10News WTSP
Kelsey Sunderland
Freelance Journalist
United States of America
In the midst of quick information, I seek to find a balance of truth, accuracy and relevance.
United States of America
In the midst of quick information, I seek to find a balance of truth, accuracy and relevance.
10News WTSP
As the debate of arming teachers continues, a Pennsylvania school district has shared its plan to arm students ith stones. According to CBS affiliate KMOV, Blue Mountain School District superintendent Dr. David Helsel explained his plan during a testimony before the Pennsylvania House Education Committee last week.
The man charged with the 2014 killing Tarpon Springs police Officer Charles Kondek took the stand in a Pinellas County courtroom on Thursday. Marco Antonio Parilla Jr., 27, shot Kondek seven times with a stolen .40-caliber Glock pistol on Dec.
A Clearwater woman is being charged with practicing medicine without a license after being the subject of an undercover operation, police say. Earlier this week, Clearwater police arrested 59-year-old Veronika Zaitsevskiy after two undercover detectives saw first-hand, the illegal practice in operation.
Messages were sparse, but Noor Salman spent the early hours of June 16,2016 trying to figure out where her husband was. "What happened?!" Salman asked Omar Mateen in a text message just before 4:30 a.m., when, according to WKMG, Mateen was in the process of murdering 49 people at an Orlando night club.
As temperatures around the Tampa Bay area dip back into the 30s and 40s, cold weather shelters are reopening for residents who may need some warmth during the chilly nights ahead. Get your forecast on-the-go: Download the 10News app Hernando County: Cold weather shelters will be available in the following counties at the following locations: Hillsborough County: Women's shelter at Mary's House 1163 Howell Ave.
After more than a year of conversation, the city of St. Petersburg is officially renaming its main library to honor the 44th president of the United States. On Thursday, St. Petersburg City Council members unanimously approved renaming the library on 9th Avenue North, after former President Barack Obama.
LAKELAND, Fla. -- More charges are being added for a former Lakeland gymnastics coach who was already facing 22 counts of possession of child pornography. According to an affidavit, 21-year-old Elite World Gymnastics coach Alexander Katchalov will be facing 40 more counts of "enhanced possession of child pornography." After his Jan.
A bill prohibiting various types of abortion passed the Florida House on Thursday. The proposal, known as HB 1429, was pushed forward with a 74-42 vote by legislators. Votes were cast mostly along party lines, with only two Democrats voting for the legislation and three Republicans voting against it.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants your ideas to get able-bodied people to transition off of their food stamp program. Suggestions are being solicited from the public to promote "work and self-sufficiency among able-bodied adults participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and related services." Beginning Feb.
It was more than six years ago when Lisa-Marie Carter underwent an operation that would cause her to lose her hands and feet. On Friday, after a two-week trial, a jury awarded Carter more than $109 million in damages, to be paid by the University of South Florida.
The state law enforcement probe into accusations of public corruption from Sen. Jack Latvala have advanced into a full investigation, officials say. Latvala, who resigned in late Dec. 2017, was the subject of multiple reports detailing sexual misconduct and sexual harassment of a senate aides, lobbyists, and other women who worked in the Florida Capitol.
HIGHLANDS COUNTY, Fla. -- To say that Deputy Louis Ramos is a hero is an understatement. At least it is to 71-year-old Dennis Kilburn. The sheriff's office shared a story on its Facebook page: not long after Christmas, the former Highlands County resident decided to leave chilly Indiana to trade a frosty breeze and heavy winter coats for year-round summer temperatures and short-sleeved shirts.
An outbreak of influenza has prompted Alabama Governor Kay Ivey to declare a state of emergency. In a proclamation, the governor confirmed that health care workers, as well as health care facilities, are becoming so overwhelmed by the number of sick patients "that care may now no longer be provided in the traditional, normal, and customary manner nor is the utilization of traditional, normal, and customary standards of care possible."
Former Fox 13 investigative reporter and Tampa native, Glenn Selig, was one of the 22 people killed during a 14-hour attack at a Kabul hotel over the weekend, according to his company. In a statement, Selig Multimedia confirmed the CEO's death, during his during a business trip throughout the middle east.
A Manatee County pharmacist has been arrested for taking pills from his employer, authorities say. Manatee County Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Division were led to 33-year-old Cody Bennett when they received a complaint of suspicion activity at the Manatee Discount Pharmacy. Deputies say nearly 500 Oxycodone pills were reported missing.
A Citrus Hills home has been vandalized after someone spray-painted racist slurs on it,deputies say. Authorities received a call Friday morning from a neighbor, who believed the homeowners were on vacation. Deputies arrived to the home to find large, red, racist statement spanning the exterior side wall of the home.
Tampa Bay Times
BRANDON - Sara Battaglia's love for dancing and generous heart has launched a feet-driven fundraising effort. When Battaglia first began holding free dance classes in her native Port Charlotte, she decided to ask parents for a small donation to go directly to a different charity each month.
RIVERVIEW - Like so many people, Renee Raley had a unique relationship with food during her college years. It was those late-night papers fueled by microwaved TV dinners that led Raley to what she now calls her passion.
LITHIA - Everyone from bus drivers to family members and school aids filled the chapel of Grace Community United Methodist Church. Five full pages of a guest book rested on a podium just outside the double doors, and across from it sat a cake decorated with an image of Jon Miller.
WIMAUMA - It was seven years ago that Pastor Carlos Irizarry helped gather a community to form Wholesome Church in Wimauma. Now, Irrizary has only days before he and his church members are forced to vacate the rented property before it's sold.
RIVERVIEW - "No mistakes, just happy accidents." So reads a T-shirt worn by Blake High School arts teacher Lenny Cabanero-Harvey, with the smiling face of Bob Ross, the late host of the PBS show, Painting With Joy. Cabanero-Harvey's happy accidents will be on full display at the Winthrop Arts Festival Saturday (March 25) and Sunday (March 26).
APOLLO BEACH - For the last two weekends, Apollo Beach residents have gathered on the corner of Fairway Boulevard and Apollo Beach Boulevard to protest the building of a stand-alone Dollar General on the site. They're hoping to garner 1,000 signatures on an online petition to send to Dollar General's Florida real estate manager, Kevin Gromosaik.
BRANDON - For the past 10 months, J.E. Dunn Construction has worked to complete an expansion and revamping of the Brandon Regional Hospital emergency department. After nearly a year of construction, the expanded emergency department is up and running.
BRANDON - Since 1973, generations of Brandon residents have driven past the iconic sign at B. Lee Elam's law firm. From birthday messages, to Florida State gameday stats, to honorary mayors, Elam has made his sign at the southeast corner of Lumsden Road and John Moore Road a landmark of East Hillsborough.
RIVERVIEW - For 17 years, Winthrop Town Centre founder John Sullivan has chased a dream of building an immersive live-work experience in the heart of the SouthShore and Brandon area. Now after building a foundation of shops and family homes, Sullivan and Winthrop Town Builders are expanding that dream with additional space for new businesses and the coming addition of apartments.
BRANDON - After a textbook pregnancy, 21-year-old Ricki Akers was thrilled to meet her unborn son, Layton. She was anxious, but expected everything to go smoothly. However, the first month after little Layton's birth was anything but ordinary. "My pregnancy was the perfect pregnancy. They never found anything they thought was concerning," said first-time-mom Akers.
RIVERVIEW - Learning, the adage says, is a lifelong process, and it's getting a boost in the coming months from the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of South Florida. The Osher institute is hoping to add six unique courses during its winter term - January through April - to foster curiosity and healthy mental aging.
BRANDON - In another time and place, Bob Savage and Tatyana Frost probably wouldn't have formed a friendship. Savage, the CEO of his own IT consulting business, and Frost, a dance studio owner, found common ground through their passion for giving back to the community. And on Dec.
TAMPA - When Kristen Jarvis Johnson left her job in Qatar as a senior associate for the law firm Squire, Patton and Boggs in April, she wasn't quite sure what to expect. The mother of Anton was expecting her second son, Miles, when she began hunting for dolls to ease the introduction of her second child to her first.
Editor's note: This is the first in an occasional series about adoption during November, which is National Adoption Awareness Month. RIVERVIEW - When Brian and Holly Festa got married in 2012, they shared a dream of having a large family. Like so many newlyweds the couple planned to raise many children.
RIVERVIEW - The number was 30. Her birthday? July 30. The amount of years Melanie Salava had been married to her husband? 30. The amount of days her brother lived after being diagnosed with cancer? 30. The amount of years that her oncology office, Florida Cancer Specialists had spent serving the community?
While adoptions of children from abroad remain popular, the Children's Board Heart Gallery of Tampa Bay remains determined to help kids right here in Hillsborough County find a forever family. And it's bringing its program to the Winthrop Town Centre to aid the mission.
Eighteen years have passed since Ann Foyt gave birth to son Zachary, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth. With seven years of fertility struggles behind them, she and her husband were no strangers to adversity. However, they were given the diagnosis after a quick assessment from a doctor with no resources or additional support.
VALRICO - Iva Lee Haygood Bell has lived through both World Wars. She experienced the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. She has witnessed the Civil Rights movements, dial-up Internet, three generations of family and seven generations of iPhones.
RIVERVIEW - Winthrop Arts takes the next step toward a sustainable arts organization for the area with the launch of a special program for youths next month. Its Art Factory opens Oct. 3, about nine months after Winthrop Arts held a community launch in January, but it's not a new concept.
BRANDON - As the Olympic Games in Rio come to an end this evening with their closing ceremony, a new generation is inspired to begin a path toward the same greatness that athletes Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps achieved during this year's Olympics.
He was a teacher and coach turned nonprofit director.Now Chuck Burgess, executive director of the Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center, has added to his resume with a lengthy list of other titles: Rotary Club president, Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce board member, Community Round Table board member and, most recently,
GIBSONTON - As they gear up for the upcoming school year, the staff at Gibsonton Elementary is also preparing for another year of helping some of the most impoverished local children through Project Smile, a weekend pack of meals to go home each Friday.
LITHIA - Like any average 4-year-old, a curious and inquisitive nature guided Jessica Valdes through simple activities. On a trip to Sarasota with her family one evening she put her curiosity to use and stopped to talk to a homeless man sitting on his bed.
RIVERVIEW - After moving to Florida with two young daughters and her then-husband in 2003, Katja Borosch considered swim lessons for her own children after they moved to a home with a pool. However, the single-income family couldn't afford it. "We put it off and she fell in when she was a year and a half old," Borosch said.
BRANDON Eileen Griffin and her son Ryan believe it was inevitable that they would someday work together. Nearly 30 years ago, Eileen had built a successful family law practice and soon a family. She was proud of both.
BRANDON - The Community Roundtable, now in its 57th year as one of Brandon's most notable organizations, recently recognized community and nonprofit efforts at its annual dinner. The roundtable, which lends support to all area nonprofits, presented Kavita Marballi with its prestigious Alice B. Tompkins Community Service Award at the Feb.
RIVERVIEW - After a trying couple of years filled with changes and rebuilding, the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce presented its annual awards banquet last week at the Regent.
In early moments of a conversation with Bryant Martinez or Katharine Sullivan-Dawes, their love of community and the arts are apparent. The two combine their passions Saturday evening to celebrate the official federal nonprofit status of the Winthrop Arts organization. Special guests from New York will highlight the Winthrop Arts Community Launch at the Winthrop Barn Theatre.
DOVER - In 1965, the Redlands Christian Migrant Association opened the doors to its first two child care centers in Homestead with the hope that they could make an impact on the lives of migrant workers' families. Today, it now operates more than 69 child care centers in 20 counties and serves a major part of the Hillsborough community.
BRANDON - Pastor Charles Richards remembers experiencing the first Walk Through Bethlehem at his church nearly 30 years ago. "We built a small idea of what Bethlehem would have looked like in front of our chapel," Richards said. "But it was probably only about half as big as it was now as far as the property and the size of the set."
BRANDON - Plant City native Daniel Sprouse rocked a captive Monday afternoon crowd with some country tunes at last year's Novemberfest. This year he returns with a full band, a prime time slot and big dreams. Athletic, intelligent and musically inclined, it's not a surprise that he seems to be easing toward his dream of making a name for himself in Nashville.
BRANDON As students wait for their parents to pick them up, a youthful man bounces between clusters of children to play rock-paper-scissors. He's 29 but looks 10 years younger. Robert Yevich does not fit the mold of the typical Catholic school principal. But he now leads more than 600 students at Nativity Catholic School.
VALRICO - Marty McFly, Lionel Ritchie and Madonna may make an appearance at the River Hills Country Club this weekend. No time machine required. Aiming to stage its biggest fundraiser to date, the GFWC Brandon Junior Women's Club hosts its "Back to the '80s Prom" in a partnership with Feeding Tampa Bay.
Miscarriage and infant loss happen. A lot. Neither are talked about enough. It wasn't until I became part of that community earlier this year during the first of two consecutive miscarriages that I realized how frequently miscarriage and infant loss occurred, and just how little people address it.
BRANDON - The Brandon community will have the chance to connect with local employers at the Emergency Care Help Organization's first Career Opportunity Showcase job fair on Thursday. The free event - hosted by The Boys and Girls Club of Brandon - will have more than 15 different companies represented to meet with and assess attendees seeking employment.
RIVERVIEW - East Hillsborough dwellers will have an opportunity to help out a local charity by engaging in little retail therapy this weekend. The Emergency Care Help Organization holds its fifth annual designer trunk show and benefit today and Saturday at the Barn at Winthrop, 11349 Bloomingdale Ave.
BRANDON The Emergency Community Help Organization's first job fair last week was relatively small in scope, but the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office delivered a big presence: three recruiters and HCSO recruitment and screening manager Richard Lozada. "We spoke to about 50 people that expressed interest in careers with HCSO," Lozada said of the Sept.
WESLEY CHAPEL - Darlene Gant's bright personality beamed in everything she did, from her lime green accent wall that her husband said she insisted on putting near the entryway to their home, to the practical jokes she would pull on caregivers to the lives she touched with her various community outreach initiatives throughout her life.
TAMPA - At the age of 15, Carla Kellum lost her right leg to osteosarcoma. Two years later, after learning her cancer had spread to her lungs, her family moved from Maryland to Florida, seeking treatment at Moffitt Cancer Center. She also sought a place where she could work out.
VALRICO - Since 1975, Bill Robinson has been working in a restaurant. Now after 40 years, the founder and namesake of Willie's: The Place For Seafood - formerly known as Fat Willie's - will hang up his frying basket at the venerable spot neatly tucked away at the corner of Front and Main streets.
BRANDON - A group of Walmart employees displaced by the sudden closure of the company's superstore on State Road 60 says it will fight for greater employment stability while waiting for the store to reopen in October. Teaming with the Organization United for Respect, or OUR, the employees are circulating a petition with three requests for the retail giant.
APOLLO BEACH Two of the youngest members of MiraBay's Leviathans Dragon Boat Racing Team are making waves as they prepare to race with Team U.S.A. in the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships. Natalee Hoover, 16, and Samantha Norstrem, 14, raced their way onto teams that will compete at the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships from Aug.
BRANDON - Lisa Stark loves her job. For 22 years she has gone to work in the kitchen at the Brookdale Brandon Assisted Living Facility with a smile on her face and a positive attitude. That passion was just one of the reasons the Brandon Rotary '86 club gave Stark its 2015 Most Valuable Employee award.
BRANDON Thursday mornings at the Way 2 Dance no longer look like the typical dance class and they certainly don't look like your typical Mommy and Me group.
VALRICO - The Igarza family, the Garland family and the Chapman family have little in common aside from the fact that they've all fallen on hard times, but recently all three were presented with refurbished vehicles in order to lighten their burden just a little bit.
BRANDON Brandon Regional Hospital thinks it has one of the answers to Florida's shortage of medical residents: a new residency program. The state ranks 42nd out of 50 states with fewer than 18 medical residents and fellows on duty per 100,000 people.
BRANDON - Newsome High School students Travis McLeod and Savannah Bolender came to the Brandon Rotary '86 meeting on March 6 determined to "light up" the club. McLeod, a senior, and Bolender, a junior, engaged in the group's annual oratorical contest by embracing the theme of how to "light up Rotary."
TAMPA The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay hopes to make a major impact on locals in need of food, housing and health with its Big Idea Grant. After sifting through more than two dozen collaborative proposals, foundation officials eventually tripled the original monetary commitment and awarded three different nonprofit organizations $50,000 each.
BRANDON - When Ronnie and Dahlia Fernandez opened La Septima Cafe in 1995, their mission was simple: create a warm family environment based on the Cuban, Italian and Spanish cuisine of their Ybor upbringing.
BRANDON The Christmas tree in the pediatrics unit of Brandon Regional Hospital shines just as brightly as any other tree. Adorned with ornaments and twinkling lights, it provides a little holiday cheer to children with an illness during what should be the best time of year to be a child.
PLANT CITY - You don't have to search long on the Internet to find all kinds of amusing asides about people with red hair, and RedHead Express - four musical sisters performing at the Florida Strawberry Festival - practically invite an inquiry with their ginger strands.
BRANDON - Before the colorful floats begin to line up on Lumsden Road, before the convertibles, festooned with red, white and blue decorations, roll into order, they will come.
BRANDON - When Daniel and Cindy Clare began volunteering at A Kid's Place, their intentions were clear. They wanted to connect with their community and help what they believed were the most vulnerable of society. From the moment they walked onto the grounds of the 60-bed facility for abused, neglected, or abandoned children, their passion was apparent.
Immediately following a memorial for the third anniversary of the BP oil spill, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson stopped to make comments on the developing news regarding the Boston Marathon bombers. "I want to know are affiliated with any international terrorist groups," Nelson said.
BRANDON - Charles L'Homme carries white trifold pamphlets to many of his meetings for the Bereaved Parents of the USA. Inside are points about life's choices and a short biography of L'Homme's speaking experience. On the back, a picture of a grinning Bloomingdale High School graduate clad in white sits above Ryan L'Homme's memorial.
TAMPA When Dave Wise and his 7-year-old son Blake arrived at the Florida State Fair last week, they weren't sure what they would see. They made their way through the crowds, bypassing stands offering the standard menus of fried fair food and made their way to Brown Entertainment's New York Fireman High Dive stunt show.
RIVERVIEW - Community leaders and local business owners were honored last week at the Riverview Chamber of Commerce annual dinner and awards celebration. The patriotic-themed evening kicked off Jan. 16 at the Regent with state Rep. Ross Spano, R-Dover, singing the National Anthem and then 2014 chamber president Joe Eletto's opening remarks.
New York Post
ST. PETERSBURG -- Wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan is ready to rumble. On the first day of jury selection of his $100 million lawsuit against Gawker for leaking his private sex tape, Hogan Tweeted: "Time for the real main event!" to his 1.4 million followers. Hogan showed up in a St.
Creative Loafing
LITHIA - Harrison Godwin is a 12-year-old on a mission. For the past five years, he has been managing a lemonade and cupcake stand to raise funds. Instead of buying the latest high-tech gadget, the Dunedin Highland Middle School student is sending his money to a cancer foundation that will disburse the money to other children - most of whom he's never met.
RIVERVIEW - Nearly 30 years ago, Sister Marie Celeste and the Franciscan sisters purchased an empty tract of land with the idea of expanding the mission of its hospital. Now, after three years of construction, that vision is becoming a reality. St. Joseph's Hospital-South is nearing it's grand opening on Big Bend Road.
For those of us who thought Pink couldn't possibly surpass the visual extravaganza of her 2009 Funhouse Tour, the 33-year-old Philly native pop star proved she's still plenty capable of producing a uniquely entertaining arena pop show and drawing a sell-out crowd ranging in age from 62-year-old grandma Janice Bent to a girl who couldn't have been much more than 10, holding up a decorative pink sign that read "My 1st Concert."
Budget cuts, rape culture and tuition hikes were the hottest topics at Wednesday's protest by The Tampa Bay Chapter of Students for A Democratic Society, as they marched from the Marshall Student Center to the Patel Center where they hoped to speak with university President Judy Genshaft.
On Friday morning Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and Rep. Kathy Castor along with others discussed the progress and pitfalls of the bill to hold oil companies accountable in an event such as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Look out Sundance, St. Petersburg is bringing their "A game" with the Sunscreen Film Festival. Already in its eighth year, the Sunscreen Film Festival, presented by the not-for-profit St. Petersburg-Clearwater Film Society, has been cited as one of the nation's top film education festivals.
After a three-hour bout with Pinellas and Hillsborough citizens in a packed room, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority officials unanimously voted to push a one-cent sales tax increase for the County Commission to put on the Nov. 4, 2014, ballot - an effort that would ultimately revolutionize local public transit.