The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) reported today on a Tampa woman who is facing charges after getting caught by store security attempting to build an explosive device in a Walmart store. Just before 6 p.m. on January 11, deputies responded to the Walmart located at 2701 Fletcher Avenue inContinue Reading
The Florida Department of Health reported an additional 29 hepatitis A cases last week, bringing the total cases to 61 this month. The latest cases also took Florida over the 4,000 case count threshold with 4,006 cases since Jan. 2018. Approximately seven out of 10 cases required hospitalization. 58 deathsContinue Reading
A proclamation issued by Gov. DeSantis officially recognizes Jan. 26-Feb. 1 as Florida School Choice Week. Gov. DeSantis joins more than a dozen other governors and hundreds of city and county leaders nationwide in issuing similar proclamations. Parents, schools, and other organizers have planned 4,992 events and activities across theContinue Reading
The high school graduation rate in Florida has increased significantly over recent years and the Executive Director of the Foundation for Florida’s Future, Patricia Levesque, released the following statement: Florida’s families and educators can be proud that more students are graduating from high school. Since 2003-04 the percentage of studentsContinue Reading
The Florida Department of Health (Department) is strongly encouraging all unvaccinated residents to get their flu shot as soon as possible. Flu vaccination is the best way to prevent the flu and its potentially serious complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that, nationwide, for the 2019-2020 seasonContinue Reading
In a follow-up on the hepatitis A outbreak in Florida, state health officials reported 32 outbreak cases from Jan. 1- Jan. 4, 2020. From January 1, 2018 through January 4, 2020, 3,976 hepatitis A cases were reported. The number of reported hepatitis A cases more than doubled from 2016 toContinue Reading
For the second year, the Central Florida Comic Con will bring the best of geek culture to Lakeland. Not only will there be artists and actors on hand, but also an extensive exhibitor area featuring everything from comics and memorabilia to games and pop culture collectables. The event will beContinue Reading
OneBlood, the local not-for-profit blood center serving Florida and the majority of the Southeast, announced today that it will be sending blood to Puerto Rico following a series of earthquakes. Widespread destruction and the lack of electricity on the island is preventing blood centers in Puerto Rico from being ableContinue Reading
OneBlood is calling on the public to donate blood and is sweetening the deal with giving two free tickets to the Florida Strawberry Festival. In a recent OneBlood release says: Celebrate the 85th Annual Florida Strawberry Festival by sharing your power to save lives by donating blood at OneBlood DonorContinue Reading
The City of St. Petersburg Sanitation Department will collect undecorated Christmas trees during the one-time citywide collection event on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. Collected trees will be turned into mulch, which is free to residents at the City’s brush sites. How to Participate: Remove all lights, ornaments, tree stands, plastic treeContinue Reading
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is reporting a daycare worker in Brandon was arrested on Friday for two counts of Aggravated Child Abuse. On December 18, the parents of an infant, who is under the age of six months, took their child to a pediatrician when the infant turned pale in color and beganContinue Reading
The number of outbreak cases of hepatitis A in the month of December so far has surpassed what was reported in November, with 226 and 202 cases, respectively. There were 63 hepatitis A cases reported the week ending Dec. 28, bringing the outbreak total to 3395 for 2019 and 3943Continue Reading
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Robbery & Homicide Unit reported on the arrest of 59-year-old St. Petersburg man, Wilbert Henderson. According to officials, on January 2, 2020, at about 10:30 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a private residence in unincorporated St. Petersburg, for a reported burglary and sexual battery. TheContinue Reading
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of two 19-year-old men for armed robbery on New Year’s Day. At approximately 5:20 a.m., on January 1, 2020, deputies responded to an armed robbery that had occurred at the CVS located at 30387 US Highway 19 North in unincorporated Clearwater. AccordingContinue Reading
Health officials in Citrus County issued a rabies alert for the Heatherwood area of Inverness Friday after a feral cat that tested positive for the lethal virus. The cat was tested after it bit an individual on the previous day. Thanks to quick response and medical care, the individual isContinue Reading
This week, the Board of Directors of Moffitt Cancer Center accepted the resignation of its president and CEO, Dr. Alan List, and the center director, Thomas Sellers, for violations of conflict of interest rules through their work in China. Moffitt initiated an internal review of team members’ collaborations with researchContinue Reading
Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced two appointments to Hillsborough County Court– James Moody III and Michael Bagge-Hernandez. In addition, the Governor appointed one to the 20th Circuit Court covering Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee County and two appointments to the Palm Beach County Court. Hillsborough County Court James Moody IIIContinue Reading
City of Tampa police announced the arrest of 50-year-old Ralph Perkins of Tampa for making violent threats on social media. According to police, on Tuesday evening they were made aware of a concerning conversation a complainant had on a dating app. After being rejected for an offer he made forContinue Reading
According to the Florida Department of Health, the number of cases of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI) has reached 103 through December 7 this year. Two fatalities have been reported. This includes vaping using an electronic device (e.g., electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS), electronic cigarette, e-cigarette,Continue Reading
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is warning the consumer of fraud occurring with store gifts cards in the Tampa Bay area. A technique currently being used at multiple retailers involves tampering with gift cards by covering the original bar code with a new bar code. Scammers are taking gift cardsContinue Reading
On Monday, Tampa police arrived on scene of an intrusion alarm at Advance Auto Parts at 1717 N. 50th St. Upon arrival, the officer spotted the suspect, 37-year-old Leonard Henry inside the store. Henry saw the officer and threw a large pair of channel lock pliers through the front doorContinue Reading
