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Miami business owner gives convicted felons another chance

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Miami business owner gives convicted felons another chance


MIAMI – Alex Montanez is the proprietor behind the celebrity-loved Natural Meals Kings meals vehicles and eating places in Miami-Dade County.

As a convicted felon, Montanez, 38, is aware of how troublesome it’s to discover a job as soon as somebody has been launched from jail, and that’s why he determined that he would solely rent convicted felons to work at his eateries.

Montanez served 5 years in jail, starting when he was 20, after he says he was wrongfully convicted of cash laundering.

He had by no means been in bother with the regulation previous to his arrest.

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After he acquired out of jail, Montanez discovered it troublesome to land a very good job so he determined that changing into a enterprise proprietor could be the one approach he may guarantee his success.

In consequence, he opened varied companies, together with a shoe retailer, quite a few mattress shops and Natural Meals Kings.

One in all Montanez’s Natural Meals Kings workers served 15 years in jail for possession of marijuana. He was simply 19 years previous when he went in, spending the vast majority of his grownup life thus far behind bars.

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One other worker served 9 years in jail for against the law he didn’t commit. In that case, the precise offender ultimately confessed to the crime and DNA additionally cleared him of wrongdoing.

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That worker is now working to get his report expunged.

Workers of Natural Meals Kings (left); proprietor Alex Montanez with MMA fighter Jorge Masvidal. (Natural Meals Kings)

“They’re the most effective workers,” Montanez mentioned. “They’re the primary ones in and the final ones to depart, as a result of they know if this doesn’t work out, they’re not going to get a company job … They get the job that no one needs — chopping grass, selecting up rubbish.”

As a husband and father of 4, Montanez mentioned he doesn’t worker anybody who has been convicted of rape or crimes towards youngsters.

So why vegan meals?

Montanez mentioned he has solely been a vegan for a few years, however his spouse, Elena Montanez, has been one for about 10 years.

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He mentioned having emergency gallbladder surgical procedure a number of years in the past compelled him to reevaluate his well being and what sorts of meals he was placing into his physique.

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However that doesn’t imply the meals can’t nonetheless be tasty.

Natural Meals Kings gives quite a lot of choices, from burgers to vegan shrimp tacos.

Their meals is even cherished by an enormous vary of celebrities, akin to Rihanna, Lenny Kravitz, DJ Khalid, and even Madonna.

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Natural Meals Kings first opened up in Midtown six days earlier than the 2020 pandemic lockdown in Miami-Dade County.

They’re situated at 3246 North Miami Ave., but additionally have places in Kendall, Brickell and Doral.

Click on right here for extra details about Natural Meals Kings and to view their menu.

Natural Meals Kings’ Doral location. (Natural Meals Kings)

Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.



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Miami, FL

Titans ‘Love’ Miami QB as Possible First Pick

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Titans ‘Love’ Miami QB as Possible First Pick


The Tennessee Titans are officially on the clock. After the New England Patriots ended up winning in Week 18, the Titans will hold the No. 1 overall pick.

Landing the top pick could not have come at a better time. Tennessee badly needs to find a new franchise quarterback after it has become clear that Will Levis isn’t that guy and Mason Rudolph most certainly isn’t either.

At the top of the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward appear to be the top two quarterbacks on the board. If the Titans want one of those two guys, they will have their pick.

With that being said, it sounds like Tennessee has heavy interest in one of them.

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According to a report from Benjamin Allbright, Tennessee is “rumored to love Cam Ward” and could make him the No. 1 overall pick.

Ward is coming off of a massive season with the Miami Hurricanes during the 2024 college football season. He took his game to a completely new level and has set himself up to be potentially be the top pick in the draft.

He ended up completing 67.2 percent of his pass attempts for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. He also picked up 204 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Standing in at 6-foot-2 and just under 225 pounds, Ward has great size for an NFL quarterback. He has solid athleticism to extend plays and he has a big-time arm.

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On the outside looking in, he looks the part of a potential NFL franchise quarterback.

Of course, there are no guarantees in the NFL Draft. Taking any player is a gamble.

Passing up on Sanders for Ward would also put a lot of pressure on the young signal caller. A lot of people have been expecting Sanders to be the top pick, but the Titans might like Ward more.

Only time will tell, but the offseason is going to be wild. Fans should buckle up and get ready for a ton of rumors and speculation about what Tennessee could end up doing.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill says he’s ‘opening the door’ to leave Miami

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Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill says he’s ‘opening the door’ to leave Miami


Tyreek Hill is willing to leave the Miami Dolphins after a disappointing 2024 season.

“I don’t even know,” Hill told reporters when asked what his message to his teammates was this offseason following their season-ending loss to the New York Jets. “This is my first time that I haven’t been in the playoffs, man. For me, I’ve just got to do what’s best for me and my family. Whether that’s here or whoever the case may be, I’m finna opening that door for myself. 

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“I’m opening the door. I’m out, bro. It was great playing here, but at the end of the day I got to do what’s best for my career. I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there.”

In a follow-up question, Hill was asked if that meant he could end up leaving Miami. He initially said, “If it is … ” before walking away.

Soon after, Hill went on social media and thanked Dolphins fans for their support, hinting at his possible departure. 

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel downplayed Hill’s comment when asked about it following Sunday’s game. 

“I’m not going to put too much weight on second-hand postgame disappointment statements,” McDaniel told reporters. “We will see how (the) next couple days progress in convos with him and I.”

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Hill has two seasons left on a three-year, $90 million extension he signed with the Dolphins in August. The 30-year-old had a relatively down year in 2024, but he was still productive in his ninth season despite Tua Tagovailoa missing six games due to injury. In 17 games, Hill recorded 81 receptions for 959 yards and six touchdowns. 

Outside of the 2019 season (when Hill played in 12 games with the Chiefs), those are his lowest yardage and TD numbers since he was a rookie.

“It is what it is,” Hill said when asked how it felt not to reach 1,000 receiving yards on the season. “It’s life, man. At the end of the day, there’s a lot of things that I need to reassess about my career — just seeing what I need to do to continue to get better as a player so I can continue to reach that 1,000-yard mark. So, it is what it is.”

Hill also didn’t play in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game. However, Hill and McDaniel pointed at the other on whose decision it was to pull him. While Hill said he was dealing with the right wrist injury that’s bothered him for much of the season, he added, “Coach kind of pulled me out.”

“I was informed he was unavailable right before a drive,” McDaniel said of Hill’s injury. “I was not informed that it was a new injury. Focus was on players on the field.”

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As Hill mentioned, this season was the first time in his career that he won’t play in the playoffs. Miami went 8-9, with the injuries to Tagovailoa playing a key role in the Dolphins’ inability to make it back to the postseason for a third straight year. 

“It was a tough season,” Hill said. “It sucks missing QB1. It really hurts a lot, not having him. [Tyler Huntley] did a great job filling in, whenever he learned the offense and getting us going. But whenever you’re missing your franchise player, it kind of sucks.”

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Women's Basketball: Canes drop heartbreaker to Virginia Tech, 68-64

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Women's Basketball: Canes drop heartbreaker to Virginia Tech, 68-64


CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s basketball team fell heartbreakingly to Virginia Tech (10-4, 1-2) Sunday afternoon by a final score of 68-64. The Hurricanes (11-4, 1-3) led for 32 minutes and 56 seconds throughout the contest; however, they surrendered a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter, as the Hokies ended the game on a 21-5 run to earn the victory.

Miami displayed a balanced offensive attack, with six players scoring five or more points, including three players reaching double figures in scoring. The Canes shot 44.6 percent from the field and 81.8 percent at the free throw line as a team while limiting Virginia Tech to just 38.2 percent shooting from the field, but the Hokies finished with a stellar clip of 37.9 percent from behind the arc.

Individually, Cameron Williams led the way for Miami, as she recorded a double-double with a 15-point, 10-rebound performance.

Jasmyne Roberts chipped in 13 points, and Haley Cavinder had a stellar all-around outing, scoring 12 points grabbing six rebounds, and recording a game-high six assists.

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Hanna Cavinder added nine points, and freshman Leah Harmon posted six points off the bench for Miami.

The Canes jumped out to a 6-0 lead after burying three of their first four shot attempts. Virginia Tech fought back, and the two squads found themselves even at 10 points apiece with 3:33 left in the first quarter. The Hokies outscored the Canes 6-5 over the remainder of the period, as Miami entered the second quarter trailing Virginia Tech 16-15.

The back-and-forth play continued in the second quarter, and Miami and Virginia Tech entered halftime even at 28 points apiece. The Canes came out strong in the third period, opening the quarter on a 14-2 run to build a 42-30 advantage at 4:16. Miami maintained their lead and entered the final stanza ahead by seven points.

The Canes started the fourth quarter similarly to the third period. They went on an 8-3 run to take a 59-47 lead with just 7:36 to play. The Hokies began to move, taking a one-point lead with 1:03 remaining.

Miami made a lone free throw to tie the contest with 41 seconds left, but Virginia Tech was fouled and made a pair of free throws to retake the lead with 13 seconds to go. Miami missed a shot to tie the game, and VT made two more free throws to ice the game.

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The Canes will return to the court next Sunday, January 12, as they are slated to travel to Syracuse to take on The Orange at 6 p.m.

Courtesy of Miami Athletics



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