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Syrian-Americans make appeal to U.S. Gov't

Members of the Syrian American Council's South Florida chapter, frustrated with the U.S.'s perceived inaction, took their plight to the streets Sunday, protesting at Miami's Bayfront Park. For nearly a year, the Syrian government has been accused of answering the growing chorus of democracy with violence. The regime claims demonstrators are terrorists working to destabilize the country. Last month, the United Nations said more than 5,000 people have died in the uprising, but Syrian activists said the number is greater. A man who owns a car dealership said he and his family came to Miami from Syria three months ago. He said they escaped in the middle of the night after a sniper nearly shot and killed him. Along with the Syrian American Council, they are hoping Congress will hear their pleas for help and step in before more people die. With many having family members in Syria, even children displayed a mature nature of what's at stake. A group of U.S. Senators, including Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, presented a resolution asking the Obama Administration to intervene.

Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:25:45 GMT

Funeral held Sunday for Aaron Cohen

Funeral services will be held Sunday for Aaron Cohen, the bicyclist who was hit and killed on the Rickenbacker Causeway. Cohen, a father of two young children, died Feb 16 after being hit by a driver on the Rickenbacker Causeway. The funeral will take place at Temple Beth Sholom on Chase Avenue in Miami Beach at 1:00 p.m. Sunday. Cohen will then be laid to rest at Mt. Nebo Kendall Memorial Gardens. Dozens of more bicyclists are also riding across the Rickenbaker Causeway Sunday in honor of Cohen. They're also hoping to get lawmakers to pay attention and put more safety standards in place so that drivers and bikers can share the road. Bicyclists who spoke with Local 10 said they don't want something like this to ever happen again.

Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:01:27 GMT

1 dead after police say man pointed flare gun at officers

A Hialeah man who police say fired a flare gun at officers was shot and killed by police Saturday afternoon. At around 3 p.m. in the 1300 block of West 49th Place, someone called police when neighbors said Luis Enrique Nunez, 48, was acting erratically, even pulling the fire alarm. When officers arrived, they said the man was in the hallway, on the third floor with a flare gun. At some point the flare gun was fired and three officers opened fire. It is unclear who shot first. "They murdered my brother, they shot him eight times in the chest," said Elsa Nunez, Luis' sister. She said her brother has a long history of drug and alcohol abuse and was under the influence Saturday. She said he called family members before police arrived. Nunez came to the apartment to try to reason with her brother. She said police would not let her talk to him. Then she heard a barrage of bullets being fired in the hallway. The man who relatives said was shot and killed by police, Luis Enrique Nunez and his girlfriend, Francia Melendez Nunez said police should not have killed her brother because he only had a flare gun. Hialeah police say flare guns can be extremely dangerous. "A flare gun will kill you," said Hialeah Police Chief Mark Overton. During the incident one Hialeah officer hurt his hand; it was either from a bullet ricochet or from the flare gun. He is expected to fully recover.

Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 05:18:49 GMT

Record highs possible Sunday

11am It is a warm Sunday across south Florida. Look for temperatures to peak around 84 degrees, near record territory. You can expect a noticeable SW breeze with winds sustained 10-15 mph. The rain chance remains at 20%. A cold front slips through Sunday evening bringing cooler air for Monday. Temperatures will be in the mid-60s Monday morning and top out in the mid-70s Monday afternoon with sunshine and a few clouds. Log on to www.justweather.com for more details. Meteorologist Betty Davis 7am Sunday is heating up! South Florida remains ahead of a cold front. Expect winds from the southwest sustained 10-15 mph. The afternoon high should climb to about 84 degrees. The record high for this date is 86 degrees. As the cold front slips through Sunday evening it will not be much of a weather-maker. The rain chance remains at 20%. Look for passing clouds with the cold front and a change in temperatures for Monday. Monday morning's low will be in the mid-60s and the afternoon high in the mid-70s. Enjoy! Meteorologist Betty Davis

Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 15:35:43 GMT

F-16 promotes Lauderdale Air Show

People along Fort Lauderdale Beach had a sneak peek of the air power that will soon grace the coast of Broward County. Around 5 p.m. Sunday, an F-16 from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds made a cursory run to conduct a sight survey and promote the upcoming show. The Lauderdale Air Show will bring the entire Thunderbirds team to Fort Lauderdale, along with several other military and civilian aerial performers, on April 28 and 29. It's been five years since Fort Lauderdale last hosted an air show. The center of the excitement will be near Sunrise Boulevard and A1A.

Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 02:57:07 GMT

Will Manso heads to Rio's Carnaval

Sunday 3:00 p.m. It's time to head to the start of the Carnaval parades. We spent the day shooting video for our special show all around the beach. They say what happens in Rio stays in Rio, well, it doesn't work that way when you work in TV. Today alone, I ate filet mignon for the 3rd straight day an wore a speedo (momentarily) for a TV shoot. Yes, I'd say those are only things I'd do in Rio. I'm hoping the speedo thing never makes it to your television sets. I've always wanted to see the Carnaval parades in person, and tonight is my chance. Even though it doesn't begin for another 3 hours, we have to leave the hotel now because of the crazy traffic. Our Local 10 crew will take plenty of pictures and video. I'll update here in the morning. At this pace, we may get back to the hotel around 5:00 a.m.! Talk to you soon from Rio. Feb. 19, 2012: 8:00 a.m. After two days of work, we finally got a taste of a party at Rio's Carnaval. Our crew was invited to attend a private party at one of the most amazing homes in Rio De Janeiro. It's in a small mountainside community known as Santa Theresa. It's the home of a former first lady of Brazil, and it's hard to put into words how beautiful and luxurious the home is. The only way I could describe the outside of the home is that it looks like it's straight out of the movie "Scarface." For those who are fans of that movie, it had the same type of grand entrance. A long, sprawling driveway with fountains and gorgeous landscaping. The inside of the home was even more incredible, including a library that was the size of my home back in South Florida. The famous Christ statue literally overlooked the home from behind. What a sight! Samba music played all night, as a who's-who's of Brazil partied away, including not one, but TWO former Miss Peru's! Like all women there, they couldn't stop talking about the fact famous shoe designer Christian Louboutin was in attendance. Of course our Local 10 crew, made up of three men, had no clue who this man was. Champagne flowed the entire night, and by the time a live band jumped out to perform, everyone was dancing. It was interesting to see the different side of Carnaval parties. Rio is a city with very distinct financial and living areas. You have multi-millionaire's living in high-end homes and condominiums and then the majority of people living in the slum areas called Favelas. Those two sides of Brazil life may not have much in common on the surface, but when it comes to a good party, they're alike. It's all about energy, passion and fun. We felt that energy at the parties on the streets, and we certainly felt that energy at the party in Santa Theresa. The real difference for us, other than the free flowing champagne, was the feeling of safety. As I've mentioned in previous blog updates, you do have to be very careful of pick-pocket's who try to box you in on the streets. We've now had two encounters like that. Fortunately, the second time we were able to get away with all our belongings, i.e; camera equipment. By the end of the night, around 2 a.m. local time, we were ready to take a private van back to the hotel. To describe this scene wouldn't do it justice. We fit about 20 people in a van made for 15. This included people still carrying glasses filled with champagne. Put it this way, my photographer had to sit on my lap. Yes, it was that kind of night, and everyone in the van still wanted to party. I thought I could hang and party like a Brazilian in Rio, but by the time we got back to Ipanema, I was ready to go to bed. But hey, I still had a great time. To think, the so-called "real" party begins tonight at the Sambadromo for the start of the Carnaval parade. I better get my rest! Saturday 5:45 p.m. The day was long in Rio De Janeiro, but the night is young. The streets of Ipanema are overflowing with people. Locals tell us police were even a bit startled by crowds exceeding two million people partying all over the city. Speaking of parties, it's 8:45 p.m. local time and it's time to head to a private party at a sprawling estate in a beautiful home in Santa Theresa. That's a quaint town about an hour outside of the center of Rio. I think I'll call it a night and go enjoy it with our crew. We have big day tomorrow with the official start of the Carnaval parades. Meantime, I hope you enjoy the story we just filed that will air on Local 10 news at 6:30 and 11 p.m. Good night. We'll talk tomorrow from Rio. WATCH: Will goes behind the scenes at Carnaval Saturday 12:30 p.m. Our crew is back at the hotel to work on our story for Local 10 news at 6:30, and what a story we were able to get. With the start of Carnaval just over 24 hours away, we got a rare behind-the-scenes look at the final preps going on for the first parade.PHOTOS: Behind-the-scenes parade preparations I even got to get on the floats where all the samba will be happening Sunday night. I would call it a controlled chaos! Workers were still gluing, sawing, nailing and doing everything possible to get the floats ready. Meantime, upstairs in the costume area, we saw hundreds of costumes being finalized by dozens of workers. It was amazing to see the detail of each piece in the parade. No detail is missed in the production. The floats look larger than life with bright colors and movement. To think, we're not even seeing the final product of how they'll be once Carnaval starts. Miami artist Romero Britto will be honored with his own parade, and his bright colors were evident everywhere. Many parts of the city showcase his work, and we stopped at two spots with him this morning to see some beautiful art he has created for his native country. Now, after we edit our package, it's time to head to the beach. Yes, let the Rio madness continue! Feb. 18, 2012: 5:21 a.m. Good morning from a sunny and beautiful Ipanema. I look outside and the view of the water is stunning! Believe it or not, while my body says it's only 5 a.m. (it is in South Florida), it's 8 a.m. here in Rio De Janeiro, so that means it's time to get back to work. We're set to meet Romero Britto at his hotel close by here in Ipanema. We have numerous stops this morning where his art work is being displayed. We plan on seeing that and also have some time saved to check out the beaches. Don't worry, I'll snap plenty of good pictures and video. Meantime, our crew had an "eventful" evening last night around this neighborhood. The plus was we saw some great Carnaval parties and people. We also had an amazing dinner at a local steak and fish restaurant. The bad news was the pick pocket who snatched the iPhone out of the hands of one of our crew members. Call it a lesson learned. Fun can be had here, but the opportunists are everywhere. Okay, I'll be blogging more later. It's now our opportunity to see some amazing things today. Friday 9 p.m. We are already crime victims in the crazy street crowds of Rio. Pushing and shoving crowds got us boxed into a corner. Lots of opportunists pounced when they saw the television equipment. They tried to get our cameraman's wallet and telephone. He made it through the other end of the crowd with his belongings. Another member of our crew, not so lucky. His iPhone was snatched right from his hand, never to be seen again. Not a good way to start our weekend, but crime is real in Rio, like so many other big cities. At least it wasn't the much more expensive TV camera we lost. We won't let it ruin our adventure. Friday 7 p.m. Not sure what to compare it to. Enormous crowds have overwhelmed Rio de Janeiro. The streets are packed. Traffic is not budging as tourists and locals who have had way too much to drink start their Carnaval celebrations. We are heading out into the crowds. Don't have to go too far to find great pictures and stories. More to come! Friday 5 p.m. Welcome to Rio. We have arrived. What a memorable journey so far, and it promises to get even better. Carnaval here we come. We will navigate through the gridlocked streets of Rio de Janeiro to our hotel in Ipanema, then hit the streets looking for tonight's story. I have a feeling plenty of stories will find us! If all goes according to plan, we will see you on Local 10 News at 11 p.m. Friday 2:05 p.m. Five hours into our flight and it's nap time. Need to conserve energy for tonight in Rio. Romero is taking a short snooze too. I have a feeling we won't get much sleep this weekend, so good idea to catch some Z's when we can. Heard some incredible stories from Romero on the flight so far. He's currently painting a picture of Queen Elizabeth and will be presenting it to her soon. Amazing stories, amazing trip. And have you ever wondered what the bathroom looks like in a $50 million jet. Well here's a picture. How will I ever go back to commercial flights again? Friday 12:55 p.m. It's about 12:30 p.m. local time back home in Miami and we're about 45,000 feet in the skies over Brazil. We're still a good four hours away from Rio De Janeiro. Our first stop tonight will be the street parties that accompany the start of Carnaval. I'll be filing a report as soon as I get in and send it back for Local 10 news at 11 o'clock. PHOTOS: Slideshow: Romero Britto PHOTOS: Destination Rio PHOTOS: Rio de Janeiro, Carnaval (Updated throughout the weekend) I'm told to expect literally thousands of people on the streets everywhere. Tomorrow morning we have a tour of some of the local spots in Rio and then a visit to a samba school. We also plan on hitting the beaches to see the real beauty of Brazil; the people! Romero Britto has a busy day and night planned, including a special party in his honor in the evening. He'll also tour a number of spots where his art work is being displayed. Meantime, I don't think I'll ever want to fly commercial again! Flying in a private G-550 plane sure is nice. Okay, I can stop dreaming. I'll be hitting the connecting commercial flights come the NBA playoffs, but no complaining from me. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience I'm making sure to enjoy. More to come from Rio... Feb. 17, 2012: 8:35 a.m. It's time to head to Rio De Janeiro. Needless to say, I'm beyond excited for this trip to Carnaval. It's cliche to say something is on your bucket list, but this truly has been on mine since a young age. Our Local 10 crew is set up on a private jet with Miami artist Romero Britto and ready for the 8-hour ride. Britto is sitting next to me right now, and I doubt he's ever been more anxious. While he's painted for presidents, actors, singers and even royalty, being honored in his native Brazil is a dream come true for him. So, here we are, both preparing for an experience of a lifetime. Like I mentioned in an earlier video post, I wish we could bring all of you along, but I'll make sure to send some great pictures and video to give you a taste of the experience. OK, it's time for liftoff. Next stop; Rio! We'll talk next from Carnaval. Feb. 14, 2012 South Florida's most famous artist is about to be honored in a very big way. Romero Britto, now known around the world for his art, will share it with an even bigger audience as his art comes to life at Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro. His art decorates our landscape. You can't escape the color.PHOTOS: Slideshow Romero Britto has left his mark on South Florida and the world -- paintings, sculptures, cars, even a line of collectables now sold at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Britto is wildly successful. His art is now sold in galleries in more than 100 countries. He has painted presidents, celebrities, even royalty. But with all of his successes so far in his life, his greatest achievement is about to be realized. This weekend, Britto will be celebrated in Brazil, at the country's biggest celebration: Carnaval. "I got an invitation from the school of samba. They said they wanted to make homage of my work," Britto said. "I was thrilled, and I couldn't believe it. Carnaval in Brazil is the biggest cultural event in the country." It will truly be full circle for Britto. He was born in poverty in Brazil, one of nine children raised by a single mother. The once-struggling artist who gained fame in Miami, now returns to Brazil as a pop art icon and will watch as 4,000 performers bring his art to life. It will be a spectacular production -- big, bold and bright. "There will be thousands of people dressed up. There will be huge floats," Britto said. "It's hard to describe in words. I'm very appreciative. I'm very thankful." Britto has worked for more than a year getting ready for this weekend's event. No detail has been overlooked. And Sunday night is show time! "To do this in Brazil is, like, wow -- incredible," Britto said. Here are some more incredible numbers to consider: In Brazil alone, 100 million people will watch the Carnaval parade on television. In addition, the parade will be broadcast in 137 countries. Britto will be there in person at Carnaval to take in the experience. Local 10's Will Manso will be in Rio to document the event. "This is truly one of my bucket list items," Manso says. You can keep up with his travels on Local10.com, where we will publish all the photos and videos he will be sharing from Carnaval.

Published: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:12:07 GMT

Roads closed for Coconut Grove arts festival

Several roads in Coconut Grove will be closed all weekend as thousands head to the annual arts festival. The roads will be closed until 11 p.m. Monday. McFarlane Road from Main Highway to Mary Street, and Mary Street from Grand Avenue to South Bayshore Drive is closed. Bayshore Drive is also be closed from Mary Street to SW 27th Avenue, and SW 27th Avenue between Tigertail and South Bayshore Drive. Also closed: South Bayshore Drive from Chart House Road to Mary Street, and Pan American Drive from South Bayshore to Chart House Road. To help traffic flow, the Miami Police Department has planned detours on South Bayshore Drive at Aviation Avenue and on Tigertail between Aviation Avenue and SW 27th Avenue.

Published: Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:43:34 GMT

Art, boats bring thousands to So. Fla.

Don't say there is nothing to do this weekend in South Florida. Four big events are drawing hundreds of thousands of people to the area, filling hotel rooms and pumping millions into the local economy. "I thought it would be easy to get a hotel room in Miami and I didn't book ahead. Lesson learned for next year. I forgot the boat show was going on too," said artist Jennifer Ivory. Ivory drove here from Oregon to showcase her work at the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. The event is expected to bring more than 100,000 people to the Grove. Art lovers can also enjoy the Art Wynwood show in Midtown Miami. Art lovers aren't the only ones with plenty to see this President's Day weekend. Boat lovers will be in their glory. There is the Yacht and Brokerage show along Indian Creek in Miami Beach, featuring hundreds of breath taking yachts. The Miami International Boat Show has also sailed into town and organizers expect more than 100,000 visitors will be checking out all of the latest boats and accessories. Exhibitor George Sawley says the show has a huge international appeal. "You get lots of people from Central and South America, Europe, coming here to see the latest and greatest," said Sawley.

Published: Sat, 18 Feb 2012 21:43:45 GMT

BSO: Theft suspect calls Rolex 'gift from God'

Broward Sheriff's Office deputies said they arrested the man caught on surveillance video stealing an expensive watch from a plastic bin at Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Igor Ramos, 37, was arrested at his home in Sunny Isles on Friday morning, and detectives said he was wearing the watch when he opened the door. "When we asked him about the watch, he said it was a gift from God," said Lt. Brian Montgomery. Deputies said Ramos had no idea he made big news earlier this week when BSO released surveillance video that they said shows him swiping the pricey Rolex. "Even the security guard at his building in Sunny Isles came up to him and said, 'Hey, you're all over TV,' and he thought everybody was joking with him," said Montgomery. It happened Jan. 18. The $6,500 timepiece belonged to the woman in line ahead of him. She removed her belongings from the bin after walking through the body scan machine, but she accidentally left the watch in the bin. Surveillance video showed the man in line behind her taking the watch after she walked away, BSO said. By the time the victim realized the watch was gone, detectives said Ramos was well on his way to New York. Investigators requested the passenger list from the airline and were then flooded with tips after they released the video Wednesday. Detectives said Ramos frequently travels between Florida and New York, buying and selling cars, and was actually heading back to the airport Friday when deputies caught him at home. "As our guys were standing outside his condo, he opened the door, and surprisingly, he was wearing the victim's watch," Montgomery said. The woman who owns the watch lives in Honduras. She wrote a letter to Local 10 that reads: "I am writing from my home in Central America and am thankful to you for your coverage of the news which lead to the arrest of the man who stole my watch. Let this experience serve to encourage people to always do the right thing."

Published: Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:20:09 GMT

Is Mexican Coca-Cola better than regular Coke?

An American classic may be getting upstaged by its Mexican counterpart. More places are starting to offer Mexican Coca-Cola. It is made with pure cane sugar, while here in the U.S., it is produced with corn syrup. Sweetness Bake Shop in Miami has been selling Mexican Coke for about 10 months now, and exmployees say customers can't get enough of it. "I mean, it's a more natural flavor," said manager, Jonathan Braswell. "People love it because it gives them a more natural taste." Local 10 wondered if people could really tell the difference, so it set up a very unscientific experiment at the station. One cup was filled with regular Coke, and another cup was filled with Mexican Coke, and employees were asked which one they liked better and why. In the end, the American version won, but by only 1 vote. Mexican Coke is a little more expensive, which is why the company switched the corn syrup in the 1980s; sugar prices got too high. Click here to check out some bloopers from Local 10's taste test!

Published: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:11:38 GMT

Mullet mania, part II: The mullets strike back

They're baaaaack... and crazier than ever! Mullet Mania makes a return with a whole new batch of some of the worst (or best) haircuts on the planet.

Published: Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:42:23 GMT

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