ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – At least the Rays managed to take two of three from the mediocre Cubs after being swept by the Orioles. A great start from Taj Bradley appeared as though it would be wasted Thursday night. The Rays trailed 2-0 after six…
Latest News
Florida Gov. DeSantis Signs Public Records Exemptions
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed 12 bills on Thursday, including measures that will provide public records exemptions to shield personal information about county and city attorneys and court clerks. Lawmakers passed the bills during the legislative session that ended in March. One of the bills…
Disney Ends Legal Fight With State Of Florida, District
After reaching a development deal, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on Thursday ended a legal fight about whether Florida unconstitutionally retaliated against the company because of opposition to a controversial education law. Disney attorneys filed a document at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals…
Florida Rep. Greg Steube Pushes Effort To Name 4,383,000 Square Miles Of The Ocean After Trump
U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) will introduce a bill Friday to designate the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the United States as the “Donald John Trump Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States.” The bill requires any reference to the EEZ in law, map, regulation, document,…
News Scroll
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Tampa Bay Rays Take Series From Cubs Before Embarking On Nine-Game Trip
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – At least the Rays managed to take two of three from the mediocre Cubs after being swept by the Orioles. A great start from Taj Bradley appeared as though it would be wasted Thursday night. The Rays trailed 2-0 after six…
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Florida Gov. DeSantis Signs Public Records Exemptions
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed 12 bills on Thursday, including measures that will provide public records exemptions to shield personal information about county and city attorneys and court clerks. Lawmakers passed the bills during the legislative session that ended in March. One of the bills…
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Disney Ends Legal Fight With State Of Florida, District
After reaching a development deal, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on Thursday ended a legal fight about whether Florida unconstitutionally retaliated against the company because of opposition to a controversial education law. Disney attorneys filed a document at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals…
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Florida Rep. Greg Steube Pushes Effort To Name 4,383,000 Square Miles Of The Ocean After Trump
U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) will introduce a bill Friday to designate the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the United States as the “Donald John Trump Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States.” The bill requires any reference to the EEZ in law, map, regulation, document,…
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Tampa Duo Sentenced To Decades In Federal Prison For Drug, Gun Crimes
TAMPA, Fla. – A Tampa man and woman have been sentenced to federal prison following their conviction on multiple narcotics and firearms charges. Elias Xavier Rosario Torres, 26, received a 38-year sentence, while Veronica Estefania Rodriguez Pinuela, 23, was sentenced to 35 years. Both were…
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Florida Reps Bilirakis And Lee Intro Bill To Eliminate DEI In Federally Funded Colleges
A trio of Representatives, Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Laurel Lee (FL-15), and Jim Baird (IN-04), Thursday introduced the Eliminate DEI in Colleges Act. This legislation aims to mirror a recent Florida law by prohibiting federally funded colleges and universities from engaging in school-sponsored Diversity, Equity, and…
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Lakeland Man Pleads Guilty To Distributing Fentanyl In Plant City
LAKELAND, Fla. – Nahum Rodriguez-Jaimes, a 48-year-old resident of Lakeland, pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts of possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. The charges were filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. According…
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SR-50 To Be Closed At Railroad Tracks Around The Clock Starting June 23rd
HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – Beginning at noon on Sunday, June 23, 2024, SR 50 is scheduled to be closed to all traffic at the railroad tracks east of US 301. The closure is needed to erect beams for an SR 50 bridge over the railroad…
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National Guard To Remain At Florida Prisons
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed an executive order that will keep Florida National Guard members working at prisons until at least December as the state corrections system continues to grapple with staffing shortages. DeSantis issued the executive order last week, which said an earlier…
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St. Petersburg Police Employee Faces Charges for Leaking Confidential Info To Criminal, Facilitating Crime
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A civilian employee at the St. Petersburg Police Department, Robin Conyers, 59, faces charges for accessing confidential police databases to provide information to a man who used it to commit a crime. She was booked into the Pinellas County Jail today…
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U.S. Journalist Evan Gershkovich To Face Espionage Trial In Russia, Sparking International Outcry
Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist for the Wall Street Journal, is set to stand trial in Russia on espionage charges, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between the two nations. The announcement from Russian authorities on Thursday has sparked international condemnation and renewed…
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Pasco Deputies Remove Suspicious Device In New Port Richey, Roads Reopened
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. – The Pasco Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a suspicious device around 10:30 a.m. in the area of Bradshaw Dr. in New Port Richey. As a precautionary measure, both Runnel Dr. and Bradshaw Dr. were closed to traffic. “PSO deputies…
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Tampa’s CRA Approves $8.49 Million For Commercial Grants With New “Legacy Credit”
TAMPA, Fla. – The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board has allocated $8.49 million to support commercial property and business owners across ten CRA areas in Tampa through the end of Fiscal Year 2024. Four grant programs are available to eligible applicants seeking to enhance their…
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Utah Senator Mike Lee Seeks To Bolster America’s Maritime Dominance
In a strategic move to fortify the United States’ naval and maritime supremacy, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has recently introduced two groundbreaking pieces of legislation – the “Ensuring Naval Readiness Act” and the “Ensuring Coast Guard Readiness Act.” These bills aim to modernize and expedite…
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Supreme Court Sides With Starbucks In Labor Dispute, Raises Bar For Federal Labor Board Intervention
In a significant ruling today, the Supreme Court sided with Starbucks in a labor dispute, setting a higher standard for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to seek court orders against companies in unionization cases. The case stemmed from the firing of seven Starbucks employees…
Sports
Tampa Bay Rays Take Series From Cubs Before Embarking On Nine-Game Trip
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – At least the Rays managed to take two of three from the mediocre Cubs after being swept by the Orioles. A great start from Taj Bradley appeared as though it would be wasted Thursday night. The Rays trailed 2-0 after six…
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Vita Vea Trimmer And Faster Thanks To Suh
TAMPA, Fla. – Bucs DT Vita Vea changed his off-season workouts and credits former Buc Ndamukong Suh for that. “There was a lot of early morning stuff, just grinding away,” Vea said. He (Suh) took me under his wing and just took care of me…
Bucs WR Sterling Shepard On Baker Mayfield Always Playing With A Chip On His Shoulder
TAMPA, Fla. – The best year of Sterling Shepard’s college football career was in 2015 with Baker Mayfield at Oklahoma. Shepard went off for 1,288 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. Now that he’s reunited with Mayfield on the Bucs, Shepard hopes for more of that magic. Oh…
Florida Panthers Just Two Wins Away From Their First Stanley Cup
SUNRISE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers are now two wins away from their first Stanley Cup championship after securing a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The series now shifts to Edmonton, where the Panthers will look…
Cops And Crime
Tampa Duo Sentenced To Decades In Federal Prison For Drug, Gun Crimes
TAMPA, Fla. – A Tampa man and woman have been sentenced to federal prison following their conviction on multiple narcotics and firearms charges. Elias Xavier Rosario Torres, 26, received a 38-year sentence, while Veronica Estefania Rodriguez Pinuela, 23, was sentenced to 35 years. Both were…
Lakeland Man Pleads Guilty To Distributing Fentanyl In Plant City
LAKELAND, Fla. – Nahum Rodriguez-Jaimes, a 48-year-old resident of Lakeland, pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts of possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. The charges were filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. According…
Cold Case
Unsolved Murder Of Dominique Lewis Haunts Florida Community After Nearly 17 Years
HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – Nearly seventeen years have passed since the lifeless body of 19-year-old Dominique Lewis was discovered in a wooded area near Brooksville Rock Road, yet her tragic death remains shrouded in mystery. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office continues to actively investigate the…
AG Ashley Moody, Florida Sheriffs, And Crime Stoppers Launch Cold Case Playing Cards To Solve Crimes
In a unique initiative to solve cold cases, Attorney General Ashley Moody, in collaboration with Florida sheriffs and Crime Stoppers, has launched a deck of playing cards featuring unsolved crimes. Each card showcases a photograph and details of an unsolved homicide or missing person case,…
Search Underway For Missing 17-Year-Old, Last Seen In New Port Richey
PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – Pasco Sheriff’s deputies are currently searching for Kayla Davis-Kuiper, a missing/runaway 17-year-old. Deputies say Davis-Kuiper is 5’8”, around 210 lbs., with brown hair and hazel eyes, and was last seen on June 7 around 3:00 p.m., in the Amazon Dr. area…
Florida Agriculture
Sweaty Cattle May Boost Food Security In A Warming World
Sweaty cows may not sound like the most exciting company, but in a warming world, researchers can’t get enough of them. When cattle are too hot, they tend to stop eating, said Raluca Mateescu, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor…
Slight Uptick For Oranges, But Florida Citrus Woes Persist
With one leader saying it is on the “brink of a disaster,” Florida’s citrus industry is nearing the end of the 2023-2024 growing season showing relatively little growth from the previous hurricane-marred season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday released a monthly forecast that…
Meet Berkley Barnes: From Shy 4-H Mini-Member To Legislative Change Agent
How does a shy youth grow into a confident and inspirational young leader advocating for legislative change at the state level? For Berkley Barnes, a 17-year-old St. Lucie resident and 4-H member, the journey entailed participation in the robust Florida 4-H youth development program, combined…
Politics
Disney Ends Legal Fight With State Of Florida, District
After reaching a development deal, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts on Thursday ended a legal fight about whether Florida unconstitutionally retaliated against the company because of opposition to a controversial education law. Disney attorneys filed a document at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals…
Florida Rep. Greg Steube Pushes Effort To Name 4,383,000 Square Miles Of The Ocean After Trump
U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) will introduce a bill Friday to designate the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the United States as the “Donald John Trump Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States.” The bill requires any reference to the EEZ in law, map, regulation, document,…
Lottery
Lucky Parents-To-Be Win $1,000,000 On Florida Lottery Scratch-Off Game
The Florida Lottery announced Tuesday that John Stanhill, 46, of Jacksonville, claimed a $1 million prize from the 500X THE CASH Scratch-Off game at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. Stanhill chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $640,000.00. Stanhill purchased his winning ticket…
Florida Woman Wins $1 Million On $20 Cashword Scratch-Off Lottery Ticket
The Florida Lottery announced Friday that Anita Ervin, 61, of Tallahassee, claimed a $1 million prize from the $5,000,000 CASHWORD Scratch-Off game at Lottery’s Headquarters in Tallahassee. Ervin chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $780,000.00. Ervin purchased her winning ticket…
Florida Man Wins $1 Million On $5 Lottery Scratch-Off From Publix In Winter Haven
The Florida Lottery announced Friday that Carlos Cole, Sr., 53, of Winter Haven, claimed a $1 million top prize from the SEVEN FIGURES Scratch-Off game at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. Cole chose to receive his winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $695,000.00. Cole purchased his…
Winning $214 Million Powerball Ticket Sold In Florida
A lucky POWERBALL player in Florida won a whopping $214 million in the May 6 drawing! The winning ticket was purchased at Publix at 9050 Biscayne Boulevard in Miami Shores. The winning ticket was purchased at Publix, located at 9050 Biscayne Boulevard. The winning numbers…
Job News
Florida Jobless Claims Increase
First-time unemployment claims in Florida jumped last week, with the state seeing its highest number since October 2022. On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a report that estimated 8,709 initial unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week ending June 8, up…
CareerEdge Launches Tuition-Free Auto Electrical Technician FastTrack Program
SARASOTA, Fla. – In a bid to address the growing demand for skilled auto electrical technicians, CareerEdge, the workforce development initiative of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, has teamed up with Suncoast Technical College (STC) and local automotive service providers to offer a tuition-free…
Florida Jobless Claims Tick Up Slightly
Florida saw an uptick in first-time unemployment claims last week. On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Labor released a report that estimated that 6,920 jobless claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended June 1, up from a revised count of 6,276 during…
Pinellas County Government To Hold Career Fair On June 14
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – Pinellas County Government will hold a Career Fair on Friday, June 14, from 1 – 4 p.m. at Florida Botanical Gardens (Magnolia Room), 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo. Hiring managers from Pinellas County Government, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and Pinellas County Schools…
Good Eats
Classic Shakshuka Recipe: Beloved Israeli Dish
Shakshuka is a beloved Israeli dish, popular for its simplicity, vibrant flavors, and versatility. Shakshuka is a one-pan meal of eggs poached in a rich tomato sauce spiced with cumin, paprika, and often a hint of heat. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it is…
Rick’s Coffee House: It’s A God Thing
LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. – Since the age of 14, Rick Smith has been a coffee enthusiast. About 30 years ago, his friend, for whom he’d created a successful marketing idea, bought Smith his first coffee maker, an Italian hand press. This marked the beginning…
Spread The Sunshine With Carolyn: Low-Carb Hot Dog Sauce Recipe
This is a recipe I experimented with this week. It was my Grandmother’s hotdog sauce recipe, but since I’m a type 1 diabetic, I tweaked it a little so it wouldn’t interfere with my blood sugar or my low-carb diet. I must admit it turned…
Spread The Sunshine With Carolyn: Strawberries And Cream Cake
Today is my sister and I’s birthday. We were born on the same day, three years apart. Growing up, we always hated having to share our birthdays. Since we are grown, I just wanted to tell her, “ Sister, you are the best birthday gift…