Beyond the News WFLA Interviews

Hillsborough County is holding its annual hurricane preparedness event Saturday (June 13th). The Disaster and Recovery Expo is taking place at the Feeding Tampa Bay facility at 3624 Causeway Boulevard, from 9 a.m. to noon. We speak with Hillsborough Fire Rescue's Public Safety Chief, Rob Herrin, about what's going on there. 

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Bradenton is hosting a groundbreaking Tuesday (9th) for its City Park project. It takes its name from the original name of the century-old spring training baseball stadium now called LECOM Park. It's intended to turn the area into a year-round hub of activity and connect to the rest of downtown, the riverfront and East Bradenton. We speak with Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown about the planning and potential impact. 

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Flagler County is on the verge of becoming the second Florida county certified as Tsunami Ready by the National Weather Service. While virtually the whole state is considered Storm Ready, officials say there's a non-zero chance that an earthquake in places as far away as the Canary Islands could send a wall of water toward Florida. In addition to awareness, the tsunami-ready designation has other advantages, including the potential to lower flood insurance rates. We speak with Flagler County's emergency management director, Jonathan Lord.

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After months of drought, Florida is turning the corner into rainy season. Hurricanes could add to the total as well as an El Niño phenomenon forecast for later this year. Those are conditions that could contribute to leaks. We speak with James Fleming of UWRG Pinellas, an emergency restoration company. 

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There's a new state law taking effect July 1st requiring all high school athletes to receive a heart screening before their first tryout. Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the number one killer of student-athletes and the leading cause of death on school campuses. Most students don't know whether they have a heart condition. We speak with Sara Goodrich, who oversees screenings for whoweplayfor.org to talk about why screenings are needed and where to find them in June. 

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Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1st. It's time to review your homeowner's insurance policy and prepare in case you have to file a claim. We speak with Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute.  

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Hillsborough County is updating its hurricane evacuation maps. We talk with Katja Miller at the county's Office of Emergency Management about what that means for your hurricane plans. 

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Tampa hosts Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week starting Monday, May 18th at Tampa's Convention Center downtown, as well as other nearby locations. We speak with Meaghan Keeler of the Global SOF Foundation about the event and what it means for special operators and for Tampa's economy.

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On May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Prevost became Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born head of the Roman Catholic Church. We speak with Dr. Stephen Okey, theology professor at Saint Leo University near Tampa, about Leo's first year in office, controversies with the U.S. government, future issues of concern for the pontiff and how American Catholics feel about someone leading their church who has a native understanding of U.S. politics and culture. 

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Clearwater is wrapping up a contract with the University of North Florida and FDOT targeting pedestrian and bicycle safety. Police say it has dramatically trimmed fatalities. We speak with the head of Clearwater's traffic enforcement unit, Sergeant Daniel Negersmith. 

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