Two of the three reported cases of measles in Florida have been verified in the Tampa Bay region

Measles virus. Mother holding tiny baby foot with red rash, closeup – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Prostock-studio TAMPA, FL. – Two of the three measles cases that the Florida Department of Health has identified this year are young individuals in the counties of Hillsborough and Manatee. What we know: According to medical professionals, the

August 1 marks the start of Florida’s hurricane preparation and back-to-school tax holidays

Florida tax holiday – Pictured: Aisles full of supplies at Home Depot – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by QualityHD Under a new law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis, Floridians will soon save tax money on year-round hurricane preparedness and safety items, as well as back-to-school necessities and more. The newly enacted budget for Florida includes

Historical research indicates that Florida’s manatees are actually relatively recent arrivals

Manatee Eating Lettuce — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Mary-Kaitlyn Arnette Researchers have discovered that manatees, who have long been regarded as some of Florida’s most adored and captivating residents, are not native to the Sunshine State and arrived just like any other visitor in quest of the warm temperatures and crystal-clear seas. Scientists from George Washington

In Florida, more baby manatees are being discovered dead more than ever before

Manatees — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Image by: Lukasz Machowczyk Manatee deaths in Florida were at an all-time high three years ago. Their babies are also dying now. As of August 23, about 130 manatee calves had been discovered deceased in Florida this year. That is higher than any previous full year in state records going

Manatees in Florida have an addiction to power plants. Researchers are easing them off

Manatees — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Image by: Lukasz Machowczyk Manatees in Florida were driven from warm springs to power plants by pollution. Their new built homes are disappearing as the state moves toward renewable energy. On the Gulf Coast of the state, close to Apollo Beach, the huge, gray, barnacled Florida manatees idly float close

Amidst an ongoing mortality crisis, about 1,000 manatees gathered at a record-breaking number at a Florida state park

Manatees Close-Up Portrait – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Andrea Izzotti Manatees in Florida have been fighting for their lives for the past few years, but a few days ago, the species provided a piece of more positive news from one state park. A few dozen miles north of Orlando, in Blue Springs State Park,

Florida’s manatee mating season is in full swing – Here’s what to know

Manatee eating — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Image by: somdul A Florida’s sheriff office has a special manatee-related message for concerned county residents: “If you see [manatees], no you didn’t,” the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in Largo, Florida, about 20 miles from Tampa, wrote in a Facebook post accompanied by Marvin Gaye singing Let’s Get It

Alarming manatee death toll numbers in Florida push calls for endangered status

Endangered manatee swimming in water — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Image by: Peter Douglas Clark Following the nearly 2,000 manatee deaths in Florida’s coastal and inland waterways over the past two years, a coalition of environmental organizations has called for the species to be urgently reclassified as endangered. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), according

Make safe, healthy choices to have a spooktacular Halloween weekend

Child Trick-or-Treating on Halloween – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Yuganov Konstantin West Central, Fl. – The Florida Department of Health in West Central Florida is prioritizing reminding visitors and residents to make healthy and safe choices this Halloween weekend. Halloween can be an incredibly fun holiday for both children and adults, however, it is

Over 2 million Florida residents left without power as Hurricane Ian ravages coast

Power outage – Power outages due to Hurricane Ian affect FL residents – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by: Memory Stockphoto Hurricane Ian hit Florida so hard that its winds were just a few miles per hour short of developing into a Category 5 storm as it made landfall in the Sunshine State on Wednesday. Not