Latest news with #TAMPA
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Decorated Army veteran inspiring next generation after over 2 decades of service
The Brief One U.S. Army veteran with over two decades of experience is inspiring the next generation. Retired Colonel Philip Hoyle played a crucial role in operations like Desert Shield and Desert Storm, earning numerous accolades. Colonel Hoyle initially planned to serve for four years but ended up dedicating 22 years to the military. TAMPA - A retired colonel is inspiring his own son to serve in the military after serving in the U.S. Army for 22 years. Philip Hoyle played a crucial role in operations like Desert Shield and Desert Storm, earning numerous accolades. Hoyle's life has always been centered around service to his country. "My dad: retired Army, myself: retired Army Colonel," said Hoyle. "I have one son who's on active duty now in Germany." He joined the Army after graduating from Georgia Southern University. What they're saying "The biggest thing for me and probably for my dad as well, was the call to serve others, to serve your country," said Hoyle. "You know, it's God, family, country." Colonel Hoyle initially planned to serve for four years but ended up dedicating 22 years to the military. "It was a lot of fun," said Hoyle. "We just did a lot of exciting things. We had a lot of good training. There were some hard times as well, but for the most part, it was an enjoyable experience for me." He served during Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and the liberation of Kuwait. "We were called in to go free Kuwait. That was the liberation of Kuwait, Desert Shield, Desert Storm. So very active in that. That was my real combat tour in the 1990s," Hoyle explained. He received the Bronze Star for his service in Desert Shield and Desert Storm, along with the Meritorious Service Medal and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. He is also one of the few Army soldiers to have a Naval Unit Commendation Award. "We were the only Army unit with the Marines, so that Marine unit was awarded the Naval Unit Commendation, and because we were part of that unit, we also were awarded that Naval Unit Commendation," Hoyle added. The award did cause some confusion. "So every time I'd have that on my dress uniform, the old sergeants and sergeants majors would come up to me and say, 'Hey sir, you're missing something on that," said Hoyle. "And I'm like, 'No, no. That's the Navy.'" READ: Bay Area veteran helps fellow vets get what they need while highlighting their stories Big picture view Although he enjoyed his time in the military, there was one thing he wished he could change. "My only regret was being away from family at the time, but for the most part, I was very blessed. Every unit I ended up in turned out to be a very high-performing unit. We were always very successful," Hoyle said. He hopes more young people will embrace serving in the military. "We still need people to raise their right hand and swear an oath to the Constitution of the United States and defend our country against all enemies," Hoyle said. It's a commitment he says he will always uphold. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Bryan Gray. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Home insurance nightmares continue months after 2024 hurricanes
The Brief Hurricane victims are still waiting for insurance checks more than six months after the storms. Some people like Wayne Thompson say state reforms are not helping as lawmakers hoped. TAMPA - Hurricane victims are still waiting for insurance checks more than six months after the storms, and some like Wayne Thompson say state reforms are not helping as lawmakers hoped. He is disabled with nerve damage to his spine in his legs. Thompson has been living in his damaged home since Hurricane Milton peeled off the roof, collapsed his ceiling and doused his home with torrential rain in October. What they're saying "It was like a horror movie," he said. "Buckets like a fire brigade just were coming in and out and then we had to step back because it just started caving in on us." The backstory He exhausted his insurance policy coverage for temporary lodging and returned to his home, while his family found other places to sleep. "I had no choice but to move back in," he explained. "I just want my daughter back home. I want my family back together. What am I going to do and where do I even start to fix everything?" He tried seeking assistance from FEMA but said he only received a $300 check for groceries. "I got all my documents, went to FEMA, and FEMA said we can't help you. You have insurance. I'm, like, well, they're not helping me." His insurance company did retain a crew to install a tarp over his damaged roof. Thompson said it did not work, noting, "When they tarped the roof, they only tarped part of it and my roof is flat. And the water would roll right back in again and just start flooding the house again." Thompson said that caused additional mold and water damage, as did nail holes from the installation. "They nailed the tarp to the roof instead of putting sandbags. So, they caused more damage than they helped. Because water was pouring in through the nail holes," he said. "And I think I paid $3,000 just to put tarps on the part they didn't put." As he waited for insurance payments, he said his insurance told him his roof could be repaired. The roofers he found told him it could not. In March, his insurance did send a payment for repairs, but Thompson says it was far below the estimates he could find to do the repairs. The payment also went to his mortgage company, which did not release all the funds under the circumstances. "I just got a phone call from my mortgage company. They had the nerve to ask when am I going to fix the house, so I protect their investment," he said. Thompson said the delays caused additional damage that has exceeded his policy limits. "So, I went to a dealer and sold my car, I sold clothes, shoes. About $16,000 I was about to come up with on my own." Most of that covered a temporary repair of his roof that failed inspection. The rest went to a down payment on drywall work and other repairs. READ: Pinellas leaders to weigh plan for $813M in hurricane relief funds In May, after we started investigating his case, his insurance sent additional payments for his contents and for interior repairs. But he still thinks it's nearly $27,000 short, and Thompson is aware of the challenge and risk of suing his insurance company to try to win his case in court. Under state reforms, homeowners are responsible for their own legal costs even when they prevail. Those fees can add up to thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, unless attorneys agree to assume those costs in exchange for a share of any settlement. "Nobody's going to sue if they think that it's just going to compound the problem," he said. "I hate to say it's on purpose, but it seems like it was built for the insurance company, not us." State lawmakers have made it harder and riskier to sue insurance companies, to reduce frivolous lawsuits and try to bring down insurance costs, which they hope will reduce premiums. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Craig Patrick. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local veteran looks back to Vietnam War on 50th anniversary
The Brief A local veteran looked back on her time serving in the Vietnam War on the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Now Linda Pugsley volunteers as a chaplain to treat mental, emotional and spiritual wounds. Saturday was the annual Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans & War Dogs Remembrance event at Veterans Memorial Park. TAMPA - On the 50th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, a local veteran flight nurse shared her experience serving in the Airforce. Hillsborough County resident Linda Pugsley tended to physical wounds in combat. She said, "Total life-altering damage to their bodies, and it was like, woah." Now Pugsley volunteers as a chaplain to treat mental, emotional and spiritual wounds. In her early 20s, she worked as a trauma nurse at a Boston-area hospital when she joined the military. She said, "I was just 21-years-old, and then I joined the reserves as a flight nurse." Pugsley served two tours in Vietnam. "'68 through '69. We got over there about May or June. And then I went back in January '72," she said, "We just did the keep them alive, stop their bleeding, keep them breathing, and put them either to Yokota Airbase in Japan or Clark Airbase in the Philippines." Saturday marked 50 years since the last American troops left South Vietnam. Big picture view Pugsley said her feelings about her time serving are complicated. "What was that all about? I think the disturbing part for those of us in Vietnam. Well, over 58,000 died," she explained, We didn't conquer the enemy. Why did we go?" She said the Vietnam War was a difficult one for many reasons. She said, "We were stuck in the middle of politics." And when she returned home, there was a lot to unpack. She explained, "It's kind of like a double whammy. You go through the trauma of war and all of what you had to give up and go through over there. Many of them lost their friends or saw them get injured, and then they had a guilt complex because they got to go home." Pugsley said it's a heavy weight that thousands of veterans still carry 50 years later. READ: John's Pass Seafood Festival returns 6 months after recent hurricanes Saturday was a little bit of respite for those brave men and women with the annual Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans & War Dogs Remembrance event at Veterans Memorial Park. Pugsley shared the invocation followed by an honor guard, tributes to local Vietnam Veteran inductees to the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame and Southeast Asian performances and cuisine. She said, "I've seen a great change in appreciation for our military and that warms my heart." CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
New York Times
27-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
As Rays make Steinbrenner Field their new home, Yankees cast a Ruthian shadow
TAMPA — The New York Yankees are not coy, and they are not subtle. Their pinstripes and interlocking NY logo are ubiquitous. Their 27 championships are the most in baseball. Their players are among the most famous ever to play the game. Even the things they lack — no mascot, no names on their jerseys — are evidence of their fame and austerity. We're supposed to know the Yankees just by looking at them. Advertisement And the Tampa Bay Rays have to make us forget all of that by first pitch on Friday. Most of Major League Baseball opens the season on Thursday. The Rays were given an extra day: an extra 24 hours in which to cover up, strip away, and place into storage the 123-year history of the most famous team in American sports. The roof of the Rays' ballpark, Tropicana Field, was ripped apart by a hurricane six months ago, and for the past four days, they've been moving into a temporary home 21 miles away: George M. Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the Yankees. As recently as last week, fans entered Steinbrenner Field by walking around a life-sized bronze statue of its namesake, the bombastic former Yankees owner. They passed a team store with a three-story Yankees logo on its floor-to-ceiling windows. Inside the main entrance, a tunnel into the seating bowl behind home plate was topped with a quote from Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio. 'I want to thank the Good Lord for making me a Yankee.' The Yankees played their last home spring training game at Steinbrenner Field on Sunday. Ever since, five installation companies, plus 80 to 100 Rays staff members, have been working around the clock to install more than 3,000 pieces of art to replace or paper over the inescapable Yankees logos, murals and pictures of Lou Gehrig and Derek Jeter, to turn a celebration of Yankees history into a sort of Airbnb of Rays baseball. 'It is our goal to have Day 1 feel like a different building,' Rays chief business officer Bill Walsh said. 'Opening Day is such a special day. It is a sacred holiday on everyone's baseball calendars for those who believe.' The Rays believe. As of Thursday afternoon, there were new murals on the concourse walls, new hats in the team store, and new logos on the clubhouse lockers and training room tables. Advertisement On the stadium's main facade, a blue and white banner accented with a yellow sunburst: '2025 home of the Tampa Bay Rays.' Right above it? A giant, metallic NY logo. The Yankees do not disappear easily. When Hurricane Milton ripped through Tampa Bay on October 9, less than two weeks had passed since Hurricane Helene struck the same area, and the region was devastated. Power was lost, homes were flooded, and more than a dozen people were killed. A visceral image of the destruction was the tattered roof of Tropicana Field, its fiberglass remnants hanging limp from its frame, debris scattered like sunflower seeds across the stadium's seats and artificial turf. For a grieving community, there were matters far more pressing than a distant baseball season. But for the Rays, the Trop was home. It was a ballpark uniquely their own, and now it was wet and exposed, its future uncertain. Many on the staff still couldn't get into their homes, and a long-awaited stadium deal was in jeopardy, but between the immediate upheaval and long-term instability, the Rays had a baseball season to play in six months. So, they secured office space down the street from Tropicana Field — a bit of solid ground from which they could see their destroyed playground — and set about doing several years' worth of work in a matter of weeks. 'There was initially a little bit of understandable freakout,' Walsh said. 'We were so behind.' The roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team, was ripped apart by Hurricane Milton. — AccuWeather (@accuweather) October 10, 2024 Almost everything hinged on finding a place to play. Immediate speculation was literally all over the map — Nashville? Durham? Salt Lake City? Montreal? — but the Rays focused on options closer to home. A month after the storm, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner — the son of the late owner George — brought many of his top lieutenants into a Tampa conference room and told them a decision had been made. The Rays were going to play at Steinbrenner Field. Advertisement The ballpark was in the final stages of a massive, two-year renovation — its training facilities and player amenities now rival most Major League stadiums — but Steinbrenner told his people that renting such a state-of-the-art stadium to a division rival was, quite simply, the right thing to do. The Steinbrenner family had long lived in the Tampa area. They were prominent within the community. The Yankees had employees of their own whose homes were lost or damaged in the storm, and Steinbrenner Field itself had seen both foul poles knocked to the ground and some of its outfield lights left broken and dangling. This was personal for the Yankees, too. 'They have roots here locally,' Walsh said. 'And they understand how the community was reeling in the wake of those storms.' Official word of the agreement came on Nov. 14. Opening Day was 134 days away. A small-market team going toe-to-toe against the big-spending teams of the American League East, the Rays have cultivated a reputation as scrappy underdogs. They play beyond their relatively limited payroll to contend year after year, and that ethos, Walsh said, has extended beyond the notoriously deep pitching staff and famously forward-thing baseball operations department. The Rays' staff is conditioned to see opportunity in every challenge. In this case? That means fireworks. The Rays could never put on a real pyrotechnics show inside a dome, but they're going to launch fireworks after home runs this year. They've adorned some of the new ballpark signage with suns and palm trees, a salute to this outdoor baseball experiment. They're going to try new things, then learn and adapt. 'A spirit of opportunity,' Walsh called it. So far, so good. As the Rays took media on a stadium walkthrough on Wednesday, one executive quietly noted that they were actually ahead of schedule. They'd decided not to remove the Steinbrenner statue or any of the other Yankees monuments out front (those are baseball history, and there's no shame in this stadium's roots), and they did not cover the Yankees top hats at the end of each seating row (they found no cost-effective way to do it without risking permanent damage). But they did hang a Rays sunburst over the interlocking NY in the ceiling of the home clubhouse, and they put a TB logo on top of the scoreboard in center field, and that DiMaggio quote behind home plate has been replaced by a yellow slogan: 'Built in the Bay.' Advertisement One stroke of luck: the Yankees' shade of navy blue (Pantone 289) is remarkably similar to the Rays' shade (Pantone 282), meaning Steinbrenner Field's basic color scheme fits its new occupants pretty well. Most of the concession stands and party pavilions had generic names —the Bullpen Club, the Outfield Bar — which could fit any franchise. As for the decorative changes, some were straightforward, while others required at least a little gumption. Dozens upon dozens of Yankees photos lining the suite level were put into storage — so was an oversized Babe Ruth bobblehead — and Rays decorations were hung in their place. The massive, see-them-from-the-street letters spelling out 'YANKEES' down each side of the loge level were left hanging but covered by Rays banners. The enormous logo on the team store window was basically just a vinyl sticker, which was peeled off and replaced with a Rays version. The Rays are going to buy a new Yankees sticker in the offseason. There's a lot of trust and understanding in this endeavor. Trucks were unloading at Steinbrenner Field throughout the week — seven of them for the home clubhouse alone — and some of them arrived via the Rays' long-time concessionaire company, which is not going to be their concessionaire this season. The last time the Rays changed concessionaires, the vetting, planning and implementing took a year and a half. This winter, they did it in a matter of weeks, and largely because the Yankees' company had its refrigerators and cash registers in place. There wasn't going to be time to bring in someone else. Swapping ballparks is far more complicated than hanging a few signs and covering a few logos. Steinbrenner Field is a Ticketmaster facility, but the Rays operate through Getting those two systems to work together was a chore. Even more complicated: one of the Rays' corporate sponsors is Coca-Cola, but the pouring rights at Steinbrenner Field belong to Pepsi. Coke wound up maintaining its sponsorship in a ballpark where fans are drinking the competition. 'We've learned how to embrace apples to oranges,' Walsh said. 'And many of our partners have had to do that as well.' Same for the Yankees and the city of Tampa. Steinbrenner Field was not meant to sit idle this summer. At the end of spring training, the facility typically becomes the home of the Tampa Tarpons, a Class-A Yankees minor league affiliate. To keep the Tarpons playing, the Rays helped finance upgrades to the adjacent Field 2 — typically a practice field — by expanding the dugouts, installing lights and padding the outfield wall. Fans will watch from metal bleachers as the Tarpons try to win the Florida State League while peeing in a portable toilet placed next to the dugout. Advertisement The list of workarounds and adaptations is long: On June 6, the Rays will play a rare Friday afternoon game because there's a Metallica concert that night at Raymond James Stadium across the street; Members of the Rays grounds crew spent the spring working for the Yankees so they could get used to the natural grass field; Season ticket holders who didn't want to make a longer drive or sit in the Florida heat all season were allowed to pause their ticket packages without losing priority or seniority for next year. Such is the give and take when fitting an 81-game Major League schedule into a facility, and a city, that didn't expect it. Reminders are scattered about the ballpark — a banner that won't fasten quite right, a bit of turf that had to be replaced late — but the Rays trust that their fans understand. Just in case their visitors don't? There's a pointed reminder right inside the visiting clubhouse door. Even with a wall knocked down to expand the space, the visiting clubhouse is relatively small by Major League standards. Few are likely to complain, but as opposing players enter the visiting clubhouse, they won't be able to miss the picture of Tropicana Field's tattered roof, underlining just why all of this is happening. The disaster that begat this situation is still rippling through the Tampa Bay area, and the Rays are never going to suggest that they are anything more than temporary occupants of this ballpark. At the end of their tenure, the stickers will be gone, the replacement art will come down, DiMaggio and Ruth and Jeter will return to the stadium walls. Everything has been documented and archived so that the Rays can return the ballpark to its original design. But for now, it's theirs. 'All of our guys are going to get a little bit more Vitamin D this year,' Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe said. 'Which I don't think anybody is too upset about. I think, honestly, everybody is pretty excited to see what it's all like.' Advertisement Opening Day is a sacred holiday for those who believe, and every ballpark is a sanctuary for those who don the cap and wear the colors of the local team. Friday's forecast in Tampa is 84 degrees. Slightly breezy. Partly cloudy. Sun shining with very little chance of rain. The Yankees will have the day off. The Rays will be home.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
PHOTOS: FWC introduces 3 new Florida panther kittens
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) introduced three new Florida panther kittens on Wednesday. The kittens, known as K525, K526, and K527, are between two and four weeks old. Researchers said they used the mother's GPS collar data to determine when she left the den to hunt. Newborn kittens rescued from wrecked car moments before demolition Biologists located the den, and each kitten was sexed, weighed, dewormed, microchipped for ID, and had a biopsy sample taken for genetic assessment, according to FWRI. The litter's mother, FP269, had given birth to three kittens last season; however, FWRI said they were likely preyed on by a black bear. 'The survival rate for Florida panther kittens to make it to year one is low – only 32%. It's tough being a panther; it's even tougher being a Florida panther kitten!' FWRI said in a Facebook post. FWRI said Florida residents can support research and conservation efforts for the next generation of Florida panthers by purchasing a 'Protect the Panther' license plate. You can also donate to the Florida Panther Fund via the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
