Beyond the News WFLA Interviews

It's sort of like the day the steel mill closed in Allentown. HSN, once one of the Tampa Bay area's largest employers, is closing its St. Petersburg studios and moving operations to Pennsylvania. Home shopping on TV was born in Pinellas County (on the radio), then went nationwide and worldwide. We speak with the first salesman-host, Bob Circosta, about HSN and its legacy in the region.

Pinellas is among Florida counties seeing a spike in flu cases as the season nears peak. We speak with Dr. Eric Shamas, an emergency room physician at Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital in St. Petersburg.

A case so unusual it made it to the medical journals. Dr. Kostas Marmagkiolis, a cardiologist with Tampa Heart and Vascular who's affiliated with Tampa General Hospital, co-wrote an article for JAMA Cardiology about a local patient. The man had a yellow rash on his hands and feet that the doctor identified as a sign of extremely high cholesterol. Listen to find out what drove his levels so high.

A 63-year-old who runs a property management company in New Port Richey is accused of ripping off absentee property owners by depleting escrow accounts. We speak with New Port Richey police detective Joe Ioppolo.

St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport is celebrating National PIE Day Thursday. Spokesperson Michele Routh explains why and talks about other events at the airport.

The end of January is the deadline for Hillsborough County high school seniors to apply for a wide range of college and vocational scholarships offered through the Hillsborough Education Foundation. We speak with the foundation's Angie Anthony about what's available.

BREAKING NEWS: Governor DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in North Florida ahead of a winter storm bringing snow and sleet and more. We recorded an interview Monday with Okaloosa County Emergency Management Director Patrick Maddox.

St. Petersburg city officials and the Bay Area Apartment Association are staging a Hurricane Recovery Rental Housing Fair Wednesday (22nd) to help people displaced by the hurricanes find a permanent residence. We speak with the city's Housing and Community Development Director, Dr. Avery Slyker.

Newsradio WFLA's Read Shepherd talks to Whit Blanton, Executive Director of Forward Pinellas, about plans and a grant to design 8th Street and Dr. Martin Luther King St as two-way in downtown St. Petersburg.

The Tampa Bay area law school that graduated incoming President Trump's nominee for Attorney General is looking forward to a bump in prestige pending her confirmation. We speak with Stephanie Vaughan, Stetson College of Law alumna and law professor, about another Stetson Law alum, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi., who appears before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday (15th) (Photo Credit: Getty Images/Canva)

Newsradio WFLA's Read Shepherd talks with Ragan Whitlock, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. He's reacting to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's decision to deny "endangered" status for the Florida manatee, and keep the status as "threatened."

FEMA officials have been renewing (and non-renewing) temporary housing assistance for people who can't live in their homes because of damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We speak with FEMA's Wesley Thompson about what recipients need to know whether their vouchers have been renewed or not.

It's Girl Scout cookie season again. Some flavors are being retired but others are still strong. We speak with West Central Florida Council CEO Mary Pat King about how to buy cookies, how cookie sales help the Girl Scouts, and how best to help your child sell and market her product.

Newsradio WFLA's Read Shepherd talks to LaurenGomez, an Environmental Specialist at TECO's Manatee Viewing Center about the impact of our cold snap on the manatees in the discharge canal.

The Tampa Bay area is home to much of the nation's tropical fish farm industry. Farmers are rushing to protect their fish ponds by covering them in plastic. We speak with Sandy Moore, President of New Business Development for Segrest Farms, a tropical fish wholesaler based in Gibsonton, Florida.

A firm that's been part of Florida's citrus industry for the better part of a century, ALICO, says it's going to "wind down" citrus operations. Crop output has been devastated by greening disease and hurricanes. We speak with Dr. Robert Kryger, Ph D, with Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, about the impact of that move.

The annual commemoration of Epiphany takes place Monday (January 6) in Tarpon Springs. In the Greek Orthodox tradition, the day commemorates the baptism of Jesus, and features more than 60 divers hoping to retrieve a cross from Spring Bayou. We speak with Johanna Gatzoulis with St. Nicholas' Cathedral, which organizes the event.

Tuesday (January 7th) is the deadline to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for assistance if you suffered losses in Hurricanes Helene or Milton. We speak with Troy York of FEMA about what you need to know to apply.

In New York, they drop the ball. In Atlanta, they drop the beach. In Las Cruces, New Mexico, they drop a chili pepper. Plant City is starting its own New Year's Eve tradition to welcome in 2025 and can you guess what they're using as a symbol? We speak with Dawn Hyatt, executive director of Plant City Main Street.

Once the holidays are finished, we deal with all that post-holiday waste, perhaps including a tree. Danny Gallagher with Hillsborough County Solid Waste talks about how to dispose of trees, tinsel and other trash of the season.