Hospital Safety, Accidental Shooting, ACLU Suits

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:

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.

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.

Florida ACLU Chapters File Trump Travel Ban Suits

The Tampa and Miami chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union have joined 11 others across the country in suing the federal government. They’re demanding records related to the implementation of travel rules meant to limit immigration from six predominately Muslim countries. The suits have been filed in federal district courts in states across the country.

Pasco County Wildfires: Starkey Park, Suncoast Bike Trail Closed

As three large wildfires in Pasco County continued to keep first responders hopping Thursday, the Florida Forest Service provided an update on efforts. One of the three fires had been deemed 100 percent contained while progress is being made on the other two.

Clearwater Harbor Home Is A Music Lover’s Dream

Music lovers looking for inspiration might find this contemporary beauty in Clearwater’s gated Spottis Woode a dream come true. With more than 11,000 square feet of space, this three-story, seven-bedroom estate boasts views of Clearwater Harbor from every room and its own private recording studio, library, balcony and gym.

Woman Shot When Dropped Gun Goes Off In Vehicle

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting that sent a woman to the hospital Thursday afternoon.

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.

Photo courtesy of the Starlight Children’s Foundation