Beyond the News WFLA Interviews

Pinellas County is the latest Tampa Bay area to go to helicopter spraying targeting larvae of the mosquito species implicated in the recent outbreak of locally transmitted dengue fever. Spraying could begin as soon as Friday (10-23), depending on aviation and weather factors, using a helicopter from Lee County. County public information officer Brian Pellerin explains why they use that type of hel...

Early voting begins Monday (19th) in many Florida counties. Others begin on the 22ndand by law they could start as late as the 24th. Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer has advice for those voting early in person, by mail, or on Election Day.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pope Leo XIV is recovering after surgery to remove a tumor from his lung. What's the outlook for the 71-year-old American-born pontiff? We speak with Dr. Lary Robinson, who heads the Lung Cancer Early Detection Center at Tampa's Moffitt Cancer Center.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An important finding as Florida and the Tampa Bay area deal with a locally transmitted dengue fever outbreak. Researchers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) used an app to track mosquito bites in a part of Indian River County. They found that a type of mosquito that spreads dengue was more common in a suburban area than they assumed. Items collecting...

Forecasters say a strong El Niño could bring much more rain and even some severe weather this winter, which is normally Florida's dry season. Local officials are preparing for unusual events such as winter flooding. We speak with CK Moore, Planning Section Chief for the Hillsborough County Office of Emergency Management.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A very strong El Niño weather pattern is forecast through the winter. El Niño keeps hurricanes away in the Atlantic during summer, but it also brings the winter jet stream over Florida, meaning more storms. We speak with National Weather Service Tampa Bay office senior forecaster Paul Close about what to expect.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Tampa Bay area, especially Hillsborough County, is facing one of its biggest dengue fever outbreaks in years - with 90 cases reported in Hillsborough alone, along with several in Pinellas and Pasco. How does dengue spread, and how do you know you have it and what should you do if you get it? We get answers from Dr Evelyn Huang, MD, an emergency physician with Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital i...

There's a three thousand mile bicycle relay, from Oregon to New Jersey, to raise funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. C2C4C United States is taking place from September 10th to October 7th. About a hundred Bristol Myers Squibb employees are taking part. One of them is Stephen White, who works in the company's Tampa office. He explains why the cause is personal for him and his...

Point Park University in Pittsburgh is exploring the possibility of placing satellite programs in downtown Bradenton. Officials have been visiting and looking at potential sites. The two cities have been tied together for decades by Pittsburgh Pirates spring training. The university has a number of programs and schools focused on the performing arts, which can tie together with local employers inc...

Two locally spread cases of dengue fever have turned up in Pinellas County, along with eight in Hillsborough County. Local mosquito control agencies are stepping up efforts to fight the particular species that spread the illness. We speak with Alissa Berro of Pinellas County Mosquito Control about how to fight dengue fever by stopping the bugs that carry it.  See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

Students go back to school across Florida beginning August 10th. Undiagnosed hearing problems can cause problems for kids that manifest as behavorial issues in class. We speak with audiologist Dr. Courtney North with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg (FL).  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back to school means getting back into a routine after summer slacking for kids and parents. That also means a meal routine. We speak to Mallory Carteaux with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg about keeping children well-fueled for the new school year.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With school resuming across Florida next week, parents are wrapping up back-to-school routines including checkups. Dr. Kelly Henchel MD with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg talks about the essentials.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back-to-school shopping includes shopping for backpacks. But what parents buy and how kids use them could contribute to problems including back pain. Gordon Byrd speaks with Dr. Brian Piazza, an orthopedic surgeon with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Schools open the week of August 10th across most of Florida. That means getting kids back on a sleep schedule after the long summer break. We speak with pediatric sleep expert Dr. Luis Ortiz of Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg about dealing with kids and the alarm clock.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday (20th), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the Rim Rock crowned snake, the Key ringneck snake, and the Florida Keys mole skink as eligible for protection under the Endangered Species Act -- the first species added under the second Trump administration. That followed a long legal battle. Ragan Whitlock is a Florida-based staff attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity and ta...

Bradenton and Palmetto are joining forces to put on fireworks over the Manatee River Saturday, capping the Independence Day celebrations of each city. We speak with Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Florida has been embracing the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, putting up statues of many of the Founding Fathers ahead of July 4th. But in 1776, those same Founders likely would have been hanged if they had shown up in Florida. St. Augustine hung several of them in effigy when word of the Declaration arrived. What is now the Sunshine State made up the British colonies of Eas...

Manatee County lifeguards saw an unusual amount of rip current activity last week at the beaches they guard along the Gulf Coast. Around 125 between July 17th through 19th. They made a lot of rescues and worked to head off more trouble. We speak with Captain Marshall Greene with the Manatee County Beach Patrol about conditions since then, and how to stay safe in the water.  See omnystudio.com...

Hillsborough County is holding its annual hurricane preparedness event Saturday (June 13th). The Disaster and Recovery Expo is taking place at the Feeding Tampa Bay facility at 3624 Causeway Boulevard, from 9 a.m. to noon. We speak with Hillsborough Fire Rescue's Public Safety Chief, Rob Herrin, about what's going on there.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bradenton is hosting a groundbreaking Tuesday (9th) for its City Park project. It takes its name from the original name of the century-old spring training baseball stadium now called LECOM Park. It's intended to turn the area into a year-round hub of activity and connect to the rest of downtown, the riverfront and East Bradenton. We speak with Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown about the planning and pote...

Flagler County is on the verge of becoming the second Florida county certified as Tsunami Ready by the National Weather Service. While virtually the whole state is considered Storm Ready, officials say there's a non-zero chance that an earthquake in places as far away as the Canary Islands could send a wall of water toward Florida. In addition to awareness, the tsunami-ready designation has other...

After months of drought, Florida is turning the corner into rainy season. Hurricanes could add to the total as well as an El Niño phenomenon forecast for later this year. Those are conditions that could contribute to leaks. We speak with James Fleming of UWRG Pinellas, an emergency restoration company.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a new state law taking effect July 1st requiring all high school athletes to receive a heart screening before their first tryout. Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the number one killer of student-athletes and the leading cause of death on school campuses. Most students don't know whether they have a heart condition. We speak with Sara Goodrich, who oversees screenings for  whoweplayfor.org to...

Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1st. It's time to review your homeowner's insurance policy and prepare in case you have to file a claim. We speak with Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.