Swim advisory lifted for 3 Pinellas County beaches
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A swim advisory has been lifted for three Pinellas County beaches, the Florida Department of Health announced Friday.
The Department of Health in Pinellas County issued a public health advisory for Clearwater Beach near Mandalay Park, Sand Key County Beach, and Indian Rocks County Beach on Thursday due to high bacterial levels.
Former Bucs player among 255 arrested in 'Fool Around and Find Out' undercover investigation
Tests conducted on Friday showed that the water quality at all three beaches now shows 'an acceptable level of Enterococcus bacteria established by state guidelines,' the health department said.
Enterococci bacteria normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals, which could cause human disease, infection, or rashes, officials said.
The bacteria could have come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage, according to the health department.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lakeland police, volunteer groups working to find man who went missing May 13
LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — Lakeland police and a group of volunteers are working to find a man who has been missing for weeks. Frederick Blackwelder, 71, spent most of his time in south Lakeland, where he and other family members live, according to Lakeland Police. '[He] just visits family and attends church so that's the area that he usually stays in,' said Officer Stephanie Kerr, public information officer at Lakeland Police Department. In the wee hours of May 13, police said, Blackwelder was driving toward Bartow on 98 South at 540A. It was the last time his vehicle, a 2006 white Toyota Scion TC with Florida tag number 665-3VY, was seen. 'If the public could just review their videos and see if it's possible that he had been in the area, it would certainly help us in locating him,' Kerr said. Pinellas man blames error on state report for uptick in car insurance rates Volunteer search and recovery group, We Are The Essentials, is also helping to locate him in coordination with the police department. 'These areas in yellow are areas that we've searched,' said Shelley Croft, private investigator and volunteer with We Are The Essentials, pointing to a map app on her phone. Croft said the group uses a mapping system to track where they've gone and where they still need to go, starting at the missing person's last known location. 'We don't just go rogue and go out and start searching because you have to have a starting point,' said Croft. This weekend, We Are The Essentials partnered with Sunshine State Sonar to search 30 bodies of water but found no sign of Blackwelder. 'Everybody deserves that closure,' Croft said. 'The unknown is heartbreaking and devastating for families when they don't know where their loved one is.' Police said Blackwelder was reported missing May 24th after his family members returned from vacation and could not locate him. 'Somebody who is very close to him reported him missing, cares for him and loves him and would like to see him found,' Kerr said. She said no foul play is suspected at this time. Anyone with information and/or videos of Blackwelder's vehicle is urged to contact the Lakeland Police Department at 863-834-6966. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

6 hours ago
1st measles case of the year in South Dakota as CDC updates travel guidance
South Dakota has reported its first case of measles this year. The state is now the 33rd in the country to confirm a measles case, with at least 1,088 cases reported nationally so far this year. An adult who recently traveled outside the country tested positive for measles in Meade County, South Dakota, according to the South Dakota Department of Health. It comes as federal officials are urging all Americans to get vaccinated against measles before traveling abroad, according to guidance updated last week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Previously, the guidance stated that those traveling to countries with an ongoing outbreak should be vaccinated before leaving. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is part of the routine immunization schedule and has been shown to be up to 97% effective after two doses, the CDC says. Adults without immunity through vaccination or infection should also get vaccinated, the agency notes. At least 62 people in the U.S. were infected with measles while traveling on an airplane this year, a CDC spokesperson told ABC News in part of a statement. "There has been only one situation during this period in which measles appeared to have been transmitted during air travel, " the spokesperson added. In South Dakota, the person infected with measles visited two medical centers where others may have been exposed to the virus. The Department of Health says anyone who was at the Rapid City Medical Center Urgent Care waiting room on May 28 between 7:15 a.m. and 10 a.m., or at Monument Health Sturgis Urgent Care waiting room on May 29 between 9:45 a.m. and 3 p.m., should watch for signs of illness. Health officials explain that the early signs of measles appear in two stages. In the first stage, symptoms include a runny nose, cough and slight fever. The eyes may become red and sensitive to light while the fever rises each day. The second stage begins between three and seven days after symptoms start, with temperatures reaching 103 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit and a red blotchy rash that lasts between four to seven days. The rash typically starts on the face before spreading to the shoulders, arms and legs. "Measles is a highly contagious viral disease and spreads through the air from an infected person," Dr. Joshua Clayton, state epidemiologist, told ABC News. "Individuals who lack immunity from vaccination or past infection are at high risk of measles infection if they have contact with an infected person." According to state health officials, the measles vaccine offers the best protection against infection. People are considered immune to measles if they were born before 1957, received one dose of the measles vaccine (MMR) as an adult, received two doses of the measles vaccine (MMR) as a child or high-risk adult, have measles antibodies shown by a lab test, or had a previous measles infection confirmed by a lab test. The Department of Health notes that the MMR vaccine is typically given at 12 to 15 months of age, with a second dose at four to six years. For international travel with children, MMR vaccines can be given starting at 6 months of age. Learn more about measles on the Department of Health website
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Amid national outbreak, South Dakota reports its first measles case of the year
A nurse readies an MMR vaccine at Sanford Children's Hospital in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) A national measles outbreak has reached South Dakota. The state Department of Health on Monday reported the first measles case of the year. The infected person is a Meade County adult who 'visited several public locations,' according to the department's news release. The department said people may have been exposed to measles in the Rapid City Medical Center Urgent Care waiting room from 7:15 a.m. to 10 a.m. Mountain time on May 28 and the Monument Health Sturgis Urgent Care waiting room from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mountain time on May 29. People who were in those settings should self-monitor for measles symptoms for 21 days, the department said. 'I question it myself': South Dakota vaccination rates fall amid mistrust and misinformation Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through the air from an infected person. People who lack immunity from vaccination or past infection are at high risk of measles infection if they have contact with an infected person. Measles symptoms appear in two stages. In the first stage, the individual may have a runny nose, cough and a slight fever. The eyes may become reddened and sensitive to light while the fever consistently rises each day. The second stage begins on the third to seventh day of symptoms and consists of a temperature of 103-105 degrees Fahrenheit, and a red blotchy rash lasting for four to seven days. The rash usually begins on the face and then spreads down to the trunk and out to the arms and legs. The department said the measles vaccine 'offers the best protection against infection and avoids the risks that come with infection.' The department said the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine 'is highly effective at preventing measles infection, and two MMR doses usually produce lifelong immunity.' According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a measles vaccination rate of 95% is needed to prevent outbreaks, given the highly contagious nature of the virus. Vaccination rates have been falling in South Dakota, where incoming kindergarteners are required to be up to date on the MMR vaccine unless they have a medical or religious exemption. Ten years ago, six South Dakota counties had less than 95% of kindergarteners vaccinated for measles, with the lowest being 80%. Now, more than 40 counties in the state are below 95%, with 12 below 80% and five below 70%. The South Dakota measles case comes amid the most severe U.S. measles outbreak in decades. According to the CDC, there had been more than 1,000 measles cases detected this year across 33 states prior to the detection in South Dakota. Last year, South Dakota reported its first measles case in nine years. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX