Beyond the News WFLA Interviews

The Bay Fishing Pier at Fort DeSoto Park reopens Thursday (28th) after a five-million-dollar makeover that includes bait cleaning stations, facilities for anglers in wheelchairs, and a covered landing for the Egmont Key ferry. We speak with Project Manager Robert Meador.

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Hillsborough County is asking property owners who suffered damage from Hurricane Idalia to regisgter with the county. One reason is to access local resources. Another is that Hillsborough is not one of the 16 Florida counties eligible for individual assistance from FEMA, and the county is trying to change that by documenting losses. We speak with C.K. Moore of Hillsborough County's Office of Emergency Management.

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The dunes that protect the beachfront in the Pinellas County beach town of Treasure Island suffered heavy damage from Hurricane Idalia, and the city is launching an emergency dune restoration program that means some disruption for beach access. We speak with Treasure Island city commissioner Beth Wetzel.

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Pinellas County is holding an online webinar Monday (18th) to help people who suffered damage from Hurricane Idalia go through the claims process. We speak with Jessica McCracken of Pinellas Emergency Management about the event. We also include a link to register for it with this podcast.

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Areas impacted by Hurricane Idalia on the Big Bend and Florida's west coast are dealing with cleaning up and fixing up. We speak with Troy York, a media representative from FEMA, about what people need to know when it comes to applying for assistance and dealing with denials.

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Jimmy Buffett's family revealed that the singer, who died Friday, had been dealing with Merkel cell skin cancer for four years, as well as lymphoma. Merkel cell is a rare skin cancer. We speak with Dr. Vernon Sondak, the head of the department at Tampa's Moffitt Cancer Center that deals with skin cancers, who has written a book on this particular cancer.

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Jimmy Buffett died Friday night at age 76. He's being remembered not just for his music but for his commitment to conservation. Buffett co-founded the Save the Manatee Club and played a leading role in efforts to save what was an endangered species. We speak with the club's executive director, Pat Rose, who knew Jimmy from the club's beginnings.

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Tropical Storm Idalia is expected to affect the Tampa Bay area, before landfall north of Tampa. We speak with Jamie Rhome, deputy director, National Hurricane Center.

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Many local governments on Florida's west coast are activating sandbag distribution ahead of a potential tropical storm. We speak with Mikah Collins of Hillsborough County about what you need to know if you're getting sandbags to protect your home.

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School opens Friday (11th) in Polk County. Students walking to Davenport High School and Davenport School of the Arts now have a safter crosswalk thanks to efforts by Polk County, several agencies, and Duke Energy. We speak with Bill Skelton of Polk County Roads and Drainage.

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