Top Stories of the Week – NBC 6 South Florida

Here are some of the best stories from last week from NBC 6 News:

South Florida couple overcome ‘catfish’ incident to find love

Stories of catfishing, which is when someone creates a fictional character or fake identity on a social networking service, usually don’t end well.

But the story of a South Florida woman turned out to be the exception. Her saga began with lies and ended with her finding love with the man whose photos were used to deceive her.

For Nicole Hayden, nothing seemed out of the ordinary when a hot guy named Marcus messaged her on Instagram and struck up a conversation. But things suddenly got very strange, very fast.

“He started getting really hot and heavy. I think he even told me he loved me after a day,” she said. “He’s like, ‘I love you. I’m going to marry you. You are the woman of my dreams.

Pet owners in South Florida have been urged to protect their dogs from Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex. NBC 6’s Claudia DoCampo has the details

Dog Respiratory Virus: What Pet Owners in Miami-Dade Need to Know

A highly contagious respiratory disease affecting dogs prompts Miami-Dade Animal Services to issue a community alert.

Veterinarians have noted a recent increase in the number of cases of canine infectious respiratory disease complexes in South Florida.

CIRDC can pose a serious health risk to dogs.

“(It is) caused by several viruses and bacteria that pretty much infect the respiratory tract of dogs,” said Dr. Maria Serrano of MDAS.

NBC 6 Consumer Investigator Sasha Jones shares more about how the state is helping those in need right now.

Concerned about your home insurance? We want to hear from you.

Tens of thousands of Florida homeowners have been left behind after their insurance companies dropped coverage. Others have seen significant rate increases.

If you are in this situation, NBC 6 and Telemundo 51 want to hear from you. Please complete the form below and we will contact you.

Click here to take the homeowners insurance survey.

A movement is underway that could take ATV and motorcycle riders off the streets and provide them with a safe place for their stunts. NBC 6’s Willard Shepard reports

Miami-Dade County is working on a solution to move ATVs and motorcyclists off the streets

A movement is underway that could take ATV and motorcycle riders off the streets and provide them with a safe place for their stunts.

It’s a possible solution to the dangers and headaches we’ve seen associated with biker mobs that sometimes take over the streets and highways. It would be music to the ears of thousands of South Florida riders, and it would also be a delight for many motorcyclists.

“Honestly, if we had a place to ride and things like that, then I think things would be a lot better,” said one rider, who asked to remain anonymous.

A runner and his band did something that rarely happens and allowed strangers – in this case, NBC 6 – into their tight-knit unit.

Debrah Rubio is a science teacher at Cutler Bay Senior High School and has been a tenured teacher for over 50 years. NBC 6’s Constance Jones Has Her Story

Women’s History Month: Miami-Dade’s Longest-serving Teacher

In honor of Women’s History Month, NBC 6 honors a woman with more than five decades of dedication to the children of public schools in Miami-Dade County.

Cutler Bay High School science teacher Deborah Rubio is one of the school district’s longest serving teachers. Rubio began her teaching career at West Miami Junior High 52 years ago.

She then moved on to Richmond Heights Junior High before landing at Cutler Bay Senior High School.

“People keep asking me why aren’t you retiring? Why not start enjoying life? I said, I’m enjoying life,” Rubio said. “That’s what I like. That’s what I like to do.

After a harrowing journey by car and train, the Nikitenko family arrived in Poland, then here in South Florida. NBC 6’s Ari Odzer reports

A family flees Ukraine and finds refuge in Sunny Isles Beach

The moment they decided to flee was captured on her cellphone video.

When Olga Nikitenko looked out from her terrace and saw her friend’s building being bombed, a week after the war started, she decided to get her family out of Kharkiv.

“Bombs, many, many bombs,” Nikitenko said in broken English.

The community of Sunny Isles Beach, home to many refugees from the former Soviet Union, has wrapped around the Nikitenko family. We spoke to Olga and two of her daughters, Tania and Lisa, at Pelican Park on Tuesday. Former mayor Larisa Svechin provided translation when needed.