Beyond the News WFLA Interviews

This is the 500th episode of Beyond the News. We speak with US News governmental managing editor Gary Emerling about their 2024 Best States survey. Florida makes the top 10 overall and scores very highly in two important categories. Find out more by listening here.

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The National Wheelchair Rugby Championships are taking place Friday through Sunday in Wiregrass Ranch in Pasco County. We speak with Mike DeLancey, a disabled veteran who's helped in the formation of a wheelchair rugby team locally and in bringing the championships and hundreds of athletes, family, coaches and volunteer assistants to the Tampa Bay area.

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Saturday, April 27th is National Drug Takeback Day, with hundreds of law enforcement agencies across the nation collecting old prescription meds as part of Operation Medicine Cabinet. In Clearwater, they're offering to collect old drugs AND shred old documents, to keep them away from identity thieves.  We speak with Clearwater police spokesman Rob Shaw.

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Newsradio WFLA's Read Shepherd talks to Greg Deese, F-DOT Regional Engineer, about the impending opening of the Gateway Expressway, which will connect I-275, US 19, and the approach to the Bayside Bridge.  The toll road is set to open to drivers on Friday, April 26.

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Every year, the American Lung Association ranks metro areas across the nation for air quality in terms of ozone and particle pollution. Most of Florida gets good marks, but some areas have issues, particularly Tampa Bay and South Florida. We speak with Ashley Lyerly with the ALA.

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Newsradio WFLA's Read Shepherd talks to St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Captain Garth Swingle about a May 11 event in which local and elected officials--along with the media--can get a first-hand look at what Fire Rescue crews and how they do it.  The "Fire Ops 101" program will also give participants a chance to expeience hands-on firefighting and rescue operations.  The event is scheduled for May 11 at the Clearwater Fire & Rescue Training Facility , 1716 N. Belcher Rd, Clearwater.

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Dickey Betts, legendary guitarist and singer best known for his work with the Allman Brothers, has died at age 80 at his home in Osprey, near Sarasota. Betts was born in Florida and grew up in the Bradenton area. We speak with musician Damon Fowler, who toured with the Dickey Betts Band in 2018, about Betts and his legacy.

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Former Florida governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham has died at age 87. One of his major initiatives involved manatee protection and conservation. We speak with Patrick Rose, executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, which was co-founded by Graham and singer Jimmy Buffett, who died last September.

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Bat maternity season begins Tuesday (April 16th), which means some restrictions in the way you can deal with bats that get into your house or business property. We speak with Jayne Johnston, a senior wildlife biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, about how to deal with bats during bat baby time.

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Hillsborough County is updating its vulnerability assessment for the first time since 2020. They hope to get information on challenges facing neighborhoods and areas within the county to help residents stay safe and deal with potential impacts of flooding and other climate-related issues. The county is holding a public meeting April 16th that can also be accessed virtually. We speak with Hazard Mitigation, Resiliency and Sustainability Manager Troy Salisbury.

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