Beyond the News WFLA Interviews

The U.S. Coast Guard recently seized $55 million in illegal drugs. Newsradio WFLA's Read Shepherd talks to the Executive Officer of the Cutter "Resolute," Cmdr. Mario Gil.

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Tampa's Bayshore Boulevard, showcase and home to parades, has an array of vivid flowers and shrubs in its median. But a storm in December brought surge and salt-water intrusion that damaged much of the landscape. Now the city of Tampa is undertaking its biggest replanting along Bayshore in six years. We speak with City of Tampa horticulturist Ken Akins about the project.

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The Manatee Viewing Center at the Big Bend power plant south of Tampa has had more than a thousand manatees for most of the winter so far. On December 29th, they set a new all-time record with 1100 on hand. Cherie Jacobs with TECO Energy explains the factors behind the increase.

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A Tampa Bay area veterinary surgeon reaches a milestone. Dr. Rizal Lopez DVM of the SPCA in Pinellas County has performed 25,000 spay and neuter surgeries over his career. We speak with Dr. Lopez about the importance of spaying and neutering pets.

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Five children from the Tampa area were stuck in Gaza when the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October. A non-custodial family member took them to Egypt as their mother in Florida begged for help to find them. Project Dynamo discovered their whereabouts and wnet to get them. Guest host Read Shepherd speaks with Project Dynamo founder Bryan Stern about the rescue.

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Hillsborough County's Pet Resource Center is offering free spaying and neutering appointments for up to 200 bully breed dogs between February 12 and 23. But you need to sign up now. The free services also include microchipping, heartworm testing, and vaccines. Listen for more information about the Operation Pit Stop program here in this interview with Ginette Campos.

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The official numbers are still a few days away, but preliminary figures show 2023 is Tampa's warmest year on record, narrowly beating out 2022. We speak with Meteorologist Eric Oglesby at the National Weather Service for the Tampa Bay area in Ruskin.

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Paul Falica was killed December 18th in a hit-and-run crash. He had served 40 years as a postal carrier with the United States Postal Service. Friday (29th), his fellow carriers will drive a procession of postal trucks from the Sulphur Springs post office, to the spot where he lost his life, as a way of honoring their longtime colleague. We speak with Tampa Postmaster Jacquelyn "Jackie" Villemaire about remebering Falica's legacy.

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New Year's resolutions may be falling out of favor, especially among younger adults. But one expert says it may be a matter of taking smaller steps to change. We speak with St. Leo University psychology professor Tammy Lowery Zacchilli.

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Two big recycling questions for Christmas... what to do with cooking grease and with all the wrappings from presents? We speak with Daniel Gallagher and Shawn Yang of Hillsborough County Government for some ideas.

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