Beyond the News WFLA Interviews

Two locally spread cases of dengue fever have turned up in Pinellas County, along with eight in Hillsborough County. Local mosquito control agencies are stepping up efforts to fight the particular species that spread the illness. We speak with Alissa Berro of Pinellas County Mosquito Control about how to fight dengue fever by stopping the bugs that carry it. 

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Students go back to school across Florida beginning August 10th. Undiagnosed hearing problems can cause problems for kids that manifest as behavorial issues in class. We speak with audiologist Dr. Courtney North with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg (FL). 

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Back to school means getting back into a routine after summer slacking for kids and parents. That also means a meal routine. We speak to Mallory Carteaux with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg about keeping children well-fueled for the new school year. 

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With school resuming across Florida next week, parents are wrapping up back-to-school routines including checkups. Dr. Kelly Henchel MD with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg talks about the essentials. 

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Back-to-school shopping includes shopping for backpacks. But what parents buy and how kids use them could contribute to problems including back pain. Gordon Byrd speaks with Dr. Brian Piazza, an orthopedic surgeon with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. 

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Schools open the week of August 10th across most of Florida. That means getting kids back on a sleep schedule after the long summer break. We speak with pediatric sleep expert Dr. Luis Ortiz of Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg about dealing with kids and the alarm clock. 

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Monday (20th), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the Rim Rock crowned snake, the Key ringneck snake, and the Florida Keys mole skink as eligible for protection under the Endangered Species Act -- the first species added under the second Trump administration. That followed a long legal battle. Ragan Whitlock is a Florida-based staff attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity and talks about how it got here. 

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Bradenton and Palmetto are joining forces to put on fireworks over the Manatee River Saturday, capping the Independence Day celebrations of each city. We speak with Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown. 

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Florida has been embracing the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, putting up statues of many of the Founding Fathers ahead of July 4th. But in 1776, those same Founders likely would have been hanged if they had shown up in Florida. St. Augustine hung several of them in effigy when word of the Declaration arrived. What is now the Sunshine State made up the British colonies of East and West Florida. But unlike the Original Thirteen, Florida stayed loyal to King George. Florida's British era is featured in an exhibit opening July 3rd and running into November at the Tampa Bay History Center. We speak with the center's Rodney Kite-Powell about "The 14th Colony" , when Florida was on the other side of the Patriot cause. 

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Manatee County lifeguards saw an unusual amount of rip current activity last week at the beaches they guard along the Gulf Coast. Around 125 between July 17th through 19th. They made a lot of rescues and worked to head off more trouble. We speak with Captain Marshall Greene with the Manatee County Beach Patrol about conditions since then, and how to stay safe in the water. 

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