Beyond the News WFLA Interviews

Children who suffer traumatic brain injuries usually receive two treatments when they arrive at a hospital: an IV to prevent brain swelling and anti-seizure medication. But one central Florida county is as much as 45 minutes or more away from Level I trauma centers when thunderstorms shut down rescue helicopters. Orlando Health's Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital and Tampa General Hospital are tra...

FEMA has signed up about 70,000 people for Hurricane Idalia assistance, but that won't go on forever. We speak with FEMA's Troy York about an upcoming deadline and why it's a good idea to register even if you haven't (yet) discovered damage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One year ago Thursday (28th) Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida. We speak with Sarasota County emergency services director Rich Collins about lessons learned and the ongoing challenges of recovery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday (28th) marks the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ian's landfall near Fort Myers. The storm took 150 lives in our state and was the costliest hurricane in state history. Stacy Aloisio is the emergency manager in North Port and served with Lee County emergency management during Ian's arrival and worked in the county's recovery efforts. She shares lessons learned and tells us how North Por...

The Bay Fishing Pier at Fort DeSoto Park reopens Thursday (28th) after a five-million-dollar makeover that includes bait cleaning stations, facilities for anglers in wheelchairs, and a covered landing for the Egmont Key ferry. We speak with Project Manager Robert Meador. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hillsborough County is asking property owners who suffered damage from Hurricane Idalia to regisgter with the county. One reason is to access local resources. Another is that Hillsborough is not one of the 16 Florida counties eligible for individual assistance from FEMA, and the county is trying to change that by documenting losses. We speak with C.K. Moore of Hillsborough County's Office of Emerg...

The dunes that protect the beachfront in the Pinellas County beach town of Treasure Island suffered heavy damage from Hurricane Idalia, and the city is launching an emergency dune restoration program that means some disruption for beach access. We speak with Treasure Island city commissioner Beth Wetzel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pinellas County is holding an online webinar Monday (18th) to help people who suffered damage from Hurricane Idalia go through the claims process. We speak with Jessica McCracken of Pinellas Emergency Management about the event. We also include a link to register for it with this podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Areas impacted by Hurricane Idalia on the Big Bend and Florida's west coast are dealing with cleaning up and fixing up. We speak with Troy York, a media representative from FEMA, about what people need to know when it comes to applying for assistance and dealing with denials. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jimmy Buffett's family revealed that the singer, who died Friday, had been dealing with Merkel cell skin cancer for four years, as well as lymphoma. Merkel cell is a rare skin cancer. We speak with Dr. Vernon Sondak, the head of the department at Tampa's Moffitt Cancer Center that deals with skin cancers, who has written a book on this particular cancer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Jimmy Buffett died Friday night at age 76. He's being remembered not just for his music but for his commitment to conservation. Buffett co-founded the Save the Manatee Club and played a leading role in efforts to save what was an endangered species. We speak with the club's executive director, Pat Rose, who knew Jimmy from the club's beginnings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tropical Storm Idalia is expected to affect the Tampa Bay area, before landfall north of Tampa. We speak with Jamie Rhome, deputy director, National Hurricane Center. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many local governments on Florida's west coast are activating sandbag distribution ahead of a potential tropical storm. We speak with Mikah Collins of Hillsborough County about what you need to know if you're getting sandbags to protect your home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

School opens Friday (11th) in Polk County. Students walking to Davenport High School and Davenport School of the Arts now have a safter crosswalk thanks to efforts by Polk County, several agencies, and Duke Energy. We speak with Bill Skelton of Polk County Roads and Drainage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scammers have been booking up driver license appointments online at the Hillsborough Tax Collector's office and selling them to unsuspecting residents, especially targeting Spanish-speaking residents. We speak with Hillsborough Tax Collector Nancy Millan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A team with Mote Marine Lab has been evacuating coral it's cultivating in the Florida Keys from its offshore nurseries due to the extreme temperatures in the water, soaring into the 90s. We speak with the director of Mote's coral cultivation program, Dr Jason Spadano. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the one-year anniversary of Andrew Warren's suspension as Hillsborough State Attorney, he's receiving an award from the American Bar Association as he continues his appeal process. Meantime, the current top prosecutor says she's mended fences with the cops. We speak with Andrew Warren. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tampa recorded its hottest July since records began around 1890. So did several other locations on Florida's west coast. We speak with National Weather Service meteorologist Jen Hubbard in Ruskin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tributes are pouring in for Paul Reubens. The actor best known as "Pee-wee Herman" died at age 70. The former mayor of the town Reubens grew up in remembers him as a longtime friend and a "soldier" for human rights. Fredd Atkins was Sarasota's first African-American mayor, and remembers Reubens as a high school classmate and lifelong friend. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A group described as the largest African-American motorcycle club is holding its annual convention in Tampa this week. Kenneth Thomas, a former police officer, founded the National Association of Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers Motorcycle Club in 1987. He and current national president Nathan Mack talk about how the club and some three thousand attendees will be doing charity work during their stay....

An early morning fire devastated the Alligator and Wildlife Recovery Center at John's Pass in Madeira Beach. The center housed more than two hundred animals, many of which are feared dead in the fire. The Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce is holding a fundraiser to help the center. We speak with chamber CEO Robin Miller. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sarasota County reported six malaria cases to the state health department in May and June, prompting a stepped up effort to control mosquitoes. We speak with Wade Brennan, manager of Sarasota County Mosquito Management Services. How long will it take to break the chain of transmission? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we celebrate Independence Day, the peak of hurricane season is just a few weeks away. We talk with Florida's Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis about what you need to know about supplies and dealings with insurance companies. In other words, the basics of hurricane survival and resiliency. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charles Kondek, a Tarpon Springs police officer who was killed in the line of duty in 2014, was also a regular blood donor. One Blood blood bank honors his legacy of service by holding an annual blood drive. It's taking place this year at a Publix supermarket in Tarpon Springs. We speak with Pat Michaels of One Blood about the event and how it honors Kondek's legacy. See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

The state of Florida is targeting one group known for aggressive driving as it tries to get to zero highway fatalities. But it's not just through enforcement. They're also trying to change the culture and influence behavior. We speak with Kris Carson of the Florida Department of Transportation's District 7 (Tampa Bay). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.