Beyond the News WFLA Interviews

Governor DeSantis' decision to order all bars in Florida to close for 30 days to fight coronavirus has a big impact on bartenders, musicians and others who work in those places. Gordon Byrd spoke with longtime Bay area musician Kelly Mettling, who lost all of his gigs because of the bar ban and other coronavirus-related crackdowns on public entertainment. We spoke to him on St. Patrick's Day, trad...

As of Thursday afternoon, Olympic Rowing Time Trials due to start March 17th and ITU-sanctioned USA Triathlon events are still set to go at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota... one of the few local sports events not canceled due to coronavirus. Gordon Byrd speaks with Steven Rodriguez, CEO of SANCA, which operates the park. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well timed for all those Wrestlemania visitors! Gordon Byrd speaks with Dr. Brad Massey of the Tampa Bay History Center, about "Sunshine State Showdown," which showcases the history of pro wrestling in Florida and the Tampa Bay area See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Byrd speaks with associate director Rhett Rollyson of the Florida Strawberry Festival about the 2020 event in Plant City, Feb. 27 - Mar. 8. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Byrd speaks with Laura Koivula, deputy manager of animal crimes for the Humane Society of the United States. She's on the scene of a five acre property near Old Town in north Florida, where her agency and the Dixie County Sheriff are removing 140 dogs from neglect. Some of the dogs have sores and skin conditions, some didn't have access to food or water. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Gordon Byrd speaks with Brian Rick, with the Florida Department of Transportation, about a new series of pedestrian crossings with a new light system going up along Memorial Boulevard in Lakeland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apartment rents are rising in Florida, and Tampa and St. Petersburg are seeing some of the biggest increases in the nation. Gordon Byrd speaks with Brian Carberry of Apartment Guide to go over the numbers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Felix Vega speaks with Lakeland State Senator Kelli Stargel about her bill which would require parental consent for minors seeking abortions See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Byrd speaks with Craig Latimer, Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, about the upcoming Florida presidential primary. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Byrd speaks with Mike Rogalski, COO of the Florida State Fair, which opens Thursday and runs through Feb. 17th. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Byrd speaks with Wallethub analyst Jill Gonzalez, about their new survey that ranks Orlando as the best place in the nation to get married, ahead of Las Vegas. Miami ranks 5th and Tampa 6th. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Byrd spoke with Rich Briggs, research geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey, about the 7.7 quake between Jamaica and Cuba that was felt in Miami and as far north as Tallahassee. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Super Bowl silly season and humans and non-humans alike are making their picks. Mote Marine Lab had three of its otters pick between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs... or at least their logos. Gordon Byrd speaks with Mote PR manager Stephannie Kettle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Felix Vega interviews Largo mayor Woody Brown, who's in Washington for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. They talked about climate change, recycling, elder care and dealing with special needs residents during hurricanes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Byrd speaks with state Rep. Mike Beltran (R-Tampa) about his bill to improve transit driver safety. It follows the fatal stabbing of HART driver Thomas Dunn last May and a November stabbing that wounded another Hillsborough bus driver. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Byrd speaks with Whitney Blair Wyckoff of US News about their Best Jobs and Best Paying Cities report. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Byrd speaks with Johanna Kossifidis about the upcoming Epiphany Day events in Tarpn Springs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are people giving up on New Year's resolutions? A survey of 1000 Americans by St. Leo University near Tampa says 54% don't plan to make any for 2020. Gordon Byrd speaks with Dr. Christopher Wolfe, asst. professor of psychology at St. Leo, who also suggests an alternative that could make those pledges to work on money or lose weight more effective. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

Gordon Byrd speaks with Larry Coggins, Tampa Bay regional director of MADD, about the group's 35th annual candlelight vigil in Temple Terrace and its advocacy for DUI victims and survivors, as it approaches its 40th birthday in 2020. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frank Orlando, director of the St. Leo University Polling Institute in Pasco County, speaks about President Trump's job approval nationally in Florida, as well as the approval ratings of Congressional leaders, Florida's Governor and two U.S. Senators, and what Democrats think about the presidential candidates. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Byrd speaks with Eric Perez of Meggitt Training Systems about how simulators help police recruits and officers walk through situations involving deadly force... including ways to de-escalate a tense situation. Perez is speaking from the I/ITSEC conference in Orlando. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hillsborough County Commissioners will take up an expansion by a financial services company that could add up to 400 new jobs. Steve Morey of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council talks about a decades-long push to bring jobs in the financial services sector to the region. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gordon Byrd speaks with Ted Kresge, whose house has hosted a huge Christmas light display since 1977. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the second time this year, a HART transit bus driver has been stabbed on his run. This time, the driver survived. Gordon Byrd spoke with Amalgamated Transit Union International president John Costa about driver safety. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tampa is one of a few cities where Uber is trying a pilot program for passengers with pets. Gordon Byrd speaks with Javi Correoso about Uber Pet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.