On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew sentenced 24-year-old Trevor Mayer of Sheldon, Iowa to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for producing material depicting the sexual exploitation of children. Mayer was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release and to register as aContinue Reading
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by Florida parents, students, elected officials and community leaders as he called for a stop to school mask mandates, reinforcing that every parent should have the right to choose what is best for their child. “The federal government has no right to tell parents thatContinue Reading
The Florida Department of Health (DOH) reported the sixth Vibrio vulnificus death of the year in Duval County this week, according to DOH data published today. To date, fatalities have been reported in Duval, Escambia, Lee, Manatee (2) and Polk counties. The DOH has reported 16 total cases through JulyContinue Reading
In a statement released by the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics today: “Since children under 12 years of age are still not yet eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and the vaccine will most likely not be available for this age group until winter of 2021, mostContinue Reading
Key members of the United States government have finally recognized Turkey’s persistently troublesome drone activity throughout the Middle East in recent years as a major contributor to instability in the region. In a July 26 letter to the State Department, Congressmen David Cicilline (D-RI) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) urged SecretaryContinue Reading
In a follow-up on the Vibrio vulnificus situation in Florida this year, health authorities reported two additional cases and one more fatality due to the serious bacterial infection. Manatee County saw their second death due to Vibrio this year, bringing the state total to five deaths through July 23. InContinue Reading
Public Service Campaign with Music Icon Patti LaBelle Connects Floridians With Resources to Schedule Medical Appointments for Early Cancer Detection Millions of people delayed medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local oncologists are participating in a new initiative encouraging Floridians to schedule potentially lifesaving cancer screenings. Led by two nationalContinue Reading
Health officials in Escambia County are urging residents to avoid contact with wild and stray animals to protect themselves from the risk of rabies exposure after an individual had contact with a bat while visiting Perdido Kids Park in Escambia County, Florida earlier this week. The individual has received aContinue Reading
Today, Governor Ron DeSantis joined the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to survey the impacts of the red tide bloom affecting southwest Florida and the Tampa Bay area. Governor DeSantis also provided an update on the state’s response efforts whichContinue Reading
The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County is notifying the public of a Red Tide bloom along Pinellas coastal beaches. In a tweet earlier today, DOH-Pinellas says the Red Tide health alert issued earlier remains in effect. Health officials remind the public to stay away from affected areas if youContinue Reading
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that former Hillsborough County Sheriff, Cal Henderson had died. He was 77. Sheriff Henderson began his law enforcement career in 1965 with the Tampa Police Department, in 1967 joined the United States Border Patrol, and then served with the Central Intelligence Agency inContinue Reading
On Friday, Director of the Department of Health in Hillsborough County (DOH-Hillsborough), Dr. Douglas Holt said concerning the rise of COVID-19 cases–“By now we should have more people vaccinated and it’s very concerning that so many people have chosen to not get vaccinated. The vaccine is safe, effective and widelyContinue Reading
Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sent a letter to President Biden requesting federal assistance to provide Internet access to the people of Cuba standing up against communist oppression and demanding a voice after decades of suffering under the yoke of a cruel dictatorship: Dear Mr. President: I write toContinue Reading
In a follow-up on an earlier report on the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) says the engaged in battle with the mercenaries (suspects) and four were killed and another two were detained. Three police officers, previously held hostage, have beenContinue Reading
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office reports detectives assigned to the Crimes Against Children Unit have arrested 28-year-old Lonnie Smith for 11 counts of Possession of Child Pornography. According to detectives, their investigation began after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. An online account wasContinue Reading
On Friday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that state law enforcement officers have deployed to Texas to provide additional support in response to the security crisis at the southern border. “When the Governors of Texas and Arizona reached out for help, Florida answered the call,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “We areContinue Reading
Nine people have been arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for drug trafficking and various other charges, after a suspicious package was discovered at a shipping facility on Wednesday, June 23, 2021. From that discovery, an investigation was launched, with a collaboration among several PCSO specialized units: High-Intensity Drug-TraffickingContinue Reading
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington sentenced 36-year-old Palm Harbor man, Steven Phillip Griffin, II to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison, to be followed by 2 years of supervised release, for receiving and transporting endangered species in violation of the Endangered Species Act and forContinue Reading
Tampa General Hospital announced Friday the opening of a new TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track in growing Hillsborough County suburb of Fish Hawk. “Tampa General Hospital continues to advance health care options in an innovative way in the Tampa Bay area,” said Tampa General Hospital Executive Vice PresidentContinue Reading
Health officials in Hillsborough County is notifying the public of red tide blooms within Tampa Bay with health alerts being issued for Picnic Island and Davis Islands beaches. Caution signs have been placed at Ben T. Davis and Cypress Point due to the presence of red tide in the TampaContinue Reading
28-year-old Pasco County man, Justin Case Lebarron, was sentenced Wednesday to life imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine resulting in death, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, and maintaining a drug-involved premises after being found guilty in April. AccordingContinue Reading
