Climate change gave significant boost to Milton's destructive rain, winds, scientists say
Read full article: Climate change gave significant boost to Milton's destructive rain, winds, scientists sayScientists say human-caused climate change intensified deadly Hurricane Milton’s rainfall by 20 to 30% and strengthened its winds by about 10%.
VIDEO: Woman charged with animal cruelty after Clearwater Police rescue dog from hot car
Read full article: VIDEO: Woman charged with animal cruelty after Clearwater Police rescue dog from hot carA Clearwater woman was charged with animal cruelty this week after leaving her dog in a hot car for 40 minutes while she was at the beach, police said.
Phillies-Braves and Brewers-Mets openers postponed a day to Friday due to rainy forecasts
Read full article: Phillies-Braves and Brewers-Mets openers postponed a day to Friday due to rainy forecastsBaseball season openers in New York and Philadelphia have been postponed a day until Friday because of rainy forecasts in both cities.
Fanatics founder Michael Rubin says company unfairly blamed for new MLB uniforms
Read full article: Fanatics founder Michael Rubin says company unfairly blamed for new MLB uniformsFanatics founder Michael Rubin says his company is being unfairly blamed for new Major League Baseball uniforms that have see-through pants and other fit and design problems.
Authorities release names of three killed when plane crashed into Florida mobile home park
Read full article: Authorities release names of three killed when plane crashed into Florida mobile home parkFlorida authorities have released the names of three people who were killed when a small airplane crashed into a mobile home park.
Report: Hulk Hogan helped rescue teen following Florida car crash
Read full article: Report: Hulk Hogan helped rescue teen following Florida car crashPro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, whose given name is Terry Bollea, helped rescue a 17-year-old girl following a car crash near where he lives in Florida, according to reports.
52 sea turtles experiencing 'cold stun' in New England flown to rehab in Florida
Read full article: 52 sea turtles experiencing 'cold stun' in New England flown to rehab in FloridaFifty-two endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles suffering from “cold stun” are rehabbing at four facilities in Florida after a flight on a private plane from the New England Aquarium in Massachusetts.
Clearwater man killed in hit-and-run while walking on I-75 in Marion County: FHP
Read full article: Clearwater man killed in hit-and-run while walking on I-75 in Marion County: FHPA Clearwater man was hit and killed early Sunday morning while walking on Interstate 75 in Marion County, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report.
Phillies' Song throws off mound, knows challenges ahead
Read full article: Phillies' Song throws off mound, knows challenges aheadNoah Song has no illusions of the challenges ahead as he approaches the end of his first week of spring training since joining the Philadelphia Phillies from the U.S. Navy.
Song arrives at Phils after Navy grants transfer to reserves
Read full article: Song arrives at Phils after Navy grants transfer to reservesNoah Song threw and performed agility drills on a back outfield wearing Philadelphia Phillies shorts and T-shirt, a far different different uniform for the 25-year old.
Former Scientologist called police, went nowhere, she sued
Read full article: Former Scientologist called police, went nowhere, she suedThe difficulty in obtaining information from Scientology, even with a subpoena, is one of many obstacles investigators and plaintiffs’ attorneys have faced over the years as the battle-tested organization has defeated challenge after challenge in court.
Explosives found at Florida man’s home after arrest at rally
Read full article: Explosives found at Florida man’s home after arrest at rallyA Florida man has been charged after authorities say they found an active explosive in his bag after he was spotted running away from a Jan. 6 anniversary rally.
Florida man arrested after body found floating in Gulf
Read full article: Florida man arrested after body found floating in GulfPolice in Florida have arrested a 29-year-old man on manslaughter charges in connection to the death of an older man whose body was found floating offshore earlier this month in the Gulf of Mexico.
Florida aquarium creates legacy for famed Winter the Dolphin
Read full article: Florida aquarium creates legacy for famed Winter the DolphinA Florida aquarium has created a legacy for its famed Winter the Dolphin following her recent death, including virtual reality encounters with the star of the Dolphin Tale movies.
'Dolphin Tale' fans mourn death of film's star Winter at 16
Read full article: 'Dolphin Tale' fans mourn death of film's star Winter at 16Amy Carmichael lives more than 4,000 miles from the Florida aquarium that housed Winter, the “Dolphin Tale” movie star with a prosthetic tail who died this week at age 16.
Florida woman charged 2+ years later with killing father
Read full article: Florida woman charged 2+ years later with killing fatherCLEARWATER, Fla. – A Florida woman is facing murder charges more than two years after her father was killed with a baseball bat and a knife, authorities said. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Shannon Gillespie, 46, was arrested Friday on first-degree murder charges. She is charged with killing her father, 71-year-old Daniel Gillespie, in November 2018. The Tampa Bay Times reports that Shannon Gillespie had repeatedly denied any involvement, although she did tell investigators she despised him. Authorities say Shannon Gillespie was kicked out of the Clearwater home she shared with her father.
Officials: Rapist found in Florida after decades as fugitive
Read full article: Officials: Rapist found in Florida after decades as fugitiveCLEARWATER, Fla. – A convicted rapist has been arrested in Florida more than 40 years after skipping out on his Connecticut prison sentence and assuming a stolen identity, authorities said. Douglas Bennett, 76, was arrested Wednesday at his Clearwater home and charged with passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to a criminal complaint, Bennett submitted a passport application in July 2016 using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a person who was born in 1940 and died in 1945. Bennett was convicted in 1975 by a Connecticut jury of robbery, kidnapping, sexual contact, rape and deviate sexual intercourse. Bennett assumed the fraudulent identity in 1977 and remained a fugitive for more than 40 years, the complaint said.
Florida seniors, students to get priority for free rapid COVID-19 testing
Read full article: Florida seniors, students to get priority for free rapid COVID-19 testingCLEARWATER, Fla. – A day after President Donald Trump announced a plan to disperse 150 million rapid coronavirus tests, Gov. Ron DeSantis said that seniors and students in Florida will be priorities for testing. The tests, which do not require a lab, will be free and able to show a positive or negative test within about 15 minutes. DeSantis compared the tests to a pregnancy test and demonstrated how they work during the press conference on Tuesday. DeSantis said after addressing the vulnerable populations, schools will be a priority for receiving the tests.
Florida education commissioner says he’s sending his 6 children back to public school
Read full article: Florida education commissioner says he’s sending his 6 children back to public schoolCLEARWATER, Fla. – Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said Wednesday he plans to send all six of his children back to brick-and-mortar public schools this fall. “I have six children, all of them are in public school. All of my children will be going back to school in the fall,” Corcoran said during a round-table event at a special education school in Clearwater. Ron DeSantis, who joined Corcoran at the roundtable event at Paul B. Stephens Exceptional Student Education Center, said his children are not school age but added that he would have no problem sending his children to school. The school district in Duval County plans to start the school year with a hybrid virtual option that would not involve sending many students back to school five days a week.
Florida man fatally shot during argument over parking space
Read full article: Florida man fatally shot during argument over parking spaceCLEARWATER, Fla. - A 26-year-old man is accused of killing a man during an argument over a parking spot outside a Florida duplex. Pinellas County Sheriff's investigators say Deshon Powers fatally shot 31-year-old Derek Omasta late Saturday while arguing over a parking space. Omasta's wife Samantha tells the Tampa Bay Times she still doesn't understand how the dispute escalated so quickly, adding "none of it makes any sense." She says this was supposed to be a big week for the couple as they planned to announce her pregnancy Thursday, which was her 32nd birthday. Attorney Theresa Jean-Pierre says his legal team plans to "vigorously" defend him.
Underwater military memorial opens off coast of Clearwater
Read full article: Underwater military memorial opens off coast of ClearwaterImage from WFTS-TV/TampaCLEARWATER, Fla. - A dozen concrete statues of U.S. service members have been placed in the Gulf of Mexico, 10 miles off the coast of Clearwater Beach, as the nation's first underwater dive memorial honoring our country's veterans. The life-size concrete statues represent men and women serving in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy. Former Congressman David Jollys nonprofit, Brighter Future Florida, led the fundraising to complete the memorial. Pinellas County provided $50,000, and Brighter Future Florida raised $150,000. "In places where our veterans should feel the most safe and secure, many feel more vulnerable than when they're being shot at.
At least 8 people hit by lightning in Clearwater Beach
Read full article: At least 8 people hit by lightning in Clearwater BeachCLEARWATER, Fla - At least eight people are injured after lightning struck Clearwater Beach on Sunday afternoon, according to fire rescue officials. One man in his 40s was directly hit by the strike, the Clearwater Fire Department says. It happened around 12:42 p.m. in the beach area behind Frenchy's Rockaway Grill. As a reminder, Clearwater Fire and Rescue uses the phrase: when you hear the roar, go indoor," the fire department says. Officials say lifeguards at the beach left their towers around 12:30 p.m. due to bad weather, minutes before the 911 call came in for the strike.