Katlyn Brieskorn

Hi there! I'm a digital content producer looking to grow in the communications field.

WFLA •

‘No regard for human life’: BMW driver rams Hillsborough County deputy in Tampa, HCSO says

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Hillsborough County deputy was seriously hurt on Friday morning after a suspect rammed him with a BMW.


The sheriff’s office said an HCSO deputy tried to pull over a driver in a black BMW on Bearss Avenue near Nebraska Avenue, however, the suspect sped off.


At 12:25 a.m., the sheriff’s office said the deputy tried to pull the BMW driver over again at Plantation Oaks Drive.
The sheriff’s office said the deputy watched the BMW driver back into a parking sp...
WFLA •

‘I just want to live my life’: Gisele Bündchen breaks down in tears after being pulled over in Florida

SURFSIDE, Fla. (WFLA) — Gisele Bündchen, supermodel and ex-wife of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, was pulled over by the Surfside Police Department on Wednesday.


Body camera video from the traffic stop shows Bündchen visibly upset, but not because she was pulled over. She said she was upset because the paparazzi were following her.


“I was just trying to stay away from that guy,” Bündchen told the officer. “He’s right there in that gray car.”
The officer told Bündchen th...
WFLA •

Lawsuit claims doctor died of allergic reaction after eating at Disney Springs restaurant

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A New York doctor’s husband has filed a lawsuit claiming that his wife died of an allergic reaction after she ate at a Disney Springs restaurant.


The lawsuit, filed Thursday, accuses Disney World and the restaurant where she dined of negligence, according to a complaint obtained by NBC News.


The news outlet reported that the complaint alleges that on Oct. 5, Dr. Kanokporn Tangsuan was served food containing allergens at Raglan Road Irish Pub despite multiple assurances...
WFLA •

Traveler’s insurance will no longer issue new auto policies in these Florida ZIP codes

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — If you are looking for auto insurance, your search may have just gotten a little more difficult. Traveler’s insurance announced that it has stopped writing new auto insurance policies in several Florida ZIP codes.


According to WBBH, the company sent a memo to agents saying it will no longer write new policies for coastal areas. If you already have a Traveler’s Insurance policy, you will not be impacted.


Here is a list of the impacted ZIP codes:

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — If...
WFLA •

Norwegian Cruise Line cancels more than a dozen upcoming cruises

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Norwegian Cruise Line has canceled more than a dozen 2025 cruises.


A spokesperson from the cruise line told WFLA.com that the cancelations were “a result of varied events including the ongoing situation in the Red Sea and Israel, modified dry dock schedules for ship enhancements, a full ship charter, and lastly, to accommodate the demand for shorter close-to-home voyages to the Bahamas.”


The canceled cruises include:
According to Cruise Industry News, the canceled crui...
WFLA •

Jennifer Lopez cancels Tampa concert, 6 other shows from upcoming tour

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — About a month after announcing her first tour in five years, Jennifer Lopez has canceled a handful of stops on her upcoming “This is Me… Now” tour.


J-Lo was supposed to perform hits like “If You Had My Love,” “On the Floor,” and “Let’s Get Loud,” at Amalie Arena on Aug. 27, but the show has been quietly canceled.


Ticketmaster’s website shows the following message for the canceled shows:
“Unfortunately, the Event Organizer has had to cancel your event. No action is req...
WFLA •

Body of missing 13-year-old Florida girl found, sheriff’s office reports

ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA) — The body of a missing 13-year-old Florida girl has been found, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.


Madeline Soto’s body was recovered around 4:30 p.m. in a wooded area in Osceola County.


Earlier, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said investigators were “confident” that a missing 13-year-old Florida girl is dead.
Madeline Soto, 13, was reported missing after she didn’t show up to school on Monday. A day later, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued...
WFLA •

Why you might have heard a loud boom in Florida on Friday morning

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — There is a chance that you might have heard a loud boom on Friday morning. A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule splashed down off the Florida coast, and its re-entry may have caused a sonic boom.


The four-man Axiom Mission 3 commercial crew undocked from the International Space Station early Wednesday and settled in for a 47-hour free flight to re-entry and splashdown along Florida’s coast.


Commander Michael López-Alegría, co-pilot Walter Villadei, project astronaut Marcus Wan...
WFLA •

Pilot on Florida-bound Frontier flight performs ‘go around’ to avoid another plane on runway

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Frontier pilot on a Cleveland to Fort Myers flight had to quickly ascend hundreds of feet into the air to avoid another plane on the same runway.


According to FlightAware, Frontier flight 3796 approached the runway at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and suddenly looped around. The flight tracking website showed the plane climbed from 200 to 2,200 feet in about a minute.


The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the pilot performed a “go around”...
WFLA •

LIST: Tampa Bay schools closed, dismissed early for severe weather; other closures

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — With potentially severe weather approaching the Tampa Bay area, some counties and municipalities have announced closures.


Sandbags are also available for some residents as they prepare for the incoming storm.

Hardee County public schools will release some students early on Tuesday. Elementary schools are dismissing students at their normal release times, junior high bus riders will be released at 2:30 p.m. Walkers and car riders will be dismissed at 2:38 p.m.
High sch...
WFLA •

My Safe Florida Home funds run dry for new applicants

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Funds for new My Safe Florida Home applicants have run dry. The popular program promises to bring down homeowners’ property insurance premiums by hardening up their homes.


Officials said the program has been “an amazing success.” It offers free home inspections and up to $10,000 for home improvements and upgrades.


On Tuesday, officials said they had to pause initial inspection applications because funding was exhausted.


“So you’re telling me that you’ve allocated a...
WFLA •

How long does $1M in savings last for Florida retirees?

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Figuring out how much to save for retirement can be daunting. Even where you retire can have an impact on how far your money goes.


A recent study from GoBankingRates determined the average American needs about $1.9 million to retire comfortably, which can be way out of reach for many people.


GoBankingRates said you’ll get more bang for your buck if you head to states in the South or the Midwest. If you live in Hawaii or New York, you will want to work as long as you ca...
WFLA •

World’s largest cruise ship catches fire after sailing from Florida

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A small fire broke out on the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, on Tuesday.


A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told USA Today that the fire was quickly extinguished and isolated to a crew area. No one was hurt. The ship was docked in Costa Maya, Mexico when the fire broke out.


The spokesperson said the ship briefly lost power, however, backup power was activated immediately and the main power systems were resorted. The ship’s itinerary was n...
WFLA •

Tampa’s tiny homes for the homeless welcome first residents

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa’s “Hope Cottages” are now open and welcoming those experiencing homelessness.


The 64-square-foot cottages provide a bed, air conditioning and heating system, smoke detector, fire extinguisher, power outlets, shelving, windows and storage space.


They can even withstand Category 5 hurricane-force winds.

The city said it worked with Catholic Charities to build the tiny homes.


“The goal here at Tampa Hope is to move people from homelessness to self-sufficiency...
WFLA •

‘Chapel on the Bay’ turned floating condo up for sale again

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A former floating wedding chapel renovated into a houseboat is up for sale again. The former “Chapel on the Bay” is selling for $250,000. It previously sold for $400,000 in 2021.


The chapel was once America’s only self-propelled wedding chapel. After the floating wedding business sank in 2013, the chapel was put up for sale.


In 2015, an Oregon contractor and his wife purchased the chapel and converted it into a luxurious two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo. Many of the ori...
WFLA •

What was that streak in the sky over Tampa Bay?

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — If you looked up at the sky Friday morning, you may have seen an unusual streak. So what caused it? A SpaceX launch.


SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 5:12 a.m. The contrail from the launch remained visible over many parts of Florida and the Tampa Bay area.


The launch was the first of two planned Starlink missions.


SpaceX plans to launch 21 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit fr...
WFLA •

Why wasn’t there a tornado warning in Citrus County?

CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A tornado touched down in Crystal River on Sunday night but residents in the area were not notified about it.


On Monday, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office explained that an alert was never issued because the tornado started as a waterspout and was too small to register on the National Weather Services’ radar.

The U.S. National Weather Service Tampa Bay said a tornado watch is issued when severe thunderstorms capable of producing land-based tornadoes are widesp...
WFLA •

Have a $2 bill? It could be worth thousands

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — It might be time to check those $2 bills you have lying around the house because some of them could be worth thousands.


Newer bills, like one printed in 2003, could have significant value. A $2 bill recently sold at an auction for $2,400, according to Heritage Auction, the largest numismatic auction house in the world. Heritage Auction said the bill had a very low serial number for the 2003 series. The bill was later resold for $4,000.

According to U.S. Currency Auction...
WFLA •

Breeze Airways announces new nonstop flight from Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa travelers will soon be able to visit another destination with Breeze Airways.


The airline announced Tuesday that it will begin service from Tampa International Airport to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania starting Oct. 18. Fares for the new route start at $79 for one-way tickets if purchased by July 1 for travel by Jan. 7, 2025.


Breeze also announced that it is offering a 35% discount off roundtrip base fares if travelers use the code “DUPE” online. The promoti...
WFLA •

Rare sight: Couple spots bobcat swimming near Florida island

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A couple recently spotted an unusual sight while boating in Florida — a bobcat swimming in the water.


Kristen and Chris Pfaller told WBBH that at first, they weren’t sure what was swimming near Umbrella Island.


“I was driving the boat and I saw something swimming around this post and I said ‘What is that something swimming?'” Chris Pfaller told the news station. “Kristen said ‘Oh, it’s a cat’ and then we both said “It’s a bobcat!’ And then we got all excited about tha...
WFLA •

New Florida highway will charge electric vehicles on the go

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Electric car owners will eventually be able to charge their cars while driving on a new Florida highway.


The Central Florida Expressway Authority, CFX, is building a 4.4-mile expressway that will connect Lake and Orange counties.


State Road 516 will “serve as a revolutionary testbed for electric in-vehicle charging.”


Brian Hutchings, CFX’s manager of community engagement, told NBC affiliate WESH that the roadway will be equipped with coils that can charge el...
WFLA •

Tampa restaurant ranked among Yelp’s top 100 sushi spots

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Tampa restaurant was recently ranked among Yelp’s top 100 sushi spots.


Yelp said its reviewers helped identify the best places to find expertly made sushi across the country. They looked for spots that offered the freshest ingredients, sushi styles for every taste and the chef’s choice experience.


Rice & Spice on Sheldon Road in Tampa was ranked at No. 55 on the list.


Reviewers said the sushi spot is a must-try and has “the best Pad Thai ever.”


“There is a reas...
WFLA •

Floridians could see northern lights again next month

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Floridians may have another chance to see the northern lights as soon as next week.


According to Live Science, a “monster” sunspot responsible for the aurora borealis that painted skies as far south as Florida and Mexico could return for an encore on June 6.


Live Science reported that the sunspot is still active and will face Earth during next week’s new moon.

Conditions will be similar to how they were when the northern lights were visible in the Sunshine State on M...
WFLA •

Florida’s 1st Wawa drive-thru to open in Largo this week

LARGO, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida’s first Wawa drive-thru is opening in Largo this week.


The 2,200-square-foot standalone drive-thru is located at 2530 East Bay Drive. It’s the first location in Florida and the third in the company.


Customers can grab their favorite Wawa items like hoagies and hot breakfast sandwiches while remaining inside their vehicles. The drive-thru will also offer Wawa’s new line of specialty beverages and Wawa Bakery items.

“Wawa has a long history of testing and innov...
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