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Tampa mom helps foster teens through Madi's Movement.

ABC Action News tracks tropical developments in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.

JJ is talking to businesses in John's Pass that are waiting for a dredging project to begin. They have the money set aside already but work has not started. Now, Idalia has dumped more sand on them, making work even harder

Tens of thousands of University of Florida Gators fans spent last Thursday frustrated they couldn't see the team's opening game due to a carriage fee fight between Disney and Spectrum. The fight shows no signs of letting up, not only impacting Gators fans but also those who cheer for Florida State University and the University of Miami. Spectrum, the second-largest cable provider in the U.S., saw Disney pull ESPN, Disney, and other networks off of its platform last Thursday, just before the Gators game against the Utah Utes.

Will repairs be made in time before this peak hurricane season passes? Many people in Shore Acres, along Pinellas beaches etc are now dealing with their insurance companies to make repairs to their homes but we are still in hurricane season.

Three children have lost their lives at the hands of their parents

Dunedin's Honu restaurant, which features authentic Hawaiian food and an epic backyard tiki bar, will host a daylong fundraiser for Maui relief this Saturday from 12 to 10 p.m. Honu owner and Chef Kimberly Platt vacations in Maui and has friends on the island, so when wildfires devastated the place she loves, she started planning a way to help immediately.

Ongoing storm repairs in St. Petersburg neighborhood

James Rowe is a former University of South Florida baseball player. This season, he returns to USF with 12 years of coaching experience both on the collegiate and professional levels. “I think my first love was always football,” Rowe said. “Coming out of (Cocoa) High School, I was a better baseball player. I was such a bad baseball player in college. Now I am a football coach.” Rowe was a pitcher and outfielder on the Bulls baseball team from 2005-07. His roommate was defensive back Danny Verpeale, and sometimes, Verpeale would bring Rowe along to talk football with defensive coordinator Wally Burnham.

Idalia was the first deployment of the Florida State Guard since WW2 and its very first deployment since the governor and legislature renewed it in 2022. Over the weekend, we caught up the state guard as they handed out supplies to hurricane victims and spoke with one of the lawmakers that helped create the program. He’s now a Lt. in the civilian unit.

A 266-pound loggerhead turtle begins a deep-diving swimming trial at The Florida Aquarium. The loggerhead turtle named "Jackie" was found stranded nearly 30 years ago and cannot be released into the wild. She has been under human care ever since. Senior Sea Turtle Biologist Alyssa Fessett with The Florida Aquarium said the turtle arrived at the aquarium's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center in Apollo Beach last week.

A Hurricane Watch and Storm Surge Watch have been issued for the Tampa Bay region ahead of Tropical Storm Idalia. As of 5 a.m. on Monday, Tropical Storm Idalia was located about 125 miles south of the western tip of Cuba. The system had sustained winds of 65 miles an hour with higher gusts and was moving to the north at 7 miles per hour. Forecasters said Idalia is intensifying and is expected to become a hurricane later on Monday and is expected to become a major hurricane by early Wednesday. https://www.abcactionnews.com/weather/hurricane/tropical-storm-idalia-forms-in-the-gulf-of-mexico

Contaminated gasoline from the CITGO terminal at Port Tampa Bay has impacted twenty-nine gas stations across Florida. Those stations may have received fuel mixed with diesel, which can damage engines. M'liss Walker is the Assistant Manager at Big Dan's Car Wash in Tarpon Springs. In December, the business opened a gas station.

The Mercy Full Project started just four years ago in Tampa. The rescue was founded by Heydi Acuna, who is the heart and soul of the group. Acuna is originally from Bogota, Columbia, and said she has been fed up with animal abuse and the lack of solutions for it since she moved to the United States. “So, the story behind the word is we want a place that is full of mercy towards the animals and towards the community. That’s why we call it Mercy Full project, a project full of mercy,” explained Acuna. https://www.abcactionnews.com/community/tullys-tails/local-animal-rescue-looks-to-end-animal-abuse-with-solutions-for-the-community

Hillsborough County leaders are hoping to bring some changes to a road on the High Injury Network. They hope to get people in the area to provide feedback on their problems on South 78th Street near Clair Mel Elementary. https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/driving-tampa-bay-forward/leaders-need-feedback-to-help-make-changes-to-dangerous-hillsborough-county-road

Four days, seven arrests, and a slew of serious charges are what the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) said came from a recent undercover operation. It's a sting that comes as ABC Action News learned that a specialized court division aimed at handling trafficking and sex-related cases for juveniles in Hillsborough County was disbanded on June 11.

A mother in St. Petersburg is making it her life mission to reduce the number of overdose deaths in our country. According to the CDC, more than 100,000 people died from a drug overdose in 2022 alone. Carolyn Bradfield started a company called Interact Lifeline. Its original purpose was to educate people on the dangers of fentanyl and opioids. It also aims to keep people connected to treatment after they get out of rehab.

For almost a year now, the SunRunner has taken residents and tourists alike to the beach and back fast — 15 minutes during the day and 30 minutes at night. All along, it's been free to ride, but in July, concerns about the bus were brought to the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority's attention. "When I am waiting at the left turn light, and I see a gentleman get off the SunRunner who is incapacitated out of his mind, wander into the intersection and start walking in circles dodging cars and waving his hands around, we have folks who are using the SunRunner today unfortunately, that have turned it from an asset into a tremendous liability," one man said during public comment at the July 26 board meeting. https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pinellas/st-pete-beach-residents-worry-sunrunner-is-causing-an-increase-in-crime

SeaPort Manatee is under investigation by the Coast Guard after a crude oil leak. The Coast Guard was notified of the contamination Friday morning by a member of their National Response Center. Nicole Groll is the public information officer for the Coast Guard Tampa Bay and said crews immediately went into action after learning of the crude oil leak.

It has been more than six months since Hurricane Ian touched down and devastated communities across Southwest Florida. Reporter Sophia Hernandez and Photojournalist Ismael Louis visited Fort Myers to return to some of the homes and businesses they showed us back in October to share their progress and how they are moving forward. One of those businesses is called La Ola.

Reconnections Education Center unveils new building

Jimmie Sue and Russ Ellis have Willy Wonka dreams. The sweet minds behind Just Be Me Creations are "re-inventing" traditional candy with a freeze-dried twist. "What we do is take something old and make it new and exciting again," said Ellis, who first heard about the freeze-dried candy process at a boutique in Tennessee. https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pasco/trinity-couple-chases-willy-wonka-dreams-with-freeze-dried-candy-business

Governor Ron DeSantis has suspended Central Florida State Attorney Monique Worrell, effective immediately. The governor cites various instances where he believes Worrell failed to uphold the law. But Worrell believes this is a personal attack. Wednesday morning, the news broke out. DeSantis shared in a press conference, “Accordingly, I am today announcing the suspension of state attorney Monique Worrell from the ninth judicial circuit effective immediately.”

The National Diaper Bank released new numbers showing diaper insecurity is on the rise across the country. The study shows nearly 50% of families with young children struggle to pay for diapers. That need is impacting families right here across the Tampa Bay area. ABC Action News checked in at the Tampa Junior Leagues Diaper Bank. They said they're trying to keep up with demand as more people need access to free diapers. The Junior League is working with its partners to provide free diapers for families who struggle to afford them.