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UF/IFAS Master Gardeners going mobile in Manatee

THE DAILY FRAY
February 4, 2021 9:00 am
A mobile plant clinic featuring volunteer Master Gardeners is coming to Manatee County on the first Thursday of each month. Volunteer home gardening experts will be available to share their knowledge on horticulture and answer questions on a wide range of subjects. MORE-»

Green investors with a $2.3T war chest take aim at Exxon

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
February 3, 2021 12:00 pm
More than 10 years after the Deepwater Horizon exploded and spilled 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, the waves are hitting Wall Street. BP is now giving alternative energy serious attention. And on Tuesday, a $2.3 trillion institutional investor uprising emerged against ExxonMobil. MORE-»

A li'l (red) drum-roll, please, for Robinson Preserve’s big habitat restoration project

THE DAILY FRAY
January 29, 2021 8:15 pm
Manatee County parks leaders cut a ribbon on Friday to officially open a 135-acre habitat expansion for Robinson Preserve in Bradenton. And fairly soon, Southwest Florida's anglers can probably start chopping bait again for prized redfish. MORE-»

The odd couple: CCA Florida and Duke Energy partner to enhance redfish population

THE DAILY FRAY
January 27, 2021 8:00 pm
Duke Energy, the Fortune 125 company with a history of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lawsuits, and the nonprofit Coastal Conservation Association of Florida are no doubt a strange couple. But not on Friday at Robinson Preserve in Manatee County. MORE-»

UN blockbuster: 'Aging Dams' reveals global threat; in Florida, Rodman Dam and the 'Herbert Hoover Dike comes to mind’

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
January 22, 2021 7:00 pm
Florida has 1,109 dams, averaging 50 years in age, and they come in many shapes, sizes, and materials. Some are concrete. Others involve earth and large rocks. And 24% are deemed “high-hazard” – that is, failure is expected to result in deaths and significant economic losses. MORE-»

NFL Green tailgating on AMI Monday for beach cleanup

THE DAILY FRAY
January 21, 2021 6:00 pm
Spanish Rocks Reef off Anna Maria Island is an underwater gem for Southwest Florida divers and snorkelers. Life on the limestone ledges includes sponges, soft corals, sea squirts and assorted fish. Sea turtles and nurse sharks are occasionally spotted. On Monday, you may spot an NFL star. MORE-»

Tick-tock: A live Doomsday Clock update set for Jan. 27

THE DAILY FRAY
January 16, 2021 10:00 am
Predicting the end of the world is a tricky business. A growing business, too. Not all doomsday clocks – and there’s a bunch out there these days – are in sync. For many folks wrestling with world events, the hard part is choosing who and what to believe. MORE-»

Investors make $18 million bet on plant-based shrimp

THE DAILY FRAY
January 8, 2021 9:00 am
There are thousands of species of shrimp in the world, many that contribute to a $9 billion commercial market. Loosely classified, there are pink, white, brown and red shrimp. Now there’s one more: Plant-based shrimp. But don’t choke on your scampi yet. MORE-»

Defiant rooster holds off condo coyotes, residents

THE DAILY FRAY
December 10, 2020 11:22 am
A modern urban wildlife saga involving a wayward rooster in a Manatee County condo community intensified this week as the agile fowl evaded capture by residents and consumption by coyotes. MORE-»

Putnam ordered to pay $16.9M in citrus lawsuit

THE DAILY FRAY
March 28, 2018 7:58 am
Florida agricultural commissioner Adam Putnam “has done absolutely nothing” to uphold private property rights in a case involving Lee County homeowners whose citrus trees were destroyed under the citrus-canker eradication program more than 15 years ago, a state judge has ruled. MORE-»

Laser technology joins fight against citrus greening

THE DAILY FRAY
March 8, 2018 8:19 am
A form of laser surgery used to mend human hearts also shows promise for Florida's iconic orange and the desperate antibacterial fight against fatal citrus greening, a major grower said this week. MORE-»

Nick Wiley, advocate for bear hunting, leaves FWC

THE DAILY FRAY
November 27, 2017 5:44 pm
Nick Wiley, whose career at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spanned 30 years, is stepping down as executive director to be the chief conservation officer at Ducks Unlimited. MORE-»

Interstate fisheries bosses leave bunker on the hook

THE DAILY FRAY
November 14, 2017 11:00 pm
Menhaden, a fish at the bottom of the ocean’s food chain, is also staying put at the bottom of the menu for Atlantic saltwater fisheries management for at least two more potentially risky years, many stakeholders say. MORE-»

Eric Draper named state parks czar; Julie Wraithmell interim director at Audubon Florida

THE DAILY FRAY
November 4, 2017 10:00 am
Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon Florida for eight years, was named Florida state parks director, filling a post that has been vacant since February and troubled for the past year. MORE-»

It's Flower Friday. Hello again, Coreopsis floridana

THE DAILY FRAY
October 20, 2017 9:04 am
Hello Coreopsis floridana, aka Florida tickseed, a perennial but short-lived wildflower with soft stems and yellow flowers that grows 2 to 3 feet in moist pinelands, prairies, edges of cypress swamps, moist ditches and swales and flowers in the fall and winter. Butterflies love the nectar. MORE-»

Space Coast photographer Jessica Simmons elevates hobby to artistry

THE DAILY FRAY
October 19, 2017 8:48 am
Jessica Simmons is a Florida nature photographer based in the Space Coast. She became serious about shooting pictures around age 27, starting close to home. “In fact as soon as I got my camera I went straight to the backyard to see what I could find,” Simmons said. “It’s truly amazing what you can see when you’re watching the natural world through the lens.” MORE-»

In the British Virgin Islands, there's ShelterBox after the storm

THE DAILY FRAY
October 17, 2017 7:58 pm
After Hurricane Irma brutalized the British Virgin Islands, the despair was so complete in the sailing capital of the world that prisoners who escaped Her Majesty's Prison in Road Town decided to return. So did some other unpleasant guests, government officials are warning. MORE-»

Four of Florida's reclusive stars achieve Fed's protection

THE DAILY FRAY
October 8, 2017 10:00 am
The Center for Biological Diversity added four plants to an expanding win column for imperiled Florida species when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week protected the pineland crabgrass, Everglades bully, pineland sandmat, and prairie clover. MORE-»

Fort Hamer Bridge, youthful vision, set for finishing touch

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
October 7, 2017 10:15 pm
For conservation groups, the bridge was about a delicate stretch of wetlands. Neighbors feared for property values. Rocketing residential growth was sinking in and raising safety concerns for Manatee County officials. But for a Parrish student, the bridge was about history, common sense, and his mom. MORE-»

Hurricane Carlos, Aqua by the Bay, bearing down on Manatee County

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
October 1, 2017 3:01 pm
Hurricane Carlos appears determined to make landfall on Tuesday at 9 a.m. in Bradenton when the Manatee County Commission is expected to finally decide the destiny of Aqua by the Bay. The courageous decision is to say no, hell no. MORE-»

Pine rocklands builders could bug out about this

THE DAILY FRAY
October 21, 2016 12:02 pm
For some of Florida’s most reclusive residents, early October was a wild relief. Consider the Miami tiger beetle, “actually a beautiful little bug," according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Miami tiger beetle minds its own business in South Florida’s weakening pine rocklands and now developers will be expected to mind theirs, too, the FWS says. MORE-»

State braces for Matthew's assault

THE DAILY FRAY
October 6, 2016 9:36 am
“Environmental conditions appear favorable for continued strengthening today and Matthew is expected to become an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane while it moves over the northwestern Bahamas and approaches the east coast of Florida," the National Hurricane Center said Thursday. MORE-»

$Florida OKs controversial water plan amid public concerns, fracking fears$

Florida OKs controversial water plan amid public concerns, fracking fears

THE DAILY FRAY
July 26, 2016 7:23 am
State regulators approved a plan Tuesday that revises Florida's water rules under the federal Clean Water Act in a move that environmentalists say will actually diminish the quality of drinking water and open channels that allow a future in the state for oil and gas fracking. MORE-»

Fracking foes succeed after state Senate halts drilling bill

THE DAILY FRAY
March 1, 2016 5:00 pm
UPDATED | Florida lawmakers who oppose fracking were outnumbered in the House recently and a setback in the Senate seemed likely. But opponents — including 41 cities and 27 counties — achieved a victory Tuesday when a Senate panel refused to reconsider the bill after tapping the brakes on the controversial oil drilling practice last week. MORE-»

Bus crash kills 2 cruise ship passengers from U.S. in British Virgin Islands

THE DAILY FRAY
December 7, 2015 4:58 pm
UPDATED (12/10) | Two cruise ship vacationers from the United States were killed Sunday morning in Tortola after a tour bus carrying 20 passengers crashed on a steep, winding road that links Road Town and popular Cane Garden Bay, British Virgin Islands authorities said. MORE-»

Young eco caregivers scrub polluted Tortola coastlines

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
October 1, 2015 6:21 pm
Romani Christopher arrived at Road Reef in Tortola recently with latex gloves, garbage bags, and an improbable smile. “I think cleaning up our environment is fun,” Ms. Christopher said. “You find a lot of things you’ve never seen.” MORE-»

Florida OKs bear hunting but not until opponents get a say

THE DAILY FRAY
June 24, 2015 8:26 am
Education, garbage control, new habitat, and do the science were urged Wednesday as Floridians weighed in on bear hunting. Birth control for bears, potshots, and “rednecks” figured in the mix, too. A 15-year-old girl named Hanna was heckled. And FWC commissioner Richard Corbett was often in the crosshairs because of a teddy bear quote. MORE-»

Wildlife advocates rally to defend panthers, bears

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
June 23, 2015 4:05 pm
Florida's endangered panthers and targeted bears received strong public support Tuesday as state wildlife officials opened a three-day meeting in Sarasota that figures to shape years of conservation policy. MORE-»

Tech giants promising bigger plunge for Caribbean Internet

THE DAILY FRAY
June 4, 2015 7:24 pm
A decent beach experience is mostly a given in the Caribbean but not a decent Internet experience. Progress is coming, according to Google, Netflix and dozens of global content giants who huddled recently at a rare tech summit in Barbados. MORE-»

Former Bradenton mayor says lawmakers are out of touch

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
May 30, 2015 3:47 pm
A big oak tree at old Manatee County Courthouse shaded Bill Evers, just barely, before a rally began Saturday for Amendment 1. “They should just go ahead and fund it,” said Evers, Bradenton’s hardnosed mayor for 20 years. “The people want it. What better way can you spend your money than to protect your future?” MORE-»

Bombshell ag report predicts worst orange crop since '60s

THE DAILY FRAY
May 13, 2015 9:48 am
Florida's orange growers were on a sugar high in October after a government report predicted a leap in production for the 2014-15 season. Others were cautious, including Wall Street investors who pay for private research. Someone had to be right. And it doesn't seem to be the Feds. MORE-»

Bitter standoff in Tallahassee buys time for clean energy

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
April 30, 2015 6:00 pm
Florida’s fracking opponents gained a small window of time to hold off controversial oil and natural gas drilling when sparring lawmakers walked out on the job this week. “What I am hearing is that we’ll see these bills again next year, not before,” a clean energy advocate in Tallahassee said. MORE-»

California dreamin' for some medical marijuana hopefuls

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
April 6, 2015 5:00 pm
For budding entrepreneurs in a crowded field, name recognition is big. Cannabiz Gurus, Cannabonix and Cannabilutions get style points. Medical Marijuana Inc., Medical Marijuana Centers of Florida and Medical Marijuana Dispensaries of Florida do not. Cafes, boutiques, legal teams, security, beverages. “Everyone wants to get into this business,” said Steven Cooksey, a medical marijuana business specialist. MORE-»

With populations recovering, Feds downlisting green turtles

THE DAILY FRAY
March 20, 2015 3:31 pm
The green sea turtle, whose populations in Florida are the second largest in the Western Hemisphere, is up for a demotion of sorts after 37 years on the endangered list. A federal proposal to downlist the sea turtle to a threatened species also calls for a new system of protection. MORE-»

Tampa science center to give world's first commercial AV a spin; sticker price $250,000

THE DAILY FRAY
March 16, 2015 9:12 pm
Fore. The future in driving – driverless driving – is coming to Tampa and it looks like a souped-up golf cart. The French-made Navia by Induct Technology will be exhibited at the Museum of Science and Industry and start tooling around this summer. Top speed: 12.5 mph. MORE-»

Udder chaos: A vegetarian calculator for fresh rumination

THE DAILY FRAY
March 12, 2015 8:44 pm
The strain on cows is awful. Bad for a healthy diet, the government says. A climate change villain. Water hog. Greenhouse gas belcher. Started Chicago's fire and blew up a barn last year in Germany. Now consider the Vegetarian Calculator. Or not. MORE-»

Plants seek attention, some respect, in statewide conservation discussions

THE DAILY FRAY
March 6, 2015 10:20 pm
For whatever reason some rare plants resist climate change, humans and other ecological bad actors. Blodgett’s silverbush is an inconspicuous flowering plant at the bottom of most conservation dance cards. But it's hanging tough in the pine rocklands and sunny coastal berms of the Everglades. Not bad in South Florida, where 46 other rare plant species are critically imperiled, according to a new study. MORE-»

For great white shark's anglers, there might be a catch: FWC

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
March 3, 2015 10:59 pm
The first great white shark caught from a shore in Florida was 9 feet, 8½ inches long. A group of surfcasters shared an hour-long fight to reel in the juvenile Jaws early Tuesday in Panama City. Now they might share liability, according to state wildlife officials. MORE-»

Skateboarders, some on a mission, united in Bradenton competition

THE DAILY FRAY
February 28, 2015 2:12 pm
Waivers? Skateboard nation don't need no stinkin' waivers. They want freedom from park fees and traffic tickets. "We are off to a great start but still have a long way to go yet," says Tim Payne, an organizer for Free Florida Skateparks, a group trying to change state law. MORE-»

Protesters: Harbour Isle developments threaten mangrove habitat

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
February 15, 2015 9:00 pm
A mangrove forest at a busy crossroads of development and preservation on Perico Island in Bradenton is the focus of a protest Monday by several environmental groups. MORE-»

One-week, statewide bear hunt

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
January 29, 2015 11:17 pm
After years of mounting encounters with black bears and complaints, a ticking public policy time-bomb for Florida wildlife stewards is about to go off. Conservation specialists will recommend a one-week statewide bear hunt in the fall with a lengthy proposal when the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission meets Wednesday in Jacksonville MORE-»

Prickly-apple: A Manatee County homecoming

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
January 23, 2015 9:00 pm
A sprawling cactus with tall stems, showy white flowers and a baseball-sized yellow fruit was found in Terra Ceia Island in 1919. A scientist who discovered the plant called the area a “botanical fountain of youth.” New roads, a surge of development in the '70s, plant collectors, poachers and a mixture of natural events pushed the aboriginal prickly-apple to the edge. By 2002, the cactus was gone in Manatee County. MORE-»

Mangrove violations apparent In DEP inspection

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
January 16, 2015 2:50 pm
Terri Wonder ducked under a black mangrove that hugged Palma Sola Bay in Bradenton. Adjacent red mangroves were cropped, apparently illegally. She pointed out a stump and nearby white mangroves. “No matter how you cut it,” Wonder said, “they did something wrong on this property.” MORE-»

Forecast for oranges downsized sharply

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
January 12, 2015 10:30 pm
The smallest orange harvest on record was predicted Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a stunning reversal for growers that is largely linked to citrus greening, state agriculture commissioner Adam Putnam said. MORE-»

For Amendment 1, business begins with a coalition proposal and a website

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
January 12, 2015 10:00 pm
With roughly $750 million to spread around this year, lawmakers set up shop last week for Amendment 1, starting with a website to plug in the public. And when the Senate Committee on Environmental Protection and Conservation gathered with chairman Charlie Dean, a coalition of environmental watchdogs was first in line with a proposal. MORE-»

UF students in campaign to win over millennials

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
January 8, 2015 8:00 pm
Pouring a glass of orange juice each morning is old school. Only 17 percent of Americans are considered OJ loyalists, according to the Florida Department of Citrus. But the strategists seem determined to plug holes in consumption, reverse negative thinking and win a generation. For that they’ll need an app. MORE-»

For region's mullet fishermen, it's worth the run

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
December 27, 2014 9:00 pm
Earl Roloff of Bradenton was at a commercial fish house in Cortez Village to buy mullet for bait. Nick Schwarzkopf, Joshua Lipert and Andrew Bibaud of Pinellas County were also at the fish house, unloading a big catch for a modest sale. MORE-»

Mullet run sometimes can be a murky business

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
December 26, 2014 8:40 pm
The dead fish that washed up in Anna Maria Island early Christmas Day revealed more than the underbellies of mullets along several miles of beaches. At roughly 10 cents a pound the male mullets were not worth the extra weight. MORE-»

Dead fish, apparently mullet, wash up on AMI beaches

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
December 25, 2014 9:22 am
Hundreds of fish -- possibly thousands -- were washed up along several miles of Anna Maria Island shoreline, a grim discovery for dozens of early Christmas Day beachgoers. MORE-»

Cockroach Bay: A new 10-year proposal by DEP

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
December 22, 2014 10:15 am
A 10-year management plan for Cockroach Bay Preserve State Park was given a $30,320 tuneup last week and a chance for less controversy after an earlier version was labeled as too soft on exotic plants. MORE-»

Bob Simpson: scientist who ranked hurricanes

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
December 20, 2014 8:30 am
Bob Simpson was head of the National Hurricane Center in Miami when Camille bulldozed into Mississippi Aug. 17, 1969. Under his direction, an experimental computer model was predicting a monster storm surge. When the data was combined with a report from an Air Force WC-130 estimating winds near the eye at 190 mph, last-minute evacuations were ordered. The forecast is hailed for saving hundreds of lives. MORE-»

Fracking deal OK'd for FPL

THE DAILY FRAY
December 18, 2014 4:15 pm
The Public Service Commission approved FP&L's request Thursday for a $191 million joint venture with PetroQuest Energy to drill for natural gas in Oklahoma. FP&L will be allowed to recover its investment through the PSC's fuel cost recovery clause. MORE-»

Monkey's mostly business, primate experts say

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
December 17, 2014 9:00 pm
Go monkey, go. The feral freedom fighter remains in hiding, presumably in the Tampa Bay area, a fledgling outlaw that lit up emergency switchboards Thanksgiving Day. Is the monkey hungry, thirsty? Does the monkey need any help? Is the monkey playing it smart? MORE-»

Florida's ranching: Butcher's perspective in black and white

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
December 13, 2014 9:00 pm
Florida ranchers seem to be a tolerant group. Their land supports vast populations of wildlife, including the rarest. A rich mixture of habitats protect water systems that serve millions. Speculators want to buy it; activists want to save it; and the government wants to tax it. MORE-»

Mighty, and tiny, red knot receives federal protection

THE DAILY FRAY
December 12, 2014 8:05 am
The red knot, a mighty and tiny rust-colored shorebird and Suncoast visitor known as a prolific voyager, received federal protection this week after a 14-month review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. MORE-»

Florida Poly's Peggy Macdonald on Carr's legacy, Florida history, citrus

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
December 10, 2014 10:00 pm
Peggy Macdonald is Assistant Professor of History at Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland. As an author, she focuses on science and innovation for a range of subjects that include Florida’s $9 billion citrus industry and key women in Florida history. Her new book is Marjorie Harris Carr: Defender of Florida’s Environment. MORE-»

For public hearings, ARC could be wider

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
December 9, 2014 9:39 pm
House Deputy Majority Leader Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, was just named vice chairman for the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota, is vice-chairman of the Agriculture and Natural Resources subcommittee under Appropriations. The jobs will keep Boyd and Pilon busy in 2015 with Amendment 1. MORE-»

Red snapper policies under criticism in Congress

THE DAILY FRAY
December 7, 2014 7:05 pm
A proposal calling for state stewardship of the combative red snapper industry in federal Gulf waters moved forward last week in a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee hearing for natural resources. MORE-»

Sarasota planning eco-park in Walton Ranch

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
December 5, 2014 7:00 am
Clyde Butcher said he gets the question all the time. “People ask me do I want to save the [Florida] panther and my answer is no; I want to save where they live and where they eat and then the panther will take care of itself." MORE-»

Manatee concerns around Pinellas Bayway Bridge

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
December 1, 2014 7:15 pm
St. Pete Beach wants Blind Pass restored to a proposed list of manatee protection zones in western Pinellas County, and state wildlife officials are considering the request. St. Pete Beach also wants the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to include waters around the new Pinellas Bayway Bridge. That's a new conversation. MORE-»

For Florida's exotics, it doesn't get any wilder

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
November 23, 2014 12:00 pm
Exotic pets in Florida fit into two categories: the known and the all-too-well-known. Sometimes there’s the unknown. The nonnative animal invasion was going strong in 2006 when the Exotic Pet Amnesty Program was formed. FWC workers roll around the state like a traveling zoo absorb an eye-popping menagerie of ecological evil-doers. MORE-»

Bike czar starts job in Sarasota

THE DAILY FRAY
November 20, 2014 10:18 pm
A bicycle czar for Sarasota County went to work Monday, presumably on two wheels. "What I like about Sarasota County is the weather is great for sustainable transportation," said Patrick Lui, who was appointed bicycle and pedestrian coordinator by Administrator Tom Harmer. "You're dealing with this issue every day in this area." MORE-»

Bald eagle nest: Tossed out at home

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
November 15, 2014 6:00 pm
It's 333 feet down the left field line at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, a good view for eagle eyes. But the spring training home of the Orioles is a bad spot to canoodle for America's bird. MORE-»

For talk on captive dolphins, panel gets wild

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
November 11, 2014 7:36 pm
For a passionate dolphin advocate like Louie Psihoyos, the idea of a panel to discuss the future of captive dolphins was like a trick question. For a passionate dolphin advocate like David Yates, it probably felt that way MORE-»

Sharks: Stewart leads quest for improved understanding

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
November 9, 2014 6:40 pm
The Shark Girl was born seven decades after the Shark Lady and half a world away. The Shark Lady is a native New Yorker and a Ph.D. The Shark Girl is from Australia’s Gold Coast and dropped out of middle school. Each is a world-class diver. And both are devoted, heart and mind and in their hippy souls, to the ocean’s greatest predator. MORE-»

It's pure sunshine for state's troubled orange

THE DAILY FRAY
October 11, 2014 10:20 pm
Maybe there's something to this Captain Citrus guy after all. Less than a month after the superhero hit the streets in Tampa for an advertising campaign, the $9 billion Florida citrus industry received two big bolts of energy. MORE-»

Manatee County prepared for ebola, officials say

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
October 9, 2014 7:20 pm
Public safety and health officials said Thursday that Manatee County has the resources and emergency management ability to contend with a potential case of Ebola. “We are prepared [and] our hospitals are prepared,” Public Safety Director Ron Koper said at a news briefing. MORE-»

Manatees: Safety first In Pinellas, wildlife officials say

THE DAILY FRAY
September 27, 2014 6:04 pm
Last year was hard on state manatees, when a record 830 died. But as federal officials consider reclassifying the gentle giants as threatened instead of endangered -- a move regarded as overdue by some -- state officials are tapping on the brakes. MORE-»

Mistaken identity fatal for honey bee hive

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
September 19, 2014 5:41 pm
A beehive in Bradenton was mistakenly identified as a colony of Africanized "killer bees," a bee expert said. The hive was destroyed on orders of county education officials. MORE-»

Citrus Dept. calls on a superhero to boost message

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
September 18, 2014 4:52 pm
Fear not, carbonated soda drinkers, Captain Citrus is here, tasked with promoting healthy nutrition and the ageless perks of orange juice: great taste, vitamin C, Folate, Potassium and “no added sugar." MORE-»

K-9 Kora, highly decorated, succumbs to cancer

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
January 24, 2014 12:54 pm
Success in police work came early and emphatically for K-9 Kora. In her first year on the job in 2003, Kora tracked two armed men suspected of robbing a Bloomfield McDonald’s. Kora found the men hiding in the woods, grabbed one of the suspect’s arms and was punched repeatedly in the head. MORE-»

For an old-school felon, old-school rules

By JOHN HOWELL • The Daily Fray
June 19, 2013 9:39 am
Jeffery Morgan of Middletown admitted to police that he is an “old school criminal” with old-fashioned rules. The oldest: don’t get caught. MORE-»