comes to your high school, when your high school is turned into a war zone,” Moskowitz said.

But he conceded that any changes to the nation’s gun laws will likely be incremental, if they happen at all. Moskowitz said he would work to bring more lawmakers to the school if there is interest but that no other tours with House members are planned before the demolition.

Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime died in the shooting, said he is angry that Florida Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, both Republicans, did not attend either tour, though they were invited.

“They should have been here and they’re not. This was set up as a bipartisan educational effort to show people what happened in that school almost six years ago. Why 17 people, my daughter included, and so many others in this room’s loved ones included, why they were killed in a preventable act of gun violence,” Guttenberg said. He has become an outspoken advocate for stronger gun laws, including a bill that would require background checks for ammunition, not just guns.

Scott’s office declined comment, but noted that he was in Ecuador on Monday as part of a congressional delegation. He was governor in 2018 and spent several days in Parkland after the shooting. He also signed a bill weeks later that raised the state’s age limit for purchasing a gun from 18 to 21 and instituted its “red flag” law, which requires that people deemed to be a danger to themselves or others by police and a judge to temporarily give up their guns.

Rubio’s spokesperson did not respond to a phone call or email seeking comment.

Cruz, a former Stoneman Douglas student, stalked the building for nearly seven minutes, firing almost 140 shots with an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle. He pleaded guilty in 2021 and received his life sentence last year after a jury could not unanimously agree he deserved the death penalty.

Max Schachter, whose 14-year-old son Alex died in the shooting, said it is important for government officials to see that even small changes such as making classroom doors and windows bullet-resistant could save lives. Alex died from shots Cruz fired through the window in his classroom’s door. Schachter gave up his insurance agency after his son’s death to become a full-time advocate.

“Every member of Congress we bring through this building is another step we are taking toward making schools safer,” he said.

Broward County Schools says about 300 people have toured the building since the first group in July — relatives of the victims, elected officials and their aides, and law enforcement and school safety officials.

Forty-two-year-old Thierry Bastien, described as a hero by his girlfriend Makia Ford, was killed when he intervened to protect a Walmart employee from an off-duty worker, 22-year-old Tironie Sterling, who was assaulting her.

Monday morning, Bastien’s family returned to the Walmart to officially announce the lawsuit.

“It was traumatizing, still traumatizing,” said Ford on Monday.

Investigators said Sterling shot Bastien multiple times that day.

Sterling fled the store, but was arrested hours later, investigators said.

Speaking with 7News the day after the shooting, Ford recounted how Bastien tried to stop the attack, describing him as a good man who loved his family.

“The guy had threw the girlfriend on the floor, and he started pounding on the girl, so he ran off to go help the girl,” Ford said, “but as he was running off, I pulled him back and I told him, ‘Don’t go,’ and he turned around at me and said, ‘I’m just going to go help.’”

Family members said Bastien had dreams of opening his own restaurant. He left behind two children, one of whom was just four months old at the time of the fatal shooting.

“He was taken to the ground in front as Makia [Ford] and other customers screamed and screamed for several minutes,” said family attorney Michael Haggard. “This shooter took out the gun and shot him [Bastien] six times.”

“My son will never ever see his dad,” said Ford on Monday. “He’ll never know who his dad is. Thank God for the videos that we have [that] we took that I can show him.”

Recent data from the Gun Violence Archive revealed statistics about gun incidents and deaths at major retailers.

Walmart released a statement that reads as follows, “We’re heartbroken over the incident that happened at the Lauderdale Lakes store in May and offer our heartfelt condolences to the family during this difficult time.”

Between January 1, 2020, and November 22, 2022, Walmart experienced 363 gun incidents resulting in 112 deaths. Comparatively, Kroger had 45 gun incidents with 20 gun deaths, and Food Lion reported 32 gun incidents with 21 gun deaths during the same period.

As the war against Hamas rages on in the Middle East, the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club held a rally, Sunday morning. At least 100 motorcycles hit the road in Hollywood.

Organizer Boaz Ozzy said he wants people to learn from this rally.

“To get awareness, show, show and tell and share. Never again,” he said. “We’re standing there, we’re here, God is with us.”

The event had the club riding through seven South Florida cities, as they supporting Israel and kept hope alive that hostages held by Hamas will be freed soon.

The Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Winterfest Family Fun Day presented by Publix brought festive activities and more to Esplanade Park, located at 400 SW 2nd St., Sunday afternoon.

Families were treated to food and live music. Organizers said their goal was for everyone to have a good time.

“It really is about our partnerships that we’ve established with our community,” said Lisa Scott-Founds, Winterfest Inc.’s president and CEO. “We’ve got beautiful – I’m getting ice on my head, the kids are playing, the snowballs, and they’re throwing them at me. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Activities included free riverboat rides, giveaways and more. Even the nearby Museum of Discovery and Science opened its doors for free after the event.

The Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday gave out Thanksgiving baskets to families caring for children with special healthcare needs.

Organizers said they understand how much this means to the children.

“It’s incredibly important, because these children have so much to struggle with,” sad Juliette Lippman, the center’s chair. “They get amazing care and support, but things like a Thanksgiving meal with your family, things like having the ability to enjoy the holiday like everybody else is priceless.”

Each basket came with a turkey, desserts and all the fixings for a holiday meal.

Speaking with 7News on Saturday, 97-year-old Dick Postelwaite showed 7News just how high the floodwaters rose outside his home located in a neighborhood off Hiatus Road.

“Came up to this corner right here, all the way up,” he said as he stood next to a hose.

When asked if those were the highest water levels he’s ever seen outside his home, he replied. “Yeah.”

Postelwaite has lived in the same house since 1963, adding his neighborhood used to be a fruit orchard.

Back then, he said, the farmer had pumps to move the water out when it rained.

But those pumps are long gone, so when it rains now, his street resembles a lake.

“Ever since that time, we haven’t had any controlled water system. This is Mother Nature,” he said. “Mother Nature gets a little angry when it gets dumped on.”

Much of South Florida got drenched by the unnamed store back on Wednesday. Davie saw some of the worst of it.

7News cameras captured Postelwaite standing outside his house on Friday. The water was too high for the crew to reach him.

“This is the fourth time this has happened,” he told the 7News crew.

The water was still high outside his home on Saturday, but at least it’s drivable.

When asked when the floodwaters started creeping up on him, Postelwaite replied, “Immediately.”

He said he was mostly worried about his 98-year-old wife. Thank fully, they’re both fine.

Just across the street from Postelwaite, Ingrid Korkkanem and her family are building their dream home. She said they’re definitely worried about the water.

“Very concerned. It’s only two days of rain and, as you can tell, it’s terrible,” she said.

Pumps are running now, and the floodwaters are slowly receding.

“When you have that much water, it’s hard to move it,” said Postelwaite. “You’ve got a problem.”

Postelwaite served in World War II and the Korean War. After going through something like that, he said, this past week’s flooding is no big deal.

7News cameras captured Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco on Friday as she addressed Broward County Public Schools officials.

“Let’s see what you guys have to offer,” she said.

The teachers union came to the table to negotiate with the district, hoping to reach a deal on teachers’ salary.

“I want 9% salary increase on our teachers’ base salary,” said Fusco.

The district started the negotiations by reiterating its issues.

“With the declining enrollment, with the general fund needing to be a little bit increased, with our insurance costs going up, that takes out of what we can give towards salaries,” David Azzarito with BCPS. “In addition to the 1.7, the [Teacher Salary Increase Allocation], which is recurring, the district would like to offer 2.0 non-recurring one-time bonus.”

The union’s president did not accept the district’s proposal.

“Respectfully reject that offer,” she said.

Fusco later spoke with 7News about the matter.

“I thought their offer was really lowballed. You know, to come in with just a bonus and just keep with the allocated funding that came from our state Legislation, is just ridiculous,” she said.

At issue, Fusco said, is the non-recurring part, meaning there’s no guarantees that teachers will receive that amount the following year.

“We’re asking you guys to go back and tell the people that came with this bogus offer to go back and find it that way, to come back with reoccurring money,” Fusco told district officials during the meeting.

The district claims referendum money was already given to teachers, but their salaries, according to Fusco, have stayed stagnant.

“I felt a little bit choked up that we should even ask for any of that. Hell, no!” she said. “You’re darn right we’re going to ask for it now. We do the work. We do the work. Our teachers are asked to be social-emotional counselors aside from academic teachers, and we’re also asked to be safety and security.”

Fusco claims principals, assistant principals and upper management were given salary increases from safety, security and social-emotional referendum money, and she wants the same for teachers.

“There we go: we do the work, the money’s there, come back with a 9&& of recurring money,” she said.

So she asked the district to work the numbers and come back with a real offer.

“There’s money somewhere. I just don’t know why the board hasn’t been given that strong direction to the powers that be to make sure they find the money,” she said.

The two sides are scheduled to come back to the table after the Thanksgiving holiday, wither the first or second week of December.

In a release issued Saturday afternoon, officials with the city of Hollywood said crews have been able to clean and decontaminate several areas that were impacted by Friday’s pipe failure at the facility, located at 1621 N 14th Ave.

In addition to Hollywood, other municipalities that were affected include Dania Beach, Hallandale Beach, Miramar and Pembroke Pines.

The areas that have been decontaminated are as follows:

• Harding Street between 14th Avenue and 15th Court
• Scott Street between 14th Avenue and 15th Court
• 16th Avenue between Taft and Harding streets
• 14th Avenue between Taft and Harding streets
• Liberty Street between 14th Terrace and 14th Avenue
• 14th Terrace between Liberty and Scott streets
• Coolidge and Arthur streets
• An alleyway west of 16th Avenue between Taft and Harding streets

The tap water was not impacted, and it continues to be safe to drink.

Cleanup efforts are ongoing and will continue throughout the weekend.

As a precaution, officials advise residents to refrain from swimming, fishing or using the waters in the immediate area of the wastewater treatment plant, including West Lake, the Eco Golf Course, surrounding canal and the Intracoastal Waterway until further notice.

On Friday, the Southern Regional Wastewater treatment plant, located at 1621 N 14th Ave., had a 48-inch pipe that failed, which caused wastewater to be discharged around the plant, as well as the Eco Golf Course, located at 1451 Taft St., and West Lake.

Due to the discharge of treated wastewater, officials are asking customers in Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Dania Beach, Hallandale Beach, Miramar, Pembroke Park and southern Broward County to reduce their use of water until the proper repairs can be made. The less amount of water that is used, officials said, will aid in reducing backups and pressure on the system.

Officials also said that the drinking water supply and people with onsite septic systems will be unaffected.

“Right now, we’re focused on getting the repair done and we’re absolutely taking it a look at what the cause was,” said Joann Hussey with the City of Hollywood. “There’s any number of reasons it could be. I don’t want to surmise right now.”

According to the Department of Public Utilities, repairs have started on the pipe and they notified the appropriate agencies, which include the Florida State Warning Point and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

In an abundance of caution, the City of Hollywood is advising the public to avoid swimming, fishing or using water that is near the plant. Other locations include the Echo Golf Course, West Lake, as well as the Intracoastal Waterway until the pipe is fixed.

Miami-Dade County remains waterlogged, with a neighborhood near Northeast 116th Street and 14th Avenue in North Miami still seeing ankle-deep water.

“When it starts flooding, it gets real crazy over here,” said area resident Kevin Jean-Baptiste.

“It’s too much,” said another resident.

Reports of cars submerged and towed away reveal the aftermath of the relentless rain and winds.

Speaking through a translator, a resident who identified herself as Esperanza said the situation is “horrible.” She said her children have not been able to go to school because of the standing water. She said the water is so dirty because of the garbage cans with bacteria and germs.

Jean-Baptiste said the flooding has caused plumbing problems.

“We can’t flush our toilet, take good showers or anything. It’s like really terrible right now,” he said.

Parts of Miami Gardens also face lingering flooding, with streets in the 2200 block of Northwest 170th Street still submerged. Picture sent in by a 7News viewer showed traffic barrels floating on the roadway.

Residents said that in some spots, the standing water is knee-deep.

Residents attribute the recurrent problem to drainage issues, expressing frustration and hoping for a swift resolution.

According to Miami-Dade County Public Works, one of the two pumps in Esperanza and Jean-Baptiste’s neighborhood failed Thursday morning, and crews are currently figuring out how to bring in more pumping power.

For Esperanza, that help can’t come soon enough.

“Bring people who can work on the pumps to get the water out. It’s not fair,” she said.

In Broward County, the situation is equally dire.

Despite considerable improvement in many flood zones over the past 24 hours, a neighborhood off Hiatus Road in Davie remains submerged, leaving residents frustrated.

“Very concerned. It’s only two days of rain and, as you can tell, it’s terrible,” said area resident Ingrid Korkkanem.

Korkkanem said she and her family are halfway through building their dream home, and she can barely come and go with all this standing water.

“I was hoping that they would do something by now, but not yet,” she said.

A homeowner who lives across the submerged street compared his property to an island surrounded by water.

“This is the fourth time this has happened,” he said.

He is unable to leave until the water goes down.

Korkkanem said the neighbors keep an eye on him.

“I think he has someone who comes and bring him supper. We always keep an eye on him,” she said.

The parking lot of a nearby Broward College campus remained flooded on Friday. Classes were canceled for a third consecutive day.

The aerial view from 7Skyforce showed flooded rural areas housing animals. A pasture that several farm animals call home now resembles a swamp. One camel, an animal that can go days without water, was seen wading across the flooded pasture.

The flooding remains a lingering and ongoing concern for residents.

“It’s just very scary and hard when you’re trying to just, you know,” said Korkkanem. “I mean, you work, you have to go to the store and things like that. It didn’t feel like a hurricane or a tropical storm, but it was windy and it was just steady, it didn’t stop raining.”

Despite sunny skies on Friday, parts of South Florida struggled to recover, highlighting the resilience needed to navigate the aftermath of the storm.

Back in North Miami, Jean-Baptiste got his scooter back after it was damaged by floodwaters. He’s hoping South Florida gets a much-needed break from the rain.

“‘Cause it’ll sprinkle for a couple of hours, and it’ll rise up,” he said. “It don’t matter, it just don’t matter. Once any type of rain comes, it starts flooding just like this, and it stays like this for a while.”

Miami-Dade Public Works officials did not give 7News a timeline when it comes to bringing relief to the North Miami neighborhood that is still dealing with flooded streets.

Day two of cleanup was underway Friday at the Hollywood Broadwalk.

“We walked out and it was just covered with sand, but it’s amazing the work that they did in the short time we’ve been here,” said Robin Parvi who is visiting from Naples.

The scene look completely different compared to Thursday morning, where water and sand came up to businesses.

Over on Haulover Beach, 7Skyforce hovered over the area where crews worked to get the beach back to normal.

“Yesterday morning, we got here at like 7 a.m., and there was like a pile of sand all in the entrance of restaurant, it was flooded about halfway to the tables,” said Ashley Rivera who works at Venice Restaurant. “We also found a puffer fish and a jellyfish, and a lot of trash. Our roof was completely gone.”

After spending the day cleaning Thursday, the staff at Venice Restaurant are now happy to be back in business.

“But we managed with taking all day yesterday to get all the sand out and the big machine, tractors came to pick it all up for us,” Rivera said. ” So now we’re nice, back and open again. Back making money.”

Leo Giset, owner of Ocean Blu store, shared the same sentiment.

“We just took care of it and we back to business,” Giset said.

The City of Hollywood put out new barriers Thursday after the storm, which is something people said was something done too late.

“That’s going to save the whole travel, so we’re happy it’s over now,” Giset said.

With the area now cleaned up, people are just happy to be back on the beach and are looking forward to the sun ahead of the weekend.

“You bet, and maybe get one of those six-people bikes and cruise the boardwalk so they can see a little bit more of Hollywood Beach,” Parvi said.

Kind tides are still a slight issue but are expected to decrease in the next few hours.

After a day of cleanup in Broward County, schools like Pompano Beach Middle, were dry once again and clear of debris.

“They said the debris and stuff was a danger to the kids, but it was hectic,” said Karen Young, a Pompano Beach Middle parent. “Keeping them home, we love them to get an education at the middle school.”

A tree on Thursday fell on top of the school.

While the school experienced flooding, parents said it is something that has happen before.

“Everything it rains, my kids are telling me that certain parts of the school start to flood, that they aren’t even allowed to walk to their certain classes because it’s flooded out,” said Louie Garcia, a Pompano Beach Middle parent.

Several other schools suffered damage on the inside. Nova High School in Davie had water leaking from the ceiling and Western High School’s auditorium was flooded.

Standing water was also a common sight at most schools.

Western High’s baseball field was flooded, as well as the football field at American Heritage in Plantation.

In Fort Lauderdale, schools looked better as well.

At North Side Elementary, some debris still covered the sidewalks, but parents are glad the area is no longer underwater.

“I see that the water is residing,” said Angie Richards, a North Side Elementary parent.

All the issues caused by relentless rainfall Wednesday night, prompted Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Peter Licata to shut down schools on Thursday.

Over in Miami-Dade County, schools remained open Thursday.

Parents and students were seen driving through flooded roads to make.

One school, American Senior High, dealt with power outages. Students were dismissed from the school early.

For students that missed classes on Thursday in Miami-Dade County, they will not be marked as absent.

According to officials, classes and after school activities in Broward County will resume as normal.

Concertgoers in Sunrise walked out of the Amerant Bank Arena Wednesday night to find their cars flooded.

In Miami’s Brickell section, vehicles of various sizes were left stalled out on the side of the road after going through high water.

Speaking with 7News on Thursday, property claims adjuster Alberto Perdomo said the first thing that car owners dealing with a flooded vehicle need to do is check their auto insurance policy.

“Making sure that you have the proper coverage before you begin the claim process,” he said.

Whether a car was flooded or crushed by a downed tree, owners must have what’s called comprehensive coverage. Insurance companies won’t pay for damages if owners only have collision insurance.

Vehicle owners’ next step, Perdomo said, is to document everything.

“Handling claims for many years, I can’t stress the importance of documentation,” he said.

Perdomo advises owners to take pictures and videos of damage done to their car. Those who you have their vehicle towed to a mechanic are advised to save the receipts.

Perdomo said it is also a good idea to have the damaged car looked at by a professional.

“As far as the damages go, you need a professional’s opinion, so going to a mechanic, or having the car towed to a specialist, so they can narrow down what is exactly the cause of loss or what are the damages,” he said.

Having someone look at the vehicle will help if owners receive a lowball estimate from their insurance company.

“The carrier will determine if it’s a total loss, if it’s something repairable, but you ultimately will be able to lean back on your mechanic or a professional’s opinion,” said Perdomo.

Even if the vehicle wasn’t damaged, experts advise owner to check their insurance policy. Most storm damage, including hurricane damage, will only be covered with comprehensive insurance.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Weekes, who was terminated from the Opa-Locka Police Department in July 2022, surrendered her assigned equipment but neglected to return the department-issued credit card.

FDLE initiated an investigation at the request of Opa-Locka Police after uncovering unauthorized transactions on the credit card account.

Over a span of five months, officials said, Weekes engaged in over 100 transactions at various gas stations, accumulating a total over $8,000.

“Weekes took advantage of a privilege that was revoked from her when she was terminated,” said FDLE Miami Special Agent in Charge Felipe Williams. “Law enforcement officers take an oath, and although Weekes no longer works for the department, FDLE still takes the violation seriously and will ensure justice is served.”

Assisting in the arrest, the Lauderhill Police Department transported Weekes to the Broward County Jail, where she is currently held without bond.

Isaac Samuel Mathis was last seen on Nov. 8, at approximately 9:38 a.m., near the 7000 block of North University Drive in Tamarac. He was last seen wearing a green long sleeve shirt, black pants and Nike sneakers.

Mathis stands at about 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighs around 150 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes.

According to his family, Mathis suffers from bipolar disorder.

Anyone with information on Mathis’ whereabouts is urged contact BSO Detective Leonard Charla at 954-321-4274 or the BSO non-emergency number at 954-764-HELP (4357

Omarie Jamoie King was last seen on Oct. 21, at around 11 p.m., in the 200 block of Lake Pointe Drive in Oakland Park. He was last seen wearing a yellow hoodie, black pants, a black beanie and black and white sneakers.

King stands 5 feet, 9 inches tall, weighs around 150 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes.

Officials urge anyone with information on King’s whereabouts to contact BSO Detective Leonard Charla at 954-321-4274 or the BSO non-emergency number at 954-764-HELP (4357).

The retail pioneer and salesman began his journey into the automotive sector in 1962 in Ohio. During his career, Case held the world record for selling 1,222 Honda’s in a single month.

When Hyundai was struggling in the U.S market in 1996, Case introduced the idea of a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty. This concept has since become a standard warranty option for several manufactures.

Under Case’s tenure, the Rick Case Automotive Group reached several milestones, which included approaching $2 billion in annual sales and employing 1,300 dedicated associates. With his wife, Rita Case, by his side, the two expanded the automotive endeavor to 14 dealerships throughout South Florida and Atlanta, Georgia.

The duo also created and developed several fundraising initiatives, which have raised more than $100 million for organizations in South Florida. One of these initiatives includes Rick Case Bikes for Kids.

Launched in 1982, the program has distributed more than 125,000 new and used bicycles to children in need during the holiday season in South Florida and Atlanta.

In 2020, Case passed away at age of 77 after a bout with cancer.

Case’s family continues to engage in charitable work. In 2023, the family established the Rita & Rick Case Family Fund at the Community Foundation of Broward, which helps children and families in regards to education and healthcare.

The relentless rainfall that battered South Florida all day Wednesday led Broward County Public Schools and Broward College to cancel classes on Thursday.

“Tomorrow we are expected to be open fully,” said Licata during a news conference. “We just got off the meeting with the regionals and the cabinet members. We are going to be fully open.”

Meanwhile, Miami-Dade County Public Schools officials opted to keep their schools open on Thursday.

A cellphone video sent to 7News by a parent captured a roadway that resembled a river during their morning commute.

In Northwest Miami-Dade, students arrived at American Senior High School only to end up in the dark. The school remained without electricity all day.

Most students headed home, and those who did not show up at all won’t be counted absent.

“I think we got a big ‘w’ today. We made the right decision,” said Licata. “Some areas don’t flood, but a lot of areas do, and we want to make sure that when we make a decision, it impacts everyone; it’s going to be an equitable decision.”

During a press conference, Licata said that some schools in the county remain flooded.

Those schools include the following:

• C. Robert Markham Elementary School, located at 1501 NW 15th Ave
• Pompano Beach Middle, located 310 NE 6th St.
• North Side Elementary, located 120 NE 11th St.
• Piper High School, located 8000 NW 44th St.
• Northeast High School, located at 700 NE 56th St.
• Western High School, located at 1200 SW 136th Ave.

But even before the heaviest rains arrived on Wednesday, Nova High School in Davie had water spilling from the ceiling.

On Thursday, the area was saturated. 7Skyforce captured waves washing over a sports field.

Pompano Beach Middle also had downed trees, and the parking lots at Northeast High look like lakes. American Heritage in Plantation has sports fields and courts covered in water.

While for some, the wild weather took away a day in the classroom, BCPS officials said they have no regrets.

“No one was in harm’s way this morning. In our view, the right call to go ahead and close down today to make sure that everyone is safe,” said Licata.

Licata also said that two to three schools in Broward experienced power issues.

As of late Thursday afternoon, FPL officials said they were looking at the power outage at American Senior High. There is no word as to when power might be restored.