Historic Flight, New ‘Super Slide,’ Orlando Magic

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 week:

New ‘Super Slide’ Set To Debut At 2017 Florida State Fair

Thrill seekers who have been missing the Florida State Fair’s iconic slide are in for a treat this February. A new, improved Super Slide is set to make its debut when the annual event opens Feb. 9.

Jobs Up By 32,000 In Tampa Bay Area

The Tampa Bay area saw 32,600 new, private-sector jobs added to its economy over the past year. That’s according to figures released by Gov. Rick Scott’s office on Friday. The numbers represent jobs added over the year in November.

Rowdies Bucking For Support As MLS Considers Expansion Teams

As the Tampa Bay Rowdies continue a mission to gain enough fan support to capture the attention of Major League Soccer, a time table for naming national expansion teams has been announced by the league.

Wife Of Man Charged In Doctor’s Murder Now Behind Bars

While Anton Stragaj awaits trial in the 2014 murder of Tarpon Springs Dr. Steven Schwartz, his wife is now behind bars in the very same jail on unrelated charges. Largo Police announced Emirjoni "Lola" Como Stragaj’s arrest Thursday.

Tow To Go Gearing Up for 2016 Holiday Season

As the holiday season prepares to kick into overdrive, AAA and Bud Light are gearing up to offer free rides home for Tampa Bay area motorists who find themselves too intoxicated to drive.

Orlando Magic Moving D-League Team to Lakeland

Basketball fans won’t have to make the trek to Orlando to take in professional play much longer. The Magic’s ownership group has announced its intention to purchase the Erie BayHawks and move the D-League team to Lakeland.

Video: Adorable Malayan Tiger Cub Makes Lowry Park Zoo Debut

A rare Malayan tiger cub with a plucky personality made her official public debut at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo Wednesday. While Berisi was born a star due to her critically endangered status, zoo officials say her antics make her even more so.

Watch: Vehicle Slams Into Cop's Cruiser, Causes Pileup

Moving out of the way of an emergency vehicle that’s pulled over is not only a smart way to avoid a crash, it’s the law in Florida. The Largo Police Department is trying to send that message home to area motorists after a four-vehicle pileup occurred along Roosevelt Boulevard Tuesday afternoon.

Sea Turtle Nesting Season 2016 Breaks Records

Sea turtle lovers have reason to celebrate. Mote Marine Laboratory’s scientists have reported that the 2016 nesting season from Longboat Key south to Venice was a record-breaker.

Southwest’s Tampa to Havana Flight Makes History

Southwest Airlines made history Monday morning when its Flight 3952 took off from Tampa International Airport bound for Havana. Not only did the flight mark Havana as Southwest’s 100th travel destination, it was also the first commercial flight to run between the two cities in 50 years.

Florida’s Favorite Christmas Songs, Movies Ranked

With the busy election season well behind them, the folks at Saint Leo University’s Polling Institute have turned their attention toward a few burning questions of major importance this time of year. Hoping to find out which Christmas songs and movies are America’s and Florida’s favorites, the number crunchers rolled out a series of holiday-related survey questions in late November.

Photo courtesy of Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo