🌱 15th annual Festival Of Chocolate + Broward Teachers Receive Expired COVID-19 Tests

Hello, neighbors! Carlos Hernandez here with a fresh issue of the Miami Daily.

First, today's weather:

A few showers. High: 79 Low: 73.

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Here are the top five stories in Miami today:

1. 32-year-old Marwan Habib has confessed to assaulting a tourist at Hotel Victor on Ocean Drive and other women have filed complaints against him as well, according to police. Habib faces charges of burglary with assault and battery. (WSVN)

2. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is celebrating the 15th annual Festival of Chocolate next weekend on January 15th and January 16th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival will feature new vendors as well as informative lectures on cooking with chocolate and demonstrations from Miami chefs and chocolatiers. (Miami's Community News)

3. Despite national health officials insisting that Regeneron antibody treatments are ineffective for people infected with the omicron COVID-19 variant, Governor Ron DeSantis said Friday that Florida has ordered and will receive another 15,000 doses of the monoclonal antibody treatment drug. (Tampa Patch)

4. Teachers in Broward County were given hard-to-find COVID-19 testing kits only to find out that they were expired. The county says that expired tests are okay as long as it is 90 days after expiration, but some teachers say their tests are months old and already past that date. (WPLG Local 10)

5. 48-year-old Edward Walker of New Haven, Connecticut has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for sex trafficking at the 2020 Super Bowl in South Florida. He was found guilty in October of sex trafficking by force and coercion, sex trafficking of a minor by force and coercion and transporting a person for sexual activity. (AP)

Today in Miami:

• The Russ Spiegel Organ Group at South Beach Jazz Festival. (11:00 AM)
• Essential Oils 101 Brunch & Learn at Casa Florida Hotel. (11:30 AM)
• A Taste of Italy Class (Adult BYOB / 18+) at Taste Buds Kitchen. (4:00 PM)
• Miami Dolphins Vs. New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. (4:25 PM)
• Sunset Sundays w/ SoulFlowYo at Sierra Park. (5:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Miami-Dade County offices and libraries will be closed Monday, January 17th in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. (Miami Patch)
• Homebound COVID-19 testing is now available in Miami-Dade County. Schedule Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 305-614-1716. (Twitter)
• A third Walmart has closed in South Florida for deep cleaning, this time at 6991 Southwest 8th Street. It will be closed until Monday morning at 6 a.m. (WPLG Local 10)

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Events:

• A SOULfilled Revitalizing Sundays Transformational Retreat and Vision Board Party (January 9)
• Coconut Grove Artisan & Farmers Market (January 9)
• Coconut Grove Artisanal Market (January 14)
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That's it for today. I'll see you around!

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.