Cop Cleared, Beach Closings, Sunshine

Patch operates 24 daily news sites in the Tampa Bay area and surrounding counties. The following are some of the top stories from the past day:

Sunshine In Tampa Bay: Will It Last?

After days of gloomy skies and heavy rain, sunshine made a triumphant return to many parts of the Tampa Bay area Friday morning. Residents and visitors who have been missing it may want to get out and take advantage while they can. According to the National Weather Service, blue skies are not likely to last through the weekend ahead.

Tampa Man, 2 Dogs Rescued From House Fire

Four Tampa Police officers and a concerned mail carrier are credited with going above and beyond the call of duty to make sure a 68-year-old disabled man and his two dogs were rescued from a burning home Friday afternoon.

3 Pinellas Beaches Closed: How To Check On Other Beaches

Tampa Bay area residents and visitors with big beach plans over the weekend will find the water at three destinations in Pinellas County has been deemed unsafe to enter. All three beaches were closed to swimmers after testing showed high levels of enteric bacteria.

Sarasota’s New Pass Not Safe For Boaters: Coast Guard

Boaters who have become accustomed to using New Pass to access Sarasota Bay since it reopened last year are being advised to adjust their navigational plans. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the channel is no longer safe for use.

Florida Driver’s License Services Going Offline For A Few Days

Floridians with plans to visit their local tax collector’s office on a Saturday for driver’s license or motor vehicle registration services will want to plan on going this weekend instead of next. The state has announced a planned outage of its database for an upgrade to a “cloud solution.”

Tarpon Springs Cop Cleared In Fatal Shooting

The Tarpon Springs Police officer who shot and killed an armed Palm Harbor man during a May 6 altercation is back on the beat after Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney Bernie McCabe concluded the use of deadly force was justified.

Johnny Cash’s Former Florida Property Up For Grabs

Folks in the market for a waterfront property that has its own story to tell might find Johnny and June Cash’s former Port Richey spread hard to pass by. With a listing price of $894,950, the land was initially purchased by June’s father, Ezra “Pop” Carter, back in the mid-1960s to feed his passion for fishing during retirement.

Photo courtesy of Berkshire Hathaway