Eagle Takes Flight, Deputies Cleared in Fatal Shooting, 33-Foot Fall

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 or so:

Riverview’s BlueGrace Logistics Announces Expansion Plans

Riverview’s BlueGrace Logistics is hiring and the transportation management company has plans to continue doing so as it expands its job force in Hillsborough County by more than 300 people over the next few years.

2 Pinellas Deputies Cleared in Fatal Shooting

Two Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputies involved in a Nov. 5 fatal shooting in unincorporated St. Petersburg have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Too Cute! Baby Raccoon Rescued After Fall From Tree

While most folks were enjoying a Thanksgiving dinner, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Seaton was on the beat protecting and serving. Chances are he didn’t quite count on rescuing an injured raccoon before the day was out though.

Details Emerge in Plant City Stabbing Death

The Plant City Police Department is asking residents in the Tampa Bay area to keep a watch out for a gray 2007 Nissan Quest minivan. According to the agency, the man believed responsible for killing a woman on Monday may be driving the vehicle.

Fight for $15 Protests Break Out Across Tampa Bay

As Fight for $15 staged its National Day of Disruption Tuesday, workers across the Tampa Bay area are lending their voices to the effort to obtain a higher minimum wage.

33-Foot Fall From I-4 Entrance Ramp Leaves Man Seriously Injured

A 24-year-old Tampa man has been hospitalized after falling 33 feet from an Interstate 4 entrance ramp on Tuesday morning.

Redemption: 2 Florida Metro Areas Among Nation’s Most Charitable, Study Says

Florida took a beating in two recent studies that called the Sunshine State among the country’s least generous in the charitable giving and volunteerism departments. Two of its metro areas, however, did earn high praise in a third study that touted them as being among the country’s most charitable.

Clearwater’s Rescued Eagle Takes Flight Once More

A bald eagle that managed to stop traffic near Clearwater’s Westfield Countryside Mall back in October is back in the air following a team effort to rehabilitate her broken wing. The eagle was officially released back into the wild Tuesday after a several-week recovery period.

Photo courtesy of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay