Beyond the News WFLA Interviews

Preparing for the before, during and after of a hurricane: Read Shepherd speaks with Jim Stiner of Home Depot about sandbags, plywood, and generators.

The Independence Day holiday week is expected to produce new travel records. We speak with Mark Jenkins of AAA Auto Club Group, about what to prepare for, whether you're traveling by land, air, or sea.

The air conditioning and refrigeration industries are asking Congress to chill an EPA initiative started under the Biden administration to change refrigerants used in AC units. The EPA move seeks to respond to climate change by changing to refrigerants such as propane, which is highly flammable. To further complicate matters, there's a phase-in period with transitional coolants. We speak with Bob Cochell, owner of Gulf Coast Air Systems, former president of the Florida Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association, and longtime advocate for the HVAC industry.

David Jolly, a former Republican Congressman from Pinellas County, is running for Florida Governor as a Democrat. We ask him about his stances on the state's issues and whether a Democrat stands a chance in a state where Republicans have a million vote edge.

Last year's hurricanes could mean more mosquitoes this year, or perhaps years in the future, for Pasco County. We speak with Pasco Mosquito Control Director Adriane Rogers.

As another hurricane season approaches, residents of one part of Tampa are still dealing with damage in the aftermath of flooding during Hurricane Milton. They live in the section of the city that's actually farthest away from the water, and many didn't have flood insurance. We speak with Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera about what led to the unexpcted floodwaters, and how residents are moving forward.

Lionfish are an invasive species in Florida. They arrived in our waters as early as the 1980s and efforts to control the population are ongoing. Lionfish eat just about every creature they see in the sea, and can devastate ecosystems. Destin is holding a Lionfish Festival this weekend (17-18) to encourage people to catch the weird-looking fish and make a meal out of it. We speak with Tony Hart, Lionfish Outreach Coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

In a move that caught most off-guard, Roman Catholic cardinals have chosen the first American-born pope. But while he was born and raised in Chicago, the new Pope Leo XIV has spent more of his life outside the U.S. than in it. We speak with St. Leo University associate professor of theology and religion, Dr. Stephen Okey, about the new pontiff. (Photo: Getty Images and Canva)

Pasco County is trying to deal with a spike in its mosquito population by stifling reproduction. We speak with the mosquito control district's executive director, Adriane Rogers, about a pilot program to use sterile male mosquitoes to prevent females from breeding the next generation of bloodsuckers.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor presents her State of the City address Monday (28th). St. Leo University professor Gianna Russo, who has formerly served as the city's official Wordsmith, will read a poem she composed for the occasion. She'll preview the themes in this year's message.

Pope Francis died early Monday. After nine days of mourning, the process of choosing a new pontiff to lead the Roman Catholic Church will begin. We speak with Dr. Stephen Okey, head of the Doctor of Theology program at St. Leo University near Tampa, to explain what's ahead.

Pinellas County is holding in-person and virtual meetings to get public input on how to spend an $813-million grant from HUD to support recovery from Hurricanes Idalia, Helene and Milton. Gordon Byrd speaks with Deputy County Administrator Matthew Spoor.

Bradenton police are looking for a man in connection with an incident in which three Teslas were vandalized in the parking lot of the Pinebrook Commons shopping center. Detectives think he was driving a dark Chevy crossover or SUV. We get more information from police spokesperson Meredith Censullo.

Tampa celebrates St. Patrick's Day by dyeing the Hillsborough River green. It's the centerpiece of a daylong festival Saturday (15th). We speak with Ivy Lupco of the Tampa Downtown Partnership, which stages the event.

Several Pinellas County towns are holding city elections March 11th (Tuesday) for the first time since Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We focus in on the Gulfport mayor's election as that city was particularly hard-hit by the storms. This isn't just about an election but about a city's recovery from last year's history-making storms. In this podcast we interview candidate Sam Henderson, the incumbent Mayor,

Several Pinellas County towns are holding city elections March 11th (Tuesday) for the first time since Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We focus in on the Gulfport mayor's election as that city was particularly hard-hit by the storms. This isn't just about an election but about a city's recovery from last year's history-making storms. In this podcast we interview candidate Karen Love.

Several Pinellas County towns are holding city elections March 11th (Tuesday) for the first time since Hurricanes Helene and Milton. We focus in on the Gulfport mayor's election as that city was particularly hard-hit by the storms. This isn't just about an election but about a city's recovery from last year's history-making storms. In this podcast we interview candidate John Liccione.

The Pinellas beach city of Treasure Island is celebrating its ongoing recovery from last year's hurricanes with a "Back to the Beach" event Saturday and Sunday, inviting people from all over to join in. We speak with the city's Jason Beisel about the event and ongoing recovery.

Your old documents, your old computers, your old phones, and even your old gaming consoles could leave you vulnerable to identity theft. Hillsborough County is giving residents the chance to destroy that information Saturday morning. Listen to Consumer and Veterans Services director Eric Olsen to find out more about Shred Fest.

Hillsborough County holds its annual Neighborhoods Expo Saturday morning (March 1st). It gives county residents the chance to meet with county departments and services. We speak with county neighborhood liaison Stephanie Agliano.