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About the Author
Rich Robinson is the CEO and publisher of Rise News. He is also a journalist and a native of Miami. Robinson graduated from the University of Alabama and can be followed on Twitter @RichRobMiami.

EXCLUSIVE: Video Shows Cat Being Slammed Against Wall At Miami-Area PetSmart

A Broward animal welfare organization is under fire after shocking video of one of its volunteers being rough with a cat emerged.

In the video, a unidentified volunteer for Cat Crusade is seen using a broom to forcefully push “Mocha”, a cat, against a wall divider.

The volunteer uses profanity and becomes visibly angry while shoving the broom at the cat.

“Get the fuck out!,” the woman says on video. “Go! Go! Come on! Move! Out! Out! Out Mocha!”

The video was taken by Nadia Sazonova yesterday at a Hollywood PetSmart.

She then sent it to RISE NEWS.

In a phone interview, Sazonova said that the incident occurred at the cat adoption section of the PetSmart.

She said that there were a number of cats in that area at the time of the incident.

She was at the store to pick up a leash for her dog when her attention was drawn to the cat adoption section.

“When I was passing by she was cursing,” Sazonova said. “When I came closer, I saw she had a broom and was hitting the cat, so I started to record.”

“Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of pets in our care,” PetSmart said in a statement to RISE NEWS. “As soon as we were alerted to to the incident with Mocha, we took immediate action to ensure that Mocha was unharmed. Additionally, the volunteer of our partner organization, Cat Crusaders, that committed the act was immediately removed from the store and will not be allowed to return.”

A PetSmart spokesperson told RISE NEWS that the pet chain works with over 4,000 different animal welfare organizations across the country, and even supplies space for their operations in its stores.

However, the spokesperson said that it is up to the individual partner animal welfare organizations to vet the volunteers who work out of space at PetSmart.

“It’s a unfornature incident that occurred with a volunteer,” the spokesperson said.

But for Sazonova, that response isn’t enough.

“I would like this woman not to work with pets anymore or for her to be charged with animal cruelty,” Sazonova said.

According to its website, Cat Crusade provides care for 50-80 stray cays per month in Broward County.

PetSmart said that they brought Mocha the cat to a veterinarian immediately after learning of the incident and that the cat is doing fine.

Cat Crusaders did not immediately  respond to requests for comment. We will update this story if they do.

See something interesting happen in South Florida? 

Know of an important story that needs to be told? 

Send us a tip to [email protected].

Xavier Cortada On How Art Made Miami Global And How It May Save It In The Future

What’s News In This Story?

This interview is part of the “Tomorrow Lives Here” Conversation Series presented by Miami Business School

 


WATCH:

Artist Xavier Cortada is known in Miami for helping introduce the public to complex issues and ideas through beautiful pieces of art.

–A graduate of Miami Business School, Cortada has done some wild things in his life including planting a green flag at the North Pole in order to “reclaim it for nature and launch an eco-art reforestation effort”.

–He is also trying to get more public awareness around the issue of climate change in South Florida, among other issues. 

Cortada recently donated four pieces of public art to Miami Business School and spoke to Dean John Quelch about the significance of that work, his view of how art has made Miami an international city and how it may save the city in the future.

 

And Watch This Too:

DraftKings CEO Jason Robins On How Growing Up In Miami Prepared Him For Success

RISE NEWS is South Florida’s digital TV news network. Sign up for our awesome email newsletter to make sure you never miss a story!

Have a news tip about this topic or something completely different? Send it to [email protected].

DraftKings CEO Jason Robins On How Growing Up In Miami Prepared Him For Success

What’s News In This Story?

This interview is part of the “Tomorrow Lives Here” Conversation Series presented by Miami Business School

 


WATCH:

DraftKings CEO and co-founder Jason Robins grew up in Miami. 

–And it was that upbringing that turned Robins into a sports fanatic from an early age. 

-He took that passion into the business world with the launch of DraftKings in 2012. 

-The company is in the daily fantasy sports industry and allows its customers- people who manage fantasy sports teams, to compete for cash prizes.  

-In a wide-ranging conversation with Miami Business School Dean John Quelch, Robins talked about how he and his two co-founders got the company off the ground despite fierce competition, what he learned from his UM economics professor father and about the power of differentiation in startups.

Don’t Miss:

Lennar’s Stuart Miller Thinks That Miami’s Homebuilding Market Is A “Tale Of Two Cities”

RISE NEWS is South Florida’s digital TV news network. Sign up for our awesome email newsletter to make sure you never miss a story!

Have a news tip about this topic or something completely different? Send it to [email protected].

A “Cat Cafe” Just Opened In Miami Beach. Seriously

What’s News In This Story?


 

WATCH:

 

–After two years of waiting, Miami Beach finally has its very own “cat cafe”.

-The simply named Cat Cafe South Beach opened to the public on November 16. 

-Featuring nearly 40 adoptable cats of all ages, the shop also serves hot drinks like coffee and tea and offers some light fare. 

-Anyone can come to pet or play with the cats, but you are asked to give a minimum donation of $15 for adults and $12 for children 11 and under. 

Here’s another cool story: 

Before National Fame, Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho Started As An Undocumented Immigrant

RISE NEWS is South Florida’s digital TV news network. Sign up for our awesome email newsletter to make sure you never miss a story!

Have a news tip about this topic or something completely different? Send it to [email protected].

Lennar’s Stuart Miller Thinks That Miami’s Homebuilding Market Is A “Tale Of Two Cities”

What’s News In This Story?

This interview is part of the “Tomorrow Lives Here” Conversation Series presented by Miami Business School


 

WATCH:

 

Lennar executive chairman Stuart Miller was born and raised in Miami.

-He also runs the country’s largest homebuilding company, which makes him uniquely qualified to talk about the future of South Florida’s housing market.

-In a wide-ranging conversation with Miami Business School Dean John Quelch, Miller talked about some of the biggest challenges facing his industry, the impact of the millennial generation on homeownership and why he thinks Miami is a “tale of two cities”. 

Stuart Miller talks with John Quelch at Miami Business School.

Lennar recently acquired CalAtlantic in a $5.7 billion merger that made the Miami based company the largest homebuilder in the US. 

-Miller on the impact of the millennial generation on the housing market: 

“Initially…the millennial buyer presented as very different. Every generation for the past decades has postponed getting married and having children a year, two years, three years later than the prior generation. But for the millennials it was even later. It was four, five and six years late. Some of that was just natural progression. Some of it related to the economic downturn but many speculated that the millennial generation would be very different than prior generations. In fact, now that they’ve started getting married and having children, we’re starting to see that the trends are very similar [to prior generations].”

Stuart Miller speaks with attendees of Miami Business School’s 70th Anniversary Homecoming event.

Here’s another cool story: 

Before National Fame, Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho Started As An Undocumented Immigrant

RISE NEWS is South Florida’s digital TV news network. Sign up for our awesome email newsletter to make sure you never miss a story!

Have a news tip about this topic or something completely different? Send it to [email protected].

Labeled Provisional Ballot Box Still Sitting At Another Broward School

Published: 3:53 PM

11/09/2018

What’s News In This Story?


–Multiple sources tell RISE NEWS that a box labeled “Provisional Ballot Box” is still sitting at Stirling Elementary School in Hollywood.

-The box was opened and moved by school staff after Election Day because it was located in a room used by students at the school.

-The school’s principal told RISE NEWS that they opened the box labeled “Provisional Ballot Box” and other boxes while they were being moved.

This photo was taken by a teacher at Stirling Elementary School. It shows some of the materials still left behind by the Supervisor of Elections Office.

-The principal, Jacqueline Arnaez said that there were “unused” papers in the box and some extension cords. She did not think there were any ballots in the box.

-It was not locked and was very light according to Arnaez.

-The school’s media room was used as the voting place for voters in Broward County’s V053 precinct. 

-Large pieces of voting equipment were also left at the school. 

Some of the equipment left behind at Stirling Elementary School in Hollywood.

Arnaez said that it was common practice for the Broward County Supervisor Of Elections Office to leave behind equipment and other elections related materials for days after Election Day.

-She could not recall whether a box labeled “Provisional Ballot Box” was ever left at the school after past elections. 

–A spokesperson for the Broward elections office could not be reached by publication of this story. 

–A similar gray box was found yesterday at Sunshine Elementary School in Miramar. That box was locked, however.

-Dozel Spencer, Broward’s director of voting equipment center operations told the Sun-Sentinel that were no ballots found in the locked box. 

These print outs are still taped to the wall of the Stirling Elementary School in Hollywood.

 -A parent of a student at the school told RISE NEWS that she felt the situation was “outrageous”.

“It just seems very irregular that these boxes were left around like this,” Maria-Victoria Ramirez, the mother of a student at the school who took some pictures of the box said. “I think we need to get to the bottom of why all these boxes are lying around.” 

Here’s Something Completely Different: 

Meet The Three Frenchmen Who Are Taking Over Miami’s Culinary Scene

RISE NEWS is South Florida’s digital TV news network. Sign up for our awesome email newsletter to make sure you never miss a story!

Have a news tip about this topic or something completely different? Send it to [email protected]

Journalist Denied Access To Palm Beach Polling Place

What’s News In This Story?


–Palm Beach Post reporter Lulu Ramadan was denied entry to a polling place in Boca Raton after she tried to access it to talk to voters leaving the site.  

–According to a series of Tweets, Ramadan was asked to show ID when she attempted to reach the polling place located inside the Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton. 

–The gate is closed and not open to the public. When she showed her press badge, she was turned away because she is not a voter at the precinct. 

–This seems to be a violation of election law as Sun-Sentinel reporter Dan Sweeney pointed out: 

RISE NEWS called the Homeowners Association at Woodfield Country Club (the entity overseeing the polling place) and was told by the property manager that they had made a “mistake” in denying Ramadan.

–”We just got a call from the Supervisor of Elections telling us we made a faux pas,” Joan Burres, the property manager said. “Sorry that happened.” 

–Burres said that the HOA had been traditionally informed that media was not allowed on the grounds of the country club. She also said that they didn’t realize that the site became “public” when it was being used as a polling location. 

Ramadan reports that the site is one of the biggest precincts in Palm Beach County with 2,217 registered voters.

Here’s Something Completely Different: 

Meet The Three Frenchmen Who Are Taking Over Miami’s Culinary Scene

RISE NEWS is South Florida’s digital TV news network. Sign up for our awesome email newsletter to make sure you never miss a story!

Have a news tip about this topic or something completely different? Send it to [email protected]

Report: Miami’s Republican Mayor Voted For Democrat Andrew Gillum

What’s News In This Story?


–According to Miami Herald reporter Joey Fleches, Miami’s Republican Mayor has voted for Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum. 

-“People should have a basic standard of living,” Fleches quoted Suarez saying about Gillum’s goal to establish a statewide living wage. “That’s a fundamental human right.”

-Suarez is the son of former Mayor of Miami Xavier Suarez. His father is a registered Independent who frequently supports Democrats in local elections. 

Here’s Something Completely Different: 

Meet The Three Frenchmen Who Are Taking Over Miami’s Culinary Scene

RISE NEWS is South Florida’s digital TV news network. Sign up for our awesome email newsletter to make sure you never miss a story!

Have a news tip about this topic or something completely different? Send it to [email protected]

Making Little Haiti, Miami’s Next Big Tourism Destination

What’s News In This Story?


–For a group of young Haitian-Americans, Little Haiti is poised to become Miami’s next big tourist destination. 

-Each Saturday, Jean Cidelca leads dozens of people on a tap-tap bus tour around the area. 

-It’s the first of its kind in Little Haiti. 

-The tour takes visitors to historical landmarks including to the monument to Haitian Revolutionary leader Toussaint L’ouverture.

-L’Ouverture is a sort of George Washington figure to Haitians. He helped lead the slave revolt that resulted in the overthrow of French rule in 1804. 

-The bus also stops to let guests take pictures of street art produced by Haitians including Miami’s graffiti godfather Serge Toussaint.

-One of the more “wild” parts of the tour is when it stops at Earth N’ Us farms. It’s literally a hippie’s dream from the 1970s. 

-Complete with a three story tall treehouse, Earth N’ Us is a commune of sorts right in the heart of Little Haiti. 

-And there’s plenty of animals to check out while you’re there too. 

Cidelca’s tour is in partnership with the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, the centerpiece of goings-on in the neighborhood. 

-They tried to get some of the big tour bus companies to start coming to Little Haiti, but they didn’t get any takers. 

-But now, there’s a cool way to see the area with local eyes. 

IF YOU GO: 

WHEN: Every Saturday
TIME: 10am & 1pm & 3pm
DURATION: 75 Minutes
MEETING POINT: Caribbean Marketplace | 5925 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL, 33137
PRICE: $10

Reserve tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/little-haiti-bus-tours-tickets-49520491122?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Call: 205-649-0787 For More Information (Not a typo- the area code is 205)

Private Bus Tours Available Upon Request.

 

Here’s Something Completely Different: 

Meet The Three Frenchmen Who Are Taking Over Miami’s Culinary Scene

RISE NEWS is South Florida’s digital TV news network. Sign up for our awesome email newsletter to make sure you never miss a story!

Have a news tip about this topic or something completely different? Send it to [email protected]

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