Beyond the News WFLA Interviews

The US House task force investigating the two assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump holds its first public hearing Thursday (September 26th). We speak with one of the task force members from the Tampa Bay area, U.S. Representative Laurel Lee. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Potential Hurricane Helene aiming for the Gulf with a possible Florida landfall, the Tampa Bay area could again get a brush with a hurricane.  We spoke with Sean Johnson of FPL, which serves Manatee and Sarasota counties, earlier this year on how they've worked to make the system in those counties more hurricane-resistant. (NOTE: This was recorded in June, prior to rain impacts from Debby.) S...

The federal government has added Hillsborough and Pinellas counties to the list for primary assistance following Hurricane Debby, which didn't make landfall in the Tampa Bay area but did present heavy rain and flooding. This also means access to Small Business Administration loans for physical and economic damage to businesses and nonprofits, and low-interest loans to homeowners. We speak with Tim...

Two cases of the dengue virus reported in west Pasco County. Symptoms include fever, chills, rash and vomiting. We speak with Adriane Rogers, executive director of the Pasco County Mosquito Control District, about what's being done and how to protect yourself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newsradio WFLA's Read Shepherd talks to Freddy Barton from Safe & Sound Hillsborough about the rash of on-line threats against schools--in the wake of the deadly shooting in Winder, Georgia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The legendary holiday symphonic-metal group Trans-Siberian Orchestra is putting tickets on sale for its 2024 tour, which stops in Tampa December 15th. It includes the performance of the rock opera "The Lost Christmas Eve." TSO was founded in Tampa in 1996 by Paul O'Neill, Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli. We speak with lead guitarist and music director Pitrelli about the group's legacy and this year's to...

Newsradio WFLA's Read Shepherd talks to Laura Hill with the Hillsborough school district about the school bus camera program.  A one-month grace period is about to come to an end, and drivers caught illegally passing a bus (lights flashing, stop arm extended) will face a $225 fine. By the way, Laura says up to this point, the cameras have caught more than 10,000 drivers passing a stopped school bu...

The 23rd anniversary of the9-11 attacks falls on Wednesday. Frank Strom, head of Hillsborough County's consumer and vererans' affairs unit, talks about the county's observance and how they're trying to pass the legacy on to a generation that wasn't born on September 11, 2001. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We just got past Labor Day, but many Floridians are already booking their travel for Thanksgiving through Christmas and New Year's. We get holiday travel tips from Mark Jenkins with AAA Auto Club Group based in Tampa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After 28 years, Manatee County sheriff's detectives have solved a cold case murder with the arrest of the victim's former boyfriend. We speak with Randy Warren of the Manatee Sheriff's Office about the 1996 murder of Doris Korell of St. Petersburg and the arrest of Stephen Ford.  (Photo courtesy Manatee County Sheriff's Office). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The state canceled meetings on a proposal to bring golf, pickleball, lodging and other facilities to state parks. But environmental watchdogs aren't taking their eyes off the agency that runs the parks. We speak with Michael McGrath of Sierra Club Florida, who was at a protest against the move on the approach to Honeymoon Island State Park in Pinellas County. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

UPDATE: After this podcast was recorded, the state Department of Environmental Protection announced changes to its meeting schedule as well as a page for public comment. State lawmakers, members of Congress and Florida's two U.S. Senators are urging the DeSantis administration to slow down. We speak with Haley Busch, outreach director of 1000 Friends of Florida. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...

A big step forward for the University of South Florida's Sarasota-Manatee campus. The ribbon gets cut Monday (19th) for a new six-story student center and residence hall. It's the biggest project since USF-Sarasota-Manatee moved into its current site in 2006. We speak with the Sarasota-Manatee chancellor, Dr. Karen Holbrook, about what it means for the campus. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Bat maternity season in Florida ends August 15th, meaning Floridians may again use exclusion techniques to evict bats that have roosted in their houses. We speak with Dr. Shelly Johnson with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Services (IFAS) about bat removal strategies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Florida now authorizes local school districts to use cameras on school bus stop-arms to catch drivers violating bus safety. In Hillsborough and Miami-Dade counties, those cameras are supplied by a company called BusPatrol. We speak with company executive Steve Randazzo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newsradio WFLA's Read Shepherd talks with Nate Custer from FEMA about applying for help after Hurricane Debby.  10 Florida counties, including Manatee and Sarasota, have been declared major disaster areas, and people with flood or other damage can apply for federal assistance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new school year begins Monday in the Tampa Bay area and much of Florida wiith new restrictions on cellphone use by students. We speak with Dr. Jennifer Katzenstein of Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital about the impact on students and parents. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With school opening across the Tampa Bay area August 12th, parents are scrambling to schedule back-to-school physicals for sports. We got tips from Dr. Patrick Mularoni of Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, who is medical director of sports medicine. We also talk about getting kids ready to play fall sports in the heat. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newsradio WFLA's Read Shepherd talks with former Tampa police officer Ruben "Butch" Delgado, now head of a Special Investigations Unit for Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance.  We're talking about things a homeowner who suffered damage from Debby needs to do---especially if they don't have "flood insurance."  We're also talking about the "predators" who scam unsuspecting homeowners out of m...

Hillsborough County is taking applications for its annual Neighborhood Awards until August 14th. Neighborhood Associations are eligible to win recognition for their projects to improve their communities. The Neighborhood of the Year earns a prize worth $500. We speak with Stephanie Agliano of the county about how to get involved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The teacher's union and other groups are launching a campaign to pass the one-mill school property tax referendum in Hillsborough County. They say the school district needs the money to keep up with neighboring counties' salaries. But everything hinges on whether a judge orders the Hillsborough County Commission to place the tax on the ballot this November, instead of waiting until 2026. We speak...

This past week, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody began issuing rules for the new law restricting social media accounts for kids under 16. Dr. Jennifer Katzenstein,with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg says teens and tweens know a lot of what they interact with isn't good for their moods. We speak with her in this interview. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

A Pinellas County beach town is trying to move tourists and day-trippers off its side streets. Starting July 29th, there's no more free parking in the Sunset Beach neighborhood of Treasure Island.  Street parking will cost $5 an hour. City spokesman Jason Beisel insists it's not a money grab. We speak with him about the change. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Florida Aquarium and the University of Miami are joining forces in an effort to help coral in the Florida Keys survive rising water temperatures. It involves crossbreeding Florida coral with coral from a warm bay in Honduras. We speak with Keri O' Neil, who's leading the project for the Florida Aquarium. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bay scallop season is starting in Pasco County Wednesday (10th). It runs till August 18th. We speak with Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission marine biologist Nancy Sheridan about how to scallop by the rules. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.