Nugent Offers Reward, Manatee Mask Mandate, $15M Win: Nearby News

Here are some of the share-worthy stories from Florida Patches to talk about tonight:

• Coast Guard Rescues 3 Men In Sinking Boat Near St. Pete Pier
• School Mask Mandate With Opt-Out Provision Approved In Manatee

19 Cars Towed In 2 Days Brings Felony Charges: Police

A husband-and-wife towing company in Mulberry is accused of illegally towing 19 vehicles from a Lakeland mobile home park May 15 and 16, Polk County Sheriff's Office said. It's the latest legal problem for the couple after husband Michael Denn was charged with murder in the shooting death of a man whose vehicle was being towed.

$15M FL Lottery Prize Claimed By Port Charlotte Man

A 48-year-old Port Charlotte man won the top prize from the Billion Dollar Gold Rush Supreme scratch-off game, the Florida Lottery said in a news release.

Rocker Ted Nugent Puts Up Reward To Find Person Injuring Deer

Famed rocker and well-known bow hunter Ted Nugent is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person who's been shooting deer with arrows in East Lake.

Police Chase Inside Lowe’s Over Tool Theft Leads To Drug Charge

A St. Pete police officer and customer chased a suspect through the inside of a Lowe's store after he was called out by employees for placing unpaid tools in his pocket Sunday.

Blame Game: Rising COVID-19 Cases Leads To Pandemic Rhetoric

As Florida breaks all previous records for new coronavirus cases, Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Joe Biden are trading barbs concerning who bears the responsibility for the growing number of people infected in the state. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data tracker, there were 24,869 new positive cases in Florida on Wednesday, more than any other single-day number of cases since the pandemic was declared on March 3, 2020.

• Record COVID-19 Hospitalizations Reported At Sarasota Memorial
• Hospitalized County Commissioner Battling COVID-19: Report
• Fort Lauderdale Officer Dies From COVID-19: Police
• Nearly 200 Students, Teachers Have COVID After 1st Week Of School

FL Panhandle Braces For TS Fred As Tropical Depression 8 Forms

As residents of the Panhandle anxiously await the arrival of Tropical Storm Fred — expected to bring dangerous storm surges and heavy rains — weather watchers are also keeping an eye on an eighth tropical depression forming in the Atlantic Ocean.

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Also Worth a Look Today

• Clearwater Mourns Sudden Death Of Longtime City Manager
• Photo Of The Week: Bok Tower Gardens
• Clearwater Man Arrested After Girlfriend Fatally Shot In Car
• Sinkhole That Swallowed 2 Vehicles In Palm Harbor Investigated
• Man Impersonating Police Officer Accused Of Raping Woman
• COVID-19 Stats Static, School's Back, Amazon Delivers: FL News
• Coast Guard Rescues 3 Men In Sinking Boat Near St. Pete Pier
• SUV Driver Killed In Collision With Truck In Myakka City: FHP
• Body Of Missing Man Who Had Dementia Found: Sheriff
• New Sign-Up Process For Hillsborough Board Meetings

Across America

• Terrorism Threat Elevated Ahead Of 9/11 Anniversary: Feds
• Man Stabbed, Reporters Attacked At Vaccine Mandate Rally
• Hair Discrimination Now Illegal In Illinois Schools Under New Law

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