Social media posts about the protests can lead to termination, too.It played out several times in Tampa Bay in recent days.An employee announced publicly they’d been fired for participating in the widespread protests for racial justice.Their former employer, facing a deluge of phone calls, weaponized Yelp reviews and cries for them to be sued under the U.S. Constitution, said the firing had nothing to do with any protests.Florida lawyers say it does not matter which side you believe.Florida is an “at-will” state. “That means you can be fired for a good reason, for a bad reason, or no reason...…Social media posts about the protests can lead to termination, too.It played out several times in Tampa Bay in recent days.An employee announced publicly they’d been fired for participating in the widespread protests for racial justice.Their former employer, facing a deluge of phone calls, weaponized Yelp reviews and cries for them to be sued under the U.S. Constitution, said the firing had nothing to do with any protests.Florida lawyers say it does not matter which side you believe.Florida is an “at-will” state. “That means you can be fired for a good reason, for a bad reason, or no reason...WW…

/The non-native reptiles can grow as long as five feet and love eggs.When Madison shot out the back door and beelined toward the fence, Kyle Totten knew something was back there again.Last time it was a small alligator. This time the German shepherd came snout to snout with a 3-foot-long Argentine black and white tegu.“I grew up down in south Florida, so I’m used to iguanas," said Totten, who lives in the Bell Creek Preserve subdivision in Riverview, "but this was a little creepier.”Residents of southeastern Hillsborough County say the invasive reptiles, now well established in the area,...…/The non-native reptiles can grow as long as five feet and love eggs.When Madison shot out the back door and beelined toward the fence, Kyle Totten knew something was back there again.Last time it was a small alligator. This time the German shepherd came snout to snout with a 3-foot-long Argentine black and white tegu.“I grew up down in south Florida, so I’m used to iguanas," said Totten, who lives in the Bell Creek Preserve subdivision in Riverview, "but this was a little creepier.”Residents of southeastern Hillsborough County say the invasive reptiles, now well established in the area,...WW…

Nonprofit Locast launches in Tampa-St. Petersburg broadcast market as lawsuits continue.In a boon for cord cutters, a little-known nonprofit now under legal fire from some of America’s largest media companies expands its free television service to Tampa Bay today.Locast is making 45 channels of locally-broadcast, streaming TV available to millions in the region through its app and at locast.org. The channel lineup is meant to be identical to what’s available free over the air with a digital antenna – if you had a pristine signal.The offerings include local FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates,...…Nonprofit Locast launches in Tampa-St. Petersburg broadcast market as lawsuits continue.In a boon for cord cutters, a little-known nonprofit now under legal fire from some of America’s largest media companies expands its free television service to Tampa Bay today.Locast is making 45 channels of locally-broadcast, streaming TV available to millions in the region through its app and at locast.org. The channel lineup is meant to be identical to what’s available free over the air with a digital antenna – if you had a pristine signal.The offerings include local FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates,...WW…

/The invasive snakes brought the parasite to Florida. Now it's spreading without them.The invasive Burmese pythons plaguing the Everglades brought some baggage with them to Florida.Lung parasites. Blood sucking ones from southeast Asia that look like tongue-shaped little worms, but are actually a type of crustacean.New research out of the University of Florida shows the pythons spread those Raillietiella orientalis parasites to Florida’s native snakes, and now the native snakes are spreading it amongst themselves in places where pythons have never slithered.“People look at pythons as a...…/The invasive snakes brought the parasite to Florida. Now it's spreading without them.The invasive Burmese pythons plaguing the Everglades brought some baggage with them to Florida.Lung parasites. Blood sucking ones from southeast Asia that look like tongue-shaped little worms, but are actually a type of crustacean.New research out of the University of Florida shows the pythons spread those Raillietiella orientalis parasites to Florida’s native snakes, and now the native snakes are spreading it amongst themselves in places where pythons have never slithered.“People look at pythons as a...WW…

With mask orders in effect for most of the region, people are calling the cops.With much of Tampa Bay under a mandatory mask order, the Tampa Bay Times requested records from more than a dozen law enforcement agencies seeking logs of any calls they received involving masks.Some agencies were unable to track mask calls specifically, and some could only provide an incomplete log. Below is an incomplete sampling of many of the calls that came in to police involving masks over the past few weeksJune 24, 9:56 — Maskless man yelling at manager and customers in drive-through after being denied...…With mask orders in effect for most of the region, people are calling the cops.With much of Tampa Bay under a mandatory mask order, the Tampa Bay Times requested records from more than a dozen law enforcement agencies seeking logs of any calls they received involving masks.Some agencies were unable to track mask calls specifically, and some could only provide an incomplete log. Below is an incomplete sampling of many of the calls that came in to police involving masks over the past few weeksJune 24, 9:56 — Maskless man yelling at manager and customers in drive-through after being denied...WW…

/A visit to a Tampa Bay professional wrestling school where dreams are nurtured and bodies are slammed.PINELLAS PARK — There was no sign. Just a roll-up garage door outside a nondescript warehouse in a long row of nondescript warehouses on a back street.Inside it was very gray. The chairs were the metal folding kind, dormant but dangerous-looking given the context.Nothing shined except the gold on the four championship belts hanging opposite the wrestling ring. The ring nearly touched three of the walls inside Tampa Bay Pro Wrestling’s Lethal Academy. The school’s namesake trainer, Jay...…/A visit to a Tampa Bay professional wrestling school where dreams are nurtured and bodies are slammed.PINELLAS PARK — There was no sign. Just a roll-up garage door outside a nondescript warehouse in a long row of nondescript warehouses on a back street.Inside it was very gray. The chairs were the metal folding kind, dormant but dangerous-looking given the context.Nothing shined except the gold on the four championship belts hanging opposite the wrestling ring. The ring nearly touched three of the walls inside Tampa Bay Pro Wrestling’s Lethal Academy. The school’s namesake trainer, Jay...WW…

/Bartenders and owners are reeling after being told to shut down for 30 days due to the coronavirus.Stories about the coronavirus pandemic are free to read as a public service at . Sign up for our to receive updates weekday mornings. If this coverage is important to you, consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Tampa Bay Times at.• • •ST. PETERSBURG — For more than half a century, the Flamingo bar has been open seven days a week, 365 days a year.On Tuesday at 3 p.m., a crowd of about a dozen people lined the wood-paneled bar. Some wore fuzzy green hats. A spread of corned...…/Bartenders and owners are reeling after being told to shut down for 30 days due to the coronavirus.Stories about the coronavirus pandemic are free to read as a public service at . Sign up for our to receive updates weekday mornings. If this coverage is important to you, consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Tampa Bay Times at.• • •ST. PETERSBURG — For more than half a century, the Flamingo bar has been open seven days a week, 365 days a year.On Tuesday at 3 p.m., a crowd of about a dozen people lined the wood-paneled bar. Some wore fuzzy green hats. A spread of corned...WW…

Does coronavirus make it okay to leave people hanging when they offer a handshake?Coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Tampa Bay area. For the latest news on the outbreak, , which we are updating regularly. You also can to have the day’s news sent right to your inbox each morning for free.• • •Handshakes can spread germs, and with the continued spread of the new coronavirus, not to mention flu season, people may be dreading social situations that normally include a hearty handshake. In Florida, 12 residents had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday afternoon.Etiquette expert...…Does coronavirus make it okay to leave people hanging when they offer a handshake?Coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Tampa Bay area. For the latest news on the outbreak, , which we are updating regularly. You also can to have the day’s news sent right to your inbox each morning for free.• • •Handshakes can spread germs, and with the continued spread of the new coronavirus, not to mention flu season, people may be dreading social situations that normally include a hearty handshake. In Florida, 12 residents had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday afternoon.Etiquette expert...WW…

/We tasted experimental strawberries at a Hillsborough County research facility.WIMAUMA — Strawberry FL 16.78-109 is a ghost, materializing and disappearing from random store shelves, unannounced, unexpected and, frankly, a little startling.The flesh is a spectral white, even when it’s ready to eat. Only its tiny seeds turn red, with the slightest pink blush signaling ripeness. There was a sighting at an Aldi in Sun City Center recently.On a tour of the field where his creations grow, Vance Whitaker examined a row of ankle-high plants looking for a perfect FL 16.78-109. He plucked a berry...…/We tasted experimental strawberries at a Hillsborough County research facility.WIMAUMA — Strawberry FL 16.78-109 is a ghost, materializing and disappearing from random store shelves, unannounced, unexpected and, frankly, a little startling.The flesh is a spectral white, even when it’s ready to eat. Only its tiny seeds turn red, with the slightest pink blush signaling ripeness. There was a sighting at an Aldi in Sun City Center recently.On a tour of the field where his creations grow, Vance Whitaker examined a row of ankle-high plants looking for a perfect FL 16.78-109. He plucked a berry...WW…

And the bars still closed are wondering why.If you walked through downtown St. Petersburg or visited Tampa’s SoHo district over the holiday weekend, the scene was enough to tingle your dulled quarantine senses.Or maybe that was just the bass from the speakers at No Vacancy bumping vibes into the Monday night air along Central Avenue.That laffy taffy. Girl, shake that laffy taffy.Arms were slung around shoulders. People bought rounds of drinks, leaned in close and shouted into ears to be heard over the music. They stood, mixing and mingling, laughing and smiling. You could tell because they...…And the bars still closed are wondering why.If you walked through downtown St. Petersburg or visited Tampa’s SoHo district over the holiday weekend, the scene was enough to tingle your dulled quarantine senses.Or maybe that was just the bass from the speakers at No Vacancy bumping vibes into the Monday night air along Central Avenue.That laffy taffy. Girl, shake that laffy taffy.Arms were slung around shoulders. People bought rounds of drinks, leaned in close and shouted into ears to be heard over the music. They stood, mixing and mingling, laughing and smiling. You could tell because they...WW…