Jedi Training, Deadly Bar Fight, ‘Kylie’s Daddy’

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

Cop Becomes Lost Girl’s Knight In Shining Armor

Clearwater Police officers are sworn to protect and serve. Some also dry tears and reunite lost little girls with their families.

Woman, 75, Attacked, Choked While Walking Dog

A 75-year-old Palm Harbor woman was hospitalized with serious injuries Thursday after Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputies say a man attacked her while she was walking her dog.

Watch: Mark Hamill Provides ‘Jedi Training’ To Sick Kids

The force was with youngsters at Florida Hospital for Children on Wednesday. “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill saw to it personally when he paid a surprise visit to the Orlando facility on behalf of the Starlight Children’s Foundation and Lucasfilm.

Lawmakers Line Up To Save The Manatees

A bipartisan coalition of some of Florida’s heaviest-hitting names in Congress has come together to demand the U.S. Department of the Interior rethink the recent decision to downgrade federal protections for manatees from endangered to threatened. Citing recent spikes in manatee deaths and concerns that state and local protections will begin to slip, Sunshine State representatives on both sides of the aisle fired off a letter to Secretary Ryan Zinke on Thursday.

Hospital Patient Safety Grades Released For Tampa Bay

How safe are the hospitals in the Tampa Bay area? New grades released Wednesday by The Leapfrog Group show a mixed bag in the region and surrounding counties. The nonprofit group founded by employers and healthcare providers ranked dozens of hospitals in the area as part of its spring 2017 safety grades report.

‘Kylie’s Daddy’ Earns Pasco Teen Music Industry Buzz

A 16-year-old New Port Richey girl with a passion for music found herself catapulted into the spotlight over the past few days following the release of “Kylie’s Daddy.” The tune, a love song to Kylie Jenner, features 22 Savage, Ziggy and teen sisters Iliana Eve and DJ Hannahbella.

Florida State Of Emergency Declared As Wildfires Spike

With wildfires an ongoing concern across the Tampa Bay area and throughout Florida, Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday declared a state of emergency. The declaration comes as more than 100 active wildfires continue to burn on more than 20,000 acres across Florida.

Deadly Bar Fight Leads To 1 Arrest In St. Pete

A violent fight over a game of pool at St. Petersburg’s Stinger Bar on Sunday took a deadly turn when a third man entered the fray. According to authorities, a 62-year-old man died from injuries sustained in the fight while another man has been arrested on manslaughter charges.

Photo by Amy Amerell