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Citrus County enacted a one-year moratorium last month. It states that the scheduled vote in July about the proposal by Deltona Corporation would no longer take place.

According to the filing, the provider could have to drop services to Medicare recipients if the issue isn’t corrected for the upcoming 2026-2027 year’s rates.

Last week, the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area hosted a mayoral forum.

Watch out of signs of dehydration that may just look like old age. For example, confusion, fatigue, and muscle weakness.

The interim appointee would be expected to remain in place through the end of the year when a new governor takes office.

The Scoop, produced by Maeleigh Fricke

WMNF anchors Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Seán Kinane, Lisa Marzilli.
WMNF News Director Seán Kinane
WMNF reporters Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Lisa Marzilli, Seán Kinane, Sofia Caballero, Daria Mironova, Megan Fair, Luiza Medeiros de Campos, Hanna Lau, Joeniyah Carter, Jaelin Diehl.
Special thanks to Taylor Lovejoy and Corey Beltran.

Theme music, Fresh06, by Stian via archive.org – CC-BY-NC-SA 2.5
https://archive.org/details/jamendo-001084/02.mp3
The Scoop logo by Robin Milcowitz / Greener Pixels / greenerpixels.com / WMNF

The post The Scoop: Wed. June 24, 2026 Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

Pinellas County has launched a 90-day bidding process for several downtown Clearwater properties, paving the way for potential redevelopment opportunities.

Zephyrhills leaders are advancing a temporary moratorium aimed at slowing certain development projects while the city reviews growth plans.

If his execution proceeds as scheduled, Dusty Ray Spencer would become the oldest inmate executed in modern Florida history.

Florida officials are taking action against products containing 7-OH citing health and safety concerns. New regulations aim to limit access and strengthen oversight of the substance.

We Care of Central Florida is expanding its programs to improve access to nutritious food in underserved communities. The organization hopes the effort will address the impact of local food deserts.

The Scoop, produced by Demaria Green

WMNF anchors Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Seán Kinane, Lisa Marzilli.
WMNF News Director Seán Kinane
WMNF reporters Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Lisa Marzilli, Seán Kinane, Sofia Caballero, Daria Mironova, Megan Fair, Luiza Medeiros de Campos, Hanna Lau, Joeniyah Carter, Jaelin Diehl.
Special thanks to Taylor Lovejoy and Corey Beltran.

Theme music, Fresh06, by Stian via archive.org – CC-BY-NC-SA 2.5
https://archive.org/details/jamendo-001084/02.mp3
The Scoop logo by Robin Milcowitz / Greener Pixels / greenerpixels.com / WMNF

The post The Scoop: Tues. June 23, 2026 Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

It is the latest city in Tampa Bay to consider a one-year moratorium on any type of data center development.

WMNF’s Hannah Lau Gleciano reports on what the upgrades are and some concerns regarding the use of AI in policing.

The city emailed her regarding purchases made with city funds, to which she replied claiming city leadership has discriminated against older employees in the past, illegally tracked them and rejected disability accommodations.

The county is still waiting for reimbursement from the state.

Seven of those are from Tampa Bay alone and, according to Tampa Bay Times, these are likely underreported numbers.

The Scoop, produced by Maeleigh Fricke

WMNF anchors Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Seán Kinane, Lisa Marzilli.
WMNF News Director Seán Kinane
WMNF reporters Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Lisa Marzilli, Seán Kinane, Sofia Caballero, Daria Mironova, Megan Fair, Luiza Medeiros de Campos, Hanna Lau, Joeniyah Carter, Jaelin Diehl.
Special thanks to Taylor Lovejoy and Corey Beltran.

Theme music, Fresh06, by Stian via archive.org – CC-BY-NC-SA 2.5
https://archive.org/details/jamendo-001084/02.mp3
The Scoop logo by Robin Milcowitz / Greener Pixels / greenerpixels.com / WMNF

The post The Scoop: Mon. June 22, 2026 Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

Robert Dillon was accused of asking a girl under 12 to leave a Jacksonville Beach McDonald’s with him in 2024. Two Jacksonville officers used surveillance software managed by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office to identify him as the subject. According to the lawsuit, Dillon has never been to Jacksonville Beach.

Some Pinellas activist organizations want to turn a struggling apartment complex into public housing.

According to authorities, Michael Robinson was killed Monday evening.

Summer is almost here, and so is intense heat. WMNF’s Luiza Campos reports on staying safe in the heat and warning signs of heat exhaustion.

A spokesperson says ICE and the state of Florida moved people from there to other facilities for their safety due to hurricane season.

The Scoop, produced by Maeleigh Fricke

WMNF anchors Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Seán Kinane, Lisa Marzilli.
WMNF News Director Seán Kinane
WMNF reporters Chris Young, Juanita Hurtado Huérfano, Lisa Marzilli, Seán Kinane, Sofia Caballero, Daria Mironova, Megan Fair, Luiza Medeiros de Campos, Hanna Lau, Joeniyah Carter, Jaelin Diehl.
Special thanks to Taylor Lovejoy and Corey Beltran.

Theme music, Fresh06, by Stian via archive.org – CC-BY-NC-SA 2.5
https://archive.org/details/jamendo-001084/02.mp3
The Scoop logo by Robin Milcowitz / Greener Pixels / greenerpixels.com / WMNF

The post The Scoop: Wed. June 17, 2026 Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

The City of Tampa requested a study from RedSpeed looking at speed violations in 31 school zones.

They found that 18 of those locations are averaging between 200 to 3,000 speeding violations a day.

In response the police department is asking to expand the number of school zone cameras.

But, members of the city council are concerned about RedSpeeds partnership with Flock Safety, an AI generated software that reads license plates.

According to the ACLU, Flock Safety works as a surveillance tool since it “allows police to search the nationwide movement records of any vehicle that comes to their attention.” The ACLU has also criticized before Immigrations and Customs Enforcement accessing the Flock database.

“It’s not people are not concerned about the police department,” said Councilwoman Amanda Lynn Hurtak. “they’re concerned about the federal government and ICE using it, that’s the issue. But I think the bigger concern is that the Florida legislature just completely preempts our ability to regulate them.”

But Assistant City Attorney Mike Schmidt says Flock is not involved in the cameras.

“So this is literally just a camera right now that is trying to capture speed data and the information in order to process the violation that’s necessary,” Schmidt said. “Other data winds up getting deleted and destroyed, and then the data needed for processing those ones that are determined violations can be kept by the law for 90 days, and you can’t use it for surveillance.”

City council approved the motion with one dissenting vote.

City staff said the program will have a public education period before the cameras began ticketing.

No other information has been released about the public education period.

It is unclear when the physical cameras will be installed at the 18 selected campuses.

The post Tampa’s latest crackdown on speeding violations draws criticism appeared first on WMNF 88.5 FM.

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A “Teen Takeover” event on Clearwater beach Sunday has led to the arrest of a 16-year-old who is now facing three separate charges. Officers say they believe he fired a gun seven times before injuring another.

He fought with the 17-year-old victim before the shooting. Law enforcement says the survivor received non-life-threatening injuries to his arm, leg, and chest.

Investigators identified the shooter early on in the investigation before arresting him where he resides in Polk County. They have taken him to the county’s jail.

Upon his arrest, the suspect has refused to speak. The police are charging him with attempted second-degree murder, discharging a firearm in public, and the unlawful possession of a firearm by a minor.

Deputy Chief Michael Walek from the Clearwater Police Department states that the dispute between the two groups started about a month ago in Winterhaven. The argument started over social media and party related rivalries.

Walek commented on how the Police Department had been monitoring the event in the days leading up to it, yet it escalated quickly.

“It is important to note that since December 31, 2025, our Threat Management Unit has identified 11 takeover style events. Nine of those were canceled and two never materialized.”

This was the only one.

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Michael King was executed for the murder of Denise Amber Lee on Tuesday.

At least four people called emergency services on the night of Lee’s kidnapping and one caller gave a detailed description of King’s location. But no offices were sent to help.

The case led to the creation of The Denise Amber Lee law. It requires 911 operators to undergo intensive training and get a state certification.

King was convicted in 2009, and his death warrant was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis last month.

Following the signing, King petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court earlier to stop his execution alleging lethal injection violations. These include incorrect doses, use of expired or unauthorized drugs and failing to keep appropriate records.

“Some defendants have approached it through a due process line saying, you know, I don’t have all the information that I need,” said Grace Hannah, the executive director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. “Some have approached it in terms of preventing cruel and unusual punishment and reducing the risk of torture.” Michael King is basically saying that he is at an enhanced risk of receiving a mal administered lethal injection protocol.”

The complaints also request access to extra records to further prove the protocol breaches.

“And the state has repeatedly denied those requests, saying that they’re unable to provide them due to the confidentiality surrounding lethal injection,” said Hannah.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear any of the cases.

In the denial notice for Melvin Trotter, he was executed last month, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that prisoners are being put in a “Catch 22.” 

Meaning that they are denied access to records because they don’t have enough evidence to raise an Eighth Amendment claim, but “the very reason the prisoners are seeking the records is to gather enough information to raise a colorable Eighth Amendment claim.”

Florida broke a record last year with 19 executions, they accounted for 40% of executions in the country. There are two other executions already scheduled.

Hannah expects more legal challenges to continue.

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Melvin Trotter was executed last night, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied his request for a last-minute stay of execution.

The executive director of Floridians for alternatives to the death penalty, Grace Hannah says the appeal wasn’t to question his conviction. Rather, Trotter wanted an independent review into the Department of Corrections.

“He would like an investigation into whether or not Florida can, you know, carry out its own protocol because the state has never denied that the records are incorrect or that they didn’t use expired drugs last year,” Hannah said. “They’ve just simply said it’s not relevant and they’re not required to do so.”

Hannah is referencing records that originally came to light during the Frank Walls case last year. Included in the case were inventory logs showing the use of expired drugs, incorrect dosages and unauthorized drugs.

These allegations were also pointed to by inmate Ronald Heath who was executed earlier this month. He argued the abnormalities with the lethal injection protocol could lead to an unnecessarily painful death and would result in an Eight Amendment violation.

The Florida Supreme Court rejected both Heath’s and Trotter’s appeals.

“They agreed with the state that the arguments were speculative and based on incomplete records,” Hannah said. “But the fact is that the state has declined to provide those new or more records. So of course, there’s no new evidence when the state is controlling access to it.”

Florida already has two other executions by lethal injection scheduled for next month.

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Last week, the FBI released a report on the increase in domestic violence cases across the country. These are cases involving a “current or former spouse or partner, parent, guardian of the victim, co-parent, or roommate.”

The report looked at data reported to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) between 2020 and 2024.

It found the cases increasing slightly from 25.6% to 27.5% and that aggravated assault was the violent crime most likely to involve someone the victim knew in a domestic relationship.

It also saw most victims of rape were between 13 and 16 years old.

In the Tampa area, the domestic violence resource center Spring of Tampa Bay is seeing that increase as well. But not the same demographics.

From their 500 to 700 cases per month, victims are mostly between 18 to 25 years old.

The cases first rose during the pandemic.

“We saw the violence increase because people were trapped in their houses with their abusive partner. Kids weren’t going to school, there were no eyes on families, there were no safety valves for a survivor” Mindy Murphy, the president and CEO of Spring of Tampa Bay said. “But you know, you expect to see those crimes kind of decline and what we haven’t seen is that happen.”

Murphy also said the cases might not be abating due to the current discourse in our society. She describes an environment where victim shaming, abuse and impunity run rampant.

But for Murphy, the most concerning aspect is the rise in high-risk cases. Between 2020 to 2024, the Spring of Tampa Bay saw about 20% of their cases were flagged as high risk, meaning that they could result in death.

The FBI report found that domestic-related murders claimed 11,466 victims.

The increases in the severity of domestic violence cases led to the creation of a dedicated unit in the Hillsborough County Police Department last December.

The unit is composed of 12 police officers and they work closely with two community response members from the Spring of Tampa Bay.

“What we are starting to see is that with these enhanced teams, the charges that abusers are facing are more serious they’re more numerous, right?” Murphy said. “They’re trying to really send a message to people who abuse that if you do this in our community, you’re going to be held accountable.”

It is too early to see if the unit is effectively helping reduce cases but for Murphy these are steps in the right direction.

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On our Valentine’s Day show, we discussed when romance goes wrong – the realities of domestic violence and abuse.

On Feb.11, Kelly Sinn, CEO of Sunrise of Pasco County, a certified Domestic and Sexual Violence Center, and William Warmke, Supervising Attorney of the Domestic Violence Division of Hillsborough County, join MidPoint to raise awareness of the harsh realities of domestic abuse and discuss survivor support programs and available resources on the way to healing.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, flowers, candies, and hearts dominate the marketplace. But what happens when affection becomes traumatic or abusive? This is an important conversation, as these issues are often misunderstood or left unspoken. Is there hope for change?

Kelly Sinn, CEO of Sunrise of Pasco County and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, explains the main services the Domestic and Sexual Violence Center offers. She points out that many survivors face financial dependence and control, isolation, and threats of violence, and they may not know about the help they can get. Sunrise of Pasco County provides emergency shelter, counseling, case management, outreach, and legal help to obtain court injunctions or restraining orders. As the Supervising Attorney of the Domestic Violence Division of the Hillsborough County State’s Attorney’s Office, William Warmke focuses on obtaining justice for survivors who choose to prosecute their abusers in criminal court, and/or seek a civil restraining order to keep them away. Cases come to his division through contacts with law enforcement or through the domestic violence center. He explains that obtaining a restraining order requires proving to a judge either that violence has occurred or that there is an “imminent risk of violence.”  It’s a challenging and intimidating process for the survivor, but the SAO also has victim advocates available to assist. Depending on the circumstances, the State Attorney’s Office may proceed with a prosecution of an abuser even without a victim’s cooperation, particularly when violence or serious safety concerns arise.

Warmke notes that survivors can receive assistance from the Spring of Tampa Bay in Hillsborough County, CASA in Pinellas County, and SPARCC in Sarasota/Bradenton. All certified centers in Florida must meet state standards, and some also offer on-site childcare and economic empowerment assistance.

Sometimes, victims do not realize they are in an unhealthy situation, or they feel embarrassed to seek help. Sinn and Warmke both acknowledged that financial dependence, emotional manipulation, and isolation can make it difficult to leave an abusive relationship, especially when children are involved. They explain there are ways to provide support without intruding. Both Sinn and Warmke highlight the importance of compassion and empathy. Survivors need support, information about their options, and safety planning, rather than being told what to do. Friends and family can help by:

Services are free and confidential. Callers don’t have to give their names. Here are some important numbers and websites:

24/7 Hotlines. Call or text: 

William Warmke notes that each survivor’s idea of success is different. For some, it means seeing their abuser held responsible in court. For others, it just means getting away safely and never seeing the abuser again. Success may not happen right away. Kelly Sinn shares a moving story about a former shelter client she assisted as a social worker at Sunrise who returned 20 years later to the organization’s annual candlelight vigil, saying Sunrise had made a pivotal difference in her life.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact your local Domestic and Sexual Violence Center for immediate help. Visit the website for your local center to learn more about how to access available resources.

You can listen to the entire show on demand from the archives here, on the WMNF app, or as a WMNF MidPoint podcast on Spotify or Apple Music.

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