GAINSWave Therapy in Wesley Chapel, FL

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. (WFLA) — Neighbors in Wesley Chapel are flooded out. They say the water is not from a storm, but rather construction along State Route 56.

The water has receded several inches but neighbors are fed up. Some have lived there for decades and haven’t seen anything like this except during Hurricanes Sandy and Irma.

New development pops up along S.R. 56.

“Whoever designed that drainage system, they’re doing it incorrectly,” said Jeff Alling, who is flooded out.

Allring is a disabled Vietnam Veteran. With all of the flooding, he’s unable to use his electric wheelchair or flush his toilet.

“We know we live in a flood zone and we expect [storms] like Hurricane Irma and Sandy. Years ago we took on water, but this stuff is man-made,” he said.

Neighbors blame poor irrigation from the development, so they’ve called Pasco County as well as Southwest Florida Water Management District.

“They turn us off like a light switch they say you live in a flood zone too bad,” said Allring.

The District sent News Channel 8 this statement:

“The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has investigated several flooding complaints in this area. We did note several illicit surface discharges of turbid water from permitted construction sites in the area. District staff worked with the permittees, engineers of records and their consultants to install appropriate sediment and erosion control measures to eliminate the illicit (turbid ) discharges from their construction sites.

“We are also currently investigating another issue with construction dewatering in this area. We have requested that the contractor stop the dewatering, until it has been approved by the District.

“Unfortunately, Betts Drive and the residential lots were constructed in the 100-year floodplain, prior to stormwater permitting requirements. District regulatory permitting requirements were implemented in 1984. If a development was proposed in this location today, they would need to elevate the living structures above the floodplain elevation. They would also need to provide calculations demonstrating that any fill placement within the floodplain would not impact offsite areas.”

“Changes to the drainage system have to be corrected and diverted a different way. Stop dumping it here,” Allring said. “We don’t want the man-made floods. We’ll take the natural ones.”

Pasco County said Betts Drive is private and the county has no jurisdiction over it. The county also said the standing water is from the New River which has crested and it could take several days before it returns to normal water levels.

Pasco County, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County (DOH-Pasco) announces the availability of free Naloxone (Narcan) Nasal Spray kits. This lifesaving medication could reduce thousands of substance abuse deaths across the state. Naloxone is available to people who use drugs, people with a history of drug use, others at risk of experiencing an overdose, friends, family members, and others who may witness an overdose.

“We need new solutions to an old problem when it comes to substance abuse and addiction overdoses,” said Mike Napier, Health Officer for the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County. “Distributing Naloxone (Narcan) into our community is just one of the many ways Pasco County is combatting this growing problem.”

Naloxone is a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, restoring breathing and consciousness within minutes of being administered to a person who has overdosed. Naloxone can be administered by a bystander (non-healthcare professional) before emergency medical assistance becomes available, but it is not intended to substitute for professional medical care. Individuals should call 911 immediately when an opioid overdose is suspected, before administering Naloxone.

Persons requesting a kit from DOH-Pasco County must meet the following eligibility:

Naloxone kits can be obtained at DOH-Pasco County offices at the following locations:

DOH-Pasco: New Port Richey Clinic

10841 Little Road

New Port Richey, FL 34654

Monday-Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm

DOH-Pasco Dade City Clinic

Dade City, FL 33525

Monday-Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm

DOH-Pasco Wesley Chapel Clinic

33845 FL-54

Wesley Chapel, FL 33543

Monday AND Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm

Call 727-619-0300 Option 1 for more information on Naloxone in Pasco County.

Naloxone kits are free, and no appointment is necessary. People using Naloxone receive educational material, referrals, and connections for substance abuse intervention.

The Florida Department of Health is working with the Florida Department of Children and Families through the Overdose Prevention Program, or iSaveFL, which facilitates the distribution of Naloxone kits to families, friends, and caregivers of those at risk for an opioid overdose. This effort complements the Florida Department of Health’s HEROS (Helping Emergency Responders Obtain Support) program that provides free Naloxone to emergency response agencies.

This initiative is part of the state’s response to the overdose crisis. This month, Governor Ron DeSantis launched the Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) program – the first of its kind in the nation – to provide comprehensive and sustainable care to those affected by substance use disorder.

Where is substance use disorder assistance available?

For questions regarding potential overdoses and other drug-related exposures, Florida’s Poison Control Centers are a valuable resource to individuals throughout Florida, including emergency personnel. Poison Control Centers are staffed by health care professionals that are specifically trained to treat drug overdoses or assess patients exposed to drugs of abuse. Medical toxicologists are available 24/7 for physician consultations. For poisoning questions or emergencies, call 1-800-222-1222. Visit the website at floridapoisoncontrol.org.

The Hope for Healing website is a tool for Floridians to access help for mental health and substance abuse. The Hope for Healing initiative focuses on helping Floridians find resources in challenging times through state and local partnerships using evidence-based best practices and addressing the stigma associated with seeking help. The site aggregates federal, state, local, private sector, faith-based, and non-profit resources. Learn more here.

About the Florida Department of Health

The Florida Department of Health, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov

Copy This Embed Code:

Ad

LUTZ, Fla. — Stephanie Beaver has been working out at CrossFit Aero for three years.

“It’s helped tremendously with core strength,” she said. “The movements we do, say a deadlift, it helps with picking things off the ground or being able to sit balanced. All the movements we do help in everyday life.”

Her life is bound to a wheelchair. Beaver was born with Spina Bifida.

“My main goal is to stay independent as long as I can,” she added.

“She comes to the class by herself. We just set her up, and she goes. She’s stronger than a lot of us,” Ellaine Sapin-Ancheta, the Adaptive CrossFit director and head trainer, said.

Adaptive CrossFit is a big reason for that.

Trainers like Sapin-Ancheta have developed a modified program allowing people with physical disabilities or severe injuries to complete the Workout of the Day, or “WOD.”

“Any movement can be modified to your ability,” Beaver said. “There are no excuses why anyone can’t do it. Even if it looks different than what other people are doing, its stimulus is still the same. It really is an inclusive community.”

Beaver has become one of the top adaptive CrossFit athletes in the world. She’ll put her finest to the test in an international competition, “Wodapalooza” in Miami this January.

“I'm a firm believer of documenting progress,” Sapin-Ancheta said. “I have videotapes of her at the start. She was already physically fit and had some muscle tone. If you look at her now, she is the envy of every female and male athlete in this gym because she’s got great muscle tone and definition.”

Beaver is also functionally fit.

“She can do ropes climbs. She can do ring muscle-ups and pull-ups. She can lift the barbell from the ground, which she couldn’t do in the beginning,” Sapin-Ancheta said.

Beaver said Crossfit "changes every day."

“You never get tired of it. Something new and different to do every day," she said.

Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The numbers in rental studies vary but consistently show continuing increases in much of Fla., as rents stabilize or fall in larger U.S. metros in some other states.

TAMPA, Fla. – While some big markets are seeing rent prices finally start to decline, the same can’t be said for Florida. Real estate company Redfin reported 11 major metro areas had rent prices drop, including Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Austin.

For Florida’s big cities, like Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Miami, prices are still on the rise. Of the Florida cities in the Redfin report, Miami had the largest increase year-to-year, with rent prices increased 8.5%. The national average was 7.8%, according to Redfin.

Tampa, according to Redfin, had a nearly 3% increase, while Orlando was 2.2% and Jacksonville was 1.7% higher compared to October 2021. An economist for Redfin said the slowdown of rent increases was due to economic uncertainty.

“Economic uncertainty is prompting many renters to stay put, and persistent inflation is shrinking renter budgets. That’s causing rent growth to cool,” Redfin Deputy Chief Economist Taylor Marr said. “There are signs that inflation is starting to ease, but it will likely be a while before renters see meaningful relief given that rents are still up more than wages.”

Other rental reports show some areas are affected differently than others. A similar data report on Florida rent costs by ApartmentList said statewide, prices rose 5.9% in the past year. The most expensive city to rent from in the state is currently Pembroke Pines, where the median monthly cost for a two-bedroom apartment is reportedly $2,256.

In Tampa, ApartmentList said the costs were at $1,785 for a two-bedroom rental, while the national average was $1,348. National rent increases averaged 5.7%, according to their data, slightly slower than in Florida.

“Throughout the past year, rent increases have been occurring not just in the city of Tampa, but across the entire state,” ApartmentList reported. “Of the largest 10 cities that we have data for in Florida, nine of them have seen prices rise.”

The rental company said Tampa’s increase was 3.6% compared to 2021, slightly higher than Redfin’s data. Price jumps were bigger in St. Petersburg, where ApartmentList said monthly costs had risen 4.4%.

Brandon and Wesley Chapel both saw price decreases, 0.8% lower and 6.3% lower, respectively. However, Plant City rent costs went up 3.3% in the past year, according to the same data.

© 2022 WKRG, Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved.

Find out how Florida hospitals were rated on the Fall 2022 Hospital Safety Grades report from The Leapfrog Group.

FLORIDA — Several Florida hospitals have made improvements in protecting patients from preventable errors, accidents, injuries and infections while others have fallen short, according to the Fall 2022 Hospital Safety Grades report released Wednesday.

The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit health care watchdog group, used an academic grading scale with five letter grades to score nearly 3,000 hospitals nationwide on more than 30 measures of patient safety. Leapfrog says its hospital rating system is the only one in the country focusing solely on a hospital’s ability to protect patients from preventable errors.

In Florida, 54 hospitals received an A, 35 hospitals received a B, 39 hospitals received a C and one hospital received a D grade. No hospitals received an F.

Here are the ratings, according to Leapfrog:

A

B

C

D

With the release of its fall report, The Leapfrog Group has analyzed hospital safety data for a decade. Most hospitals have improved over time under more public scrutiny, Leapfrog Group President and CEO Leah Binder said in a news release.

“For a long time, the health care community tried to improve safety, but progress stalled,” Binder said. “The big difference over this decade is that for the first time, we publicly reported each hospital’s record on patient safety, and that galvanized the kind of change we all hoped for.

“It’s not enough change, but we are on the right track,” she said.

Notably, hospitals reduced what are called “never events” — accidents and errors that never should have happened, the release said. Incidents of falls and trauma and incidents in which objects were unintentionally left in a patient’s body during surgery were down 25 percent, the watchdog group said.

Also, according to the report, progress on the number of patients treated for health care-associated infections declined to pre-pandemic levels.

Nearly two dozen hospitals have received straight-A reports every year since the Leapfrog Group began its safety grades in 2012. They are:

Search for your hospital’s fall 2022 safety grade and read more about the methodology.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.