Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.
Public Safety
University of Florida researchers are collecting water samples along Clearwater's coast to build a first-of-its-kind dashboard warning beachgoers about Vibrio vulnificus, the flesh-eating bacteria that has killed one Pinellas County resident and five people statewide in 2026.
Public Safety
A federal appeals court ruled that Florida's HB 3, which bans children under 14 from social media platforms with addictive features and requires parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds, is likely constitutional, clearing the way for continued enforcement affecting Pinellas County's 91,000-plus students.
Public Safety
A lifelong Clearwater resident who went nearly 30 years without a doctor found physical and mental health care at the Clearwater Free Clinic, which served 925 patients in 2025 and is preparing to open an expanded wellness center Oct. 8.
Public Safety
A 23-year-old Clearwater man was arrested after being clocked at 107 mph on the Bayside Bridge and telling the deputy he was late for work; he faces criminal charges under Florida's Super Speeder law and was also driving on a suspended license.
Public Safety
Two of three westbound lanes on SR 580 near Countryside Mall in north Clearwater closed Wednesday for an underground water main leak, with no reopening timeline set by Pinellas County.
Public Safety
A contractor struck a sewer force main near Clearwater Beach on Aug. 11, closing streets near Mandalay Avenue and creating a potential sanitary-sewer overflow, while a separate broken pipe on Sweetgum Way has kept that road closed since Aug. 7.
Public Safety
New preliminary FEMA flood maps expand the 100-year floodplain in Clearwater's Alligator Creek Watershed by roughly 415 acres, potentially requiring hundreds of property owners to buy flood insurance. A 90-day public appeal period runs Aug. 19 through Nov. 17.
Public Safety
Uber's Hope Rides program has provided more than 300 free rides to domestic violence survivors through CASA Family Justice Center since launching in Florida in April, with CASA's Clearwater satellite office connecting north-county residents to the same services.
Public Safety
Colorado State University's August 2026 forecast calls for just nine named storms — one of the least active outlooks since 1984 — but Pinellas County emergency managers and Clearwater Fire & Rescue urge residents to check evacuation zones and hurricane kits before peak season arrives in September.
Public Safety
A multi-vehicle crash closed all northbound lanes of Belcher Road at Nursery Road in Clearwater on Wednesday, Aug. 5, with Clearwater Police and Largo Fire Rescue responding to a scene that required vehicle extrication.
Public Safety
The National Weather Service issued a Rip Current Statement for Pinellas County through Friday, and forecasters warn dangerous surf with seas up to 6 feet will persist through Saturday at Clearwater Beach, accompanied by severe thunderstorms and flash flood risk.
Public Safety
A new weather system separate from Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to bring 3 to 5 inches of rain and flash flood risk to the Clearwater and Tampa Bay area through Thursday, July 30, with isolated severe thunderstorms and damaging winds also possible in a region under extreme drought.
Public Safety
The Black Keys bring their Peaches 'n Kream World Tour to The BayCare Sound at Coachman Park on Tuesday, July 28, with opener Eddie 9V and VIP packages available through Ruth Eckerd Hall.
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