Articles by Jim DeLa's Profile | Observer Media Group Journalist

Woman changed with smashing up Sarasota bar, burglarizing other businesses

Jun 18, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A woman has been arrested on burglary charges after deputies say she smashed up a local Sarasota watering hole and two other businesses. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office says at about 4 a.m. of June 4, Kara Jane Rose Plocharsky, 31, smashed the front door of the 8 Ball Lounge on Webber Road just before 4:00 a.m. Surveillance footage shows a female wearing a motorcycle helmet as she shatters the front door and enters the establishment.

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Two drivers injured when blowout causes collision on I-75

Jun 18, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Two people are in serious condition after a tire blowout caused a collision on I-75 at Clark Road Thursday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Investigators say just before 7 a.m., a Ford sedan was entering I-75 from the southbound on-ramp of Clark Road when a tire blew. A semi-trailer in the right lane of I-75 tried to avoid the sedan by entering the center lane but the semi hit the left side of the sedan, rotated and overturned in the grass median.

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Tourists in The Bahamas warned not to use jet skis, citing sex assaults, injuries

Jun 17, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The U.S. Embassy in The Bahamas is warning U.S. citizens to avoid accepting rides from jet ski operators after incidents of women being sexually assaulted. Embassy officials in Nassau have received several reports of jet ski operators sexually assaulting American women; two already this year, two in 2025 and three in 2024.

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Port Tampa Bay continues expansion for cruse ship operations

Jun 17, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Port Tampa Bay is continuing its upgrades of cruise ship operations, completing the installation of three new passenger boarding bridges, the port announced Wednesday. The new bridges, at Cruise Terminals 2 and 6, are designed to accommodate a wider range of vessel configurations and boarding heights. The bridges feature advanced stabilization and climate controls that protect passengers from the elements, the port said in a news release.

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Funding approved for beach renourishment on Anna Maria Island

Jun 17, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - More than $6 million has been allocated for beach renourishment on Anna Maria Island, Manatee County officials announced Tuesday. The project will replace sand lost to erosion and recent hurricanes along a segment of shoreline between Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach. The $6.1 million, approved through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is totally federally funded and requires no local financial match.

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Caught on Camera: Red-light runner misses collision on U.S. 301 by inches

Jun 16, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The Sarasota Police Department has released a red light camera video showing a near-miss between two vehicles on U.S. 301 on June 13. The video shows a blue compact car running a red light at 12th Street, narrowly missing another sedan going east on 12th Street. The video was posted on the department’s Facebook page. “Come on now,” the post said.

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Suspect sought in Palmetto after 100-mph chase over Sunshine Skyway

Jun 16, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

PALMETTO, Fla. (WWSB) - A high-speed chase that started in Tampa Tuesday morning ended in Palmetto with the suspect disappearing into the woods, the Florida Highway Patrol said. A search for the suspect was underway in the area of U.S. Highway 41 and 21st Street East. The Highway Patrol said the chase began in Tampa and continued south, over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, at speeds at times up to 110 mph.

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Domesticated ducks, city ponds don’t mix, Sarasota police say

Jun 16, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A Sarasota Police patrol officer’s job isn’t always about chasing bad guys; sometimes it’s simply performing an act of kindness. Officers Shapiro and Stanaland found a fluffy friend in distress at Bay Park earlier this month, the department said on Facebook. Sarasota Police officers found a fluffy friend in distress at Bay Park earlier this month, the department said on Facebook.

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Watch: Motorcyclists lead Hillsborough deputies on chase after traffic stop

Jun 16, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

BRANDON, Fla. (WWSB) - The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has released video of a dramatic chase of two motorcyclists who tried to flee after a recent traffic stop. On June 13, Christopher Cruzcolon, 30, and Megan Lynne Bateman, 35, were stopped as they rode in Brandon. When the pair tried to run away from deputies, a helicopter unit was called in to help to track both riders as they tried to get away.

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Polk County deputies say habitual DUI suspect spotted doing 100 mph

Jun 15, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WWSB) - A Winter Haven man with a history of DUI convictions was arrested June 11 after deputies say he was seen driving on U.S. Highway 27 at 100 mph with open containers in the vehicle. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy observed a BMW sedan heading north in Lake Wales, with radar measuring the vehicle’s speed at 100 mph in a 60 mph zone.

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State offices to be closed from July 2-7 for Fourth of July holiday

Jun 15, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - State workers will get an extended Independence Day holiday weekend. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that state offices will be closed starting Thursday, July 2 and reopen Tuesday, July 7 to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. State offices were already scheduled to be closed Friday, July 3.

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Watch: Baby red-shouldered hawk rescued in Holmes Beach

Jun 15, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

The bird was found huddled by a door. The officer was able to easily corral the hawk and take it to the Wildlife, Inc. Education & Rehabilitation Center for care.

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Caught on camera: Man arrested for shooting at sheriff’s office drone

Jun 15, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. (WWSB) - A man in Lehigh Acres was arrested after firing a BB gun at a drone owned by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, authorities said. The first-responder drone had been deployed to assist with a call near Todd Avenue South this past weekend, the sheriff’s office said. While flying in the area, the drone operator spotted four men, one of whom appeared to be carrying a rifle. Video captured by the drone shows one of the men pointing a BB gun at the drone and firing.

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Manatee County hit-and-run suspect sought in Hardee County

Jun 15, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

WAUCHULA, Fla. (WWSB) - The Hardee County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a man suspected of being involved in a hit-and-run incident in Manatee County. In a Facebook post Sunday night, deputies say the suspect was last seen in Hardee County, fleeing on foot, in the County Road 665/Limestone area. The suspect is described as a white male wearing black shorts, no shirt and a white hat. Hardee County authorities say the man is not considered dangerous.

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Florida gas prices falling after Iran deal to open Straight of Hormuz announced

Jun 15, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Florida gas prices are moving lower after rising 17 cents early last week, AAA is reporting. Sunday’s state average of $3.83 per gallon is 3 cents more than a week ago but 56 cents less than a month ago. “Crude prices dropped overnight after the United States and Iran announced an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA – The Auto Club Group.

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World Cup watch parties popping up all around the Suncoast

Jun 12, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - Fans gathered at Casablanca Restaurant in Bradenton Thursday night, to kick off watch parties for the the World Cup. The tournament, officially named the FIFA World Cup, is the most prestigious soccer (or fútbol in most of the rest of the world) tournament in the world, where men’s national teams compete for a world championship. Many more watch parties were set for Friday night. Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in their opening match. “It was awesome. It was awesome.

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Car bursts into flams near gas pumps in Charlotte County

Jun 12, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) - A fire at a gas pump forced the evacuation of a Circle K Friday in Charlotte County, fire officials said. At 11:39 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to the Circle K on Duncan Road for a vehicle fire. A large column of smoke was visible as crews. The store was evacuated and the intersection was temporarily closed to traffic. One person was injured buy they refused treatment, officials said.

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17-year-old charged as adult in shooting death of Manatee High senior

Jun 12, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A Palmetto teenager is being charged as an adult in the shooting death of a 17-year-old in Bradenton on May 18, court records show. Santana Davis, 17, has been charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence with a firearm, improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon or firearm, and possession of a firearm by a person under 24 years of age previously found delinquent.

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Iconic Central Florida night club building destroyed in fire

Jun 11, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

AVON PARK, Fla. (WWSB) - A building that was the home of a former Avon Park night club was destroyed in a Wednesday night fire, Highlands County Fire Rescue said. Multiple fire departments responded to the blaze at the former Beachfront Night Club building. The 10,000-square-foot building was declared a total loss, officials said.

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Tampa-area nurse sentenced for stealing drugs from hospital

Jun 11, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

TAMPA, Fla. (WWSB) - A registered nurse was sentenced to two years in federal prison for stealing drugs from a Tampa-area hospital, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Thursday. Lauren Hornbuckle, 37, of Seminole, had pleaded guilty last August to tampering with a consumer product. According to court documents, Hornbuckle worked at a hospital in the Tampa-Bay area.

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Off-duty Polk County deputy killed in I-4 crash

Jun 11, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

HAINES CITY, Fla. (WWSB) - An off-duty deputy with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was killed in a crash on Interstate 4 on June 9, the sheriff’s office said. Jonathan Morales Pabon, 32, was a passenger in the car that was hit by a pickup near Haines City. Investigators say at about 10:30 p.m., Pabon was reclined in the front passenger seat of a Nissan Rogue, being driven eastbound on I-4 by a 21-year-old Lake Wales woman.

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Jury hands Palmetto man his eighth DUI conviction after fight in Bradenton

Jun 10, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A Palmetto man was convicted Wednesday in Manatee County Court of his eighth DUI, the State Attorney’s Office said. A jury found Ronald Clark Willard, 55, guilty of driving under the influence (fourth or subsequent violation); driving while license cancelled, suspended or revoked (with knowledge - third or subsequent offense) based on DUI refusal with death or serious bodily injury; fleeing or attempting to elude an officer; and driving while license permanently revoked.

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Trio arrested in Manatee for selling stolen equipment from Home Depot stores

Jun 10, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Three people have been arrested in Manatee County after deputies say they were part of a statewide scheme to sell and rent construction equipment stolen from Home depot stores. Detectives learned of the operation in may when the home improvement chain reported rental equipment thefts using phony identification. Detectives say the suspects, all from Miami, used fake names and identification to rent equipment that was never returned.

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Venice man dies in one-vehicle crash

Jun 10, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A Venice man was killed after his SUV hit a tree on Jacaranda Boulevard Tuesday night, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Investigators say the 62-year-old was driving south in a Mitsubishi Outlander at about 10:30 p.m. when he veered to the left, drove onto the median and collided with a tree. The driver, whom troopers did not identify, died at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.

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Sarasota’s new city manager facing possible budget shortfall head-on

Jun 10, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Sarasota’s new city manager, Karie Friling, has been on the job a week. She’s been busy. “I went through my calendar last night. I had 53 meetings last week,” she said Tuesday during a meeting with journalists at City Hall. Settling in to a job such as this could be challenging enough, but with a controversial ballot referendum looming in November, creating a budget has taken on new urgency. Still, Friling says she is excited about the new job.

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North Port Police looking for ATV riders who allegedly harassed fawn

Jun 09, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

NORTH PORT, Fla. (WWSB) - North Port Police say they were looking for people who they say chased and injured a fawn while riding all-terrain vehicles. In a Facebook post, the North Port Police Department said the young deer became entangled in a fence after allegedly being chased by the ATV riders. It suffered minor injuries and was traumatized, but was expected to recover. “Man, people can be jerks,” the social media post said.

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Truck crashes into house in Sarasota

Jun 09, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A pickup truck crashed into a house in early Tuesday morning in the Sarasota neighborhood of Palm Aire, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Investigators said a Ford F-150 was heading east on Tournament Boulevard at about 12:30 a.m., approaching the stop sign intersection of West Country Club Drive. The pickup continued past the stop sign, went off the road and hit a house on West Country Club Drive.

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Strong earthquake off Cuban coast poses no risk to U.S., weather service says

Jun 08, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

UPDATED at 3:25 p.m., with wire reports from Cuba. SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A 6.1-magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Gulf, in about about 65 miles west northwest of Mantua, Cuba. Reports of people feeling a tremor at about 2 p.m. along the Suncoast and across Florida have been received but no damage has been seen, the National Weather Service said. The weather service said there was no tsunami danger for the United States.

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Lee County teen charged with robbing vape store, fleeing in stolen car to Alabama

Jun 08, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A teenager from Bonita Springs has been arrested after allegedly robbing a vape store, stealing a car and fleeing out of state, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said. On June 4, an armed robbery was reported at OG Smoke N Vape in Bonita Springs. Surveillance footage showed a masked male entering the business with a gun, demanding several products before fleeing. The following day, detectives found video of the suspect walking around the area before the robbery, with no mask.

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WWII airman missing in action is laid to rest at Sarasota National Cemetery

Jun 08, 2026 |

By Natalia Kaminski, Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A gunner lost in World War II after his B-24 bomber was shot down over Luxembourg is finally coming home, being laid to rest Monday at Sarasota National Cemetery. Tech. Sgt. Charles C. Palmer Jr. was a member of a B-24 Liberator crew serving with the 445th Bombardment Group when he was killed in action. “His plane went a little off course and crashed into woods so they just listed him as missing in action all those years,” Palmer’s cousin, Bonnie Rolquin, recently told ABC7.

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New body cameras help deputies bridge communication gaps

Jun 08, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has a new tool to help deputies communicate with citizens who don’t speak English. New body worn cameras are now equipped with real-time translation that can automatically recognize 57 different languages and translate in both directions, the sheriff’s office announced on Facebook. The new devices are already being used in investigations, traffic stops, community events and more.

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Thrift store donation of human skull has deputies looking for answers

Jun 08, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. (WWSB) - Authorities in Hernando County are trying to find the person who donated a human skull to a Brookville church’s thrift store. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help in identifying the person who dropped off the skull along with other items at the Jericho Ministries Thrift Store in May. Detectives are attempting to identify and speak with the person, who they say may not have been aware it was an actual human skull.

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Less pain at the pump: Florida gas prices continue to decline

Jun 08, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

TAMPA, Fla. (WWSB) - Florida gas prices declined for the second consecutive week, falling 72 cents per gallon over the past 18 days, AAA says. Sunday’s state average of $3.80 per gallon was 27 cents less than a week ago and 72 cents less than a month ago. According to AAA, the recent drop in gas prices follows a sharp decline in oil prices over the past few weeks. However, oil prices remain sensitive to global developments, and short-term increases remain possible.

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Brush fire prompts evacuations of homes in Venice neighborhood

Jun 05, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - At least 10 homes in a Venice neighborhood are being evacuated Friday after as a brush fire threatens the area, authorities said. Sarasota County firefighters are on the scene near the 12000 block of Tempest Harbor Loop. Brush fire in South Sarasota County consumed 300 acres At about 1:30 p.m., the area involved is about 15 acres and is 30% contained, according to the Sarasota Fire Department. Florida Forest Service personnel are also on scene.

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Sarasota man gets 25 for producing child sexual abuse material

Jun 05, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

TAMPA, Fla. (WWSB) - A Sarasota man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for contacting minors through social media apps to produce child sexual abuse material. Sean Anthony Christie, 43, was found guilty Jan. 15 in U.S. District Court in Tampa.

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Former Braves minor-leaguer involved in fatal I-75 crash faces new charges

Jun 04, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - A former Atlanta Braves minor-leaguer involved in a fatal crash on I-75 April 20 is facing additional charges, court records show. Prosecutors say Jonathan Matos Morales was driving a Ford Mustang south on I-75 near State Road 64 when it collided with an SUV. The Florida Highway Patrol said the impact pushed the SUV into a tractor-trailer, which overturned and killed the driver.

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Mother whose child drowns at Bradenton pool party charged with manslaughter

Jun 04, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - The woman arrested after her child drowned at a Bradenton pool party last month has now been charged with manslaughter, Bradenton Police said Thursday. Rosette Pierrecius, 32, who was arrested on May 10, has now been charged by the State Attorney’s Office with aggravated manslaughter of a child, a first-degree felony. Pierrecius was originally arrested for child neglect causing great bodily harm.

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California man who coerced North Port minor into online sex gets 30 years

Jun 04, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

TAMPA, Fla. (WWSB) - A California man has seen sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for coercing a 12-year-old in North Port to engage in online sexual activity, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa announced Thursday. Rigoberto Rios Gallardo, 33, of Los Angeles had pleaded guilty in March to three counts of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.

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Vessel carrying $11 million in cocaine seized off Miami Beach

Jun 03, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

MIAMI, Fla. (WWSB) - More than $11 million worth of cocaine was recently seized from a boat in a shipping channel near the Port of Miami, the U.S. Coast Guard is reporting. The law enforcement boat crew interdicted the suspected smugglers near Government Cut on May 6, seizing more than 1,500 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $11.6 million. Homeland Security Investigations agents took the people on the vessel into custody.

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At least one USF student stabbed at apartment near campus, deputies say

Jun 03, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

TAMPA, Fla. (WWSB) - Two people were stabbed inside an apartment complex Wednesday near the University of South Florida’s main campus, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is reporting. A suspect and at least one of the victims are USF students, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Shortly before 4:30 a.m., a 911 call was received from a man reporting that he and another person had been stabbed at the apartments on North 46th Street.

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First Alert Traffic: Fatal crash causing detours on northbound I-75 at Jacaranda

Jun 03, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Northbound lanes of I-75 at Jacaranda Boulevard in south Sarasota County were closed Wednesday morning after a fatal crash, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The two-vehicle crash is causing northbound traffic to be diverted off the interstate at Jacaranda Boulevard, at exit 193. Additional updates from investigators is expected later this morning.

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City of Venice seeks citizens’ advice as it builds new website

Jun 02, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

VENICE, Fla. (WWSB) - The City of Venice is asking citizens for their advice before building a new website. The city is creating a new website improve service to the community. “Your feedback will help us build a website that is easy to use, informative, accessible, and reflective of the needs of our residents, businesses, and visitors,” the city said in a news release.

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Performance-Based fitness training

Jun 02, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

Add Us On Google Add as a preferred source on Google SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Fitness competitions like Hyrox, Spartan Races, and other endurance events are hugely popular throughout the country, including the Suncoast. So to keep up with the growing interest, Jefferson Fit, located in downtown Sarasota, launched a new class bringing strength, endurance, and athletic training into one workout.

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Suspect arrested after Sarasota police say he broke into car, ditched handgun

Jun 02, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - An 18-year-old Sarasota man is facing felony charges after police say a homeowner reported seeing him breaking into a car while carrying a gun. Jaquez Burrows, 18, of Sarasota, has been arrested on charges of burglary of an unoccupied vehicle and misdemeanor charges of loitering and prowling, and resisting an officer without violence. On May 30, at about 12:30 a.m., Sarasota Police responded to South Osprey Avenue after receiving a report of a suspicious armed person.

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Car bursts into flames after I-75 crash in Charlotte County

Jun 02, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) - A driver escaped serious injury Tuesday morning when his car burst into flames after colliding with a semi on I-75 in Charlotte County, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The 26-year-old man was driving a Toyota Corolla northbound in the right lane, just south of Tuckers Grade just before 5 a.m. The Toyota veered left, into a Volvo semitrailer in the center lane, investigators said.

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Caught on camera: Runaway boat in busy sea lane stopped with boat hook

Jun 02, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

ISLAMORADA, Fla. (WWSB) - Law enforcement in the Florida Keys were able to wrangle a runaway boat off Islamorada May 31 after its occupants were ejected, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said. It was the second such incident in Monroe County in less than a month, the sheriff’s office said. Several juveniles were ejected from the flats-style boat Sunday afternoon. A good Samaritan in another boat was able to pick them up.

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Port Charlotte man charged with making threats to candidate for governor

Jun 01, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A Port Charlotte man has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill a Florida gubernatorial candidate, court records show. According to a probable cause affidavit, a social media post on X on May 26 by President Donald Trump endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds for governor. Someone replied to the post, saying, “I’m going to kill him! Thanks.

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Bobcat kitten rescued from Charlotte County brush fire

Jun 01, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Firefighters in Charlotte County found a tiny reminder that wildfires cause harm to more than just trees While battling a brush fire May 24, Bayshore Fire Rescue firefighters discovered an unexpected victim — a young bobcat kitten alone in the burn area. The kitten was rescued and taken to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife in Sanibel for care.

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Bicyclist killed on John Ringling Causeway

Jun 01, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A bicyclist was killed Saturday night when she was hit by a vehicle on the John Ringling Causeway, the Sarasota Police Department said. Police say the crash happened May 30 at about 11:30 p.m., in the westbound lanes of the smaller bridges between the John Ringling Causeway Bridge and Plymouth Harbor.

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Off-duty Tampa police officer arrested after being clocked at 100 mph on I-75

Jun 01, 2026 |

By Jim DeLa

| WWSB-TV (Sarasota, FL)

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - An off-duty police officer was arrested after driving more than 100 mph on I-75 Sunday morning, the Tampa Police Department said. Jason Brown was arrested just before 6:30 a.m. May 31 by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on southbound I-75 near Big Bend Road. Deputies say he was driving in excess of 100 miles per hour and recklessly weaving in and out of travel lanes in his personal vehicle before being stopped.

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