Beyond the News WFLA Interviews

Gordon Byrd speaks with Captain Peter Lackman of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, about the decision to postpone 2021 Gasparilla events to April. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Plenty of loggerhead turtle nests are found along the Pinellas coast in season, but a green sea turtle nest hadn't been seen in Pinellas in years... until the Sea Turtle Conservation Team at Clearwater Marine Aquarium made a discovery. We speak with Lindsay Flynn, the conservation supervisor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We interview Monica Santiago of Pasco Emergency Management about potential impact from Tropical Storm Eta. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A person has come down with West Nile virus in Hillsborough County. Since the virus is spread by mosquitoes, the county is adjusting its spraying and prevention plans. Gordon Byrd speaks with Nick McFaul, Operations Superintendent for Hillsborough Emergency Management. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Byrd speaks with Erin Thomas, a planner with Hernando Emergency Management. Even though Hernando is outside of the cone of uncertainty, coastal areas could feel some impact from Tropical Storm Eta. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Florida drivers with suspended licenses because of unpaid tickets and fees have a chance to make things good in November and get their licenses back. Gordon Byrd speaks with Orange Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore-Russell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reaction to the passage of Amendment Two which will raise Florida's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. Karl Gibbons heads Third Eye Management, a consultant to small businesses based in Naples. Leigh Anne Balzekas runs Disco Dolls, a boutique and salon in Tampa's Seminole Heights neighborhood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can we expect long lines at the polls in Florida? Gordon Byrd speaks with Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren speaks about plans to work on issues including disparities in sentencing, releasing information to the public when police draw their guns, recruiting more minority prosecutors and creating a working group to review the racial impacts of prosecution patterns. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are some new rules as stone crab harvesting season begins in Florida October 15th. Gordon Byrd speaks with Amanda Nalley of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There haven't been many polls on how Floridians feel about the four constitutional amendments on the ballot this fall. Gordon Byrd speaks with pollster Frank Orlando of St Leo University. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Category 5 Hurricane Michael slammed into the Florida panhandle two years ago this weekend and devastated Panama City and nearby areas, including Tyndall Air Force Base. We speak with Panama City city manager Mark McQueen about how his city's recovery and rebuilding process is going. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Manatee County (Florida) deputies say a 62-year-old man named Larry Wiggins tried to get a vote by mail ballot for his dead wife. Now he faces a voter fraud charge. Gordon Byrd speaks with Manatee Supervisor of Elections Michael Bennett. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No surprise... people are still buying more masks, disinfectant and toilet paper six months into the pandemic, but would you believe yeast and turkey bacon are flying off the shelves? We speak with Marta Cyhan, CMO of St. Petersburg-based Catalina, on grocery trends during COVID-19. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day. Joe Guido with the group Headcount talks about the event they're holding in St Petersburg, and how the pandemic has affected registration efforts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People around Pensacola are recovering from Hurricane Sally and many are in no position to adopt a pet. SPCA Tampa Bay, based in Largo, is sending 30 dogs and 15 cats to the SPCA Tampa Bay shelter in Largo, where people are more able to adopt. Gordon Byrd speaks with CEO Martha Boden. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Florida climate change group and the foundation that supports it are putting up wax sculptures to send a message about climate change. As they melt in the Florida sun, they're supposed to communicate that nothing will remain the same after climate change, for animals or people. Gordon Byrd speaks with Thais Lopez Vogel, co-founder of the VOLO Foundation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Governor DeSantis has vetoed a bill that would have banned flavored E-cigarettes until they received FDA approval and raised the state's tobacco age to 21. We speak with Tampa Republican State Representative Jackie Toledo, who says she's "disappointed" by the news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year, September 7th is Save the Manatee Day. Gordon Byrd interviews Ally Greco of the Save the Manatee Club. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Once again, a survey ranking the states for manufacturing gives Florida a D, even as the state touts its low taxes to get businesses to relocate. Florida's only "A" is for taxes. We speak with Dr. Michael Hicks PhD of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time since the pandemic began in March, Florida electric utilties are starting to cut off customers. We ask Ana Gibbs of Duke Energy how to avoid getting power disconnected if you're having trouble paying bills. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 24th is the first day of school in Pinellas. Samantha Young, a third-grade teacher at Ponce De Leon Elementary School in Clearwater talks about the challenges of welcoming students back to classrooms during the pandemic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part 2 of a new USF survey on COVID-19 finds people are less willing to evacuate or go to shelters because of the pandemic. BTN speaks with Dr Christa Remington of the USF School of Public Affairs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

USF's College of Public Affairs surveyed 600 Floridians on various COVID-19 related issues. We speak with Associate Professor Stephen Neely. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Pinellas County, mosquito control officials say the population is at or below average... but complaints have skyrocketed. Maybe it's because COVID-19 has kept more people homebound and doing back yard barbecues or gardening. We speak with Alissa Berro of the county's mosquito control agency. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.