United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Samuel Friedman (47, Pasco County) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, Friedman owned andContinue Reading
United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Jonathan Michael Rouffe (47, Boca Raton) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, in 2018,Continue Reading
To protect the health and safety of community members and staff, University Area CDC facilities and properties will be closed through August 9. This includes the University Area Community Center Complex, Computer Lab, Mort Park and Harvest Hope Park. All programming, including Dreamcatchers summer camps, has been suspended through thisContinue Reading
COVID-19 The number of COVID-19 cases reported in the State of Florida has topped 200,000 after reporting more than 10,000 cases in consecutive days this weekend. Of the more than 70,000 tests performed Saturday, 10,059 new positive COVID-19 cases were reported (15%). This brings the total to a total ofContinue Reading
Tampa police detailed the arrest of seven protesters who blocked Dale Mabry yesterday as two vehicles were damaged. Police also issued Notices to Appear to two other demonstrators. Police officials said the protest had grown from 40 to nearly 100 and had blocked traffic for nearly an hour. The protestersContinue Reading
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1061, expanding Florida’s new aquatic preserve about 800 square miles along the Gulf Coast, its first new aquatic preserve in over 30 years. This bill creates the Nature Coast Aquatic Preserve, which will protect approximately 400,000 acres of aquatic habitat stretching from Pinellas CountyContinue Reading
Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss this weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Brickyard 400. Johnson 44, is the first NASCAR driver to test positive for coronavirus and will be quarantined until testing negative. He was tested earlier Friday after his wife, Chani,Continue Reading
Many in Tampa may be joining a new protest set for today: the #BoycottThe4th protest. Co-owner of Tampa restaurant Vegg’d Out Vegan Kitchen, Yourhighness Tafari spoke with WFLA spoke about Independence Day protests, attempting to explain the sentiment. “This is something that publicly stands as a holiday of freedom, independence.Continue Reading
Hillsborough County health officials have confirmed a case of Naegleria fowleri, aka the brain-eating amoeba. Health officials did not release any information about the patient. Naegleria fowleri is a microscopic amoeba which is a single-celled living organism. It can cause a rare and devastating infection of the brain called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). The amoeba isContinue Reading
Earlier this week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed “The Occupational Freedom and Opportunity Act” (HB 1193) which eliminates barriers of entry to certain professions licensed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DPBR) by adding endorsement and reciprocity provisions, removing supplemental business licenses and corresponding license fees, reducingContinue Reading
St. Petersburg Police Department announced that a Clearwater man, Sean Peter Brewer, has been arrested for attempting to lure a 15-year-old girl into having sex with him. Brewer, 32, was charged with one count each of Luring or Enticing a Child, Traveling to Meet a Minor, and Unlawful Use of aContinue Reading
Conservative Amanda Makki has surpassed $1 million in total contributions raised in her campaign to flip Florida’s 13th Congressional District, setting the stage for a real head to head fight against Charlie Crist in November. In addition to her previous track record of strong financial support, Makki’s list of conservative endorsementsContinue Reading
On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the state budget for Fiscal Year 2020-2021. The budget totals $92.2 billion, provides over $350 million in tax relief and includes more than $1 billion in vetoed spending. “Despite the present challenges Florida faces due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Budget ensures theContinue Reading
Florida is one of the two dozen or so states, particularly in the south and west, that have reported an increase or surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. On Saturday, test results for more than 72,100 individuals were reported to DOH and 8,530 were positive for COVID-19. During theContinue Reading
Americans for Prosperity-Florida (AFP-FL) today commended Governor Ron DeSantis for signing HB 7067, a bill that gives educational freedom to almost 30,000 new students a year through enrollment in Florida’s Family Empowerment Scholarship Program. This represents a full 400% increase in parents and their children given the right to decideContinue Reading
In a follow-up to a report earlier this week, health authorities in Monroe County, FL reported eight additional cases of Dengue fever. The Florida Department of Health in Monroe County says all indications are that these infections were locally acquired. All the cases are being treated and are expected toContinue Reading
A Tampa man, Muhammad Al-Azhari, is being indicted for assisting Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and violating the U.S. firearm laws. Al-Azhari, 23, charged with attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, Islamic State, and violating the National Firearms Act, a ccordingContinue Reading
Officials with the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County have issued a mosquito-borne illness alert after reporting 10 human locally-transmitted West Nile virus (WNV) cases Thursday. This brings the total to 14 WNV cases in Miami-Dade County year-to-date. West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of mosquito-borne diseaseContinue Reading
A Polk County middle school teacher, Leslie Bushart, was arrested Thursday for having sexual relations with a juvenile, after the boy’s parents notified the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on June 16. Bushart, 49, confessed to another person at a graduation party on June 6 that she performed oral sex onContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Antonie Latimore (36, Winter Haven) to 10 years and 10 months years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine base. Latimore had pleaded guilty on March 6, 2020. According to court documents, the FBI received information that Latimore, spelled in someContinue Reading
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation Wednesday to give teachers a salary hike to a cost of $500 million., elevating Florida’s teacher pay to No. 5 in the nation. This is a really big day for teacher’s compensation and we look forward to getting it to the teachers,” DeSantis saidContinue Reading
